Qualitative vs. Quantitative Debate

1. Qualitative vs. Quantitative Debate Dr. Sajid Khan Visiting Scholar in Marketing Manchester Metropolitan Business School Manchester; Associate Professor of Marketing School of Business and Management The American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE www.aus.edu Email: mskhan@aus.edu

2. Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

3. Qualitative vs. Quantitative(methods-level terms) • What is research? • in revealing differences between qualitative and quantitative approaches we need to look at the paradigms • Which approach should I use? • Choice of approach is dependent on research objectives Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

4. The Nature of Scientific Theory • ‘theories are systematically related sets of statements, including some law-like generalizations, that are empirically testable. The purpose of theory is to increase scientific understanding through a systematized structure capable of both explaining and predicting phenomena’ (Hunt 1993:10) Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

5. Approaches: Objective and Subjective • Objective: is predicated on explaining and predicting phenomena • Subjective: describing and understanding phenomena • In early years of marketing – objective • Last two decades - both approaches Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

6. Alternative Paradigms of Marketing ‘paradigm is an overall conceptual framework within which a researcher may work…a basic belief system or worldview that guides the researcher’ (Guba and Lincoln 1994) • Decided through • The ontological question: nature of reality? • The epistemological question: relationship between knower and known? • The methodological question: how to find out knowledge? Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

7. Basic belief system of alternative paradigms: Positivism • Natural & social sciences measure independent facts • Putting theory into practise  • Deductive approach Theory; Hypothesis Tested through data collection Verified / Falsified  • Example - quantitative study An examination of the impact of music within television advertisements on consumer behaviour Theory: classical conditioning framework • H1: that the more salient the role music has in the ad, the more affect-based the ad is likely to be • Research Design: Experiment with questionnaire • Analysis: Basic statistics aimed to verify the hypothesis • Goal: how it truly works (Guba)? Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

8. Basic belief system of alternative paradigms: Critical Realism (post-positivism) • Real world to discover, but cannot be fully apprehended • Imperfect sensory and intellective mechanisms • Perception for realists is a “window on to” reality – several perceptions though of that reality may be triangulated to obtain a better picture Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

9. Basic belief system of alternative paradigms: Critical Theory • Aim at critique and transform social, political, cultural, and economic, ethnic and gender values • Inquiries: long-term ethnographic and historical studies of organisational processes • Assumptions: subjective, values mediate inquiry • Knowledge: value-dependent and not value-free (Guba and Lincoln 1994) • Methodology: dialogic, transformative Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

10. Basic belief system of alternative paradigms: Constructivism • Truth is a construction which refers to a particular belief held in a particular context, my own construction (Guba) • Realities appear as multiple realities - relativist • Socially and experientially based • Findings are the creation of the process of interaction between the inquirer and inquired • Suitable for some social science research (religion, beauty or prejudice) rarely appropriate for business research (Hunt 1991) • Dialectic, hermeneutic Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

11. Criticisms  • Positivism & quantitative methods • objective reality, but ultimate objectivity is not possible (post-postivisim) • issues of context • adequacy of scientific method  • Interpretative & qualitative methods • too subjective • inability to generalise Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

12. Two statements(Hughes 2002) • Quantitative research is confirmatory, outcome-oriented, deductive in nature Qualitative research is exploratory and inductive in nature • Are these two statements correct? • Quantitative-Qualitative debate is philosophical, not methodological • The context Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

13. Key Characteristics • Qualitative • Researcher immersing in the setting • Contexts natural – nothing is predefined • Interactive process • Experiential – understand experience as unified • No one general method • Quantitative • Control • Operational definition • Replication • Hypothesis testing Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

14. Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research • Qual facilitates Quant • Quant facilitates Qual • Triangulation (Miles and Hubermans 1994) • Problem of generality • Researcher-subject perspective • Stages in the research process • Structure (quantitative) and process (qualitative) • Each approach has drawbacks Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

15. Impact of Downsizing on Customers • Largely ignored in the literature • Negative impacts on employees are also likely to have far-reaching effects on customers • Especially on front-line and boundary spanning roles of service delivery • Emotional contagion from transfer of attitudes, and service climate • Bassi and Van Buren 1997, Lam and Reshef 1999, Dietz et al 2001, Johnson, Herman and Huber 2006) • Reduced levels of:- • Customer service • Trust and commitment • Relationship quality • Broken bonds • Satisfaction • Repeat purchase • Positive word of mouth Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

16. Research Objective • This study aimed to examine the impact of downsizing on customer perceptions of the factors influencing customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions in a B2B service environment. Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

17. Context of the Study • Fortune 100 company • SBU - Building services (one of the Big 5) • B2B services market (Big 5 = 60% mkt share) • Driven by annual contracts for building maintenance services – usually large accounts • Large initial capital investment • Over 80000 contracts, over $5 billion • 35000 service technicians in the US • 2001-2 recession, revenue flat, goal cost reduction • During 2002, firm layed off 15% of service technicians (approx 5000 staff) Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

18. Research Methods • The firm had employed an independent market research company to collect customer feedback on its services for 5 years prior to the study. • Longitudinal study – 5 quarters • before downsizing (Q4-01; Q1-02) • after downsizing (Q2-02, Q2-03, Q2-04) • A random sample of customers were surveyed each month – data was aggregated quarterly • Sample size varied between 534 to 994 respondents quarterly – samples independent • Telephone interview with key-contact personnel who were “primary decision makers” at each firm • 65 questions initially from qualitative research, refined and modified over a 5 year period to 31 questions used for the study • 5 point categorical scales Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

19. A Priori Model Repurchase Intentions Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

20. Main Constructs • Technician service • 5 items (4 after CFA) • Account representatives • 5 items (4 after CFA) • Dispatch services • 3 items (3 after CFA) • Emergency services • 5 items (3 after CFA) • Satisfaction • 3 items indexed • Repurchase intentions • 2 items indexed Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

21. Some important questions! • Is quantitative approach more important than the qualitative, or vice versa? • Are underlying assumptions different? • Does research tradition matter? • Does researcher’s own experience and preference matter? • Can both qualitative and quantitative approaches be used in conjunction with each other? Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate

22. Which approach to choose? (Punch 1998) • Research question and overall research objectives • Standardized vs. situation in detail? What is your interest? • The literature • Implications • Style Qualitative vs. Quanitative Debate