The# conceptualisation# of# the# problem# of# attraction# and# retention# as# a# dialectic#
between#the#individual#as#employee#(District#worker)#and#institution#as#employer#
(the# Department)# within# an# ecological# conceptual# framework# meant# that# the#
research#design#needed#to#accommodate#an#understanding#of#the#worlds#in#which#
both# subjects# are# embedded:# that# known# from# within,# and# the# world# as# known#
from#‘out#there’.##
Thus,# in# returning# to# the# original# research# problem# as# formulated# by# the#
Department,# while# an# analysis# of# workforce# data# would# reveal# the# extent# of# the#
‘problem’#based#on#vacancy#and#turnover#rates#(examined#in#Chapter#8),#such#data#
would# not# provide# the# story# as# to# why# the# Department# was# having# difficulties#
attracting# and# retaining# workers.# A# similar# logic# applies# to# understanding# the#
particularities# of# place.# While# population# and# geophysical# data# might# convey# the#
characteristics# of# the# Murchison# and# the# towns# in# which# District# employees# live#
and#work,#this#‘picture’#they#provide#is#oneDdimensional.#At#best#it#implies#rather#
than#conveys#the#subjective#experience#of#being#in#these#locations,#rather#than#the#
relationships#that#characterise#everyday#interactions#and#the#attachment#to#place#
more#broadly.##
This#attention#to#both#subjective#and#objective#understandings#of#the#subjects#and#
their# settings# necessitated# the# use# of# the# most# appropriate# methods# by# which# to#
obtain# this# knowledge:# the# use# of# both# qualitative# methods# and# quantitative#
methods.##
With# attention# to# key# issues# informing# mixedDmethod# design# (MMD)# selection,#
notably# those# of# the# level# of# interaction,# timing# and# procedures# (Creswell# and#
PlanoDClarke# 2011),# the# following# section# outlines# the# process# by# which#
quantitative# and# qualitative# ‘strands’# have# been# utilised# under# the# umbrella# of# a#
distinct#research#design.#A#discussion#of#the#individual#methods#of#data#collection#
and#analysis#employed#in#this#research#features#later#in#this#chapter.##
The# emergence# and# expansion# of# guides# for# conducting# mixedDmethods# research#
(MMR)# in# recent# years# (Creswell# 2009;# Creswell# and# PlanoDClarke# 2011),# has#
countered# earlier# criticism# of# the# lack# of# any# guidance,# including# procedural#
guidance# for# conducting# MMR# (Bryman# 2008).# However,# while# offering# a# clear#
guide#to#choosing#an#MMD#(as#evidenced#by#the#reference#to#such#taxonomies#to#
describe#this#research),#and#remaining#consistent#with#Creswell#and#PlanoDClarke’s#
(2011)# emphasis# on# the# philosophical# foundations# of# MMR# in# pragmaticism,# the#
approach# for# this# research# is# fundamentally# one# of# ‘bestDfit’# with# the# research#
problem,#research#questions#and#overall#purpose#of#the#study.##
If#reflexivity#in#the#research#process#can#illuminate#the#‘messy#brushstrokes’#that#
characterise#the#reality#of#research#practice#which#remain#otherwise#hidden#from#
view# in# the# final# research# manuscript# (Bourdieu# &# Wasquant# 1992),# then#
procedural#diagrams#such#as#that#presented#as#Figure#2.3#(below)#provide#a#‘paint#
by# number’# account# of# the# steps# in# the# multiDphase# MMD# used# for# this# research.#
Developed#using#the#principles#of#Creswell#and#PlanoDClarke’s#(2011)#‘Guidelines#
for# Drawing# Procedural# Diagrams# for# Mixed# Method# Studies’,# the# overall# design#
incorporated# two# distinct# phases:# (1)# Parallel# Convergent;# and# (2)# Exploratory#
Sequential# Design.# The# approach# is# consistent# with# the# use# of# concurrent# (or#
convergent)#and#sequential#designs#in#singleDstudy#multiDphase#MMD#(Creswell#&#
PlanoDClarke#2011).##
Figure'2.3'Procedural'diagram'for'mixed4methods'approach'
# Source:#Collins,#MT#(2014)#The#equal#emphasis#on#understanding#attraction#and#retention#from#a#multiplicity#
of#perspectives,#combined#with#the#time#and#resource#constraints#impacting#on#the#
study# due# to# it# being# the# undertaking# by# a# single# researcher,# meant# that# both#
primary# and# secondary# sources# were# foundational# to# gaining# these# perspectives.#
The#adherence#in#principle#to#a#form#of#methodological#pluralism#for#this#research#
meant#that#the#relative#importance#and#therefore#priority#of#both#quantitative#and#
qualitative# strands# have# been# equal# during# the# process# of# data# collection# and#
analysis,# as# evidenced# from# the# notations# in# Figure# 2.3.# Evidence# of# this# equal#
weighting# is# illustrated# with# the# examples# drawn# from# the# Convergent# Design#
Phase# and# Exploratory# Sequential# Phases# of# the# research.# As# evidenced# by# the#
presentation# of# the# Department# and# its# Murchison# District# in# Chapter# 3,# official#
statistics# (such# as# Australian# Bureau# of# Statistics# (ABS)# Census# Data# and#
Department# workforce# and# child# protection# notification# data)# have# been# integral#
to# communicating# characteristics# of# place# and# practice# corresponding# with# the#
original#questions#formulated#for#this#research.#However,#the#explanation#of#these#
characteristics# through# quantitative# data# has# been# equally# informed# by# the#
exploration# of# these# particularities# via# historical# and# contemporary# accounts# of#
place#and#practice#derived#from#public#and#private#organisational#data,#including#
literature#and#policy#and#planning#documents.##
While# MMD# implies# an# interactive# process# between# qualitative# and# quantitative#
methods,#Creswell#and#PlanoDClarke#(2011)#highlight#that#the#degree#to#which#this#
occurs# can# vary.# They# describe# the# ‘points# of# interface’# at# which# the# strands# are#
combined,#mixed#or#integrated#occurring#at#any#number#of#phases#in#the#research#
process;# namely,# during# data# collection,# during# data# analysis,# or# during#
interpretation.# Consistent# with# the# use# of# a# conceptual# framework# in# MMD# as# a#
mixing# strategy# (Creswell# &# PlanoDClarke# 2011)# and# its# conceptualisation# as# a#
reflexive#methodology,#allows#the#integration#of#qualitative#and#quantitative#data#
both#within#and#across#phases.#This#reflexivity#in#the#methodological#approach#has#
contributed#an#additional#dimension#to#the#level#of#interaction#between#qualitative#
and# quantitative# strands# initially# suggested# by# the# type# of# MMD.# The# extent# to#
which# the# integration# of# qualitative# and# quantitative# strands# was# reflexive# is#
evident#from#the#product#and#outcome#examples#presented#in#italic#text#in#Figure#
2.3.#Beyond#the#typical#purpose#of#mixing#strategies#for#sampling#and#instrument#
development# (Bryman# 2006;# Creswell# and# PlanoDClarke# 2011),# the# reflexive#
interaction# between# qualitative# and# quantitative# strands# within# the# Parallel#
Convergent#Design#led#to#an#exploration#of#the#research#subject#beyond#reasons#of#
complementarity,# diversity# and# context# conceived# at# the# commencement# of# the#
research#(Bryman#2006;#Green,#Caracelli#and#Graham#1989).#This#is#illustrated#in#
the# deeper# exploration# of# social# work# informed# by# the# collection# of# qualification#
data#as#part#of#the#Department’s#workforce#data.#The#revelation#of#social#work#as#
the#principal#qualification#held#by#Department#employees#(as#a#proportion#of#the#
workforce)# precipitated# a# deeper# exploration# of# the# social# work# professional#
literature,# including# national# and# international# workforce# trends.# In# turn,# this#
exploration# revealed# the# broader# professional# influences# on# changes# to# the#
Department’s#qualifications#framework#that#has#sought#to#preference#social#work#
qualifications#for#child#protection#roles.#
The# timing# of# the# collection# of# qualitative# and# quantitative# data# from# secondary#
sources#could#be#understood#to#be#generally#concurrent#or#convergent,#reflecting#
the#equal#priority#accorded#to#each#strand#and#purpose#for#the#use#the#respective#
method.# However,# the# process# of# collecting# and# analysing# qualitative# and#
quantitative#strands#in#the#Convergent#Parallel#phase#could#be#defined#as#reflexive#
in# that# it# was# ongoing# up# to# the# final# integration# of# ‘findings’# from# both# the#
Concurrent#and#Sequential#Design#as#presented#in#the#final#discussion#chapter.#
Reflecting#on#Payne#et#al’s#(2004)# examination#of#British#sociological#output#and#
the# strength# of# longDheld# claims# to# methodological# pluralism# in# the# reported#
absence#of#quantitative#research#in#this#output,#one#limitation#of#this#research#may#
lie# in# what# Payne# observed# as# the# disconnect# between# the# claim# to# MMD# and# its#
use#in#research#practice.#The#relative#volume#of#qualitative#data#collected#(which#
exceeded# that# for# quantitative# data),# and# relatively# (basic)# analysis# of# the#
quantitative# data# in# the# Convergent# Parallel# Design# phase# might# present# a#
challenge# to# fundamental# claim# of# the# equal# priority# given# to# both# strands.# This#
challenge# is# apart# from# those# based# on# other# factors,# notwithstanding# the#
fundamental#objections#among#methodological#monotheists#of#the#combination#of#
methods# in# a# MMR# design# in# the# first# place.# In# view# that# this# research# is# a# PhD#
thesis,# the# question# of# whether# the# choice# of# an# MMD# benefitted# the# research#
inquiry#remains#the#judgement#of#the#reader.#It#is#hoped#that#the#explication#of#the#
research# design# presented# in# this# chapter,# and# the# outcomes# of# its# procedures#
revealed# in# subsequent# chapters,# provides# a# convincing# case# for# the#
appropriateness#and#therefore#value#of#a#MMD#in#this#research#context.#
Of# course,# cases# could# be# made# of# equal# or# more# valid# theoretical# lenses# and#
methodologies# through# which# to# examine# the# original# research# problem.# The#
identification#of#the#Murchison#District#and#predetermination#of#this#‘case’#in#the#
Linkage# Project# as# the# focus# of# the# PhD# suggested# a# caseDstudy# approach# as# an#
obvious#approach.#Certainly,#the#approach#for#this#research#shares#many#elements#
of# caseDstudy# approach,# including# its# realDworld# context,# its# attention# to# context,#
appropriateness#for#descriptive#and#exploratory#questions,#use#of#theory#in#guiding#
the# research,# its# integration# of# multiple# research# methods,# use# of# methods# for#
triangulation,# and# potential# for# revealing# opposing# explanations# (Yin# 2012).#
Discourses#of#risk#dominant#in#child#protection#discourses#(see#Chapter#6),#and#the#
conceptualisation#of#workforce#attraction#and#retention#strategies#as#instruments#
of#risk#mitigation,#could#have#lent#to#the#adoption#of#a#risk#lens#through#which#to#
examine# the# research# phenomena.# However,# each# methodology# brings# with# it# its#
own#set#of#baggage#(Payne#et#al#2004).#CaseDstudy#research#has#attracted#its#own#
criticism#(Gomm,#Hammersley#&#Foster#2000.;#Yin#2012),#including#confusion#over#
its#status#as#a#distinct#methodology#versus#research#method#(Gomm#et#al#2000;#Yin#
2012).# Furthermore,# issues# of# reliability# and# validity# largely# attributed# to# its#
association# with# the# exploratory# research,# perceived# lack# of# systematic#
procedures,#and#limits#for#generalisation#of#research#findings#(Yin#2012)#could#also#
suggest# an# argument# against# a# caseDstudy# approach.# Whether# valid# or# not,# such#
issues#have#led#to#its#normative#status#within#some#research#quarters#‘as#a#method#
of# last# resort’# (Yin# 2012,# 6).# This# chapter# now# turns# to# an# examination# of# such#
‘baggage’# together# with# a# more# practical# explanation# of# the# use# of# individual#
methods#in#this#study#that#this#chapter#now#turns#its#attention.##
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Fisica Clasica y Moderna 6
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