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The following section briefly describes the quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods for data collection techniques and analyses procedures.

3.4.1.1 Quantitative Research Method

Hair, Jr. et al., (2007) have described quantitative data collection as the measurement whereby numbers have been used directly to represent characteristics of the subject area. Bryman and Bell (2011) have defined quantitative research as the research strategy that emphasizes on quantifying the collected data and analysing the data statistically. Collis and Hussey (2009) have addressed quantitative research from a slightly different perspective. They claimed that quantitative research involves the data collection of qualitative data

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that can be quantified apart from quantitative data. The collected data then would be analysed with the statistical method.

Bryman and Bell (2011) have recommended that quantitative research might entail a deductive approach to the relationship between theory and research. It has been argued that quantitative research has incorporated the practices and norms of the natural science particularly in the positivism paradigm. Quantitative research has predominantly used data collection techniques such as questionnaires and the data analysis such as graph and statistics (Saunders et al., 2009). In addition, the quantitative data may include the company financial records, sales reports and questionnaires (Hair, Jr. et al., 2007).

3.4.1.2 Qualitative Research Method

Hair, Jr. et al. (2007) have described that qualitative data represents a description of phenomena without involving numbers directly. Qualitative research has been claimed as research strategies that have often stressed on words, phrases and sometimes pictures (Bryman and Bell, 2011; Hair, Jr. et al., 2007). In addition, Collis and Hussey (2009) have suggested that qualitative data be analysed with interpretive methods. Similarly Van Maanen (1983) as cited in (Easterby-Smith et al., 2006) has further explained the qualitative technique and interpretative techniques that would describe, decode and translate the meaning instead of emphasizing on the frequency of the occurring phenomena of the social world. Qualitative research has principally concentrated on the inductive approach, which emphasizes on the relationship between theory and research. This research approach is in disagreement with the practices and norms in natural science especially in positivism but it prefers to emphasize on the way each individual interprets the social world. Most of the time qualitative research has allowed participants or respondents to describe their feelings about particular issues (Hair, Jr. et al., 2007). It is proposed that the literature review in qualitative research will lead to a conceptual framework for further examinations. Rather than proposing a hypotheses and conducting a quantitative research, a qualitative research would be guided by the conceptual framework of collected data. The researcher would identify the common theme from the data collected and organize them into patterns. It would then be summarized into set of findings and the ultimate conclusions. Qualitative research has predominantly used data

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collection techniques such as interview or data analysis that would categorize data to generate non-numerical data (Saunders et al., 2009). Despite the representation of words in qualitative research, pictures and videos might also be adopted when collecting the qualitative data.

From the literature, a comparison of quantitative and qualitative research has been proposed as illustrated in Appendix 3.4: Comparison between Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection Techniques and Data Analysis Procedures.

3.4.1.3 Multiple Methods / Mixed Methods

Quantitative and qualitative data have been the basic elements to describe the techniques adopted in data collection and analyses procedures. Thus, it is to the researcher’s view to design a research process either with the mono methods or multiple methods to collect and analyse data (Saunders et al., 2009). The mono method has been explained as the single data collection technique with corresponding analysis procedures. The mono method has also been well known as either a quantitative research or a qualitative research (Bryman and Bell, 2011; Collis and Hussey, 2009; Creswell, 2009; Saunders et al., 2009; Hair, Jr. et al., 2007; Easterby-Smith et al., 2009) while the term multi methods have been recognized as mixed methods (Bryman and Bell, 2011; Creswell, 2009; Saunders et al., 2009).

Saunders et al. (2009) has suggested that when selecting a mono method, researchers could combine either a single quantitative data collection technique for example questionnaires with quantitative data analysis procedures or a single qualitative data collection technique such as the in-depth interview with qualitative data analysis procedures.

On the contrary, Saunders at al. (2009) have proposed to combine the data collection techniques and procedures in multiple methods design. This multiple methods design could also be known as multi-method. It has been referred to as the combination of more than one data collection technique that would be associated with more than one analysis techniques. Tashakkori and Teddlie (2003) as cited in Saunders et al. (2009) have stated that this multi-method technique has been restricted within qualitative and quantitative worldviews.

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Researcher could select to collect quantitative data with both questionnaires and structured observation and analyse data using statistical and the quantitative procedures. This approach has been known as the multi-method quantitative study. Researcher may also collect qualitative data with in-depth interviews and diary accounts and analyse these data with non-numerical and the qualitative procedures. This approach has been known as the multi-method qualitative study. Saunders et al. (2009) have emphasized that multi-methods will not mix quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and analysis procedures. Saunders et al. (2009) have suggested another method, that is, the mixed method. Mixed methods have been used when both qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques and analysis procedures are adopted in the research design. The mixed method could be adopted in two ways. Mixed methods would apply quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and analysis procedures both at the same time (parallel), or one after another (sequentially). Although the mixed method research will adopt both quantitative and qualitative worldview at the research methods stage quantitative data will still be analysed quantitatively and qualitative data will still be analysed qualitatively. Furthermore, Saunders et al. (2009) have claimed that either the quantitative or the qualitative technique and procedure would be predominant. On the other hand, the Mixed Model Research could be defined as the combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques and analysis procedures as well as the combination of the quantitative and qualitative approaches at other stages of the research. Additionally, the researcher might quantize the qualitative data by converting them into numerical codes that could be analysed statically.

Tashakkori and Teddlie (2003) as cited in (Saunders et al., 2009) have claimed that multiple methods would be more applicable and might have better opportunities for the researcher to examine and answer the research questions. Saunders et al. (2009) have stated two major advantages when selecting multiple methods in any research design. Firstly it would allow the researcher to adopt different purposes of research by using different research methods. For example, a researcher could conduct interviews at an exploratory stage in order to understand certain problems and issues of the proposed research. Then questionnaires would be distributed to collect descriptive or explanatory data.

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This would enhance and address the problem more accurately. Secondly, mixed methods allow triangulation. For example the semi-structured group interviews might be a valuable way to triangulate the collected data with other methods such as questionnaires. Refer Figure 3.4: Mono Method and Multiple Methods for the summary of mono and multiple methods

Figure 3.4: Mono Method and Multiple Methods Source: (Saunders et al., 2009)