PROGRAMA PROVINCIAL PARA ATENDER EVENTOS EXTRAORDINARIOS DE EXCESO Y DÉFICIT HÍDRICO

The third chapter of the paper discusses the methodology of the empirical research conducted among Danish manufacturing small and medium enterprises. The purpose of the methodology chapter is firstly to present a clear picture of the methods used and secondly, to explain and justify the steps and approaches used in collecting the information in order to provide a better overall understanding. In the introductory part of this chapter, the research design and data collection will be discussed. Further in the chapter, I will initiate a discussion concerning the target survey population and the facts on which the thesis has been based. The methodology chapter will be concluded with a presentation of the validity and reliability of the study.

4.1 Research design

A distinction, that is most commonly drawn among business researchers, derived from the type of relationship between theory and research is based on two kinds of research strategies: quantitative and qualitative research. The primary difference between these methods comes from the fact that quantitative approach is used to convert the collected information to numbers and quantities, which is utilized for further statistical examination. On the other hand, qualitative methods engage researcher’s attitude, interpretation and intuitive understanding, which are not subject to quantification and quantitative analyses (Mc Daniel & Gates, 2005: 108).

The empirical investigation conducted in the present thesis is quantitative. A survey research based on self-administrated questionnaires was used in order to collect primary data from managers responsible with purchasing activities in sampled organizations. According to Malhotra and Birks (2003: 132-133), quantitative research is used to answer specific hypotheses or research questions using techniques that seek to quantify data by applying some form of statistical analysis. One of the tools and technique associated with quantitative research is the use of surveys, which can be either based on questionnaires or structured interviews. Questionnaires can be both self-administrated

(e.g. on-line questionnaires, postal questionnaires, delivery and collection questionnaires) and interviewer administrated (telephone questionnaire and structured interview) (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill 2003). Additionally, the form of questionnaires lies between two boundaries. At one end, there are structured questionnaires containing a series of formal questions designed to attract answers of limited response, while at the other extreme there are unstructured questionnaires where formal questions are replaced by a freer mode of investigation (Chisnall, 1997: 128).

The survey utilized in the present paper uses standardized questions, which were administrated in the same way to all respondents; fact that facilitates an easy comparison and allows the researcher to have more control over the research process. In addition, the study has an explanatory purpose, since the empirical objective was to investigate the relationship between variables (Saunders et al., 2003: 97-98). In accordance to this, three propositions were formulated and then empirically tested in the survey.

4.2 Data collection and methods of analysis

According to Aaker, Kumar and Day (1995: 77), primary data is collected to address a specific research objective, where a wide range of methods ranging from experiments to surveys may be used. In this study, data was collected by conducting web survey questionnaires on 2.369Danish companies. CD-Direct database administrated by KOB (Denmark’s largest company database) containing information on all VAT registered Danish firms was used in order to construct the list of companies involved in import activities. In addition, supply chain management and international trade journals were extensively used as a secondary source of data, in order to complement the research.

In order to collect responses from targeted population, web-based survey software was utilized. The questionnaire was first documented in a standard Word format and then before launching it on the Internet, it was programmed in a web survey application (Miiled SRT). Web survey systems are software systems designed for Web questionnaires construction and delivery consisting of an integrated questionnaire designer, Web server, database and a data delivery program. The questionnaire is

constructed and then transmitted to the web server where it is further distributed. The advantage of using web-based surveys is that the user can query the server at any time for descriptive statistics on responses and graphical displays of data (Mc Daniel & Gates, 2005: 167-168).

The questionnaire was developed in English and organized in five parts. The introductory part provides demographic and socio-economical information on individual firm. Six questions were formulated in order to collect information on industry in which the companies operate, number of persons employed in purchasing departments, involvement in international sourcing operations and the intensity of purchasing. Moreover, the experience in import activities and sourcing regions are evaluated in this section.

In the second part of the questionnaire, the respondents where asked to choose up to three motives and barriers, which they considered as being important for their international sourcing operations.

The third part contains three questions related to strategic options in international purchasing. The questions present here treated aspects related to the respondents’ supplier base structure, types of products purchased and types of relationships developed with their foreign suppliers.

The fourth part of the survey concerns a question of opinion for supplier selection criteria that was constructed as closed question in the form of five-point Likert scale bounded from “Not important at all” to “Extremely important”. Respondents were asked to judge the extent to which they appreciate the importance of the suppliers’ attributes for their companies and rank them based on their perceived significance in the process of international supplier selection.

The final section of the questionnaire contains an optional question in which the respondents interested in results are asked to indicate their contact information in order

to receive a sample of the research findings. A sample of the questionnaire is attached to the Appendix section (see Appendix 1).

When the process of data collection is ended, the role of researchers is to transform all the gathered information into a format that will permit a more detailed further analysis (Mc Daniel & Gates, 2005: 412).

The first step in this process is represented by data validation, which in present paper was secured by ensuring that all received questionnaires were administrated properly and completely.

The second stage, coding, refers to the method of grouping and assessing numeric codes to various responses to particular questions. Most questions on the survey were closed- ended and pre-coded, different numeric codes being assigned to all questions. As can be observed in Appendix 1, in order to ease the analysis of data, for each question containing interval-based answers, a numeric code has been assigned: the answer “1-5” in question two has the code 1, “6-10” has the code 2 and so on.

The last step in data examination process is represented by the statistical analysis. Frequency distribution, cross-tabulation and proposition testing were the main measurements utilized in the present paper. The role of frequency distribution analysis was to obtain a count of the amount of responses associated with different values of variables and to present these counts in percentage terms. A frequency distribution for a variable offers a table of frequency counts, percentage and cumulative percentage for all the values associated with that variable (Malhotra and Birks 1999: 448). Three types of measures were associated with frequencies: measures of location (mean- measure of central tendency), measures of variability (standard deviation- square root of variance) and measures of shape (skewness- distribution’s symmetry about the mean).

Although the answers to questions related to a single variable are valuable, often questions regarding how to link that particular variable to other measure are raised.

Therefore, cross-tabulations were used in order to describe two or more variables simultaneously.

The preferred procedure for proposition testing in this paper was represented by analysis of variance (ANOVA). This type of test allows researchers to determine if one given independent factor has a significant effect on different dependent measurements under study. Although it can be used to test the differences between two means, ANOVA is more commonly used for testing hypothesis based on the differences among the means of several independent groups (Mc Daniel & Gates, 2005: 478).

4.3 Target survey sample

The target population of the research consists of small and medium-sized Danish manufacturing companies. The central unit of analysis was the private firm and the focal decision process was the companies’ declared importing activities. In order to identify the organizations, I used the CD-Direct database containing information on all registered companies activating in Denmark.

The initial sampling pool included all Danish incorporated, limited liability firms (A/S and Aps). The first population selection criteria limited the sample to all manufacturing companies with NACE (Nomenclature of Economic Activities) codes between 15 and 37 (manufacturing firms). Secondly, according to the European Union’s definition of small and medium-sized firms in Europe that defines small companies as those having between 10 and 49 employees and medium organizations as having a workforce between 50 and 249. Therefore the list was limited to all manufacturing firms with 10- 249 employees registered in Denmark. Additionally, subsidiaries of other international firms along with 50 companies registered in Denmark but activating in self-governed territories of Greenland and Faeroe Islands were excluded from the target population. A total number of 2.369manufacturing firms matched the selection criteria and have been considered the population from which the sample was drawn.

Tables 1 and 2 present the distribution of sampled and contacted population according to the main criteria utilized in selecting the subjects of investigation. As it can be observed, an amount of 1.596 firms accounting for 67% of targeted population contains small companies (10-49 employees) having as main object of activity manufacturing of metal and iron products and machine industry equipment.

Table 1. Sample and contacted companies distributed according to company size.

(percent and number of companies)

Table 2. Sample and contacted companies distributed according to industry sector.

(percent and number of companies)

Number of employees Total sample population Contacted population 10-19 689 (29%) 537 (27%) 20-49 907 (38%) 792 (40%) 50-149 558 (23%) 455 (23%) 150-249 215 (10%) 178 (10%) Total number of companies 2.369 1.962

Manufacturing of: Total sample population

Contacted population Furniture and paper products

NACE codes: 21-22, 36

281

(12%)

257

(13%)