Through statistics we can generalise by basing knowledge about a large population on the observations that we have of a small portion of that population, which may be limited. They enable the researcher to determine, which of the generalisations are rigorous, as well as how far they may be interpreted and applied. Through statistics the researcher can decide if any relationship exists between two or more factors, and the size of that relationship in a given situation (Taylor, 2005). Having completed the discussion on phase one of the research, which was quantitative, the discussion now turns to phase two of the research, which followed a qualitative process.
4.7. Qualitative research
The objective of qualitative research is to gather subjective perspectives and meanings, thus utilising questions that honour subjective views from multiple sources (Hesse-Biber, 2016). This process allows the researcher to gather co-created meanings from participants, and to gather subjective accounts from multiple people with multiple views. This usually takes the form of images, texts or words. This does not exclude the use of numbers, but rather that numbers may be utilised to summarise qualitative themes, which are produced from the in-depth interviews with participants (Hesse-Biber, 2016).
4.7.1 Research methods in qualitative research
Qualitative inquiry focuses largely on collecting and analysing data that is observed, and within this process there are various approaches and types of text that may be
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produced, namely various books, existing documents, manuals and magazines, newspapers, websites and practice manuals, training material, regulations and interviews, or notes from observations (Green, Duan, Gibbons, Hoagwood, Palinkas, and Wisdom, 2015). There are various ways of analysing text. Bernard (2011) proposes finding shared meanings and interconnections, challenging assumptions, finding cohesions in participants’ stories or identifying categories and concepts, and by linking them into a formal theory (Green et al., 2015). This research text was analysed by identifying common themes and perceptions to identify shared views and influences.
According to Taylor (2005: 103), there are effectively three ways of collecting qualitative data, namely interviews, observation and review of documents and records.
Interviews involve open-ended questions, including probes that provide in-depth responses in relation to people’s perceptions, experiences, feelings, knowledge and opinions. The data that was elicited from interviews were in the form of verbatim quotations with enough context therein to enable interpretation. Observations comprise fieldwork descriptions of observable human experience and may take the form of observed activities, interactions, behaviours, actions, processes and conversations, to name some observable aspects. Documents and records comprise written material and any other alternative relevant documentation such as records, correspondence, photographs, mementos or souvenirs that can be classified as memorabilia, and responses provided to open-ended questions that may be written.
In reviewing the most suitable qualitative strategy, the use of interviews was selected for this research study, whereby a cross section of African female leaders, their managers, subordinates and peers, formed the participant group. They were interviewed to gauge an understanding of the perceptions that they believe are held about them, and what they experience as leaders, as well as to obtain views from those they work and interact with, managers, subordinates and peers. As a research tool, interviews are one of the most frequently utilised qualitative methods of data collection. They are conducted with individuals or within groups and can take varying forms from structured in nature, where questions are read exactly as they appear on a structured schedule by the interviewer, to semi-structured in design, where the researcher asks more open-ended questions that do not follow a strict schedule
PERCEPTIONS HELD TOWARDS AFRICAN FEMALE LEADERS. 2019.(MOLEKO, Zandile Sanelisiwe)
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(Green et al., 2015). The various forms of interviews, as a qualitative component of research, are expanded on further below.
4.7.2 Interviews
Within the qualitative approach there are various methods of data collection such as in-depth interviews to establish a verdict where data can be circumstantial, self-reporting, or eyewitness accounts. It addresses questions about how and why something is happening. The data obtained is mainly descriptive, although, at times, it may be measurable in nature (Hughes, 2006). Emphasis is placed on the exploration and insight that is gained (Hughes, 2006). In-depth interviews involve comprehensive discussions with participants within a research process. The extent to which the interviews have a planned schedule of questions determines the extent to which the interviews may be deemed to be structured, semi-structured, or unstructured (Starr, 2014).
This research used semi-structured interviews. In determining whether an interview should be structured or not, research processes with large numbers of participants to be interviewed generally have semi-structured or structured interviews to ensure that there is adequate ability to compare the collected information. Research processes with smaller numbers of respondents tend to have less structure and more range to elicit respondents’ views. For automated cataloguing and processing of data, and to ensure that complete detailed interview information is preserved, the recommended practice is for the taping and transcription of interviews (Starr, 2014), which was employed in this study, as interviews were recorded and transcribed. In some processes the practice is that the researcher takes notes and expands on them as soon as possible after the interview. This is likely to be satisfactory where the participant numbers are small, and there is one interviewer and the interview itself is not long, or in instances where the participants prefer not to be recorded (Starr, 2014).
Based on the sample size of this research study and participants’ consent to recording, this method was not employed. In both instances described here it is best practice to retain a uniformed, detailed record of all interviews to enable the researcher to consult, review and analyse all the data systematically, following the interviews (Starr, 2014).
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