LA RESURRECCIÓN DE LOS MUERTOS

3.2.1 Research Paradigm

The research design is the first step of a research study to gather essential data that will then be analyzed to arrive at possible solutions. Research design involves a series of rational decision-making choices associated with the purpose of the study; where the study will be conducted, the type of study, the unit of analysis, time horizon, the extent to which the researcher manipulates and controls the study, the data collection process and how variables will be measured and finally, the data analysis (Sekaran, 2006; Saunders et al., 2009).

Paradigm and philosophical assumptions attract the scholar’s attention in recent decades in undertaking research (Gephart, 1999). A paradigm is “a way of examining social phenomena from which particular understandings of these phenomena can be gained, and explanations attempted” (Saunders et al., 2007 p. 112). The most important thing for a researcher undertaking research is to reflect his or her fundamental beliefs regarding the nature of the world in which they live, and how they perceive it. The way a researcher views the world will have a tremendous impact on the way they view their

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subjects, environment and data collection techniques, and the manner in which results are interpreted (Saunders et al., 2009).

A research paradigm can be categorized mainly on ontological and epistemological assumptions. An ontological assumption is related to a researcher’s view of the social

and technical world, while an epistemological assumption relates to knowledge and knowledge acquisition (Hirschheim and Klein, 1989).

An epistemological assumption can be objective or subjective (positivism and interpretivism). However, when researchers assume that all aspects of reality can be fully described and measured by observed-independent instruments, they have an objective view of reality. This view treats the social world as if it is the natural world (Saunders et al., 2009). The subjective view proposes that every person has a unique view on the world which can be only partially communicated or extracted (Alexander, 2002). Positivism assumption is objective and presumes that an objective world through scientific methods can be represented and measured by predicting and explaining causal relationships or association among variables (Gephart, 1999).

All research is based on underlying assumptions about what constitutes valid research and which methods are appropriate. This study attempts to explain how things work and focuses on the verification of the hypotheses based on the integrative model developed in chapter two. Due to the nature of hypothesis testing for this study, a positivist approach is deemed appropriate to understand how to obtain the required knowledge, enhance understanding about the relationships that exist between independent and dependent variables, and in turn provide significant outcomes. As such, this study takes the refinement of the positivism philosophy to investigate the

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empirically complex range of social and organizational factors. The positivist approach for this study is consistent with the view of contemporary research within the field of KM (Dwivedi et al., 2011; Iqbal and Mahmood, 2012).

3.2.2 Research Method

The selection of a research method for carrying out a specific research project is important to the success of the project (Saunders et al., 2009). Such a methodology can guide the conduct of the research and affect the quality of research results. However, selecting an appropriate methodology for the research is not a simple task due to the availability of numerous methods, techniques and procedures, and the specific nature of the research project (Adams et al., 2007; Saunders et al., 2009) .

Two approaches commonly used in research are the deductive and the inductive approaches (Collis et al., 2003; Saunders et al., 2009). With the use of the deductive approach, a theory is developed or tested, and hypotheses are proposed. The objective of research using this approach is to design a research strategy to test the hypotheses. This study aims primarily to test the research framework and hypotheses as outlined in the previous chapters. As a result, the deductive approach is appropriate. Quantitative research methods emphasize quantification in the collection and analysis of data. Such methods usually involve the use of statistical analysis in order to draw meaningful conclusions from the research (Adams et al., 2007).

This study focuses mainly on the moderating role of social capital in the relationships of knowledge-sharing enablers, knowledge sharing and innovation capability. Even though many studies use these KS enablers, there are few well-established models or

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frameworks to explain the moderating role of social capital influence on knowledge sharing and innovation capability.

The discussion above suggests a survey is appropriate for this study within the constraints of the time and resources available. A survey is a quantitative method that can collect a large amount of data from a sizeable population in a highly economical way and cater for the ‘what?’ questions (Saunders et al., 2009). The major strengths of

the survey include its versatility, its efficiency and its economy.

However, a survey has its limitations. The major weakness of adopting such a method is that the quality of information secured depends heavily on the ability and willingness of respondents to cooperate. It also requires much time spent in designing and piloting the questionnaire and analyzing the results (Saunders et al., 2009). To minimize these limitations and to ensure the reliability and validity of the research findings, the survey instrument, data collection and analysis should be carefully designed and conducted (Collis et al., 2003). This includes survey questionnaire design, the criteria for and selection of targeted respondents, the conduct of a pilot test, data collection and data analysis. Subsequent sections will discuss the design of the present study.