Ventajas de BIM

This section describes the way in which the data were analysed with reference to

the phenomena being studied. The aim of this research study was to generate an

understanding of how corporate support for the arts happens, drawing on key

informants from a sample of companies; it did not seek to discover any universal

rules or laws. As previously mentioned in section 4.3.1, an abductive research

4.8.1 Data analysis - introduction

The interview transcripts, field notes and related material provide a substantial

body of information to analyse. An orderly process of data analysis was required,

and this section sets out the process and the reasons for adopting it.

4.8.1.1 First stage analysis

The first step in data reduction entailed editing the transcripts to make them clear

and easy to read (as recommended by Gillham (2005), while ensuring that the data

retained the participants’ own words and meanings.

4.8.1.2. Thematic analysis

The first stage analysis made it possible to further reduce the data using the

technique of thematic analysis. In summary, each narrative was broken into

particular themes, taking care to recognise that these themes emerged from the data

and were not imposed by the researcher. This was a linear process undertaken with

each interview in turn. This approach is consistent with that proposed by Blaikie

(2000, p.241) where the researcher derives concepts and meanings from everyday

4.8.1.3 Content analysis

The researcher, in completing this analysis, systematically worked through each

transcript assigning codes to specific characteristics within the text. How the codes

were arrived at was very much a function of the data. Coding of what may be

fragmented or disparate pieces of data can in turn create new themes with common

elements (Blaikie 2000). These new themes could be re-coded in turn, refining the

concepts in a cyclical process. At the conclusion of this stage, it was possible to

depict the categories and the participants in tabular format. This acted as a very

high-level summary of the data: (a copy of this table is attached in Appendix

Three). Using an abductive research strategy as described by Blaikie (2007), the

reality each research participant knew and described in their interview was used to

provide an explanation of the topic.

4.8.1.4 Comparative analysis

Once each transcript was dealt with as described in the preceding section and

coding completed, comparative analysis was undertaken (after Dawson 2007). The

data from different participants were compared and contrasted and the process

continued until the researcher was satisfied that no new issues arose. This was an

important phase of the process as interviews were conducted with three separate

4.8.1.5 Interpretation of the data

Interpretation of the data, as Blaikie (2007) has stated, takes individual motives and

actions and abstracts them into typifications, which lead to an understanding of the

phenomenon being studied. In this study the actors - as key informants from

corporations, agencies of government and private philanthropy- used everyday

language that for the thesis required translation into social scientific language.

The findings of the data analysis are contained in Chapter Five. They are presented

in a thematic format; the reader is referred to Appendix Four as a supplementary

document to support the data analysis process.

4.9Summary

The aim of this research was to discover the ways in which the corporate sector

supports the not-for-profit arts sector and the meaning of that support. This section

restated the research question, and showed how the research fit within the

Interpretivist paradigm, and described the abductive research strategy used to

reveal the meanings that can be attributed to corporate support for the arts. The

chapter outlined how the research methodology was applied, giving details of the

interview method as the tool for data generation and the subsequent data analysis

Chapter Five - Findings

5.1 Introduction

The purpose of Chapter Five is to set out the findings from the data generation

process described in Chapter Four. The use of the Interpretivist research paradigm

(as discussed by Blaikie (2007)) relies on the development of categories to reduce

and sort the data identifying links, associations and relationships.

Key themes were constructed abductively from the range of responses to the

interview questions. The variety of ‘themes’ identified in the responses forms the

basis of the style of reporting the results. The key themes to be discussed are:

- The organisational/company level at which the decision is made

- What kind of giving

- The meaning of the giving for the company

- The reason for the giving

- Recent changes

- Extrinsic motives

Each of these themes is dealt with in detail in section 5.2. This analysis will lead to

a broader discussion about the links and relationships between business and their

The themes resulted from the researcher’s interpretation of the responses to the

questions and the patterns these responses brought forward. It was possible to

identify from the sample data several sub-themes about the way in which

corporations support the arts. These sub-themes are discussed in this chapter under

the headings of

- Trust

- Networking and power

- Commitment

- Responsibility

The use of sub-headings under each theme is a technique used to order concepts

and reduce and codify the data. Under each heading the presentation of the themes

and concepts from corporate participants appear first followed by the private

philanthropists and then agencies of government.