Chapter 3: Research Methodology Case Study 2022

Chapter 3: Research Methodology
3.1 Introduction
This Chapter will outline the methodology followed to answer the research question as outlined
in Chapter 1. It will consider the rationale for the case study approach, as the selected research
instrument, and explain the approach to the study as well as the sampling strategy, data
collection, and data analysis methods. It begins by considering matters of research philosophy.
3.2 Research philosophy
Researchers bring their own worldviews, paradigms and sets of beliefs, to their research projects,
and these impacts the approach to the study and the choices of design and methodology. As
such, Creswell (2003) recommends that the philosophy of the researcher is made explicit.
Accordingly, Creswell (2003)outlines three questions that haveto be answered. Firstly, the
researcher’s personal perspective and knowledge claims have to be explained. Secondly,
thestrategy of investigation that willinform the procedures, must be indicated, and thirdly the
data collection methods must be outlined.Specific philosophical paradigms provide organized
responses to these questions.
The two main research philosophies which describe the investigation process are positivism and
interpretivism. According to Lin (1998), positivism seeks to classify qualitative statistics with
proposals that can then be tested or identified in other instances through scientific
observations.Positivists deal with factual data and not with values and is alike on both the natural
and human sciences, so knowledge is based on observed experiences.
Lin(1998)further explains that interpretivismaims tocombine collected data into systems of
beliefswhose manifestations are interrelated to specific cases simpler, clearer.All of the human
interests are taking into account by using an interpretivistapproachThis approach is therefore
sensitive tonatural and human values.The approach to this study is interpretivist, as it seeks to
register and integratethe different views and correlated observations by individuals that were
interviewed. As Figure 1 shows, the interpretivist theory of knowing has strongly subjectivist
underpinnings thatare sensitive to people’s values and beliefs.
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Figure 1 The Elements of the research process philosophy(Adapted from Saunders, et al, 2000).
Figure 1 outlines the correlation between the researcher’s philosophy and the research design and
methodology, which in this case is a qualitative case study, as explained next.
3.3 Research Design
Research studies may be conducted using a qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods
approach.Qualitative research is defined by Teddlie & Tashakkori(2009) as the analysis of data
by using different inductive techniques; for example, categorical and holistic strategies which
normally results in themes and are also referred to as thematic analysis.
In this study, a qualitative approach has been followed to gather information with respect to the
research, as well as concentrating on a single entity called Company X, in the form of a case
study. (Stake, 2005)
3.4 Research Methodology
3.4.1 Single Case Study
To answer the research question, a case study was carried out, focusing on a single case, namely
a manufacturing plant located in the GCC. Due to Company policies and procedures, as well as
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confidentiality requirements, it will be referred to as Company X from here on. Company X is in
the business of supplying products related to the food and feed industry.
The single case study permits the researcher to question received theoretical relationships, along
with exploring new ones. Through a single case, careful and detailed study is supported, which
permitted the researcher to understand the importance and validation of the case study (Tuohy, et
al., 2013).
With the help of this case study approach, the researcher will seek to achieve a deeper
understanding of the subject and as argued by the author, in order to create high quality theory,
the proper usage of single case study theory will be relevant (Taylor, et al., 2015). For Silverman
(2016), the single case study approach, the researcher can question with the old theoretical
relationships along with exploring the new ones and due to the same, a more careful study is
made and it helps in gaining more insight on the subject. In addition, the main aspect to the
single case relates to supply chain related activities. Given this, the single case study approach is
the most effective as it can have embedded units which mean containing several sub sections and
it provides means of integrating qualitative along with quantitative methods in the single case
study approach. and the researcher may have the ability to explore the subunits which are located
in larger cases(Quinlan, et al., 2019). The single case study method is not expensive and time-
consuming in comparison to multiple case studies. Yet it is capable of creating high quality
theory, as it produces extra as well as better theory appropriately.
To construct the single case, the following specific data collection procedures were followed:
 Identification of the research questions and defining the same
 Select the case studies which are single in nature
 Collect the data with objective of gathering multiple sources of evidence
 Evaluation and analysis of the data
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