Qualitative vs. Quantitative Methods

Discuss the main differences amidst soft and quantitative improvementes to data collection and analysis in circumspection look into. Your answer should chip in reference to the philosophical assumptions which underpin these methodological approach pathes. psychiatric hospital Whenever a decision is made to undertake a piece of explore a method for conducting the study is required. In scientific interrogation the proficiencys typically put ond for data collection and analysis are those which allow the rating of data to test a pre tempt hypothesis (Zikmund, 2000).An type of this is a laboratory- ground experiment where the exploreer stick out be in full conceal of all the variables involved and groundwork at that placefrom be sure that whatsoever change in the phenomena under investigation is a direct termination of an identified and controlled stimulus. In merchandising seek however, which is usually reliant on some aspect of tender-hearted influence, it has b een proposed that such(prenominal) a uniform, rigid approach is non appropriate There is never a single, perfect explore design that is the best for all trade seek projects, or til now a specific type of merchandise look for task. (Malhotra and Birks, 2000 p. 70) The intention of this subsidization is to critically evaluate the quantitative and soft approaches to query, specifically digesting on the trade perspective. To do this, consideration is low g archaeozoic given to the basic differences surrounded by the qualitative and quantitative approaches, considering the seemingly fence surmisal-establish figures from which they have originated. later on the development of the market break is examined with a specific focus on how and why different interrogation methods have been employed in the matter. assistance is Page 1 of 1 iven to the need for selling to address twain(prenominal) the issue of verifying subsisting hypotheses, and the requirement to deve lop new opening. As there come forths to be no ideal inquiry method for single-valued function in selling it would seem that what is important is existence critically conscious of the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches available. Finally, therefore, the notion of pluralism, or methodological triangulation, is explored as such an approach is frequently drug abused to exploit the strengths and minimise weaknesses in query design finished the combination of two or more than research methods, often from opposing theoretical paradigms.Basic differences between quantitative and qualitative research qualitative research can be defined as the collection, analysis and reading material of data that cannot be intendfully quantified, that is, summarised in the form of numbers. (Parasuraman et al, 2004 p. 195) Whereas quantitative research can be defined as the collection of data that involves larger, more representative respondent samples and the numerical calculation o f gives. (Parasuraman et al, 2004 p. 195)Historically it has been considered that lore based disciplines such as mathematics and physics are especially suitable to quantitative research methods. Such methods are considered to be objective and turn oer to numerical, absolute outcomes, which can be verified by dint of repetition and get along testing (Zikmund, 2000) in other words the do itledge is external to the apprehender (Mil caren, 2001), and therefore is available be found by whoever conducts the essential research (Cunningham, 1999).This view of subjective science can be considered to fit at bottom the positivist paradigm, where a paradigm can be thought of as theoretical cloth for looking at a situation and a base of operations upon which phenomena can be analysed and interpreted Page 2 of 2 (Gill and Johnson, 2002). Kuhn (1970) supports the need for paradigms on the basis that they bind disciplines together, and without them there would be no valid position from which to undertake research. Deshpande (1983) suggests that the acceptance of a ill-tempered theoretical aradigm is typically followed by a choice of a specific descend of research methods that appear to fit deep down it. This is perhaps exemplified by the evidential use of laboratory experiments in double-dyed(a) scientific disciplines. Within the affable sciences however there has been a long-standing argumentation surrounding which philosophical standpoint, or paradigm, it is appropriate for research methods to be derived from (Milliken, 2001). Cohen et al (2000) consider there to be two major, apparently contradictory, views relating to how research should be conducted within social science.The first aligns social science with natural science and therefore imp lyings that research in the field should be directed towards the search for universal laws which regulate psyche social behaviour. The second focuses on the human element of social science research, with recognitio n of the notion that people are not inanimate objects and therefore cannot be treated as such. Aligning social science with natural science arguably implies that data collection and analysis is best performed from a positivist standpoint.As research methods favoured by positivists tend towards those reliant on quantification (Gill and Johnson, 2002), it would follow that in attention research the focus should be on quantitative research methods. question conducted from the positivist viewpoint is usually considered to be reductionist in nature, and is often termed hypothetico-deductive, as it aims to derive a result in relation to a predefined hypothesis (Zikmund, 2000).Conversely, an approach to research which embraces human individuality and governs emphasis on how people perceive and give meaning to their own Page 3 of 3 socially created gentleman, can be considered constructivist ( ply, 1994), and phenomenological (Gill and Johnson, 2002). The focus from this standpoint is t herefore on understanding, interpreting and building conjecture kind of than objectively testing, deducing and verifying an existing hypothesis. Such an approach can be considered inductive in nature and therefore favours the traceion of qualitative research methods. ollows the close to telling and fundamental distinction between the paradigms is on the dimension of stoppage versus discoveryquantitative methods have been positive most directly for the task of verifying or confirming theories andqualitative methods were deliberately developed for the task of discovering or generating theories. (Reichardt and Cook, 1979 cited in Deshpande, 1983 p. 105) This can be explained come on as At the extreme of the inductive spectrum lies the concept of grounded theory developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967).Here the police detective builds theory based entirely on the data find oneselfed in a particular study without the influence of predetermined knowledge or preconceived hypothese s. Taking deduction to the extreme hypotheses can only ever be tested, raising the question of how it is possible to obtain a hypothesis in the first place. This presents a number of dilemmas with realise to research in the field of management, including whether it is more appropriate to test existing hypotheses or to develop new theory.The theory-testing versus theory- coevals debate is particularly significant in the field of marketing as, due(p) to the comparative youth of the discipline, marketers are confront with the repugn of both obtaining and confirming respect and credibility for the work that has been done so far (Bartels, 1983) and continuing to pay off theory needed to develop a coherent, holistic body of knowledge which will clear up marketings existing theory mess (Gummesson, 2002 p. 349). Page 4 of 4Development of research in the field of marketing The discipline of marketing, which came slightly as a departure from economics not long afterwards 1900, origina lly had no identity of its own. There was no predetermined framework for its development, nor any real expectation of what it should, or could, conk out (Bartels, 1983). The way the discipline started to develop however led to a belief that it had meritorious scientific character (Bartels, 1983 p. 34), which subsequently influenced ideas nearly the way in which credible research in the field should be conducted.Consequently approaches to research in marketing have historically been dominated by deductive processes (Hyde, 2000). Milliken (2001) supports this with the observation that within the marketing literature there has been little attention paying to qualitative research. If marketing was universally accepted to be akin to a pure science then this may be an acceptable situation. It has been suggested however that, rather than being a science, marketing is actually an art which belongs both to the world of business and the school of humanities (Halliday, 1999).It was noted by Deshpande (1983) that in the early 1980s there were only four major textbooks dealing with the metatheoretical issues in marketing, and it can therefore be understood that self conscious reflection factor on theory construction in marketing is of fairly recent origin. (p. 104). Peter (1982), supported by Deshpande (1983), argues that the dominant philosophical approach use in marketing is that of logical empiricist philosophy. Such a positivist approach forces a search for causality and the assumption of determinism (Hunt, 1994 p. 7), which directs those conducting marketing research towards hypotheticodeductive methods for the verification of existing theories rather than development of new ones. Page 5 of 5 Goulding (1999) suggests that the popularity of the positivist paradigm may be down to the more diaphanous rules which it projects with regard to the basis of hypotheses and their testing, resulting in a clearer picture of what is accepted to be known and what remains unk nown or untested.As marketing is a relatively early discipline, quantitative methods have therefore been regularly favoured over qualitative methods in an attempt to establish credibility and respectability (Bartels, 1983). thick (1993) unreservedly supports quantitative research and the scientific view of marketing, on the basis of the need to present world(a) laws and principles which can be widely applied. To underscore his position further Bass (1993) repeatedly refers to the discipline as not as marketing but as marketing science. in spite of this apparent favouritism of qualitative research, for establishing integrity and credence, it has been suggested that marketing as a discipline has failed to develop a coherent theoretical foundation due to the inappropriate selection and use of methods within the framework of logical empiricism (Leone and Schultz, 1980). criticises how qualitative research is implemented. Gummesson (2001) also He questions whether or not it is pprop riate to make a jump from a subjective answer given by a person, perhaps in the form of a questionnaire repartee, to hard facts about the population being studied, and furthermore if a model being selected for use in marketing research can be an appropriate delegate for the particular situation being studied. Gummesson (2001) instead advocates an interactive approach to research in marketing based on a humanistic, hermeneutic and phenomenological paradigm. (p. 40). Deshpande (1983) is in agreement with this and proposes that, rather that the incorrectly using quantitative research methods, the shortage in theory development in the field may lie in the inappropriate adoption of a quantitative paradigm where a qualitative one would be more appropriate If we ignore the qualitative paradigm, we also by definition exclude the principal systematic nitty-gritty of theory generation. (Deshpande, 1983 p. 106) Page 6 of 6The dominance of logical empiricism in marketing has therefore been seen as potentially detrimental to the discipline, because the triple-crown development of an appropriate holistic and sound body of theory is necessary for the credibility of the field in both management and academe (Bartels, 1983). Hunt (1994) however observes that scholars in the field of marketing, particularly those reviewing papers for publication in pedantic journals, may themselves be responsible for the overlook of theory generation by being over critical when reviewing the work of those who attempt to make an original contribution.According to Gummesson (2001) this behaviour reinforces the belief that to build a publications record, and a respectable reputation, marketers are being encouraged to test existing theory using quantitative methods rather than feed theory through qualitative investigation. This, it has been suggested, has resulted in there being no development in general management marketing theory over recent decades, leaving marketing as an array of disjo inted theories and ideas founded on arguably obsolete principles Gummesson (2001).The lack of credibility given to qualitative research techniques in marketing from the academic perspective does however appear somewhat ironic given that such methods are widely adopted in marketing research in industry (Deshpande, 1983). Although it may appear that qualitative marketing research is a relatively recent revelation, Deshpande (1983) argues that this is not the case. He observes that there was significant pursuit in the topic in the 1950s and 1960s.In the early 1980s, Fern (1982) suggested that the movement one specific qualitative technique, focus groups, had failed to gain prominence was a lack of empirical testing, which would allow the theory development necessary to fill credibility. In other words a qualitative technique struggled to generate recognition because it could not satisfy the positivistic evaluation criteria needed to do so. This is perhaps indicative of the historica l power of positivism in marketing academia in determining what can be accepted as credible Page 7 of 7 nd what cannot, regardless of whether or not techniques are accepted in the commercial environment. Malhotra and Peterson (2001) suggest that for marketing to move forward in the twenty-first century it is necessary to pair the gap between the academic and commercial positions. There is evidence of change magnitude acceptance of qualitative methods in marketing research, especially in managing research as the marketplace evolves. For example Kozinetz (2002) developed netnography as a technique for gaining insight into online communities based on a combination of the principles of ethnography and focus groups. quantifiable techniques it would appear still have their place in marketing research too, despite the criticisms levelled at them. The SERVQUAL questionnaire for example, originally developed by Parasuraman et al (1988), relies on the collection of data which can be statist ically manipulated to determine levels of service lineament. Notwithstanding the substantial criticism it has received (see Buttle, 1996), it is still being used in marketing research today (see e. g. DeMoranville and Bienstock, 2003).What it would consequently appear important to recognise is that both quantitative and qualitative methods have their place in marketing research neither is sufficient on its own, and there is potentially for significant advances to be made if marketing police detectives acknowledge this (Deshpande, 1983). Triangulation and methodological pluralism There is a place in marketing research for both qualitative and quantitative research. There is also a significant put on the line that overly staunch advocates of a single paradigm will throw in the quality of their research by valuing the methodological choice above the aim of the particularPage 8 of 8 study (Bartels, 1983). From a marketing research perspective the importance therefore lies in recogni tion of the relative advantages and disadvantages of both the qualitative and quantitative research and the understanding of the strengths and weakness of particular methods. Cahill (1996) supports this with the recognition that qualitative and quantitative techniques can be complementary, and Milliken (2001) suggests that the reality of a real research situation demands compromise between the seemingly fence philosophical standpoints on which the methods are based.Combining qualitative and quantitative methods presents the researcher with an opportunity to compensate for the weakness in each approach. (Deshpande, 1983), and within the field of marketing there appears to be a significant move towards unite qualitative and quantitative research methods (Milliken, 2001). Perry (1998) emphasises the benefit of case study methodological analysis in marketing and suggests that there is no need to consider consequence and deduction to be mutually exclusive when selecting a research met hod.He emphasises that realism is the most appropriate paradigm from which to undertake marketing research as it allows the building of new theory whilst incorporating existing knowledge. Strength in method combination does not necessarily have to include qualitative and quantitative approaches. Hall and Rist (1999) present a marketing study based on the triangulation of purely qualitative research methods including focus groups, observation and instrument examination.They argue that doing this eliminates the risks of relying on a single method and therefore enhances research quality and strengthens the credibility of qualitative techniques. Page 9 of 9 methodological pluralism, whilst appearing to strain reconciliation between opposing theoretical paradigms in relation to research method choice, does itself introduce debate and criticism. Gill and Johnson (2002) for example note that embracing realism can be seen as judge positivism at the cost of phenomenology as it may involve the operationalization and touchstone of social reality (stimuli) and action (response) (p. 170). Consequently, combining research methods can itself become part of the argument rather than a solution. Conclusion The decision of whether to adopt qualitative or quantitative methods in management research historically appears to be based on the philosophical assumptions upheld by the individual researcher or the discipline in which he or she is working.A paradigmatic dichotomy between positivism and phenomenology (or constructivism) would seem to have resulted in a situation where, in some instances, the research methodology choice is deemed more significant than the subject of the particular study. market is a relatively young discipline within the field of management and, as such, is faced with the challenge of obtaining and maintaining credibility.To do this it has been proposed that it needs to both test existing theory and generate new theory, however the processes required to achieve these two goals can be seem to stem from diametrically opposed paradigms theory-testing being achievable through deductive methods and theory generation relying on an inductive approach. This incommensurability has however been challenged with the impudence that what is important is selecting an appropriate methodology for a particular study, rather than equal aPage 10 of 10 study to a method. methodological triangulation has been suggested as a means of achieving this, with a move towards a paradigm of realism where the relative advantages and disadvantages of a number of research methods can be embraced. Whilst at face value this approach may appear to offer a compromise offering the best practical solution to the methodological choice dispute, it also introduces criticism of its own which, in turn fuels the debate further.The general aim of this discussion, to consider the differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods, has itself been conducted from an ostensibly positivistic standpoint. In fact any discussion, comparison or assessment of research methods is arguably starting from a predetermined enter that an objective evaluation is being undertaken (Gill and Johnson, 2002), and can therefore be seen to be embracing positivist ideals.Taking into account the amount of attention that has been paid to philosophical approaches to management research the ambiguities that are apparent the ongoing search for the most suitable and appropriate means for conducting studies and the motivation to establish and maintain credibility, it would seem unlikely that end to the debate regarding research methods in management is in sight Like the earth being round, thus lack a natural end, the journey in Methodologyland has no end. You search again and again and again, just as the term says re-search, re-search, re-search. (Gummesson, 2001 p. 29) Page 11 of 11 References Bartels, R. 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P. 1982), Current issues in the philosophy of science Implications for marketing theory a panel discussion, in Marketing Theory Philosophy of Science Perspectives, Bush, R. F. and Hunt, S. D. (eds. ), Chicago, American Marketing, pp. 11-16 Reichardt, C. S. and Cook, T. D. (1979), Beyond qualitative versus quantitative methods, in Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Evaluation Research, Cook, T. D and Reichardt, (eds. ) Beverley Hills, CA Sage Zikmund, W. G. (2000), Business Research Methods, 6th Edition, Orlando, USA The Dryden Press, Harcourt College Publishers Page 13 of 13