Microsoft Word doctoral thesis final[1]. doc

 
4.5 
LIMITATIONS OF RESEARCH 
 
The aim of the present study is to increase understanding of the management experiences 
of a particular group of people, that is, academic women HoDs. These are generally a 
limited number because of their under-representation in the academe. Consequently, 
random sampling was not feasible as that would have further reduced an already small 
pool of prospective participants. Generalisation of the findings may therefore be 
restricted. Results from the analyses should be regarded as investigative and indicative of 
possible trends or relationships. Larger samples are required to confirm trends observed 
in the current restricted dataset. However, as Krueger and Casey (2000: 83) point out, the 
intent of focus groups is not to infer but to understand, not to generalise but to determine 
the range, and not to make statements about the population but to provide insights about 
how people in the groups perceive a situation.  The design of the present study combines 
quantitative and qualitative methods and includes demographically representative 
participants. That in itself should yield insights of sufficient generalisability to the 
population of women academic managers.