Research Method and Design
The three prominent methods of research are qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-
methods (Yin, 2018). Researchers used the research design and method to combine
various components of research into a feasible plan for exploring questions and forming
conclusions about a particular study (Leedy & Ormrod, 2016). Understanding the
different research methods brings awareness of the proper techniques to collect and
analyze data and allowed the researcher to choose the best approach (Bryman & Bell,
2015). Gelling and Engward (2015) and Yazan (2015) agreed that researchers must
choose the most appropriate research method and design to answer the central research
question and accomplish the study goal. The chosen research method and design can
help guide the researcher to determine the most effective way to answer the research
question and achieve the goals of the study (Leedy & Ormrod, 2016). I conducted a
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qualitative multiple case study to explore the SMM strategies that small business retailers
use to engage customers.
Research Method
Quantitative research aims to answer the
if
of a phenomenon, whereas qualitative
research aims to explore a phenomenon through an activity (Marshall & Rossman, 2016).
Bryman (2015) stated that researchers used the quantitative method to determine the
measurement, generalization, replication, and causality of the data. The mixed-methods
approach is a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, which can be a way to
maximize and take advantage of the benefits both methods offer (Bryman, 2015; Morse
& Cheek, 2014). The goal for qualitative researchers was to understand how participants
view processes, practices, and phenomena in the contexts of their lives and social
environments (Koch, Niesz, & McCarthy, 2014). Researchers used the qualitative
method to discover a phenomenon by conducting interviews, analyzing the data, ensuring
the quality of the analysis, and synthesizing the literature (Holt & Goulding, 2014). The
qualitative research method was the best choice for my study because the goal was to
learn the experiences of small business retailers who successfully used SMM strategies to
engage customers and remained in business during the first five years. Marshall and
Rossman (2016) affirmed that qualitative research involved collecting data by observing
behaviors, exploring documents, and interviewing participants to record their perceptions.
Quantitative research uses measurements and generalizations (Bryman, 2015). Mixed
method research weakened the influences the qualitative and quantitative methods have
individually and required a multifaceted approach to research (Hesse-Biber, 2015).
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Neither the quantitative nor the mixed-methods approach was suitable for my study
because exploring the subject of SMM strategies was too broad and was not applicable to
all small businesses.
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