LIST OF DEFINITIONS
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4.3 Research Approach
Research approach mainly depends on the nature of the research problem, or the issue being addressed in the study. It is a plan and the procedures for the study that involve phases ranging from the researcher's assumption to the specific methods of data collection, analysis, and interpretation. After consideration of the choice of approach, a procedure of inquiry termed as research design and the specific research methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation are identified. Generally, research approaches are categorized into three approaches: (a) quantitative, (b) qualitative, and the (c) mixed methods. Quantitative research is an approach
utilized for testing objective theories by analyzing the relationship among variables. According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2016) the most research approaches are deductive and inductive research approaches. In general, deductive and inductive approaches enhance data collection and theory building. Deductive methods, on the other hand, can begin with the overarching theory and the formulated hypotheses, and then they can proceed to the specific study by means of observation and confirmation with the assistance of qualitative or quantitative data.
The method known as qualitative research is used to investigate the significance of a social or human issue based on how individuals or groups perceive the issue. Flick (2014) pointed out that qualitative research is concerned in analyzing the subjective meaning or the social production of issues, actions or practices. This is done mostly by gathering non-standardized data and evaluating texts and images rather than numbers and statistics. It involves new emerging questions and processes via which the collection of data is conducted out in the participants' setting. The data analyzed inductively from specific to general concepts, which can provide us with an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon. As discussed by Tavakol and Sandars (2014), qualitative research is an opportunity to develop new models or new theories.
It also results in the accommodation of new information regarding a new subject area that has a restricted amount of information available. The qualitative method employs a wide variety of data research strategies, including one-on-one interviews, discussions in focus groups, ethnographic research, case study research, record keeping, and observations.
The qualitative method employs a wide variety of data research strategies, including one-on- one interviews, discussions in focus groups, ethnographic research, case study research, record keeping, and observations. Cassell and Symon (2014) further stated that qualitative research methods can enhance the insights of the research interest to both management researchers and
management practitioners. In addition, they mentioned that qualitative methods can facilitate the task of the researcher who aims to access the subjective practices of organizational life by numerical methods such as case studies, interviews, and discourse analysis. Furthermore, qualitative research is associated with an interpretive philosophy where the researcher needs to sense the subjective and socially constructed meanings expressed about the phenomenon being researched (Saunders, Lewis &Thornhill, 2016).
The third strategy is called mixed methods research, and it's an approach to conducting an investigation that involves collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. The data are then integrated so as to provide a more complete understanding of a research problem. One advantage of the mixed methods is enhancing the validity of the research by collecting and analyzing quantitative data, then gain in-depth insight from the qualitative data.
A qualitative research approach was conducted in this thesis, as it is the most appropriate methodology for this study. Flick (2018) emphasizes that qualitative research is a method to treat the subject matter not as artificial situations in a laboratory but the actual practices and interactions of the subjects in their everyday context. The role of co-production in enhancing happiness and wellbeing will be analyzed through the view of the participants as experts.
This approach is also highlighted by Hennink, Hutter, and Bailey (2011) as they defined qualitative research as a method that allows identifying issues or conditions from the perspective of the study participants. The researcher aims to collect valid, useful, and related data and conditions from the experts in the subject field.
Moreover, Hennink, Hutter, and Bailey (2011) enumerate the following principles in conducting qualitative research:
● It is most suitable in answering ‘how’ questions that describe processes.
● It identifies the social, economic, or physical context in which activities take place.
● It provides depth, detail, nuance and context to the research issues.
Denzin and Lincoln (2005) describe qualitative research as surrounded by an interconnected family of concepts, assumptions and traditions, one of which is positivism. Positivism asserts that there is a reality out there to be studied, captured and understood (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005).
The researcher needs to find out the role of co-production in enhancing happiness and wellbeing.
Flick (2009) discusses the specific features of qualitative research which includes the following:
● Qualitative research focuses on analyzing existing situations in local and transitory (time-related) particularity.
● Qualitative research is relevant to the study of social relations.
● The dominant feature of qualitative research over other types (such as quantitative research) is that it is especially appropriate in answering micro sociological questions.
This approach is required in acquiring relevant results at the level of socio-political topics.
The exploratory technique, as the name implies, tries to investigate the research questions.
Problems or topics under investigation do not have definitive answers in this work.. It helps the researcher to have a better understanding of the problem, making the researcher open to possible changes in the direction of the research process. As this current research has limited literature, this methodology is applicable to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of co- production in enhancing happiness and wellbeing of the citizens, and sustaining happy public services’ users, the qualitative methodology is fitted to enable the researcher to obtain the
required data. The qualitative method aims to understand the cultures, goals, motivation, challenges, and emerging topics from the participants who already implemented and experienced the co-production process. It allows the researcher to deal with individual attitudes, perception, and intended behavior leading to an accumulation of the researcher's appropriate information and comprehensive view from the different perspectives of the interviewees who are involved with the research phenomenon (Alase, 2017).
Corbin and Strauss (2015) explain the reasons why qualitative research is selected in many fields. The most common reasons are to discover related factors, Investigate research areas that have not been investigated quite as deeply as others., explore how meanings are formed and transformed, and provide a holistic and comprehensive approach to phenomena under study.
These are also the main reasons that exactly convey the purpose of this research.
Employing a qualitative approach, and adopting a theoretical perspective to examine how public employees and citizens experience, understand the concepts of the research, this research uses the qualitative phenomenographic approach that is commonly used to understand the perceptions and experiences of a phenomenon. Phenomenography is a research approach that evolved out of various research traditions including phenomenology. Many authors have argued that what is significant in phenomenology is how contexts are instructed, classified, created and interpreted. Moreover, phenomenology assumes that the possibility of any real experience is only achieved through interpretation. According to Welman, Kruger and Mitchell (2005) the purpose of phenomenology is to return to the thing itself; Phenomenology is inextricably linked with qualitative research and is often considered interchangeably as a methodology, a philosophy and a paradigm. In addition, Giorgi (2012) phenomenology has the advantages of offering a more deep and thoughtful understanding of the field of study.
In line with the principles and features of qualitative research shown in the preceding paragraphs, this research aims to explore the role of co-production in the UAE government’s goal of elevating happiness and well-being. The Office of the Chief Social Policy Adviser, Scottish Government (2015) articulated co-production with the following features:
● Co-production recognizes people as assets.
● Co-production is built on people’s existing capabilities.
● Co-production breaks down the barriers between professionals and service users.
The UAE government has built a happiness and wellbeing agenda that is based on a collaborative process and on-going smart transformation. With these knowledge backgrounds on these components, the current research looks into the appropriate channels and participants to discuss the dimensions of the research phenomena.