INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
3.7 DATA ANALYSIS
In this study, the researcher analysed the following documents, looking at words, sentences and paragraphs to synthesise or discredit responses from participants and assess data against the key questions:
(a) Job Description: Senior Lecturer;
(b) Job Description: Lecturer;
(c) Agenda and Minutes of Subject Committee Meetings;
(d) Electronic communications between managers and staff;
(e) Campus Operational Management Plans;
(f) Minutes of meetings of Academic Board;
(g) Minutes of meetings of the Extended Management Team;
(h) Minutes of meetings of the Executive Committee of the Staff Association;
(i) Internal Memorandums at each campus;
(j) Minutes of department/division meeting.
Although these documents were quite informative, they had their limitations, which are discussed in Chapter Five. Interpreting and analysing information from documents can lead to bias and in most cases the researcher had to check their authencity and accuracy.
Therefore, the researcher had to constantly be aware of these limitations when analysing the above documents.
The analysis necessitated the systematic process of selecting themes from KEYS and CCQ, placing them into categories, comparing data, synthesising meanings for interpretation. This interpretation of data incorporated a synopsis of the themes and variations of the managers' and non-managers' experiences of the climate for creativity within the context of Thekwini FET College. The findings and discussion supplemented data to review relevant literature and validate the single phenomenon of interest in this study. In this study, the findings merely described the current situation, individual's opinions and practices.
In this qualitative data analysis the conglomeration of words produced by interviews and observational data was described and summarised. Most important, the key and sub-research questions outlined in the introduction of this chapter were specifically used as a frame for intervention in the processes of data analysis
Stages in Data Analysis
According to Lacey & Luff (2001) the question may require the researcher to seek relationships between various themes that have been identified, or to relate behaviour or ideas to biographical characteristics of respondents such as age or gender. Implications for policy or practice may be derived from data, or interpretation sought of puzzling findings from previous studies. Ultimately theory could be developed and tested using advanced analytical techniques.
In this study the analysis of data followed these stages:
(a) Transcription of tape-recorded material;
(b) Familiarisation of the data through reading, listening, reviewing;
(c) Organisation of data for easy retrieval and identification;
(d) Anonymisation of sensitive data;
(e) Coding / indexing;
(f) Identification of themes;
(g) Re-coding;
(h) Development of provisional categories;
(i) Exploration of relationships between categories;
(j) Development of theory and incorporation of pre-existing knowledge;
(k) Testing of theory against data;
(1) Report writing, including excerpts from original data, where appropriate (e.g. quotes from interviews).
Theories and Methods used in qualitative data analysis
There is no one right way to analyse qualitative data, and there are several approaches available. Much qualitative analysis falls under the general heading of 'thematic analysis' (Lacey & Luff 2001:41). For this particular study the researcher employed the framework analysis approach.
Framework Analysis was explicitly developed in the context of applied policy research. Applied research aims to meet specific information needs and provide outcomes or recommendations, often within a short timescale. Framework Analysis shares many of the common features of much qualitative analysis, and of what is often called 'thematic analysis'. The benefit of Framework Analysis is that it provides systematic and visible stages to the analysis process (...) can be clear about the stages by which the results have been obtained from the data. Also, although the general approach in Framework Analysis is inductive, this form of analysis allows for the inclusion of a priori as well as emergent concepts, for example in coding. (Lacey
& Luff 2001: 41)
There are five key stages in Framework Analysis. In this study all data was collected before the researcher could conduct the analysis. The key stages were:
• Familiarisation: the whole transcription was read for data analysis. The researcher re- listened to the audiotapes and this was done several times to become familiar with the data (regarding experiences, opinions, knowledge and feelings). Observation notes were also gathered (regarding behaviours, environment, organisational processes, inter- personal interactions) and all documents to be anlysed were read (for words, paragraphs and sentences).
• Identifying a thematic framework: This framework was developed from the initial coding framework, from prior and emerging issues from the familiarisation stage. During subsequent stages this thematic framework was developed and refined. This was achieved by grouping similar issues and ideas expressed by respondents into preset categories related to organisational stimulants (e.g supervisory encouragement or obstacles such as workload pressure). For this study the following themes were used:
(a) Theme 01 - organisational encouragement and support / Idea Support
(b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h) (i) G)
Theme 02 - Theme 03 - Theme 04 - Theme 05 - Theme 06 • Theme 07 - Theme 08- Theme 09 - Theme 10-
- Supervisory encouragement/ Trust / Openness - Work group Supports / Dynamism / Liveliness - Freedom
- Sufficient Resources / Idea Time
• Challenging Work / Challenge - Playfulness / Humour
Debates
- Organisational Impediments / Conflicts - Workload Pressure
• Indexing: In this stage the researcher used textual codes to identify specific pieces of data that corresponded with various themes. This was the process of applying the thematic framework to the collected data. Two conventional systems were used by the researcher to code the data:
Cutting and Pasting: the researcher was able to cut the transcripts into pieces of phrases, sentences or paragraphs and pasted the text on large sheets of paper representing categories/themes set. Since selected unit of analysis need to be traceable back to its context, a cross-referencing system was developed through colour coding;
Colour Coding: Here highlighters were used to separate colours for each code or category. Since the researcher had already allocated colour names from the Daler-Rowney Georgian Oil Colour chart to each participant for the purpose of anonymity, highlighters of the same colours were used.
Therefore linking participants to the context of the interview was not a problem.
The reader was informed as to how the researcher coded data; how codes led to themes; and how themes were included in the findings and analysis. This information was used along with most quotes in the next chapters. Along with each quote, the researcher placed in brackets - the participants' name, line number, an indication of its theme and a campus code e.g. ('Ivory Black', lines 23-38, theme 1, code E6000).
• Charting: The researcher used charts by using headings from the thematic framework.
This was quite useful as the researcher was able to read these charts across the whole dataset. In the case of this study, the researcher used thematic charts for each theme across all participants. In the chart/theme boxes had references to relevant paragraphs, issues, paraphrases in the transcripts and key words as a reminder of what is being referred to/ the content of the themes. For easy retrieval of the original data in the transcripts page references are also included.
• Mapping and Interpretation: This means searching for patterns, associations, concepts, and explanations in your data, aided by visual displays and plots. In this study, the researcher was able to move through the stages of Framework Analysis and developed established themes by charting and mapping exercises. Chapters Five and Six include mapping and interpretation.
Justification of Approach
The researcher believed that the framework analysis was most appropriate in this study. This decision was justified by researching the following topic, Employees Perceptions of the Climate for Creativity in the Workplace of Thekwini FET College, Durban. The research topic was specific and had a pre-designed sample: employees (managers and non-managers as professional participants) as well as some prior issues: (perceptions of enhancing or stifling creativity), which were explicitly discussed in the previous chapters. The study generated theories that had been tested by many researchers elsewhere in the world, (adult learning, adaption-innovation theory, tacit knowledge, informal and incidental learning).
However, the fundamental concern was to present the study with a description and interpretation of what was happening in the specific setting of Thekwini FET College. The researcher ensured than the ensuing rigour was pertinent to this research design so as to avoid the ambiguity of word meanings and categories.