4.3 Mixed methods approach
4.3.2 Qualitative component of the study
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In the analysis of the obtained data, the SPSS 23 program was used. In addition, descriptive and inferential statistics were used in order to:
i. Gain an understanding of the obtained data.
ii. Determine the normal distribution of the data, descriptive statistics were used to ascertain the mean, standard deviation, kurtosis and skewness of the data.
iii. Determine the psychological properties of the four constructs under study, factor analysis was conducted.
iv. Identify relationships on work engagement, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship, inferential statistics using the Pearson’s Product Moment correlations was conducted. Thus, the statistical significance was set at p<0.05.
v. Identify the factors that play a significant role in determining work engagement, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship, regression analysis was conducted.
vi. In addition, T-Tests were conducted where a table of p- values was constructed in order to determine the significant differences of the variables.
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The following questions empirically fulfilled the qualitative objectives for the study.
i. What are the managers’ and workers’ representatives’ perceptions on the levels of work engagement, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship of their employees?
ii. What are the managers’ and workers’ representatives’ perceptions on the contributing factors to work engagement, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship of their employees?
iii. What do managers’ and worker representatives’ perceive as the role of the socio-political environment on the workers’ engagement and psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship?
iv. In what ways can organisations design effective employment interventions for promoting psychological well-being and organisational citizenship of mining employees?
The above questions sought to gain a deeper understanding of the contributions of the factors that affect work engagement, job satisfaction, psychological empowerment and organisational citizenship of the employees. A focus on the employees’ perspectives allows for approaches that enhance employee well-being through placing value on employees concerns and or welfare when conducting organisational activities.
4.3.2.1 Participants
Functional managers and worker representatives from different sections of the company provided data for the qualitative part of the study. Twelve participants (n =12) participated comprising of eight (n = 8) Functional Managers and four (n =4) Worker Representatives. These numbers were not pre-determined but represented the numbers of those who were available during the time of study. As the qualitative aspect of the
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study also sought some generalisation through representative sample, these numbers closely represent the total number of managers in the company (n =9) and worker representative (n =4).
4.3.2.2 Selection of participants
The qualitative part of the study employed purposive sampling to elicit participants’
views to answer the qualitative questions on the four constructs. Purposive sampling entails “selecting units, for example individuals and institutions, based on specific purposes associated with answering a research study’s questions” (Clark & Creswell, 2008, p. 36). Purposive sampling is thus defined as a sampling technique where participants, settings or events are chosen because of their ability to provide important information which cannot be adequately obtained from other sets (Maxwell, 1997).
As the current study aimed at gaining in-depth knowledge, it was crucial to engage participants with the most relevant information through interviews. This gave a true picture of the organisation with regards to the constructs under study (Sekeran, 2003;
Saunders, Lewis, &Thornhill, 2009). The rationale for this was that, by deliberately targeting functional managers and worker representatives, the study would obtain the most meaningful data on their perceptions of work engagement, job satisfaction, psychological empowerment and organisational citizenship and the socio-political environment.
These selected participants were seen as the best people to provide the information needed in order to achieve the objectives of the current study. The shop floor workers are the ones who perform day-to-day tasks, subjected to different situations under different conditions. They were therefore best suited to provide the answers to the four constructs understudy. Moreover, given the direct relations that managers have with the
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workers, such experience was necessary in answering the qualitative questions for the current study.
Clark and Creswell (2008) highlighted the shortcomings of purposive sampling around the selection criteria. The current study overcame this problem by using a larger sample.
For instance, out of nine (9) functional departments in the company, the researcher managed to interview eight (8) functional managers and all worker representatives 4.3.2.3 Data collection methods
In-depth qualitative interviews (Cohen, Manion, & Morrison, 2000; Robson, 2002 Leedy & Ormrod, 2001) were used to solicit miners’ perceptions on issues relating to their work engagement, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship data from the participants. Robson (2002) define interviews as verbal or face-to-face interaction involving the researcher and the participant(s). The interviews, which averaged 45 minutes each, were one-on-one audio-recorded interactions conducted with individual participants at a quiet and convenient place to participants. Recording of interviews was used because of its ability to maintain all verbal productions of the interview.
Although there was an already prepared schedule of questions (see Appendix F, G, H
& I); the sequence, content and wording of the questions (formulated around the research objective) were wholly in the hands of the interviewer (Cohen, Manion, &
Morrison, 2000; Leedy & Ormrod, 2001). The flexible and iterative nature of the interviews (Patton, 2002; Babbie, 2008) provided the researcher as well as the participants an opportunity to enjoy freedom on both the choice and sequencing of questions, as well as freedom to express their views in their own terms. This allowed the conversations to become what Polkinghorne (2005, p.137) refers as “a give and take dialectic in which the interviewer follow threads opened by the interviewee which then
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guide the conversation towards producing a full account of the experiences under study”.
Qualitative interviews allowed for a “natural conversation between the interviewer and the interviewee to develop in the general area of interest of the researcher” (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2009, p. 115). The researcher made this possible by having a six- minute introductory period for each interview. Doing so, neutralised any presumptions the researcher or interviewee might have. This created a climate conducive to unrestricted, truthful, thoughtful and unpressurised responses.
4.3.2.4 Data analysis
To analyse the qualitative data for the current research, thematic analysis was conducted. Thematic analysis involves a hunt for themes that emerge in relative to the description and investigation of a phenomenon (Clark & Creswell, 2009). After a thoroughly reading the transcripts, themes and patterns relating to the variables of work engagement, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship were identified and coded.
The researcher adopted three steps propounded by Thomas and Harden (2007) in conducting thematic analysis. This involved “undertaking free line-by-line conducting, organizing codes into areas to create themes and ultimately constructing analytical themes” (Thomas & Harden, 2007). Generally, the evolving themes were preferred according to their significance to the research questions.
As shown in figure 8 below, the qualitative aspect made use of interviews and observations while questionnaires were used for the quantitative part of the research.
Triangulation determined the validity of qualitative and quantitative approaches. As
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shown in the figure below, two data collection tools (in-depth interviews and questionnaires) were used.
4.4.3.3 Triangulation of the obtained data
Figure 8: Triangulation used in this study (Author)
Through methodological triangulation, where both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used, the aspects of work engagement, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship were clearly understood and more accurate measurement of the constructs were obtained (Bryman & Bell, 2007;
Gilbert, 2008). Thus, convergence between qualitative and quantitative methodologies enhanced the belief that the obtained results are valid and not a methodological artefact (Bryman, 2004).