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validity of the questionnaires was done by carrying out a pilot study which was administered to small business operators.
4.10.1 Reliability
This is concerned with the question of whether the results of a study are repeatable (Bryman and Bell, 2015:49). Franzen (2013:7) notes that reliability involves obtaining test scores on two occasions under two conditions and correlating the two sets of scores. Reliability implies that under such conditions there should be a correlation between the two scores. Franzen (2013:10) argues that the reason an investigator estimates the reliability of a measure is to facilitate generalisation from the measure to some other set of conditions. Results in one test must be repeatable in another test under similar conditions.
Franzen (2013:15) notes although there is split-half reliability, test retest reliability they are all ways of indexing the amount of variance in a test that is the result of error in measurement.
These reliability tests involve the computation of a measure of association, agreement or concordance (Franzen, 2013:15)
4.10.1.1 Measuring reliability.
Laerd Statistics (2013) recommends the use of Cronbach’s alpha to measure internal consistency or reliability. Cronbach’s Alpha is commonly used for questionnaires in determining the reliability of scales chosen (Laerd Statistics, 2013). Cronbach’s Alpha is one of the reliability coefficients and it is based on the average correlation of variables with in a test if the variables are standardised (Laerd Statistics, 2013). As such Cronbach’s Alpha was used for the purposes of this study. Cronbach’s Alpha was tested using SPSS to determine the reliability of the scales chosen for questionnaire getting a value of 0.7 or more shows that the scale is reliable.
Cronbach’s Alpha ranges from 0 to 1, a value of 0.7 and higher is good value that can lead to the conclusion that the same results will be achieved if this survey was executed with a larger sample of respondents.
116 4.10.2 Validity
The concept refers to the appropriateness, meaningfulness and usefulness of the specific inferences made from test scores (Wainer and Braun, 2013). This has to do with the truthfulness of the test to determine whether the results are useable. According to Wainer and Braun (2013:87) it is the inferences that one draws from the test scores that need to be validated. In this light the test scores for this research must be truthful so that verifiable inferences can be made about SMEs in the CBD of Harare.
Yin (2015:78) shows that a valid study is one that has properly collected and interpreted its data so that the conclusions accurately reflect and represent the real world that was studied. This implies that the researcher had to be diligent in the data collection and interpretation phase. The researcher had to maintain neutrality to avoid the manipulation of the research process with personal opinions. According to Yin (2015:78) validity entails the correctness or credibility of a description, conclusion, explanation, interpretation or other sort of account. Data gathered therefore had to be handled with impartiality and interpreted accordingly. There are different types of validity that were taken into consideration in this study; these included content, face, external and argumentative validation (Bryman and Bell 2015: 48).
4.10.2.1 Content validity
Focuses on determining if the research covers all the possible aspects of the research topic (Sarantakos, 2012:79). An extensive literature review was conducted on SMEs from which aspects on SME policy were determined. The SME Policy Index by the OECD was also helpful as it outlines how to evaluate SME policies as well as show the concepts to focus on.
4.10.2.2 Face validity
This is concerned with whether the test seems to measure what it is expected to measure (Sarantakos, 2012:79). Standards of judgement are based on general theoretical standards and principles, and on the subjective judgement of the researcher.
117 4.10.2.3 External validity
Central to external validity is the generalisability of the findings of the study to the population (Sarantakos, 2012:79). Generalisability of the results of this study is made difficult by the fact that non-probability sampling techniques were used.
4.10.2.4 Argumentative validity
This is established through the presentation of the findings in such a way that conclusions can be followed and tested (Sarantakos, 2012:80). The presentation and discussion of results was done in a way that maintains the integrity of the results.
4.10.3 Triangulation
Data was also validated through triangulation. The principle of triangulation pertains to the goal of seeking at least three ways of verifying or corroborating a particular event, description, or fact being reported by a study; such corroboration serves as another way of strengthening the validity of a study (Yin, 2015:80). The findings were compared across three different methods to determine the validity of the data.
Johnson et al. (2007:114) note that triangulation is when more than one method is used as part of the validation process that ensures that the explained variance is the result of the underlying phenomenon or trait and not of the method (for example, quantitative or qualitative). In this case therefore triangulation ensures that the convergence of findings in a research stemming from two or more methods develops the belief that the results are valid. Asamoah (2012:58) used triangulation to check if the response of the students correlates with those of the professors. In the same light triangulation was used to check if the responds from the institutions’ personnel correlates with those of entrepreneurs. This helped the researcher in determining if the Policy and Strategy Framework of SMEs is producing the desired outcomes.
118 Figure 4. 3 Triangulation
Source: Own Compilation
Figure 4.3 illustrates the triangulation approach that was adopted in ensuring validity in this study. Validation was done by comparing data from secondary sources, quantitative data and qualitative data. Consistency in findings suggests that the data is valid.