RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4.7 The sampling procedure
Sekaran and Bougie (2011) described sampling as the process of selecting the appropriate individuals, objects or events as representatives of the entire population under study. The sampling procedure comprised of the target population, location, sampling technique and sample size. The sampling procedure is outlined hereunder:
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According to Willis (2007), a population is defined as all the elements that meet the criteria for inclusion in a study. Sekaran and Bougie (2011) added that the population refers to the entire group of people, events or things of interest from which the researcher wants to make inferences. The target population for this study was divided into two groups:
i. Unit Heads
For the qualitative aspect the study targeted the heads of the Engineering, Economic Development, and International and Governance Relations units. The unit heads were targeted because they were the leaders of their respective units and each unit had only one head. This made the target population more manageable.
ii. Employees
For the quantitative aspect the target population was all the employees who reported directly or indirectly to the heads of units in the Engineering, Economic Development, and International and Governance Relations Departments of the eThekwini Municipality.
The study targeted only the employees who reported to the unit heads in order to eliminate bias from the respondents who reported to managers and supervisors.
4.7.2 Geographic location
The study was conducted in the Durban area at the eThekwini Municipality’s selected units.
The Engineering Unit is located at 166 K E Masinga Road in the Durban central business district (CBD), the Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions Unit is situated at 41 Margaret Mncandi Avenue in the Durban central area, while the International and Governance Relations Department is located at 263 Dr Pixley KaSeme Street in the Durban CBD.
4.7.3 Sampling technique
Sampling is the process of selecting a fraction or part of an entire population. The basic idea is that by selecting some of the elements in a population and focusing research attention on this group, the findings may be generalised to the entire population. According to Saunders et al. (2009) there are two major types of sampling design, namely probability and non- probability sampling. These sampling techniques are described in detail hereunder:
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i. Probability sampling
Saunders et al. (2009) stated that in probability sampling, elements in the population have a known chance of being selected to partake in the study. This type of study can either be restricted or unrestricted in nature. When sampling is unrestricted it is also known as simple random sampling, which means that all the elements in the population have an equal chance of being selected.
For the quantitative aspect of the study, Restricted Probability Sampling, and in particular Stratified Random Sampling, was selected after considering the relevant target population and available sampling frames at eThekwini Municipality. The quantitative sample comprised only the employees who reported directly or indirectly to the heads of units, regardless of the fact that the municipality has different levels of employees. The sample was stratified by grouping employees according to whom they reported to, and the population under study was segregated which was followed by a random process of selection from the strata.
Stratified random sampling can either be proportionate or disproportionate. Proportionate stratified sampling refers to selecting a number of elements from the strata according to the number of elements in the population (Willis, 2007), while disproportionate stratified sampling gives the researcher freedom to decide how many elements from the strata to choose. In order to yield well rounded results, proportionated stratified sampling was used.
ii. Nonprobability sampling
Non probability sampling has two broad categories known as convenience sampling and purposive sampling. Sekaran and Bougie (2011) outlined the differences between the two categories, stating that convenience sampling refers to the collection of preliminary data from a population that is conveniently available to the researcher, while purposive sampling refers to the collection of data from a specific population. This technique requires the researcher to select a specific target whereby the elements of the sample need to fit a specific criterion in order to be chosen (Shneiderman and Plaisant, 2005).
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For the qualitative aspect of the study the purposive sampling method was used when selecting leaders to be interviewed. The specific target group selected for the study was the heads of units for the Engineering, Economic Development, and International and Governance Relations Units. Considering that the purpose of this study was to survey leadership styles, the criterion was therefore that the elements had to be leaders.
Additionally, there are two major types of purposive sampling, namely judgemental sampling and quota sampling. Judgemental sampling refers to the selection of candidates that are in the most advantageous position and who can provide the most relevant and applicable information required (Saunders et al., 2009), while quota sampling ensures that certain groups of a population are adequately represented in the study’s population (Richards, 2009). This study used judgemental sampling to select the leaders who were in the most advantageous position, i.e. the candidates who could provide the most relevant information about leadership and were the heads of units. According to Richards (2009), judgemental sampling is known to be the only sampling design that allows researchers to obtain answers for certain types of research questions that could only be answered by specific individuals in the target population.
iii. Snowball sampling
Snowball sampling is a non-probability sampling technique in which the researcher selects a sample that is connected to another sample (Shneiderman and Plaisant, 2005). A researcher at the municipality was approached and asked to participate in the study by giving a researcher’s perspective of the leadership style in the organisation. A semi- structured interview was conducted and the municipal researcher was asked to describe the leadership style in the municipality. The interview questions were similar to the leaders’ interview questions, however they were seeking a different perspective (Appendix 8). The semi-structured interview questions allowed for flexibility, changing the sequence of the questions when necessary and probing. The municipal researcher was an ideal snowball sample as she provided information about the leaders and their employees.
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Snowballing was also applied by reviewing articles, papers and previous studies conducted by academics and other researchers in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the two leadership styles under study. The data collected from researchers was used to better understand and analyse the concepts of transactional and transformational leadership.
4.7.4 Sample size
The sample size was a total of 201 respondents from all three departments with the following breakdown:
Table 4.1: Quantitative Sample: population and sample size
Unit Population Sample Size
Economic Development 81 employees reporting directly or indirectly to Head of Unit
72 respondents
Engineering 95 employees reporting directly or indirectly to Head of Unit
88 respondents
International and Governance Relations
45 employees reporting directly or indirectly to Head of Unit
41 respondents
Total 221 employees 201 respondents
4.7.5 Characteristics of the sample
The sample under study was selected as they fit the following criteria:
i. Currently employed by the municipality
The respondents were required to be employed by the municipality in order to collect accurate and reliable data about their perceptions of the leadership style in their organisation. The employees interact with their leaders on a daily basis and therefore their perceptions of their leaders were assessed.
ii. Above the age of 18 years
The legal employment age in South Africa is 16 years, but the respondents were required to be above the legal employment age in order to fulfil ethical requirements. According to Statistics South Africa (2013) the majority of people who are aged 16 are studying and have not yet completed their Matric Certificates therefore they are not employable for
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white collar jobs, however people over 18 years of age are studying for higher education degrees, working or unemployed (Statistics South Africa, 2013).
iii. Reporting to the Unit Heads
The respondents to the questionnaires were required to be those employees who were reporting directly or indirectly to the unit heads. The employees who reported to other managers and superiors were not targeted by the study as they were less able to provide accurate and relevant information about their leaders.