Differencies between quantitative and qualitative research methods: Using qualitative research method to study tải w88 leardership

ABSTRACT:

This paper presents an overview and contrast on quantitative and qualitative research perspectives. tải w88 qualitative research is subjective and is based on linguistic data and descriptive methods. Meanwhile, tải w88 quantitative research is objective and is based on data and statistical methods. In addition, this paper provides a more comprehensive understanding of tải w88 differences of tải w88 two above-mentioned research methods by analyzing tải w88 strengths and weaknesses of each method. This paper also shows that tải w88 use of qualitative research methods gives insight into tải w88 competence of leaders.

Keywords:Leadership, qualitative, quantitative.

1. Introduction

A quantitative perspective indicates that knowledge is “out there” to be discovered whereas, a qualitative perspective refers that knowledge is constructed within tải w88 perceptions and interpretations of tải w88 individual (VanderStoep & Johnston, 2009). In social science, there has been a controversial issue in which tải w88 most relevant philosophical stance should be derived. tải w88 research purposes of tải w88 quantitative and qualitative perspective both have different effects. While tải w88 qualitative perspective is subjective and uses language and description, tải w88 quantitative perspective is objective and refers on figures and statistics. This paper attempts to give an overview and a contrast of tải w88 two different research perspectives — quantitative and qualitative. Furthermore, tải w88 paper is to show tải w88 selection of tải w88 qualitative perspective as a pathway of gaining tải w88 insights and discoveries in tải w88 leadership studies.

2. Overview of quantitative and qualitative perspectives

Quantitative perspective utilizes tải w88 deductive and statistical methods. Its goal is to generalize tải w88 results to tải w88 entire population. In contrast, tải w88 qualitative perspective uses inductive and exploratory method. tải w88 purposes of qualitative research use description and exploration to obtain a deep intelligibility tải w88 meaning of social phenomena. tải w88 narrative results focused on tải w88 individual and tải w88 life experience, and generalization is usually not a goal. tải w88 overview of both perspectives will be discussed in tải w88 following table.

Table 1: Attributes of Quantitative and Qualitative paradigms.

Source:Adjusted tải w88 work ofSteckler et al. (1992)

2.1. Purpose

tải w88 purpose of quantitative research is more predictive than descriptive. tải w88 quantitative research is emphasized by tải w88 study of social variables that lead to prediction of a social phenomenon (VanderStoep & Johnston, 2009). Using quantitative data, we might find a statistically significant relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable, and we might even have some ground to speculate about causality between these two variables. That is, within tải w88 quantitative research reality is construed as being composed of causes and effects and it is tải w88 researcher’s role to quantify these in order to predict future behavior, outcomes, or other events (Borland, 2001).

On tải w88 other hand, tải w88 purpose of quantitative research is more descriptive than predictive. tải w88 qualitative research is emphasized on greater understanding or intelligibility tải w88 meaning of social phenomena. This usually implies attempting to understand and define tải w88 culture of tải w88 individuals and groups that are being studied (VanderStoep & Johnston, 2009). tải w88 qualitative methods seek to describe, decode, translate, and come to terms with tải w88 meaning of certain natural occurring phenomena in tải w88 social world (Borland, 2001). Thus, conducting description is tải w88 central work of data collection in tải w88 qualitative methods. For example, in a study of stakeholders’ perception of CEO celebrity in a firm, it was employees, managers, suppliers’ responses to tải w88 open-ended questions, and not tải w88 closed-ended questions, that convinced tải w88 firm’s Board of Directors that tải w88 perception of CEO celebrity were strongly disliked by some staff personnel and should be studied further.

2.2. Measurement

Quantitative research is measured through objective rather than subjective methods. tải w88 assumption of quantitative research is that reality is external, a real world makes up of hard, tangible and relatively immutable structure (Burrel & Morgan, 1979). tải w88 quantitative research is designed to ensure objectivity, generalizability and reliability. tải w88 quantitative researcher has access to methods and techniques which enable them to answer their questions precisely, systematically. It is believed that through scientific methods, research findings can be generalized from tải w88 particular segment to tải w88 entire population. For an example, a quantitative research may conduct on tải w88 idea that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) performance is significant to a firm. In this case, CEO performance might be measured through tải w88 annual certification contest with a number of medal awards (Hayward, 2004).

In other hand, tải w88 subjectivist approach deals with tải w88 way people experience phenomena in tải w88 world and define its meaning. Qualitative researchers tend to describe tải w88 unfolding of social processes, tải w88 meaning of social life, rather than tải w88 social structures that are often tải w88 focus of quantitative researchers (VanderStoep & Johnston, 2009). For example, CEO performance might be measured through a number of external factors such as symbolic perspective viewed by stakeholder and managerial competencies. Thus, tải w88 in-depth interviews will be probably conducted to several senior managers about their perceptions of their CEO performance and a focus group on employees, suppliers, distributors, and shareholders to gain a better understanding of their perspectives on CEO performance.

2.3. Method

tải w88 key distinction between qualitative and quantitative perspectives is that quantitative research is deductive[1]and qualitative research is inductive[2]. tải w88 quantitative research uses methods adopted from tải w88 physical sciences, including appropriate statistical techniques, to study CEO behavior or other related social phenomena to determine if and to what extent predetermined study variables are causally related. In this perspective, experimental and quasi-experimental designs are used to collect numerical data on a population sample (Steckler et al., 1992). They administer survey questionnaires with predetermined response categories through in-person inter-views, telephone interviews, or mailings. tải w88 goal in collecting quantitative data is also to generate measures that are reliable, generalizable, and unbiased (Steckler et al., 1992).

tải w88 qualitative research, on tải w88 other hand, applies anthropological research methods to study relevant social phenomena. Researchers using qualitative methods immerse themselves in a culture by observing its people and their interactions; participating in activities; interviewing key people; taking life histories; constructing case studies; and/or analyzing existing documents (Steckler et al., 1992). tải w88 goal in collecting qualitative data is to elicit an “insider’s”; view from tải w88 group under study. For example, for tải w88 study of CEO celebrity, an insider’s view provides an understanding of how people perceive a CEO as celebrity, why people react to it tải w88 way they do, why CEO celebrity has specific effects on stakeholder and to tải w88 firm, and what tải w88 unanticipated consequences of CEO celebrity are. By examining why and how some CEO celebrity succeed and others do not are able to improve future programs.

2.4. Focus

tải w88 researchers make some arguments on generalizability that is how much, how well, or how closely tải w88 findings from tải w88 current sample apply to tải w88 entire population. In tải w88 qualitative research, researcher endeavors to observe individuals and within organizations holistically rather than as sums of their parts every case is valid and potentially worthy of study. Every case is representative of a specific personal life experiences and interpretations of those experiences. tải w88 focus of qualitative research is to describe tải w88 meaning of participants’ experiences even if tải w88 participant or experience is not typical of tải w88 majority experience. However, qualitative research is limited in generalizability. tải w88 researcher can more freely generalize if tải w88 single consumer of tải w88 research report is also tải w88 single object of tải w88 study (Borland, 2001). For instance, qualitative researchers who conduct a case study related to CEO celebrity in a collectivism country, like Vietnam may generalize for tải w88 study of CEO as celebrity in collectivism culture. They may not generalize for other individualism culture, like US or Australia. tải w88 researchers from other collectivism cultures, like China, South Korea will find tải w88 results of tải w88 study usable only to tải w88 degree that they evaluate their own experience and perceptions as same to tải w88 environment in which tải w88 research was made.

In contrast, tải w88 focus of quantitative research is to find tải w88 typical, tải w88 average, tải w88 trend that can be generalized to large populations. tải w88 method does not study individual human beings but rather seeks to identify relationships between variables that explain behaviors that define specific populations of individuals (Borland, 2001). tải w88 keys are to accurately define tải w88 specific population of interest and to select a sample that accurately represents it. Therefore, tải w88 findings from tải w88 sample are generalized to tải w88 entire population.

In conclusion, section 2 demonstrates tải w88 main attributes of tải w88 quantitative and qualitative paradigms in term of purpose, measurement, method and focus. Section 3 provides a comprehensive understanding of tải w88 differences of tải w88 two research perspective by representing their strengths and weaknesses.

3. Strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and qualitative research

Both perspectives have their own strengths and weaknesses. tải w88 weaknesses are compensated for by tải w88 strengths of tải w88 other.

There are several strengths and weaknesses quantitative research. First strength is identified that quantitative research provides a wide coverage of tải w88 range of situations. In addition, fast and economical aspects are tải w88 second strength. That is, it is suitable when time and resources are limited. It is also better to use quantitative research when statistics results are being stressed. More importantly, quantitative methods produce factual, reliable outcome data that are usually generalizable to some larger population. However, its disadvantages are inflexible and artificial. It provides very little understanding towards tải w88 actions demonstrated by human being and as a result, make it difficult to predict any changes in tải w88 future. For example, a quantitative research may be able to give a general idea on tải w88 cause effect relationship of manager performance and managerial competencies but, it may fail to supply tải w88 details on how tải w88 linkage differs for every individual manager and why. Therefore, it might not be very helpful in generating theories or understanding tải w88 issues thoroughly.

tải w88 weaknesses of quantitative perspective are most of tải w88 times tải w88 strengths of tải w88 qualitative perspective. tải w88 qualitative perspective has tải w88 ability to look at tải w88 change processes over time. Moreover, tải w88 qualitative methods generate rich, detailed, valid process data by interviewing and observing people. For example, qualitative methods also provide contextual understanding of CEOs’ behavior and their effects results. With a good amount of valuable information, tải w88 data, ideas and issues can be adjusted as they emerge. Due to this, it is a better instrument used by researchers who want to be able to generate theories at tải w88 end of their studies. In addition, by interviewing and observing people, tải w88 qualitative process happens naturally in its own environment rather than in an artificially created surrounding as tải w88 quantitative process. However, qualitative research has several disadvantages. Data collection in qualitative research can take a great time and resources. It is then not relevant for studies that need limited time and financial support. tải w88 collected data may look disorganized because of tải w88 lack of researcher control on tải w88 data. For example, it is not possible for a researcher to maintain tải w88 same discussion when interviewing multiple stakeholders. This is due to tải w88 fact that people are often encouraged to talk about unrelated things from time to time. Thus, tải w88 data analysis and interpretation may be very difficult.

In short, section 3 illustrates tải w88 strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and qualitative research. Some authors refer to quantitative approaches as tải w88 dominant paradigm because tải w88 purposes, procedures, and benefits of quantitative methods are well known and accepted. In contrast, tải w88 purposes, procedures, and benefits of qualitative methods are unfamiliar to many. I, therefore, emphasize qualitative research in tải w88 next section of this paper because I believe it helps to obtain a comprehensive understanding of CEO celebrity study in leadership.

4. Qualitative in leadership

Schilling (2007) stresses tải w88 importance of qualitative research as tải w88 concept of leadership involves multiple levels of phenomena, possesses a dynamic character, and has a symbolic component. As tải w88 focus of tải w88 present study (a study of CEO as celebrity) lies particularly on tải w88 symbolic and subjective character of leadership, a qualitative research indicates an appropriate approach. tải w88 aim of this second part of tải w88 paper is to critically examine peer reviewed articles in CEO celebrity study and to use tải w88 literature to justify why qualitative research is chosen for tải w88 study of CEO celebrity.

4.1. tải w88 study in CEO celebrity

4.1.1. tải w88 definition of CEO celebrity

CEO celebrity is defined as a circumstance arising when journalists broadcast tải w88 attributions that a firm’s positive performance has been caused by its CEO’s actions (Ketchen et al., 2008). To be celebrity, CEO actions and behaviors must stand out from others. This distinction can be obtained via behavioral consistency organization, and/or differing actions from other CEOs operating in tải w88 similar environment (Treadway et al., 2008). In Tran (2009) shows a case of Mobivi, one of tải w88 largest online payment firms in Vietnam, where leadership skill is critical issue and celebrity of tải w88 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - Trung Dung[3]is utilized as tải w88 company intangible asset. However, with tải w88 CEO as celebrity, tải w88 Mobivi has some managerial problems, such as internal conflict of interest in Board of Directors, lack of knowledge sharing in cross functional departments, and lack of staff motivation.

4.1.2. tải w88 overview of tải w88 study of CEO as celebrity

This objective of tải w88 particular study is to further explore tải w88 study of tải w88 CEO as celebrity. tải w88 study of CEO celebrity may aid in answering tải w88 extent to which leadership field and why some CEO celebrities succeed and others do not.  tải w88 research question broadly asked in this study is, “How do charismatic leadership affect to CEO celebrity effectiveness?”  Specifically, this study tries to answer tải w88 sub following questions; (1) to investigate tải w88 impact of charisma leadership skills on CEO celebrity effectiveness, (2) to identify tải w88 most requisite charismatic skills that CEO celebrities need to improve their effectiveness (3) to identify perceived CEOs celebrity-generation to multiple stakeholders.

4.2. Justification of qualitative research for tải w88 study of CEO celebrity

4.2.1. Change process

Several of tải w88 studies are concerned with how leaders and their styles of leadership promote change and how leadership styles themselves change in response to particular circumstances (Bryman, 2004). In change process, tải w88 leaders should consider in addressing multiple stakeholders (external and internal), instilling a vision of how change to be implemented, and looking for what tải w88 future state of tải w88 organization to be. tải w88 emphasis on change is especially prominent in qualitative research of leadership which show how, over time and often in tải w88 face of considerable adversity, leaders make an impact on their organizations (Bryman, 2004). As such, tải w88 researcher is able to view over time tải w88 kinds of impacts that leaders make and how they respond to problems with which they are faced. Qualitative research is particularly appropriate methods in terms of providing a detailed sense of tải w88 context that forms tải w88 backcloth to tải w88 ways that leaders implement tải w88 change process.

4.2.2. Context

Qualitative research on leadership tends to give greater attention to tải w88 ways in which leaders and styles of leadership have to be or tend to be responsive to particular circumstances. Qualitative researchers are more likely to emphasize tải w88 significance of tải w88 sector within which leadership takes place (schools, business organizations) for styles of leadership and what is regarded as more or less effective. Qualitative researchers tend to be more sensitive to tải w88 situational factors or generic aspects of different contexts, such as tải w88 leader - member relations, and tải w88 leader’s position power (Bryman, 2004).

4.2.3. Ceo

In qualitative research, there is a tendency to focus on CEO, such as top executives, and their teams, whereas quantitative research tends to be concerned with leaders at a variety of levels. To access tải w88 leader behavior of CEO, researchers may interview and observe tải w88 leaders at work and/or interview others regarding their leader behavior. For example, in CEO celebrity study, tải w88 research should interview and observe CEO who is tải w88 focus of tải w88 research, as well as multiple stakeholders in order to better an understanding of tải w88 CEO’s impact.

In conclusion, there are several mentioned aspects of leadership that is difficult to gain access to through quantitative research. As a result, qualitative research is greatly justified tải w88 particular circumstances. It has proved valuable in certain areas: understanding leadership in relation to tải w88 change process; how leaders manipulate symbols and meaning to achieve organizational ends; appreciating tải w88 relevance of context for leader behavior; and giving us insights into tải w88 worlds of senior leaders or CEOs.

4.3. Tentative Research design

tải w88 purpose of research design is to present a pilot work in tải w88 qualitative method that is conducted in Vietnam. tải w88 tools of qualitative research as in-depth interviews and focus group are to be discussed.

tải w88 in-depth interviews involve five CEO interviews with five different firms. There are three 3 CEO celebrities that are recommended by tải w88 Vietnamese Business Association and Business Financial Journalist. tải w88 three CEO celebrities can be a winner of tải w88 annual certification gold award, “tải w88 CEO of tải w88 year” award.

tải w88 focus group discussions are classified into 3 types of stakeholders and each type is conducted with one group that consists of 6 to 8 people. First group classification is potential stakeholders as firm investors, potential suppliers and distributors, and customers. Second group classification is engaged stake holders as firm's stockholders, employees and managers, distributors, suppliers, current customers. Third group classification is government agencies, business associations, community network, and business journalists. All, tải w88 qualitative research conducts in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. All of tải w88 in-depth interviews and focus group discussion use an informal conversational style which begins with a brief explanation of tải w88 purpose of tải w88 research and an assurance of tải w88 confidentiality. tải w88 interviews and discussions are conducted in Vietnamese language with only one moderator throughout in order to control tải w88 consistency of tải w88 work.

5. Conclusion

tải w88 research purposes of tải w88 quantitative and qualitative perspective both have different effects. While tải w88 qualitative perspective is subjective and uses language and description, tải w88 quantitative perspective is objective and refers on figures and statistics.

This paper shows to give an overview and a contrast of tải w88 two different research perspectives - quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative research distinguishes from qualitative research in its purpose, measurement, methods, and focus. Furthermore, tải w88 paper provides a comprehensive understanding of tải w88 differences of tải w88 two research perspective by representing their strengths and weaknesses. More importantly, tải w88 paper is to show tải w88 selection of tải w88 qualitative perspective as a pathway of gaining tải w88 insights and discoveries in tải w88 leadership studies.

TÀI LIỆU TRÍCH DẪN:

[1] A deductive approach is a process of reasoning that flows from a theory or hypothesis to systematic empirical observation to conclusion (VanderStoep SW & Johnston, DD 2009).

[2]An inductive approach is a process of reasoning that follows a reverse path - observation precedes theory, hypothesis, and interpretation (VanderStoep SW & Johnston, DD 2009).

[3] According to tải w88 Wikipedia (2009), Dung founded and ran OnDisplay, Inc which was a pioneer in tải w88 development of business-to-business application integration technology. Mr. Dung grew OnDisplay from a product concept to an enterprise software company that was one of tải w88 10 most successful IPOs in 1999 and was ultimately acquired by Vignette Corporation in 2000 for .8 billion Wikipedia (2009). In Tran (2009), Trung Dung is now tải w88 CEO and chairman of tải w88 Mobivi. Trung Dung is a famous businessman, as a first and only USD billionaire, in banking and finance, Information Technology and Vietnamese Business and Commerce Association.

REFERENCES:

1. Borland, K.W. (2001). New directions for institutional research, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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4. Hayward, M., Rindova, V., & Pollock, T. (2004). Believing one's own press: tải w88 causes and consequences of CEO celebrity. Strategic Management Journal, 25, pp. 637-655.
5. Ketchen, D.J., Adams, G.L. & Shook, C.L. (2008) Understanding and managing CEO celebrity. Business Horizons, 51, pp. 529-534.
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7. Schilling, J. (2007). Leaders romantic conceptions of tải w88 consequences of leadership. Applied Psychology, 56(4)pp. 602 - 623.
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Sự khác nhau giữa phương pháp nghiên cứu định tính và định lượng: Áp dụng phương pháp định tính trong nghiên cứu về sự lãnh đạo

Trần Mai Đông

Đại học Kinh tế TP. Hồ Chí Minh

TÓM TẮT:

Bài nghiên cứu này cung cấp một cách nhìn tổng quát và tương phản về hai quan điểmnghiên cứu định lượngvà định tính.Nghiên cứu định tínhmang tính chất chủ quan và dựa trên dữ liệu về ngôn ngữ và các phương pháp mô tả. Trong khi đó, nghiên cứu định lượng mang tính chất khách quan và dựa trên số liệu và các phương pháp thống kê. Bên cạnh đó, bài nghiên cứu này đưa ra một cách hiểu toàn diện hơn về sự khác biệt củahai phương pháp nghiên cứunêu trên bằng việc đưa ra các điểm mạnh và điểm yếu của từng phương pháp. Bài nghiên cứu cũng cho thấy việc lựa chọn phương pháp nghiên cứu định tính đem lại những hiểu biết sâu sắc về năng lực của nhàlãnh đạo.

Từ khóa:Lãnh đạo, nghiên cứu định lượng, nghiên cứu định tính.