Qualitative IS Research

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Qualitative IS Research

• The Role of Qualitative Research
• in Information Systems

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Qualitative IS Research

• Qualitative Data Interviews, Documents,
  Observations collected to understand and
  (hopefully) explain social phenomena.
• Qualitative Research registers a shift away from
  Quantitative Research - from technological to
  organizational investigations.

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Qualitative IS Research

• Needed to do Qualitative Research
• (1) Research Method,
• (2) Research Technique,
• (3) Analysis Technique,
• (4) Interpretive and Technique.

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Qualitative IS Research

• Qualitative Research Method
• (1) Action Research
• (2) Single or Multiple Case
• (3) Ethnography

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Qualitative IS Research

• Objective Understanding phenomena from the
  participants point of view, i.e., from within
  the actions context.

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Philosophical Perspective

• Positivism Reflects the idea that reality is
  objective, not influenced by whether the
  researcher is present or not, most if not all
  phenomena can be studied using methods from the
  physical sciences.

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Philosophical Perspective

• Post Positivism Reality is not objective,
  reality is defined (constructed?) by consensus,
  reality is defined contextually, many phenomena
  cannot be studied with the methods of the
  physical sciences, knowledge arises from
  interpretive activity.

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Philosophical Perspective

• Critical Social Theory People are dominated by
  societal circumstances, people are constrained in
  their action by social rules, people are
  ideologically constrained, people are alienated.
• Critical Social Theory Purpose is to make people
  see how they are dominated and how to free
  themselves from domination.

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Philosophical Perspective

• Janson, Brown, Taillieu study of the Colruyt
  Company exemplifies the use of Critical Theory in
  Case Study Research.
• Questions Are Colruyt employees empowered,
  liberated, in charge or are they alienated,
  oppressed, out of touch, unable to direct their
  destiny? What are your thoughts?

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Research Methods

• Action Research Methods Scientists join a group
  in search of solutions for a problem. This often
  requires the researchers to be experts concerning
  the problem.
• Researcher/Analyst may join a group consisting of
  analysts, system users, system owner to extract
  user information requirements.

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Research Methods

• Case Study Researcher observes and/or interviews
  individuals belonging to a problematic situation.
  The number and type of individuals interviewed,
  the questions asked, and the documents
  investigated determine the outcome and validity
  of the study.
• Janson, Brown, Taillieu case study of Colruyt.

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Research Methods

• Case studies can focus on one company or
  organization or on multiple organizations.
• Janson, Brown, Taillieu is a one-case study.
• Lacity Wilcox is a multiple case study.

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Data Collection

• Whenever possible audio tape your interviews with
  informants. Ask permission before interviewing -
  transcribe the taped interview into text.
• Use a good omni directional mike for recording
  and a transcriber machine for turning tape into
  text.

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Case Analysis

• The Use of Hermeneutics - uncover meaning.
• Uncover meaning by interpreting text as a whole
  and individual parts. Alternate between the two
  actions. Reading the whole suggests meaning for
  the parts - next, reading the parts suggests
  revised meaning for the whole - next, etc.

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Case Analysis

• Actually, one can go on for ever alternating
  between whole and parts - it is judgment call
  when to stop.

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Analysis

• Semiotics - the science of signs -
• Content analysis
• Discourse analysis
• Speech act analysis

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Speech Act?

• Speech can be an Act!
• Close the door!
• Dont you think it is drafty in here?
• I hereby christen you the Titanic!

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Speech Act

• Five Types
• Assertive
• Directive
• Commissive
• Declarative
• Expressive

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Speech Act

• Top Down versus Bottom Up Classifications
• Top Down - Searle
• Bottom Up - Balmer Brennenstuhl

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Speech Act

• Reference Janson Woo in an article evaluating
  knowledge acquisition techniques.

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The Colruyt Case Study

• What is the issue?
• What are the findings?
• Do the conclusions or findings make sense?
• Would you want to work for this company?
• Why or why not?