Research Methodology

In this section of the chapter, we explain the research questions, the research approach, the data gathering and data analysis methods. Based on our analysis of the literature on evaluation of benefits we argue that there are several issues worthy of investigation. For our main question, we would like to determine the levels and types of benefits derived from engaging in e-marketplaces. There may be, for instance, new types of benefits not previously identified or certain types of benefits may or may not be significant.

The study is shaped by existing benefits evaluation theory and so we also wish to determine the extent to which the evaluation frameworks developed in the past with information systems are relevant and appropriate for electronic commerce applications and in particular e-marketplaces.

The project involves an in-depth case study of a government department. The information-gathering component of the research has involved face-to-face discussions and interviews, and e-mail and telephone communication, access to company documentation, and attending company meetings. Information has also been gathered from strategic plans, job descriptions, company reports, and the Web site.

An interpretive approach was used to analyze the data. The main research themes are shaped by the research literature and questions and the transcripts were analyzed, classified according to these, and validated using a second researcher. However, the research interpretation is influenced by a number of research traditions and these are briefly explained. Several research approaches advocate the examination of the macro and micro forces related to any particular organizational situation. A dialectic hermeneutic approach suggests that the wider environment is an important issue for explaining organizational decisions. However, it provides few, if any, methods or techniques for identifying the wider issues. Hermeneutics is primarily concerned with the meaning of a text or text analogue (Myers, 1995). The data, which are interview transcripts, are analyzed in terms of themes, motifs, and key words in the same way, as a literary text is (Bronsema & Keen, 1983). One of the main differences between pure and dialectical hermeneutics is that, in the latter, the researcher does not just accept the opinions of the participants, but tries to evaluate the totality of understandings in a given situation. The role and understanding of the participants are interpreted historically, and in terms of social and political structures and includes the contribution of the researcher in the analysis process.



Managing Globally with Information Technology
Managing Globally with Information Technology
ISBN: 193177742X
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 224

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