Demonstrating Qualitative Rigor to General Editors

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Demonstrating Qualitative Rigor to General
Editors

• Dorrie DeLuca
• University of South Florida
• ICIS 2008 SIGGTM Demonstration

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Excerpts from 2 articles

• DeLuca, D. C., Gallivan, M. J., and Kock, N.
  (2008), Furthering Information Systems Action
  Research A Postpositivist Synthesis of Four
  Dialectics, Journal of the Association of
  Information Systems (JAIS), February, V9, I2, A2,
  48-72.
• DeLuca, D. C. and Kock, N. (2007), Publishing
  Information Systems Action Research for a
  Positivist Audience a Tutorial, Communications
  of the Association of Information Systems (CAIS),
  V19, A10, 183-204.

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Overview

• Intro
• Research Paradigms
• FGTM
• Adaptations from GTM
• Tools
• Enhancing / Generating Theory

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Article Structure (CAIS, DeLuca and Kock, 2007)
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Introduction / Motivation

• Why does the editor/reader care about this
  research?
• What gap are you filling?
• What is your research paradigm?
• What is your main question?

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Typology of an IS Research Paradigm (DeLuca
Kock, 2007)
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Theory

• A theoretical basis is expected
• Positivist (null hypotheses)
• Post-positivist (common sense hypotheses) (ref,
  xxx)
• Interpretive (research question) (Klein and
  Myers, 1999)
• Researcher as a blank slate is a myth (Urquhart
  and Fernandez, xxx)

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Theoretical Basis(from Kock and DeLuca, JGITM
2007)
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Methods

• Quantitative
• Qualitative (GTM) - explain
• Triangulation

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GTM ? FGTM

• GTM is NOT a Theory
• It is a Method used to clarify or develop Theory.
• Each research project includes theory in its own
  way.
• GTM does not need to be tied to an epistemology
• We can use the techniques to simultaneously
  test hypotheses and check for emergent data,
  hypotheses.
• Contrary to strict original GTM, the zealous
  would take offense, use a start list of codes
  (constructs from the hypotheses or research
  question), so we call it front-end-loaded to
  distinguish it, thus FGTM.

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Qualitative Methods

• Content analysis of observation notes, interview
  text - perceptions, explanations of perceptions
• Front-end -loaded Grounded Theory Method (FGTM)
  (DeLuca et al., 2008)
• Start list of constructs based on theoretical
  framework (Miles Huberman, 1999)
• Open coding (discover new constructs) (Strauss
  Corbin, 1998)
• Axial coding (discover relationships between
  pairs of constructs) (Strauss Corbin, 1998)
• Selective coding (integrative story) (Strauss
  Corbin, 1998)
• Constant Comparison iterative until
  Saturation (Strauss Corbin, 1998)

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Adaptations for Front-end-loaded Grounded
Theory Method (FGTM)

• Open Coding
• Initial list of constructs (codes) based on
  research
• Constructs which emerge from the data
• Axial Coding
• Relationship pairs of constructs provide
  explanations
• Use modified fishbone diagram to show
  relationships
• Constant comparison of constructs and context
  iterative until Saturation
• Selective Coding
• Integrative Story
• Triangulation Summary of Evidence by Hypotheses
• Integrative Conceptual Model Diagram

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Open/Initial Coding

• Codes and syntactic equivalents
• Obstacle
• Cognitive effort
• Knowledge sharing
• Quality
• Success
• Request perceptions and explanations of
  perceptions code emergent constructs and pairs of
  constructs
• This affects that
• That is because of this

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Results

• Organize by hypothesis
• Not by method
• Not by case
• Not by cycle
• Not by chronology

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FGTM Fishbone for Axial Pairing (cite DeLuca
xxx)
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Discussion

• Triangulation
• Table
• Selective Coding
• Diagram

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Summarize Evidence (general table)(DeLuca et
al., 2008)
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Evidence for Media Synchronicity Theory (DeLuca
and Valacich, 2007)
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Graphical Conceptual Diagram(DeLuca et al., 2008)
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(No Transcript)
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Media-Cognitive-Social ModelAsynchronous
Creativity Theory (DeLuca, 2006)
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Research Implications

• New theory, ACT, explains contradictory findings
  from Virtual Teams
• New model, MCS Model of Creativity, holds for
  known, possibly future media, basis for theory
  development in business, psychology, sociology
• Knowledge of model provides insight into
  adaptations that could enhance creativity of
  teams using synchronous media
• Asynchronous media enhance positive and mitigate
  negative Cognitive/Social influences on
  Creativity
• Asynchronous media strengths enhance Creativity

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Professional Implications

• Virtual Teams may have more creative potential
  than FTF teams
• Increased commitment, participation, quality,
  documentation
• Reduced cost
• More contributions outside normal working hours
• To effectively use virtual teams, must consider
• lessons learned
• success factors

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Conclusions Summarize key points(DeLuca et al.,
2006)

• Members of the virtual teams reported adapting
  their communication to overcome perceived
  obstacles
• Less temporal continuity (?less clarity,
  conciliation)
• Less language cues
• Written medium
• Reported constructing communication to be more
• focused, clear, precise, neutral, concrete,
  concise, persuasive, considerate, and complete
• As a result of those adaptations, the teams
  perceived better quality and achieved greater
  success of the team outcome than FTF teams.

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Conclusions(DeLuca, 2006)

• Answers calls for new theories in IS and for
  theories of e-Collaboration
• Meets criteria for new theory 1) Falsifiable 2)
  Has utility by explaining and predicting
  (Bacharach, 1989)
• New considerations for creative teams -
  compensations to use any media more if FTF
• New considerations for virtual teams structure,
  continuity, creativity
• Better use of media, lower cost, boost
  productivity
• Empirical testing of propositions invited !!!