CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

nIntroduction

nThe methodology chapter explains different topics such as research design and other sub headings that relate to this study. The chapter provides information on purpose of the study, research design, target population, sampling frame, sample size and ethical considerations as well as challenges encountered during the process of data collections.

nResearch purpose

nThe main purpose of the study is to determine the effects of emotional intelligence in politicians personal aides. In most cases, there are different purposes for conducting a research. In particular, studies are categorized based on the problems such as exploratory, descriptive or explanatory. In exploratory research, the researcher needs the investigator to study around with regard to all factors of the investigations (Zeni 2001). The major purpose here is to establish ideas that are suggestive. In this regard, exploratory research is used when the researcher does not have adequate knowledge about a problem or when the knowledge available is limited. On the other hand, descriptive research aims at providing a description of different phenomenon or conditions, which are linked to situations, individuals or occurring events. The purpose of descriptive study is to establish a generalization of the outcome out of which theories are likely to be developed (Welman, Kruger, Mitchell and Huysamen 2005). Most importantly, descriptive studies are conducted when the researcher only has adequate knowledge about the problem and there is no any intention of investigating the relations between causes and effects of a problem. Furthermore, explanatory research is used to develop concrete theory that can be used in explaining empirical generalizations. According to research professionals, a study is defined as explanatory only when the focus is on cause-effect relations. Therefore, it explains what specific factors produce specific effects (Vogt 2010).

nHowever, for the purpose of this study, it is evident that this is an explanatory at the same time descriptive. It is explanatory because the researcher attempted to investigate how emotional intelligence on politicians personal aides. The study is descriptive because it tends to describe emotional intelligence in politicians personal aides and its effects on the profession (Welman, Kruger, Mitchell and Huysamen 2005.

nStudy design

nTo quote from Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2012, pp.674) methodology refers to theory of how research should be undertaken and what the philosophical assumptions research is based on and the implications of the methods adopted. This methodology will outline methods, research designs and sample techniques in which the researcher proposes to use in the research. Having discussed the issues in the literature review, it is now important to establish the methodology for this research project (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2012).

nThe chief objective of this research is to test and establish the nature of relationship among variables; that is, politicians emotional intelligence, and the influence to their personal aides and consequent effects in order to establish viable research conclusions. Interpretivism will hence be the main paradigm of the research. Methodology of a research involves basic steps regarding how the research will be conducted as well as the philosophical stance in connection to the intent reason for this research. Since the research is based on evaluating a social construct and interrelatedness of people based on a unique characteristic, epistemological approach of anti-positivism will be used (Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill 2012). Anti-positivism takes an epistemological stance and is largely involved in establishing differences in social relations among people. The main reason why the researcher will use Interpretivism paradigm is that the research will be done in details. Moreover, this paradigm provides the interpretation of the study subjects. Interpretivism paradigm also tends to provide why a particular issue happened instead of providing a generalized information. Goldkuhl (2012) indicates that anti-positivism relates to the philosophical idea of idealism and is involved in grouping together multidimensional approaches that tend to digress from positivism that meaning exists separately in the consciousness world. Additionally, the author indicates that anti-positivism is chiefly involved in deriving meaning from social constructs and may apply a wide range of methods to achieve this goal (Goldkuhl 2012).

nUsing this epistemological stance in the study will enable the researcher to investigate a wide range of social phenomena relating to the area of study. Anti-positivism provides an opportunity for a single variable to have many interpretations. It focuses on phenomenon verification when the standards of understanding of a variable are such that the matter is investigate many unexplored aspects of a phenomenon (Goldkuhl 2012). Unlike positivism it does not develops particular association between the components.

nThe ontological approach of this research will be through constructivism theory. According to Fosnot (2013), constructivism holds that people derive meaning and understanding from communication between their initiatives and their experiences. Constructivism brings out the interrelatedness of behaviour patterns of people with their life experiences. The ontology of constructivism will guide the researcher in establishing how people develop particular quotients of emotional intelligence and how their behaviour affects those of other people. Constructivism was chosen in this research because it promotes high standards of thinking, teamwork and diversity of thoughts. The researcher rejected positivist ontology because according to Fosnot (2013), it is considered both apprehendable and real, which is referred to as naïve realism (Fosnot 2013). 

n This research is qualitative in nature and will employ a phenomenological approach in establishing the findings. Most importantly, the researcher did not utilize other research methods such as qualitative study. The main reason why the researcher utilized qualitative method is that this method offers an opportunity to conduct in-depth investigation of a variable or phenomenon (Fosnot 2013). In addition, it is possible to investigate difficult phenomenon that can be unmanageable with quantitative methods. Willig (2013) indicates that phenomenology is the process of studying social structures based on personal experiences and consciousness. This research approach involves studying a persons aspects of consciousness such as; his emotions, how he perceives things, and his judgements. This method is preferred over the grounded theory approach of qualitative research (Willig 2013). Through phenomenology, the researcher reviews first hand personal information from an individual in a social setting and leads to establishing the reality of a specific social aspect. This is the most suitable approach based on the research objective. Grounded theory on the other hand takes a bottom-up approach where empirical data is used as a baseline of the study. Study of human behaviour and relationships tend to yield diverse results hence there is a possible bias in using this approach.

nThis research will employ in-depth interviews to gather the desired information. This is because the researcher has to gain access into the conscience world of an individual, in order to establish existence of the specific social constructs being investigated. Since the nature of this research is observational one, cross-sectional design will be used. This is where information will be collected from the subjects without tampering with the environment of the study (Goldkuhl 2012). Qualitative cross sectional theory is important in this research because it will enable the researcher to determine the causes of emotional intelligence among the politicians personal aides. This approach will allow the researcher to establish and compare several variables at an instance (Willig 2013). Longitudinal study design will not be preferred for the study since it is time consuming and involves studying a particular variable in a study subject over a long time (Jackson, 2009). This design would limit the diversity of this research. The researcher utilized cross sectional relative to longitudinal because it does not consume a lot of time. In addition, cross sectional study enabled the researcher to compare many variables at the same period (Willig 2013).

nThe study will utilise qualitative study design that logically links the collected data to the research question in order to come up with viable study conclusions. The main objective of the qualitative design is to obtain in-depth knowledge concerning a particular phenomenon (Welman, Kruger, Mitchell and Huysamen 2005). According to Salkind (2010, p. 18), qualitative research method enables the researcher to investigate the reason why something happened so that he or she can make proper conclusions. In this regard, the researcher will collect data using qualitative semi-structured interviews to the participants of the study (Salkind 2010). Semi-structured interviews will enabled the researcher to obtain insights and to learn from experiences of the study participants. After the collection of data, the researcher will develop it into themes (Welman, Kruger, Mitchell and Huysamen 2005, p. 13). In the process of data analysis, the researcher will code the information to assist in identifying the differences and similarities associated to some concepts. Following data analysis, the researcher will develop recommendations and conclusions of the study (Leedy and Ormrod 2005, p. 17). Other options of qualitative research include unstructured and structured interviews. Unstructured interviews have many shortcomings relative to semi-structured interviews. In this respect, they lack any pre-determined specific purpose and are normally conducted in a conversational and informal manner. In addition, the researcher has a high chance of being biased in part of interviewee (Vogt 2010). Therefore, this form of research design lacks reliability from the study perspectives. On the other hand, structured interview involves a set of pre-determined questions. Moreover, each interviewee is asked these questions in the same manner (Seale 2004). Researcher argues that data collected through a method us linked with high standard of validity because every interviewee is asked the same questions. Therefore, there are minimum cases of bias for the interviewees (Welman, Kruger, Mitchell and Huysamen 2005).

nVariables

nIndependent variables

nIndependent variables are factors in a study that cannot be changed by other variables. However, they cause different effects on dependent variables. In this research, the independent variables are self-awareness, self-management and relational management among the politicians personal aides (Bellamy 2012, p. 12).

nDependent variables

nAccording to Vogt (2010), dependent variables are aspects that do not lead to any change in the study. Nonetheless, they are likely to be affected by other factors for instance independent variables. In this study, the dependent variables are factors such as self-confidence, empathy, teamwork and collaborations since they are affected by factors such as relational management, self-management and self-awareness (Vogt 2010, p. 14).

nSampling procedures

nIn this study, the researcher will utilise simple random sampling to pick the participants of the study. Simple random sampling is necessary for this study since it allows the population to acquire equal chances to participate in the research, with this sampling method, the researcher will be able to form a sample research group from politicians and politicians personal aides. The researcher will choose ten participants in the sample population to act as the representative of the sample. In addition, systematic sampling will be used to select the participants of this research (Seale 2004, p. 3). Other sampling methods include stratified sampling. Stratified sampling involves dividing the sample population into groups depending on factors that affect the variable being measured i.e. strata. Furthermore, it is based on simple random sampling from every stratum. However, this sampling method works best when the sample population is large and requires partitions. In addition, it is the best option when sample population (heterogeneous) can be partitioned into homogenous samples (Seale 2004).

nSemi structured interviews

nThe study will be conducted via semi-structured interviews to facilitate a two-way communication. Semi-structured interviews are the ideal means of data collection for the research due to their diversity and flexibility in information gathering (Rabionet, 2011).  Structured interviews may not yield accurate and adequate information for the research hence will not be used for the purpose of this research. An effective semi structured interviews depends on the ability of the researcher to explicitly develop questions, prompt and pause appropriately as well as listen keenly (Greener 2011, p. 30). Furthermore, the researcher should have skills to motivate the interviewees so that they could speak more freely and openly (Scruggs and Mastropieri 2006, p. 39). Semi-structured interviews require the interviewer to possess interpersonal skills that enables the interviewer to establish a rapport with the participants. The researcher will also utilise the semi-structured interviews because it helps to give and receive information. Furthermore, it will assist the interviewer to develop sufficient trust and relational aspects between the participants of the study (Creswell and Creswell 2007, p. 13). Essentially, the main reason why semi structured interviews will be used is because it helps to design and add questions during the interviews (Kumar 2005, p. 48). The researcher also selected the semi-structured interviews since they give the informants freedom to give their opinion without fear (Seale 2004). Additionally, some of the questions will not be developed before the interviews. Instead, the majority of the questions are designed during the interview to allow both the interviewee and interviewer to be flexible (Kuada 2012, p. 33). Most importantly, this enables the researcher to probe for more details related to the study.

nNonetheless, structured interviews require the researcher to utilize a collection of standardized questions that are set beforehand. In many instances, semi-structured interviews have less open-ended questions thus they are similar to a questionnaire. In this regard, an interviewer utilising structured interviews does not have the freedom to ask other questions that could provide more details concerning a topic on hand (Kothari 2004, p. 12).

nOn the other hand, unstructured interviews are a type of interview that utilises questions that are not pre-determined. In this regard, the interviewer asks questions that he or she believes to be crucial in the process of collecting data. In particular, the researcher will not employ unstructured interviews because they are time consuming as compared to other types of interviews because they are no set questions (Denzin and Lincoln 2005, p. 23). Moreover, the researcher will avoid unstructured interviews because it would be difficult to analyse the data (Seale 2004).

nHowever, semi-structured interviews are associated with various disadvantages. For instance, they require skilled researcher to conduct them efficiently. For this reasons, unskilled and inexperienced researcher are likely to collect unimportant data (Denscombe 2010). Additionally, semi-structured interviews require adequate number of interviewees in order to establish general comparisons. Thirdly, semi-structured interviews need adequate and careful preparation in order to develop questions that are leading and prescriptive to the interviewees. Furthermore, researchers argue that semi-structured interviewees can present many challenges when analysing data, which is a great risk. Semi-structured interviews needs huge resources and are time-consuming. Similarly, this form of research interviews requires high standard of confidentiality of data collected (Seale 2004).

nPilot study

nThe researcher will conduct a pilot study among the personal aides that did not take part in the study. The main reason for carrying out a pilot study is to pre-test the research instruments. Jha (2008) argues that a pilot study is very important because it helps to determine the feasibility of the main research. In this respect, it helps to assess the logistics required during the study (Jha 2008, p. 23). The pilot study is also crucial because it will help to enhance efficiency and quality of data in the research. Therefore, the pilot study enables the researcher to gather necessary data collection instruments. Furthermore, it ensures that they will be adequate skills to carry out the study (Denscombe 2010, p. 10).

nThe researcher will utilise the pilot study to determine whether the research protocol is realistic and workable. Additionally, it shows whether the sampling frames and techniques are efficient hence the researcher is to allocate sufficient resources such as staff and finances (Govaert 2009, p. 10).

nValidity of the study

nValidity is the capacity of the study instruments to measure what the researcher intends to measure. The validity of research instruments is measured in degrees because there are no instruments that can be 100 per cent valid. The validation process involves gathering and evaluation of information to assess the accuracy of the study instruments (Creswell and Creswell 2007, p. 23). There are many statistical tests to determine the validity of qualitative instruments. In this study, content validity will be conducted to determine the appropriateness of the content in the study instruments.

nMoreover, in this study, the researcher will measure the validity of this study via different ways. First, the researcher will properly develop the semi-structured interviews. Furthermore, the pre-test will be done in the semi-structured interviews to maximize their clarity, preciseness and relevance in responding to the research questions. All the questions that show ambiguity and not having clear objectives will be replaced appropriately (Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2003, p. 49).

nReliability

nReliability is the ability of the research instrument to measure consistently and accurately obtaining exact information from different research subjects. In this regard, during the pilot study, the study reliability will be established (Salkind 2010, p. 23). The researcher will make sure there is consistency of the data gathered from the interviews. The interviewer will take necessary measures to ensure that the reliability of the instruments is guaranteed. Therefore, the researcher will use a language that the interviewees can understand during the collection of data. In addition, the researcher will establish a proper introduction to assist in explaining the purpose of the study at the beginning of every session (Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2003, p. 61).

nInclusion criteria

nIn every study, there are diverse protocols that should be used to identify a study population. The target population with desired attributes is given the first priority as they make it possible to achieve the purpose of the study. The importance of inclusion criteria is that, it ensures that data is collected from the right respondents (Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2003, p. 62). For this research, politicians personal aides who are willing to give informed consent will be included in the study.

nIn addition, participants who are included in the study ,who have worked in the profession for more than three months prior to the study because they are more familiar with the working environment will be included as participants of the research. Furthermore, the study includes both male and female workers as they have equal opportunities of giving the required information (Creswell and Creswell 2007, p. 24). For the purpose of this research, all participants at different age groups can participate in the study.

nExclusion criteria

nExclusion criteria are factors in which the researcher uses to disqualify a respondent from participating in a research. In this study, the researcher will exclude persons who fail to give informed consent at the beginning of the study. Since the survey targets politician personal aides, other persons will be excluded from the study (Salkind 2010, p. 25). Furthermore, the research excludes persons who have no experience in the career for less than three months.

nMethods of data collection

nThe researcher will employ the use of qualitative data during the study. The interviewer will conduct ten interviews to provide primary data for the research. Essentially, the researcher will use semi-structured interviews through open-ended questions (Salkind 2010, p. 30). The main reason why the researcher applied semi-structured interviews is that they provide comparable, reliable qualitative data. In addition, this form of data collection, promoted two-way communication. Therefore, the interviewee can ask questions of the investigator hence can work as an extension tool. Semi-structured interviews were selected for this research because questions can be design before the actual exercise. In this regard, the researcher can have adequate time to rehearse and familiarize with the questions during the interview. Most importantly, the investigator can use the two-way communication to confirm what is already familiar and offers a chance for learning new things.

nSampling procedures

nSamples will randomly be selected for this survey. The researcher will randomly sample ten politicians personal aide to participate in the study. The names of the personal aides from different politicians will be written down on pieces of papers and then folded. They will then be shuffled in order to avoid bias. Inclusion and exclusion criteria will be applied in the participants as mentioned previously in the inclusion and exclusion section of this paper (Sapsford and Jupp 2006, p. 17). The researcher will apply this procedure because it ensures that only the participants with appropriate characteristics can participate in the research. Purposive sampling will be undertaken in order to select respondents that can provide appropriate information (Denscombe 2010, p. 14). The researcher selected purposive sampling because it acts as a non-representative sample of the larger population. Moreover, purposive sampling was utilized because it acts for particular purpose or need. Similarly, the researcher has a particular group in mind when conducting the research. Other option included convenience sample. In particular, convenience sample is also referred to as accidental sample because the researcher takes the sample of what he/she gets. However, this method was not used because selection of interviewees may be unguided.

nData analysis

nAll the data collected from the research will be edited for consistency, readability and completeness. Errors that arise from either the interviews while responding to the questions will be checked and corrected as required. Moreover, the data will then be coded, transcribed and read a number of times. The researcher will code their themes in respect to the study objectives (Sarantakos 2007, p. 58).

nEthical considerations

nThe fundamental ethical requirements during this type of research will be held strictly without any intrusions. The researcher will seek permission from the university before the research will take place (Zeni 2001). The study will only be carried out once the university issues an ethical clearance certificate related to the study topic or once the ethical considerations form has been issued to the participants (Zeni 2001, p. 48). Prior to the participation in the interview, the respondents will duly be informed about the fact that the study is purely for academic purpose and that it is not compulsory for them to comment on the topic. Therefore, they only participate in the study after giving an informed consent hence they are engaged in the research voluntarily. Furthermore, the participants are allowed to withdraw from the interview at any time. Most importantly, they are assured on anonymity and confidentiality for all the responses they provide, which ensures compliance of privacy policy on research (Cohen, Manion and Morrison 2003, p. 71).

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nReferences

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nCohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K., 2003. Research methods in education. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

nCreswell, J. and Creswell, J., 2007. Qualitative inquiry & research design. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

nDenscombe, M., 2010. The good research guide. Maidenhead, England: McGraw-Hill/Open University Press.

nDenzin, N. and Lincoln, Y., 2005. The SAGE handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

nFosnot, C. T. 2013. Constructivism: Theory, perspectives, and practice. Teachers College Press.

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nSalkind, N., 2010. Encyclopedia of research design. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage.

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