GROUND THEORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY DESIGN AND RESEARCH
Introduction
Narrative, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and case study( Creswell& Poth
, 2018) are the five design approaches traditionally associated with qualitative research. Th
e grounded theory and ethnography approach will be the subject of this essay, which will st
art with a definition and description, discuss some of the approach's drawbacks, and then
provide examples of problem statements, research questions, or purpose statements typic
al of an ethnographic design.
Definition and Description
Academic research is generally designed using a qualitative approach. It outlines the goals
of qualitative research, the researcher's function, its stages, and the data analysis process.
Two of the main qualitative methods are discussed here. Glaser and
Straus first defined the grounded theory approach
in their 1967 book The Discovery of Grounded Theory. In contrast to the conventional meth
od of theory development prior to collecting and analyzing data at the
time, Glaser and Straus define an empirical approach to developing theory, which essentiall
y involves the development of theories through gathering and analyzing data. The research
will enter and exit the
GROUND THEORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY DESIGN AND RESEARCH
data collection and analysis process using a grounded theory approach in what are known
as iterations( Corbin et al., 1990).
The researcher starts each iteration by posing one or more inquiries that should create
a theory about the current problem. Following the question, a sample of candidates is chos
en for observation or interview. The researcher will create new questions and repeat the pr
ocess after analyzing the gathered data. When there are no longer any questions based on
the collected data, this situation has reached a saturation point. Through each iteration, the
researcher should notice significant theme repetition.
Ethnography is generally considered to be an interpretive style of research. It has roots in c
ultural anthropology in the late 19and early 20century as anthropologists shifted towards fi
rst-hand data collection and evolved with a recognition that the problem of understanding i
s not only an issue with other societies but with one's society as well( Cohen D.& Crabtree B
. 2006). Ethnography is a product and
a process of research( Agar, 1980). The product is an ethnography- a written account of one
's observations of the group under study. The process involves prolonged observation of th
e group. Atkinson and Hammersley( 1994) list four significant
characteristics of an ethnography. First, ethnographies will emphasize
examining the nature of a particular phenomenon instead of
testing a hypothesis about the phenomenon.
Second, the researcher will typically focus on unstructured or raw data that still needs to
be coded or categorized. Third, the ethnographer will deal with just one or a few cases. Fina
GROUND THEORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY DESIGN AND RESEARCH
lly, "quantification and statistical analysis playing a subordinate role at most "refers to inter
preting the subject's actions when conducting data analysis in an ethnography.
( P. 260, 1994, Atkinson and Hammersley).
Strengths and Weaknesses
Given that there are five approaches to qualitative research instead of
one, each approach has strengths and weaknesses, making each approach more suitable t
han others for a given situation. Ethnographic research is one of the most in-depth forms o
f qualitative research. The researcher examines the subject's behavior and
what the subject has to say about their behavior, which
can provide a depth of understanding that other research designs may not offer( Agar, 198
0). However, a
significant time investment is required to get to this depth. Some studies can last for years,
which can be difficult, especially for doctoral students researching
for a dissertation. Researchers should also be aware of bias resulting
from closeness to the subjects. An ethnographer is
typically immersed in the group being studied, and developing
relationships may impact the research findings, which may be challenging
to prevent or detect( Agar, 1980).
GROUND THEORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY DESIGN AND RESEARCH
Grounded theory research involves an iterative process, which enables the researcher to co
llect rich data and spot themes that might not be obvious using other techniques. However,
this is a laborious process, and inexperienced researchers, in particular,
may get caught up in the coding process, making it challenging
to identify themes( Myers, 2009). Again, reviewing
the available literature without making assumptions can be
challenging, which is crucial for grounded theory research iteration, especially for novice re
searchers. For this reason, researchers were urged by Glaser and Strauss( 1967) to review t
he literature after finishing the analysis.
Problem Statement
Despite significant enrollment growth in recent years,
the proportion of students who enroll in doctoral business programs and ultimately gradua
te has been hovering around 50% ( Council of Graduate Schools, 2010). Doctoral attrition ca
uses several long-
term issues for students, doctoral programs, and society, such as student debt for unfinish
ed degrees, open seats in programs that could be filled by students who could finish them,
and the lack of a
credentialed workforce( Ascend Learning, 2012). According to some research( Pyhalto, Stub
b,& Lomka, 2009), issues with persistence are caused by the interaction between the stude
nt and the academic community. A qualitative study is required
GROUND THEORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY DESIGN AND RESEARCH
to comprehend the lived experiences of students who earned their degrees and those who
did not in the same program in terms of scholarly community relationships.
Research Questions
1. According to the grounded theory,
What were the students 'interactions with mentors and advisors during the MBA pr
ogram?
2. Ethnography: How does student persistence depend on the caliber of relationshi
ps, the degree of engagement among doctoral students in a cohort, and the studen
t's perception of the relationship?
Purpose Statement
According to research( Pyhalto, Stubb,& Lomka, 2009), issues with doctoral persiste
nce are caused by the interaction between the student and the academic communit
y. This ethnography's goal is to understand the significance that students placed on
how well they got along with their mentors, classmates, and advisors. In-depth inter
views and discussions that result in conversations with both graduates and ex-
students of Liberty University's DBA program in Lynchburg, Virginia, will be used to
collect data.
GROUND THEORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY DESIGN AND RESEARCH
Conclusion
Anthropology and grounded theory both have many benefits. Finding themes in data that
might not be obvious through other approaches is made possible by conducting iterative a
nd thorough process-based theory research. Due to the extensive time the researcher spe
nds with the subjects, ethnographies are also helpful in revealing the deep meaning of phe
nomena. Even though these methodologies are helpful and valuable in some research cont
exts, novice researchers should be aware of their
drawbacks and difficulties and ensure the project fits the chosen design style well.
References
Agar, M. (1996).The Professional Stranger. Second Edition. New York: Academic Press.
Atkinson, P. & Hammersley, M. (1994). Ethnography and participant observation.
Handbook of Qualitative Research Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
GROUND THEORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY DESIGN AND RESEARCH
Cohen D, Crabtree B. Qualitative Research Guidelines Project.
July 2006.http://www.qualres.org/HomeEthn-3588.html
Corbin, J. & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory method: Procedures, canons, and evaluative
Criteria.Qualitative Sociology,13, 3-21.
Council of Graduate Schools (2010).Ph.D. completion and attrition: Policies, and practices to
promote student success.Ph.D. Completion Project. Washington, D.C
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among
Five approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Glaser, B. & Strauss, A. (1967).The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative
Research.Chicago: Aldine.
Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1994). Grounded Theory Methodology. In NK Denzin & YS Lincoln
(Eds.)Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 217-285). Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications.
Myers, M. D. (2009).Qualitative research in business & management.
Thousand Oak, CA: Sage.
Pyhalto, K,Stubb, J., & Lonka, K. (2009). Developing scholarly communities as learning
GROUND THEORY AND ETHNOGRAPHY DESIGN AND RESEARCH
Environments for doctoral students.International Journal for Higher Education,1(2),
136-149.
Student Attrition: Consequences, Contributing Factors, and Remedies
(Rep.). (2012). Retrieved November 16, 2017, from Ascend Learning, LLC website:
http://www.atitesting.com/Libraries/pdf/Attrition_whitepaper_ATI_2.sflb.ashx
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