5.4. Summary

This chapter briefly describes the methods and the process to conduct a qualitative process research in practice. Specific attention was given to questions that treat the research, analysis and validation processes. First the challenges in management research suggested by Gummesson were discussed. The process research was contemplated using the terms of Ferlie, McNulty and Hinings as well other researchers. Then the Eisenhardt’s research approach was introduced in Section 5.2. Subsequently this eight-step roadmap was applied then to an appropriate extent as depicted above. Langley’s sensemaking strategies were immersed and used in the data analysis part in order to analyse the empirical data from different perspectives in different ways. Lastly the reliability and validity of this study was discussed in Section 5.3 using the principles proposed by Klein and Myers.

The research approach described by Eisenhardt was chosen as it has been shown to be a proven method to build theories or models in case study research. This approach was augmented further with Langley’s strategies for analysing a process data. They were found to complement appropriately this research setting where the object was to study and analyse the contracting process. Lastly the set of principles for conducting and evaluating interpretive field studies proposed by Klein and Myers was found to be well adequate for the purposes of this research. This is especially the case as the principles are adjusted for the information systems research context. However, as the authors of these above mentioned theories and methods point out the researcher should understand the research context where and in what extent to employ them. Accordingly these theories and methods form the ideal way to conduct qualitative research. However, in practice to implement all presented ideas is not so easy and straightforward effort.