Search results

This paper advocates the merits of a holistic qualitative research method and analysis as being the most penetrative method for determining the decision making process of SME owner‐managers. This holistic method is refined in use and illustrated in an example of assessing the processes and outcomes of SME decision making in respect of the “product” aspects of marketing activity. The methodology allows the range of important issues that may be expected to be inherent in how entrepreneur owner‐managers DO marketing to be identified; and to determine the quality of this decision making. This methodology could be used for other applications in a variety of marketing circumstances, and, indeed, a key feature of the methodology outlined in this paper is its flexibility and adaptability.

To provide guidance for the formalised analysis of qualitative data and observations, to raise awareness about systematic analysis and illustrate promising avenues for the application of qualitative methodologies in international marketing research.

Conceptually, the nature of qualitative research, globalisation and its implications for the research landscape, text‐data as a source for international research and equivalence issues in international qualitative research are discussed. The methodology section applies these concepts and analysis challenges to a real‐world example using N*Vivo software.

A 14‐step analytic design is developed, introducing procedures of data analysis and interpretation which help to formalise qualitative research of textual data.

The use of software programs (e.g. N*Vivo) helps to substantiate the analysis and interpretation process of textual data.

Step‐by‐step guidance on performing qualitative analysis of textual data and documenting findings.

The paper is valuable for researchers and practitioners looking for guidance in analysing and interpreting textual data from interviews. Specific support is given for N*Vivo software and its application.

The goal of this study is to explore an immediate step in understanding the lived experiences of under-represented students through metaphor construction and possibly collect more in-depth data through photograph-based interviews.

This article introduced photo-elicitation based narrative interviews as a qualitative methodology while interviewing fourteen undergraduate community college students mostly from underrepresented groups (URGs). At the beginning of each interview, the authors probed the participants with 8 photographs chosen by the research team to represent a diverse set of experiences in engineering. The authors conducted a thematic analysis of the interview data.

The findings suggested that the inclusion of photo-elicitation often catalyzed consumption of representations, images, metaphors, and voice to stories passed unnoticed; and finally produces more detailed descriptions and complements semi-structured narrative interviews.

This study advances the scholarship that extends photograph driven interviews/photo elicitation methodology while interviewing marginalized population and offers a roadmap for what a multi-modal, arts-based analysis process might look like for in-depth interviews.

The use of photo-elicitation in our research enabled a deeper, more poignant exploration of the URG students' experience of navigating engineering. The participants were able to relate to the photographs and shared their life narratives through them; hence, use of photographs can be adapted in future research.

Our research revealed that PEI has excellent potential to capture marginalized narratives of URGs, which is not well explored in educational research, specially, in higher education. In our research, PEI promoted more culturally inclusive approaches positioning the participants as experts of their own narratives.

The study presented in this paper serves as an example of qualitative research that expands methodological boundaries and centers the role of power, marginalization, and creativity in research. This work serves as a unique and important contribution to the photo-elicitation literature, offering a critical roadmap for researchers who are drawn to photo elicitation/photograph driven interviews as a method to explore their inquiry.

This paper aims to explore Chinese entrepreneurs’ perceptions and interpretations of social media marketing (SMM) in their daily business practices.

A qualitative approach was adopted to explore the phenomenon. Specifically, 18 in-depth interviews were conducted among Chinese entrepreneurs to obtain their experiences of and perceptions on SMM.

Findings revealed that Chinese entrepreneurs have good understandings of SMM. They believe SMM is a necessary way to interact with customers and SMM can provide flexibility and sensitivity which are important for entrepreneurial marketing and are not easy to achieve through traditional marketing activities. When they choose social media applications, they will match the purpose of marketing activity with the characteristics of the social media. They have developed the specific strategies for different social media applications. In the meantime, they are facing some challenges, such as breaking the communication clutter, measuring the results and over depending on social media.

Findings of the current study extend the uses and gratifications theory to the context of business-oriented media usage. In addition, findings of the study expand previous literature by enriching the theoretical understanding of the concept of entrepreneur and entrepreneurial marketing in new social and cultural contexts. Finally, findings of the current study also supplement previous research on social media advertising by uncovering rich meanings of SMM from business owners’ emic perspective.

This study aims to examine how couplepreneurs foster an entrepreneurial mindset in their kids.

A qualitative research approach with semi-structured interviews was used as the data collection technique. Narrative analysis was conducted on a sample of 20 couplepreneurs in Mthatha, South Africa.

Narratives of how couplepreneurs foster an entrepreneurial mindset in their kids included purchasing toys and games for kids that encourage entrepreneurship; competition and team activities among kids that are related to entrepreneurship; the piggy bank; encouraging kids to read entrepreneurial books; and kid entrepreneur showcases.

Sample size challenges are a notable limitation, including research being conducted in only one province of South Africa. Caution is advised when attempting to generalise the results to other contexts.

Understanding the strategies used by couplepreneurs to instil an entrepreneurial mindset in children can help parents to influence and encourage their children's entrepreneurial growth, resulting in more creative and innovative people who make a positive contribution to society, economy and the community.

While there is a body of literature on couple entrepreneurship, there are shortcomings in studies examining how coupleprenuers in African countries instil an entrepreneurial mindset in their children. As a result, this study aims to complement the current corpus of African literature on entrepreneurship, particularly in the context of South Africa.

In spite of the government’s support for small-scale rice farmers in rural areas of Thailand, several problems still affect their production and marketing performance. This study aims to assess a rice production community enterprise (RPCE) through an in-depth investigation of its problems and capabilities; and formulate internal strategic guidelines for enterprise development.

This study used a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews with the community enterprise leader and committee members, and focus group discussion with eight farmer-members, purposively selected in Chachoengsao, Thailand. Data were transcribed, sorted and organised to determine themes and patterns. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) and threats, opportunities, weaknesses and strengths (TOWS) matrix situational analyses were done to develop strategic options. Strategic guidelines were formulated through a final deliberation with all members to ensure strategies aligned with the enterprise’s goals and objectives.

The results have identified three main problem categories encountered by the community enterprise in the areas of membership and labour; production and milling operations; and product design and marketing. The enterprise’s main strengths and opportunities include its product certifications and support from external organisations. Strategic points were developed, and policy support programmes are recommended for capacity building and product development as most problems identified relate to these aspects.

The utility of this study is its focus on an RPCE. The findings will help policymakers and concerned government agencies implement better programmes and policies to develop RPCEs. Furthermore, this study will be a source for future qualitative literature that will provide helpful information to other studies aiming to develop other types of community enterprises (CEs).

The study explores growth barriers experienced by a sample of women subsistence entrepreneurs operating within the informal sector in South Africa.

The paper utilizes a descriptive-exploratory research approach and design relying on semi-structured interviews. A purposive sample of 45 women subsistence entrepreneurs formed the participant pool.

Three main narratives emerged. First, a sense of personal contentment existed as a potential barrier for women subsistence entrepreneurs. Second, the women subsistence entrepreneurs had no expansion strategy due to their circumstances. This served as a barrier to growth. Finally, challenges emanating from the home-front served as a limit to the growth of the informal sector business.

Based on the findings, strategies are offered to assist the women subsistence entrepreneurs in tackling the identified barriers to the growth of the informal sector business. A limitation of the research concerns issues that accompany qualitative research. Notably, these include sampling issues.

Based on the findings, strategies are offered to assist women subsistence entrepreneurs in tackling the barriers that affect their businesses.

Given the popularity of the informal sector in emerging nations such as South Africa, the study proffers suggestions that assist the advancement of subsistence entrepreneurship, especially within the informal sector. The role of women in all this is heightened.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a contextual analysis that helps explain how socio-cultural factors are negatively impacting the evolution of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in a struggling regional economy.

A case study method is used to provide a detailed contextual analysis triangulating primary and secondary data.

This paper provides insight into a region impeded from embracing the benefits of innovation-driven entrepreneurship in fostering economic development. The authors show that socio-cultural factors may be inhibiting the region from having a functional entrepreneurial ecosystem that can support innovation. Specific aspects of culture and social capital weaknesses are identified and insight into the potential causes of these impediments were offered. As well, the paper shows how the fundamental nature of culture may be affecting other elements of the entrepreneurial ecosystem from maturing.

This paper adds to a small, but growing, body of literature that is illustrating the evolutionary nature of entrepreneurial ecosystems and the significant impact of socio-cultural attributes to that evolution. This paper responds to calls to investigate contexts in which innovation does not thrive and where economic challenges prevail. The value of this research paper is to provide conceptual contributions in a contextual analysis from which other researchers can draw comparisons, insights and inspiration for similar approaches. Despite the abundance of research discussing the importance of culture, there are very few actual case studies showing concrete examples of culture and its influence on a region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In view of significance of social entrepreneurial activity for community development, the purpose of this paper is to attempt to identify attributes of social entrepreneurs and philanthropists among returning successful diaspora in North Indian villages. Philanthropists are defined by the fact that they only invest money, whereas the social entrepreneurs invest their activities as well. An attempt is also made to ascertain key determinants and processes influencing outcomes of social entrepreneurial activity with a view to facilitate it.

Emphasis is on qualitative analysis based on interviews of scientifically sampled respondents. However, the paper suggests that the rational choice approach is inappropriate to address the issue of community development. An approach based on a broader view of man in works of some classical economists like Adam Smith is more useful.

The results of empirical analysis suggest that there exist substantial factors, such as early socialization, experience in community work, education and health, that differentiate social entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Salience of relationship between formal and informal institutions, personal traits and social skills of social entrepreneurs in influencing outcomes of social entrepreneurial activity is indicated. By investing moral and material resources in communities, social entrepreneurs augment social capital and facilitate social action. In contrast, philanthropists may add to distortions in community functioning, especially if they opt to operate through largely dysfunctional formal local institutions due to structural impasse in rural areas.

The paper pertains to Indian Punjab, an area with a long history of emigration. However, researchers need to take into account distinct socio‐economic conditions in Punjab when designing studies for other areas.

Policy measures addressing hurdles in the way of social entrepreneurial activity can speed up the modernization of traditional communities.

The paper adds to understanding of what motivates human behaviour in economic analysis of community development. Further, it makes an important distinction between the roles of the philanthropist and the social entrepreneur in community development. The paper would be useful to researchers desirous of doing similar exercises in other areas.