Concepts and Measurement in Multimethod Research

This article argues that concept misformation and conceptual stretching undermine efforts to combine qualitative and quantitative methods in multimethod research (MMR). Two related problems result from the mismatch of qualitatively and quantitatively construed concepts. Mechanism muddling occurs when differences in the connotation of qualitatively and quantitatively construed concepts embed different causal properties into conceptual definitions. Conceptual slippage occurs when qualitatively and quantitatively construed concepts use incompatible nominal, ordinal, or radial scales. Instead of gaining leverage from the synthesis of large- and small-N analysis, these problems can push MMR in two diametrically opposed directions, emphasizing one methodological facet at the cost of the other.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Gender essentialism and occupational segregation in insolvency practice

Advances towards egalitarianism in professional recruitment may be offset by processes of occupational re-segregation. Drawing on gender theory this paper investigates horizontal segregation in the UK insolvency profession, as revealed through the lived experiences of female and male practitioners. It is shown that horizontal segregation pervades at different levels of practice and is undergirded by various elements of gender essentialism. Physical essentialism explains why insolvency practice has been traditionally gendered male. Interactional essentialism combines with the management of work-life balance to define the subfields of corporate and personal insolvency as masculine and feminine respectively. Gender essentialist assumptions also pervade the distribution of roles and the allocation of work tasks. Networks are identified as arenas for the reproduction and perpetuation of occupational segregation. The findings indicate the continuing potency of gender in everyday professional life, the limitations of diversity-orientated policies and the complexities of formulating transformative agendas

Sustainable procurement strategies for competitive advantage: An empirical study

Procurement plays a key role in sustainability as policies and practices need to extend beyond organisations' boundaries to incorporate their whole supply chains. There is, however, a paucity of empirical research on sustainable forms of procurement initiatives currently being implemented in the UK construction sector to improve competitiveness - which is the core driver of this paper. In order to achieve this aim, a mixed research methodological approach was adopted to collect and analyse data. The findings are based primarily on quantitative data obtained from 53 completed postal questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 17 professionals from 12 UK construction organisations. As revealed by this study, sustainable procurement is becoming increasingly important in the UK construction sector. The paper concludes that the process of integrating sustainable procurement initiatives into existing business models is often a complex issue. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore the drivers and impediments associated with the successful integration of sustainable procurement initiatives into existing construction business models. It is also suggested that there is a need for cross-sector collaboration to capture and share best and worst practices relating to sustainable procurement strategies

Handbook mixed methods in social and behavioral research

xii, 662 halaman.: 29 c

School performance feedback systems in the USA and in The Netherlands: a comparison

Schools around the world are using instruments for performance feedback, but there is no scientific evidence that they have positive effects on education. This paper compares a School Performance Feedback System (SPFS) used in the USA as an accountability instrument to an SPFS used in The Netherlands. The study employs a unique database: one in which 2 separate countries with 2 distinct performance systems are compared using the same instruments. The use and effects of both SPFSs are compared to acquire more knowledge about the utilization and effects of SPFSs in an international context. Also, the variables which influence SPFSs are presented and then utilized to predict the use of the 2 SPFSs in their 2 separate contexts

Toshakkori, Abbas, and Charles Teddlie, The Past and the Future of Mixed Methods Research pp. 671-701 in their Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social and Behavioral Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2003.

Discusses the utility, design issues, inferences , logistics, and fundamental principles related to mixed methods research; a related chapter by the same authors introduces this volume of 28 chapters on various methods of mixed methods research