Grounded Theory: A Reader for Researchers, Students, Faculty and Others , livre ebook

Grounded Theory
A Reader for Researchers,
Students, Faculty
and Others

Dan Remenyi

Grounded Theory:

A Reader for Researchers, Students, Faculty and Others

Published by UJ Press under the Hoopoe Press imprint
University of Johannesburg
Library
Auckland Park Kingsway Campus
PO Box 524
Auckland Park
2006
https://ujonlinepress.uj.ac.za/

Compilation © Dan Remenyi 2022

Chapters © Dan Remenyi 2022

Published Edition © Dan Remenyi 2022

First published 2013 by Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited

(978-1-909507-90-6)

This edition 2022

https://doi.org/10.36615/9781776413416

978-1-7764056-9-5 (Paperback)

978-1-7764134-1-6 (PDF)

Cover design: Hester Roets, UJ Graphic Design Studio

Typeset in 10/12pt Calibri

About the author

DrDanRemenyiformerlyaVisitingProfesͲ
sorspecialisinginresearchmethodologyat
sevenuniversitiesinfourcountriesoverthe
past20years.Hecontinuestowrite,teach
andresearchinbothresearchmethodology
andthesociologyofresearch.Heconducts
seminarsontopicsrelatedtoimprovingefͲ
fectiveacademicresearchandobtainingbetterresearchresults.One
ofhisareasofspecialismisqualitativeresearchandhowitmaybe
enhancedusingaGroundedTheoryapproach.Heisontheeditorial
boardofanumberofacademicjournals.Heisalsoontheexecutive
committeesofseveralEuropeanandInternationalconferences.His
researchhasbeenpublishedinsome50peerreviewedpapersand
hehashadsome30textbookspublished.Someofhisbookshave
beentranslatedintoChinese,JapaneseandRomanian.HeholdsaB
SocSc,MBAandPhD.

Contents
Preface...........................................................................................vi
Howtousethisbook...................................................................viii
Acknowledgements.......................................................................ix
PreludeͲThinkingaboutthecentraldilemmainteachingacademic
research.................................................................................x
1WhatisGroundedTheoryandwhatdoesit
doforSocialScience?...............................................................1
1.1Introduction...........................................................................1
1.2TheSuccessofGroundedTheory..........................................2
1.3TheoryGenerationandnotTheoryTesting..........................3
1.4GroundedTheoryandInduction...........................................4
1.5Abduction..............................................................................7
1.6Dataismanddata.................................................................10
1.7AResearchProtocol.............................................................12
1.8TheoreticalSampling...........................................................13
1.9DataorTheoreticalSaturation............................................15
1.10DataandReflectionthereon...............................................16
1.11DataCoding.........................................................................18
1.12Differentapproachestocoding...........................................21
1.13Secondcyclecodingandcategories....................................23
1.14ResearchMemos.................................................................26
1.15TheoreticalSensitivity.........................................................28
1.16TheEmergenceofTheory....................................................29
1.17SubstantiveandFormalTheory...........................................33
1.18PragmatismͲtheHeartofGroundedTheory......................34
1.19APositivisticMindSet.........................................................37

i

1.20DifferentSchoolsofGroundedTheory................................38
1.21AcademicCredibility............................................................39
1.22SummaryandConclusion....................................................40
2TheTroublewithGroundedTheory?......................................45
2.1Methodologyeverywhere...................................................45
2.2Methodologyasamodernconcept....................................46
2.3Nouniversalcodificationofthescientificmethod..............48
2.4Anythinggoes?....................................................................50
2.5Theorisingandtheorydevelopment...................................51
2.6Preventionfromselfdeceit.................................................52
2.7Methodologyandcreativity................................................53
2.8Summaryandconclusion.....................................................56
3TheoryandTheoreticalResearch...........................................59
3.1Introduction.........................................................................61
3.2Theoryunderpinsacademicthinking..................................62
3.3Differentmeaningsoftheword‘theory’.............................63
3.4Thelimitsoftheoreticalunderstanding..............................66
3.5ResearchParadigms.............................................................67
3.6NonͲempiricalortheoreticalresearch................................69
3.7Undertakingtheoreticalresearch........................................73
3.7.1Researchquestionformulation..................................73
3.7.2Literaturereview.........................................................74
3.7.3Explainwhyatheoreticalapproachistaken..............76
3.7.4Conception,IdentificationandReflection..................76
3.7.5Theoreticalconjectureformulation............................77
3.7.6Discoursewithpeersandotherknowledgeable
individuals...................................................................79

ii

3.7.7Theoreticalconjecturerefinementandacceptance...81
3.7.8Discussionontheimpactandimplicationsofthetheory
....................................................................................82
3.8Theevaluationofresearch..................................................82
3.9Evaluatingtheoreticalresearch...........................................83
3.10Summaryandconclusion.....................................................84
4Data?.....................................................................................87
4.1Introduction.........................................................................89
4.2Dataandmeasurement.......................................................91
4.3Theresearchcontextualisationissue..................................93
4.4Adefinitionofdata..............................................................95
4.5Dataandinference..............................................................99
4.6Sourcesofdata..................................................................102
4.7Dataintegrity.....................................................................104
4.8Moreonhardandsoftdata..............................................105
4.9Datacollection,gatheringorcreation...............................109
4.10Academeandresearchquestions.....................................111
4.11Howmuchdataisenough?...............................................112
4.12Dataandinsights...............................................................114
4.13Nodataissometimesdata................................................116
4.14Matchingresearchquestionsanddata.............................117
4.15Thequestionofaccess......................................................118
4.16Achecklistforadataacquisitionplan...............................119
4.17Summaryandconclusion...................................................121
5Pragmatism..........................................................................123
5.1Introduction.......................................................................125
5.2Knowledgeas‘copingstrategies’......................................126

iii

5.3Theoryandpractice...........................................................128
5.4Theliterature.....................................................................128
5.5PragmatismandPerspectivism.........................................129
5.6Differentlensandcommonalityofexperiences...............131
5.7Noappealtoahighersourceofauthority........................132
5.8Researchquestionsfrompracticalproblems....................133
5.9Theresearchprocess.........................................................134
5.10Ceterisparibus...................................................................136
5.11KnowledgeisalwaysaworkͲinͲprogress...........................138
5.12Importantareasofconcern...............................................139
5.13Apossibleparadox.............................................................142
5.14PragmatismandNeopragmatism......................................142
5.15GettinggoingasaPragmatist............................................143
5.16SummaryandConclusion..................................................144
6GroundedTheoryatWork....................................................147
6.1ParaphernaliaofGroundedTheory...................................147
6.2Theresearchquestion.......................................................149
6.3Thedataistapproach.........................................................150
6.4Formaldataanalysis..........................................................