Phenomenology concepts and applications

Phenomenological Design: An Overview
Phenomenology is one of a multitude of different qualitative designs that a researcher can select. Other potential options include case studies, ethnographies, and grounded research. Phenomenology is one of the oldest and most flexible of all qualitative approaches. Phenomenology is a way of knowing that is focused not upon a predefined research question or even a highly specific community or individual like an ethnography or case study. It is a unique form of epistemology or way of knowing. “A paradigm is the patterning of the thinking of a person; it is a principal example among examples, an exemplar or model to follow according to which design actions are taken” (Groenewald, 2004, p.44).
Phenomenology: Philosophy
Phenomenology has a strong grounding in the philosophical orientation of the Enlightenment. It is predicated upon a belief that observing experience can yield valuable insights. Unlike quantitative research designs, however, which begin with a research hypothesis in the format of the scientific method or a data-derived research question that can be answered in a narrow fashion, phenomenology is more general in its approach and focuses upon simply understanding and observing a particular phenomenon in a variety of ways. According to Groenewald (2004), “the operative word in phenomenological research is ‘describe.’ The aim of the researcher is to describe as accurately as possible the phenomenon, refraining from any pre-given framework, but remaining true to the facts” (p.44). Although phenomenology may be relatively unstructured, it requires ruthless self-examination on the part of the researcher, given that he or she must put aside these preconceived notions to be an effective observer. That is why phenomenology is so useful to describe phenomenon about which little is known.
Qualitative Methodology
The cornerstone of phenomenology is that of a rich description, or a description which notes many layers beneath an apparent surface. While the focus in some other forms of qualitative research may be upon the researcher’s observations or reflections, in phenomenology it is squarely upon the subjects’ understanding of their own perceptions. According to Nieswiadomy & Bailey (2017), “Phenomenological studies examine human experiences through the descriptions provided by the people involved. These experiences are called lived experiences. The goal of phenomenological studies is to describe the meaning that experiences hold for each subject” (p.172). The focus is not on objectivity but on honoring the value of the subjects’ perceptions of what is true, and the idea that there is value in seeing the world through the personal experiences of others.
Phenomenological methods are often used in healthcare, to understand how patients experience illness and the journey through the healthcare system. This is increasingly seen as an important counterweight to the assumption that the only way to judge treatment is based upon statistical evidence of cures, survival rates, or cost effectiveness. For example, “Phenomenological research would ask a question such as, ‘What is it like for a mother to live with a teenage child who is dying of cancer?’” versus a quantitative research study which would use evidence-based data to determine the most effective treatment (or a different qualitative approach such as an ethnography, which might examine a cultural approach to death and dying) (Nieswiadomy & Bailey, 2017, p.173). However, phenomenological study can be applied to fields outside of healthcare. A good example of phenomenological study in business might be examining different consumers’ perceptions of marketing or personal needs to develop a new marketing campaign or product.
Challenges and Potential Weaknesses
The challenges of phenomenological design also lie in its strengths. First of all, although the subjective perceptions of observers and experiencers of a phenomenon may be interesting, they may not be in any way representative of a larger whole and useful as a foundation for future research. Secondly, the researchers’ lack of judgement and critical analysis of the subjects may be a detriment and impede the ultimate purpose of any research, which is to provide insight that can be communicated to others. Although researchers have clearly misread and misjudged perceptions of participants in the past, this does not automatically mean that an individual is inevitably the best evaluator of truth; the subject can merely report that this is his or her subjective and personal experience. It is often said that the car would never have been developed, much less the iPhone, if consumers had been consulted first. People would simply have said they wanted better carts or landlines. In other words, creative and innovative approaches may need an outside eye.
Problem Statement: Doctoral Persistence
One possible application of a phenomenological design might be in regards to the doctorial persistence of business students, in other words, what factors acts as motivation for this specific category of business students to overcome potential obstacles to obtaining their degree. The specific problem statement might take the form of noting that given that graduate level students often have additional obstacles to overcome in comparison with undergraduate students, such as the competing demands of work and family as well as the financial challenges of supporting their degree, it is valuable to examine how students who manage to complete their degrees navigate these challenges. Business students in particular present an interesting phenomenological study because they frequently do not have the financial support of other students in the arts and sciences and rather than being solely academically-focused, they are often pursuing their degrees to specifically enhance their work credentials. Business students are some of the most varied in background of all graduate students as well, given that many may not have been strong academically although successful at work and thus may present different patterns of persistence and motivation versus other students.
Research Questions
· What factors enhance and inhibit the persistence of doctoral business students?
· What cognitive and logistical strategies enhance the completion rates and satisfaction levels of doctoral business students?
Purpose Statement
Given the challenges which face doctoral students in the field of business, the purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study is to provide an overview of the personal motivational factors enhance the likely completion of the student’s degree and what factors inhibit them, as articulated by the students themselves in a series of semi-structured interviews. Students were able to volunteer anecdotes from their lives and describe the extent to which they navigated the difficulties of balancing life, work, and their academic demands.
References
Groenewald, T. (2004). A phenomenological research design illustrated. International Journal of
Qualitative Methods, 3(1), 42-55. Retrieved from:
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/160940690400300104
Nieswiadomy, ? R. & Bailey, C. (2017). Foundations of nursing research (7th ed.) Pearson.