Technology Adoption by Small and Medium-Sized Logistics Providers

¶ … technology adoption by small & medium-sized logistics providers," using a qualitative methodology. However, the use of a mixed methods approach could add another dimension to this study. Instead of engaging in a relatively small number of interviews of logistics providers, I could also submit questionnaires to be quantitatively assessed to a much wider framework of logistics competitors within the same industry. Qualitative research is always limited to some degree in scope because its focus is on depth, not breadth, and individual experiences.

The introduction of a quantitative component would allow me to gain a broader perspective on the issues raised and qualify my findings from my more anecdotal, qualitative research. "Mixed methods begins with the assumption that investigators…gather evidence based on the nature of the question and theoretical orientation" rather than are shackled to a single worldview ("Best practices," 2014). Mixed methods approaches to research offer 'the best of both worlds' in many ways.

A mixed methodology combines the strengths of quantitative data in terms of experimental rigor but counterbalances it with the ability to encapsulate individual experiences. Also, "quantitative (mainly deductive) methods are ideal for measuring pervasiveness of 'known' phenomena and central patterns of association, including inferences of causality. Qualitative (mainly inductive) methods allow for identification of previously unknown processes" ("Best practices," 2014). When a research question combines both dimensions of known and unknown, mixed methods approaches are often preferred.

Individuals in the field of logistics, for example, might have insight that the researchers do not initially have but which is provided over the course of the investigation and would not be subsumed into an original, quantitative construct. "The advantage of a mixed methods approach is that it balances efficient data collection and analysis with data that provides context. The quantitative data quickly and efficiently captures potentially large amounts of data from large groups of stakeholders" ("Selecting an evaluation," 2013).

Mixed methods approaches may be used when researchers are attempting to answer multiple questions but they may also be used when answering a single question for greater veracity. This is a process and a philosophy known as triangulation. "Even if an evaluation question can be answered using only one method, often it is preferable to combine multiple methods to answer the same question in order to gain a more complete understanding of the issue and more confidence in the findings.

By approaching the same question from more than one perspective or by using more than one technique, evaluators can then compare and contrast the results from these different methods" ("Conducting mixed-method evaluations," 2013). Another level of analysis is added when the findings from the qualitative and quantitative portions of the research do not converge, which raise questions about the original assumptions of the construct. The main disadvantage of mixed methods approaches is that they are more costly than singular approaches.

There must be a clear justification for the additional methods, both of which must have the same level of rigor and control as.