Chapter 3
Research methodology
3.1 INTRODUCTION
This chapter describes the formulation of a research design and methodology adopted to achieve the stipulated goals for the study. After considering the objectives of the study, the contract management used in Malaysia, the research questions, the limitations and the scope, the researcher felt the appropriateness for adopting both the qualitative and quantitative data gathering techniques i.e. the survey method, qualitative data obtained through structured interviews. A combination of these research design helped provides more data to work with and ultimately a more accurate evaluation (O’Neill, 2006) and according to Hemming (2008) human geographers were also increasingly employing both approaches in their research. Another reason for adopting both qualitative and quantitative data gathering techniques was that since there had been little documentation on the subject matter, it was therefore important to get to the source of primary information so that each method could complement and substantiate the other and making the findings more concrete. In short, the strengths of qualitative studies should be demonstrated for research that was exploratory or descriptive and that stressed on the importance of context, setting, and participants’ frames of reference (Marshall and Rossman, 2006). The objectives of the study were to study the current practice of contract management used in road construction, identify the parties involved in the road works contract and to identified the common problem that occur in current contract management.
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
Research design essentially refers to the plan or strategy of shaping the research (Henn, Weinstein and Foard, 2006), that might include the entire process of research from conceptualizing a problem to writing research questions, and on to data collection, analysis, interpretation and report writing (Creswell, 2007). It provided the framework for the collection and analysis of data and subsequently indicated which research methods were appropriate (Walliman, 2006). The most common, useful purposes and main aims of research were exploration, description and rational explanation based on data (Richardson, 2005; Babbie, 2007).
For the purpose of this research, after examining the objectives of the study and realize the problem are always occur in contract, an exploratory descriptive research design had been chosen, because it would conclusively describe the current practice contract management for road works. Exploratory descriptive research would suits best because according to Sekaran (2000) an exploratory study research was performed when a researcher had little knowledge about the situation or had no information on how similar problems or research issues had been solved in the past. It embarks on investigating and finding the real nature of the problem.
In addition, solutions and new ideas could surface from this type of research (Richardson, 2005). A descriptive research on the other hand was a research that described a phenomenon (Salkind, 2000), to document and describe the phenomenon of interest (Marshall and Rossman, 2006), providing a clear answer of who, what, when, where, why, and way (6 Ws) of the research problem and data were typically collected through an interviews or observation(s) (Gay and Diehl, 1992).
3.2.1 Qualitative Data
Interviews Since this research would be adopting both quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques, qualitative data would be obtained through structured interviews. Qualitative research methods provide flexibility and questions could be adopted as they went along (Johns, 1998), and had become increasingly important modes of inquiry for the social sciences and applied fields such as education, regional planning, nursing, social work, community development and management (Marshall and Rossman, 2006). More over the interview was an alternative method of collecting data survey (Babbie, 2007) and were a useful method of obtaining information and opinions from experts during the early stages of your research project (Walliman, 2006).
One of the strengths of interviews was their personal nature. If respondents related to the interviewer, they were more likely to be willing to share personal opinion (Wolfer, 2007), yields data in quantity quickly (Marshall and Rossman, 2006) and Glesne (2006) suggested that we might also interview in search of opinions, perceptions and attitudes toward some topic. What was central to in-depth interviews, regardless of how the data was emerging, was that they provided qualitative depth by allowing interviewees to talk about the subject in term of their own frames of reference. In so doing, the method enabled the interviewer to maximize her understanding of the respondent’s point of view (Henn, Weinstein and Foard, 2006).
The total interview of 5 interviewed done was intended to investigate and identify the current practice of contract that had been used in road works contract. The first eleven questions of the structured interviews for the purposes of re-affirmation and consolidation and to gauge at some convergence of findings. The last question would be used to form as the basis for recommendations.
Having met, talked and discussed with the interviewed as possible at every opportunity in the early stage of the research, the actual interviews were carried out from the beginning of April till the November 2016. The researcher conducted structured interviews by visiting 5 person which are from 2 person Form Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia, 2 person from Jabatan Kerja Raya, and 1 person from Municipal Council. As for the researcher, close association with the pre-determined questions was strictly observed to ensure not so many detours would take place. The respondents were allowed to express freely their own thoughts without any input or help from the researcher to avoid any kinds of bias. The interviews were structured and guided in order to get the best possible answers in tandem with the research objectives.
The respondents were made to realize that some of their verbatim statements would be documented and used in the thesis as and when it would be necessary. They were also given the highest assurance that the information collected would be treated with strictest confidentiality. Ethical procedures such as informed and voluntary consent, confidentiality of information shared, anonymity of interviewees, no harm done to the interviewees and reciprocity were observed. They had also been informed to expect phone calls and e-mail communications from the researcher after the interview sessions for any kind of clarification, explanation and verification of their suggestions, proposals, thoughts, recommendations and statements that would be included in the thesis.
On the average, an interview session in Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia last for more than eight (8) hours for two (2) days because they are clearly explain the answer for the structured interview question. However during the process of conducting the interviews, there had been last minute cancellations even though the researcher had already arrived at the venue. Some of the interviewees had sudden urgent meeting, or had to take emergency leave or had not come to the office despite prior appointments. The interview has been held at Contract and Quantity Surveyor Department in QS Info Room. The person that in charge in the interview are Encik Mohamad Fadzly Emby and Encik Muhamad Hafis Razali. Both of them are Penolong Pengarah Ukur Bahan and Kontrak in Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM).
For the interview in Jabatan Kerja Raya, the interview session are held for last four (4) hours. The researcher go to the two (2) JKR office which are JKR in Seremban and JKR Shah Alam. In JKR Seremban the person in charge to guide the researcher is Sr. Hajjah Noraini Binti Ahmad as Penolong pengarah Kontrak dan Ukur Bahan for JKR Negeri Sembilan.
For the interview in the District Council, the researcher went to the Seremban Municipal Council and the interview session last for two (2) hours. The sessions were recorded and all their words, statements, comments, opinions, criticisms, appraisals, wishes and hopes were noted down. The interviews involved a lot of probing and paraphrasing for the purpose of clarity and as part of an attempt to get in depth information. The person that help to guide the researcher is Puan Rozaimah Binti Mohd Jidin as penolong pengarah ukur bahan at Jabatan Kejuruteraan in Seremban Municipal Council.
The interviews had resulted in a number of emerging themes and recursive points that these were later grouped, themed, assembled and summarized accordingly. The translations of all their answers were grouped, themed, analyzed, tabulated and later emerged in the forms of supportive elements either in the discussions or recommendations. As had been mentioned earlier, the interview sessions were smooth sailing. All the respondents had been very cooperative.
3.2.2 Quantitative Data
Quantitative data can be obtained through literature, references such as books, journals, conference papers, magazines, newspapers, reports, internet surfing and so on.
3.3 DATA ANALYSIS
All data must be scrutinized carefully to eliminate the irrelevant elements. Relevant and useful data will be sorted and organized in such a way as to simplify data analysis. Statistical tools will be applied in computing results and drawing conclusions.
All data must be scrutinized carefully to eliminate the irrelevant elements. Relevant and useful data will be sorted and organized in such a way as to simplify data analysis. Statistical tools will be applied in computing results and drawing conclusions.
3.4 SUMMARY
In this chapter, all the procedure or the methodology of the study was explained. Research methodology started with literature review in which the data serves as a benchmark for this study. Details of the analysis from both qualitative and quantitative method, results and inferences were presented in Chapter 4. Based on what had been discussed, suggested, argued, agreed and proposed, the researcher tried her level best to translate all these findings in the form of recommendations that were presented in Chapter 5.