This chapter entails the construction of the research methodology—the data collection and the data analysis. Explanation is provided regarding the use of the methodology at hand. In addition, the development of hypotheses are delineated in this chapter.
TopIntroduction
The research paradigms, quantitative and qualitative, have existed for several decades, and both schools of thought as literature attest to have positive and negative attributes. In a study, a researcher’s hope is to achieve the full potential of the study. Attempting to attain this full potential brought about the evolvement of another research paradigm, the mixed methodology that makes use of the benefits of both the quantitative and the qualitative paradigms to ensure a holistic result. Now, the nature of the study ensures the research methodology utilised. For this study, a mixed methodology was employed, in efforts to maximise the good qualities of both quantitative and qualitative paradigms.
This chapter entails the construction of the research methodology—the data collection and the data analysis. Explanation is provided regarding the use of the methodology at hand. In addition, the development of hypotheses are delineated in this chapter. Sections and subtopics tackled in this chapter include:
- •
The Motivation: The galvanisation process of the project is visited in this section. The need to reconnoitre the impact of electronic commerce on leadership at institutions and organisations is presented. A combination of research techniques are be employed. These research methods will be explained in order to provide clear motivation for their choice.
- •
Research Methodology: In a well thought out research, the design of the study is ensued by the nature of the study rather than the researcher’s personal orientation. It is imperative to examine the nature and the complexity of the problem to ascertain the approach that will be appropriate. The research design that was used in this study is based on the mixed research model, an integration of quantitative and qualitative approaches and the use of which requires a careful understanding of the goals of the study or research.
- •
Development of Hypothesis: This shift, both business and cultural shift from traditional ways of doing things to this new phenomenon is discussed in this section.
- •
Operational Measurements (Dependent and Independent Variables): This section presents the operationalisation of dependent and independent variables. The section also provides forms of how data will be quantified. In-depth literature is provided in other chapters.
- •
Sampling and Participant Selection: In this section, the process to the attaining the study participants is presented. Higher echelon administrators such as presidents/chancellors, vice presidents/vice chancellors, assistant or associate vice presidents/chancellors, college/school deans, registrars, relevant program directors, and department chairs from a sample of historically black colleges and universities were surveyed.
- •
Instrumentation and Procedure: This section of the chapter provides elucidations to the instrument that was used in this study—and it was a survey questionnaire. The section also provides the rationale for the choice and the use of the instrument. The instrument was new, original, and self-designed from scratch. There is none similar to it in the literature. The questionnaire includes questions that were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data based on the hypotheses and the research questions.
- •
Data Analysis: The data analysis section provides information on how the data collected was treated and analysed. A combination of analyses was employed. Factors of electronic commerce solutions contributing to the successes or failures on organisational leadership/hierarchies at historically black colleges and universities were tabulated to expatiate on the interdependence of the factors (independent variables) and perceived organisational leadership or administrative shifts (dependent variables). This study used multiple regressions, univariate and multivariate analyses to ascertain the autocorrelation amongst the independent variables while addressing the research hypotheses. The content analysis of the open-ended questions in the questionnaire was coded, re-coded, and analysed in support of the quantitative analysis.
- •
Summary: The summary section encapsulates the chapter.
- •
Key Terms and Definitions: Some of the key words together with their definitions are presented under this section.