Research Design

The third layer of the research onion concerns the research design, i.e., how the research question is transformed into a research project.

3.3.1. Nature of Research Design

After defining the research philosophy and approach, it is appropriate to clarify the overall purpose of the study. As explained by Saunders et al. (2009), research can be classified after its purpose, whether it is explanatory, exploratory, or descriptive. In addition, research does not need to be restricted to one single purpose but may involve characteristics from all three.

Using quantitative data and statistical methods to test correlations between predetermined variables is typically associated with an explanatory purpose. Hence, when adopting an explanatory purpose, the intention is to verify and establish causal relationships between variables.

On the other hand, if the research aims to explore and assess certain phenomena and/or when the intention with the research is to enhance the understanding of a problem, it is appropriate to adopt an exploratory approach (Robson, 2002). Moreover, as Saunders et al. (2012, p.

171) state, an exploratory study is “flexible and adaptable to change” as new results from data emerge. Therefore, it is often associated with qualitative data, for instance, semi- or unstructured interviews. Descriptive studies are used if the aim is to describe events, people, or situations. It is typically adopted together with explanatory or exploratory research, either as a forerunner or as an extension.

This study follows an exploratory purpose since it aims to explore the phenomenon of

Science Parks and product innovation and to enhance the understanding of how the former

impacts the latter. However, it also employs descriptive characteristics, referred to as a

descripto-exploratory (Saunders et al. 2009). Before answering the overarching research

question, a description of the tenants’ product innovation process is performed. Moreover,

the study aims to add to the existing research by providing valuable insights regarding how

product innovation processes can be stimulated for companies operating in the food industry

and particularly what effects Science Parks may have. As the phenomenon of Science Parks

for companies operating in the food industry are quite understudied, we believe that it needs to be deeper understood in this context. Therefore, we judge that exploratory research is suitable to gain new insights and attain a deeper understanding of how a Science Park impacts on its tenant firms. Also, the flexible nature of adopting an exploratory purpose is seen as advantageous for the study as it allows for changes to be made throughout the process.

3.3.2. Research Strategy

The next layer in the research onion constitutes the research strategy. Saunders et al. (2009) maintain that the adopted strategy should be guided by the chosen objectives and research question, the extent of the existing knowledge, the time horizon and resources at hand as well as the researcher’s philosophical position. The authors present seven different research strategies, namely experiment, survey, case study, action research, grounded theory, ethnography, and archival research. To fulfill the purpose of this study, a case study is appropriate.

This research uses the strategy of a single case study to perform an empirical investigation

of a phenomenon in a specific context, a Science Park for companies operating in the food

industry. For the purpose of our study, a deep contextual understanding is vital to understand

how it impacts the product innovation process of the tenants, where a case study is

appropriate (Saunders et al. 2009). While case studies help in providing a deeper

understanding of the research object, their findings are often difficult to generalize since

they are contingent to the case study specific context and not tested in a different setting

(Flyvbjerg, 2001). Nonetheless, this is also not the aim of a case study. It rather aims to

provide a closeness to real-life situations which is important in the development of a

nuanced view of reality, for example, that human behavior cannot be understood as acts that

are governed by certain rules (Flyvbjerg, 2001). Yin (2003) emphasizes that when

conducting a case study, the boundaries between the studied phenomenon and the context

is not entirely evident. This is true for our study since a Science Park for companies

operating in the food industry can be seen both as a phenomenon per se and as the contextual

setting. According to Saunders et al. (2009), a case study serves the purpose of bringing

forth answers to the questions ‘why’, ‘what’ and ‘how’, and therefore seems suitable for

this study’s research question. Also, a single case study is adopted instead of a multiple case study since it represents a critical case, as Agro Food Park represents a Science Park geared towards the food industry that stimulates innovation amongst its tenants.

3.3.3. Methodological Choice

After the research strategy is decided upon, the next part of the research onion concerns the nature of the data to be collected. Saunders et al. (2009) distinguish between two types of data, namely quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data is used as a synonym for numerical data. By contrast, qualitative data refers to non-numerical data, collected through various data collection techniques, for instance, interviews, focus groups, and observations.

To fulfill the purpose of the research, we adopted a mixed method by collecting both qualitative and quantitative data as it is assumed to contribute to fulfilling the purpose of our study (Saunders et al., 2009). However, qualitative research is the predominant approach in this study by collecting empirical data through interviews. The method allows for a more in-depth study which enables us to better understand and interpret the phenomenon of interest (Lichtmann, 2014). In particular, it enables us to investigate how the product innovation process of the tenants is affected by being a part of Agro Food Park. Moreover, quantitative data from secondary sources is used to complement and enrich the collected empirical data through semi-structured interviews. The adopted techniques of collecting empirical data are described below.

3.3.4. Time Horizon

The following layer of the research onion before reaching its core concerns the time horizon

of the research. It should be emphasized that the time horizon of the research design is not

dependent on what strategy is pursued or what method is adopted. Instead, it depends on the

resource constraints and the research question. The time horizon can either be

cross-sectional or longitudinal. Longitudinal studies focus on development and changes that occur

over time, whereas a cross-sectional time horizon shows a snapshot of the current situation

(Saunders et al., 2009). When investigating a process, a longitudinal focus is often adopted

since it is something that changes over time (Van de Ven, 1992). However, because of the

Therefore, to investigate and understand the tenants’ process of product innovation and how it is affected by being a member of the park, we make use of their narratives and descriptions of how the process comes about and changes over time.

In document Innovation in the Food Industry (Sider 40-43)