Getting in through the Front Door: The First Hurdle of Researching in Companies

Autor/in	Smith, Erica
Titel	Getting in through the Front Door: The First Hurdle of Researching in Companies
Quelle	In: International Journal of Training Research, 10 (2012) 3, S.153-163 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1448-0220
DOI	10.5172/ijtr.2012.10.3.153
Schlagwörter	Vocational Education; Foreign Countries; Research Methodology; Qualitative Research; Researchers; Research Problems; Research Projects; Barriers; Performance Factors; Corporations; School Business Relationship; Case Studies; Phenomenology; Educational Opportunities; Organizational Climate + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausbildung; Berufsbildung; Ausland; Research method; Forschungsmethode; Qualitative Forschung; Researcher; Forscher; Forschungskritik; Forschungsvorhaben; Leistungsindikator; Unternehmen; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Phenomenological psychology; Phänomenologie; Psychologie; Bildungsangebot; Bildungschance; Organisationsklima
Abstract	This paper examines what is arguably the most important issue in qualitative research--access to willing participants--specifically in the context of companies. This is of considerable importance in vocational education and training (VET) as workplaces are the site of much VET activity. While research textbooks discuss many issues in research, few address this topic explicitly or in depth. From those textbooks aimed at undergraduate students (e.g., Polonksy and Waller, 2005) to the more scholarly books such as the "Sage Handbook of Organisational Research Methods" (Buchanan & Bryman, eds., 2009) there is scarcely a mention of the problem of gaining access to organisations. Yet access is the major hurdle for most researchers, particularly when researching in companies. Attempting to gain access is a lengthy and sometimes dispiriting activity with outcomes that are often satisficing rather than optimal. The paper, based on Australian researchers' experiences, reports on the difficulties of gaining access to suitable sites, and the ways in which access were gained, and reflects on the outcomes of the access process. This is undertaken partly through the author's self-reflection on her own experiences in carrying out three VET research projects during 2010, requiring access in total to 13 case study sites and 20 phone interview participants, and partly through email interviews with other VET researchers who have researched within companies during three recent years. (Contains 3 tables and 1 footnote.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10