The overview of the research methodologies that are commonly available and are applicable on the researches regarding the academics are provided by this chapter. Initially the focus of the is directed to those methodologies which are mainly responsible for the fulfilment of the various objectives along with the aims that are defined in the previous chapters for the purpose of evaluating all the validities of the hypothesis that are stated in the previous chapters.
Fig 1: The research onion
The different types of methodologies and the techniques that are available for the purpose of conducting the research is displayed in the “Research Onion”. The outer layer mainly consists of this onion host mainly consists of the plethora of the various philosophies and when it is peeled further the approaches regarding the strategy development are reached and then the strategies, choices and time horizons are reached initially before it reaches the techniques and procedures (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
The process which involves the development of the knowledge through a system of beliefs is known as the research philosophy. Research philosophy can be done by considering three different assumptions and this are namely “epistemology”, “ontology” and “axiology”. Assumptions regarding the things which are known to the user or the things that are considered to be a knowledge that can be accepted is known as Epistemology (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016). The things that are encountered by the researchers re known as ontology whereas Axiology refers to the things that are based on the value system of the researchers. All the assumptions can be categorized as the objective or subjective and this are listed below;
|
Assumptions |
Objectivism |
Subjectivism |
|
Ontology |
Real |
Nominal/decided by convention |
|
Extreme |
Socially constructed |
|
|
One true reality |
Multiple realities |
|
|
Granular |
Flowing |
|
|
Order |
Chaos |
|
|
Epistemology |
Adopt assumptions of scientists |
Adaptations of the assumptions by the artists. |
|
Facts |
Opinions |
|
|
Numbers |
Narratives |
|
|
Phenomenon’s that are observable |
Meaning of the attributes |
|
|
Law-like generalizations |
Specifically for individuals and contexts |
|
|
Axiology |
Free of value |
Bounded to values |
|
Detachment |
Integral and reflexive |
Table 1: Assumption types related to objectivism and subjectivism
The importance of the orientations of the researchers for the regulations and the radical changes were introduced by Burrell and Morgan in the year of 1982. This introduction initially helped in the determination of the perspectives of the researchers during the formulation of the researches opinions along with the formulation of the approaches. This formulation can be done in four distinct paradigms and this are namely “functionalist”, “interpretive”, “radical structuralism” and “radical humanist”.
The research approach that has been adopted over is in a radical way as the hypothesis is mainly for the new ways adopted for the purpose of working along with the alternatives of the project management methodologies which are applied mainly for the oil and the gas industries. By the use of the agile project management it can be concluded that this is very much paradigm in the changes that occurs during the execution of the project. The four paradigms by Burrell and Morgan are listed below:
Figure 2: The four paradigms
The above listed assumptions and the approaches that are taken helps in determining the five major philosophies that are related to the research and these five philosophies related to the research are namely “Positivism”, “Critical realism”, interpretive”, “postmodernism” and “pragmatism” (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
Positivism:
The philosophy that is able to produce external and independent law which may include the generalization which is generally backed up by the empirical evidences is known as positivism. This the main reason for the which the quantitative analysis along with the large samples can be used for covering the vast ranges (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
Critical realism:
The taking of a layered external approach which is dependent on the observer’s interpretation which is mainly biased by the values of the observer’s and this philosophy is known as Critical Realism.
Interpretivism:
The philosophy that acknowledges the law like the application of generalization is not possible over any social constructs is known as interpretivism. Different meanings are added to the results by the background when there exists a need of interpretation in different ways.
Pragmatism:
The philosophy that is somewhat different from the other four methodologies and which is mainly focused on the actions along with the goals and the concepts so as to support the aims is known as the pragmatism (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
The below table shows the comparison between the five philosophies with relation to the types of three assumptions:
Table 2: Comparisons between the five philosophies that are related to the three assumption types
For the research positivism and critical realism are not sufficient for the research due to the reason that these philosophies look into the empirical evidence or law like the paradigm nor they are driven by the bias of an observer. Whereas the postmodernism mainly looks into the social and the political approaches along with the relationships for better understanding of the “System” which is not applicable in this case either.
For this research project interpretivist and pragmatic philosophies are applicable. When the Interpretivist philosophy looks into the sector has its own in-grained method for last 100 years in the field of ‘oil field culture” as the businesses are still running as they follow certain ways that were used by them in the past years. There is a requirement of focusing on the narratives, perceptions along with this the theories are also simplistic. For the purpose of addressing the issues regarding the failure of high projects in the oil and gas industries the Pragmatic philosophic stance can be taken by the research and if not by the Agile project execution then an alternative project mean can be taken for the purpose of finding the solutions.
An inductive approach having samples which are small in size along with more in-depth investigation is included in the typical research methods for the interpretivist philosophy which is also required for participating along with the keys and the relevant industry personnel by the use of a qualitative method. Multiple method which includes both quantitative as well as qualitative approaches is used for the pragmatic philosophy.
The development of the theory requires three approaches and this includes the “induction”, “deduction”, and “abduction” (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
Induction:
The approach which is taken for the purpose of conducting the research at the first step for the purpose of developing the theory which will be based on the research results.
Deduction:
This approach basically includes the formulation of hypothesis at the first step which is followed by the research so as to back it up.
Abduction:
The combination of inductive and deductive approach is known as abduction approach. In this approach the data is used for the purpose of explaining the phenomenon which is followed by modification of a new theory and is tested by the additional research. This is also termed as the “iterative approach” (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
The research consists of both the deductive as well as the inductive approach. The literature review consists of a number of hypothesis that has been formulated along with research that is to be conducted so as to back up the assumptions. Several conclusions can be derived from the data that is collected along with providing further theories which are related to the methodologies of the current project management along with various techniques for execution.
According to Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2016) the choices for methodologies can be categorized into “quantitative”, “qualitative” and “mixed” methods. The qualitative and the quantitative methods are purely dependent on the techniques used for the collection of the data. Whereas it can be stated that the several quantitative and qualitative source can be used by the multiple methods. It is possible by the multiple methods to encompass the sources for several data from both the qualitative as well as the quantitative sources. The nature of the quantitative approach is considered to be numerical so it can be stated that it is mainly associated with the positivism along with the deductive approach whereas the results can be used for the formulation of the various theories by using the statistical procedures. The quantitative approach is not very much suitable for the researches that are to be conducted here because it lacks in a clear measureable law-like phenomenon which is to be used for the research (Denzin and Lincoln 2011).
The qualitative approach is much more suited for the interpretive philosophy because of the fact that there is a need for making sense for the captured data which is done by in-depth interviews as well as by conducting other researches.
The research project that is to be conducted will be done by the qualitative approach or by the mixed approach which is the collection of quantities as well as qualitative approach where the qualitative method will be more dominant than the quantitative approach.
The strategies can be divide into various categories and this includes the “experiment”, “survey”, “archival and documentary research”, “case study”, “ethnography”, “action research”, “grounded theory” and finally “narrative enquiry” as stated by Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2016).
Experiments:
The main thing that is involved in the experiments is the changing of one of the values of a variable which is initially followed by observing the changes that are occurring in the values of the other dependent variables. The strategy stems that results in the formulation of the natural sciences is the use of the experiments for the law-like phenomenon. It can be concluded initially that this strategy is not suitable for the research that is to be conducted. The use of the Agile method in project is mainly quantifiable variable in cases when the result involves the improving of the project execution statistics. By the use of experiments testing can be done at the end of exercises of the recommendations which were result of the researches (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
Surveys:
Survey can also be termed as the deductive approach whereas the data collection method is mainly used for the purpose of backing up the data. Besides this the gathering of the lager data samples are also done from various sources. The main questions which are basically confirmed at the starting of the survey are “what?”, “who?”, “where?” and “how many?”. For the purpose of establishing the current situation of the execution of the project methods various questions are included in the questionnaire so as to gather the data and after this for the purpose of analyzing the quantifiable data statistical methods are used (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
Archival and Documentary Research:
Encompassing of the various types of media along with the documents which also includes the “email”, “social media”, “blogs”, “electronic note”, “diaries”, “minutes of meetings”, “memo”, “reports”, “statistics” and “media reports” are done for the archival and documentary research. The application of this research is not possible for the case study that has been considered here along with finding the answers related to the “project management methodologies” due to the fact that it is impossible to get access to the documents of the company or organization because of the reason that this documents are having a proprietary nature. This type of research approach is most appropriate for the organizations or companies who are willing to conduct their own internal research which may include things like one of its process. But this research method can be used for the purpose of gathering information of the country before conducting any type of in-depth interviews with the officials and the management of the company (Symon and Cassell 2012).
The case study basically includes the research into a project in a real life setting in depth this will help in better identification of the things that are happening in the setting of the project. This are basically used by the research which is influenced by the interpretivist philosophies for the purpose of constructing the theories that are mainly based on the in-depth research of the phenomenon’s. By the use of other combination of strategies construction of some other case studies were done previously (Yin 2014). This research method can be used for the investigation of the research done here. But this proves to be very much time consuming because of the fact that there is an essential need for being the part of the research so as to get access to the information’s of the proprietary company which cannot be guaranteed. Along with this it also focuses on the single project instead of focusing on several projects.
Etnography:
The research methodology which mainly focuses on the cultures as well as the social groups and the power structures which is included in the organizations and the departments is known as Etnography. For this case the oil and gas industry are having their own culture along with doing things in their own way. It can also be stated that the reasons that lies behind the delay of the projects is not same as the results of the clashes in the power or interactions in a group (Cunliffe 2010).
Action Research:
Learning of the organization along with the addressing of the purposes of the practical is produced by the Action Research which is done in cooperation of the organization members. This is the research which is conducted by different processes like the “diagnosis”, “planning”, “evaluation cycle”, “action” in a way which is iterative. It can also be stated that this process is almost similar to the “Deming process”.
Grounded Theory:
The theory which is used for the purpose of doing research so as to construct a theory about the interactions conducted in social media and mainly focuses on the aspects of the behavior in business and management is known as Grounded theory. For the current research topic this type of research is not suited because of having a more project structure along with the focus on the methodologies and not on the interactions or the structure of the power.
Narrative Inquiries:
This includes an in-depth interviews of the peoples participating so as to offer an interpretation of the data not only by stating the facts. Contextual details are also offered along with the stating the facts. For the current case this is an important research method because of the fact that this tries to find the solution for the problems faced in real life projects. A unique sight is provided by the experience of the participants who are taking part along with providing data for the purpose of concluding the research (DENZIN and LINCOLN 2011).
This kind of research can be done in two ways and this includes cross-sectional or longitudinal. The main focus of Cross-sectional research is on the phenomenon’s that have been researched at a particular time whereas the main focus of longitudinal research is to look on the series of events over a long period of time (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
The research conducted here consists of mixture of both ways. from the prospect of cross-sectional way, the research is bounded by the constraints of time along with this the investigation of the project methodology for execution is also time related. This can be better understand by the use of an example that is execution of the Agile project is going through a number of iterations. This helps in stating that the survey is conducted in cross-sectional way whereas the interviews that are conducted in-depths is done in a longitudinal way.
The layer is the final or the last layer of the research onion which consists of the collection of the data and analyzing of the various sections where various methods have been used to facilitate the research in the primary section. After the collection of the data is done there will be existing various methods which can be used for the purpose of processing and analyzing.
For the research project that is to be conducted the following research plans has been identified and they are listed below:
Before the commencement of any type of primary research it is advised to the researchers to perform an exploratory service. This will initially help in encompassing the correspondence at the initial stage with the departments associated with the project management, senior management along with the possible company communications departments for the purpose of authorizing which will also give consent to the employees so as to gather the data. The time of performing this is the best when negotiation can be done regarding the terms and conditions associated with the collection and storing of the data (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016).
Most of the cases consists of the researching of the whole data target population to be impractical. So it is suggested to perform a sampling which will help in taking the form of probability or random sampling (Saunders Lewis and Thornhill 2016). This sampling of the probability is generally determined by the size of the targeted population which is given below:
|
Targeted Population |
Margin of Errors |
|||
|
5% |
3% |
2% |
1% |
|
|
50 |
44 |
48 |
49 |
50 |
|
100 |
79 |
91 |
96 |
99 |
|
150 |
108 |
132 |
141 |
148 |
|
200 |
132 |
168 |
185 |
196 |
|
250 |
151 |
203 |
226 |
244 |
|
300 |
168 |
234 |
267 |
291 |
|
400 |
196 |
291 |
343 |
384 |
|
500 |
217 |
340 |
414 |
475 |
|
750 |
254 |
440 |
571 |
696 |
|
1000 |
278 |
516 |
706 |
906 |
|
2000 |
322 |
696 |
1091 |
1655 |
|
5000 |
357 |
879 |
1622 |
3288 |
|
10,000 |
370 |
964 |
1936 |
4899 |
|
100,000 |
383 |
1056 |
2345 |
8762 |
|
1000,000 |
384 |
1066 |
2395 |
9513 |
|
10,000,000 |
384 |
1067 |
2400 |
9595 |
Table 3: Sizes of the samples of the different sizes of the population that has been targeted having a confidence level of about 95%.
The targeted population for the research project of the companies in the O & G industry that has been operating within the UKCS can be categorized into different types and this includes tier 1, 2, 3 enterprises. The companies that are in the tier 1 and tier 2 are having the responsibility of executing the projects that are complex and major. Along with this it is also necessary for the equipment manufactures to have the right type of project execution for almost all the cases and they have to proceed according to the requirements that have been provided by the clients.
|
Company Type |
Present Companies in UKCS |
CO. NO. |
|
Oil Companies (Tier 1) |
BP, Shell, Repsol, Marathon Oil, Apache, Nexen, TAQA, Statoil, Premier Oil, Aramco, Fairfield Energy, MOL, Dana Petroleum, ExxonMobil, Maersk Oil, EnQuest, GDF, Suez, ConocoPhillips, Chevron |
20 |
|
Subsea Service Companies (Tier 2) |
Aker Solutions, GE, FMC, OneSubsea |
4 |
|
Subsea Installation companies (Tier 2) |
Oceaneering, Subsea 7, Technip, Fugro, Saipem, ROVOP, Bibby Offshore, Deep Ocean, Neptune, Ocean Installer, DOF Subsea, N-Sea |
12 |
|
Oil Service Companies (Tier 2) |
Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Schlumberger, Franks International, Wood Group, Helix, Petrofac, Weatherford |
8 |
|
Drilling Companies (Tier 2) |
Transocean, Dolphin Drilling, Seadrill |
4 |
|
Major Equipment Suppliers (Tier 3) |
Forum Energy Technologies, JFD, Kongsberg, Balmoral Offshore, Cameron |
5 |
Table 4: The major companies which are situated in the UK oil and gas industry of 2016
Most of the requirements are driven by the oil companies and along with this they are also having the most influence as well as power so as to change the things in the whole industry. The oil companies are also paramount to the samples the companies associated with the service companies as they are solely responsible for the integration of the systems along with the execution of the projects that are major in service and are under the supervision of the oil companies Enzmann 2015). For the purpose of monitoring the current state accurately of the affairs, information’s and data which will determine the execution of the projects. This will also help in finding because of the fact that most of the technical integration, project management, procurement activities and supplier management are taking place over here. There is about 600 contacts of decision making project personnel out of the selected or the companies listed above which is done via an alternative venture and this is not related to the research. the basis of the population targeted can be formed by this by making use of the figure of the sample size listed above. For the purpose of achieving 95% efficiency the 600 contacts will be requiring a sample size of about 217.
The reluctance of the companies about providing the accurate information about the various activities and the mistakes in the projects can lead to difficulties in the process of gathering the data. There is a need of clearing the actions of filing the questionnaire which is targeting a specified company by the department which is associated with the communication. This can be listed as one of the hurdle which is needed to be overcome while considering company specific targeted questionnaires.
The inaccuracy of the targeted audience comes into play when the questionnaires are answered anonymously by the use of internet or by LinkedIn groups. The law of large numbers comes into effect whenever the size of samples is being increased along with the results that are being obtained will get closure to the theoretical mean. And by considering this as the base it is also easy to identify the major trends as the sizes samples are being increased by the use of the internet. Despite all this for the purpose of fine tuning the results along with deducting the consequences from it there is a need of conducting in-depth interviews along with a questionnaire which is more specific about the roles or about the company.
The questionnaire also addresses the few of the findings that are derived from the research along with identification of the factors that are critical for success along with the factors responsible for the failure of the Agile projects. So it can be concluded that it is not worthy to address the few of the identified points in the research so as to look into the adherence along with the lack in the adherence which exists in the oil and the gas projects. All this factors can be identified which is within the five different dimensions and this includes the organizational, people, process, technical and projects.
Fig 4: The Agile critical success factors which determines the success of the project
The organizations or the projects that are having the five dimensions that are aligned with the factors associated with the critical factors and are likely to be proceeding towards the success with the help of the Agile development and the execution of the project. Answers of most of the questions would be more relevant if there exists no implementation of the agile project management in the organizations. There also exists various departments or individuals present in the oil and the gas industries which is having a very little or no knowledge at all about the agile methodologies. For this particular reason various considerations have been made while constructing the questionnaire.
There is a need for carrying out an in-depth inquiry with the specific personnel’s who are present in the previously identified companies. The candidates with whom the interview is to be conducted are having a high profile so as to implement the changes along with the working in the disciplines associated with the project management inside the companies along with knowing the issues related to execution of the projects.
|
Nature of the study |
Minimum Sample size |
|
Semi-structured/in-depth interviews |
5-25 |
|
Ethnographic |
35-36 |
|
Grounded theory |
20-25 |
|
Consideration of a homogenous population |
4-12 |
|
Consideration of a heterogeneous population |
12-30 |
Table 4: Minimum sample sizes of non-probability
The above table helps in determining the size of the sample for non-probability for the in-depth interviews and this is around 5 to 25. And for the purpose of the research assignment twenty-five are chosen which are having the following split and they are ten from tier 1companies, ten from the tier 2 companies and five from the tier 3 which consists of the major suppliers of the equipment’s.
References:
Cunliffe, A.L., 2010. Retelling tales of the field: In search of organizational ethnography 20 years on. Organizational Research Methods, 13 (2), pp.224-239
Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S., 2011. The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. 3rd ed. London: Sage.
Enzmann, R., 2015. Supplier Costs Beyond the Low Price of Oil. ROV Planet Magazine, (4), pp. 7-10.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A., 2016. Research Methods for Business Students. 7th ed., Harlow: Pearson.
Symon, G. and Cassell, C., 2012. Qualitative Organisational Research Core Methods and Current Challenges. London: Sage.
Yin, R.K., 2014. Case Study Research: Design and Method. 5th ed. London: Sage.
Essay Writing Service Features
Our Experience
No matter how complex your assignment is, we can find the right professional for your specific task. Contact Essay is an essay writing company that hires only the smartest minds to help you with your projects. Our expertise allows us to provide students with high-quality academic writing, editing & proofreading services.
Free Features
Free revision policy
$10Free bibliography & reference
$8Free title page
$8Free formatting
$8How Our Essay Writing Service Works
First, you will need to complete an order form. It's not difficult but, in case there is anything you find not to be clear, you may always call us so that we can guide you through it. On the order form, you will need to include some basic information concerning your order: subject, topic, number of pages, etc. We also encourage our clients to upload any relevant information or sources that will help.
Complete the order form
Once we have all the information and instructions that we need, we select the most suitable writer for your assignment. While everything seems to be clear, the writer, who has complete knowledge of the subject, may need clarification from you. It is at that point that you would receive a call or email from us.
Writer’s assignment
As soon as the writer has finished, it will be delivered both to the website and to your email address so that you will not miss it. If your deadline is close at hand, we will place a call to you to make sure that you receive the paper on time.
Completing the order and download