Hosted by the Internation Association of Grounded Theorists
ABSTRACT No. 3
TITLE: Exploring the Educational and Training Needs of General Practitioners Providing End-of-Life Care to Adult Patients in West Bengal, India
AUTHORS: Shrikant Y Atreya, Soumitra S Datta, Naveen Salins
AFFILIATION: Tata Medical Center, Kolkata, India; Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The need for palliative care for patients with serious health-related suffering is projected to increase by 87% in 2060. Globally, it is difficult to estimate the exact number receiving palliative care due to lack of registries. Palliative care is mostly provided in the institutional setting which has access to small proportion of patients. Home-based palliative care is known to reduce unnecessary hospital utilisation and cost, aligns care to patient/family preferences and enhances the quality of life of patients. General practitioners (GPs) play critical role in orchestrating home-based palliative care. Despite their willingness, they feel apprehensive about managing various aspects of palliative care which can negatively impact care in the community.
Aim: The current study aims to explore the educational needs of GPs providing end-of-life care to adult patients in the community. Most studies have focused on high-resource settings with results not transferable to low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) because of its unique socio-cultural and logistical challenges.
Methods: This was an exploratory study that employed constructivist grounded theory (CGT) as the methodological paradigm. An in-depth interview was conducted on purposively sampled sixteen GP participants to explore their perspectives on learning preferences, the influence of their past experience on learning and their perceived gaps in knowledge. CGT facilitated teasing out GP’s epistemological stance on the process of constructing knowledge, the value that transcended the learning process and their perception on how interpersonal interaction influenced co-construction of knowledge. The researcher wrote memos to reflect on how his background specialty and GP interaction helped build the interview guide, interview techniques, co-constructive process and data analysis. The data collection and analysis were an iterative process and the researcher’s conjectures as documented in the memos helped induct more data through theoretical sampling. The data collection continued until the categories reached theoretical adequacy. The data were analysed using Charmaz’s three step coding technique and themes and categories were generated. In order to enhance the quality of the results, the researcher used Charmaz’s four-point criteria for determining the rigor of the study.
Results: GPs perceived end-of-life care as self-actualising as it allowed embracing their patient’s concerns and addressing them. On the contrary, some feared being labelled as incompetent in case of failures. They were apprehensive to handle conflicts between physicians, between family members and between what was right versus what the family demanded. They felt vulnerable to communicate bad news to uncounselled patients/families at home. GPs preferred training programs to be ongoing with regular contacts with mentors, programs that aligned to their clinical context, that could be attended at their convenient time and gave them the freedom to express their views. Most preferred small group interactive case-based discussion and expected the learning environment to be non-conflicting, non-judgmental and allowed reflection on their past experiences. GPs preferred ongoing feedback from mentors and patient/family that was more reflective, constructive, and non-confrontative.
Conclusion: GPs’ preference for learning end-of-life care was influenced by the value attributed to learning, context and content. Future trainings must align the objectives to GPs’ learning preferences.
ABSTRACT No. 5
TITLE: Negotiating Power Acceptance: A Straussian Grounded Theory Approach for Sustainable Renewable Energy Transformations
AUTHORS: Teddy Mangeni
AFFILIATION: Paderborn University, Paderborn, Germany
ABSTRACT
This research stems from the interdisciplinary and international BMBF-funded ART:D grids project (Africa: Research and Teaching on Development Grids, https://www.art-d.net/). As part of the Educational Sciences- non-engineering team, this research focuses on the social and educational processes that accompany the implementation of minigrids. Minigrids are power generation and distribution systems built to provide electricity in areas that the main grid has not reached or whose costs of a grid-based connection are prohibitive (ESMAP & World Bank Group, 2022, p. 16). Most of the 600 million people of the total population, who lack access to electricity, are in sub‐Saharan Africa. In rural areas, where over 80% of the electricity‐deprived live, minigrids systems are the most viable solutions (International Energy Agency, 2023, p. 15). And yet renewable energy technologies are often poorly sustained in many places in Africa (Agoundedemba et al., 2023, p. 16). These face resistance and fail long before they serve their intended lifetime. Cognizant that technology as a tool for achieving robust stability must be in harmony with the social system, economy, ecology, and environment; the A:RT-D Project undertakes an interdisciplinary research approach to contribute to sustainable energy transformations using the study of rural East African (EA) communities. This research sought to explore the minigrid the processes of minigrid implementation, stakeholders’ experiences and interactions, and their subsequent effect on project sustainability. Using a qualitative Straussian grounded theory approach, experiential data stemming from the A:RT-D Grids project’s research interests guided the identification of the research problem. Additionally, a preliminary literature review provided sensitizing concepts and guided the formulation of the initial interview question guides and initial study respondents. Together with the researcher’s technical knowledge and experience, this experiential data and knowledge enhanced theoretical sensitivity and provided a wealth of provisional suggestions for making comparisons, finding variations, and sampling widely on theoretical grounds (A. Strauss & Corbin, 1998, pp. 36–40; A. L. Strauss, 1987, p. 11). Through 36 individual interviews, 09 FGDs, observations, and related document reviews, data was collected from 96 participants in 14 EA minigrid communities. Comparative data analysis enabled the microanalysis of data for conceptual coding based on participants’ implied meanings. Constant comparisons and questioning of the data guided the interpretive coding process. Induced by theoretical sampling, five data collection phases were conducted. Six themes; “negotiating power acceptance”, “stakeholder education”, “cultivating coordination”, “phases of negotiating power acceptance” and “dimensions of power acceptance” each having properties and dimensions that gave it specificity and differentiated it from other themes emerged from the data. They were accordingly integrated into the core category to form the emergent theory of negotiating power acceptance. Through the review of existing related literature, interdisciplinary A:RT-D Grids project review sessions, collegial colloquium sessions, and study respondents’ feedback sessions, the theory was validated (M.Morse et al., 2021, pp. 28–31). The researcher’s choice of grounded theory approach, and the research process highlighting the experiences of handling the study’s effect on the contexts of minigrid implementation and emerging data will be presented and discussed.
ABSTRACT No. 6
TITLE: “Why Does Everyone Keep Talking to Me About Roads?” What Grounded Theory Taught Me About Local Government Power Dynamics
AUTHORS: Kate Penney
AFFILIATION: University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
The initial point of interest for this research was in the extent to which places outside of cities and urban centres benefit from regional governance bodies established to make decisions about regional economic and social policy. Despite the principle of devolution- and the objectives of localism, which are intended-to enable local people to make important decisions about what happens in the place that they live, the UK remains one of the most spatially imbalanced in Europe with regional inequalities prevalent and keenly felt. Regional policy has been gaining prominence since the 1970s and has had many iterations, with varied levels of success, however, important questions remain as to what to devolve, to whom, and how much. These questions are not just technicalities and whilst it is recognised that there are significant practical and administrative issues to address, the political and human elements can be overlooked. By using classic grounded theory, an inductive research method that enables the construction of theory through the collection and analysis of data, this research proposes that localism is little more than a rhetorical device which structurally negates certain places from “levelling up”. By carrying out over 40 interviews with people across 4 regions, from the public, private, voluntary and community sector and at various levels of seniority, a theory has been produced. This theory suggests that all regional actors, to a greater or lesser extent experience what this framework terms structural exclusion in their efforts to bring about the changes that they wish to see in their region. This highlights the basic social process that all of the actors experience; they inadvertently become part of a policy deformation process in which the plans and wishes for the place they represent are overwhelmed by the objectives set centrally. Policy deformation is achieved by a combination of factors experienced at varying degrees. These include formulaic narratives, which favour particular types of projects; having a managed agenda, which limits what is discussed and the extent to which it discussed; an under utilisation of local knowledge and expertise. An outcome of their exclusion is that local actors can feel subject to being “othered” whilst themselves also “othering”. Four main types of behaviour form the policy deformation process; cancelling, collaborating, conforming and complying. The process is not linear, nor it is sequential. Actors may find themselves exhibiting different behaviours at different times. The outcome of the policy deformation process is that the plans of local actors will be effectively neutralised as they are either denied, diluted, directed or devolved. This theory was developed using classic grounded theory, which involved conducting unstructured interviews that were then open coded, followed by selection coding. Memo sorting revealed the theoretical codes and basic social processes that underpins the theory of structural exclusion leading policy deformation. This theory is currently in development and as yet the literature is not yet fully integrated.
ABSTRACT No. 7
TITLE: Using Constructivist Grounded Theory in a Study of Diverse Children’s Career Aspirations, Including Teaching
AUTHORS: Kaitlin Kaufman, Elaine Keane
AFFILIATION: University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
ABSTRACT
Following the Celtic Tiger in the 2000’s, an economic boom caused Ireland’s demographics to significantly diversify. This diversification also took place in the Irish educational system, as student populations became more heterogenous. However, Ireland’s teaching populations remain homogenous, consisting predominantly of middle-class White Irish females, with decreasing proportions of student teachers from lower socio-economic groups (cf. Keane and Heinz, 2015; Heinz and Keane, 2018). In Ireland, these class disparities are tracked by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), as well as the IRC funded national research project, Diversity in Initial Teacher Education (DITE), which collected and analysed data related to socio-demographic backgrounds and motivations of applicants and entrants to state-funded Initial Teacher Education (ITE). While previous qualitative research has been conducted on the topic of social class in teaching, we don’t know children’s reasons for considering (or not) careers, including teaching, or how reasons compare for different socio-economic groups, and this study contributes to the field in this regard. This in-depth qualitative study employs Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) to develop a substantive theory about the experiences and perspectives of senior primary school pupils in Ireland from diverse social class backgrounds regarding their higher education and career aspirations, particularly in relation to teaching. Working with two different primary schools, the study engaged 47 pupils aged 10-13 from diverse social class and ethnic backgrounds using semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews, as well as a drawing activity, over several rounds of data generation and analysis. This paper explores, in particular, how the study’s research design aligns with constructivist principles, focusing on issues of researcher positionality and critical reflexivity, and embedding a participatory approach to meaningfully involve the children in the development of the study. In addition, this paper will also provide a summary overview of the developed grounded theory and its respective categories.
ABSTRACT No. 8
TITLE: Something Old, Something New? A Consideration of the Mixed-Methods Grounded Theory Methodology
AUTHORS: Gregory S. Hadley
AFFILIATION: Niigata University, Niigata, Japan; University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Within the methodological world of Grounded Theory, diversity of practice has been one of the most exciting features exhibited by an ever-growing community of practitioners and innovators. The challenge which often emerges out of this wellspring of creativity, however, is in determining whether newly-proposed iterations of the Grounded Theory Method (GTM) either represent new members of the Grounded Theory ‘family’ (Bryant, 2019), or whether they are approaches that use partial features of the method within hypothesis-testing frameworks. The purpose of such activity is less one of imposing some form of test for methodological orthodoxy than it is rather of encouraging practices that align pragmatically with the core principles of GT research (Timonen et al., 2018).
It is within this backdrop that this presentation will consider the recent emergence of Mixed Methods Grounded Theory Methodology (MM-GTM), which Creamer (2021) has defined as a distinct, qualitatively robust approach that both maintains the distinct integrity of qualitative and quantitative methodologies while building upon the shared concerns of GTM and Mixed Method Methodology (MMR). The end result is a theory of human activity whose insights have been enhanced by the combined use of both methods. After considering the approach proposed through MM-GTM, this presentation will view the approach through the lens of the earlier writings of Glaserian as well as Strauss-Corbin variants of GTM, in an effort to better understand how the methodology complements earlier versions of GTM, and to ascertain what is new. A more recent systematic meta-analysis of over sixty published studies that used MM-GTM (Guetterman et al., 2019) will also underpin an appraisal of the potential strengths and weaknesses of the approach, which invariably reopens the older debate between Glaser and Strauss on the role of verification in Grounded Theory. The session will conclude with practical recommendations for researchers considering MM-GTM and will include a Q&A segment to address specific inquiries.
ABSTRACT No. 9
TITLE: A Constructivist Grounded Theory of a (South) Africanised Environmental Science Curriculum-Transformation Process
AUTHORS: Milton Milaras
AFFILIATION: University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa
ABSTRACT
South African student protests of 2015/16 called for the decolonization of the university. Specific calls were made to Africanise the Western university (rooted in Enlightenment values) into a modern African university for Africans. Ample literature exists on the philosophical, moral, ontological, and epistemological reasons as to why (South) African universities ought to Africanise curricula. Here, the African philosophy of Ubuntu (often précised to: ‘I am because you are’) features prominently; both as a guiding value and as an antidote to segregationist legacies of colonialism and Apartheid. Further literature points to the potential benefits of Africanisation. It argues that Africanisaition of curricula would minimise epistemic alienation, increase relevance to local students, consequently improve student success, and generate African knowledge to solve African issues. Well-accepted justifications for (African) student-centred learning are also advocated. Inclusion of indigenous and student knowledges is deemed an important factor in this transformation – so as to increase epistemic agency and local relevance. Nevertheless, there has been push-back from some at the idea that other epistemics may be valid and equal to, albeit different from, (Western) science. There remains however, little indication as to what a process of Africanising a curriculum may look like, or how this process may be gainfully engaged – particularly within an environmental science, such as soil science. Due to a lack of existing theory, Charmaz’ constructivist grounded theory (CGT) was applied as methodology and method. CGT was deemed fitting as it aligned with the researcher’s constructivist teaching philosophy and worldview. Moreover, CGT’s tenent of the co-construction of knowledge is congruent with the researcher’s motivation for this study: to offer academic facilitators a more effective and empathetic means to inspire students’ co-discovery of meaning in, and deep engagement with, soil science. Purposive and theoretically sampled semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 26 experts in curriculum transformation, indigenous knowledge studies (IKS) and soil science (saturation at ~30 hours). In the concurrent analysis of the data, an idiosyncratic CGT process involving theoretical playfulness, unfolded. Guided by memoing, codes were iteratively aggregated into progressively fewer theoretical categories, with increasing analytical and explanatory power. Firstly, to fracture but remain close to the data, initial coding was done line-by-line on printed transcripts. Subsequently, focused coding was conducted page-by-page by synthesizing first level codes into encompassing second level themes. Further abstraction by theoretical coding was undertaken by: (1) intuitively organizing printed slips of second level themes into third level categories, and (2) mapping memoed relations between third-level categories and abduction into theoretical concepts. This produced a constructivist grounded theory of a (South) Africanised environmental science curriculum-transformation process. This theory encompasses interconnected personal, institutional, and national transformation processes. The theory proffers that: by individual reflexive recognition of local limiting factors and injustices in these domains, the risk of transcending limits is overcome and transformation for inclusion of African epistemai is spurred; the continued momentum of which is fuelled by a student-centred desire for epistemic and social justice, while resistances are fuelled by fears of the unknown and accompanying loss of certainty and control.
ABSTRACT No. 10
TITLE: The Theory of Leadership Impotency: Studying the Recursive Loop Between Leadership Impotency and Becoming the System
AUTHORS: Christine Yates
AFFILIATION: Business Science Institute, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
ABSTRACT
This paper targets banking executives, and potentially, those executives in large organisations where operationalising strategy involves interdependencies within these organisations. The research methodology used was classic grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Glaser, 1978). Data collection included interviews with 24 banking executives, industry reports, news articles, literature, and transcripts from the Australian government review of the banking industry. Open coding was undertaken, and the constant comparison of data enabled the emergence of concepts. Reflections were captured in memo writing and this iterative process progressed with theoretical sampling and continuous constant comparative analysis until theoretical saturation and integration was achieved. This study of senior banking executives in Australia challenges the myth of the powerful banking executive and explores the lived experience of executives’ inability to complete their most significant work for which they are accountable (i.e., making strategic decisions and implementing decisions leading to strategic change). This inability is conceptualised as leadership impotency. Strangely, senior executives are found to be disempowered by the organisational social system from which they obtain their agency, and unable to effectively influence their firm to complete significant work. Ironically, they continually work to resolve this problem by actually becoming the system they are trying to change. This recursive loop between leadership impotency and becoming the system leads to system inaction that in turn reinforces the existing dense institutional logics. By studying the process of becoming the system, this study identifies the antecedents to leadership impotency. While leadership and agency, are densely researched areas, the impact of the system on leaders’ effectiveness appears under-researched and the concept of leadership impotency being caused by an organisational system that is an asphyxiating system is a new perspective, even though its effect on executive performance emerges as significant. The recursive loop between leadership impotency and becoming the system extends the understanding of structuration theory (Giddens, 1984) by highlighting its relevance in the substantive domain of the role of executives in the Australian banking industry. It also provides evidence that allows us to highlight managerial recommendations that could enable executives to be effective leaders of execution of the organisation’s strategy, that is, to be an ‘executive’ in the true meaning of the word. The understanding we provide could prompt organisations to reconsider traditional leadership assessments and programs, shifting focus from individual generic leadership traits to designing institutional leadership programs that train executives on actively understanding and managing the complexities of the organisational system as a critical enabler to effective strategy development and execution. Without a comprehensive understanding of factors influencing executive behaviours, the problem of inertia in strategy development and execution cannot be addressed, perpetuating challenges for executives in executing their most significant work as leaders, work for which they are accountable. This paper provides grounds for organisations to reassess their approach to leadership development and highlights the importance of actively managing the organisational system to enable the operationalisation of strategy.
ABSTRACT No. 11
TITLE: Crisis Stewards: Taking Action in Crisis
AUTHORS: Catherine Ann Stoddart, Helen Scott
AFFILIATION: IAE Lyon, Lyon, France; Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom; Business Science Institute, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
ABSTRACT
The theory of ‘Crisis Stewards—Taking Action in Crisis’ was developed against the backdrop of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The study examines experiences of senior public sector leaders in Australia during the response phase of the crisis. Classic Grounded Theory methodology (CGT) was chosen for this study because of the emphasis on inductive analysis, which, allows the theory to emerge from the data. This was an appropriate choice given the exploratory nature of this topic, the unique environment and complexity when trying to understand the experiences of participants. Research conversations were held with 26 participants over an 18-month period during the initial response phase to the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2021-2022, and analysed using the constant comparison method. Theoretical sampling of secondary sources such as public documents and records, media articles, videos and preliminary literature took place, and these data were selectively coded also using the constant comparison process. Theoretical memos were written throughout the study. Hand-sorting the memos suggested the ‘6 C’s (context, cause, condition, covariance, contingency and consequence) on Concept A’ as being the most useful in organising the concepts, however it was not sufficient. ‘Combined Force’ is an important concept within the theory and is also offered as a development of the theoretical code ‘6 Cs on Concept A’. Glaser (1978 p.) supports the identification or development of theoretical codes, explaining it is not necessary to hold to previously developed theoretical codes and that exploring beyond the range of families of theoretical codes to include others is part of the natural progression of GTM. A theory of how Crisis Stewards have an impact on crisis is offered, which explains how such leaders are able to take action in crisis to fulfil this function. The theory explains the influencing factors on the three types of crisis stewards and their capacity to take action in crisis and therefore their impact on the crisis itself. This theory builds on and contributes to the literature of other substantive areas of stewardship, leadership and crisis management. The characteristics of crisis stewards are explained as Thrivers, Strivers and Survivors, each with varying impact. The theory offers predictors of leaders who will be effective as crisis stewards.
ABSTRACT No. 12
TITLE: Social Media Feedback Dynamics: The Influence of Technology and Community on Content Creators
AUTHORS: Tatjana Hödl
AFFILIATION: University of Bern, Institute of Information Systems, Bern, Switzerland
ABSTRACT
Our everyday lives involve frequent feedback and assessments. Feedback is generally defined as ‘information provided by an agent (e.g., teacher, peer, book, parent, self, experience) regarding aspects of one’s performance or understanding’ (Hattie & Timperley, 2007, p. 81). Due to the digital transformation, more people are working online and earning money, for example, as content creators and influencers on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram (Hödl & Myrach, 2023; Leung et al., 2022). Social media platforms deliver feedback to their content creators in two forms. First, content creators receive performance metrics such as the number of views, video ratings, and subscribers (Qiu et al., 2015). Second, content creators receive feedback through comments, likes, and direct messages from their viewers (Leung et al., 2022). Both types of feedback assess content creators and give them guidance on how to improve their content. However, it is not managers who evaluate the content creators but algorithms (Cram et al., 2022) and strangers (Cheng et al., 2014). This feedback may not always be benevolent and tactful. Anonymity on social media leads to phenomena such as cyberbullying and hate speech (Fortuna & Nunes, 2018). Algorithms are not always benevolent and tactful either. Often mistakenly referred to as neutral and unbiased (Mittelstadt et al., 2016), algorithms are opaque, leading to uncertainty and hindering sensemaking (Möhlmann et al., 2023).
The feedback environment for content creators is also not negligible. Due to the fast-paced nature of social media platforms, both types of feedback are available in real time and are constantly accessible to content creators (Cram et al., 2022). As more people are expected to work on digital platforms in the coming years (European Commission, 2018; Mäntymäki et al., 2019), understanding how content creators interpret and manage the near-daily flood of feedback is crucial for improving their content, thriving on social media platforms, and mitigating potential negative impacts on their well-being (Spiekermann et al., 2022).
Consequently, this work addresses this research question: How do content creators handle feedback from both technology and their community? To answer our research question, we have chosen an interpretive qualitative research approach (Orlikowski & Baroudi, 1991) and grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2014). Grounded theory provides a structured approach for thoroughly examining actors, their behaviours, contextual dynamics, and processes (Urquhart & Fernández, 2016). Because there are various streams of grounded theory, we considered the fundamental characteristics of the methodology, such as constant comparison, iterative coding, and theoretical sampling (Birks et al., 2013). In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 content creators on various social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and TikTok allowed us to gain further insights into their perceptions, thinking, and actions. In this study, we conceptualised feedback into two origins: technology-induced and community-induced feedback. Our approach incorporates vignettes to illustrate findings. Vignettes serve as valuable tools for showcasing findings, offering carefully chosen examples that exemplify specific concepts (Swan et al., 2007). Four vignettes illustrate the sequences within the core categories, while our model presents our aggregated findings.
ABSTRACT No. 13
TITLE: Getting Lost in the Black Box of Grounded Theory Methodology
AUTHORS: Katherine J Attree
AFFILIATION: University of Technology, Sydney, Sydney, Australia
ABSTRACT
Müller (2021) describes how many PhD students have “no problem” with the procedural aspects of grounded theory methodology (GTM) such as “open coding and memoing” but “when it comes to defining conceptual categories and creating more profound conceptual or theoretical understanding of the field, they tend to get lost in … the black box of GTM” (p.42). This presentation explores the murky depths of progress block, confusion, rabbit holes, misdirection, fear, and frustration experienced by the researcher with theory generation, theoretical saturation, and theoretical integration during the latter stages of a constructivist grounded theory PhD. The presentation begins with a brief overview of the choice of GTM to explore the topic of stakeholder engagement in university course advisory committees. It then moves on to detail the initial embrace of and enthusiasm toward GTM in the data collection, coding, constant comparison and memoing processes. Next the presentation addresses the crisis of confidence that emerged due to confusion over what is theory, concern over subjective interpretations of conceptual categories, the challenge in discovering literature relevant to emergent themes (Walsh personal reflections published in Bryant 2017) and in knowing when to stop searching. Efforts by the researcher to stay true to the philosophy of grounded theory and ensure that data be privileged over theory rather than forcing or retrofitting it into the literature (Dunne & Ustundag, 2020, Glaser, 2009) are discussed alongside anxiety over contribution and impact. As such the presentation details the “emotional, intuitive and conflictual experiences of applying GTM” to theory faced by many researchers (Müller, 2021, p.37). Finally, the presentation outlines how a return to the GTM literature encouraged the researcher to move beyond stress and confusion to action and direction. While this PhD research is still ongoing, the sharing of these challenges and strategies may be of interest to others on the GTM journey. Audience members will also be invited to share their insights and strategies for addressing this segment of the GTM journey.
Bryant, A. (2017). Grounded theory and grounded theorizing: Pragmatism in research practice. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199922604.001.0001
Dunne, C., & Ustundag, B. G. (2020). Successfully Managing the Literature Review and Write-up Process When Using Grounded Theory Methodology—A Dialogue in Exploration. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 21(1). https://doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-21.1.3338
Glaser, B. G. (2009). The Novice GT Researcher. Grounded Theory Review, 8(2).
Müller, T. (2021). Crisis, Abduction and Turning Points in Grounded Theory Method. Three Ethnographic Cases on the Practice of the Qualitative Research Cycle. In I. Psaroudakis & T. Müller, Salvini, Andrea (Eds.), Dealing with grounded theory: discussing, learning, and practice. Pisa University Press. https://arpi.unipi.it/bitstream/11568/1139306.9/1/dealing%20with%20GT_2021.pdf#page=36
ABSTRACT No. 14
TITLE: No Stone Unturned: Exploring Situations and Contexts in Leadership Studies Through Situational Analysis Grounded Theory
AUTHORS: Haden M Botkin
AFFILIATION: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
ABSTRACT
Leadership studies is an enigmatic discipline. Complicated especially by semantics, the field has always wrestled with the need for greater conceptual precision. For instance, the literature is rife with varying and competing definitions of leadership and its adjacent terms—e.g., leader, follower—as well as conflations between leader and manager, follower and worker. As Drath et al. (2008) point out, one commonality among these multiple operationalizations is the presence of what is dubbed as the “tripod ontology” (p. 35) of leadership. This “tripod” refers to the dynamic interplay between the leader or leaders, followers, and their situation or context. The continuous reappearance of the tripod ontology unearths an implicit commitment within the field to the “entities” (Drath et al., 2008, p. 635) of leadership—the leaders, their followers, and the situation or context that they are embedded in. The first two entities of leadership attract an abundance of scholarly attention. Clearly, there is no scarcity of research on leadership. Indeed, as Grint (2010) stresses, leadership has been the focus of “three thousand years of ponderings and over a century of academic research” (p. 1). Moreover, followership research has also flourished in recent years (Bastardoz & Van Vugt, 2019). Yet, empirical studies of the third entity, the situation, remain woefully scant in the literature. As organizations, communities, and systems increase in complexity, the situation warrants a richer and more nuanced analysis. To address this lacuna, several questions ought to be considered, chiefly: What are the potential methods by which to effectively study the situation? This presentation will explore how the situational analysis variant of grounded theory could be leveraged to pursue this aim. Situational analysis is concerned with and interested in “the situation being studied, on all the elements in that situation both human and nonhuman, and on the varied relations among those elements” (Clarke et al., 2022, p. 5). In situational analysis, the situation is the key unit of analysis and is more than just a single moment in time or a cursory event or encounter. As Clarke et al. (2022) stresses, situations frequently involve multiple various kinds and categories of elements in an “enduring arrangement of relations that has its own ecology” (p. 18). Thus, the situation is worthy of empirical investigation. Leadership situations unfold as multiple actors iteratively coalesce within a unique context around a shared purpose. The three cartographic processes featured in situational analysis—situational maps, social worlds/arenas maps, and positional maps—offer promising mechanisms by which to advance a deeper understanding of leadership situations. As Charmaz (2014) suggests, maps ought to reveal “positions and processes” (p. 219). To that end, this presentation will offer specific examples of how situational analysis could be employed to advance the field of leadership studies and strengthen empirical examinations of leadership situations. Additionally, future directions regarding the broader role of situational analysis and grounded theory in leadership studies will be offered.
ABSTRACT No. 15
TITLE: Making Conscientious Decisions to Engage in Venous Leg Ulcer Self-Management Following Nurse-Led Patient Education
AUTHORS: Paul Bobbink, Philip Larkin, Sebastian Probst
AFFILIATION: HES-SO, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Western Switzerland, Geneva School of Health Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland; University Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Palliative and supportive care service and Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare, Department of Palliative and Supportive Care, Lausanne, Switzerland; Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
ABSTRACT
Background: Venous Leg Ulcers provoke numerous symptoms and affect both individuals and society. Effective treatment and prevention strategies require active patient involvement in self-management strategies. A lack of adequate knowledge about prevention, management, and treatment of venous leg ulcers has been identified as a key factor contributing to their occurrence or recurrence. Despite this, the efficacy of nurse-led therapeutic patient education in promoting wound healing and the preventing recurrence individuals with a venous leg ulcer remains uncertain.
Aim: The aim of the study was to develop a comprehensive and contextualised theory explaining how individuals with a Venous Leg Ulcer experience an individualized nurse-led Therapeutic Patient Education program regarding implementation of self-management strategies.
Methodology / method: The Constructivist approach to Grounded Theory, as developed by Charmaz (2006, 2014), was used to develop a contextualised theory. A total of 26 individuals participated in the co-construction of the theory through semi-structured interviews either face-to-face or telephone. Data analysis and generation was done simultaneously, allowing for the identification of conceptual categories, the use of theoretical sampling, and the achievement of theoretical saturation. Data analysis involved a comparative process among data, codes, and categories. Initial coding performed using MAXQDA, generated an important number of codes. During focus coding, the code list was refined, and diagrams were used to facilitate ABSTRACTion.
Results: The theory of “Conscientiously Engaging in Self-Management” was co-constructed with the participants encapsulating four categories, “Being influenced by my own story,” “Being informed individually,” “Making conscientious decisions to engage in self-adapted management strategies,” and “Integrating a conscientious way of living.” This contextualized theory explains how individuals living with a VLU conscientiously engage in self-management strategies following an interprofessional nurse-led educational session. It illustrates the participant’s experiences within these educational sessions and shows how they conscientiously make decisions to implement tailored self-management strategies in their daily lives. This process is influenced by contextual mediators and is driven by the aim of achieving a better future.
Conclusions: The constructivist approach to grounded theory facilitates the co-construction of a theory that provides new insights into the implementation of self-management strategies for individuals living with a Venous Leg Ulcer. This theory informs the challenges these individuals encountered in adopting self-management strategies and will inform the further development of educational programs designed to this population.
ABSTRACT No. 16
TITLE: Practicing Apticity: A Grounded Theory of Contemporary Art Practices
AUTHORS: Suzanne Boulet
AFFILIATION: University of Teacher Education – Vaud, Lausanne, Switzerland; University of Bordeaux-Montaigne, Bordeaux, France
ABSTRACT
After studying design at the ENSAAMA School of Art and Design (Paris, France), visual arts and critical thinking at the HEAD University of Art and Design (Geneva, Switzerland), I am currently involved in a PhD in art and art education. As an artist, my objective in this PhD research was not to focus on my own practice as a lonely and misunderstood individual, but it was to pay attention to the community of art practices in which I evolve: other art practices that affect mine, other art practices that affect each other, other art practices that seem to cultivate some similarities between them. To that extent, my research does not pretend to summarize art practices on a global scale. It emphasizes some of them that are part of a network of influences, as though they appear to be an art movement that would not bear its name. The goal is to explore, from the inside, a certain approach to making art today. In that perspective, the methodology of grounded theory was favoured over other common methods of the field of art research, such as autopoiesis or practice-based research. The art practices studied could be defined in the common language as ‘sensitive’. But what do the artists mean by ‘sensitive’? Have these art practices got effective similarities in their working process? Does sensitivity have a role? To what extent? For a while, during the time of the interviews, I suspended my own beliefs on the matter and tried to understand, as deeply as possible, the reality of the interviewees’ working process. As an artist, I was able to listen as one of their peers, I did not have to grasp for their meaning, rather I found that we had a shared understanding of the phenomenon. Further, even though my point of interest was this issue of sensitivity, I voluntarily did not orient the interviews this way. I was curious to observe if the notion would emerge by itself, as an intrinsic part of the artists’ practices. Therefore, I simply asked them to explain to me how they work. The gamble lay in whether the artists selected would effectively be part of a certain approach to art that illuminates the place of sensitivity. Based on Glaser and Strauss’s approach and supported by Paillé’s work, this grounded theory was mostly generated manually, directly using the audio recording as a primary source. This led to a careful analysis of the artists’ expressions of the sensitivity they experienced and enabled me to differentiate the different steps of the specific art process that derives from it. In the context of this conference, my proposal is to highlight the way grounded theory could enrich the research in the field of art beyond the traditional scope of the social sciences, where the methodology originally stems from. The concerns raised move from what additional knowledge it brings to the field to how it influences the researcher’s art practice itself and subtly changes their posture.
ABSTRACT No. 17
TITLE: ‘Can I Really Share This?’: Promoting the Co-Construction of Theory in a Constructivist Grounded Theory Study of Teachers’ Understandings of Intercultural Education
AUTHORS: Greg J Harris, Elaine Keane
AFFILIATION: University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
ABSTRACT
Constructivist Grounded Theory’s (CGT) ontological and epistemological commitments shred “notions of a neutral observer and value-free expert” (Charmaz, 2014: 13). It thus emphasises that the researcher is a “co-participant in the research process and a co-constructor of knowledge” (Thornberg and Keane, 2022: 457). Recent CGT research has thus looked to find meaningful ways to engage participants as “co-constructors of… emerging theory” (Keane, 2015: 424). This presentation discusses the methodological implications of a CGT study of Irish post-primary teachers’ understandings of intercultural education. Anti-racism and the amelioration of inequality are considered key parts of intercultural education by many scholars (Shim, 2012: 210). In this study, sensitive topics such as teachers’ experiences and understandings of racism in schools featured strongly in the data and thus became central to its findings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 post-primary teachers. Data were analysed using CGT procedures of coding and categorising, with data collection and analysis conducted iteratively across several rounds. This led to the construction of three categories and, ultimately, a CGT of ‘defending inaction on the implementation of intercultural education’. The first category, ‘‘Opening my eyes’ to diversity and privilege’, details participants’ descriptions of their early lives as diversity-free. It explains how, in adulthood, participants had ‘eye-opening experiences’ that brought them into contact with large-scale diversity for the first time and changed their views on topics such as privilege. The second category, ‘Racism and inclusion: positioning their schools at exceptional in the Irish context’, describes participants’ views on racism. Participants were concerned about the level of racism in Ireland, but largely conceived of racism as a personal, rather than a systematic, problem. They felt their schools were inclusive places, which made them exceptional in this context. Finally, this category describes how a small number of participants engaged in stereotyping and othering. The final category, ‘Valuing yet and defending the lack of intercultural education’, explains how whilst participants valued intercultural education, their understandings of it were relatively superficial. Further, they noted that there was little intercultural education in their schools, a situation they defended due to factors such as a lack of time or training. These categories were conceived as a two-stage process, with the first two categories contributing to the third. This process in turn informed the overall CGT of ‘defending inaction on the implementation of intercultural education’. At two points in the study, participants were provided with a summary of the emerging findings and asked for feedback which “sought their interpretations and asked questions to ‘fill’ gaps both within and between emerging categories” (Keane, 2015: 424). As these findings (particularly those related to participants expressing racist attitudes) are sensitive and could appear to be critical of the participants, this left the researchers in a difficult position when seeking to engage participants in the co-construction of data. This presentation explores how engaging participants in the co-constructive process can make the researcher vulnerable and explains how this research sought to deal with such problems.
ABSTRACT No. 18
TITLE: Self-Transformation Processes in Adult Gay Men: Focusing on Relationships in Two Life Worlds
AUTHORS: Kei Dazai
AFFILIATION: Division of Clinical Psychology, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
ABSTRACT
Gay men live in two separate life worlds: one that is homosexual-centered and another that is heterosexual-centered. In the latter, especially in adulthood, stigma around themes such as marriage is likely to come to the fore. Harmoniously integrating gay attributes into one’s self-image is important for the mental health of adult gay men. This study examined the processes through which adult gay men transform their self-image as gay based on their experiences of relationships in the aforementioned two life worlds. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 adult gay men, and their experiences were analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach based on critical positivism（Kinoshita, 2007）. This methodology was considered suitable for examining gay men’s meaning-making in unique contexts, as it emphasizes the contextualization of the data. Concepts were generated by focusing on those parts of the data that were closely related to the themes of analysis and interpreting the meanings for gay men that the narratives indicated. The cohesion of concepts was generated as categories and processes was drawn based on the relationships between the categories. The results indicated the processes of (strengthening oneself to live as gay) and (weakening oneself living as gay) in relationships with sexual minorities , as well as those of (strengthening oneself to want to live “normally”), (strengthening oneself to live as gay), and (dealing with being gay in some vague way) in relationships with heterosexuals. In the negotiation between the self-trying to live as a gay man and the self-trying to live “normally,” two types of processes were found: the process of strengthening the conflict between living as gay and hoping to live a “normal” life, such as marrying a woman and raising a child, and the process of normalizing being gay and positioning it in one’s life through approval from others. When offering support, it is important to be aware of the following implications of these results. First, the self-transformation processes in adult gay men are multi-dimensional, and opportunities to both strengthen and weaken the self as gay can occur in each of the two life worlds. Second, there are strategies to protect oneself from stigma by dealing with being gay in some vague way in a heterosexual-centered world. Third, conflicts can arise due to the manifestation of differences in the way of life in the two life worlds.
ABSTRACT No. 19
TITLE: Developing the Concept of ‘Chameleoning to Fit In’ Drawing on a Constructivist Grounded Theory Study with Student Teachers from Working Class Backgrounds
AUTHORS: Elaine Keane
AFFILIATION: University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
ABSTRACT
In this presentation, I draw on a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) study about the perspectives, experiences, and identities of student teachers in Ireland from working class backgrounds. In the context of drives internationally to diversify the teaching profession, we know relatively little about how student teachers think about their classed identities and positionalities. This CGT study was conducted as one of the research strands associated with the Access to Post-primary Teaching (APT) teacher diversity project at the University of Galway, funded by the Higher Education Authority. Thirty-one in-depth interviews were conducted over three rounds with 21 student teachers from working class backgrounds over two years, utilising an iterative approach to data generation and analysis to facilitate theoretical sampling, and with memoing and critical reflective journaling conducted throughout. In this presentation, I trace the development of the concept of ‘chameleoning to fit in’ from its initial ‘rumblings’ in Round 1 interviews to its explication as a developed concept through Round 2 and Round 3 stages. The concept of class chameleoning involved the student teachers being ‘different people’ in different contexts, a behaviour that was reported by the participants as being very common, and in which the vast majority reported participating, in their placement schools. This behaviour was motivated by a strong desire to fit in and to not be looked down upon but resulted in significant bifurcation of the self. In this presentation, I trace the development of my concept from its first appearance in initial through to focused codes, in accordance with Charmazian CGT, to its further development through theoretical sampling and participatory stages. I explain how I used memoing throughout to explore key aspects of and puzzlements in the data and to identify, explicate, and articulate properties of the emerging concept. Through the use of Glaser’s six Cs (causes, contexts, contingencies, consequences, covariances, and conditions) theoretical coding family, I was able to discern the concept’s motivations, processes, conditions, and consequences. The presentation also explores how, from a constructivist perspective, issues of researcher positionality were addressed, and how participants were actively involved in the development of the concept, for example, through sharing the emerging analytic framework with participants both verbally and in written form.
ABSTRACT No. 20
TITLE: How First-Year College Students with ADHD Navigate School-Based Demands: A Secondary Data Analysis Constructivist Grounded Theory
AUTHORS: Jenna Stadheim, Wayne Babchuk, Matthew J Gormley
AFFILIATION: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
ABSTRACT
Approximately 7.4% of first-year college students report having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Stolzenberg et al., 2019). However, these students have a higher risk of withdrawing from classes and dropping out of college (Hetchman et al., 2016), with only 9.1% graduating (Barkley et al., 2008). Students with ADHD are more likely to have comorbid psychiatric conditions such as substance use disorders, anxiety, and depression compared to the general population (APA, 2022). Compounding academic challenges associated with ADHD (e.g., lower academic preparation, higher school disengagement; DuPaul et al., 2017), comorbid psychiatric symptoms may further impact college students with ADHD’s navigation of postsecondary demands (Arria et al., 2013; BlackDeer et al., 2023). The central aim of this grounded theory study is to develop a theory to explain how first-year college students with ADHD and co-occurring psychiatric symptoms in a Midwestern state navigate school-based demands. Specifically, two sub-questions will be addressed: (1) What school-related challenges are faced by students who have clinically significant symptoms of ADHD, and (2) how are school-related challenges influenced by comorbid psychiatric symptoms? We employed a constructivist grounded theory secondary data analysis of interview data collected as part of a larger longitudinal study. A constructivist paradigm was selected due to its flexibility in integrating pre-existing literature into theory development. In addition, the first author’s positionality most aligns with the belief that researcher’s prior knowledge interacts with participant experiences to co-construct reality throughout the research process (Charmaz, 2014). This method was applied via initial and focused coding, constant comparison, and memoing to develop themes and a theoretical framework (Charmaz, 2014). Theoretical sampling and saturation were approached by going back into the secondary data for additional interviews and comparing emerging themes to pre-existing literature (Whiteside et al., 2012). Data consists of survey and interview data on symptoms of ADHD, comorbid psychiatric symptoms, and substance use experiences for college students between 18-25 enrolled in a 2- or 4-year university in a Midwestern state. Students completed interviews in the Fall and Spring semesters. ADHD and comorbid psychiatric interview notes from six first-year college students (n = 24 interviews) with ADHD were analyzed. Maximum variation sampling was used to select participants from the pre-existing dataset who differed on characteristics such as race, ADHD symptomatology, and gender. A theoretical framework was developed incorporating three school-based demands including attending in class/learning, completing assignments, and managing time. Symptoms of ADHD largely influenced how students managed these demands resulting in three broad categories: (1) impacting grades/quality of work, (2) concentrating, and (3) feeling motivated. Additionally, comorbid psychiatric symptoms of depression, anxiety, and substance use exacerbated symptoms of ADHD and their relationship to students’ management of school-based demands and bidirectional relationships emerged. Findings illuminate the challenges students with ADHD face during the transition to college, which may inform future interventions and school-wide policy changes for this population. In addition, this study explores the benefits and limitations of employing grounded theory methodologies with secondary datasets (Birks & Mills, 2023, p. 186). Limitations, ethical considerations, and implications will be discussed.
ABSTRACT No. 21
TITLE: Singing the Data: A Novel Approach to Grounded Theory
AUTHORS: Belinda M Densley
AFFILIATION: La Trobe University, Bendigo, Australia
ABSTRACT
Grounded theory is both a methodology and a set of methods. The methodology of evolved grounded theory, in the tradition of Anselm Strauss and further developed by second generation grounded theorists, is informed by the sociological frame of symbolic interactionism. Central to symbolic interactionism is the shared use of language by humans to construct meaning through interaction. Language is considered a vocal gesture that has meaning for the parties in a social interaction. Singing is a form of vocal gesture central to a study investigating the facilitator factors in the social process of community-based group singing. This presentation will showcase a constructivist methodological application of a grounded theory approach, informed by symbolic interactionism and feminist theory. Specifically, it will articulate three innovative approaches to data collection and a novel analytical method using sung language. Firstly, semi structured interviews integrating singing will be described highlighting the dual role of singing as a context setting mechanism and form of natural knowledge translation. Secondly, the use of a large focus group incorporating singing will be discussed emphasising how participants actively and explicitly engaged with singing and songs as symbols. The decentring of the researcher and promotion of equal of voices inherent in these methods with be examined through the lens of feminist practice. Thirdly, the use of sung memos as a data collection method will be outlined. Finally, singing will be explored and demonstrated as a method for focussed and advanced coding emphasising its utility in analysis and ABSTRACTion. This presentation aims to offer a unique contribution to grounded theory methodology by elucidating methods of data collection and analysis in the phenomenon of interest – singing itself.
ABSTRACT No. 22
TITLE: Reflecting Out of Soul – A Grounded Theory of Working and Living in Hindu Spiritual Working and Living Environments (Ashrama)
AUTHORS: Vanessa C.M. Englert
AFFILIATION: Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
ABSTRACT
Aim and Objectives: This study aims to generate a theory about the main concern of people living and working in ashramas and how they resolve this main concern. Background: Employees and institutions feel the pressure of having to reinvent the reasoning behind their existence (e.g. why we exist). Spirituality is one of the domains that deals with such existential questions. Hence, it is important organizations discover ways to connect to spirituality as an anchor in work life. This research aspires to contribute to the societal impact spirituality can have by learning from lived Hindu practices within the organizational context. Design: Classic Grounded Theory Methods: This theory emerged from 16 conversations in two different ashramas in India during the months of November 2022 – March 2023 as well as from several accompanying field notes. Memo writing was utilized to generate concepts. Following the first months of constant comparison analysis and open coding, two extensive external documents and several participant feedbacks were selectively coded to saturate the core category and relevant connected concepts. Through three rounds of memo sorting a theoretical code emerged that organizes the concepts. Results: Reflecting out of Soul is a classic grounded theory on how people working and living in ashramas meet their main concern of realizing and living their divine essence or ātma (Sanskrit for Soul). The pattern that emerged from the data suggests people who work and live in ashramas continuously engage in Reflecting out of Soul (RooS) in order to get to know ātma and to stay connected in that knowing of who they are (realizing); to learn what that means in everyday living (cultivate); and to align their actions with this understanding (actualize). What varies RooS are the following concepts: Firstly, a person’s ontology alongside the intention of why they work and live in the ashrama. Secondly, the ecosystem the behavior is embedded in, which includes environment elements and ways one relates with these elements. Thirdly, the symbiotic relationship of the ecosystem and the behavior. Lastly, how the whole of the behavior-environment-relating triad is being sustained by collective actions that are aligned with the ontology and intention of the ashrama (collective spirituality). Conclusion: By specifying the building blocks of the intentional ecosystem and the behavioral pattern that may lead to realizing and living Soul as well as by proposing explanations of the relationship between them, this work contributes to research in lived religions and spirituality and can inspire organizational studies on the overlap with spirituality studies. 19191919
ABSTRACT No. 23
TITLE: Audit Trail in Constructivist Grounded Theory Codebook and Model Development
AUTHORS: Alecia M Redway
AFFILIATION: Yonkers Public Schools, Yonkers, USA; Long Island University, Brookville, USA
ABSTRACT
Background: The rigor in qualitative research is invariably scrutinized. Though recognized as the most rigorous qualitative research methodology because of its systematic approach (Charmaz, 2014), constructivist grounded theory (CGT) is not exempted from this skeptical gaze. Therefore, in generating the findings, the researcher’s methodological decisions (MDs) in generating the codebook and CGT visual model (hereafter model) must be clear to the reader to achieve transparency and enhance descriptive validity. In CGT, “[t]he maintenance of detailed records is crucial to the audit because the complex cognitive processes used by the inquirer may not be intuitively obvious to the auditor” (Halpern, 1983, p. 45). Over the years, several noteworthy qualitative scholars (Bowen, 2009; Carcary, 2020; Given, 2008; Grodal et al., 2021; Halpern, 1983) have proposed protocols for disambiguating the cognitive processes. In doing so, these scholars advise the auditee to bring to bear the (1) raw data, (2) data reduction protocol (i.e., MDs about emerging puzzles that aid in contrasting categories to merge, drop, and sequence them), (3) synthesis products (i.e., codebook and model), and (4) analytical memos.
Aim: In this proposal, as an early career scholar, I share with the presentation attendees, an innovative approach using reflexive analytical narratives from my dissertation that served as an audit trail in discussing the generation of my researcher’s codebook and model.
Methodology: Research Questions: What are the thought processes used by secondary science teachers in interpreting students’ scientific drawings? In what way does culture play a role in the secondary science teachers’ thought processes when interpreting students’ drawings? Data Collection and Analysis: Leveraging purposive, snowball, and theoretical sampling techniques, data were collected from five culturally diverse secondary school science teachers from lower New York State who used scientific drawings in their instruction. Data were collected using surveys, observations, documents, and interviews. The analysis protocol included open, focused, and theoretical coding techniques, abduction, and memoing.
Innovative Audit Trail: In my study of scientific drawings, using GGT, I generated the science disciplinary culture theory (Redway, 2023) that explained the thought processes of secondary school science teachers when they interpreted students’ drawings. The theory was expressed as a model supported by a codebook of in vivo codes, sub/categories, and themes. As a beginning scholar, I probed the literature looking for transparent approaches to share the MDs that shaped my codebook development and visualization of the model. The techniques that I typically encountered were declarations of the research design process. However, as a researcher whose objective was to produce a CGT that was rigorous and transparent, I wanted to provide auditors with rich evocative details that summarized my MDs. Using seven reflexive analytical narratives in the findings section of my study allowed me to accomplish this style of transparency.
Takeaway: For scholars seeking a clear audit trail approach that transcends mere declarations, reflexive analytical narratives advance the rigorous standards of CGT methodology. The narratives from my study provide a robust framework for articulating the complex cognitive processes involved in generating a CGT codebook and model.
ABSTRACT No. 24
TITLE: Grounded Theory and Empirical Data Collection in Complex Business Ecosystems: A Taxonomy and Best Practice Guidelines for Management Information Systems Researchers
AUTHORS: Himashi Sandamini Widana Kankanamge, Alireza Nili
AFFILIATION: Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
ABSTRACT
Current Management Information Systems (MIS) theories are good at classifying, explaining and/or predicting people’s interactions with traditional information systems (e.g. a workplace website and a mobile application). Extending or modifying these theories is not an appropriate approach for producing useful MIS theory in the context of modern information systems. Modern information systems (e.g. internet of things and generative artificial intelligence) can change the nature of mutual dependencies among people and organisations, leading to complex ecosystems (e.g. a high number of different stakeholders forming a business network that is facilitated by the technologies and new human-machine interactions). The grounded theory method can help researchers develop new MIS theories that are grounded in rich empirical data and new insights into modern information systems. However, the increased digital complexities and ecosystems that are caused by modern technologies mean that data needs to be obtained from an inclusive and broad range of stakeholders and technological sources, making the use of traditional methods of data collection (e.g. individual interviews with employees and customers) highly time consuming and expensive for grounded theory researchers. This research study contributes to the grounded theory method and the MIS field by (a) proposing a taxonomy of traditional and modern data collection methods (e.g. interviews with experts, focus groups, collection of sensor data, user-AI interaction, big data and process data logs) which can help MIS researchers to develop relevant and insightful grounded theories that can classify, explain and/or predict the use of modern information systems; and (b) proposing a set of best practice guidelines that facilitate conducting those data collection methods in an effective way. The MIS field, particularly when it focuses on the use of modern information systems (and therefore sources of empirical data may include technological sources such as data logs) is a multi-disciplinary field of research that investigates research topics beyond social sciences and management (for example, from technical fields such as computer science). Therefore, we choose to enhance the Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory method, rather than other methods such as constructionist grounded theory and Clarke’s situational analysis which are particularly relevant to situating social phenomena. This also means that the findings of our research study can be relevant to and useful for researchers from a broad range of research fields. In order to achieve the goals of our study, we conduct a systematic review of data collection methods from literature, including journal articles, books and conference papers, in management information systems, business, strategic management, and computer science. We validate our results through at least three seminars and three discussion sessions with a representative group of at least twenty grounded theory researchers from those research fields. We will also present an illustrative example of applying our taxonomy and guidelines for developing a theory in the emerging context of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT).
ABSTRACT No. 25
TITLE: The Power of Weaving Theories: Organising and Bridging Existing Literature Through the Theory of Reconciling Green at Work
AUTHORS: Maleeya Buravas
AFFILIATION: Srinakharinwirot University (SWU), Bangkok, Thailand
ABSTRACT
Grounded theory does not end with the formulation of a final theory. There are further discoveries to be made when a grounded theorist compares their theory with existing theories in relevant literature. “Reconciling Green at work” is a substantive theory grounded in data from green implementers in firms, whose main concern is complying with their companies’ green behaviour. The theory reveals three main layers of organisational green behaviour: corporate, individual, and linkage layers. The process “Reconciling Green” that occurs within the individual layer is the core to theory. Grounded in empirical data from the substantive area and revealing its theoretical shape in a feedback loop, the Reconciling Green at work theory continues to demonstrate its explanatory power and contributes significantly when integrated with existing theories. It organises fragmented prevailing green concepts around corporate green strategy management, such as ‘green leadership,’ ‘green commitment,’ and ‘green human resource management.’ It also resonates with concepts related to paradoxical cognitions among green implementers, an area previously given little attention in green management literature. Furthermore, it introduces the concept of “Pacing Green” to bridge the gap in literature relating to ‘green intention’ and ‘green behaviour’ within the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), addressing the uncertainty in prior research about why green intention does not necessarily lead to green behaviour. Similarly, the “Green Ambience” concept is introduced, which can be seen as a preliminary stage before a company establishes the two well-known concepts in the literature: ‘green climate’ and ‘green culture.’ New concepts introduced by Reconciling Green at work theory provide fresh perspectives to bridge gaps in the literature. When comparing the Reconciling Green at work theory with existing models of Employee Responses to Green Change, it demonstrates that various employee responses in the literature, ranging from green commitment to green sabotage, can be grouped and have dynamic movement. This substantive theory shows that employee responses in the literature can be categorised into four comprehensive types of green implementers: The Pro-Greens, The Willing-Greens, The Hidden Greens, and The Anti-Greens. It also highlights the potential movement between types of green implementers, suggesting that practitioners can develop strategic approaches to enhance the level of employees’ green-ness within the workplace. This substantive theory signifies that the accumulation of decades of researchers’ efforts invested in the corporate green behaviour research area is not wasted. The theory enhances the applicability of existing concepts in the literature by weaving them into a cohesive theoretical structure. The power of explanation is enhanced, allowing us to see the bigger picture in this research field. Greener business does not involve simply cherry-picking the most convenient approaches but rather adopting a holistic approach involving three layers within an organisation aimed at promoting collective deep green behaviour among employees. This can drive dynamic results, creating a positive green ambience. Once this continues as a feedback loop, it establishes a green culture, where individual-level green behaviour is strengthened, and the company’s green investments begin to pay off.
ABSTRACT No. 26
TITLE: Exploring the Teaching and Learning Processes of the Fundamentals of Nursing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Constructivism Grounded Theory
AUTHORS: Huda Jarallah Alamri
AFFILIATION: University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Background: This qualitative research is designed to expand the knowledge and understanding of the teaching and learning processes associated with the fundamentals of nursing (FoN) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The focus is on exploring the social interaction dynamics between nursing educators and students. The objective is to provide insights into these social processes and ultimately formulate a theory that can guide and direct the practice of teaching and learning the FoN.
Methodology: In this research, I followed the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) by Charmaz. Encounters between educators and students in educational settings are viewed as social processes, and CGT aids in understanding their main concerns. CGT is constructed through the researcher’s past and present interactions, acknowledging their role in co-constructing reality. It maintains the rigor of GT while promoting openness, reflexivity, and empathy. CGT’s contributions are notable in understudied domains. I adopted this method to allow educators and students to share their perspectives and highlight significant issues. Participants’ actions and meanings will be situated within social structures, reflecting social conventions and beliefs. This approach clarifies the relationship between nursing educators and students in Saudi Arabia, aiming to produce a middle-range theory that guides teaching and learning practices at the Faculty of Nursing. It emphasizes the social aspect of the phenomena, focusing on interpretive and dialogic interactions among nursing students, educators, and the researcher. Data collection in GT involved utilizing three methods, encompassing documents, interviews, and observations for triangulation. For documents, official materials pertaining to teaching philosophy, course descriptions, and regulations were gathered, excluding personally identifiable information. These documents served as a foundation for subsequent interviews and observations. Semi-structured interviews, following Charmaz’s recommendations, were conducted with nursing students and educators. Two rounds of interviews were conducted, comprising 12 with educators and 9 with students and will continue as data collection is ongoing. Observations focused on teaching and learning processes in classrooms and training centers/labs. Schedules were aligned with course timetables, and detailed field notes were transcribed for analysis. This comprehensive approach aimed to ensure methodological rigor in GT development by providing a nuanced understanding of FoN teaching and learning. Observation continued for 2 months and will continue as data collection is ongoing. Following Charmaz’s approach, the data analysis began with contextual positioning using documents to refine interview questions. Line-by-line coding and gerunds for participant actions were applied to interview data, while incident-by-incident coding was used for observation field notes. Memos aided in transitioning from codes to categories, with focused coding organizing codes by relationships. Theoretical sampling refined categories and achieved data saturation. In the study conducted in SA, Arabic serves as the primary language for both researcher and participants, preserving the mother tongue’s ontological value in representing cultural meanings and contextual nuances. The GT analytical process is non-linear, adaptable, and active, supported by diagrams. NVivo 14 assists in organizing and analyzing data, with descriptive analysis used for demographic data.
Conclusion: The analysis phase is ongoing, and definitive conclusions have not yet been reached.
ABSTRACT No. 27
TITLE: Interviewing Without Recording in Classic Grounded Theory
AUTHORS: David S Jackson
AFFILIATION: Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Glaser’s direction on recording interviews in Classic Grounded Theory was unambiguous: “DO NOT TAPE INTERVIEWS” (Glaser 1998). The advent of ubiquitous digital recording devices, and Artificial Intelligence powered transcription systems, means that some traditional arguments against recording of bulky equipment (Schreiber, Stern, et al. 2001) or transcription delays (Glaser 2001) have become irrelevant. Against this background, the notion that a novice researcher would not record interviews and have them transcribed has been described as too risky (Fernández 2003), contrary to some ethics committee requirements (Sumner2021) and even ‘anathema’ to present day institutional requirements (Timonen, Foley, and Conlon 2018). In this paper, I suggest that the argument isn’t over yet, and that ‘naked’ interviewing is able to deliver the advantages that Glaser suggested, prioritise interviewee comfort (Hopkins and Booth 2021) and produce data that is of equal or greater value to transcriptions (Rutakumwa et al. 2020). Crucially, as one of Glaser’s correspondents points out, not recording breaks down the unhelpful distinctions between a chat, discussion or a “legitimate” interview (Glaser 2001). After having read Glaser’s books, students still need procedural examples to help them make arguments to follow the requirements of Classic Grounded Theory (Glaser 2015). By providing examples from my own experience of conducting a Classic Grounded Theory study without recording, I address practical questions of accuracy, concentration and recollection, the importance of writing immediately after the interview (Hayes and Mattimoe 2004) and, as Strauss did, using a recording device to voice note when leaving the scene or when ideas come quicker than we can type (Morse et al. 2016). Far from demonising the notion of transcribing interviews, I briefly highlight some of documented benefits of taping. I conclude that researchers using Classic Grounded Theory should think carefully about how to collect interview data, reach out to others to learn about their experiences, and make their decision based on a balanced assessment of the pros and cons.
ABSTRACT No. 28
TITLE: Situational Analysis: A Process-Analytical Approach to the Quadruple Helix, a Focus on Arenas/Social Worlds
AUTHORS: Hooreya Hafedh, Ana Cristina Vasconcelos
AFFILIATION: Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain; University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Grounded Theory is particularly suited for developing theories of process, action, and interaction grounded in the views of participants (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). It enables researchers to enter the participant’s world (Clarke, 2005), and “elicit a fresh understanding about relationships, their patterns, and how interactions actively construct reality” (Villasana, 2011). This study adopted a version of Grounded Theory, Situational Analysis (Clarke, 2005) to obtain a thorough understanding of the various interconnections inside a Quadruple Helix (QH) setting involving multiple actors and how these interactions shape the collaborative processes as they unfold. Situational Analysis was proposed as an extension of grounded theory by Clarke (2005), using Strauss’s Arenas/Social Worlds Theory as an underpinning theoretical framework. This entails taking situations as the unit of analysis, with the aid of “three kinds of maps in situational analysis (situational and relational, social worlds/arenas, and positional maps)” (Clarke et al., 2017). The Situational Analysis approach was found to make a significant methodological contribution to the study of complex interactions in a QH setting in three ways. First, Situational Analysis applies the rigorous systematic method of grounded theory to qualitative analysis (Clarke, 2005). The researcher thoroughly examined the data and ensured that the concepts and categories were “grounded in data” by employing grounded theory approaches such as “constant comparative analysis” (Glaser & Holton, 2004). The mapping strategies were used to explore the various facets of the situation being investigated (Clarke, 2005). The maps contributed to constructing a substantive theory to depict the implications of action and interaction in the QH framework and the role of innovation intermediaries in managing them. Second, in terms of importance and significance, Situational Analysis focuses on the discourses that comprise the situation, as well as how collective actors construct meanings and commitments (Clarke, 2005). This paper proposes that applying a process-analytical approach (Popa et al., 2020) to the QH (Carayannis & Campbell, 2009), focused on arenas/social worlds (Clarke, 2005), can assist overcome operationalisation concerns that are frequently related with a stakeholder-analytical perspective (Popa et al., 2020). It also emphasises the importance of investigating collaborative tensions and frictions at the micro-level (Cunningham et al., 2018). Situational Analysis uses numerous analytical maps to create distinct visualisations of the micro-processes that constitute a situation, as well as how the different helices emerge and unfold throughout time. Third, Situational Analysis allows for an open and explicit discussion of the role of power in structuring interactions between the various helices. According to (Arnkil et al., 2010), QH literature rarely addresses power issues. Situational Analysis appeared useful here since it helps investigate critical components of interaction (Clarke et al., 2017) and recognise significant silences (Mathar, 2008). The mapping helps extend beyond the interview transcripts and highlight marginalised views (Rachel et al., 2020). Situational Analysis can thus be considered as more inclusive of different actors in terms of representation, with a considerable voice afforded to the less powerful worlds (Clarke, 2005). Overall, the paper presents an application case that may be valuable to other researchers considering using Grounded Theory processes and utilising analytic mapping tools to develop theory.
ABSTRACT No. 29
TITLE: Navigating Ethical Considerations in Grounded Theory Research
AUTHORS: Louise I Lynch-O’Brien, Wayne A. Babchuk
AFFILIATION: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, USA
ABSTRACT
Navigating the complex landscape of ethical research from its tumultuous WWII origins to today’s stringent standards presents both historical insights and contemporary challenges. The atrocities of medical experiments during WWII heightened public interest in research ethics, leading to the Nuremberg Code (1948) and the World Medical Association’s codification of ten guidelines for medical research on human subjects, later followed by the Declaration of Helsinki (1964) offering its own set of ethical principles. In the U.S., the 1974 National Research Act was pivotal, leading to the creation of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to oversee research at federally funded institutions and the Belmont Report (1979) which outlined principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. By the 1980s, most professional scholarly associations had developed ethical codes emphasizing informed consent, avoiding deception, and ensuring privacy, confidentiality, and accuracy. Consequently, qualitative research with human participants became subject to ethics review board approval, with researchers emphasizing the unique ethical considerations of qualitative designs. Few of the earliest grounded theory publications, however, some pre-dating the Belmont Report, explicitly addressed the ethics of the research or offered ethical guidelines. This began to change with the increasing focus on ethical review board requirements. Several contemporary grounded theorists have written on the conduct of grounded theory research and overlapping ethical considerations with other forms of qualitative research, focusing on challenges associated with the unique attributes of grounded theory’s theory-method package. Along these lines, grounded theory researchers have addressed ethical considerations across a range of subject areas and settings including social justice issues, critical grounded theory, feminist research, and research with special or vulnerable populations. Drawing upon this research corpus and our own field experience both conducting grounded theory and teaching and mentoring graduate students in qualitative research and grounded theory, we explore issues relating to ethical review and gaining access, meeting IRB requirements, obtaining informed consent, ensuring participant protection, privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity, building rapport and trust, sampling strategies, data collection and analysis, and publishing grounded theory research. We provide an example of a grounded theory doctoral dissertation conducted by the first author and the ethical procedures, challenges, and strategies she employed to meet ethical requirements throughout the research. We conclude with implications of this research and consider future directions of the ethics of grounded theory research.
ABSTRACT No. 30
TITLE: Moving Between Trust Contexts in Maternity Care: Utilising Case Histories to Illustrate the Application of a Classic Grounded Theory to the Substantive Area
AUTHORS: Julika Hudson
AFFILIATION: Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
ABSTRACT
Background: The theory of ‘Trust Contexts’ was discovered during a doctoral study of women receiving maternity care in Ireland. Doctoral Students can struggle to produce a theoretical write up of their emerging theory staying true to the tenets of Classic Grounded Theory and meeting the requirements of their institution’s PhD programme. Glaser and Strauss wrote extensively about the discovery of Grounded Theory while studying dying in hospitals in the 1960s. While their writing about the awareness contexts and dying trajectories are widely discussed, their collection of monographs includes the perhaps lesser-known case history Anguish – A Case History of a Dying Trajectory illustrating how case histories can be used to apply a grounded theory to the substantive area.
Aims and Objectives: To manage a theoretical write up that is in line with Classic Grounded Theory, while meeting the requirements of a ‘Findings’ chapter to receive a doctoral degree. The aim was to use two case histories from the data to highlight problems in the delivery of maternity care that exist in a multitude of similar stories to suggest how the theory can be utilised to handle these issues.
Design: Two case histories were utilised illustrating the path of a woman’s journey through the Irish maternity service from one Trust Context to another.
Methods: The case histories tell the case of moving from Mistrust to Blind Trust and from Nascent Trust to Mutual Trust, using a composite of several participants, portrayed through two characters, reflecting the circumstances and real stories that were shared by women during the research. Direct quotes from the thirty interviews were used in the character’s storylines.
Results: The case histories illustrate the Theory of Trust Contexts in practice and how women can move from one Trust Context to another. ‘Seeking Safety’ was identified as a main concern of participants, which they resolve by ‘Mitigating Vulnerability’. Four distinct ‘Trust Contexts’ emerged from the data. ‘Blind Trust’, ‘Nascent Trust’, ‘Mutual Trust’ and ‘Mistrust’ are contexts created in healthcare interactions between women, who have different degrees of vulnerability and their healthcare providers that are more adherent or less adherent to ‘Protocolised Caring’. Each context has different consequences for the vulnerability of the women, their ability to exercise agency, how they place trust and if ‘Protocolised Caring’ is normalised or challenged. The two case histories apply the theory of ‘Trust Contexts’ to the substantive area of Maternity Care in Ireland and illustrate how women can move from one Trust Context to another.
Conclusion: The theory of ‘Trust Contexts’ explains how through changing attitudes, behaviours, or conditions the context of the interaction can be altered. The application of Trust Contexts to women’s experiences of maternity care in more detail increases the understanding of the theory and demonstrate how it can be used to alter the context. The write up remains in line with Classic Grounded theory and meets the requirements for a ‘findings’ chapter as prescribed by the doctoral programme.
ABSTRACT No. 31
TITLE: A Grounded Theory Exploration of the Delays to Diagnosis of Endometriosis in the United Kingdom
AUTHORS: Babu Karavadra, Edward Morris, Gabrielle Thopre, Joanna Semlyen
AFFILIATION: University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom; Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, Norwich, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
In the United Kingdom, the average time to diagnosis of endometriosis, a common gynaecological condition, is 8 years. The aim of this classic ground theory was to explore the reasons for the delay to diagnosis of endometriosis from the perspectives of patients. The study initially involved semi-structured, recorded interviews with 15 diagnosed women. These data were open coded using constant comparison. Theoretical sampling was undertaken through 3 focus groups with a total of 15 healthcare professionals (HCPs), and these data were selectively coded to achieve saturation of concepts. Memos were written throughout the analytic process and memo-sorting suggested Strauss’ coding paradigm as a useful, organising theoretical code. The theory developed explains how women with undiagnosed endometriosis grapple with a deteriorating quality of life (“fracturing life”) through a process of “making sense” of their experiences, and highlights the key role of social interactions in shaping women’s health-seeking behaviours. The way in which a woman seeks to make sense depends upon the context of refusal, disbelief or belief arising from her interactions with others. These three contexts are created in the moment by the actions and interactions between the women and significant others, friends, strangers and/or HCPs and are shaped by the perceived power dynamics operating within each encounter. The contexts of refusal and disbelief are also both heavily influenced by the social constructs of menstruation and the impact of taboo associated with this. In the face of the constraining behaviours of others, the women’s experiences within and transitions between the three contexts and their journey through the process of diagnosis depends on a number of key influencing factors. These include their perception of their female identity; their investigative behaviours (especially: ignoring, normalising and coping); and their perception of the risk of harm and consequent propensity to seek help (both non-medical and medical). This original contribution offers a unique perspective on pre-diagnosis experiences of women with endometriosis. It provides a framework for improving diagnosis by addressing social and psychological factors alongside medical considerations and can be used to alleviate structural discrimination and encourage collaboration within and among professional bodies and patient groups to facilitate referral and diagnosis. This theory organises the highly fragmented focal literature, which tends to focus on individual factors associated with delay to diagnosis in isolation. By contrast, this theory emphasises the interdependency of these factors. This dynamic understanding enables us to identify what we must change about the process of diagnosis to support female identity and reduce the delays to diagnosis in a way that the extant literature fails to do in a coherent and integrated manner. This multivariate theory also contributes to the literature of health seeking behaviours; symptom normalisation, female identify, stigma and the social constructs of menstruation.
ABSTRACT No. 32
TITLE: Using Grounded Theory and Action Research for Addressing Complex Fragmented Problems in Higher Education and Beyond
AUTHORS: Lesley Boyd
AFFILIATION: Independent / Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
This presentation shares my interdisciplinary PhD research (Boyd, 2022) at the UK Open University. It explores how collaborative learning technology can be used to support geographically separated practitioners to learn about and actively improve complex fragmented challenging situations, in Higher Education and beyond. The research concluded and evidenced that this can be achieved within an emergent and equitable but theoretically rigorous process. The work has potential applications for other contexts in education, health, public services and international development. As a dedicated distance learning HE context, the project was situated in a Year 2 STEM module which was facing retention and progression challenges. I combined Glaserian grounded theory (Urquhart, 2013) and insider action research (Coghlan, 2019) to gather and integrate professional insights and experiences from geographically separated and disparate OU practitioners including remote tutors, the module team and the students. Connected by a learning technology infrastructure, the project both facilitated and conceptualised a process for inclusively identifying issues, suggesting improvement interventions, evaluating and reflecting on the overall mutual learning. A diagram of essential GTM procedures (Chun Tie, Birks and Francis, 2019) illustrates that both action research (AR) and GTM follow an iterative or cyclical process. Urquhart (2013, p.68) comments on ‘a natural synergy between the idea of theoretical sampling and action research’, but warns that ‘to do an action research study using GTM is complex, but not impossible’. This successful project produced both an ‘enacting’ theoretical framework (Sandberg and Alvesson, 2020), and a series of significant and developmental impacts for the module in question. Three successive action research cycles were underpinned with iterative conceptualisation of the unfolding process. I used integrative diagrams (Urquhart, 2013) to visually review the emerging analytical categories and relationships. The analysis ultimately produced a Glaserian grounded theory, with a core category which integrated a number of sub-categories related to it via critically considered theoretical codes. Within my Pragmatic approach, I treated theoretical sampling as ‘action following earlier inquiry’ (Morgan, 2020, p.70), and undertook this and constant comparison across the successive AR cycles. I will describe the iterative conceptualisation, the choice and adaption of theoretical codes and integration of the theory. I will also share a further initiative to support the continued extension and verification of the framework categories and relationships for other contexts, using an OER (open educational resource).
References
Boyd, L. (2022) Using technology-enabled learning networks to achieve practical improvement outcomes in the UK Open University. The Open University. Available at: https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.00014a0f.
Chun Tie, Y., Birks, M. and Francis, K. (2019) ‘Grounded theory research: A design framework for novice researchers’, SAGE Open Medicine, 7. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312118822927.
Coghlan, D. (2019) Doing Action Research in Your Own Organisation. 5th edn. London: SAGE Publications.
Morgan, D.L. (2020) ‘Pragmatism as a Basis for Grounded Theory’, The Qualitative Report, 25(1), pp. 64–73. Available at: https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2020.3993.
Sandberg, J. and Alvesson, M. (2020) ‘Meanings of Theory: Clarifying Theory through Typification’, Journal of Management Studies. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12587.
Urquhart, C. (2013) Grounded Theory for Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide. London: SAGE Publications.
ABSTRACT No. 33
TITLE: Integrating Musical Data into Grounded Theory Analysis: An Exploration of Compatibility with Music Therapy Microanalysis Approaches
AUTHORS: Francis J Myerscough
AFFILIATION: Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Glaser (2007) famously claimed that “all is data”. Theorists from more recent Grounded Theory variants have made links with art forms and analytical approaches stemming from creative traditions: Clarke (2005) provides guidance for including visual data in Situational Analysis research, while Charmaz (2014) draws on dramaturgical analysis to consider how a grounded theorist might analyse action and non-verbal communication. However, when surveying Grounded Theory literature, I have not (yet) found an exploration of how musical data can be incorporated into the methodology. Neither have I found links to Grounded Theory made by music analysts. Due to the lack of explicit discussion of musical data across Grounded Theory variants, I deliberately take a broad-brush approach in my discussion of how musical data might be integrated into an analysis. Grounded Theory Methodologies are used by some music therapist researchers (Daveson, 2016), including in modified forms in the field of music therapy microanalysis (Edwards and Kennelly 2004; Ortlieb et al 2007). Wosch and Wigram (2007, p. 22) define music therapy microanalysis as follows: Microanalysis is a detailed method investigating microprocesses. Microprocesses are processes and changes/progressions within one session of music therapy. The amount of time can be one minute (moment) or five minutes (therapy event) of one session, one clinical improvisation (episode), or one complete session. To analyze process over time, several microanalyses can be undertaken to look at several events. Researching the co-production of arts therapies provision, I aim for my data to provide a naturalistic representation of the field sites I visit (Beuving and de Vries, 2015). These are settings which offer arts-based therapy provision, so I argue a naturalistic representation should include arts-based data (McNiff, 1998). Drawing on my professional background as a music therapist, I plan to collect musical data at field sites through a video-recorded group music-making session. The video recording will serve as raw data to be transcribed and analysed using music therapy microanalysis approaches in keeping with the overarching Grounded Theory Methodology. But what does this actually mean? How can musical data be integrated and contribute to a broader grounded theory? While Edwards and Kennelly (2004) and Ortlieb et al (2007) draw on Grounded Theory Methodology, neither team raises their analysis to the level of theory. In addition, Ortlieb et al’s (2007) method uses open coding to analyse verbal descriptions of improvised music, rather than applying the principle directly to the musical data; to integrate musical data into a grounded theory analysis in the manner I aim for therefore also appears to be novel within music therapy microanalysis literature. In this presentation, I discuss points of compatibility between Grounded Theory and music therapy microanalysis found in the literature of each methodology. Microanalysis approaches described by Lee (2000), and Holck (2007) provide two examples which, while not situated in a Grounded Theory tradition, employ processes parallel to principles of Grounded Theory Methodology. Based on my comparison of literature from the methodologies, I summarise the approach I intend to bring to musical data in my research. Principles discussed include transcription and application of music analysis techniques led by the data and emergent theory, and making comparisons between different modalities of data – in particular between music, observation, and words.
ABSTRACT No. 34
TITLE: Navigating a New Role: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach to Exploring Nursing Integration in Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Intensive Care Unit
AUTHORS: Junel Padigos, Simon Reid, Emma Kirby, Jennifer Broom
AFFILIATION: Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, Queensland, Australia; The University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Griffith University, Queensland, Australia
ABSTRACT
Introduction: With the global threat of antimicrobial resistance, optimising antimicrobial use is imperative. The role of nurses in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), particularly in areas with high antimicrobial use such as the intensive care unit (ICU) remains under-researched. Nurses are a large workforce that could support antimicrobial optimisation.
Objectives: To understand the process involved for nurses on integrating into a new role in antimicrobial stewardship based on the experiences and perspectives of ICU clinicians surrounding antimicrobial use and decision-making, focusing on the roles of nurses (current and potential).
Methods: Using constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology, semi-structured face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with 36 clinicians (nurses, doctors, a pharmacist and AMS team members) in two public hospital ICUs in Queensland, Australia between 2021 and 2023. CGT was used to gain a theoretical understanding of the process involved in the integration of AMS in the role of a nurse. Grounded theory methods used in this study included initial coding, focused coding, memo-writing, reflexivity, theoretical sensitivity, theoretical sampling, theory generation and the use of a storyline.
Results: Qualitative analysis identified key needs and challenges such as the level of knowledge, time constraints, communication barriers, moral conflicts, hierarchical structures and lack of psychological safety. Facilitators included acknowledging these barriers, use of interprofessional collaborative practice and targeted education programs. These findings are presented within derived themes related to “Navigating a new role”, which describes and explains the process and the elements impacting the assimilation of a new role in antimicrobial optimisation within the context of ICU nursing. Specifically, the thematic findings include: (1) understanding nursing context in AMS, (2) organisational processes/structures and key players, (3) implementation scheme with nurses in AMS, (4) sustaining AMS in nursing, and (5) stewardship of the role. The core category “Navigating a new role” was metaphorically presented as “Building a bonfire in a newfound cave” which illustrates a structured process aimed at ensuring sustainability of AMS in the context of nursing, and the factors that impact the assimilation of a new role in the ICU.
Conclusion: Inclusive practice, AMS education/training, interprofessional collaborative practice and a psychologically safe workplace are key to nursing empowerment in AMS within the ICU and should be considered in designing policies for antimicrobial optimisation in this context. A theoretical understanding of the process of integration to a new role was developed.
ABSTRACT No. 35
TITLE: How Older Adults Navigate Their Frailty-Related Concerns: A Grounded Theory
AUTHORS: Sarah Small
AFFILIATION: University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Over the past two decades, the UK has seen a rise in frailty services to address concerns over the growing number of older adults facing significant health challenges. Frailty, commonly used in healthcare to identify individuals at risk of adverse outcomes, has traditionally been understood through a biomedical and deficit focussed lens, where older adults are often excluded from discussions. Limited research indicates that older adults do not like or identify with frailty labels. Despite this, there is a lack of research exploring older adults concerns when thinking or talking about frailty. It was the aim of this study to explore these concerns through using Classic Grounded Theory. Known for its robust methodology and for generating theories from data, CGT offers the most appropriate platform to uncover these insights and to discover how older adults navigate their concerns related to frailty. Adhering to the principles of Glaser’s and Strauss’s CGT methodology, data were collected through in-depth interviews with older adults. The coding process involved breaking down the data through open coding and identifying the core category, followed by selective coding and theoretical coding to integrate the fractured data into a coherent whole that captured participants’ strategies for dealing with their frailty-related concerns. Throughout data analysis, this study used the principles of constant comparative analysis and memoing to explore relationships between emerging concepts. The participants’ primary concern was the disruptive influence of external pressures—including such things as healthcare experiences, reflections on ageing, and societal expectations—on their process of maintaining internal stability. The emerging theory identifies this core process as “homeostasing,” characterised by two main strategies: vitalising and othering. Vitalising involves embracing life’s opportunities, showcasing personal strengths, contextualising experiences, connecting with others, and self-empowerment. These processes validate participants’ strength and vitality, mitigating the negative impact of external challenges. For instance, empowering behaviour might involve responding with anger to a disruptor or demonstrating abilities that showcase strength and harness opportunities presented by factors such as retirement. In othering, participants differentiate themselves from frailty (or people they perceive as frail) through characterising, separating, and solving. They identify and distance themselves from frailty traits, viewing them as future concerns or issues affecting others. When they do identify with certain aspects, they maintain that they are different from those they see with similar traits or label a specific part of their body as frail, rather than themselves as a whole. The emerging theory explores the processes of self-renewal and regulation to maintain structural integrity against external pressures. This self-organising process is crucial for adaptability and maintaining participants’ well-being. This study significantly contributes to CGT by offering an emerging theory that highlights the processes older adults use to self-regulate and maintain stability when thinking and talking about frailty. This insight is unique in frailty-related literature, moving beyond current knowledge about older adults’ perceptions of frailty to a deeper understanding of the processes regulating their responses, offering a novel and valuable perspective. Keywords: Classic Grounded Theory, Older Adults, Frailty, Healthcare
ABSTRACT No. 37
TITLE: A Novel, Human-in-the-Loop Computational Grounded Theory Framework for Big Social Data
AUTHORS: Lama Alqazlan
AFFILIATION: University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
The availability of big social data has had a substantial influence on the possibilities and methodological choices for conducting large-scale social science research. Within the context of Grounded Theory (GT), the challenge lies in the fact that this conventional method requires intensive manual labour and is often impossible to apply to large datasets. An effective approach to addressing this challenge involves incorporating emerging computational methods such as Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to scale up the analysis process, which has the potential to revolutionise the way qualitative research is conducted on big datasets. Techniques like Topic Modelling (TM) have proven highly effective in this context, offering an inductive and meaningful approach to identifying patterns within the data, thereby assisting researchers in the process of coding. This will enhance the analytical capabilities and thus obtain precise and meaningful insights from the data to build new social theories. Nonetheless, it remains vital to maintain the robustness of conventional methods, which typically entail a thorough examination of the data at hand. Therefore, I propose a novel methodological framework (see the attached chart) for applying computational grounded theory (CGT) that supports the analysis of large qualitative datasets while maintaining the rigour of the established GT methodology. Firstly, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Query-driven topic model (QDTM) techniques are used to support coding big datasets. Furthermore, the QDTM classifies the topics in a hierarchical structure which supports the application of constant comparison by presenting the researcher with related codes together. This framework formulates sub-codes within each topic by revisiting the dataset and trying to find all relevant subtopics, which we argue will support theoretical saturation and decrease the need for extensive theoretical sampling. The framework also provides clear guidelines on how other core principles of GT can be applied when employing computational tools. Secondly, the framework takes into account the trustworthiness of results when computational tools are used to construct new social theories. We argue that confidence in the credibility and robustness of results necessitates the adoption of a ‘human-in-the-loop’ approach. That is, to have the researcher present in each step of the analysis to ensure quality, validate and evaluate the results obtained from the computational tools, and add interpretation to the analysis. This approach provides researchers with control over the analytical process rather than fully automating their interaction with the data. To illustrate the value of the framework and its application in practice, a case study aimed at understanding the working experiences of tutors in the gig economy was conducted. The data source was Reddit, and the dataset we built contains about 53K posts and comments from tutor discussions. The theory posits that the main concern of tutors is staying financially afloat, and they engage in persisting behaviours to resolve this concern. This study’s focus on an understudied group makes it an important contribution to research into the gig economy while also demonstrating the potential of the proposed novel approach to CGT.
ABSTRACT No. 38
TITLE: The Role-Playing Route to Belonging: A Constructivist Grounded Theory of Autistic Adults’ Experiences with Tabletop Role-Playing Games
AUTHORS: Tanwen B Ward
AFFILIATION: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
ABSTRACT
Background & Aims: This presentation shares the culmination of a doctoral constructivist grounded theory study which delved into autistic adults’ experiences of tabletop role-playing games (TRPGs). Identity-first language, autistic adults, was used upon recommendation by autistic activists and researchers. TRPGs, such as Dungeons and Dragons, are a growing area of academic interest especially within sociology and psychology. Psychological research increasingly focuses on the potential of TRPGs as a therapeutic tool, aiding in social skill development for autistic youth and providing emotional support for gifted teens. A range of therapeutic TRPG interventions have been developed, often targeting autistic and other neurodivergent individuals. Given the financial burdens autistic adults often experience, therapeutic services can be difficult to access. In addition, autistic adults have expressed interest in research that offers practical strategies to support daily living, improves public awareness, and challenges deficit-focused representations of autism. Despite the growing body of research on the therapeutic applications of TRPGs, the personal stories of autistic adults’ experiences of playing TRPGs remain untold. Understanding their motivations and experiences could not only lay the groundwork for new therapeutic applications but more importantly, offer self-supported alternatives to formal interventions.
Methodology & Methods: Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory was utilised for it’s methodological congruence with the principles of critical autism studies. Thirteen autistic adults from Aotearoa New Zealand, aged 18 to 65, engaged in semi-structured interviews between 2020 and 2021. This rich dialogue yielded an abundance of qualitative insights, which were analysed through the iterative processes of memo writing, coding, and constant comparative analysis, culminating in the substantive theory: the Journey of Belonging.
Conceptualisation/Theory Development: The Journey of Belonging captures a social process in which TRPG engagement can foster a profound sense of belonging among autistic adults. This process unfolds across six pivotal stages: connecting, participating, committing, supporting, strengthening bonds, and building understanding. It begins with connecting, where interests in TRPGs are sparked and community ties offer opportunities for engagement. Connecting leads into participating, where gameplay, enjoyment and expansion into related pursuits take centre stage. Participating is facilitated and enhanced by committing, involving personal dedication and navigation of group dynamics, and supporting, emphasising the acknowledgement, acceptance and accommodation of individual differences. These stages pave the way for deeper TRPG engagement: strengthening bonds through sharing experiences, interests and identities, and building understanding through expression and experimentation within the in-game experience. The culmination of this process is a layered group identity and an enriched sense of personal belonging, fostering individual growth, self-awareness, and acceptance.
Conclusions: This theory illustrates the transformative power of TRPGs in the lives of autistic adults, highlighting a path to belonging that intertwines social connection with personal discovery. The Journey of Belonging not only may inform potential therapeutic strategies but also empower autistic adults to find support within their own narratives and communities.
ABSTRACT No. 39
TITLE: Grounded Theory Developments: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice
AUTHORS: Kristina Edman, Anna W Gustafsson, Carin B Cuadra
AFFILIATION: Department of Social Work, Malmö University, Malmö, Sweden; The Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
ABSTRACT
Background and Purpose: There is a well-documented gap between research results and their practical application (e.g., Cicourel). While significant studies are conducted and important results are generated, their implementation in real-world settings remains insufficient. The research-practice gap also holds true in the fields of child and family social work dialogues and psychotherapy (e.g., Midgley, 2004). In response, we designed a study to address this gap (Edman et al., 2024).
Method: Our analytic procedure adhered to Charmaz’ constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014) and incorporated grounded theory storyline (Birks and Mills, 2019; Birks and Mills, 2023). Through memo writing, we strived to balance our desire to construct a theory and generate results that resonate with practitioners. That is, we used memos to achieve a level of ABSTRACTion that was both theoretical and practical. In addition, we used data of practice, rather than about it. The dataset consisted of 16 extant audiovisual recordings of naturally occurring child and family therapy sessions and 24 stimulated-recall interviews with participants from the recordings. During the interviews, the participants watched and identified sequences of involvement and non-involvement (our overarching research interest) in their own recordings. The participants pointed to 367 sequences, which we coded along with detailed notes on their comments on the sequences.
Contributions: Our study illustrates how grounded theory techniques in combination with extant data of practice can help bridge the gap between research and practice. By attending to extant audiovisual recordings of naturally occurring practices and grounding interviews in these recordings, we have aimed to foster a strong connection between research and practice. Additionally, memo writing enabled us to construct a grounded theory that resonates with practitioners.
Conclusion: Memo-writing can be used to balance theoretical ABSTRACTion and practical relevance. By combining extant audiovisual recordings with stimulated recall interviews, we invite grounded theory researchers to explore new data types and ways of grounding emergent theories in practice. Additionally, our detailed examination of interactional elements offers insights that complement Charmaz’s constructivist perspective, suggesting a constructionist alternative.
References
Birks, M., & Mills, J. (2019). Rendering an analysis through storyline. In A. Bryand & K.
Charmaz (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of current developments in grounded theory (pp. 243–258). SAGE Publications.
Birks, M. & Mills, J. (2023). Grounded theory: a practical guide. (3rd edition). SAGE
Publications.
Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Charmaz, K., & Thornberg, R. (2021). The pursuit of quality in grounded theory.
Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 305–327.
Cicourel, A. (1982). Interviews, surveys, and the problem of ecological validity. The
American Sociologist, 17(1), 11–20.
Edman, K., Gustafsson, A. W., & Cuadra, C. B. (2024). Facilitating Children’s In-Session
Involvement in Child and Family Therapies: A Dynamic Framework of Clinical Practices. Psychotherapy, 61(1), 55–67.
Midgley, N. (2004). Sailing between Scylla and Charybdis: Incorporating qualitative
approaches into child psychotherapy research. Journal of Child Psychotherapy, 30(1), 89–111.
ABSTRACT No. 44
TITLE: Panel: Preparing for Your Grounded Theory PhD Viva
AUTHORS: Tom Andrews, Anne-Marie Martin, Tiziana Sala Defilippis, Michael Thomas, Cathy Urquhart
AFFILIATION: University College Cork, Cork, Ireland; SUPSI, Manno, Switzerland; University of Illinois, Chicago, USA; Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Dr Tom Andrews will host a panel discussion on preparing for your grounded theory PhD viva. Members of the panel include Professor Cathy Urquhart, Dr Anne-Marie Martin and Dr Tiziana Sala.
ABSTRACT No. 45
TITLE: Discussion: Moving Forward with Grounded Theory
AUTHORS: Antony Bryant
AFFILIATION: Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Professor Antony Bryant will lead the concluding session of the conference, which will seek to bring together key issues.
ABSTRACT No. 46
TITLE: Response Panel: The Future of Grounded Theory: A Response to Professor Barry Gibson
AUTHORS: Elaine Keane, Vivian B Martin, Cathy Urquhart, Shehr Bano Zaidi
AFFILIATION: University of Galway, Galway, Ireland; Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, USA; Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom; National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad, Pakistan
ABSTRACT
This panel responds to Barry Gibson’s earlier presentation. Shehr Bano, Elaine Keane and Vivian Martin give their perspectives firstly from the position of someone who has used grounded theory for their PhD recently (Shehr Bano), as someone who takes constructivist perspective on grounded theory (Elaine), and as someone who is a long time practitioner of classic grounded (Vivian). Shehr Bano will give us a way into the paper by applying Bakker’s (2019) three categories of m, method or methodology with a small ‘m’, referring to routinized techniques and strategies, such as constant comparison, M Methodology with a capital M, covering broader issues concerning the frame of analysis or ‘logic of method’ and finally, Mg, the most ABSTRACT level dealing with issues related to epistemology, ontology, axiology and validity. Coming from a constructivist perspective, and especially Kathy Charmaz’s work, Elaine Keane responds to several of the key points in Barry’s paper, particularly relating to issues to researcher positionality, and core processes of grounded theory that are frequently misrepresented and misused by researchers attempting to use the methodology. Vivian Martin will take as her starting point Glaser’s view that there can be too much ‘methodological wrestling’ and will discuss how the paper illustrates both the need for and pitfalls of the ongoing ‘wrestling’ discourse in grounded theory.ABSTRACT No. 47
TITLE: Dialogue: Theorising the Pandemic
AUTHORS: Antony Bryant, Vivian B Martin
AFFILIATION: Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom; Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, USA
ABSTRACT
In 2020, in the early months of the COVID pandemic, Vivian Martin sent out an email to a select group of Grounded Theorists suggesting they get together online to discuss ways in which GTM could be used to ‘theorize the pandemic’. For various reasons this aspect stalled, although the group moved on to collaborate in several key projects including the GT Futures Conference! The motivation to use GTM to theorize the pandemic, however, has not abated. Indeed, now that we are four years into the ‘new normal’ of living with COVID, the necessity to develop meaningful and effective perspectives on the pandemic and the post-pandemic era are more important than ever. This session will take the form of a dialogue between Tony Bryant and Vivian Martin looking at the ways in which the pandemic can be understood using three well-established grounded theories, anticipating that this will prompt other researchers to develop GT-oriented models and theories about key aspects of living through and beyond the pandemic.
ABSTRACT No. 48
TITLE: Translating for Grounded Theory
AUTHORS: Ulrika Sanden, Francesca Goi, Kenichi Shimura, Massimiliano Tarozzi, Hans Thulesius
AFFILIATION: Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Business Science Institute, Luxembourg, Luxembourg; Toyo University, Bunkyō, Japan; University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
ABSTRACT
This panel comprises doctoral candidate, author and journalist Francesca Goi, Dr Kenichi Shimura, Professor Massimiliano Tarozzi and Dr Hans Thulesius. The panel will discuss developing grounded theory across languages, translation as part of theory development, translating text for scholarly publications and translating seminal texts.
ABSTRACT No. 49
TITLE: Mental Marathon or Mellow Mood: Understanding the Meanings and Connotations of Mental Fitness
AUTHORS: Charmaine Hugo
AFFILIATION: The University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia
ABSTRACT
The term ‘mental fitness’ has been used since at least the early 1800s, initially representing the capacity to appreciate freedom within a moral framework (Gilchrist, 1814). Over time, it has evolved to encompass mental capacity, resilience, mental health, self-actualisation, and more. Introduced as a neutral term to the wellbeing field by Dorothea McCarthy in mid-1900s (McCarthy, 1964), it has since been applied across various disciplines like education, medicine, law, and sports science. Despite its broad usage, and a seminal study by Robinson and colleagues (2015) focusing on positive psychology, a gap in understanding remains. This presentation aims to address that gap.