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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Introduction

This chapter outlines the methodology of the research for this paper. According to Spyros

(2014), in a research methodology, the author describes the strategy of the study, the process of

the research, the method and the approach employed by the survey. He also stated that this

chapter outlines the methods and the tools of data collection, the sample selection technique, and

the data analysis techniques employed by the study. According to the study, the chapter also

outlines the limitations, shortcomings, and ethical considerations of the study.

Furthermore, according to Saunders et al. (2007), research methodology is adopted in order to

complete the study scientifically. They detailed that research methodology is a scientific way in

which the research problems are solved. The study also stated that the philosophical and the

theoretical assumptions of the study are met by the methodology; hence, it is a concept of how

the research ought to be undertaken. It also outlines how the insinuations of these methods

adopted ought to be addressed.

Research design

A research design gives the purpose and methods of the research's planned decisions. This is

according to Sue & Ventus (2008), where they stated the research methods like the use of

questionnaires, interviews, observations, and focus groups. The study stated that the research

design gives how the methods are measured and the ethical discussions of the processes on the

reliability and validity.

A survey research design was therefore chosen by the researcher since this design answers the

questions of the study accordingly. In this design, a small group of the population is studied, that
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is, data from the small group is collected and analyzed, and the findings considered to be of the

target population. It is so because the sample is considered a representative of the entire

population. This is according to Nworgu (1996), where he stated a generalization of the findings

is made to the entire population after a study of a part of the population.

Research Method

The study employed a semi-structured questionnaire. This is so because the study required

qualitative and quantitative data, and therefore this type of questionnaires was considered.

According to Blandford (2103), the semi-structured qualitative study involves observations and

interviews, that is, approaches that are qualitative which in terms of methods or concepts has a

clear structure to them which are not necessarily completely structured. This study involves the

iterative and systematic verbal data coding, which are often accompanied by data in other

modalities. Moreover, Blandford (2013) also urged that some of the methods involved can be

agreed upon through thorough investigations by several kinds of research who assume

independent realities hence making the methods positive. These researches might be

interpretivism or constructivists, assuming that through different researches and interpretations,

participants, and readers of the studies, the reality is constructed.

The aims of this study are to draw strategies for local businesses to achieve each driver for

consumer's local brand preference and to raise local brands awareness in tourism destinations

through drawing marketing strategies. Correspondingly, it aims to raise local competition to

brands in the global market, particularly in a touristic setting. Therefore, this type of semi-

structured study will fit the research the qualitative and the quantitative data were required;

hence, the study might not be completely structured.

This study also employs the qualitative exploratory approach since it aims in creating the

strategies of marketing based on in-depth questionnaires with local restaurants’ customers and

managers. According to Brown (2006), exploratory research doesn't aim to offer conclusive and

ultimate solutions to the problems that are already existing but rather tends to explore the

questions of the research simply. He stated in his book that this type of research is usually

steered when the definition of a problem of a study has not been defined. In this type of study,

the researches normally tend to give his views on the findings he has achieved according to the

data collected and analyzed. Therefore, the study does not give conclusive evidence on the nature

of the problem. Several kinds of research with time have shown that it is from the exploratory

researches that the basis of other researches is formed. These exploratory designs can help in

coming up with the data collection techniques, sampling methods, and design and the research

design. The problems that the previous researches have not tackled and have done a little are the

ones tackled by the exploratory designs. Unstructured or semi-structured interviews are the

sources of the primary data for exploratory designs.

Research reliability and validity

In the evaluation of the quantitative researches, there are several key criteria that should be

factors and include objectivity, reliability, internal validity, and external validity. Since this

research is based on the qualitative data, it has been commended that qualitative research should

employ another different research with the quantitative research, that is, by using a criterion that

is different. This is, according to Hirschman (1986). Therefore, there are different ways of

characterizing the qualitative research. The characterization is conformable if there is enough

objective, is transferable if the findings of the research have application n other contexts, is

dependable if at other times the findings can be applied in other contexts and credible if the
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findings of the study are realistic enough. The tone of the study is set by the characterization and

the researcher should try to ensure that the data that has been collected, analyzed and presented

should conform with the characterization above.

Sampling design and the sample size

The study employs a non-profitability sampling design. This is one of the sampling designs

where the researcher selects a small unit of the population to study. Therefore, in this study,

these small units form the sample of the study. The unique characteristic of this sampling design

is that it does not employ the randomization technique in sampling (which is key in probabilistic

sampling), but rather the researcher selects the sample based on his subjective judgment. This is,

according to Laund (2012). Many researchers may assess the non-probability sampling as

substandard compared to probabilistic sampling, but the study urged that there are strong

practical and theoretical reasons for the use of the design.

Non-probability designs, therefore, represents a group of sampling that is valuable, which can be

used in some researchers who have mixed methods, are qualitative and time quantitative designs.

Laund (2012) urged that the design is recommended for researches who use qualitative data but

may be viewed as inferior to the study that uses quantitative data. He recommended probabilistic

designs to the quantitative designs. Unlike in the probability sampling techniques, non-

probability sampling techniques takes into considerations the view of the selected units being

included in samples that are based on random selection. In consideration of the quantitative

designs, the researches may feel forced to use the non-probability sampling techniques because

they feel there is an absence of a population finding after a study. Nevertheless, this might

always be the case to the researches that follow a qualitative design.

The research was based in the city of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom and in Lisbon in

Portugal. With the help of the sampling design, the samples were based on these major cities.

The research population was the local restaurants where five local restaurant's managers were

interviewed.

Data collection methods

In order to achieve the objectives of this research, in-depth face to face interviews was

conducted. In-depth face to face interviews here implies personal structured interviews which

aim at achieving the objectives of the study. The important advantage of these interviews is the

there is a good direct and personal contact between the researcher or the interviewer and the

interviewee. It will also eliminate the rates of non-responses. The interviewers were well trained

before administering the interviews. The face to face interviews was administered to the

managers of the small local restaurants and some of its customers. Interviewing the local

restaurant managers will enable the study to understand the strategies of the market are using and

come up with the best strategies that when employed the restaurants will give the best outcome

Contribution of the study

The research will help the restaurant managers to use the aimed strategies to be developed and

hence becoming more competitive and evading the negative impact of globalization in local

businesses.

Ethical considerations

Ethics are the standards of behaviors and the norms that guide on how we relate with others and

the choices that people make about behaviors. This is according to Cooper & Schindler (2008).
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Considerations of ethics were considered in this study. It followed the code of conduct as per the

Market Research Society, that is, the interviews would not be disturbing to the interviewees. The

academic purposes of the study were made aware of the interviewees before each interview. This

made the interviewees be honest and open when answering questions. The answers presented by

the interviewees were considered anonymous, private, and close as per the Data and Privacy

Protection Act. The ethics were followed carefully to the latter.

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