The Theory of State-Business Relations
Chapter 5 Research Design
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Chapter 5 Research Design
Whereas the last chapter has detailed this study’s argument and analytical framework, this chapter is devoted to the discussion of the paradigm and methods that informed this work’s data gathering and analysis processes. Particularly, Chapter 5 commences with an elaboration of this work’s ontological and epistemological underpinnings and methodology, followed by a discussion of the various data gathering instruments employed in the study. The chapter then concludes by addressing how the data was organized and analyzed in this thesis.
Ontological and Epistemological Underpinnings of the Study
Coming from a public administration and policy science background, the researcher viewed the current investigation against the backdrop of post-positivism. Post-positivists, unlike positivists whose preoccupation is in the quantification of the ‘single reality,’ see the
“reality in a series of logically related steps, believe in multiple perspectives from participant[s]…, and espouse rigorous methods of qualitative data collection and analysis”
(Creswell, 2007, p. 20). Given its regard for multiple perspectives, post-positivism is considered as a paradigm that balances both interpretivist and positivist approaches, though the discussion of results usually revolves around what the majority considers as acceptable (Panhwar et al., 2017). Also, as post-positivism commences the research process a priori, studies that are informed by this vantage point commonly start with an analytical framework guiding the inquiry (Creswell, 2007). In the case of this study, the theory of SBRs was selected as the analytical framework, which in turn guided how the research questions and the outline of discussion were formulated and organized.
Methodology
To achieve the study’s objective of providing a political economy explanation to the Philippine SME sector’s poor performance, this investigation heeds the call of Sen (2015) for more qualitative examinations of SBRs by employing the said approach in the context of Philippine state-SME relations (i.e., private and public sectors’ organization, nature of interaction between the two). The qualitative approach is essentially an “inquiry process of understanding… a social or human problem [based on building] complex, holistic picture, formed with words, reporting detailed views of informants, and conducted in a natural setting”
(Creswell, 2007, p. 249). A qualitative inquiry was carried out in this study given the need for
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a “thick description” of the organization of the state and SMEs and the nature of interaction between the two.
More specifically, qualitative, institutionalist approaches were employed to determine the processes behind the interaction mechanism/s between the state and the SMEs, the collective action of the small-sized businesses, as well as ascertain the impact of historical and political developments on the way the two sectors and the country’s industrial structure are organized. For the first question, i.e., how political and historical developments have shaped the way the state and the SME sector are organized, a historical-institutional inquiry was applied. The historical-institutional (HI) approach usually starts with the identification of
‘critical junctures’— the “contingent socio-economic, political or even natural events (national, regional, or international), which may trigger ‘openings’ for institutional reform or change”
(Leftwich, 2009, p. 6). Thereafter, analysis proceeds with the discussion of how structures resulting from these initial junctures create a path dependency that influences state’s future choices and the polity’s state-business ties (Heo & Tan, 2003).
As for the second question, the author employed te Velde’s (2006) SBR framework (see Chapter 4) in analyzing the organization of the state and the business sector (especially the SMEs), as well as the nature of interaction mechanism between the two.33
Data Collection Methods
In light of the outlined methodological considerations, the collection of data from multiple sources was required. The following enumerates and dissects the data gathering instruments used in the current investigation:
Review of secondary resources. For the most part, especially for the chapter on historical developments’ impact on the organization of the state and the business sector (see Chapter 6), the researcher reviewed secondary sources, such as academic publications (e.g., journal articles, working papers, dissertations, books, monographs), reports, news articles, and policy documents (e.g., government plans, legislations, implementing rules and regulations).
Secondary data review is the analysis of extant data or information that was gathered by other researcher/s and/or for purposes other than the current investigation (Cnossen, 1997).
33 The framework used is rooted in Haggard et al.’s (1997) ‘business-as-association’ typology—an approach that qualitatively examines the organization and dynamics of business associations. It, however, departs from the said typology by extending its analysis to the state’ organization and the nature of interaction between the two sectors.
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Online semi-structured interview with officials, representatives, and experts.
While secondary data review was the main data collection strategy employed in this thesis, data, especially with regard to the contemporary state of the Philippine state-SME relations (i.e., SME sector organization, nature of interaction between the state and SMEs), was sparse.
To fill this gap in data and information, a total of seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with government officials, business sector representatives, experts, and policy analysts through a videoconferencing software between June to November 2020.34 The interviewees, as enumerated in the table below, were selected due to their position in the organizations relevant to the topic, as well as their knowledge and expertise in political economy and/or business associations and SME sector development in the country.35 The interview questions were also devised ab initio, with the studies of Herzberg & Wright (2006), Kondoh (2005), and Leftwich (2009) serving as the questionnaires’ guide and inspiration.36 Before proceeding, however, it must be noted that the data collection method being discussed have limitations, such as the possibility of biased responses due to the presence of the researcher and inarticulate and unperceptive informants (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). To minimize issues that might arise from these limitations, the data that was collected using this method were triangulated with that of other sources (i.e., secondary resources, questionnaire).
Table 4. List of Interviewees of the Study
Interviewees Affiliation Position Expertise Date of Interview
Tristan Canare,
Ph.D. Asian Institute of Management – Policy
Ofreneo, Ph.D. University of the
Philippines Diliman Professor Emeritus Political economy of development,
Philippines Diliman Associate Professor SME policy, Public administration and
Philippines Diliman Associate Professor Political economy of development,
Taguibao, Ph.D. University of the
Philippines Diliman Associate Professor Politics of Philippine
35 See Appendix D for the interview questions.
36 For the list of questions asked in the interview and questionnaire, kindly refer to Appendix F.
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Guzman Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship
(Go Negosyo)
Project Development
Officer Philippine SMEs November 9, 2020 Usec. Merly M.
Cruz, MBA Department of Trade and Industry (former)
Online questionnaires for experts, business association representatives, and government officials. For those unable to participate in the online key informant interview due to connectivity issues and time constraints brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, a questionnaire option was provided. Out of more than 25 informants invited to take part in the interview sessions, a total of 10 people opted for the questionnaire option.38 Considering the limitations of this modality, follow-up emails were also sent for clarification and data validation. Also, similar to the previously discussed method, online questionnaires were used for data triangulation.
Table 5. List of Informants (Questionnaire Option)
Informants Affiliation Position Date of
Correspondence
Gloria S. Recio, MBA University of the Philippines Institute of Small-scale
Susan Mae C. Salonga Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of MSME
Development
Ph.D. Princeton University Professor
Emeritus September 2, 2020 Mylene Abiva Women’s Business Council of
the Philippines President September 11,
2020 Prof. Shingo Mikamo,
Ph.D.
Shinshu University, Matsumuto Professor September 17, 2020 Dir. Bien A. Ganapin National Economic and
Development Authority Director October 5, 2020 Atty. Rufino M.
Margate, Jr. Federation of Philippine
Industries
Secretary-General October 13, 2020 Agnes V. Ravelas House of Representatives –
Committee on MSME Committee
Secretary October 15, 2020 Atty. Jovy Anne
37 As seen in Appendix C, the Bureau of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development (see Chapter 2) is subsumed under the Regional Operations Group.
38 The most cited reason is the lack of spare time due to the pandemic. Also, not all invited for the study participated in either questionnaire or semi-structured interview.
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McNabb’s (2010) six-step procedure for qualitative analysis (see Figure 10 below). The initial step dealt with the organization of raw data. In this phase, interview recordings were transcribed and sent back to the interviewees for validation (if needed). Thereafter, the transcriptions were coded based on the themes and key ideas that surfaced in the discussion.The data from reviewing documents were likewise coded and stored for analysis.
Figure 10. McNabb’s Six-Step Procedure in Qualitative Data Analysis
Source: McNabb (2010), based on Figure 17.2
Consequently, the data were interpreted in light of the modified theory of SBRs approach (See Chapter 4), which combines contemporary and historical-institutional analyses of state-SMEs ties. Furthermore, the data collected and analyzed were, from time to time, juxtaposed with that of other literature and Taiwan, a successful case of state-SME ties discussed in the previous chapter. Finally, after conducting the initial steps, the researcher wrote the discussion of findings based on the trends and analyses that were discovered and made, respectively, throughout the study. Finally, the components of the theory of SBR (see Chapter 4) have served as the primary outline of the discussion.
Summary of the Current Study’s Research Design
To sum up everything what has been stated so far, the study employed qualitative methodology, particularly institutionalist approaches, in investigating the organization of the state and the SMEs, the nature of interaction mechanism between the two sectors, and the impact of historical and political developments to the way the SBR is conducted in the Philippines. To be able to conduct a qualitative analysis, the data were collected from the following sources: (A) review of secondary documents, such as academic literature and government issuances and plans; (B) semi-structured interview with government officials, experts, and business association representatives; and (C) questionnaires for informants that were not available for interview. Finally, the data gathered were analyzed and written in view of McNabb’s six-step procedure for qualitative analysis.
Step 1
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