Qualitative and quantitative methods in sustainable development
Qualitative and quantitative methods in sustainable development
Contributor(s): Iwona Olejnik (Editor)
Subject(s): Economy, Supranational / Global Economy, Business Economy / Management, Agriculture, Energy and Environmental Studies, Marketing / Advertising, Human Resources in Economy, Business Ethics, Socio-Economic Research
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego w Poznaniu
Keywords: sustainability;sustainable development;qualitative research;quantitative research;factor analysis;Structural Equation Modelling (SEM);Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA);
Summary/Abstract: Systematic research and comprehensive analyses allow to monitor the implementation of the sustainable development goals. Obviously, when you are interested in the selected issue of sustainable development, it is worth using data from the secondary sources in the first place. This e-book presents a few selected methods that will allow you to answer the questions: how to gather data and how to analyse them? Among the data collection methods presented in this book, we have chosen both: qualitative, in particular focus group interview, and quantitative—based on a questionnaire. In terms of data analysis methods, we present three methods: factor analysis, structural equation modelling and data envelopment analysis. The examples presented in this book relate to sustainable development, for example: sustainable consumption, ecological culture, better nutrition, agricultural development and many more. The book consists of five chapters. Chapter 1 “Qualitative methods” presents the issues concerning the methodology of qualitative research, designing a focus group interview, conducting a focus group interview and analysis of qualitative data using the CAQDAS programs. The main goal of Chapter 2 titled “Quantitative methods” is to exhibit the basics of survey research that can be used in analyses of sustainable development. In particular, this part presents the measurement levels, questionnaire design, population and sample, and the ways of presenting the results of quantitative research. Chapter 3 “Factor analysis in sustainable development research” describes the basic theoretical aspects of factor analysis. The second part of this chapter presents an example of the use of this method in research on sustainable consumption. The last part of this chapter presents case study of the use of factor analysis in research on managers’ ethics in retail industry. Chapter 4 titled “Structural equation modelling in sustainable development research” is dedicated to the structural equation modeling methods applied to solve sustainable development research problems. A structural equation model is an abstraction of reality, and the researcher's job is to build a model that approximates that reality as closely as possible. And the aim of Chapter 5 “Data envelopment analysis methods in sustainable agricultural development research” is to determine the relative technical efficiency of representative agricultural farms from the individual European Union countries.
- E-ISBN-13: 978-83-8211-072-2
- Page Count: 205
- Publication Year: 2021
- Language: English
Qualitative methods
Qualitative methods
(Qualitative methods)
- Author(s):Iwona Olejnik, Atanaska Reshetkova
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Methodology and research technology
- Page Range:13-40
- No. of Pages:28
- Keywords:CAQDAS qualitative tools;ecological culture;qualitative methods;research;scientific methods;
- Summary/Abstract:The main goal of the chapter is to present how to use qualitative methods in sustainability research. First, the theoretical basis of the methods is presented, i.e., the essence of qualitative methods, what differs them from quantitative methods, and their types. The second part of this chapter covers designing and conducting a focus group interview (FGI): its essence and main stages, sampling, projection techniques and the script, as well as it contains the case study of ecological culture of Bulgarians. The third part presents considerations necessary to conduct a qualitative research, i.e., the organizational aspects of FGI and the guidelines for the work of the moderator. Finally, the last part shows considerations concerning data analysis—using CAQDAS software.
Quantitative methods
Quantitative methods
(Quantitative methods)
- Author(s):Sylwester Białowąs, Blaženka Knežević, Iwona Olejnik, Magdalena Stefańska
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Methodology and research technology
- Page Range:41-79
- No. of Pages:39
- Keywords:data presenting;sustainable development;measurement;levels of measurement;questionnaire;research;scientific methodology;sampling;
- Summary/Abstract:The main goal of the chapter is to present the basics of survey research that can be used in analyzes of sustainable development. The first part presents the measurement levels. The basic characteristic of every variable is its level of measurement. It implies the following analysis and available techniques. This part introduces four levels of measurements: nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio, showing their characteristics and examples. Then the focus is on the implications of a given level of measurement on the possibilities of the statistical analysis. The aim of the second chapter is to explain the foundations of preparing a questionnaire for the research on the issues related to sustainable development. An example of an organic food questionnaireis also provided. The third part presents considerations necessary for the sampling process. The main goal is to present the basic methods of calculating the minimum sample size, as well as the methods of its selection. This section presents the arguments for conducting the study on a sample rather than on the entire population, and also several formulas enabling the calculation of the minimum sample size. A discussion of the most important methods of selecting respondents to the sample—both randomand non-random, can also be found here. The last two parts of this chapter, describe the ways of presenting the results of quantitative research. They describe first view of the variables including frequency distribution with charts, central tendency measures and cross-tabulation. Finally, the methods of presenting research results obtained on the basis of the Likert scale and other examples of data visualization schemes are presented.
Factor analysis in sustainable development research
Factor analysis in sustainable development research
(Factor analysis in sustainable development research)
- Author(s):Iwona Olejnik, Blaženka Knežević, Magdalena Stefańska
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, Business Economy / Management, Energy and Environmental Studies, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Methodology and research technology, Management and complex organizations, Environmental interactions, Marketing / Advertising, Human Resources in Economy, Business Ethics, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:83-116
- No. of Pages:34
- Keywords:factor analysis;sustainable consumption (SC);consumption;perceptions of ethics and social responsibility (PRESOR) scale;
- Summary/Abstract:Too much data describing a given phenomenon requires synthesizing them. For this purpose, researchers can use various methods of analysis. Factor analysis is one of them. In this section, first the basic theoretical aspects of factor analysis, as well as the stages of its use are described while presenting the essential minimum necessary to understand the essence of the method. The second part presents an example of the use of this method in research on sustainable consumption. The last part of this chapter presents case study of the use of factor analysis in research on managers’ ethics in retail industry.
Structural equation modelling in sustainable development research
Structural equation modelling in sustainable development research
(Structural equation modelling in sustainable development research)
- Author(s):Todor Krastevich, Atanaska Reshetkova
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, Energy and Environmental Studies, Environmental and Energy policy, Methodology and research technology, Business Ethics, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:117-178
- No. of Pages:62
- Keywords:CB-SEM;PLS-SEM;structural equation modelling;sustainable development (SD);
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter is dedicated to the structural equation modelling methods applied to solve sustainable development research problems. A structural equation model is an abstraction of reality, and the researcher’s job is to build a model that approximates that reality as closely as possible. This task can be difficult if we do not have a clear understanding of what the reality of the studied phenomena is. Sometimes there is a sound theory behind the studied phenomena, and we can use variables that other researchers have already pointed out as valid indicators. In other situations, we have to start with a set of variables and test many hypothetical relationships based only on theoretical work. In this chapter, we focus on providing researchers with the knowledge needed to specify, evaluate, and interpret structural equation models (SEMs) in any field of social sciences, but most and foremost—in research related to the concept of sustainable development.
Data envelopment analysis methods in sustainable agricultural development research
Data envelopment analysis methods in sustainable agricultural development research
(Data envelopment analysis methods in sustainable agricultural development research)
- Author(s):Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży, Agnieszka Sapa
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Economy, Agriculture, Energy and Environmental Studies, Environmental and Energy policy, Methodology and research technology, Business Ethics, Socio-Economic Research
- Page Range:179-205
- No. of Pages:27
- Keywords:Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA);economics sustainability;effect of scale;farms;technical efficiency;European Union (EU);
- Summary/Abstract:Sustainable development of business entities can be analysed in terms of three dimensions, i.e., economic, social and environmental ones. The economic dimension of sustainable development can be assessed, inter alia, by entities’ technical efficiency defined as the relation of outputs to inputs. One of the methods that is used to assess the technical efficiency of business entities compared to other entities is the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method. The aim of the chapter is to determine the relative technical efficiency of representative agricultural farms from the individual European Union countries in 2018. Moreover, the scale efficiency indexes and the area of scale effects (increasing or decreasing) of the analysed farms were also determined. In the study the data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) for 2018 were applied. In order to achieve the assumed research goals, the input-oriented DEA model was used, and the technical efficiency indexes of farms were estimated with the assumption of constant return to scale (CRS) and variable return to scale (VRS). This allowed, among others, for indicating the countries with farms achieving the highest technical efficiency (Belgium, Spain, Italy, Malta and Netherlands assuming CRS, and Belgium, Spain, Italy, Malta and Netherlands, Greece, Ireland, Romania and Slovenia assuming VRS), the lowest technical efficiency (the Czech Republic and Slovakia) within surveyed group of farms. All relatively inefficient farms (except Slovakia) functioned in the area of increasing economies of scale.
