Mixed Methods Research An Opportunity To Improve o

European Journal of Management and Business Economics 25 (2016) 37–38
European Journal of Management

and Business Economics
www.elsevier.es/ejmbe
Editorial
Mixed methods research: An opportunity to improve our studies and

our research skills
Jose F. Molina-Azorin
University of Alicante, Department of Management, Campus de San Vicente, Ap. 99, E-03080 Alicante, Spain
Mixed methods research is the combination and integra- expansion (seeking to extend the breadth and range of inquiry by
tion of qualitative and quantitative methods in the same study. using different methods for different inquiry components).
Although researchers have combined qualitative and quantitative Another important issue about mixed methods is how to con-
data for many years, current conceptualizations of mixed meth- duct a mixed methods study. There are two main factors that help
ods research did not emerge until the 1980s. Mixed methods researchers to determine the type of mixed methods design that is
research has developed rapidly in these last few years, emerging best suited to their study: priority and implementation of data col-
as a research methodology with a recognized name and dis- lection. Regarding priority, the mixed methods researcher can give
tinct identity (Denscombe, 2008), especially in some fields such equal priority to both quantitative and qualitative parts, emphasize
as education, health sciences, psychology and sociology. In these qualitative more, or emphasize quantitative more. This emphasis
fields, this methodological approach is recognized as the third may result from the research question, from practical constraints
methodological movement, along with qualitative research and on data collection, or from the need to understand one form of
quantitative research (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004; Tashakkori data before proceeding to the next. Implementation of data col-
& Teddlie, 2003). This distinctiveness is reflected in the publication lection refers to the sequence the researcher uses to collect both
of many books focused on mixed methods, in a methodological quantitative and qualitative data. The options consist of gathering
journal (Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Sage) and in a scientific the information at the same time (concurrent design) or introduc-
association (Mixed Methods International Research Association, ing the information in phases (sequential design). In gathering
http://mmira.wildapricot.org/). both forms of data concurrently, the researcher may seek to com-
An important aspect regarding mixed methods research is why pare them to search for congruent findings. When the data are
to use this methodological approach. The use of mixed methods introduced in phases, the sequence relates to the objectives of the
research in business studies may play an important role in the research. Thus, when qualitative data collection precedes quantita-
development of our field because results obtained from different tive data collection, the intention may be first explore the problem
methods have the potential to enrich our understanding of business being studied and then to follow up on this exploration with quanti-
problems and questions. In this regard, mixed methods research tative data that are amenable to studying a large sample, so that the
may add value and contribute to advance our research topics in the results can be applied to a population. Alternatively, when quan-
business fields (Molina-Azorin, 2007, 2011, 2012; Molina-Azorin titative data precede qualitative data, the intention may be to test
& Cameron, 2015; Molina-Azorin & López-Gamero, 2016; Molina- variables with a large sample and then to explore in more depth
Azorin, Lopez-Gamero, Pereira-Moliner, & Pertusa-Ortega, 2012). with a few cases during the qualitative phase.
The overall purpose and central premise of mixed methods stud- A key aspect of mixed methods research is the integration
ies is that the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches in issue (Fetters & Freshwater, 2015). In order to add value and
combination provides a better understanding of research problems contribute to advance business research, scholars that use mixed
and complex phenomena than either approach alone (Creswell & methods research must integrate the quantitative and qualita-
Plano Clark, 2007). Better understanding can be obtained by tri- tive parts. Authors of mixed methods studies should consider the
angulating one set of results with another and thereby enhancing question: what synergy can be gained by the additional work of
the validity of inferences. Greene, Caracelli, and Graham (1989) using both qualitative and quantitative methods? This aspect urges
point out other important purposes, rationales and advantages of researchers to carefully plan their works with intentional choices
mixed methods research: complementarity (elaboration or clarifi- that can leverage integration. The issue is to produce a whole
cation of the results from one method with the findings from the through integration that is greater than the sum of the individual
other method), development (when the researcher uses the results qualitative and quantitative parts.
from one method to help develop the use of the other method) and Creswell and Plano Clark (2007) pointed out that conducting
mixed methods research is not easy, and Bryman (2007) indi-
cated that there are several barriers. Mixed methods studies are a
challenge because they require more work and financial resources,
E-mail address: [email protected] and they take more time. Increased time demands arise from the
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.redeen.2016.05.001
2444-8451/© 2016 Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. on behalf of AEDEM. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
38 J.F. Molina-Azorin / European Journal of Management and Business Economics 25 (2016) 37–38
time it takes to implement the quantitative and qualitative parts of References

the study. In addition, mixed methods research also requires that
researchers develop a broader set of skills that span both the quan- Bryman, A. (2007). Barriers to integrating quantitative and qualitative research.
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to develop a broader set of research skills. Training in mixed meth- Mertens, D., Bazeley, P., Bowleg, L., Fielding, N., Maxwell, J., Molina-Azorin, J. F.,
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can stimulate researchers to better define and analyze innovative behavioral research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
problems and research questions in business research.

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European Journal of Management and Business Economics 25 (2016) 37–38

European Journal of Management

Mixed methods research: An opportunity to improve our studies and

time it takes to implement the quantitative and qualitative parts of References

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