Page 1 of 38

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Vol. 01 Issue 10

Nov. 2015

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 385

A Review of Research Methodologies and

Methods Used In Recent Partnership Studies

Patrick Nalere*1

; Milton Yago, PhD

School of Accounting, Finance & Economics, Faculty of Business & Law

Leeds Beckett University, 1 Portland Gate, Leeds, LS1 3HB, United Kingdom

ABSTRACT

This paper provides a review of empirical & theoretical methodologies used in recent partnership

studies as collected from several different authors on partnerships. The paper describes in detail

how each of the methods can be used in practice, when their usage is most appropriate, and

identifies how to improve their application in partnerships research. The major findings include:

most mixed - methods were entrenched in quantitative methodology such as semi-structured

interviews, focus group interviews, and document reviews; judges were employed frequently to

assess partnership processes and correlational techniques were utilized most widely to analyze

quantitative data; case study was the most frequently used qualitative methodology. Challenges

commonly faced in quantitative research in partnerships studies include designing specification

of the unit of analysis, sampling instrument design and administration, particularly in data

analysis, which are addressed by employing a mixed - methods embedded in quantitative

methodology. Implications of these findings are further discussed and future research directions

are suggested.

Key Words: Partnership, Rural Development, Research,

1 Corresponding author, email: p.nalere4377@student.leedsbeckett.ac.uk / nalerepatrick@hotmail.com

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e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Vol. 01 Issue 10

Nov. 2015

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 386

1. Introduction

Previous studies that have examined

different partnership subjects have used a

variety of research methodologies and

methods. This review provides a profound

insight to research methodologies that are

employed to partnership subjects. In order to

expand the sources under review, conference

presentations, cited articles, unpublished

papers, relevant policy documents and

survey reports were also reviewed. Although

the review doesn’t encompass materials

from discipline outside of partnerships field,

the majority of the cited focus on

collaborative work to achieve development.

This review analyses literature on

partnership aspects in general, with a view

of increasing the understanding of particular

relationship issues. Therefore, there are a

few issues worth noting. First, this review

focused on either the synthesis of the

literature or academic paper abstracts. In the

first instance, the review relying on

literature was not well supported by

empirical data. Secondly, although

academic studies were good sources of

empirical data, they were not representative

of all types of publications in the partnership

field. However,, his classification of the

research methodologies appeared to be

grounded in a mixture of research

methodologies and substantives contents,

hence resulting in some inconsistency

Questions such as what specific

methodologies and methods are distributed

in partnership studies were not addressed.

Thirdly, a mixed- methods research was not

addressed in Knight, (1998) study. Instead

Knight, used only qualitative methodologies

while studying on the “Perspectives on

Partnerships: Social Partnerships

approached from the relational perspective”

as an “inter-subjective world of culture,

consciousness and purposive action, where

Page 3 of 38

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-ISSN: 2395-0463

Vol. 01 Issue 10

Nov. 2015

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 387

relationships are organized through the

ideas, values and interests of those

producing human action and interaction”.

Equally a mixed-methods was not analyzed

by Authors Denzin and Lincoln, (1994), and

Author Silveman (1985), who also uses

qualitative research, which they define as an

interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary field

that cross-cuts the human, social and

physical sciences. But as a quick growing

mode of inquiry in social sciences, not

considering this mixed-method fails to

provide a complete picture of the

development of partnership research.

Thirdly, this review only examined research

methodologies in partnership research. Yet

they are not compared with those of another

similar field.

The review examined the different research

methodologies and methods used in recent

partnership studies. The purpose of the

review was primarily descriptive. It helps

researchers of partnerships aspects to

identify the latest trends of the development

in partnership studies and further supports

the findings generated from the previous

literature reviews with the empirical data.

1.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES

AND METHODS

Although most studies were often

categorized by methods (Foster & Meinhard,

2003; Fountain, 2002; Mizrahi & Rosenthal,

2001; Mulroy, 2003), the analysis in this

review is based on both research

methodologies and methods. For this

reason, it is necessary to make a distinction

between the two concepts. Research

methodologies denotes to ‘the general logic

and theoretical viewpoint ‘Bogdan and

Biklen, 2007, p. 35) of a research, while

methods denotes to specific strategies,