This document discusses grounded theory (GT) as a qualitative research methodology. It explains that GT was developed as an alternative to positivist approaches that aim to test preconceived hypotheses. GT instead uses an inductive process to generate explanatory theory directly from data about people's social roles and behaviors. The document outlines GT's key aspects, including open, axial, and theoretical coding processes. It also covers grounded theory procedures such as theoretical sampling, data collection methods, and steps for developing and presenting a GT.

1. Chapter 25. McNabb, D. (2002)
Research Methods in Public Administration and
Non-Profit Management
Presented by: SL Dingcong, DPA, UP NCPAG
Course: PA299.1 under Dr. Rizal Cruz

2. • Evolved from the roots of symbolic
interactionism (Mead, Blumer, et.al)
• People define themselves through social roles,
expectations, and perspectives acquired from society
through socialization and social interactions (Mead,
1934)
• Blumer (1986) added – meanings people have for
things determine the way they behave toward them;
meanings come from people’s interactions; people
under a process of constant interpretation

4. • Mainly a qualitative research approach
• Proposed as a reaction against the restrictions of
the positivist research methodology – purpose of
testing preconceived theoretical hypotheses.
• GT is to develop explanatory and predictive
theory out of the information gathered about
social life, roles, and expected behaviors of
people
• Inductive process where theory is rooted in the
data gathered

5. • Glaser: two coding processes are open
(substantive) and theoretical
• Straus and Corbin added a third, intermediate
step called “axial coding” which is suppose to
demystify the grounded theory process
• Axial coding required the initial open-coded data
to be placed in 6 categories: (1) causal
conditions, (2) phenomena, (3) context, (4)
intervening conditions, (5) actions/strategies, and
(6) consequences

6. 1. Select a topic of interest
2. Determine the purpose of the research
3. Select a group or sample to study
4. Collect research data using interviews, observation,
and document analysis
5. Open (preliminary) coding as it is collected
----- Axial coding process
6. Theoretical coding for theory development
7. Development and presentation of theory

7. • GT can be used in any field of study
• Warning: avoid using GT in
approaching a particular area of study
with a preconceived hypothesis

8. 1. To evaluate accuracy of earlier
evidence
2. To make generalizations based on
experience
3. To identify a unit of measurement for
a one-case study
4. To verify an existing theory
5. To generate a theory

9. • Theoretical sampling – to maximize opportunities
to compare events, incidents, or happenings to
determine how a category varies in terms of its
properties and dimensions
• Process of picking the sources that can provide
the most information about the research topic
• Concern is to ensure the representativeness of
the sample than the concept of randomness

10. • Personal interviews
• Simple or naturalistic observations
• Narratives
• Document or artifact analysis

11. • Coding is a process of applying some conceptually
meaningful set of identifiers to the concepts,
categories, and characteristics.
• This is an initial step in data analysis with the
purpose of establishing or discovering categories
and their properties
• Groupings of ideas (themes) and as many as the
researcher can come up with based on her data
• This process undergoes several runs until a set of
“core categories” is established.
• Next step is either to use axial coding with the 6
preconceived categories or proceed to the
theoretical coding

12. • Process of imposing a final structure on the data and
establishing rank-order importance of the conceptual
categories (Lee, 1999)
• Identify overarching categories or themes
• Researcher picks the most powerful or important
theme where all data are then judged for their fit in
this theoretical category
• Research repeats the process and identifies the
second most important theme until all data are
categorized into these main clusters
• Concept maps (mindmaps)

13. • Form a theory that is grounded on the
data.
• Theoretical memos (memoing) – record of
ideas, conclusions, propositions, and
theoretical explanations of the
phenomenon. These are like personal
diaries on the field or field notes that
include the personal experiences of the
researcher as she interacts with her
participants. Serves as basis of theory

14. • The theory must closely fit the topic
and disciplinary area studied.
• The theory must be understandable
and useful to the actors in the studied
situation.
• The theory must be complex enough
to account for a large portion, if not
most, of the variation in the area
studied.

15. Grounded theory is a long term, labor
intensive, and time-consuming process. It
requires multiple waves of data collection,
with each wave of data based on theoretical
sampling. In addition, the iterative process
should continue until a theoretical saturation
is achieved. Given all this, researchers
should avoid grounded theory unless they
can commit substantial resources to a study.
(Lee, 1999)