| Description |
1 online resource |
| Series |
SAGE Research Methods. Cases |
|
SAGE Research Methods. Cases
|
| Summary |
Although ethnography is widely used in business research, including in studies of entrepreneurship behavior, rapid ethnography--where fieldwork is undertaken within a short, well-defined timeline--is not as well known or widespread. To compensate for lack of time spent in the field, researchers use "time-deepening strategies" such as multiple and parallel data collection tools, technology-assisted socialization methods, and multiple observers during the fieldwork. We used rapid ethnography alongside quantitative techniques, including a survey, to collect data from Sri Lankan microfinance entrepreneurs. Analysis of the rapid ethnography data allowed us to explain quantitative findings in terms of the social complexities of the microfinance environment. Planning before entering the field; having regular contact with the case organization and respondents before, during, and after data collection; obtaining support from local stakeholders; and using multiple data collection methods simultaneously all contributed to the success of the rapid ethnography technique. The on-site researcher's ethnic and professional background, which meant she was familiar with the cultural context and business environment and could communicate in the local languages, facilitated access to data collection sites, made it easier to gain gatekeepers' trust, and enabled her to integrate into the community from which she needed data. However, this same familiarity required her to take deliberate steps to maintain detachment, and reflect on her positionality, that is, her potential assumptions and biases |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
Description based on XML content |
| Subject |
Businesspeople -- Research -- Sri Lanka.
|
|
Entrepreneurship -- Research -- Sri Lanka.
|
|
Ethnology -- Sri Lanka.
|
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Quantitative research -- Methodology.
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| Form |
Electronic book
|
| Author |
Barrett, Mary, 1956- author
|
| ISBN |
1526478838 |
|
9781526478832 (ebook) |
|
