Researching sensitive issues without sensitising: using a concurrent mixed methods design to research trust and distrust

Saunders, MNK and Thornhill, A (2011) Researching sensitive issues without sensitising: using a concurrent mixed methods design to research trust and distrust Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 5 (3). pp. 334-350.

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Abstract

Researchers exploring sensitive issues need to obtain valid and reliable information. This may necessitate participants not being sensitised to the precise research focus to prevent contamination of findings. In this paper research exploring feelings of trust and distrust and emotional responses to organisational change is used to assess how a concurrent mixed methods design, utilizing a constrained card sort and in-depth interview, can enable such sensitive issues to be researched without sensitising participants. This illustrative example provides instructive guidance regarding how to apply this mixed method. It also reveals how feelings of trust and distrust and emotional responses are directly associated with positively and negatively interpreted change situations rather than misappropriated, highlighting reasons for these responses including the role of managers. The paper concludes by considering how this mixed methods design can support researching such sensitive issues in organisations.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions :	Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences > Mechanical Engineering Sciences
Authors :	Name Email ORCID Saunders, MNK Thornhill, A
Date :	2011
DOI :	10.5172/mra.2011.5.3.334
Additional Information :	Reproduction of our intellectual property free of charge on a university repository will be granted. Our condition is that the material may not be used in course readers without reporting usage to Copyright Agency Ltd and further that perpetual citation (author, date, title, publisher, ISBN and with a link to the home page of the issues in which the article appears: (ie. http://mra.e-contentmanagement.com/archives/vol/5/issue/3/article/4442/researching-sensitively-without-sensitizing).
Depositing User :	Symplectic Elements
Date Deposited :	08 Feb 2012 14:03
Last Modified :	31 Oct 2017 14:26
URI:	http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/id/eprint/121075

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