Information Technology Reference
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of the literature within it. Forcing a typical PhD dissertation's 'Chapter 2: Literature
Review' would be incongruent with grounded theory and methodologically unsound,
detracting from the true role of the literature in this type of research.
Unit of analysis
The qualitative datum is defined as a string of words capturing information about an
incident; this incident (or unit of analysis) represents an instance of a concept coded and
classified during the coding process (Van de Ven and Poole, 1989). The source of the
datum may be a person, a group, a document, an observation, or extant literature.
Incidents are indicators of a concept. Figure 5.4 shows a model based on the constant
comparison of indicators. In this model, the comparison of indicator to indicator generates
a conceptual code first, and then indicators are compared to the newly emerged concept,
further defining it. The constant comparison of indicators confronts the analyst with
similarities, differences, and consistency of meaning, which result in the construction
of a concept (or category) and its dimensions (Glaser, 1978).
Figure 5.4. The concept indicator model (Glaser 1978, p.62).
Incidents had many sources, from actors' accounts to field observations. However, inter-
views provided the study's most significant building block. These interviews focused
on the client's core project team comprising the project manager and the associated team
leaders, with multiple interviews over a period of time. The decision to include team
members was based on the need to obtain a wide range of views from the people con-
fronting the day-to-day issues and having similar (but not equal) level of responsibility
in the IT project. This was important because:
[g]rounded theory accounts for the action in a substantive area. In order to
accomplish this goal grounded theory tries to understand the action in a sub-
stantive area from the point of view of the actors involved. This understanding
revolves around the main concern of the participants whose behaviour con-
tinually resolves their concern. Their continual resolving is the core variable.
It is the prime mover of most of the behaviour seen and talked about in a
substantive area. It is what is going on! It emerges as the overriding pattern.
(Glaser, 1998, p. 115)
Therefore, this study's focus on actions and accounts of actions is congruent with the
assumptions of grounded theory. Furthermore, action occurs in a context and within a
process enacted and constructed by the actors. Consequently, the study does not focus
on properties of an actor or unit but on properties of a process . This is discussed next.
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