MTO-E-MAW: Qualitative Research Methods; MTO-03-Premaster: Qualitative Research Methods (
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Summary Two mandatory papers QRM
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MTO-E-MAW: Qualitative Research Methods; MTO-03-Premaster: Qualitative Research Methods (
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Tilburg University (UVT)
Summary in English of the mandatory QRM papers in 5 pages. Namely: 'From HRM to employment rules and lifestyles' by Haunschild and Eikhok (2009) & 'The making of an ethnically diverse management' by Slobbe, Vermeulen and Koster (2013).
MTO-E-MAW: Qualitative Research Methods; MTO-03-Premaster: Qualitative Research Methods (
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From HRM to Employment Rules and Lifestyles. Theory Development through
Qualitative Case Study Research into the Creative Industries. Axel Haunschild,
Doris Ruth Eikhof (2009)
Introduction
This paper refers to an extensive empirical study of the German theatrical employment system in
order to show how Human Resource Management (HRM) and organization theories can be advanced
by conducting qualitative research methods in empirical HRM research. Our study was carried out
between 2000 and 2004. We conducted about 50 semi-structured interviews, collected secondary
data from a broad range of sources and were involved in participant observation.
The main research question changed during the research. These results emerged throughout the
different phases. Our case study research can be an insightful example of how existing theories can
be applied to new contexts, how new contexts (creative industries) can reveal new perspectives in
other contexts (traditional industries) and how, under certain conditions, qualitative research can
stimulate the advancement of existing theories or even the building of new theory. The main focus is
to explore the relationship between data and theory.
We argue that gaining an understanding of social phenomena is an ongoing process that is
significantly influenced by the theoretical assumptions we make and therefore should be open to
changes to these assumptions as well as for new theoretical inputs. Qualitative researchers face a
dilemma. One of the advantages of their research approach is the relative freedom to interpret data
and to adapt methods during the research process. On the other hand there is a demand to justify
both methodology and results.
A case study investigates a unique and defined social entity as unit of analysis e.g. an individual, an
organization, an industry or an event. This raises the issue of the representativeness and
generalisability. Case studies are mostly used to answer why and how questions. A more positivist
approach is taken by Eisenhardt (1989) who sees cases as (ideally replicable) ‘laboratory
experiments‘ with the aim of producing theory that is accurate, interesting, generalisable and
testable.
Our case study
Towards the end of the 20th century, sociological accounts in Germany predicted a development from
long-term employment centred on well-defined professions and skills towards a more flexible use of
labour based on atypical or non-standard work arrangements. Such development occurred earlier in
for instance the UK and US. The overall perspective had been one of mutual longterm commitment,
and HRM practices centred on employee development and career planning. Flexibilization of work
and employment thus meant profound changes to the German system.
We intended to research the tendencies in work/related and organizational practices and discourses
resulting from an increased flexibilization of work and employment. In order to pursue our initial
research questions, we decided to conduct an indepth study of an industry in which non-standard or
flexible forms of work and organization were already established. This was the case in the creative
industries. Depending on the extent of the projectivisation of production, the creative industries
generally feature employment relationships that are non-standard with respect to contracts, working
hours and workplaces and, consequently, high inter-organizational labour mobility. Therefore we
chose the German theatre industry. We selected a qualitative approach for two reasons: there
weren’t any previous studies, so a deeper understanding of this field had to be gained first. Second,
we wanted to explore perceptions and HRM practices in theatre. Qualitative empirical data and
, secondary data were collected between 2000 and 2003. All interviews were conducted as in-depth,
semi-structured interviews. In addition there were participant observations and informal discussions.
Interview material was triangulated with information from secondary data sources such as statistical
reports. A clear definition of “the case” was not yet made when we started conducting our
interviews.
The data analysis: approaches and ambiguities
The richness of qualitative case study data is an advantage, but also poses a significant challenge for
data analysis. Coding brings structure in the data. We had the following process: (1) constant
comparison (critical evaluation of emerging constructs against ongoing observations), (2) theoretical
sampling (samples of subsequent phases of data collection were based on interpretations and
conceptualisation of previous data), and (3) category saturation as a means of verification. But it was
different from a pure Grounded Theory approach, because it wasn’t just developing a theoretical
framework from the data or further developing an existing theoretical framework, it brought in new
theoretical approaches during the data collection and interpretation process.
Our interview guideline for the first phase covered issues such as the interviewee’s work
arrangement, the perception of problems of diverse work arrangements, characteristics of artistic
theatre work, opinions on what holds theatre together, and how HRM practices were perceived. It
was used as a first set of descriptive codes in order to structure the material. We then were surprised
to realise that no HRM practices in the traditional sense of, for instance, personnel development or
performance evaluation and appraisal, could be found in theatre. Consequently, we had to take a
more deductive approach.
In the second phase the interviews treated the interviewed representatives of inter-firm institutions
as industry experts and sought to extract their knowledge about industry structures and practices in
general. We also considered other theories and perspectives that conceptualise the inter-
organizational level. From this perspective theatres’ and theatres artists’ practices appeared to be
inseparably embedded in the wider structures of theatre industry and the theatrical employment
system. Workplace or HR practices could not be understood without taking into account the
prevalence of project-based production, flexible forms of employment, comparatively short job
tenure, ‘boundaryless’ careers.
As we widened our analytical perspective, two further important aspects emerged: the industry was
dominated by a network of induvial relationships through with reputation was earned and tight
labour markets and flexible forms of employment results in specific individual practices. We designed
a third phase of empirical research, with individuals theatre artist (theoretical sampling). This gave
more insight in their work life and social embeddedness.
In the first analysis, interviews were descriptive coded. A central finding from this third research
phase was that theatre artists focused strongly on the acquisition of social capital (work-related
network ties) and symbolic forms of cultural capital (reputation, artistic achievements), both of which
emerged as essential for a successful (boundaryless) career in this employment system. While
relating findings back to the literature, we found the findings of our third empirical phase supported
a more general theoretical concept: the “Arbeitskraftunternehmer” (self-employed employee,
Voß/Pongratz 1998). This theory confirmed our initial hypotheses that theatre artist today might be
studies as exemplars of future workers in general.
Following this more conceptual explanation we re-visited empirical data from all three phases to
explore how artist reconciled the tensions between arts and business in practice. In engaging with
both the economization of life-characteristic of the Arbeitskraftunternehmer and with theories of
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