3.5.2 Reliability
Reliability refers to the degree of trust placed in the accuracy and consistency of the
findings, which can be tested and confirmed by repeating the data collection method at
varying times and with different researchers and respondents (Given 2008). In this
research, the respondents refer to managers or business owners in the five industry
clusters. Hence, a set of procedures were developed and constructed to be available and
enable future researchers that are interested in the same area or topic to study further or
replicate the results. Internal consistency in this study is concerned with minimising
errors and biases of the researcher during the interviews when interviewing the
[68]
managers or business owners in the five industry clusters, and ensuring that the given
story fits into a coherent framework. By the time the researcher finished all interviews,
the researcher was able to recount the story of their business operational processes as
well as innovation leading to improved business performance in each business in the five
industry clusters due to the consistency provided by each participant. This process can
promote consistency in the research process and can serve to identify, and subsequently
decrease, the bias of any particular team member involved in the research (Given 2008).
External consistency refers to the ability of the researcher to cross-check the information
provided by the participants in the interviews. This process was accomplished by enlisting
the assistance of other business owners in the same industry cluster to verify the
information given by other participants in the same industry cluster. This process can
also be accomplished by enlisting the assistance from other researchers that have an
interest in the same field and they also can review raw data, notes, logs, journals, and
other materials associated with the study. In this research, the participants were
approached and a consent form and plain language statement were given. This informed
participants of the objectives of the study and addressed any ethical issues. The
participants were also asked whether the researcher could record interviews, which
would then be transcribed. Notes were taken in each interview. The researcher referred
to some information from previous interviews in the same cluster to ensure that the
researcher had obtained the right context confirmed by other participants in the same
cluster. Each participant was asked at the end of each interview whether the researcher
could make call them to discuss any further relevant issues that might be important to
add to this research.
The researcher also obtained assistance from other researchers that have the same
mutual interest in SMEs. Another researcher reviewed the transcripts and compared the
written transcript with the digital recordings to ensure that information was accurately
transcribed. This process is referred to as peer debriefing, although it accomplishes the
same goal as an audit, to ensure that information given by participants in the same
industry cluster was accurate, minimizing any the misinformation or error (Given 2008;
Neuman 2006).
3.5.2 ReliabilityReliability refers to the degree of trust placed in the accuracy and consistency of thefindings, which can be tested and confirmed by repeating the data collection method atvarying times and with different researchers and respondents (Given 2008). In thisresearch, the respondents refer to managers or business owners in the five industryclusters. Hence, a set of procedures were developed and constructed to be available andenable future researchers that are interested in the same area or topic to study further orreplicate the results. Internal consistency in this study is concerned with minimisingerrors and biases of the researcher during the interviews when interviewing the [68]managers or business owners in the five industry clusters, and ensuring that the givenstory fits into a coherent framework. By the time the researcher finished all interviews,the researcher was able to recount the story of their business operational processes aswell as innovation leading to improved business performance in each business in the fiveindustry clusters due to the consistency provided by each participant. This process canpromote consistency in the research process and can serve to identify, and subsequentlydecrease, the bias of any particular team member involved in the research (Given 2008).External consistency refers to the ability of the researcher to cross-check the informationprovided by the participants in the interviews. This process was accomplished by enlisting
the assistance of other business owners in the same industry cluster to verify the
information given by other participants in the same industry cluster. This process can
also be accomplished by enlisting the assistance from other researchers that have an
interest in the same field and they also can review raw data, notes, logs, journals, and
other materials associated with the study. In this research, the participants were
approached and a consent form and plain language statement were given. This informed
participants of the objectives of the study and addressed any ethical issues. The
participants were also asked whether the researcher could record interviews, which
would then be transcribed. Notes were taken in each interview. The researcher referred
to some information from previous interviews in the same cluster to ensure that the
researcher had obtained the right context confirmed by other participants in the same
cluster. Each participant was asked at the end of each interview whether the researcher
could make call them to discuss any further relevant issues that might be important to
add to this research.
The researcher also obtained assistance from other researchers that have the same
mutual interest in SMEs. Another researcher reviewed the transcripts and compared the
written transcript with the digital recordings to ensure that information was accurately
transcribed. This process is referred to as peer debriefing, although it accomplishes the
same goal as an audit, to ensure that information given by participants in the same
industry cluster was accurate, minimizing any the misinformation or error (Given 2008;
Neuman 2006).
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