Description

Researching sensitively without sensitizing: Using a card sort in a concurrent mixed methods design to research trust and distrust

MARK NK SAUNDERS

The Surrey Business School, University of Surrey, Surrey, UK

ADRIAN THORNHILL

Formerly of Human Resource Management, Gloucestershire Business School, University of Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, UK

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 trust and distrust judgements and emotional responses to organizational 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 sensitizing participants. This illustrative example provides instructive guidance regarding how to apply this mixed method. It also reveals how trust and distrust judgements 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 with a discussion regarding how this mixed methods design can support researching such sensitive issues in organizations.

Keywords: sensitive issue, sensitize, card sort, mixed methods, trust, distrust, change