The quantitative journey in a qualitative landscape: developing a data collection model and a quantitative methodology in business network studies

Abstract

The point of departure for this article is a newly established international research project focusing on industrial networks in the European furniture industry. The article offers an account of a theoretical journey starting from a qualitative analytical frame and leading to the development of a quantitative “data collection model” and the initial definition of an “explanatory model”. Even though the aforementioned project also includes qualitative elements, such as case studies, the focus of this article is nonetheless only on the common and standardised part which is explicitly quantitative and was developed in order to achieve homogeneity and comparability across different countries. More than merely presenting the results of this theoretical effort, the purpose is to offer a dynamic idea of how the model, the theoretical framework and the methodology issues evolved and had to be modified and adapted to each other. In this case, the usual research design development process presents even more interesting features, given the participation of various actors and hence the “networked” nature of the effort.