Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Overview

This section provides details on how data are collected in answering the research questions

and is therefore segmented as follows:

• Research questions

• Approaches

• Methods

• Ethical Consideration

• Data analysis strategies

• Limitations

3.2 Research Questions

The focus of this research is to piece together good succession planning practices into a

blueprint that can help private schools, especially in a developing economy like Nigeria, to

outlive their founder.

It is hoped that a careful study of private schools that survive and thrive even in the absence

of the original owners/founder from the scene may yield useful deductions that could be

generalised and become a template that will help newer schools develop helpful healthy

succession practices and the requisite frameworks to enhance their sustainability, rather than

learning from bitter experience or school of hard knocks.

1. To what extent will talent retention enhance the succession planning process?

2. To what extent does mentoring facilitate the succession planning practices?

3. To what extent does the clear articulation of a clear career path affect succession

planning practices?

4. In what direction and to what degree does the open identification of a successor

affects the morale of other employees?

3.3 Research Approaches

There are several approaches utilised in differing types of researches. The selection of a

research approach depends on the type and nature of the research. This section examines

different research approaches and justifies the research approaches adopted in this study.

This research has a strong qualitative element. The case study is sometimes useful in

qualitative designs. A key feature of a case study is its focus on a single phenomenon within

its real-life context. It is an in-depth study of a particular case which could be a site, individual,

or policy. It is an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in-depth

especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not evident (Yin,

2009; Yin, 1999 in Crowe et al., 2011). Crowe et al., (2011) recommended a case study for a

multi-faceted understanding of a complex issue, especially in the social sciences.

The case study approach focuses mainly on a particular entity and does a holistic study on it.

While the outcomes may be thorough on that specific entity, its findings may not be

generalised to other places or situations because it does not utilise relevant sampling

techniques. It is, therefore, not suitable for this study which aims to get a result that could be

generalised nationwide.
Mixed research is another broad type of research approach in which elements or approaches

from quantitative and qualitative research are combined or mixed in a research study. The

advantages and disadvantages of using quantitative and qualitative approaches have led to a

growing number of studies into the effects of integrating both quantitative and qualitative

into a single research study. Mixed researchers believe that mixing research assumptions,

methods and approaches helps improve the overall quality of research (Ann, et al 2012).

The robust advantages of mixed research include the provision of a framework for combining

quantitative and qualitative research approaches, systematic use of elements from both

paradigms to collect, analyse, validate and interpret data. Flexibility in allowing modification

even after the study has begun, strongly recommends mixed research for this study and shall

be utilised in the collection and analysis of data. Furthermore, the research instruments,

which are questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), and

observations, make the use of mixed research suitable for this study.

Survey research is a method of collecting standardised data from a large number of

respondents. Survey research designs are characterised by the collection of data using

standard questionnaire forms. The key strength of survey design is standardisation, as all the

respondents are asked the same questions in a survey. Survey research also paves way for

the collection of data that can be generalised to a population. Survey research has several

advantages that have made it one of the most popular forms of research in the social sciences

(Buckingham and Saunders, 2004). First of all, survey research is highly flexible. It is possible

to study a wide range of research questions using survey methods. Because survey research

does not set up an artificial situation like an experiment, it is easier to generalise findings to
real-world settings as this is where the research takes place. Survey studies are also efficient

in terms of being able to gather large amounts of data at reasonably low cost and effort.

Survey research is therefore particularly suited for canvassing opinions and feelings about

particular issues. The use of standardised questions allows for easy comparability between

respondents and groups of respondents.

The survey research method is, therefore, suitable for this present study because the study

seeks to gather opinions of different respondents on the sustainability of private schools after

the exit of the original owners. This involves surveying different schools that meet the criteria

for the research and presenting a wide range of research questions. Also, it is easier to

generalise findings from this study via survey research to other places which are one

important characteristic of survey research.

3.4 Methods

Guess et al (2006) suggest that 12 interviews of a homogenous group are about right to reach

saturation. Twelve private schools; 6 from the north and 6 from the south will be studied. The

purposive sampling technique will be used to select the schools while a simple random

sampling technique will be used to select four staff members of each school. Questionnaires

are administered to the staff members to gauge their perception of the succession process

and triangulate the data collected from the Chairman/CEO/Principal. The main advantage of

the simple random sampling technique is that it gave equal chances for the staff to be

sampled for the study. On the other hand, the purposive sampling technique is deemed

appropriate for the study as it allowed only those who are perceived to have specific

information required for the study. The private secondary schools selected would meet the

criteria of:
• The founder/owner is no longer involved in the running of the school

• The school is still thriving; using the index of enrolment figure same or higher than

what it was when the original owner was running the school

• The students’ result in the external assessment are the same or better

• Involvements and achievements in co-curricular activities are at the same level or

better.

Employing focused interviews of about 30 minutes each, information will be collected from a

member of the school board, preferably the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) if

this is different from Principal, the Principal, Head of Human Resources, if the school has a

Human Resource Department; while questionnaire will be used to survey the members of

staff selected by a simple random sampling technique.

This study will adopt the purposive sampling method, which satisfies the primary purpose of

the study which is private schools’ succession plans with a focus on their competitiveness and

sustainability after the exit of the original owner(s). The fact that survey research affords the

judicious use of the sampling technique recommends it for this study. Systematic random

sampling will therefore be deployed when selecting samples of teachers to which

questionnaires will be administered, in the private schools already purposively chosen.

3.4.1 Location

The study will be conducted in the northern and southern regions of Nigeria. Nigeria

historically is a combination of the northern protectorate and the southern protectorate. We

have Lagos in the south that historically was the capital city of the country by its nearness to
the seaport and the most civilised and populated region in the south. It is still the economic

center of the country. In a similar vein, Abuja in the north is now the Federal Capital Territory

(FCT) and the control hub of development in the north. Abuja territory is located just north of

the confluence of the Niger River and Benue River. It is bordered by the states of Niger to the

West and North, Kaduna to the northeast, Nasarawa to the east and south, and Kogi to the

southwest. Lying between latitude 8.25 and 9.20 north of the equator and longitude 6.45 and

7.39 east of Greenwich Meridian, Abuja is geographically located in the centre of the country.

3.4.2 Variables and Measurement Procedures

In the selection of the instruments to be used in the study, the researcher will ensure that the

instruments chosen are suitable and appropriate by considering the literacy level of the

targeted respondents and their availability. Questionnaires and interview schedules will

therefore be used as instruments for data collection.

3.4.3 Questionnaire

Orodho (2004) defines a questionnaire as an instrument used to gather data, which allows

measurement for or against a particular viewpoint. He emphasised that a questionnaire can

collect a large amount of information in a reasonably quick space of time. Best and Khan

(1993) observed that questionnaires enable the person administering them to explain the

purpose of the study and to give the meaning of the items that may not be clear. The

researcher will use questionnaires from the staff of the secondary schools in the states. The

instrument was chosen because the targeted population was considered literate which

minimised the interpretation of the questions for their understanding to capture reliable
information. (Describe the questionnaire here). A 5-point Likert scale will be used in the

questionnaire to test the degree of each respondent’s agreement with particular variables of

the study.

3.4.4 Schedules

Yin (2003), states that an interview is one of the most important sources of data and defines

the interview as a two-way conversation that allows the interviewer to participate actively in

the interview. The researcher will use interview schedules to collect data from the directors

(successors of school owners). Kerlinger (1973), observed that more people are willing to

communicate orally than in writing, this, therefore, provided data more readily in an

interview. The interview schedule will be structured based on the research questions of the

study.

3.4.5 Methods of Data Collection

The researcher will obtain a letter from his supervisor allowing him to go to the field.

Appointments will be made with principals of the schools to be sampled to notify and request

permission to carry out the study in their schools and arrange for the dates for data collection.

The researcher will administer the instruments to the respondents who will be given ample

time to respond to the questions. This is to ensure the achievement of a good return ratio

and help respondents to get a chance to seek clarification on items that proved difficult. The

interviews will also be done as convenient for the respondents.

3.4.6 Data Processing Analysis

Primary data from the field will be edited to eliminate errors made by respondents. Coding

will be done to translate question responses into specific categories. Coding is expected to

organise and reduce research data into manageable summaries. Quantitative data will be

analysed using descriptive statistics while content analysis techniques will be used to analyse

qualitative data collected using interview schedules. Statistical Package for Social Sciences

(SPSS) will be used to analyse the quantitative data. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies

and percentages will be used to describe the data. The analysed data will be presented in

form of tables, pie charts, and bar graphs where applicable.

3.4.7 Ethical Considerations

The researcher will abide by the British Educational Research Association (BERA, 2017)

framework which is internationally recognised and the procedural plans will be submitted in

advance for the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Institute of Education, University

College, London.

Allowances will be made for the social distancing protocol occasioned by the ravaging COVID-

19 Pandemic and social distancing regulations. Online surveys will be mostly utilised and focus

group interviews can be scheduled over the phone and with the participants' consent, may

be recorded for eventual transcription and analysis. Clarity of questions in both the survey

and questionnaire are given premium attention. The right of the participant to withdraw

from the study will also be made clear from the outset.
3.4.8 Validity and Reliability of Instruments

The instruments of the study will be tested in two schools that will not participate in the actual

study. The piloting is to ensure clarity of the final instruments for the actual data collection.

Furthermore, the expert opinion of my supervisor will help to check the content validity of

the instruments. The purpose of this pre-testing is to assist in finding out any weakness that

might be contained in the instruments of the study. Cresswell (2009) asserts that a mixed-

methods approach and the use of both questionnaires and focus groups may notch up the

validity of the study. A discussion of the background and experiences of the researcher and

those in the focus group may also help to build the reliability of the study. (Adu, 2016)
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