Introduction
This section of the paper will examine the method to be applied in collecting data and analyzing the results. Since this study is focused on a specific company, Carmina Campus, the researcher will apply a research survey approach to gather data through qualitative analysis. The choice of qualitative analysis was informed by the need to properly facilitate proper understanding of attributes related to employee motivation as influenced by leadership strategy. From the research survey of two hundred respondents, mainly managers, supervisors, and other employees of the Carmina Campus, the research will analyze the results to identify the current practices on fashion sustainability and their effectiveness. The application of this approach is necessary for facilitating the identification of different statistical patterns emerging from the collected data as related to the variables of the study.
Qualitative Research Methods
Questionnaire
In collecting data through the research survey, the researcher will use a self-administered questionnaire prepared through the 5-point Likert scale. As indicated by Howell (2016), the questionnaire will enable the targeted respondents to express different opinions on the research questions. The choice of the questionnaire was informed by its affordability to administer and convenience. The design of the questionnaires will be done in a simple language to ensure that the targeted respondents are fully integrated into the study (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). The research will ensure that the time allocated to drop and pick the questionnaires is reasonable and conforms to the general research timeline line attached in appendix 1.
Interviews
The research will be carried out through semi-structured interview questions that are open and close-ended. The researcher will carry out one of one interviews with respondents who are available and can allocate fifteen minutes to issue responses (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). The direct interview will be ideal in capturing gestures, experiences, and opinion of the respondents that accompanies responses to each question asked (Howell, 2016). Since the researcher is already trained in professionalism, it is expected that the interaction with the respondents will guarantee credible and reliable responses.
Research Approach
Since the proposed research study is focused, dynamic, and subjective, the researcher opted for qualitative analysis since it is flexible to accommodate different tools of data analysis, within different margins of error (Gary, 2014). The researcher will apply an appropriate approach in scrutinizing collected data by use of Google docs software. The recorded interview and questionnaires will be subjected to transcription to identify relevant responses from each respondent to identify converging and diverging responses for special treatment (Mason, 2013).
During data collection, the research will observe certain steps that guarantee the protection of the privacy of respondents by issuing informed consent letters requesting permission and assuring the participants of their privacy as attached in appendix 2. The informed consent form will highlight the scope of the respondent’s participation, freedom to respond or not to respond to the questions, rights, and responsibilities, and general permission to participate (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). The researcher will proceed to organize for interviews and drop questionnaires once the respondents give consent. The questionnaire and interviews will be done in the English language since the targeted respondents use English as their first or second language. The use of the English language will facilitate in-depth communication since there will be no risk of a language barrier in conducting the survey study (Collis & Hussey, 2012). The interview and questionnaires will have a space for recording general responses that are not included in the guided research questions. While some argue that results generated through the case study method are complex, such data may be vital in tracking realistic responses. While going through various resources, the researcher will engage in thorough and systematic note-taking. One of the factors that influenced this choice is the fact that the researcher is trying to isolate a fairly large study population (Yin, 2012). The study design will be descriptive in the sense that the case study allows for undertaking a descriptive study.
Research Samples
Sampling
The survey study will target managers, supervisors, and other employees working for the Carmina Campus. The respondents will be chosen randomly within the Carmina Campus being represented by an average of 70 respondents representing the manager, supervisor, and other employee categories each. The rationale for targeting these categories of the respondent was informed by the need to collect information from all the stakeholders who implement the different fashion sustainability strategies and are in a position to decode the success or failure feedback from these actions (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). The sample space of 200 respondents is adequate to study the subject topic as representing the actual fashion sustainability situation within the Carmina Campus. In picking the respondents, the researcher will adopt the random snowballing strategy to ensure that all dynamics in this group such as gender, age, responsibilities, and position in their place of work (Collis & Hussey, 2012). Besides, acceptance of this sample space would function within the scope of carrying out a comparative study towards establishing how the principles of ethics and sustainability can be successfully applied in the fashion industry concerning the Carmina Campus establishment.
Sampling Formula
The sampling formula which will be used in this study is ideal in generating the sample space that is within the acceptable limits from degree of freedom and sample size as presented below.
n=N/ (1+N (e2))
Where:
n = sample size
N= Target population
e= Degree of freedom
n=200/ (1+200*0.052)
n=200/1.075
n= 187.907
Data analysis
After data collection and transcription, data analysis will be carried out for the data collected through direct interviews and questionnaires. The collected data from the survey will be examined via the SPSS package to generate cross-tabulation for carrying out a comparative analysis of the perceptions of the respondents on how the principles of ethics and sustainability can be successfully applied in the fashion industry. As opined by Gary (2014), quantification of the dependent and independent variables can be achieved through correlation analysis with the support of charts, figures, charts, and tables.
The data decoding will also encompass analysis of variance, which focuses on establishing the mean differences in the set of data collected through disintegrated variation in the sets (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). The researcher will use analysis of variance to establish any existing statistical variances between the mean of each set of data (Collis & Hussey, 2012).
Generalisability and Vigor
The survey sample picked by the researcher can be described as representing verifiable, clear, and scientific criteria for reviewing decisions in the flexible sector under scrutiny. The big sample space and inclusion of different categories of respondents within the Carmina Campus is representative of the situation on the ground in the company and the fashion sector in general (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). Besides, the extensive sample space will be ideal for comparative research in testing degree and accuracy at different intervals. Based on these aspects, the survey research is predicted to be representational and accurate in addressing the research questions (Howell, 2016).
Validity and Reliability
Mason (2013) describes validity and reliability as determining the magnitude of accuracy in data collection during research. The aspect of validity is achieved through pre-testing the questions to be asked against the objectives of the research (Howell, 2016). The aspect of reliability examines the consistency in research instruments’ application and outcome generated. Since the research intends to apply these concepts in the process of carrying out a survey study, it is predicted that the findings are likely to “reflect the unique understanding that personal experiences bring to the development of case study” (Yin, 2012, p. 23).
The proposed integration of direct interview and questionnaire will balance the competencies and practices in terms of relevance to the aim of the study (Gary, 2014). Before accepting the respondents to participate in the study, the research will ensure that demographic and eligibility tests are rolled out to meet the present participation criteria (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). The questionnaires will be sent to the employees of the Carmina Campus targeted by the researcher besides scheduling direct interviews with managers, supervisors, and other employees who can afford a break of fifteen minutes to respond to the questions. For the questionnaires, the researcher will drop the sheets and pick them within four days to give the respondents enough time to answer the questions. The researcher will include his contacts in the questionnaire to respond to any inquiry raised by the respondents in the shortest time possible (Yin, 2012).
Ethical Considerations
The entire research survey process will embrace series of acceptable ethical principles of any scientific research. The first ethical practice that will be applied is the inclusion of informed consent forms to accompany the questionnaire and interview sheets. The researcher will also request permission from relevant authorities to research the Carmina Campus establishment through a formal letter addressed to the person in charge of the company. In the process of carrying out the research, the researcher will address concerns such as the privacy of the respondents and the targeted company through assuring parties involved of their rights to keep their identity anonymous (Mason, 2013). Since the proposed research will be scientific, the research will abide by the moral guideline on the scope and usage of data collected. Besides, the process of participant selection, probing, and interview will be carried out professionally to ensure that the aspects of balance in demographic traits and random sampling are observed. Therefore, all targeted respondents will be selected by the virtue that they work in the Carmina Campus and accept to adhere to the guidelines of being admitted to participate in the research (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012).
Addressing the Ethical Concerns
Since the researcher is well trained on experience in data collection, aspects of a distinctive strategy for gathering and reporting data will guarantee research credibility. Since the targeted sampling is relatively large and representative of different categories of respondents, achieving the transferability aspect of the research will be possible through concurrently reviewing the responses from the employees of the Carmina Campus Company (Gary, 2014). Research dependability will be achieved through the provision of sequential, detailed, and clear data collection and analysis descriptions within the study design. This means that each element of the research will be positioned to be congruent to the research questions and aims as a prerequisite for relating theoretical constructs to the analytical frameworks of the study (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). The data collected will be accurately transcribed to minimize any misunderstanding and conform to the basic standards of carrying out the scientific study (Mason, 2013).
Research Techniques
The question which is derived from the research to be analyzed through a quantitative approach is;
What is the current fashion sustainability strategy that is applied by your company to improve on the current level of customer satisfaction?
From this question, the null and alternative hypothesis can be presented as;
Null hypothesis
Different fashion sustainability strategies or styles influence customer satisfaction or product acceptance within the Carmina Campus and other fashion apparel companies.
Alternative hypothesis
Different fashion sustainability strategies or styles do not influence customer satisfaction or product acceptance within the Carmina Campus and other fashion apparel companies.
The large-scale survey in the form of questionnaires will facilitate the process of identifying the principles of ethics and sustainability that are applied in the case study company (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). In answering the above question, the researcher will depend on the following questions to establish the actual principles of ethics and sustainability methods applied in the case study company and their impact on customer satisfaction.
- How would you best describe the target consumer for Carmina Campus?
- Where are Carmina Campus products distributed and sold?
- What is the price range of Carmina Campus products?
- What factors go into the decision-making process of pricing besides the raw materials?
A limited number of respondents (at most 10) will participate in the direct interviews while the rest of the participants will fill the questionnaires. This is within the standard recommended sample size of fewer than twenty participants when applying Q-statistic in carrying out mixed research (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). To authenticate the survey, the researcher will carry out the pilot study “as a precaution against using a data collection tool in full research before determining its relevance and efficiency” (Howell, 2016, p. 23).
Confidence Intervals
The confidence interval for the proposed study will be estimated at 99%.
Sample statistic + Z value * standard error / √n
b1 = 7.1175 ± 2.57 * 0.9631 / √133 = 7.1175 ± 2.57 * 0.9631 / 11.5326 = 7.1175 ±0.2146 = 6.9029 ≤ b1 ≤ 7.3321
At 95%
b1 = 7.1175 ± 1.96 * 0.9631 / √133 = 7.1175 ± 1.96 * 0.9631 / 11.5326 = 7.1175 ± 0.1635 = 6.954 ≤ b1 ≤ 7.281
At 90%
b1 = 7.1175 ± 1.64 * 0.9631 / √133 = 7.1175 ± 1.64 * 0.9631 / 11.5326 = 7.1175 ± 0.1368 = 6.981 ≤ b1 ≤ 7.254
From the calculations, the confidence intervals will be estimated at 6.981 ≤ b1 ≤ 7.254 of 90%, 6.954 ≤ b1 ≤ 7.281 of 95%, and 6.9029 ≤ b1 ≤ 7.3321 of 99%. From the values above, it is apparent that the confidence estimate interval increases as the interval level reduces.
ANOVA Analysis
ANOVA (analysis of variance) is focused on substantiating the variances of different means of data sets. This statistical analysis methodology dwells on disintegrating the variances that exist between data sets from different groups. In this study, ANOVA analysis will establish the statistical variance between sets of data gathered from the respondents. The first element to be calculated will be variance between the mean of each variable and the mean of the respondents, which is denoted by
. The second element 
will calculate the variance between the variables. Hypothesis Statements for ANOVA Analysis
Null hypothesis
Ho: µ1 = µ2
The null hypothesis implies that the mean of the sample selected on the relationship between different fashion sustainability strategies and customer motivation for the company is equivalent to the means of the other companies in the same sector.
Alternative hypothesis
Ho: µ1 ≠ µ2
The null hypothesis implies that the mean of the sample selected on the relationship between different fashion sustainability strategies and customer motivation for the company is not equivalent to the means of the other companies in the same sector.
For the null hypothesis to be rejected, the assumption is that F-critical is smaller than F-calculated.
Scope of the Study
The scope of a study refers to the strategy of concentrating research on a specific region and targeting a specific group of respondents that are directly affected by the research aims (Yin, 2012). About the proposed study, the scope of the research methodology will be to examine the magnitude to which various ethical principles and fashion sustainability strategies applied by Carmina Campus within the fashion apparel sector impact customer satisfaction. Therefore, the scope of this study will be limited to ethical principles and fashion sustainability strategies applied in the Carmina Campus as part of its environmental business sustainability modeling.
Different Biases and Minimization
Responses from respondents will be subjected to scrutiny to establish consistency. Each response from each question by every respondent will be coded to minimize possible biases that arise from generalization (Yin, 2012). Besides, the researcher will remain neutral during the study to present facts as they are within the case study company (Mason, 2013). Besides, content and thematic analyses will be closely studied to ensure that the findings are placed within the primary context of the research survey (Howell, 2016).
Summary of the methodology
The researcher will adopt the mixed method of research by integrating organization ethical principles and fashion sustainability theories to subject the findings to scientific interpretation (Blaxter, Hughes, & Malcolm, 2012). The methodology of the study will be addressed through a research survey targeting 200 respondents drawn from the Carmina Campus Company, which is currently leading sustainably (Gary, 2014). The data analysis will be carried out via ANOVA after passing the data through SPSS to aid in the comparison-based study.
References
Blaxter, L., Hughes, C., & Malcolm, T. (2012). How to research. Berkshire, UK: Open University Press.
Collis, J., & Hussey, R. (2012). Business research. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
Gary, T. (2014). How to do your case study: A guide for students and researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Howell, D. (2016). Fundamental statistics for the behavioral sciences. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Mason, J. (2013). Designing qualitative research. New York, NY: Sage.
Yin, R. (2012). Case study research: Design and methods. New York, NY: Sage.