Case data (categories)

This PhD research utilized critical case data (FlyvbMHUJ0LOHV +XEHUPDQ <LQ DERXW WKH SURMHFW SRUWIROLR PDQDJHPHQW FDSDELOLW\ 330&

development. With the necessary access to the research sites and archived data, the researcher collected richly contextualized temporal and spatial data from multiple sources &UHVZHOO<LQ. Briefed later in this sub-section, the collected data is dividable into three main categories. Meanwhile, a retroduction-based logic of “iterative correction of the earlier findings” %KDVNDUSvii) was maintained throughout the data collection period. Such an approach required repeatedly consulting the extant literature, verifying the theoretic constructs through the critical case data, finding the causalities from real world identified in literature, identifying the literature limitations based on the real-world experiences, and proposing a more refined representation of the investigated phenomenon. A process-based research approach with longitudinal data collection facilitated this retroductive study of path-dependent organizational capabilities (ULNVVRQ+HOIDWHWDOS -$FFRUGLQJO\WKHUHVHDUFKHUNQRZOHGJH about the investigated phenomenon kept increasing with time, as illustrated in Figure .

Figure 8. Retroduction-based researcher’s interactions with the case data and knowledge development about the phenomenon

[In Figure , “Secondary Data” represents the record of direct observations, archived documents, and participant observations. Meanwhile, the “Interview”

represents the theory-based expert interviews.]

2.3.2.1 Direct observations

For the purpose of data collection, access to the research sites was authorized GXULQJWKHILUVWTXDUWHURILWLVLOOXVWUDWHGLQVHFWLRQ), and visits to the UHVHDUFKVLWHVEHJDQWKHQ(DFKVLWHYLVLWODVWHGEHWZHHQWZRKRXUVWRRQH complete day. On average, one site visit per week could be realized, while these visits were more frequent during the second half of real-time data collection period when theory-driven interviews were being conducted. In fact, the researcher had already collected the publicly available information on TCA’s worldwide website before the beginning of site visits. Therefore, the researcher already had developed an outsider’s view (in this research context) about the company’s product and service offerings to the dedicated market segments.

During this period of site visits, which lasted for over two years, the researcher began to learn about in-house PPM practices and activities related to PPMC dimensions and routines, and how (only if) these practices were changing with time. These real-time observations recorded through the following:

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- Participation in business (projects and portfolio) planning and review PHHWLQJV

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- Participation is project lessons-OHDUQHGUHFRUGLQJDQGUHYLHZPHHWLQJV - 3DUWLFLSDWLRQLQSURMHFWPDQDJHPHQWFRPPXQLW\RISUDFWLFHPHHWLQJV - Participation in business strategy and result communication (to company

HPSOR\HHVVHPLQDUV

- 3DUWLFLSDWLRQLQVKRUWWUDLQLQJVHVVLRQVDVDQREVHUYHU - etc.

2.3.2.2 Documentations (including archival records)

Although limited, access to the archived data proved to be a real luxury. This access provided the initial evidence of what had been happening in the case company. The researcher started to apprehend the multiple internal and external causalities affecting the development of PPMC in TCA and its business units. With the help of gatekeepers there were, additionally, some documents collected that had been stored in databases previously not accessible to this researcher. With this, the researcher could develop a bigger picture (Figure 5) based on historical HYHQWVDQGLGHQWLILFDWLRQRIFDXVDOPHFKDQLVPVRUDVVDLGE\%KDVNDUS vii), development of a model with “disjunctive plurality of alternatives”). This all-inclusive model had to be further clarified by further observations and interviewing the experts who had been experiencing PPMC development at TCA.

The collected documents included the following:

- Minutes of various meetings about organizationaOSURMHFWPDQDJHPHQW - ([WHUQDODVVHVVPHQWVRQSURMHFWPDQDJHPHQWDQG330SUDFWLFHV - $FDGHPLFUHVHDUFKUHSRUWV

- PPM and project management policies, procedures, best practices and JXLGHV

- <HDUO\GHYHORSPHQWDQGWUDLQLQJSURJUDPV

- Function-wise business performance plans, including the development of NH\SHUIRUPDQFHLQGLFDWRUV

- Employee magazines, internal reports, presentations and online training PDWHULDOV

- etc.

2.3.2.3 Expert interviews (Theory-driven approach)

The critical realists’ “world is characterized by emeUJHQFH´ 6D\HU Accordingly, critical realists adopt constructivist epistemology of socially constructed knowledge about reality. It reflects the importance of experts’

experiences in the development of knowledge about the investigated phenomenon.

+owever, instead of interpreting reality through the experience of the interviewed experts (as followed in constructivism), critical realists combine the interviewees’

experience with extant literature to reach to the causal mechanisms generating the events experienced by interviewed experts – looking in the literature through experience of others, and vice versa. It is because “people are always knowledgeable about the reasons for their conduct but in a way which can never carry total awareness of the entire set of structural conditions” 3DZVRQS 7KHUHIRUH FULWLFDO UHDOLVW GDWD FROOHFWLRQ LV DERXW OHWWLQJ WKH UHDOLW\ LWVHOI guide the research process $QGHUVRQ .UDJK , and a theory-driven interview approach thrives this data collection process (see: 6PLWK (OJHU 3DZVRQ

Critical realists’ theory-driven interviewing approach gradually clarifies the reality through expert accounts and enables to reach into the underlying mechanisms (6PLWK (OJHU . Meanwhile, the researcher’s mental model about the investigated phenomenon gradually refines, and complements the available NQRZOHGJHDERXWUHDOLW\3DZVRQS-+HUHLQWKHVHOHFWLRQRINH\

informants who on-ground contributed to the PPMC dimensions related decision-making and operationalizing PPMC routines was very critical. The list of such potential experts was prepared during the direct observations and by examining archived documents. This list included experts who were working in the case company and few WKRVH ZKR DOUHDG\ KDG UHWLUHG +RZHYHU WKH WKHRU\-driven interviews (Table 2) were conducted with the experts working in the company (not retired or switched to the other companies). Meanwhile, the researcher also managed several informal discussions in corridors and coffee breaks with the listed as well as unlisted experts.

Table 2. /LVWRIexperts participated in theory-driven interviews

17 Development Manager > 20 years 35 minutes 18 Vice President > 18 years 1 hr 25 min.

27 GM Enterprise Architecture > 18 years 55 min.

28 Functional Director > 8 years 1 hr 05 min.

These interviews mainly included open-end questions about the knowledge of respondents related to past events and their impact on the present way of working (compare &R[ <LQ S -. Remembering the past events and

context surrounding those events was not an easy task for the experts. Therefore, it was researcher’s task to facilitate the recollections of the interviewees’ past-memories. The archived documents from the company database were helpful in this “memory collection” support during the interviews. After looking at the past documents, reports, presentations and meeting memos, etc., the experts could express more details about these events, and sometimes could add to the archival information as well as provide the necessary documentary evidence.

The sequence of interviewing was also important and the researcher approached it through bottom-up approach of first discussing and interviewing the project management experts and then leadership. Each expert interview was a refinement to the already learned PPMC development process and led to a narrowing down of the themes for the next interviews -RKDQVRQ S . Reiterating that retroduction-based research approach required to simultaneously investigate both the business units and conduct interviews. It helped in refining the theoretical constructs about PPM capability dimensions at individual business unit as well as at the corporation-level of The Company Alpha. All these interviews were transcribed using a software (NVivo) for qualitative data analysis.