The research method of the thesis was qualitative. In addition, accessibility was studied by conducting a physical accessibility standard replicate measurement and performing observation. The qualitative research includes a questionnaire for the customers of the case companies (see Appendix 6), and together with it an observation was conducted related to the service-journey experience and its
accessibility (see Appendices 1 and 2). When conducting the observation, a checklist for accessible communication standards (see Appendix 4) was used as an analysis tool to help analyze the accessibility of the customers’ service journey. In addition, the physical accessibility standard replicate measurement was conducted in the case companies measuring the physical accessibility of the facilities (see Appendices 3 and 5).
The Checklists for Accessible Communication was chosen to be one analyzing tool because it was part of the social accessibility and it was important part in tourism accessibility. The company that is accessible is easy to be reached and there is enough information to be available for minimizing customers’ insecurity. If customer feel like not getting enough information or it is confusing, it is likely to not leave at all. (Jutila, 2012.)
Process
The thesis process began after the meeting with Petra Blinnikka who was the project manager in the KESMA II-project. She assigned the topic related to accessibility in rural tourism companies. Afterwards the theory was studied and literature related to the subject was gathered in order to obtain wider knowledge of the subject. The wideness of the subject was realized and therefore had to be limited. Because the authors were studying in the School of Business and Services Management, service journey was chosen to guideline the research and to be used as a tool for framing the subject.
On 9April there was a workshop in Joutsa that was related to the sustainability arranged by KESMA II-project. The authors went there to promote the thesis and to find case companies. During the presentation there were three companies that volunteered to become the case companies of the thesis: Luukkolan Loma, Villa Hiidenmäki and Wanha Vartiamäki.
When the case companies were decided it was possible to create the frames to the subject and conduct a blueprint model for the customer service journey (see appendices 1 and 2). Tools that were used in observation also needed limiting. The meeting with Anne-Mari Hård-Janhonen (the then Chairman of the Council for the Disabled in Jyväskylä) was arranged in order to get professional help with
highlighting the most important aspects from the checklists that were used. With her help checklists were limited only to the most crucial elements related to rural
tourism.
In order to get added value to our observation, a survey was conducted to case companies’ customers. The target of the survey was to study the customers’
opinions on accessibility on the case companies. The survey was opened in the beginning of June and was meant to close down already in the end of July but due to the lack of replies, the time was extended to the end of August. Survey was chosen to be conducted on the Internet. Questions were formed so that they would support the qualitative research method. The distant location of the case companies was a crucial element when deciding the way of conducting questionnaire. Publishing the questionnaire online was the most practical method for both authors and recipients.
In order to help the recipients to understand the topic of the questionnaire, the information leaflet was visualized
The case companies were visited in the end of May: Luukkolan Loma and Wanhan Vartiamäen tila on 23 May, and Villa Hiidenmäki on 28 May. It took about three hours in each company when observing the premises and interviewing the owners.
Also pictures were taken to support the observations. After every visit results of the checklists were analyzed and development ideas were discussed from the service journey’s point of view. In September the results of the questionnaire were clear and ready to be analyzed.
Qualitative Research
In a qualitative research approach, the goal is to survey real life situations in a comprehensive way. People are favored as an instrument of gathering information.
Each case is considered unique. Therefore the results are interpreted according to that assumption. (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2007, 160.)
A qualitative approach was chosen because it optimally contributes to reaching the aim of the thesis. As all the companies are micro-sized rural tourism companies, a quantitative research method could not have provided enough answers in the required time and would have led to the results unreliable and invalid results. When
conducting a quantitative research, the number of results is crucial in order for the results to be measured for their reliability and validity.
Reliability
Reliability means the repeatability of the measured results. If a research is reliable it should not give random results. Therefore in a quantitative research more answers mean that the results are more reliable. (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2007, 226.) Thus, if the same phenomenon is observed by several authors with the similar aims, they will submit approximately the same results. (Gummerson 1988.)
With qualitative research method the reliability can be enhanced with accurate and specific reporting of the implementations of every phase in the thesis process.
(Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2007, 227.) The authors’ aim was to analyze the service journey of each of the companies with accurate and specific recite to increase the reliability.
Validity
Validity means that the research methods and indicators measure the phenomena they are supposed to measure. Therefore, the results of a research cannot be considered valid if the questions are formed in a way that the person answering them understands them differently form the author who made them. (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2007, 226.) In other words, concept of model needs to accurately describe the reality. (Järvinen 2001, 145.) The validity of the research can be
amplified by using several research methods. (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2007, 228.)
Some problems that were faced during the thesis writing process were related to the research methods. As a qualitative research was conducted in a form of a
questionnaire published in the Internet, a possible issue with validity might emerge.
Since the questionnaire was not performed face-to-face the authors cannot explain the questions further to the respondents. Therefore the respondents might
understand the question differently that the authors intended. Here emerges the issue regarding the validity of the research. (Hirsjärvi, Remes & Sajavaara 2007, 226.) This was prevented by creating clear and short questions that were hard to
misunderstand and that were not leading the recipients. In addition, in order to enhance the validity of the research guidelines were provided for the respondents in a form of a two sided A4 -document. On the front side of the document was briefly introduced the aim of the questionnaire with instructions how to respond to it and on the back side there were visual and written aids to help the respondents with the elements they needed to pay attention to during their visit (see Appendix 7).
During the research process attention was paid to validity and reliability of the research. The observation tools used in the process were taken from prestigious sources e.g. The Finnish Association of People with Physical Disabilities and those were clear and easy to use considering that authors were not professionals in accessibility standards. When observing the case companies impartiality was kept and the companies were observed with accurate and specific recite.
Issues Regarding the Research Process
Some possible problems might occur in receiving enough responses for the
questionnaire from the customers of the case companies. As stated earlier all three of the case companies were micro-sized and all of them informed when interviewed that most of the summer the villas were booked for the whole week, therefore the amount of customers during the summertime in reality was quite small. Preventing the amount of responses staying low involvement from the case companies’ side was required. The good thing was that the owners were very involved in the KESMA II project, and had agreed to market the questionnaire for their customers.
As for the sources used in this thesis for theory base a difficulty in obtaining contemporary information occurred, since the subject was relatively new. The subject accessibility itself was not completely new, but only recently it had gained wider attention and had become more commonly spoken of. In order to obtain the latest information about accessibility, the Internet was probably the best source.
However it was also quite unreliable, since it was difficult to determine where the information originated. The book sources on the other hand might not be so up-to-date. Best way was to combine the two main sources of information. The in-depth knowledge was gained by discussing the subject with the experts of accessibility. In the research work, the authors had discussed about the accessibility and physical accessibility tools with Anne-Mari Hård-Janhonen, who was the Chairman of the Council for the Disabled in Jyväskylä (Vammaisneuvoston puheenjohtaja).