To ensure the quality of the research, the researcher must evaluate the research through the whole research process. The evaluation criteria are often dependent on the used methodology. The qualitative and quantitative research evaluation are known to be using same concepts and terminology, but it should be acknowledged that the concepts are having different meaning depending on the method (Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2016).
Classic criteria for a good-quality research are including reliability, validity, and generalizability. Reliability is describing the consistency of the research in a way that other researchers can remake the research. It is used more often to evaluate quantitative methods since qualitative research data, interviews, and observations, is often difficult to replicate.
In this work, I have aspired to describe my processes as detailed as possible to gain reliability of the work. In qualitative research the validity of the research, also known as internal validity, is referring to the trustworthiness of the report and descriptions which can be proven by using induction, triangulation, or member check (Holloway, Wheeler &
Holloway; Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2016). Induction is combining the analysis after coding and the process of the data integration to the theory. Triangulation is a process of using multiple perspectives, such as methods, data sources or theories, to clarify the findings.
Member check lets the interviewees to see the interpreted data and to give comments on the interpretation. (Holloway, Wheeler & Holloway; Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2016). For this master’s thesis I conducted induction in the chapter 5.2 Key results.
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Appendix
APPENDIX 1. Interview questions.
General
1. Please tell me about yourself: who are you and what is your position in the company? Could you tell briefly about your professional background?
2. How would you define CE and how is your company part of it?
3. What is your company’s current (circular) business strategy?
4. How do you aim to create value in a CE? What value does participation in the CE bring to the company?
5. How do you see the company developing in the future?
Experiment/Collaboration
6. Has the company experimented circular business models in collaboration with internal partners?
a. Could you describe the collaborative BME project(s) in which the company has participated?
b. What did the experimentation include?
If the company has not experimented in cooperation with its partners:
a. Why has the company not experimented business models with partners?
i. Has there been no potential partners for testing?
ii. Didn’t the models need collaboration with other actors?
iii. Has it been due a lack of resources?
b. Has the company been offered cooperation on experimentation?
7. Which company did you experiment the circular business model with?
a. How did you choose the partners?
or
b. How did you join the project?
8. What were the objectives and how were they defined?
a. Did the project concept and goals change over time?
b. Did you share or discuss the values of the company with your partner(s)?
9. By whom and how were decisions made during the experimentation?
10. How were the roles of the project(s) divided during the experimentation?
Experience
11. How would you describe the experience of experimenting a CE business model compared to non-circular strategy-led experimentation?
a. Did you notice any significant advantages or disadvantages?
12. How well did the collaboration with the partner (s) work?
a. How did you deal with possible conflict situations between the partners?
13. How would you describe the benefits or challenges that the organisation faced during experimentation(s)?
14. What did you learn about the collaborative experimentation from this project?
a. Would you do something different in the future (in relation to partner selection, leadership, or something else)?