Using Repertory Grids to Conduct Cross-Cultural Information Systems Research.

Author List: Hunter, M. Gordon; Beck, John E.;
Information Systems Research, 2000, Volume 11, Issue 1, Page 93.
As more business is being conducted internationally and corporations establish themselves globally, the impact of cross-cultural aspects becomes an important research issue. The need to conduct cross-cultural research is perhaps even more important in the relatively newly emerging and quickly changing information systems (IS) field. This article presents issues relating to qualitative research, emic versus etic approaches, and describes a structured, yet flexible, qualitative research interviewing technique, which decreases the potential for bias on the part of the researcher. The grounded theory technique presented in this article is based on Kelly's Repertory Grid (RepGrid), which concentrates on "laddering," or the further elaboration of elicited constructs, to obtain detailed research participant comments about an aspect within the domain of discourse. The technique provides structure to a "one-to-one" interview. But, at the same time, RepGrids allow sufficient flexibility for the research participants to be able to express their own interpretation about a particular topic. This article includes a brief outline of a series of research projects that employed the RepGrid technique to examine similarities and differences in the way in which "excellent" systems analysts are viewed in two different cultures. Also included is a discussion of the technique's applicability for qualitative research in general and cross-cultural studies specifically. The article concludes by suggesting ways in which the RepGrid technique addresses some of the major methodological issues in cross-cultural research.
Keywords: Cross Cultural; Information Systems; Qualitative; Repertory Grids
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List of Topics

#272 0.145 requirements analysts systems elicitation techniques analysis process technique understanding determination analyst acquisition interview development used semantic results knowledge structured effectiveness
#222 0.142 research researchers framework future information systems important present agenda identify areas provide understanding contributions using literature studies paper potential review
#28 0.126 cultural culture differences cross-cultural states united status national cultures japanese studies japan influence comparison versus china participants country singapore diverse
#32 0.111 research studies issues researchers scientific methodological article conducting conduct advanced rigor researcher methodology practitioner issue relevance findings validation papers published
#127 0.111 systems information research theory implications practice discussed findings field paper practitioners role general important key grounded researchers domain new identified
#26 0.091 business large organizations using work changing rapidly make today's available designed need increasingly recent manage years activity important allow achieve
#240 0.091 systems information management development presented function article discussed model personnel general organization described presents finally computer-based role examined functional components
#289 0.078 qualitative methods quantitative approaches approach selection analysis criteria used mixed methodological aspects recent selecting combining known conclusions included article appropriateness