Ideally, I am looking for research that utilizes a mixed method sequential exploratory design for the purposes of developing a scale. All the research which I have come upon use a reflective approach in their quantitative phase (i.e. they use methods like EFA for factor analysis and CFA for confirmation). I was hoping to find research which employs a formative approach in their quantitative part.
Either within or outside of marketing research, there is very little literature that addresses the "how to" aspects of this developing instruments using this design. Most people simple say they did it, or at most provide a vague statement such as "we used focus groups followed by thematic analysis."
Regardless of how the content originates, I would still recommend doing EFA and CFA on the quantitative results. This is because the way that people talk about a subject in open-ended interviews can be rather different than the way that they perceive the same issues in a the brief questions asked in a survey instrument. For example, a detailed content analysis of the qualitative data might point to more dimensions (e.g. 6 themes) than would appear in the quantitative analysis (e.g., 3 factors).
Thank you for your feedback. I wanted to ask further if I may, that within the qualitative part of the research, can a strategy be used in which an initial framework is first constructed through literature review, which can then be refined and validated through interviewing practitioners who are relevant to that area of interest?
Certainly, but I would recommend a "funnel" format for your qualitative interviews, where you begin with broad "open" questions before you move into the narrower, predetermined questions from your literature review. That way, you may hear new perspectives before you "impose" your framework on their thinking.
The conceptualisation should become with qualitative research for not only answering 'What' but also 'How' and Why'. You may refer to TISM papers for the conceptualisation phase. Later this may ve tested with empirical research.
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