关于OTAs平台上的客户在线评论与酒店业之间的研究 - 3）研究方法

3.0 Methodology

 

3.1 Introduction

 

This report collects and generates information about customer reviews of hotels on the OTA to determine whether and how different types of customers have different demand and requirements for each element of the hotel marketing strategy. Determine and recommend to hotel management how to effectively use the OTA customer review data to formulate and maintain effective marketing strategies. Through two research objectives of the report to research whether different types of customers have different needs for hotels, and what marketing strategies hotel managers can devise for different customers, and how to help hotels improve business performance by understanding customer demand. This chapter focus on the methods used to research problems. The specific process is the discussion, planning, design, and execution of research methods. Figure 1 shows Sanders' ‘research onion’ detailing each stage of the research process, which provides an effective method for designing research methods.

 

Figure 1:The Saunders Onion (ResearchMethodology 2019)

 

 

3.2 Research Philosophy

 

Research philosophy is a special way of developing knowledge that defines the paradigm of philosophy (Saunders et al. 2009). It is important hypothesises determine the research strategy and the method of the strategy in the philosophy of research and explains the researchers' view of the world (GuhaThakurta 2015). Within the scope of business research, there are four main research philosophies: pragmatism, positivism, realism and interpretivism (ResearchMethodology 2019). Positivism position requires joint efforts with observable social realities to produce a legal-like summary.  Realism relies on the idea of separating reality from human thinking, which based on assumptions about the scientific method of knowledge development (Saunders 2012). Interpretivism emphasises human and physical phenomena because they create meaning (Saunders 2009). This report uses pragmatism philosophy. It solves cognitive problems by dedicating diagnostic strategies, which focus on research interests and value issues and adopt different ways to produce positive consequences (Bromley 2008). It is an attempt to engage in philosophical debates in daily life behaviours and experiences that focuses on practical consequences (Wood and Smith 2008). Through pragmatism integrated into real life. Customers share their stay experience and publish online reviews about hotels. The report research understands the different demand for different customers from online customer reviews. It helps the hotel solve the problem and formulate relevant strategies. As mentioned above, pragmatism research philosophy gives priority to the nature of the subject and its practical consequences. Pragmatists do not emphasize any particular methodology but adopt a flexible research design as long as the research goals are achieved. To determine the research philosophy, the report will further research design/methods and be able to choose the most appropriate method to collect and analyse data to achieve the research objective.

 

3.3 Research Approach

 

The research method is based on the nature of the research problem to be solved. It serves as a plan and procedure, including steps from extensive assumptions to detailed data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Research approaches are divided into three types: Deductive research approach, Inductive research approach and Abductive research approach (Saunders 2009).  Deduction involves the development of theory and then passes a series of propositions, and the concept must be operated in a way that can quantitatively assess facts and test pre-stated hypotheses. Induction uses known premises to produce untested conclusions. Abduction is a combination of deduction and induction, it is not from theory to data (such as deduction) or from data to theory (such as induction), but a combination of the two (David 2016).  From the theory of abduction, the report researches how customer reviews reflect the customer's requirements and needs based on the fact that the number of customer reviews is known and the opinion that customer reviews will affect hotel performance.

 

3.4 Methodological choice

 

Sanders' research perspective shows that there are three main options for method selection: quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods. Qualitative methods refer to data coll