The various factors that will guide and determine the design and the overall structure of the research are introduced in this chapter. The ontological and epistemological perspectives of the study will be introduced, and the researcher will outline personal views within the perspectives. Identifying the perspectives will help the researcher be sure about the nature of the research. The alternative approaches for this study will also be deliberated in this chapter. The approach that this research will adopt will be chosen and discussed in-depth. The ethical considerations, which will be the most critical part of the research, will be discussed in this section, and the research approach to be adopted by this study will be reviewed in detail.

3.1 Research Questions

This research will focus on Practical uses of E-Commerce and Technology Adoption in New Zealand: Small to Medium Size Enterprises. The adoption of e-commerce by SME’s in New Zealand and the use of web-based technologies will be analyzed. Technology has enabled the business to change their mode of operations. The research will analyze the extent to which SMEs have been adopted in New Zealand. The research will further explore the factors that hinder the adoption of e-commerce in SMEs in the country. The questions necessitating answers from this research are:

To examine how to implement e-commerce and technology for SMEs in New Zealand
To find out the main obstacles for e-commerce for SMEs, especially industry 4.0.

The questions will be supported by the research sub-questions, which are:

What are the main factors that SMEs consider to apply E-commerce for their business?
Apart from New Zealand, what is the trend of E-commerce of other organizations in other countries?

3.2. Ontology and Epistemology Perspectives

According to Hansen (2010), academic approaches make use of ontology and epistemology approaches. Ontology explains what already exists and should be studied. It explains the nature of what is under study. It is primarily concerned with the existence of social reality independent of human understanding and interpretation. The ontological perspective enables the researcher to know their certainty about the existence and nature of the object they are carrying out the research.

According to Al-Saadi, (2014), ontology has three broad positions, which are realism, idealism, and materialism. Realism argues that there exist some external realities which independently exist from our theories, perceptions, and constructions. Realism makes the assumption that the world is the way it is, recognizing that there can be other ways of understanding reality, which are scientific and correct (Bryman, 2008). Realist ontology acknowledges that there can be one single reality that exists and can be studied, comprehended, and experienced as the truth; the existence of the real is independent of human experience. Realism has faced a lot of criticism from idealism. Idealism is concerned with actual reality. It involves conscious reasoning to locate what is true and just.

Epistemology is the question that the researcher seeks to find out and how the knowledge can be achieved. Understanding the two perspectives in research is critical. They influence how the research objectives are put together, the critical factors to be studied and how the research will be conducted. Ontology and epistemology have positivism and interpretivism positions ( Al-Saadi, 2014). Positivity epistemology focuses on truth and objectivity when the researcher is looking for data (Marsh and Furlong 2002). It relies on evidence.

According to Al-Saadi, (2014), values and facts are distinct in positivism. Thus, the researcher will conduct an objective and value-free inquiry. Interpretivism, on the other hand, opposes positivism. According to interpretivism, our interpretations and perceptions of the world can be used to find information about it, not only direct observation (Bryman, 2008). Meanings are created through individual perceptions and understanding, which emanate from individuals reflections of events (Bryman, 2008). This approach argues that knowledge is produced through exploration and understanding the world and how people create meaning and understanding.

Figure 1: Connecting Epistemology, Ontology, and Methodology

Source: Marsh and Furlong (2002).

Table 1:Fundamental Differences between Quantitative and Qualitative Research Strategies

Source: (Bryman & Bell, 2015)

	Quantitative	Qualitative
Prinicpal orientation to the role of theory in relation to research	Deductive	Inductive
Epistemology	positivism	Interpretivism
Ontology	Objectivism	Constructionism

The ontological orientations are objectivism and constructionism. The table above shows the difference between objectivism and constructionism, with their epistemology and the research methods. The objectivism perspective looks at the world as an objective reality that can be defined, observations made, and measured (Bryman & Bell, 2015). The objectivism perspective adopts the positivism or the post-positivism epistemological approach, which states that knowledge is obtained through objective observation of reality. A comparison can be made between a theory and hypothesis (Creswell, 2014). The research approach in this perspective is deductive as it aims to point out the cause and effect relationships by the use of quantitative methods. Post positivism contradicts, as the truth posed by the evidence is that of the present hypothesis and cannot be justified.

The research process involves making hypotheses basing on a theory that revolves around reality (Bryman & Bell, 2015). The research will either refine or abandon the hypotheses depending on the evidence it gets. A constructionism perspective, which this research will explore, seeks to comprehend the world from the perspective of multiple participants, believing the world to be constantly evolving and being socially constructed (Bryman & Bell, 2015; Creswell, 2014). The epistemological approach which the research will adopt is interpretivism. This is concerned with understanding individuals perceptions and why they act in a certain way (Bryman & Bell, 2015; Creswell, 2014). The epistemological approach will seek participants understanding and the researchers’ context and generate theory through qualitative research.

3.2.1 Criticisms of Objectivism and Constructionism Research Paradigms

Creswell (2014) posits that the solid criticism of the objectivism perspective revolves around a positivist paradigm that is value-free and the concept of getting the truth and the law-like generalizations. According to Creswell (2014), post-positivism emerged from positivism due to criticisms subjected to the latter. Notably, post-positivism recognizes values but does not consider how individuals and social institutions interpret, reflection and reaction to their view of the world. (Bryman & Bell, 2015; Scotland, 2012). The objectivism approach highly relies on instruments, measures and procedures, which can impede how the study connects to individuals lives (Bryman & Bell, 2015). The focus of this perspective on measurements and procedures can lead to the generation of false results due to the assumption of the measure with what they reflect. According to Scotland (2012), this approach subjects measurements to different interpretations, for instance, by the researcher and the subject in the case of survey questions. Different interpretations of data may lead to the subject interpreting and answering a different question altogether (Creswell, 2014). Often, qualitative research gets criticism for relying on the researcher’s view and the researcher being subjective on the findings (Bryman & Bell, 2015). According to Brymann and Bell (2015), the tendency of the researcher to rely on their subjectivity during data collection and analysis implies that the research will most likely not be a replicate. This results in no transparency in how the study is carried out, which makes it not easily understandable on the processes and how conclusions were reached (Bryman & Bell, 2015).despite the criticism, the quality of theoretical inferences in qualitative research are of paramount consideration (Creswell, 2014). conducting a qualitative case study needs a lot of time and labour (Creswell, 2014). There is increased adoption of qualitative and quantitative approaches in research to overcome the limitations for each, to come up with a mixed-method approach (Clark & Ivankova, 2018).

3.3. Appraisal of Alternative Research Methodologies

The research methodology entails three approaches which all need consideration. The research strategy determines the methodological approach to be used. The research strategy is made up of epistemological, ontological and research methodology. Therefore, considering the research methodology, the proposal outlines the approach which this research will adopt; quantitative, qualitative or the mixed methods approach.

3.3.1 Qualitative Approach

Qualitative research uses the inductive approach where individual interviews and focus group discussions are conducted to derive a theory and create meaning and explanation on the subject under study (Scotland, 2017). In this approach, a hypothesis is created, followed by data collection and interpretation (Bryman & Bell, 2015). This approach is time consuming hence limited to a few participants. It is also subjective as the researcher interprets and analyses the results individually (Scotland, 2017). Due to this, the research is subjected to the researcher’s perspective; hence the results do not replicate, and generalizations cannot be made. Non-replication of results and the reliance on the researcher’s point of view poses a con to this approach (Scotland, 2017). Therefore, this approach orients with constructionist, interpretivist perspectives of ontology and epistemology

3.3.2 Quantitative Approach

This adopts the deductive approach that collects and analyses data using measurements and procedures, leading the researcher from hypothesis to data collection, interpretation (statistical analysis), and subsequent conclusion to provide measurable results (Bryman & Bell, 2015). This approach picks the form of experimental, quasi-experimental or non-experimental quantitative designs such as surveys which results to numerical data (Bryman & Bell, 2015; Creswell, 2014). Surveys employ structured interviews with closed questionnaires. This enables qualitative data collection that measures the attitudes or opinions of participants’ in the selected sample. Survey studies can be done timely (cross-sectional studies) or conducted periodically (longitudinal studies), especially in cases where the study is to be done repeatedly (Bryman & Bell, 2015; Creswell, 2014). These surveys can be conducted through telephone calls, emails, interviews or by the help of any other online avenues (Creswell, 2014; Kumar, 2014). Survey methods are usually adapted based on the cost, the privacy it offers to data and the turnaround time of data collection (Creswell, 2014; Kumar, 2014). Quantitative research is predestined, fixed and structured so that they guarantee the validity and reliability of the findings (Kumar, 2014). The type of data collected will use various statistical tests for interpretation and to response to the research questions (Kumar, 2014).

The main advantage of the quantitative approach is that the results can be replicated. Hence other researchers can get similar findings under the same test conditions. This approach produces tangible results, which can be subjected to generalization to approve or disapprove a hypothesis (Bryman, 2015). However, this approach does not recognize the human viewpoint, ignoring what people think or do (Scotland, 2017). This approach aligns itself to the objective and positive perspectives of ontology and epistemology.

3.3.3 Mixed Methods

Mixed methods use both the qualitative and quantitative approaches in data collection and analysis, thus helpful in triangulating reality is with the perception of focal actors (Dainty, 2008). According to Spicer (2004), this method is helpful as it combines the two approaches which have opposing viewpoints. The qualitative approach in the mixed methods gives flexibility to the research as understandings are formed. The quantitative, on the other hand, tests the understandings created by the qualitative approach. A quantitative approach is more rigorous as it recognizes the social facet of reality and the perspective in natural science (Spicer, 2004). In mixed methods, the qualitative and the quantitative processes and principles do not change, but how they are incorporated will be different with respect to the research’s purpose. Mixed method design can be explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential convergent parallel, or embedded studies (Creswell, 2014). The table below describes the mixed-method design.

Table 2: Mixed Method Research Designs

Source: (Creswell, 2014)

Mixed-Method design	Parallel and convergent design	In this design, qualitative and quantitative data is collected at barely the same time and merged in order to draw a comprehensive analysis of the problem under study. Conflicting information from the analysis are investigated further and explained better.
	Sequential and explanatory design	Both quantitative and qualitative kinds of research are conducted. Numerical facts are collected initially, followed by explanations n the form of qualitative data. This design is often used in researches with a solid qualitative focus.
	Sequential and exploratory design	This design employs qualitative studies initially to explore the participants’ views regarding the topic of study. Results collected are thereafter used to inform and guide the qualitative research phase, such as specifying variables and determining the type of instruments to employ in the quantitative research.
	Embedded design	It employs both the convergent and sequential designs of study; however, either the qualitative or quantitative data is incorporated within larger designs where the data supports the entire design.

3.4. Selection of Research methodology

The ontological and epistemological perspectives will influence the structure and approach of how this research will be conducted. Hence, the selected research methodology should be oriented with the overall ontological and epistemological perspectives while considering the nature of the research topic. The perspectives were outlined in section 3.2, which were constructionism and interpretivism. The alternative research methods and methodologies were outlined in section 3.3, which are deductive and inductive, which differ in their approach to research. Therefore the research methods are qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method. This research proposal aims to explore how to implement E-commerce and technology for small to medium-size enterprises in New Zealand and determine the main obstacles and difficulties of E-commerce for SMEs, especially industry 4.0.

Therefore, qualitative research will use the inductive approach where surveys or questionnaires will be issued to small and medium-sized enterprises in New Zealand. The study will also use data from previous researches on other countries case studies. The questionnaires will be used to derive a theory and create meaning and explanation on the topic. The hypothesis will be created, followed by data collection and interpretation (Bryman &Bell, 2015). Technology is significantly influencing businesses both on a large and small scale, as discussed in chapter 1 of this paper. Therefore, for this study, a qualitative method approach is proposed where qualitative research and analysis will explain how to implement e-commerce and technology for SMEs in New Zealand. The main advantage of this approach is that it will give detailed explanations which may not be numerically represented. The table below illustrates the research design

Table 3:Research Strategy

Source: Bryman and Bell (2015)

Research Design	Research strategy
Research Design	Quantitative	Qualitative
Experimental studies	Contrast is drawn in quantitative terms between control and experimental sets
Cross-sectional studies	It is conducted as a structured survey or observation on a particular case at a point in time. May involve carrying out analysis of contents in documents related to the topic	It is conducted through a focus group discussion or a qualitative interview at a certain period in time They can also be based on analyzing documents qualitatively, in which they have a relation to an event or a specified time frame
Longitudinal study	Social survey researches on a subject on several occasions. May include analyzing contents of documents that relate to variant periods .	It takes the form of ethnographic research in more extended periods, carrying out qualitative interviews on several occasions or analyzing contents of documents that relate to varying periods
Case study	It takes the form of Social survey research on one case.	The study is intensive by ethnography or carrying out a qualitative interview of one case, which can be an individual, organization, or a group in a particular organization
Comparative study	It takes the form of Social survey research in which two or more cases are directly compared.	It takes the form of Ethnographical or qualitative interview research involving a comparison between two or more cases

3.5. Research Approach

This section outlines the proposed research approach that can be used in the research during data collection on the topic under study. The research design can be in six forms; longitudinal, case study, cross-sectional, comparative, experimental, or a combination of these (Bryman & Bell, 2015). The research strategy will follow a deductive approach in all the steps. The research questions will be identified, which will form part of the research in terms of subjects. The questions will also aid in data collection (Bryman, 2012).

This research proposal is aimed to examine how technology and e-commerce are implemented in SMEs in New Zealand. The research will compare the adoption of technology in SMEs in other countries with New Zealand. Therefore, the research design considerations need to align with the research questions and the method selected (Cooper, 2008). This section discusses the research approach in detail. This research will adopt the inductive approach, and the research design will be exploratory.

This research will be a form of a case study. A case study has been selected as there is more opportunity to complete full contextual analysis as a focused set of events and conditions are studied more deeply (Cooper, 2008). The SME’s in New Zealand will form part of the case study. This research will adopt the descriptive approach; hence subjects will be investigated to describe how E-commerce and technology have been implemented in SMEs in New Zealand. In terms of time, the research will adopt the cross-sectional approach. The research will be relevant in the period the research will be conducted as it is a case study.

This research will draw information from primary data. Primary data will give current information regarding the adoption of technology by SMEs in New Zealand. Notably, technology undergoes rapid evolution; hence, using current information will significantly increase the validity of the research. Primary data orients with the qualitative approach of this research. The primary data which this research will use will be in the proper context. The main restraint of primary data is that it has financial and time implications (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2005).

The research will also draw heavily from secondary data. The study lacks cases for this topic in New Zealand; hence the research will be based on case studies of existing research. Secondary sources will add richness to the research by providing information on the status of technology adoption in SMEs in other countries. The data will be used to make a comparison with the trend in New Zealand hence, contributing to the validity of the research. The research will source and analyze secondary data mainly from previous case studies on the topic in different countries. Secondary data are data obtained from external sources like academic journals, commercial sources, and other learning materials, which will be used for literature review in defining the research problem and questions (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2005). The secondary sources will play a significant role in supporting the research design phase before the collection of primary data. Other case studies on the same research topic will give deeper insights into the research context and give a proper comparison of the use of technology in SMEs in New Zealand and other countries. The secondary data will be used for comparison with research results for the conclusion (Zikmund et al., 2010).

Data collection for this research will rely on questionnaires within the deductive process. This is aligned with the ontological and epistemological perspectives and research methodology selected. According to Cooper and Schindler (2008), this research will not need any experiments hence no need to control the environment. The variables within the environment will form part of the research and contribute to the research. Questionnaires will be applied to the SMEs in New Zealand.

According to Cooper and Schindler (2008), data collection methods are categorized into two; monitoring and communication. Monitoring involves making observations without gaining the participants’ responses (Cooper & Schindler, 2008). An example of monitoring is observation. Observation will make a robust contribution to research by adding to the richness of data and offer deep insights into the context of the research. It is, however, costly and time-consuming and cannot gain data on intentions, awareness and opinions. This research will use questionnaires to obtain primary data. The approach will be able to gain current insights on the current use of technology in SMEs in New Zealand.

Before embarking on collecting data, it is critical to consider the population and the sample participate in the study. The population is the extensive collection of objects or individuals and is the researchers’ main focus (David & Sutton, 2011). For this research, all SMEs in New Zealand will be the research population. According to Neuman (2006), it may be challenging to collect data from an extensive group hence the need to form a representative study sample that the research will focus on.

The research will adapt non-probability sampling. David and Sutton (2011) posit that probability sampling gives the population an equal chance of being included in the study. Despite this, this research will use non-probability sampling as the population is extensive; hence it would be challenging to identify subjects that might be useful in the study. Purposive technique will be used to select the sample, basing on the opinion of the researcher and the sample criteria. To ensure that the samples are well represented, the questionnaires will be filled by an individual in the top position who have all the information regarding the enterprise.

The researcher will explain to the respondents the purpose of the study and ask for agreement to participate in the research. The interviewer will outline the scope of the research before proceeding to issue questionnaires for filling. The questionnaires to be used for this research will have both open-ended and close-ended questions. The open-ended questions will allow the respondents to give their views and issues regarding the topic (Cooper & Schindler, 2008). On the other hand, the close-ended questions will ease convenience and save on time and costs for maximum answer cases, although the response rate for this technique is lower than face-to-face communication (David & Sutton, 2011). Misinterpretation of questions by the respondents may also occur. For this reason, the questionnaire for this research will be designed to be easily understandable and will be tested by a small group before distributing thoroughly. The survey will be sent by email, together with a covering letter. The email was chosen due to its convenience economically. Follow up emails will also be enabled. The responses will be kept anonymous. The covering letter will explain the purpose of the survey and how the information will be helpful in establishing the extent of technology adoption in SMEs.

3.6. Measures Development

New Zealand online shopping operations popularity continues to grow in and around the world. Since the beginning of 2020, the middle class, now consisting of 88 percent of New Zealanders, have recently sought goods or services for e-commerce (Hinton, 2021). The community of internet users in New Zealand is expected to reach 83 percent by the end of the century (Hinton, 2021). The online store listing has been generating the highest online shopping sales in 2018, in addition to the first runner-up online shop of more than 300 percentiles (McIlvaine et al., 2019). Many New Zealanders prefer to shop in their weekly stores rather than going to the store, which is very convenient and time-saving (Beynen, 2015). While healthy growth was seen in online grocery shopping in 2018, the home and office furniture and real estate sector is emerging with the largest growth in internet usage that year which is supported by rating. The Kiwis look forward to a brighter future in online e-commerce shopping. This is 8.9 percent of total sales revenue from 2019, and the rate of significant growth rate is expected to continue in maximizing profit (McIlvaine et al., 2019). The employee number in the online trading sector is growing in 2018, although slower than in years before. Indicating that traditional stores may begin to lose their dominance in the retail sector, competition has risen in domestic and overseas stores. (“New Zealand: e-commerce activities by type 2021 | Statista”, 2021)

The study focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises in New Zealand in e-commerce production based on this data collection approach, will focus on four aspects of the adoption and use of online shopping technology by SMEs which are: and in the use of E-commerce by SMEs, the question of exploring the online shopping experience, the questions of the e-commerce shopping in the background. How can you increase your sales using e-commerce collected data? After that, a description of the method used to conduct the current study is provided.

3.6.1 Pre-e-commerce Test Questions:

Based on experience, how did you become acquainted with e-commerce?
Let us know how to improve your feelings?
Check, how many times can you recommend it to a colleague or friend?
How did you know about our website?

• Television

• Daily newspaper

• Search Engine Optimization

• Social Media. e.g., Instagram

• Friend recommendation

• Other

What have you been looking for?
Did you find what you were looking for?
Will you be back later?
What made you visit this website?
Product Research Information.
Interested in purchasing products
You want contact details
More details about the company
Other
Was the design appropriate?
How easy was it to navigate the site?
Please rate the limits below compared to our competition.
Is there any other missing information that you would like to see on this page?
Overall performance of the product.
Details of the Product.
Price
Options of shipping
Experience in payment activities.
Online help product reviews and ratings
Many customers purchase a product based on reviews and ratings .to see other clients and customer opinions.
How much do you trust product reviews?
How much help do you get when you decide to buy?
How does the overall product quality affect your percentage purchase decision?

3.6.2 E-commerce Survey Questions

The customer experience could be a game-changing e-commerce website game. Know that your customers have had a good experience while buying products and services

What is the total exit fee?
How do you wish to improve our payment details?
How likely is it that you bought it from us again, in percentages?

3.6.3 Post-Purchase e-commerce Research Questions

This is after the purchase of the product, and then the customer becomes.
Do you accept stock when available?
Is the quality of the products satisfactory?
Compared to its competitors, what is the quality of the products?
What other products would you like to be added to our online store?

How can you increase your sales using commercial data collected?

• Trend identification: Generate reports and practice behavioral data analysis practices using data recognition tools. Identify the increase and decrease in supply and demand for specific products. Also, look at customer feedback and what product you can increase or decrease.

• Customer segregation: Use data to classify your customers into different groups based on populations. Filter search results locally, on-device, customized variables, queries, distribution lists, etc., to have more knowledge about their shopping behavior.

• Digital Marketing: Based on the information you have gained, you can make informed decisions about which product to promote because of their added purchasing power.

• Predictability: Use predictive statistics using learning machines and artificial intelligence models to predict demand. This will help in data-driven decisions.

• Knowledge of customer: have more insights about your customer and identify the patterns. Times are so powerful now that it requires someone to regularly know all the numbers and make decisions based on numbers.

• Website Data Analysis: find out what the user wishes to improve on your website, which increases product dependence and optimization and areas where you can improve your product.

This research seeks to compare technology usage in E-commerce in SMEs in New Zealand with other countries. Ramsey and McCole(2005) state that there are factors that affect the level of adoption of e-business. It is paramount for businesses first to understand the potential benefits of e-commerce, deal with the competitor and customer practices, and prepare to train the staff on internet-based technology use. Understanding these and having a solid strategic orientation on e-business will go a long way in revolutionizing the industry (Agwu and Murray 2014).

According to MacGregor and Kartiwi (2010), a comparison study on the adoption of technology in SMEs in Australia and Indonesia indicated that the adoption of E-business in the two countries was slow due to adoption barriers encountered. Daniel et al. (2002) posit that during the incorporation process of e-commerce adoption in SMEs in the UK showed the adoption rate was good with firms in different clusters. Comparing Denmark, France, Germany and the USA, Beck et al. (2003) found that 33.3% of French and 30.4% of Danish SMEs use E-commerce efficiently at the international level. The research indicated that the US and German SMEs showed satisfaction and improvement from technology, with approximately 35.3 for the US and 36.4 for the UK.

.3.7. Data Collection Procedure

Data collection is an essential procedure in any research process. Data collection methods relevant for qualitative research include techniques such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, use of questionnaires, and analysis of secondary sources. For this proposed research, the main types of intended data include; primary and secondary data. Even though secondary data comparatively save on research costs and the overall time required for the research, its reliability and accuracy remain questionable. For this study, the main focus is on primary data collection by communication and participants’ responses rather than experiments or observation. To collect this required data questionnaire is chosen as the method of data collection. Compared to the close-ended questions questionnaire, the open-ended questionnaires are most suitable to collect appropriate and conclusive data from respondents. Electronic questionnaires are considered most appropriate for this study since they have extensive coverage and can easily access the largest population portion.

Furthermore, electronic questionnaires have low related costs of distribution, it’s fast, and can allow for in-process follow-up and evaluation of the process success. However, this kind of questionnaire has some drawbacks, including access to internet requirements. They can be quickly deleted, ignored, or viewed as spam by respondents. A proper questionnaire design is essential to eliminate non-response by targeted respondents.

A questionnaire is the most suitable to collect the required primary data because the data collected aligns with the selected research design and approach. Additionally, there is very little research material available to answer the research questions. Furthermore, this research requires in-depth and relevant information on the current conditions and factors influencing the adoption of E-commerce and technology in New Zealand. However, to conclusively answer the research questions, this approach seeks primary data and relational data. A survey with properly structured questionnaires is appropriate to collect the desired data. Open-ended questions are preferred for this research as they offer more insight into the E-commerce and technology industry in New Zealand. However, close-ended questions remain essential for quantitative analysis. Using the ordinal coding system, different responses are attached to specific numerical values. These numerical values are considered to implicate the response scores, which can then be computed and applied to the models and ultimately used for hypotheses testing. The reasons need to be analyzed, especially after the pilot survey. However, open questions are posed within sections questionnaire and probably at the end to aid in the extraction of additional responses or for clarification by respondents on answers with ambiguity. This implies that, in case of unclear questions or inadequately answered questions, the respondents have a chance to share what they feel is essential and necessary (Bryam, 2006). However, self-reporting has drawbacks such as self-evaluation biasness, self-desirability biasness, and forgetfulness.

The other aspect to consider in constructing the questionnaire involves the questionnaire quality. To reduce biasness, the questionnaire should clear, simple and straightforward. The questionnaire should use simple and basic language; double-barreled questions should be avoided to avoid ambiguity. Electronic questionnaires used only favor self-report or response. For this particular study, questionnaires are sent to target participants through personal emails and organizational domains. This is the most economical method of distribution and enables follow-up emails. The responses need to be anonymous to promote sincere and accurate answers, thus avoid biasness. However, classifying information is necessary to identify received responses and identify uncovered study areas. A cover letter is attached that will explain the aim of the survey and its purpose. Self-completed questionnaires helped the collection of representative data more quickly and easily.

This particular research favours the use of questionnaires for various reasons, including but not limited to; from the respondents’ perspective, more informed and complete conclusions about the current condition of E-commerce and technology in New Zealand can be made. This is made possible by intense and first-hand information obtained from raw responses. These responses can lead to research findings that would not otherwise be discovered in a quantitative approach. However, due to high levels of subjectivity, caution is necessary for selecting research tools, tailoring procedures, and evaluating research findings.

To collect and analyze the secondary data, a quantitative approach is considered for this particular research study. The data collected from sources like government reports enable inferences to be drawn about the business industry’s general condition, especially SMEs. This approach will be predominantly quantitative, seeking additional answers to question unsatisfactorily tackled by the questionnaire (Creswell, 2009). Data obtained can then be computed and applied to the model for analysis.

3.8 Proposed Measurement Techniques and Associated Analysis.

Based on the qualitative approach, this proposed research is concerned with analysis variables and concepts. A questionnaire is used to gather raw data for this particular study; this is because the data derived supports the considered research design. Furthermore, there are minimal information sources available to facilitate answering the research questions and the idea of E-commerce and technology. Their conceptualization and implementation may be new in the New Zealand business industry. These measurement techniques link concepts and this data in the form of numbers. The attribute-based information explains actors’ perceptions and assessments of willingness and technical abilities to enable E-commerce and technology adoption, organizational practices, and orientations. Secondary data such as industrial statistics, national reports of the government, and other provisional documents relate to relational data for in-depth analysis. The relational data relate to secondary data sources with such measures of centralization, density, and average, and other analysis metrics. These secondary sources support the validation of the results and amplifying the researcher’s understanding at the data analysis and interpretation stage (Bryman, 2006). The other methods, however, cannot fit the research design or the prevailing practical conditions.

Data collected in phase two will be analyzed using a data spiral (Creswell, 2009), beginning with data collection, describing and classifying responses, looking for categories or shared themes, and creating a table representing these common themes or categories of responses (Creswell, 2009). These tables will then be analyzed using some statistical analysis, such as a frequency distribution. Attribute-based information can be analyzed using content analysis, narrative analysis, and discourse analysis, whereas the variable data requires a different analysis technique. Monte Carlo Simulation can further create models for probable outcomes of personal attributes and expected effects probability distributions. Cause and effect diagrams can be additionally used for the analysis of this data. Before collecting data, the academic journals aid the researcher in refining the research questions, devising required tools, and designing appropriate procedures. Secondary data from sources like journals, industry statistics information, government reports, and other provisional documents aid in understanding the New Zealand culture and industry. This variable data is analyzed by regression analysis. This approach seeks to establish a correlation between E-commerce and technology adoption and factors discovered to affect the effective implementation of e-commerce. The aim is to estimate how these factors might impact the adoption and implementation of e-commerce among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to recognize market trends and patterns, make forecasts, and predict impending trends. However, it’s worth noting that regressions are only helpful in establishing a relationship between a set of variables and do not determine the related causes and effect.

This study seeks in-depth, relevant, and precise information of actors and inhibitors for E-commerce and technology adoption among New Zealand SMEs. The level of association between indicators is established at the operational level. For this, questionnaires and correlation analysis are employed. The next stage is the concrete empirical sphere- there’s a need to establish reliability and validity for the measurements. The proposed research demonstrates representative reliability as the research findings are credible and believable from the respondents’ perspective. Interrater reliability is concerned with the level of agreement between different respondents observing or assessing similar phenomena and the internal consistency of data. Measurement validity is also a significant concern for any methodology of choice to find how well the conceptual and operational definitions complement one another. The types of measurement validity proposed by Neuman include face validity, content validity, criterion validity, and construct validity. The already converted numerical statistics undergo descriptive analysis to establish the data measures of average, the variance not forgetting the standard deviation, range, and frequency distribution, and ultimately for comparison, to define the meaningful relationship between the adoption of electronic commerce and technology among SMEs and the factors influencing it, (including personal attributes, skills and knowledge, information sharing, resource allocation, and coordination). The hypotheses are then tested statically, applying the statistical test theory of Zikmund (Zikmund & Babin, 2010). Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate approaches could be used for further hypothesis testing. Based on the derived results, the hypotheses can be accepted or rejected.

3.9 A Critical Review of the Research Methodology.

This is a review of the proposed research methodology by evaluating the quality of findings and effectiveness of methods applied even though they remain to be essential evaluation criteria. Credibility and reliability are not majorly accepted to apply to qualitative approaches (Bryman, 2006). However, they are suitable for quantitative research due to the importance of scientific evidence. As consolidated and introduced by different researchers (Bryman, 2006); and (Fossey, 2005), the following criteria will be most suitable to assess this research methodology.

3.9.1 Trustworthiness

This means the level of assurance and trust in the quality of a study, achieved by incorporating logical procedures and processes. Trustworthiness is explored in four main aspects;

3.9.2 Credibility

Measured by evidence of participants’ involvement and that the research follows a good research practice. This particular research employs respondent validation and triangulation techniques to establish the transparency and practicality of the findings. Throughout the research, respondent validation is applied; the researcher summarises and analyses the responses from the collected questionnaires and seeks further answers and clarification from respondents. Respondents receive the study’s final findings, consequently prompting their re-confirmation as to whether the research accurately and maximally interprets and conveys their responses. The triangulation technique is implemented in various ways. Retrieved documents and records’ analysis aids the researcher in verifying responses, mainly information related to a similar issue assessed by different respondents. Insertion of standard close-ended questions in the questionnaire provides a platform comparison and analysis of the varied responses while minimizing data collection errors.

Furthermore, constant comparison facilitates improved data analysis and interpretations. This comparison of evidence between archival records and other secondary sources and participants’ responses from questionnaires enhances interpretation while minimizing omission of important information.

3.9.3 Transferability

Qualitative research is usually contextually bound; consequently, findings of such research cannot be applied universally and remain only relevant to the conditions they are studied in (Bryman, 2006). This research is particularly focused on e-commerce and technology adoption among SMEs in New Zealand; it cannot be generalized to all other businesses in the industry. However, the proposed methodology seeks transferability, trying to establish the extent to which future findings are useful for continued research. This provides a basis for transferability by providing well established and clear picture for research objectives.

3.9.4 Dependability

This criterion focuses majorly on the reliability of the chosen research methodology. To satisfy this criterion, there is a rigorous review and authentication process when developing the questionnaires. Past journals and articles and any other secondary sources of data will assist the researcher in structuring the questions regarding the research topic, purpose, and questions. The researcher summarises and analyses all suggestions and feedback from the questionnaire to appropriately adjust to future questionnaire questions and language. All the records and findings from the entire process are stored throughout the research; this is to ensure a consistent approach as well as provide cross-reference sources. The questioners or supervisors work to ensure that proper research procedures are followed.

3.9.5 Confirmability

Confirmability refers to the ability and level to which other respondents can confirm research findings on a uniform topic. It’s a criterion concerned with the neutrality of findings-not allowing personal judgment or biasness to influence research decisions and findings. Participants’ responses and summaries will be sent to the supervisor for proofreading and review before numerical analysis to reduce the risk of biased or contextually incorrect information being collected. Additionally, the respondent validation technique will be necessary to establish participants’ understanding of questions and help re-confirm the neutrality and genuineness of participants’ responses. It ensures quality and genuine findings as similar responses to specific questions can be corroborated by other respondents.

3.9.6Authenticity

Of all the authenticity of dimensions, only fairness remains relevant to evaluating the chosen methodology’s authenticity. Fairness is concerned with the presentation of findings and interpretations without personal biasness or prejudice. If the implementation of the research plan is correct, the final findings of the research will automatically satisfy this particular criterion. Even though varied, every response and data collected receives matching attention and exploration. Utilizing several respondent validation procedures, this study establishes a high level of reciprocity between the respondents and the questioner. This mainly because these participants can validate adequate interpretations of their responses and whether their responses’ meaning remains unaltered. The reflexive reports facilitate in differentiating respondents’ opinions from researcher’s.

3.10 Ethical Consideration

The ethical code of conduct, being an essential item of research, will be strictly adhered to. This research proposal will take a keen interest in international ethical issues, which are guided by eight primary principles (Cacciattolo, 2015). Data will be collected and handled in respect to the following international principles.

Confidentiality

Personal and voluntary consent

Decency and respect of persons

Openness and genuine

Sensitive to the cultural and social environment

Health sensitive

Sensitive to diverse needs with no conflicting interests

Collectiveness and just to everyone

These principles are applicable to this research proposal as explained below

Confidentiality

Participants in this research will not be mentioned by their real names. Besides the names of participating companies will only be known to the interviewer and the supervisor. References to the persons taking part in the research will be done by their positions in the respective companies such as drivers, while for companies, the industry they operate in will be mentioned(Ketefian, 2015). Besides this, provisions for withholding findings and limiting circulation for at least five years will be availed just in case a company wishes its critical details not to be circulated. Such requests will be done as a formal request to the university to embargo the submissions made.

3.10.1 Personal and voluntary consent

Participants will be given several opportunities to confirm their consent at each stage of engagement. During the first stage of contact, participants will give verbal consent to confirm their participation. Schedules for interviews will only be slotted after the participants have given their consent to participate. Written consent will also be provided with a checklist of items that the respondent wishes to be implemented regarding the information collected(Cacciattolo, 2015). This will include a tick box for participants wishing the final submission of the research to be embargoed, among others.

3.10.2 Decency and respect of persons

The research will be conducted decently and respectfully. Outermost respect will be considered when approaching respondents to ensure that personal beliefs ranging from religious to cultural beliefs are not degraded(Ketefian, 2015). The researcher will be mandated with ensuring the respondents are comfortable and relaxed during the interview. Instances that may create frustration and embarrassment will be explained in details to the respondent before the interview. The respondents will also be allowed to share their views on how the procedures can be amended to best suit their experiences. Besides this, no children will be included in the research.

3.10.3 Openness and genuine

All information regarding the research will be explained to the respondents. No details will be left out, and respondents will be free to ask for clarification. Data collected will be presented in full, and there will be no adjustment or tampering whatsoever. To avoid biasness, an observer will also be incorporated during the analysis stage to provide an alternative eye and maintain a balance of the reviews made from the findings limiting the researchers’ control over the findings(Yambo, Hamilton, & Johnson, 2014). The researcher will also make it known the industry he works for as well as the industries for the respective respondents. This will provide clarity and spell out areas that may attract favoritism.

3.10.4 Sensitive to a cultural and social environment

The research will be conducted with regards to the social and cultural environments in the targeted community. Scheduling of interviews will be done around the participants social and cultural activities. Besides, the researchers will be flexible enough and, if possible, will interview respondents while on the job to avoid time wastage. National holidays and weekends will also be slotted for the interviews to minimize encroachment into the working hours of respondents. The research will be sensitive also to cultural constraints, and things regarded as taboos will be avoided(Yambo, Hamilton, & Johnson, 2014). In this regard, the researcher will have a duty of ensuring all interviews are carried out in a respectful way.

3.10.5 Health Sensitive

The research will cause minimal disturbance to the physical and emotional wellbeing of both the researcher and the respondents. Interviewing will be the cardinal data collection method and will be done at the respondents’ place of work. This will allow respondents to be interviewed in environments they are used to hence ensuring they are comfortable during the process(Cacciattolo, 2015). Having the respondents interviewed in comfortable environments reduces the stress involved in travelling and other uncertainties associated with new environments. This goes a long way in conserving the mental health of respondents. The respondents are also saved from fatigue caused by excessive travelling when interviews are conducted at their places of work. This may also ensure little to no disturbance to their physical health. Contrary, the researcher will have to travel to the various companies to meet the respondents. To ensure that his mental and physical health is not disturbed, a recommended numbers of interviews per day will be adhered to, and the researcher will also be allowed enough time to rest.

3.10.6 Sensitive to diverse needs with no conflicting interests

By seeking a written consent, the researcher will minimize the chances of conflicting interests. The respondents will majorly be selected from insiders to reduce cases of conflicting interest. Often, when outsiders are selected to give a review on a company, some may be from competitors hence be biased in their assessment (Ketefian, 2015). Additionally, before the scheduling of interviews, the researcher will begin by conducting an open discussion with the respondent and the manager. The respondent and the manager will be given a chance to give consent on whether to proceed with the research or not.

3.10.7 Collectiveness and justice to everyone

The research will take into consideration gender parity; hence no respondent will be discriminated. People of different ages, religions, gender, and race will be selected to participate. The decision to include someone will be based entirely on the position held by a person in an organization. This will, however, precede an initial step where companies will be vetted to determine their suitability to be included in the research. Besides this, all dealing with respondents will be persistent in terms of the duration of the engagement and the number of interviews conducted(Yambo, Hamilton, & Johnson, 2014). This will enhance equity and ensure that the interview process burdens no single company or respondent.

4.CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this research aims to assess the practical uses of E-Commerce and Technology Adoption in New Zealand in Small to Medium Size Enterprises to remain competitive in the international market.

This research proposal, therefore, outlines the design and procedure which the research project will adopt. Chapter one of this proposal outlines the objectives, importance, and scope of the research project. The literature review in chapter two involves identifying works done by other scholars on the topic to identify the research gap. With regards to the problem statement, chapter three of this proposal outlines the approach this study will adopt. The in-depth research process is also discussed in this chapter. The ethical issues which the researcher is expected to adhere to has also been exponded in this chapter.

The study will seek to answer the current condition of e-commerce in New Zealand, how small to medium enterprises use e-commerce for business enhancement in New Zealand, and the trends of e-commerce in other countries relative to New Zealand. While extensive research has been done on the adoption of technology in SMEs, little has been done on the adoption of technology by SMEs in New Zealand, a gap this study purposes to fill. Further, the researches that have been done on the same topic are outdated. Therefore this study seeks to make a significant contribution in the field of academics. The research will be used for literature review by other scholars and also for knowledge gain. Through the research findings, the status of the adoption of technology by SMEs in New Zealand will enable the key players in the sector to adjust accordingly and be at par with world trends, and be able to compete in the international market. Thus the research will be helpful to the practical audiences.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY BONHEE KOO

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY