I have a professor’s comment on this Dissertation Protocol Expert Review. Please check the professor’s comments and change based on his comments and suggestions.
Expert Review Form for Qualitative Data Collection Tool
Date: 03/09/2024
I am a doctoral student pursuing a Doctor of Business in Leadership at the University of the Cumberlands. My instructor is Dr. Michael. For my doctoral dissertation, I am employing qualitative research using the descriptive phenomenology method.
My study aims to examine how corporate social responsibility affects the financial performance of small businesses in Western Kentucky.
The targeted population for my study is small retail business owners or leaders in Western
Kentucky.
I am seeking your support for providing feedback as to the appropriateness of the questions
being asked of the study participants, and how the questions are being asked in relation to the
purpose of the study.
Below are the research questions upon which my study will focus. I will be asking my
participants.
For your review, here are the primary research questions and the corresponding questions on the
survey questionnaire.
Research Questions:
1. How does corporate social responsibility affect the financial performance of small
businesses in Western Kentucky?
2. What impact does the involvement of leaders, acting as decision-makers within privately
owned and franchise-operated small businesses, have on the implementation of corporate
social responsibility and its influence on their financial performance in Western
Kentucky?
3. How do leaders as the decision-makers in private and franchise-owned small businesses
view the benefits of CSR to the relationship between customers and small business
owners in Western Kentucky?
Here is my theoretical framework which is guiding my study:
This study’s theoretical framework examines how corporate social responsibility affects the
financial performance of small businesses in Western Kentucky. The statement suggests that the
research questions were guided by a theoretical framework, which is like a set of principles or
concepts that provide a lens through which the study is conducted and analyzed. In this case, the
theoretical framework uses The Carroll Theory, The Triple Bottom Line Theory, and The
Stakeholder Theory. These three main CSR theories and models have been used in this research.
Please review the Survey Questionnaire at the end of this form. Feel free to use track changes
and comments to provide your feedback. However, do not answer the questions in the
Questionnaire, only the field test questions.
Thank you in advance for your time.
Respectfully,
Hardik Patel
DATA COLLECTION PROTOCOL
Survey Questions
Business Name: _______________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________________
Ph: _______________________Email: _____________________________________________
Interviewed Person Name_________________________ Title_________________________
1. What position are you working in this small retail business?
____________________________________________________________________
2. Do you have permission to make any business decisions in your business? If Yes,
please explain what kind of decision you make as a leader or owner.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. Does your business currently have any CSR commitments? If Yes, please
explain. ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
4. Please describe what form of CSR your company operates.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. How many employees do you have in your business?
_____________________________________________________________________
6. Do you think there are any financial benefits to your business from having CSR?
If yes, please explain.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
7. From your perspective, what is the financial impact of corporate social
responsibility (CSR) on customer relationships?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
8. In your opinion, what would be the effect on your competitor of your business
without CSR Commitments?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
9. What obstacles have you faced during the implementation of corporate social
responsibility activities inside your small business?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
10. Are there any particular businesses or sectors that you perceive as being more
appropriate for corporate social responsibility (CSR)?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
11. How much revenue would increase in your businesses compared to last year
through corporate social responsibility (CSR)?
_________________________________________________________________
12. What do you think about how CSR will benefit the relationship between
customers and small business owners? Please provide the answer below.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
13. In your experience, what barriers or obstacles have hindered you as a small
business leader or owner from fully embracing CSR?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
14. Please write any comment or suggestion you want to add in this survey.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
After reviewing the research questions and the questions for the questionnaire please respond to
these four questions:
1. Based upon the purpose of the study and research questions, are the questions on the
questionnaire to generate information to answer the research question?
Yes, the questions on the questionnaire are aligned with the purpose of the study and the research
questions. They aim to generate information that will help answer the research questions by
gathering insights directly from individuals involved in small retail businesses in Western
Kentucky.
2. Are the participants likely to find any of the questions on the questionnaire (the nature
of the question or specific wording) objectionable? If so, why? What changes would you
recommend?
Some participants may feel uncomfortable disclosing their level of decision-making authority,
especially if they perceive it as sensitive information.
Recommendation: Modify the wording to make it less direct. For example, instead of
asking if they have permission to make decisions, phrase it as “Could you describe your
role in decision-making within the business?”
Concern: Participants might hesitate to discuss financial benefits openly due to
confidentiality concerns or competitive reasons.
Recommendation: Frame the question to focus more on perceived benefits rather than
concrete financial gains. For instance, ask about the perceived impact of CSR activities
on business outcomes in general terms, such as reputation or customer loyalty.
Concern: Participants might be hesitant to provide specific revenue projections,
especially if they are uncertain about the outcomes of CSR initiatives.
Recommendation: Frame the question to focus on expectations rather than specific
numbers. For example, ask about their anticipated outcomes or goals regarding revenue
increase through CSR activities.
3. Were any of the questions on the questionnaire difficult to comprehend? If so, why?
What changes would you recommend? None
4. Feel free to provide any additional thoughts about the questionnaire which were not
covered in Questions 1 through 3, above.
Yes, the questions on the questionnaire are aligned with the purpose of the study and the research
questions. They aim to generate information that will help answer the research questions by
gathering insights directly from individuals involved in small retail businesses in Western
Kentucky.
Thank you for your Expert Review!
