Research in the “other economy”: Methods and analysis techniques

Abstract

Abstract. This paper presents a set of techniques and analysis strategies used by the authors in the evaluation of an agro industrial company that is part of the social and solidarity economy. The purpose of this effort was to understand how the workers viewed the company and their role within this small community. The challenge of the research was intensified by the multicultural composition of the group. The research proceeded from an ontological perspective of critical realism and an interpretative epistemology, presupposing that the actions of individuals are shaped by collective social processes in specific times and places. Key informants were direct participants in adult education activities sponsored by the company and their parents, also employees. Apart from the semistructured interviews, other data sources were participant observation and field notes. The techniques used were effective in building a picture of the company based on the words and thought patterns of the informants, providing the basis for the formulation of recommendations for changes in the organizational structure and operational parameters of the business. One of the findings was that the systematic use of the techniques described in this paper allowed for a better understanding of abductive inference as a methodological approach. The methods and techniques described can be used and adapted by other researchers to extend further the generation of knowledge about the social and solidarity economy.

Keywords: social and solidarity economy, nontraditional agribusiness, abductive inference, qualitative methods.