ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the research design and methodology of the study. It describes the nature of the study sample. The chapter discusses the data analysis techniques to test the hypotheses/propositions and explicate energy management decision making processes. For the purposes of this study, the population of firms is defined as those firms or divisions which have their headquarters in the Pittsburgh Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA). The study sample consists of eleven large multidivisional firms, twelve divisions and twelve independent firms. The primary data collection technique was in-person interviews with key executives involved in energy management. The scheme for data analysis at the level of the smaller sized firms includes both quantitative and qualitative segments. The first step in data analysis is to test for interrelationships among predictor variables. This is to ensure that the predictor variables utilized in the data analysis are not significantly correlated. The hypotheses are tested indirectly through a summation of the results of proposition testing.
