ABSTRACT

This chapter explains the process used to generate the theory using a qualitative methodology – grounded theory. It presents fundamental characteristics of grounded theory, and the methods used to develop the theory along with its application, and future directions. The process for developing a theory of suffering and academic corruption involved first defining theory in relation to grounded theory, and then understanding grounded theory methodology and its key methodological characteristics. An extensive search of archival documents about the Minnesota case of academic corruption was then conducted and included newspaper articles, popular sports magazines, news magazines, institutional meeting minutes and official reports from both the National Collegiate Athletic Association and institution. Grounded theory methodology has three main characteristics: contextual, inductive and procedural. Theory generation from data requires theoretical sampling. The key to grounded theory data analysis is a process of conceptualisation: thinking about what the data mean, learning to think abstractly and assigning words that describe conceptually what the data means.