ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the rationale for the research methodology used in this book and describes the design and conduct of the case studies, and the survey research component of the study, including the development and distribution of questionnaires and techniques used for survey data analysis. The research questions examined in this book focus mainly upon the ‘what, how and why’ of HRM in Chinese industrial enterprises, especially those with different types of ownership. Given that HRM in Chinese industrial enterprises, especially in the non-state sector, is an under-researched area (see Chapter 2), the author concluded that an exploratory approach (Yin, 1994) was the most appropriate method of analysis.
