Book Review: Beneficial Applicability of Grounded Theory...

Astrid Gynnild, University of Bergen Glaser, B. (2014). Applying grounded theory: A neglected option. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. For what good is grounded theory? How can it be applied? Who finds it useful, and are there specific issues that ought to be considered before, or during, deliberate application of grounded theories? These are but some of the issues that are raised in Barney G. Glaser’s latest book, which deals with applying grounded theory. In this 190 page book, which is actually a reader, Dr. Glaser’s new theorizing in the field is coupled with reprints of previously published material. In the first three chapters, Dr. Glaser contextualizes applying aspects of grounded theory in relation to previous literature and the variety of ways that grounded theories are implicitly used by researchers and laymen. Next, chapters from three of his earlier books are reprinted and thus recontextualized. The latter section of the book provides four reprint chapters on applying grounded theory provided by contemporary grounded theorists. Initially, Dr. Glaser points out that the application of grounded theory has so far been scarcely focused in the literature. His aim in the book is to elucidate applicable connections to professions, literature, service to clients, and personal use. Thus, Chapters 2 and 3 are devoted to discussing professional and private application of grounded theory respectively. I agree with Dr. Glaser that even though applying GT largely has been a neglected topic in the literature, the application of abstract grounded theory concepts goes on constantly. A good concept might be enough to improve practice; in many cases, there is no need for the full theory to be applied. At the same time, Dr. Glaser makes clear that when an existing theory is actually applied, the researcher must ensure the theory’s credible relevance to the application population. If necessary, the theory should be modified to ensure relevance, grab, and fit. In general, one should be careful in applying existing theories to a different population, because these individuals might have a different main concern. The apparent generalizability of a substantive theory does not imply that it is a formal theory. Consequently it should not be used as if it were generally applicable, but only be applied to similar areas of like concerns. Dr. Glaser’s example here is supernormalizing, which is a concern of both heart attack victims and football players. Doing grounded theory interventions with the goal of getting specific changes may, however, be just as risky as using any other kind of data, since purposeful goalsetting might be prompted by preconceptions. In Chapter 3, Glaser presents one of his favorite topics; the value of applying grounded theory for personal use. As often stated in his troubleshooting seminars, memoing on personal problems or challenges helps work and reason with the problem. He explains how the patterns ”soon jump out of the memos and yields thought on appropriate action” (Glaser, 2014, p. 36). The chapter is filled with illustrations provided by grounded theorists who have experienced the magic of applying grounded theory concepts or theories on issues with which they are grappling. The value of this book lies in particular in the multiple perspective approach to the topic. The content of the book is written over a time span of 50 years, from 1965 till now, and comprises 11 chapters. The four last chapters are reprints with comments added by Dr. Glaser. Together, the great variety of chapters provides a unique blend of perspectives on the applicability of...

About the Authors

Annabel-Mauve Adjognon is an Associate Professor at Neoma Business School. She holds a PhD in Management Science and Business Administration from the école des Hautes Etudes, Paris. Her research interests are primarily in leadership, organizational politics, and management skills. She has also conducted research on sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. She regularly presents her research at international academic conferences and serves as an ad hoc reviewer for various academic journals. Email: am.adjognon@neoma-bs.fr Lars-Johan Age is a researcher within the field of sales and negotiation at Stockholm School of Economics. He has a PhD and his dissertation was about complex business processes; his focus today is on negotiation. He also has practical experiences within sales, sales management, and negotiation. A keen interest for him is that research is contributing to managerial relevance, which also is the basis for his interest in grounded theory methodology. His next study is to conduct a grounded theory study in the field of negotiation and produce research that can be used in all negotiation processes whether it is a crisis, business, diplomatic, or labour negotiation. Email: Lars-johan.Age@hig.se Connie Bøttcher Berthelsen Dr. Berthelsen completed her MScN in 2007 and her PhD in 2013 from the Section of Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Aarhus University, Denmark. Dr. Berthelsen has a strong background in orthopedic care; for her PhD, she generated three theories of relatives, patients, and health professionals’ pattern of behavior in relation to relatives’ involvement in older patients’ fast-track programs during total joint replacement, using Dr. Glaser’s classic grounded theory method. Dr. Berthelsen is currently an assistant professor at Section of Nursing, Aarhus University and a postdoctoral fellow at Department of Orthopedic at the Regional Hospital of Køge. She is currently working on her postdoctoral study of developing, implementing, and evaluating a case management intervention for spouses to improve older patients’ functional status after total hip arthroplasty with spouses involved. Email: cb@ph.au.dk Ben Binsardi is a Reader in the Business and Management department at Glyndwr University. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Texas Tech and Wichita State Universities. He then obtained a PhD from Loughborough, studying econometrics and undertook a Research Fellowship at the University of Oxford.  Ben has published several textbooks and journal articles in the areas of research methodology, marketing, and finance.  He is chair of SIG Qualitative Methodology at the Academy of Marketing Conferences.  Ben teaches research methodology in conjunction with Jan, he is a member of the Grounded Theory Institute, and has worked with Jan and Professor Andy Lowe to host a number of classic GT workshops at Glyndwr University which have attracted a pan-European attendance. Email: b.binsardi@glyndwr.ac.uk Kirsten Frederiksen completed her M.Ed. in 1999 and her PhD in 2005 from the Institute of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts Aarhus University, Denmark. Dr. Frederiksen has her background in both qualitative educational and qualitative clinical research. Dr. Frederiksen is currently associate professor and study director at Section of Nursing, Aarhus University, Denmark. Email: kf@ph.au.dk Barney G. Glaser is the cofounder of grounded theory (1967). He received his PhD from Columbia University in 1961. He then went to University of California San Francisco, where he joined Anselm Strauss in doing the dying in hospitals study and in teaching PhD and DNS students, methods, and analysis. He published over 20 articles on this research and the dying research. Since then, Glaser has written nearly 20 more books using grounded theory and about grounded theory, and countless articles. In 1998 he received an honorary...

Editorial: The Multidimensional Usefulness of Grounded Theories...

Astrid Gynnild, Editor This issue of the Grounded Theory Review demonstrates the multidimensional usefulness of doing grounded theories. Raising awareness through systematized conceptualizing is undoubtedly the number one reason for generating grounded theories. But, as demonstrated in the conceptual discussion of applying GT by Barney G. Glaser, raising awareness is just one of many benefits of the method. The general section in this issue contains three theories that focus on human patterns of coping with change, but from very different disciplinary perspectives. The grounded theory of struggling with and for by authors Berit S. Brinchmann and Henrik Sollie provides crucial insights into everyday challenges of parents of hard-to-treat ADHD teenagers. Their GT indicates that parents experience just as many problems with the helping agencies as with their own teenagers. Identifying this double bind relationship to the helping agencies opens up new ways of understanding family strengths and capabilities, and might help to build professional support upon familiar coping strategies. In a similar manner, Barbara Yalof, in her GT study of online learners, identifies the various ways that online students of different temperaments respond to a main concern of helplessness and isolation. Their challenges are resolved through marshaling resources, which indicates that peer-to-peer support systems are more important in online learning than facilitators may have previously realized. The marshaling resources theory helps explain how unmet student needs might cause some students to drop out and other students to feel empowered, and supports the idea that developing support networks is of great importance for online students as well as for their institutions. Jan Green and Ben Binsardi’s grounded theory of trenchant remedying challenges existing assumptions of individual resistance to change in management literature. The authors identify effective change concern resolving behaviours in private-sector businesses; behaviours that represent what the authors call “an antithesis to traditional change management solutions.” It is pointed out that organizational change is uphill and uncertain, requiring prolonged and persistent effort. The grounded theory of trenchant remedying proposes that the most important solution is expended vigor and effort. The authors identify four levels of individual change efforts, and trenchancy as the theoretical complimentary concept in order to complete the change. The theory is indeed useful for the further development of management approaches in a time of constant change. Each of the above theories implicitly highlights credibility, relevancy and usefulness as important aspects of using the grounded theory method, albeit in very different areas. Following up these crucial issues, we are also very happy to present, in short form, a conceptual discussion drawn from the latest writings by co-founder of grounded theory, Barney G. Glaser. The paper “Applying Grounded Theory” by Glaser identifies application and usefulness issues of grounded theories. He discusses how properties of GTs are often, more or less purposely, applied to situations, populations, or areas of interest, and how extended awareness of applying GTs might lead to further investigations of a field. Glaser also points out that GTs are often applied almost automatically “as an informal conceptual explanation as it may occur in casual conversation or happening.” This fact says something important about the potential strengths and impact of GTs. The article is identical to the first chapter of Glaser’s coming book on applying grounded theory, an aspect of grounded theory building which until now has drawn relatively little attention, but might be of great importance to all parties involved. In the last paper of the section for shorter conceptual discussions, Isabelle Walsh suggests grounded theory...

Struggling with and for: A Grounded Theory of Parents Managing Life with Hard-to-Treat ADHD Teenagers...

Berit Støre Brinchmann, University of Nordland and University of Stavanger Henrik Sollie, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Abstract The aim of this study was to develop a grounded theory of being a parent of hard-to- treat teenagers with the diagnosis of ADHD. Caretakers of 11 adolescents with ADHD were interviewed and analyzed according to the principles of classic grounded theory. The parents’ main concern was how to handle everyday challenges with the teenagers and how to get the help they needed and required. Struggling with and for is the core category in our findings. In addition, we identified four sub-categories: good “mothering”, advocating, seeking support, and giving up. The meeting with the helping services causes just as many problems as the relationship with the teenagers. Professionals should be able to identify family strengths and capabilities. In that way, professional support can be built upon coping strategies with which a family is already familiar. Keywords: ADHD, coping strategies, grounded theory, parents, professional services, teenagers Introduction Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood psychiatric conditions. The core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity affect the child’s adaptive functioning. In addition, a high proportion of children with ADHD present with comorbid conditions such as oppositional and conduct disorders, anxiety and depressive disorders, tics, and Tourette’s disorder, with implications for impairment and clinical interventions (Barkley, 2006; Brown et al., 2001; Gillberg et al., 2004; Steinhausen et al., 2006). Studies have also shown that co-occurrence of clinically significant ADHD and autistic symptoms are common (Reiersen & Todd, 2008). An extensive review estimates an ADHD worldwide prevalence rate of 5.3 percent, but with a substantial variability across studies (Polancczyk, de Lima, Horta, Biederman & Rohde, 2007). Methodological characteristics such as diagnostic criteria, source of information, and the requirement of impairment for the diagnosis were associated with the different prevalence rates. A majority of children diagnosed with ADHD continue to meet criteria for the condition during adolescence (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2007; Faraone, Biederman & Monuteaux, 2002; Mannuzza, Klein & Moulton, 2003), but the symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity tend to decline at a higher rate and at an earlier age than the inattention symptoms (Biederman, Mick & Faraone, 2000). Compared with parents of children in normal population samples, parents of children with ADHD report consistently more demanding, disruptive, disorganized and impulsive child behavior with a significant impact on homework, family routines and playing with other children (Coghill et al., 2008). Children with ADHD and comorbid disorders display poorer functioning than children with ADHD alone, and negative effects on quality of life have been reported across several psychosocial, achievement, and self-evaluation domains (Booster, DuPaul & Eiraldi, 2012; Danckaerts et al., 2010; Escobar, Soutullo, Hervas, Gastaminza, Polavieja & Gilaberte, 2005; Wehmeier, Schacht & Barkley, 2010). Two comprehensive reviews present studies documenting associations between child ADHD and family and parental characteristics; such as higher rates of parental psychopathology, conflicted parent-child relationships, disturbances in marital functioning, inconsistent parenting practices, and reduced parenting self-efficacy(Johnston & Mash, 2001; Deault, 2010). Several studies also report high levels of parenting stress among families of children with ADHD (Anastopoulos, Guevremont, Shelton & DuPaul, 1992; Reader, Stewart & Johnson, 2009). The elevated levels of stress may result from the ADHD symptoms themselves, comorbid conditions, and the demands and challenges experienced by parents because of the child’s behavior. When ADHD persists into adolescence, the youth and the parents are faced with additional challenges related to normal developmental tasks of...

Marshaling Resources: A Classic Grounded Theory Study of Online Learners...

Barbara Yalof, American College of Education and Harcum College Abstract Classic grounded theory (CGT) was used to identify a main concern of online students in higher education. One of the main impediments to studying online is a sense of isolation and lack of access to support systems as students navigate through complex requirements of their online programs. Hypothetical probability statements illustrate the imbalance between heightened needs of virtual learners and perceived inadequate support provided by educational institutions. The core variable, marshaling resources, explains how peer supports sustain motivation toward successful program completion. Understanding the critical contribution virtual interpersonal networks make towards maximizing resources by group problem solving is a significant aspect of this theory. Keywords: Online learning, e-learning, personal learning networks, peer networks Background Online programs present a particularly appealing alternative to face-to-face programs in higher education as economic realities force more students to retain employment to pay for spiraling costs of education. The economic potential of the growing online market has not been lost on institutions of higher learning. Traditional programs have struggled to sustain a viable student base, but they can increase their numbers through the addition of national and international online students (Appana, 2008). In 2012, enrollment in online courses grew 9%, with the proportion of students enrolled in online courses at 32%, an all-time high (Allen & Seaman, 2013). In light of the continual growth of online courses it is particularly alarming that attrition in online programs can exceed that of traditional programs by 10-20% (Allen & Seaman, 2010). Not only do students who leave an online program forfeit learning opportunities, but the institution also suffers lower enrollment, thereby imposing financial strain and reducing the vibrancy of the student body. Sustainability of programs in higher education relies heavily on recruitment of student populations who complete their programs and conclude that their academic experience has been a worthwhile investment (Gittings, 2010). Empirical studies have not explained sufficiently how institutions can reduce online attrition (Kember & Leung, 2009; Tinto, 2012). Kember (1989) recognized the need to generate theories that explain attrition from online programs. He maintained that it is difficult to draw conclusions because the number of constructs in this substantive area is “unwieldy if not unmanageable” (p. 279). The use of CGT provides the writer a greater understanding of the “motivational drivers” (Glaser, 1998, p. 32) of a particular group of participants. Discovering the main concern of online students through the systematic application of GT methodology draws into focus the dominant psychological coping mechanisms of online students. The Theory of Marshaling Resources The main concern for online learners distilled from this study is a feeling of disconnect or isolation, which may manifest itself as panic or anger, when confronted with a barrier to success. Because studying online is accomplished in a solitary virtual environment, students interact with the computer and must be able to navigate the learning management system and engage with the material in the absence of peer support. As learners progress through their programs, they find inconsistencies between their own expectations and needs and their online educational environment (Kiliç-Çakmak, Karatas, & Ocak, 2009). Glaser (1978) discusses how people position themselves (in this case, for success) by purposefully managing others. Students learn how to maximize resources and reduce frustration by building peer connections. As groups progress from mutual dependency to reciprocity, trust builds, and relationships deepen. Harnessing the power of this safe haven they have created online, students vent and reinvigorate. Marshaling resources illuminates how...