Methodology

This chapter presents the methodology. To answer the research question, the developed hypotheses will be empirically tested by applying a wide variety of methods and processes. A well-founded empirical analysis needs matching data and statistical methods, as well as a thorough overview of the methodology of applied research, which will be outlined in this chapter. First, the research design including survey and data collection approach is presented, and then the variables and their operationalization introduced, before, in the last part, the data analysis methods, are outlined. Data was collected with the means of an online survey addressed at a unique sample of management consultants working for a leading management consultancy. The consultants serve as proxy for executive leaders. Consultants have been asked for preferences in the strategic management process and their own cultural orientation by using the CVSCALE as proposed by Yoo et al. (Journal of International Consumer Marketing 23:193–210, 2011). The dependent variable, the strategic management long-term planning tool scenario planning, was operationalized in a set of sub-constructs to reflect the different process stages of the scenario planning process. As both variable construct tiers contain latent variables that are not directly observable, multi-item psychometric scales have been used. The development of the final scales covered multiple steps, including theoretical analysis and collection of items from existing research, followed by selection and adaptation of a pre-final set, which was then tested with a closed item sorting approach with nine management consultants experienced in scenario planning and consequent statistical methods. A thoughtful process including multiple methods based on multivariate analytical techniques has been applied in this research, whereby hypotheses testing was conducted through hierarchical regressions. To avoid the multiple comparisons problem, Holm’s Sequential Bonferroni Procedure has been applied.