The Use of the Exploratory Sequential Approach in Mixed-Method Research: A Case of Contextual Top Leadership Interventions in Construction H&S

Abstract

Quality and rigour remain central to the methodological process in research. The use of qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study was justified here against using a single method; the empirical output from the literature review should direct the current worldview and, subsequently, the methodologies applied in research. It is critical to gather contextual behavioural data from subject matter experts—this helps establish context and confirm the hypotheses arising from the literature, which leads to the refinement of the theory’s applicability for developing a conceptual model. This paper identified the top leaders in construction organisations as subject matter experts. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted, representing the South African construction industry grading. The output of the refined hypothesis was followed by a survey that targeted n = 182 multi-level senior leaders to gather further perspectives and validate the conceptual model. The outcome resulting from the rigorous validation process adopted—the analysis process, which included Spearman rank correlation, ordinal logistic regression and multinomial generalised linear modelling—demonstrated that the lack of H&S commitment in top leadership persists, despite high awareness of the cruciality of H&S in their organisations. Contextual competence, exaggerated by the local setting, is one source of this deficiency. This paper provides guidelines for using the exploratory sequential approach in mixed-method research to effectively deal with contextual issues based on non-parametric modelling data in top leadership H&S interventions.