QUALITATIVE RESAERCH & AMTRAK

The Qualitative Research Helps Amtrak to Stay on Track

The Qualitative Research Helps Amtrak to Stay on Track

Introduction

Qualitative research, also known as qualitative inquiry, is an umbrella term used to cover a wide variety of research methods and methodologies that provide holistic, in-depth accounts and attempt to reflect the complicated, contextual, interactive, and interpretive nature of our social world. For example, grounded theory, ethnography, phenomenology, ethnomethodology, narratology, photovoice, and participatory actionresearch (PAR) may all be included under the qualitative label, although each of these individual methods is based on its own set of assumptions and procedures.

Qualitative research is instrumental in the innovation process. Depth knowledge of user experience (what he thinks, what he does, what he use) should be the basis of all business management decision, whether it relates to a strategy, product, service, brand, or environment (Corbin, 2008). This paper focuses on the role of qualitative research in enhancing the capability of Amtrak to effectively launch its train service in the market.

Role of Qualitative Research in Amtrak Decision

Innovation and competitive edge is a priority issue in corporate world today. Nearly all firms compete on the basis of their ability to innovate. This does not mean the company has to be more creative in every product offering, but it relates to offers the market a new and distinctive product or service that meets the need of customers prove to be useful in provide clear benefit to its users (Jackson, 2008). In case of Amtrak, main objective of the company was to compete with the airlines while developing its premium railroad service for its Boston-New York-Washington Route.

The objective of the qualitative research should not only create knowledge but to apply that knowledge to direct implications for the company and generate concrete solutions to offer. In the article, the Amtrak offers a multidisciplinary approach for innovation using as a basis for qualitative research. They adopted qualitative research approach in order to identify the important aspects of the problem.

The strong presence of qualitative research has depended largely on a combination of its characteristics, its explanatory power, its credibility and its ability to solve problems (Snow, 2005); these factors add objectivity and impartiality (Bernard, 2006). The objectivity of qualitative research is seen in similar way in case of Amtrak, which focused on examining the importance consumers attach to the factors in selecting a mode of transportation. This can be understood as the theoretical charge of the observation, the under-determination and inductive study limitations posed by quantitative studies in examining qualitative paper. 

Mainly, qualitative researches focus on how people make sense and create meaning, studying social processes, and what consumers lived experiences are like. They concern themselves with notions of power, social preferences, positionality, and privilege (Corbin, 2008). Qualitative research acts as a value-laden activity that embraces the idea that the researcher himself or herself is an instrument in the process (Jackson, 2008).

Amtrak adopted the qualitative research approach to highlight the factors that influence the consumer preferences in choosing premium rail services over using flight for 3-hour journey from Boston to ...