Research Design and Methodology
The doctoral research informing Vivartana's work adopts a qualitative-heavy, multi-stage mixed methods design to understand how organisations function under stress, ambiguity, and disruption.
The methodology is designed to explore organisational behaviour from multiple perspectives and progressively build a deeper understanding of the properties that shape collective response under pressure.
Overall Approach
The study follows a staged approach:
- Exploratory qualitative inquiry to understand how individuals at different organisational levels perceive and describe behaviour during stressful situations.
- Pattern identification across organisations to observe recurring behavioural themes.
- Quantitative validation through structured instruments to examine how these patterns relate to organisational coherence and performance under strain.
- Interpretive qualitative analysis to refine understanding of how organisational properties influence behaviour.
Multi-Level Perspective
For each participating organisation, perspectives are gathered from:
- Senior leadership
- Middle management
- Operational team members
This helps develop a holistic organisational view derived from multiple lived experiences.
Connection to Vivartana's Practice
The ORI Scan™ and the focus on Organisational Stress Response draw inspiration from this research design.
They translate research thinking into structured organisational engagement.
Evolving Nature of the Design
As with most exploratory research, the design is expected to evolve as insights emerge from early stages of inquiry.
This flexibility allows the research to remain grounded in observed organisational realities rather than fixed assumptions.
Closing
The methodology is intended to build a rigorous, evidence-informed understanding of how organisations can progressively strengthen their ability to function coherently when tested.