The Case of E-books in Sweden’s Media Industry
A case study on what potential factors that could influence the development of e- books in the Swedish media industry.
En fallstudie om vilka potentiella faktorer som kan påverka utvecklingen av e- böcker i den svenska medieindustrin.
Elias Lundström & Hugo Forsberg
Institutionen för Geografi, Medier och Kommunikation Medier och kommunikation: Digitala Medier och Analys Kandidat, 15hp
John Lynch 2020-06-05 MKGC60
Abstract
This research intends to address potential factors concerning Sweden’s poor distribution of e-books (electronic books) by using theories such as digitization, media economy, and the theoretical framework of the production of culture perspective. To examine what these factors are and how they affect the
development of the e-book in Sweden, we will answer the following research questions: 1. What potential factors could have influenced the e-book development? and 2. How may these factors affect the
development of e-books in Sweden? The chosen method was the case study approach, with the contribution of qualitative interviews and multiple data sources. The research conducted five interviews with actors within the Swedish book industry that were recruited by e-mail and through snowball sampling. The interviewees provided the research with qualitative answers, as well as additional data sources, such as reports, sales statistics, and legal documents. The secondary data enlarged the knowledge concerning the phenomenon of e-books, thus made it more manageable to examine. The result of the case study identified four potential factors that actors believe could be the reason concerning the e-books' lack of success in Sweden: cultural values, technological development, the libraries' role, the lack of commercial actors, and sales tax. In conclusion, the study show that several factors may have affected the development of e-books in Sweden. However, the research cannot distinguish one sole factor that explains its poor distribution.
Sammanfattning
Denna studie avser att adressera potentiella faktorer som rör Sveriges dåliga distribution av e-böcker
(elektroniska böcker), detta genom att använda teorier såsom digitalisering, mediaekonomi och det teoretiska ramverket av produktion av kultur. För att undersöka dessa faktorer och hur de påverkar utvecklingen av e- böcker i Sverige, kommer vi att svara på följande forskningsfrågor: 1. Vilka potentiella faktorer kan ha influerat e-bokens utveckling i Sverige? samt 2. Hur kan dessa faktorer påverka utvecklingen av e-böcker i Sverige? En kvalitativ metod användes i form av en fallstudie, med nyttjande av kvalitativa intervjuer och flera datakällor. I studien genomfördes fem intervjuer med aktörer inom den svenska bokindustrin som rekryterades via e-post och genom snöbollurval. Intervjuobjekten gav studien kvalitativa svar på frågor, samt presenterade ytterligare datakällor, såsom rapporter, försäljningsstatistik och lagtexter. Således, bidrog de övriga datakällorna till att förstärka kunskapen om fenomenet e-böcker, vilket gjorde det mer hanterbart att undersöka. Resultatet av fallstudien identifierade fyra potentiella faktorer som aktörer tror kan vara orsaken till e-böckernas brist på framgång i Sverige: kulturella värden, teknisk utveckling, bibliotekens roll, bristen på kommersiella aktörer och bokmoms. Sammanfattningsvis visar studiens resultat att flera faktorer kan ha påverkat utvecklingen av e-böcker i Sverige. Däremot kan studien inte påvisa eller förklara vilken särskild faktor som skulle vara anledningen till e-bokens svaga distribution.
Keywords: e-books, digitization, media industries, media economy, the production of culture
Preface
This study is co-authored which means that both authors, Elias Lundström and Hugo Forsberg, have contributed with equal parts. We have both taken equal responsibility to writing the study’s chapters.
We would like to thank our supervisor Elizabeth Van Couvering for excellent guidance and support throughout the study’s process.
Karlstad, 2020
Elias Lundström & Hugo Forsberg
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ... 6
1.1 Background ... 6
1.1.1 The Book Industry ... 6
1.1.2 The distribution of e-books ... 7
1.2 Purpose ... 8
1.3 Research questions ... 8
1.4 Definitions ... 8
1.4.1 E-book ... 8
1.5 Delimitations ... 8
1.6 Disposition ... 9
2. Theory and Previous Research ... 10
2.1 Digitization and Media Convergence... 10
2.2 Technological Determinism & Media Determinism ... 11
2.3 The Media economy & Media Industry ... 11
2.4 The Production of Culture ... 13
2.4.1 Technology ... 13
2.4.2 Law & Regulation ... 13
2.4.3 Industry Structure ... 14
2.4.4 Organizational Structure ... 14
2.4.5 Occupational careers ... 14
2.4.6 Market ... 15
2.5 The case of e-books in Sweden ... 15
3. Method ... 17
3.1 Operationalization ... 18
3.2 Interview-guide ... 18
3.3 Semi-structured interviews ... 19
3.4 Transcription ... 19
3.5 Population ... 19
3.5.1 Data gathering of various data sources ... 20
3.6 The data gathering in practice ... 22
3.7 Strategy of Analysis ... 23
3.8 Presenting findings within a case study ... 24
3.9 Validity, Reliability, and Generalizability ... 24
3.9.1 Validity ... 24
3.9.2 Reliability ... 25
3.9.3 Generalizability... 26
3.10 Ethical Considerations ... 26
4. Results ... 27
4.1 Cultural values concerning how book reading could affect how consumers adopt technological developments regarding book formats ... 27
4.2 The economy in the book market sees how the reduction of sales tax could affect the e-book market... 29
4.3 The distribution model of libraries in Sweden could influence how e-books thrive in the
book market ... 31
4.4 The lack of commercial actors pursuing the e-book could negatively affect the e-book distribution ... 35
5. Analysis & Discussion ... 37
5.1 The poor performance of e-books in Sweden is due to cultural values ... 38
5.2 The poor performance of e-books in Sweden is concerning that technological ... 39
developments could influence what formats readers choose to consume ... 39
5.3 The poor performance of e-books in Sweden is concerning the role of the library ... 40
5.4 The poor performance of e-books in Sweden is regarding that it lacks commercial actors that pushes the e-book ... 41
5.5 The poor performance of e-books in Sweden is concerning the sales tax for books .... 42
6. Conclusion & Further Research ... 44
6.1 What potential factors could have influenced the e-book development in Sweden? ... 44
6.2 How may these factors affect the development of e-books in Sweden? ... 44
6.2.1 Cultural values ... 44
6.2.2 Technological developments... 44
6.2.3 The libraries role ... 45
6.2.4 The lack of commercial actors ... 45
6.2.5 Sales Tax ... 45
6.3 Concluding thoughts ... 46
6.4 Further Research... 46
6.5 Limitations ... 46
7. Implications for society & careers ... 48
8. Bibliography ... 49
9. Appendices ... 54
9.1 Appendix 1: Translated quotes ... 54
9.2 Appendix 2: Interview-guide ... 57
9.3 Appendix 3: Consent-form ... 58
List of Tables Table 1: Qualitative interviews ... 20
Table 2: Additional data sources ... 21
Table 3: Potential Propositions ... 37
1. Introduction
The printed book is one of the oldest forms of mass media, yet, the book market is one of the last mass media forms to go through the process of digitization (von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013). Furthermore, the process of digitization within the industry has enabled new forms of media consumption for books due to media convergence, such as e-books (Appelgren, 2009; Jenkins, 2004). Though the last few years have seen a rapid increase, the latest measurements show that people who have read an e-book in the last 12 months in 2015 are below the percentage of the previous year (Bergström & Höglund, 2017). However, according to the measurements done by Nordicom (2019), there is a small increase in e-book readers since 2015. Only three percent of those who read on a daily basis in Sweden do so via e-books, whilst 32% of readers read analog books and six percent audio books (Nordicom, 2019). The CEO of Förläggareföreningen, Kristina Ahlinder, states in the article ‘Förläggarna: E-boken är för billig’ (Dagens Industri, 2019) that the return of investment of digital formats has to see an increase for it to be profitable in the future. Thus, this study will research what some of the underlying factors might be at play regarding e-books in Sweden’s media
industry. To ultimately see how these factors influence e-books. This will be researched by the method of a case study with interviews and looking in-depth at several reports, contracts, and documents. The research will focus on areas concerning digitization & media convergence, the media industry, and the production of culture
1.1 Background
The background chapter illustrates the advancements of the book industry due to digitization. Furthermore, describing the characteristics as well as the transformation towards digital production for the media industry.
Thus, aiming to declare a comprehensible summary of the enlargement of the digitized book industry.
1.1.1 The Book Industry
Reading is integrated into today’s society, it is often seen as an elementary skill and an established way of communicating information, culture, and entertainment (Höglund, 2012). The ability to read is fundamental today, not only because of personal development, education, and interest but also in the interest of activities concerning jobs or hobbies. Reading is also a prerequisite for democracy and its economic functions so that one can acquire information. Furthermore, reading is fundamental to integration in today's society. Thus, not being able to read can lead to alienation and worse chances for education and employment.
The lateness of book digitization is not only due to technical issues of transforming print to digital text but also, industry traditions (von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013). According to von Rimscha & Putzig (2013) many ordinary physical bookshop managers consider the book as an art, which cannot be measured in economics.
This may, however, not be the case for new players in the industry who come from different backgrounds.
Therefore, the digitization shifts the priorities in the industry since it brings more power to the actors within
IT or retail. Moreover, the digitization of the book market alters many things, such as customer feedback, the barrier to entry, prices, and self-publishing. Moreover, von Rimscha and Putzig (2013) claim that e- books are mostly produced to complement printed books for support. Some of the respondents that von Rimscha and Putzig (2013) interviewed believe that the prices of the printed book will rise due to it
becoming more of a luxury item, while others believe that they will drop because of the competition e-books bring.
Newer players in the book industry with a background in IT and retail logistics, possibly, have no legacy as a cultural business, thus not caring much about the cultural aspects (von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013). The intermediate bookstores are the middlemen between publishers and readers. Thus, they are the most
proactive players in the process of digitized book market adjustment. Seeing how logistics play a large part in the newer intermediate booksellers on the market and might not have a cultural legacy, only the product has a cultural value. The scholars refer to different levels of digitization regarding intermediate booksellers, where the first level does not pose a problem. The first level being the digitization of online bookstore bookshelves, this does not pose a problem since the intermediate booksellers still have to source their books from them. The second level poses a more significant problem. The second level is the fact that their
warehouses and delivery trucks do not have any value when it comes to e-books, thus, becoming useless and the focus transitions more towards creating and maintaining databases and software for transferring items to the digitized book market. However, it might be too expensive and complicated for publishers to have their own online bookstores and run distribution, thus a valid option can be to outsource the distribution (von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013). Online bookstores, however, are some of the most successful electronic
commerce businesses (Hanson, 2017). In the early days of the commercialized internet, those who owned a computer were also likely to be book readers Meaning that even though most people were probably readers, those with access to their own computers and internet were more likely to be readers. Furthermore, people who worked in offices with internet connection were likely to read for entertainment and pleasure, thus, they could utilize the internet to buy books online. Also, books can be easier to find online, rather than in a bookstore, especially if the book has an obscure title. This may be due to how searchable databases operate on the held stock.
1.1.2 The distribution of e-books
New ways of book distribution are being provided by the invention of e-books, as well as the e-book bringing new ways of representing content (Hillesund, 2001). The e-book as a relatively new medium has shaken up the publishing industry and created new situations where publishers have to evolve in order to face new challenges brought by the e-book. Such as the internet is an increasingly attractive platform for sales, marketing, and communication channels. Publishers and authors, especially in the U.S., have started to see the potential and benefit the e-book brings to the industry. With some publishers already starting to change their production process and communicating with new actors in addition to the existing printing
companies. So that they can interact with e-bookstores and other publishers online.
The digitization process within the book market has moved towards the phase of commercialization (von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013). The commercialization process defines how market actors focus progressively more on the demand from consumers, rather than emphasizing the cultural value of the production of books. Furthermore, von Rimscha and Putzig (2013) argues that the growing digitization affects the process of commercialization within the book market.
1.2 Purpose
To examine what factors the book industry has to consider when trying to increase the return of investment regarding e-books (Dagens Industri, 2019), the research will investigate what some of the underlying factors within the book industry are, which makes the e-book perform worse than other formats and other digitized media. The research will be done by studying the media industry and conducting a case study where we study e-books within the media industry. The study will consist of interviews with experts within book publishing and retail to understand what these factors might be. Furthermore, the research will mainly look at theories concerning digitization, technological determinism, media industries, media economics, and the theoretical framework of the production of culture perspective.
1.3 Research questions
To achieve the study’s purpose, we will work with the following research questions:
1. What potential factors could have influenced the e-book development in Sweden?
2. How may these factors affect the development of e-books in Sweden?
1.4 Definitions
The section will provide clarifications of some terms that will be used in this research.
1.4.1 E-book
The electronic book that is more familiar as the e-book, is a digital format of printed books that could be read on a computer, smartphone, or the specialized reading tablet, that is customized only for e-book consumption. Some formats utilized in e-book are, for instance PDF, HTML, ASCII text, Word, and EPUB (Garrish, 2011; NE, 2020).
1.5 Delimitations
Delimitations for this study is that we are only interested in Sweden specifically, thus only Sweden’s media industry will be examined. Furthermore, we will only interview actors who operate within the book industry,
interviewing actors in other areas will yield no benefit to this study. Further delimitations will be discussed in chapter 3.
1.6 Disposition
Chapter one describes the study's problem area and the background of the media industry regarding printed books, audio books, and e-books. The paper's purpose and research questions are then discussed, as well as mentioning the delimitations of the study. Furthermore, in chapter two, earlier research and the theoretical framework of the study will be presented. Chapter three will demonstrate the methodological approach that was chosen, as well as arguing for its relevance. Moreover, it discusses the population and its data-gathering phase, and the chapter ends with a critique of the study's validity, reliability, and ethical considerations.
Chapter four illustrates the result findings from the empirical material gathered through the methodological approach. Chapter five correlates the results with the earlier research and the study's theoretical framework.
Chapter six demonstrates the conclusions from the analysis and suggests further research on the examined research area. At last, chapter seven will discuss what the study's implication on society and occupational careers could potentially be.
2. Theory and Previous Research
In this chapter, the study's foundation of previous research and its theoretical framework are presented, in order to fully understand their implication on the e-book. Firstly, the chapter discusses what implications digitization and media convergence could have on e-books within the media industry. Furthermore, it describes how technological determinism could change society's structure and cultural values (Ungvarsky, 2017). Secondly, by illustrating the central characteristics of how digitization shapes technological
advancements, it is essential to show its affection by defining the theories of the media industry and the media economy, and how it is formed. Thirdly, the theoretical framework of the research is the production of culture perspective, with the usage of its six-facet model, intending to examine the characteristics of the Swedish book industry (Peterson & Anand, 2004). Finally, the concluding section connects the previously discussed theories with previous research regarding the Swedish e-book market. To that end, according to theory, presenting issues that could potentially explain the poor e-book distribution in Sweden.
2.1 Digitization and Media Convergence
To investigate how e-books have been influenced by digitization, we must understand how the process of digitization has changed the media landscape. Media technologies, such as music, newspapers, and
television, have gone through a digitization phase, from the 1980s and onwards (Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010).
Where e.g., CDs and digital music media have replaced the traditional medium of records and tapes, newspapers have become digitally available on the web, and television being completely digitized in many countries. Where digitization is “the process of coding signals as numbers” (Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010, p. 1).
Thus, when signals are converted into digital, computers are involved in every step of production, even media use, and distribution. Moreover, digitization illustrates the transition from analog media towards advancements within digital usage (Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010; von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013). With that said, digitization establishes the idea that media does not have to rely on a variety of digital media forms. Instead, the digitization could be seen as a part of the media convergence, where distinctive forms of media can intertwine (Appelgren, 2009; Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010).
The idea of convergence is brought up when it comes to digitization, where we are considered to be in an age of media convergence (Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010). Convergence has been used to describe phenomena in many different fields of research, such as math, physics, geography, and, of course, media. Media
convergence has a multitude of different meanings and can be interpreted differently, though some key interpretations, such as some general arguments about convergence and the perspective of employment concepts of general media development descriptions can be singled out. The rate of media convergence can be uneven in certain cultures (Jenkins, 2004). Where those who are more technologically literate will become early adopters, and those who lack technological literacy will struggle to catch up. Convergence is essential to illustrate the transition of how traditional media establish their services within new forms of digital media
2010). Media convergence can be segmented into central categories of convergence, such as service convergence (Appelgren, 2009; Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010).
Service convergence illustrates the process when a product of media and a form of services intertwine (Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010). Furthermore, digitization enables different aspects of integrated media, in other words, service convergence produces new forms of media usage, which could refer to the advancements of the media industries. Service convergence could illustrate the process of the book market producing digital books, such as the e-book (Appelgren, 2009; Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010; Arvidsson, 2016). To consume digital media rather than analog, technological developments have to appear, which might change the structure of society.
2.2 Technological Determinism & Media Determinism
In order to explore how the e-book as a technological innovation could affect society, we must look at how societal structures and cultural values can be influenced by technological developments. Thus, the theory of technological determinism becomes relevant. Technological determinism builds on that technological development affects cultural values as well as the structure of societies (Ungvarsky, 2017; NE, 2020). Thus, the advancement of society is not only caused by knowledge individuals have acquired through technological production, but also affected by the tool or material that is produced from that knowledge (Ungvarsky, 2017). In other words, the theory builds on that this technology manages the course of society. Supporters of technological determinism trust that the power and technological capacity cannot be "stopped or
controlled" (Ungvarsky, 2017). Thus, when new technological additions are used in practice, it reconstructs societal structures, such as the economy, political as well as cultural values of the society.
The theory of technological determinism is categorized into two distinctive approaches, hard determinism, and soft determinism (de la Cruz & Paragas, 2014). Firstly, hard determinism refers to the growth of technology that is necessary for the progression in society. Secondly, soft determinism implicates that technological development is one essential factor that could potentially be the start of societal changes.
Above all, in the context of media, technological determinism is referred to as media determinism (Oxford Reference, 2020).
2.3 The Media economy & Media Industry
The application and study of economic concepts and theories within media industries are called ‘Media economics’ (Albarran, 2013). Furthermore, all forms of media are included in media economics, even traditional media such as broadcasting, music, film, and print. Newer forms of media are included as well, such as the internet. A wide range of topics are included in media economics, such as market concentration, practices, and performance of media firms, the political economy of the media, and policy and ownership
issues. Thus, investigating the media economy could further our understanding of how e-books operate within the media industry.
The field of media economics developed with the study of economics itself (Albarran, 2013). The study of media economics came with the introduction of mass media where some of the earliest research dating back to the 1950s. Furthermore, the earliest media economics research focused on topics such as newspapers, radio, and television, these are called microeconomics concepts. This research was often descriptive, discussing ownership, advertising revenues, the competition of other media, and the structure of the market.
Media economics as a theoretical field can be broadly classified into three areas (Albarran, 2013). These three areas account for much of the knowledge in media economics, they are; microeconomics theories, macroeconomic theories, and political economy. Microeconomic theories deal with trends and issues, best suited for specific industry and market conditions. The macroeconomic theory instead focuses on broader topics such as capital and labor markets, gross domestic product, and policy and regulatory concerns.
Political economy’s focus lies with the media itself, lending itself to be broad and diverse. Whilst micro and macroeconomics can be seen as critical theories, political theory can be seen as a response to the more positivistic approaches of mainstream economic theory.
In order to examine the media industry, there are three distinct approaches to apply research within it, economic data, markets, and creative labor (Davies & Sigthorsson, pp. 7-8). Thus, economic data can give a more comprehensive view in order to analyze the economic characteristics of the media industry. Davies and Sigthorsson (2013) refer to the media industries as the “creative industries”, which is treated as an umbrella term that includes various media occupations, such as employments within the music, film, and marketing-industry. Moreover, the professions within the creative industries are related to three specific characteristics. Firstly, it requires ‘human creativity’. Secondly, the employees are ‘vehicles for symbolic messages’, which refer to the production of meaning. Thirdly and lastly, the individuals within the creative industry contain ‘intellectual property’, that applies to a specific group or individual (Davies & Sigthorsson, p. 1). In turn, investigating this fully could yield beneficial results and discussions about e-books within the media industry since it can be considered a creative field. One could argue that it is hard to perceive that occupations within the media industry have similarities to professions, such as sculpturing and arts (Davies
& Sigthorsson, 2013, p. 4). However, both professions produce "symbolic products", which refers to individuals involved form a result that possesses meaning. Moreover, economists, as well as cultural critics, have identified the creative industry as the mixture of "individual creativity" and "the mass-production of symbolic cultural goods". With this in mind, the production of culture perspective is of relevance to examine issues within the media industry, such as the development of e-books in Sweden.
2.4 The Production of Culture
The focus of ‘The production of culture perspective’ is how symbolic elements of culture are shaped, within the system they are created, evaluated, taught, preserved, and distributed (Peterson & Anand, 2004). Areas in which this perspective has focused on include culture or creative industries, as well as, scientific research reports, popular culture, legal judgments, journalism, and religious practices. it has also been, successfully, applied to other situations regarding the manipulation of symbols. Occasionally cultural products give way to the more traditional view that such products change slowly over time, and instead, change rapidly by changing the aesthetic structure of cultural expression (Lieberson 2000; Peterson & Anand, 2004. A six-facet model can be used to understand and discuss the part within the field of symbolic production (Peterson &
Anand, 2004). These facets include: Technology, Law & Regulation, Industry Structure, Organizational structure, Occupational careers, and Market.
2.4.1 Technology
To usefully investigate the e-book industry, we should look at how technology affects society and how new technological developments can shape the ability to communicate. New opportunities in art and culture are created by technology which enhances and augments their ability to communicate (Peterson & Anand, 2004). Classical technology such as the printing press is a prime example of technology that created new opportunities and augmented the ability to communicate. More recent examples include the radio and recording, where music was radically altered by the transmission, amplification, and manipulation of sound, thus making it possible to project the sound over time and space (Chanan, 1995; Thompson, 2004; Peterson
& Anand, 2004). The rapid globalization of culture has been facilitated by the digital communication media, where television programming and art market prices are available instantly around the world (Roe & De Meyer, 2001; Kretschmer, Klimis & Wallis, 2001; Bielby & Harrington, 2002; Crane et al, 2002; Peterson &
Anand, 2004). Furthermore, the creation of cyber groups with different musical tastes has been influenced by the digital media, thus also influencing culture (Ryan & Peterson, 1993; Marshall, 2001; Lee & Peterson, 2004; Peterson & Anand, 2004).
2.4.2 Law & Regulation
The rules which shape the development of creative fields are created by the laws and regulation. (Peterson &
Anand, 2004). Thus, laws and regulations are important to how e-books are being shaped within the created fields. The novels that are being published can be influenced by changes in copyright laws (Griswold, 1981;
Peterson & Anand, 2004). One example of this is the copyright law of 1909 where American and British authors were put on the same footing, thus increasing the numbers of “English-style” novels being successfully published in America. Moreover, the restrictions of owning multiple newspapers, Tv-stations, and radio fostered competition and diversity, furthermore, deregulation has had serious consequences (Peterson & Anand, 2004). Seeing how the deregulation has changed the ownership of radio stations, whereas in 1989 the largest company in the radio industry owned only 20 stations, compared to 2002 where
the largest company managed 1225 stations (Lee, 2004; Peterson & Anand, 2004).
2.4.3 Industry Structure
The creative industries tend to be structured in three different ways (Peterson & Anand, 2004). Firstly, many small firms produce a diversity of items competing with each other. Secondly, there may be a few oligarchy firms that mass-produce a standardized product. Thirdly, an open system of an oligarchy of niche market- targeted divisions as well as many smaller specialty services and market development firms, where the niche market-targeted system produces the most lucrative products, and specialty services and market
development firms produce the more innovative. Thus, the industry structure becomes relevant when investigating e-books within the creative field.
2.4.4 Organizational Structure
Peterson and Anand (2004) discuss three different aspects that are specific to the cultural industry:
“(a) the bureaucratic form with a clear-cut division of labor and a many-layered authority system committed to organizational continuity, (b) the entrepreneurial form having neither a clear-cut division of labor nor a many-layered
hierarchy committed to short-term success, and (c) a variegated form of large firm that tries to take advantage of the potential flexibility of the bureaucratic form without giving up central control by acquiring creative services through
short-term contracts” (Peterson & Anand, 2014, p. 316).
Large organizations tend to have the routine of utilizing the potential of using substantial distribution channels, yet, small organizations tend to be more advanced concerning investigation and adoption of new trends (Coser Kardushin & Powell, 1982; Crane, 1997). Small-scale and simple structures provide
entrepreneurial leadership and informal interaction that enable rapid, as well as determining communication, which is accessible to simplify innovative productions (Peterson & Berger, 1971). Moreover, the branding strategy of developing comprehensible products within fields of culture has caused the origin as well as the supremacy of conglomerates that have attempted to merge various inputs of using vertical integration to consolidate entrance to other markets (Turow, 1992; Cave, 2000; Hesmondhalgh, 2002). Nevertheless, to gain benefits from simple structures, conglomerates could either rearrange their business model to various small-scale units or facilitate the management through an entrepreneurial leadership approach (Eisenmann &
Bower, 2000; Starkey, Barnatt & Tempest. 2000). Seeing how organizations of different shapes and sizes operate within the media industry and the creative fields can yield beneficial results on how these
organizations strategize and innovate marketing efforts regarding the e-book.
2.4.5 Occupational careers
To fully investigate how occupational careers influence the development of e-books within the media industry and creative fields, we must consider how occupational careers work at large within these fields.
Peterson and Anand (2004) state that culture constructs from collective activity, which means that
organizations within the cultural industries establish specific structured careers within their business (Becker, 1982; Menger, 1999; Peterson & Anand, 2004). Furthermore, the networking, as well as developed
relationships between individuals within the creative field, has been referred to as the ‘cultures of
production’ (Fine, 1992; Du Gay, 1997). The distribution of creative labor, as well as the creation, is, to a great extent, dependent on structure. To give an illustration, Bourdieu & Bourdieu (1993), along with Anheier, Gerhard, and Romo (1995), define the professional field of writing as an occupation that is not only classified as a profession constructed by high culture, but also a field that includes literary productions of mass culture. Thus, the structuring of creative fields within ‘the culture of production’ relies on the support of gatekeepers, such as talent agents that practices within the diffusion for specific subgroups (Hirsch, 1972; Tuchman, 1989; Lang & Lang, 1990; Bielby & Bielby, 1999).
2.4.6 Market
How markets are structured within the media industry and creative fields could shape the production of e- books. Markets are structured from a producer perspective to create products concerning consumers' preferences (Peterson, 1990; Fligstein, 1996). Furthermore, the result within the market is from the construction of producers' interactions and observation towards other producers' efforts, in order to determine the need from the consumers (White, 1981). Peterson and Anand (2004) state that when the consumers' preferences are identified, the labor within the field customizes the product by creating cultural goods similar to the most popular one on the market according to statistics. For instance, the music industry depends on weekly graphs by the magazine Billboard to show the preferences by consumers, thus affecting the market structure of resources, in order of presenting which specific genres as well as which performer that is the most admired by consumers (Anand & Peterson, 2000).
2.5 The case of e-books in Sweden
Digitization has influenced various forms of media industries to a great extent, such as the music, movies, as well as the newspaper-industry becoming digital (Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010; von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013;
Bergström & Höglund, 2017). However, the book industry is one of the last media industries that has gone through the process of digitization in recent years (von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013). The digitization of the book industry has developed new digital products of books (Appelgren, 2009; Fagerjord & Storsul, 2010;
von Rimscha & Putzig, 2013). One of the technological advancements within the book industry due to media convergence is the product of e-books, which enables individuals to read books digitally on certain platforms, and does not depend on traditional printed books, there the transition from analog to digital has influenced the book industry (Appelgren, 2009).
The Swedish book industry differentiates from most countries' spread of e-books, where the central distribution in Sweden is through the libraries (Bergström & Höglund, 2014; Kungliga Biblioteket, 2019;
Wikberg, 2020). The e-book had great success in the early stages within the media industry, for instance, concerning the aspect that Swedish libraries made it possible to rent digital books, such as the e-book without any additional fee simplified the dissemination of the innovation (Bergström & Höglund, 2017).
Thus, consumers that had read an e-book in Sweden increased to twice as much between 2012-2014 (Bergström & Höglund, 2015). However, the concept of e-books has not entirely replaced printed books.
Instead, the product itself has struggled in recent years to be adopted by users.
According to Bergström & Höglund (2014), printed books still have an advantage over the usage of e-books in Sweden, as well as, stating that e-books cannot entirely replace printed books within the industry in the near future. However, it is not only the need for technological usage for e-books that is emphasized as a barrier for readers, rather the difficulties to readjust reading habits from analog use to digital. The struggle for e-books to be endorsed is, to a great extent, considering that the digital format cannot replace printed books in cultural values (Bergström & Höglund, 2016). Thus, the digitization of the book industry can make it difficult for new actors to enter the book industry, where the majority of users still have the cultural preference of reading printed books, rather than adapting to digital usage (Bergström & Höglund, 2013;
2017). Bergström and Höglund (2016) state that the growth of e-books usage has stagnated within the industry, yet, argues that it still could flourish if the current circumstances change. However, the actors within the book industry market are currently passive concerning the expansion of e-books. To that end, that the actors are not identifying the current beneficial aspect of e-books distribution in Sweden, such as the manufacturing of e-books is simplified in contrast to the production of printed books (Bergström &
Höglund, 2016; 2017). All compelling, the e-book is still in its early stage and goes through the phase of adoption. Nevertheless, e-books are identified as complementary to printed books, rather than a
replacement (Bergström & Höglund, 2016; 2017).
3. Method
This study will examine the research questions concerning the lacking performance of e-books in Sweden, with the approach of the case study method. The practice of performing a case study is of value when the purpose is to investigate correlations between organizational behavior within the examined question of the study, as well as the research context (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Yin (2003) argues that researchers should determine if the case study approach is of value by outlining four critical aspects before considering a case study design. Firstly, Yin (2003) states that if the purpose of the research is to benefit from qualitative answers. Secondly, the research wants to gain a deeper understanding of specific behavior. Thirdly, the study aims to investigate certain characteristics of a particular phenomenon that will contextualize into a real-life context. Fourthly and at last, the researcher should decide a case study design when the connection within the research context and the investigated phenomenon is incomprehensible. Nevertheless, limitations of performing the case study method are, for instance, if the spectra of the research question are too broad, which makes the quantity of the sample size too small for one study (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Therefore, it is essential that the researcher narrows down the research context, as well as consider carefully over which phenomenon gets investigated. Thus, the research of the digital phenomenon of e-books will be a single case study narrowed down to, as well as utilized within the approach of a descriptive case study, which is of value when contextualizing a specific phenomenon within the real-life context it occurs (Yin, 2003).
One of the significant characteristics of the case study approach is the use of multiple data sources, which could increase the credibility of the explored data in the research (Patton, 1999; Yin, 2003; Baxter & Jack, 2008). In the research of case studies, possible data sources could be, e.g., archival records, documentation, as well as performing interviews. Thus, when performing a case study, researchers can benefit from using quantitative data within qualitative research, such as statistics, which is of use to increase the understanding of the investigated phenomenon. Moreover, when analyzing the data sources within case studies, the data is not often treated separately. Instead, all the data sources contribute cooperatively, and the result of the data intertwines into a general interpretation of the studied phenomenon. However, the possibility of gathering various kinds of data can harm the study, where the collection of data can be overwhelming and make it a tough task to organize. Baxter and Jack (2008) discuss the advantages of having gathered data properly organized. Moreover, it is emphasized that it is beneficial to use a database during case studies when treating multiple data sources, which will make it easier to manage over specific data segments. Thus, the usage of a database when performing the case study will increase the reliability of the research when the various collected data sources are easy to access and arranged properly.
The method of case studies determines as the most useful to investigate some of the underlying factors of book publishing within the media industry, which might prohibit the increase of e-book readers are with the help of various data sources. Furthermore, it motivates that a case study, with the contribution of qualitative interviews which is of the highest relevance when it comes to exploring human behavior and experiences, is
beneficial for the research purpose, to get comprehensive answers and facts concerning e-books from the producer perspective (Baxter & Jack, 2008; Kvale & Brinkmann, 2014). However, due to the outbreak of covid-19, it could be hard to achieve qualitative interviews in person. Therefore, it could be possible that the study implements the approach of phone interviews. Bryman (2011) describes the approach as a quantitative method with structured interviews and refers to it as time-efficient in contrast to qualitative interviews.
Moreover, it eliminates the personal factors of the interviewer who could influence the interviewee. For instance, during qualitative interviews in person, the respondent could be affected by the interviewees' gender, age, or ethnicity, which arguments as beneficial for using phone interviews (Bryman, 2011).
However, not to lack validity concerning the study purpose, the interviews will primarily aim to be
performed through digital video means, such as Zoom or Skype, otherwise it will be conducted over phone.
Above all, the approach of performing a case study enables the research to examine qualitative questions, meanwhile, considerations are made concerning how the investigated phenomenon is affected by the real- life context it occurs in (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Furthermore, the method of case studies enables the study to gain a comprehensive insight into the case of the Swedish e-book market. Thus, it empowers the study to collect multiple data sources, such as qualitative interviews, in order to understand, as well as examine the characteristics of the investigated phenomenon of e-books within the real-life context of the Swedish book industry.
3.1 Operationalization
In order to examine the research question, it is essential to take operationalization into consideration.
Operationalization refers to the relation between theory and practice in research (Lynham, 2002).
Furthermore, it implicates that the theoretical framework of research needs to be applied to the investigated research context, as well as, being empirically proven in reality. Moreover, operationalization in research means that the theoretical framework must be converted to understandable reasoning that could be
measured in a real-life context. With this mind, the research shall take into consideration that theories of the research should be translated into understandable questions for the respondents, otherwise, it could
decrease the validity of respondents who do not understand academic terms (Østbye, 2004). For instance, the six-facet model of the production of culture perspective needs a careful and considered phase of translation into becoming a reasonable interview-guide (see appendix 2).
3.2 Interview-guide
When developing interview-guides for qualitative interviews, the interviewer must be knowledgeable
concerning the research context the interview will examine (Given, 2012). Moreover, it is of importance that the conducted guide has a relation to previous research, relevant theories as well as including specific themes concerning the intended purpose of the study.
3.3 Semi-structured interviews
The chosen approach of conducted interviews within this case study will be semi-structured interviews. The semi-structured interview is appropriate when the researcher wants to gather qualitative data as well as gain in-depth content from the interviewee (Bryman, 2011; Given, 2012). This open-ended interview format could contribute to qualitative answers related to the interview guide. Furthermore, it gives the researcher the advantage of being adjustable during the interview session with supplementary questions of relevance.
Bryman (2011) emphasizes the significance of working with flexibility during a semi-structured interview session, for instance, the flexibility of rearranging the order of the questions if something of value is brought up. Furthermore, unravel uncertainties that could occur regarding the answer from the respondent.
However, one of the limitations of using the semi-structured arrangement is considering that it is not possible to predict the outcome of the interview (Given, 2012). Therefore, the interview-guide must build on questions that lean the interviewee to answering questions concerning the presented research questions, which will increase the validity of the study.
3.4 Transcription
To achieve high reliability in the study, the researcher should take into consideration that it is a tough task to remain objective during the transcription of interviews (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2014). The interpretations of the material affect the reliability of the interview when translating the recording to text. Therefore, not to lack reliability, it is of significance to ensure that the recording and the transcript are identical from our interview sessions. Having said that, this research will assure that the translation is legitimate.
3.5 Population
The gathering of empirical data within qualitative research could be seen as strategic, where researchers identify a specific population that could potentially deliver valuable answers concerning the investigated research question (Ekström & Johansson, 2019). Thus, the data gathering within qualitative research differs from quantitative research, where quantitative studies could use randomized sampling where the aim is to make a statistical claim of an entire population. Instead, the central aspect of collecting empirical material within qualitative interviews is to identify what the interviewees could potentially represent content-wise, such as personal experiences concerning the investigated research question. Therefore, it motivates the data gathering as strategic, considering that the purpose of the study is not to make a generalized statistical claim (Østbye, 2004). Instead, the research aims to gain a deeper qualitative understanding concerning the
examined research questions.
In order to achieve validity as well as increase reliability in research, it is of significance that the researcher chooses an appropriate population concerning the purpose of the study (Quinton & Reynolds, 2018). With this in mind, the selection of the interviewees was chosen strategically and with consideration. The study
identified the targeted population as the most fitting approach for data gathering. This approach implicates the researcher choosing individuals that fulfill specific criteria that could potentially deliver valuable answers within the examined research question (Bryman, 2011). The determined population for the study is – individuals who work within the book industry, such as publishing and retail. The population was chosen in order to achieve the best possible expertise answers regarding e-books within the media industry of books.
3.5.1 Data gathering of various data sources
The interviews were conducted via phone-calls and not in person, as a result of covid-19. To interview experts within the book industry we chose to target the Swedish book publishers and the book retailers.
Targeted population refers to targeting specific people that will fulfill our criteria, the criteria being that they work within the Swedish book industry, in other word publishing or retail, so that the interviewees can answer questions within the research context of e-books (Bryman, 2011). The usage of method to gather more informants within the Swedish book industry was by snowball sampling. Snowball sampling is when you can acquire new informants to participate in the interview from the original respondent (Bryman, 2011).
Thus, by interviewing key persons within book publishing and retail, we were able to extend our reach to other people within the organization, as well as within the Swedish book industry, to achieve adequate data sources beyond qualitative interviews. This additional data was, for instance, archival records, statistics, or legal documents that helped the study to get a comprehensive insight over the case of e-books within the Swedish book industry (Baxter & Jack, 2008). To that end, the gathered data within the case study of e- books is multiple data sources in the form of five qualitative interviews as well as secondary data sources in the form of laws and regulations, statistics, company reports and so forth. See the table below for
thoroughly organized data sources that were collected and used within the result.
Table 1: Qualitative interviews
Qualitative interviews
Occupation title Conducted
over
Duration time
Respondent 1 High-end position retail Phone 30.58 minutes
Respondent 2 High-end position association Phone 30.49 minutes Respondent 3 High-end position large publisher Phone 34.14 minutes
Respondent 4 High-end position Handelshögskolan
Zoom 36.12 minutes
Respondent 5 High-end position small publisher Phone 31.19 minutes
Table 2: Additional data sources
Additional data soruces Retrived from Author Year
Bokförsäljningsstatisken - helåret 2019 Förläggareföreningen Erik Wikberg 2020 Bibliotek 2018 - Offentligt finansierade
bibliotek
Kungliga Biblioteket Sveriges Officiella Statistik
2019
Tillgänglighet av e-böcker på folkbibliotek.
En aktörscentrerad idéanalys.
Diva-Portal Julia Standar 2015
Extra ändringsbudget för 2019 - Sänkt moms på e-publikationer samt ändrad användning av vissa anslag
Riksdagen Riksdagen 2019
Förordning (1962:652) om Sveriges författarfond
Riksdagen Riksdagen 1962
Bibliotekslag (2013:801) Riksdagen Riksdagen 2013
Det kulturella kapitalets betydelse för välbefinnandet
LUP Student Papers Peter Nilsson 2015
Demokratins skattkammare:
förslag till en nationell biblioteksstrategi
Kungliga Biblioteket Erik Fichtelius, Christina Persson and Eva Enarson
2019
Mediebarometer 2018 Nordicom Nordicom 2019
Sänkt moms ger lägre priser Svensk Bokhandel Kristian Lönner 2019
3.6 The data gathering in practice
In order to conduct our interviews with publishing and retail within the Swedish book industry, we, by targeted population, sent an email to a contact who works at one publishing house to ask if there are any willing participants (Bryman, 2011). The response was positive, and we acquired two people related to the e- book industry, who were willing to participate in interviews, one from publishing and one from retail. The first conducted interview was with a high-end position concerning retailing within the Swedish book industry, intending to get expert knowledge concerning the research area of e-books. The interviewee contributed the research with qualitative answers, as well as additional data sources related to the study. By the snowball sampling method, we received a recommendation for a more in-depth interview related to issues concerning laws and regulations related to the e-book that was brought up during the interview, thus, we approached the suggested interviewee at a publishing association for a further interview. The response from the association was positive, and the interview-subject happily participated in an interview. The interview with the association contributed with detailed, in-depth data that truly grew our knowledge concerning the investigated phenomenon and the context it occurs within (Baxter & Jack, 2008).
Furthermore, respondent 2 referred us to their website for more thorough documentation and statistics regarding the Swedish book industry. The third interviewee who works at a high-level within book
publishing gave us a deeper insight of general thoughts surrounding e-books from a publishing view. As well as more specific thoughts regarding publishing and e-books. The fourth interview was suggested to us by the second interviewee, who works as a professor at a university and works with statistics regarding book sales. This interview gave us a more in-depth view on statistics and surrounding topics. However, with the fifth interview we were required to go beyond snowball sampling, due to which we only managed to get four interviews relying on further contact information from the interviewees. Respondent 5 operated at a small size publishing house. Nevertheless, the interviewee contributed to the research with qualitative answers touching the topics that were brought up in the other performed interviews and truly grew our knowledge of the Swedish book industry. However, we did not require suggested subjects for further interviews or any secondary data.
General thoughts that occurred during the data-gathering phase was to expand the width of perspective concerning e-books. Therefore, we realized that after the first interviews, we had somewhat deviated from the first intended research design of relying only on the snowball sampling method of contacting one book publisher and one retailer. Thus, we reached out to more actors within the Swedish book industry, due to which we recognized it would be useful to gather more in-depth data to gain a comprehensive
understanding of the investigated case concerning e-books. However, it was hard to get in touch with
time due to issues related to covid-19. For instance, actors within the library turned us down, as well as further actors within publishing and retail, unfortunately, some actors did not even respond to our request for an interview. Therefore, the research did not get the right amount of qualitative interviews by relying on snowball sampling. Instead, the research required the five interviewees by reaching out to actors beyond the snowball sampling approach. However, due to saturation, the last required interviewees mentioned the same potential factors that had been pointed out in the earlier interviews. Thus, we concluded that the estimated five interviews with the secondary data sources were enough to achieve high validity of the performed case study.
3.7 Strategy of Analysis
The analysis of qualitative research co-occurs with the collection of data (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Moreover, the qualitative analysis aims to evolve already empirically 6.5 established definitions applied within the investigated real-life phenomenon of the research (Ekström & Johansson, 2019). In order to conduct a case study analysis, there are various forms of analysis within the methodological approach, e.g., pattern
matching, explanation buildings, as well as linking data to propositions (Baxter & Jack, 2008). However, it is the chosen type of case study that determines which kind of analysis that the study will perform. As
mentioned earlier, this research will use the descriptive case study approach, which is beneficial when the study aims to contextualize a specific phenomenon within its real-life context (Yin, 2003). Baxter and Jack (2008) state that in order to examine collected data sources within case studies thoroughly, the data needs to correlate to already existing literature. Firstly, in order to examine the outcome of the interviews, the paper will use thematic analysis to interpret the transcribed material from the interviews:
“Thematic analysis is a method for identifying, analyzing, and reporting patterns of themes within text corpora”
(Ignatow & Mihalcea, 2017, p. 75).
There are various forms of coding and categorizing material within the research. However, the online tool Google Docs will be appropriate for the study concerning the advantageous way of having all the transcripts organized and easy to access (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Thus, it will be advantageous to use Google Docs when analyzing and coding the transcripts according to the themes within the theoretical framework of the production of culture perspective, as well as identified propositions of the case.
Secondly, the analysis of the performed case study will be the examination strategy of linking data to propositions. In other words, if the research design incorporates unique propositions, it enhances the possibility to narrow down the width of the study, as well as increases the probability of accomplishing the case in practice. Thus, the propositions may build on, e.g., empirical data, theories within the existing literature, and experiences within a particular industry. To that end, the strategy of linking data to
propositions requires that the reported findings connect with established data, as well as merging with the previously presented theories of the paper.
However, the researcher has to be careful considering potential dangers within the analysis phase when performing case studies (Baxter & Jack, 2008). For instance, the scenario if data sources are managed separately, as well as the findings reported individually, which is not the intention of the examination process of case studies. Instead, the research has to assure that data sources intertwine, in order to get a comprehensive overview of the case. That is to say, not reporting segments of the multiple collected data sources individually in the examination. Thus, in order to prevent that, the study could involve other
researchers with the possibility to get feedback concerning the study's ability to incorporate the multiple data sources with the pursuit of answering the research questions. With this in mind, the study was benefit from being two who examined the research problem, and therefore were able to provide feedback on each other during the analysis phase. Moreover, the supervisor for the study have given some valuable input that holds the research accurate concerning the intended purpose of the performed case study.
3.8 Presenting findings within a case study
It is hard to report a case study due to the complexity of the methodological approach (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Therefore, it is challenging to present the findings from the collected data sources briefly and understandable for the reader, which is the researcher's responsibility when converting an investigated phenomenon to a comprehensible result within case studies. Moreover, it is of importance that the report illustrates the characteristics of the Swedish book market distinctly as well as describing the phenomena of e-books in an uncomplicated manner. Baxter and Jack (2008), states that there is not one legitimate way of reporting a case study. However, proposing that the report of addressing propositions could be of use, where the propositions ensure that the study is accurate concerning the research questions. Despite this, the usual pitfall of being new to the approach is the potential distraction of fascinating data that is,
unfortunately, useless concerning the examined research question. Therefore, by returning to the
propositions when reporting, this pitfall could easily be avoided. To that end, in order to demonstrate results effortlessly and understandable, we believe that addressing propositions will be the most suitable to present the results of the case.
3.9 Validity, Reliability, and Generalizability
3.9.1 Validity
The validity of research describes if the study examined what it claimed to investigate, moreover, if the chosen methodological approach is measuring what it intended to do in the first place (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2014). Furthermore, it is of importance that the study is trustworthy to the research context to increase the
is of significance that the case study examines what it first intended concerning the purpose of the study.
Thus, by achieving high validity within the approach of case studies, the researcher needs a particular research design to ensure the trustworthiness of the study:
“(a) the case study research question is clearly written, propositions (if appropriate to the case study type) are provided, and the question is substantiated; (b) case study design is appropriate for the research question; (c) purposeful sampling strategies appropriate for case study have been applied; (d) data are collected and managed
systematically; and (e) the data are analyzed correctly”
(Russell, Gregory, Ploeg, DiCenso, & Guyatt, 2005; Baxter & Jack, 2008, pp. 555-556).
Case studies contribute its research design with various strategies from other methods, intending to increase the data credibility, as well as the validity of the research, such as using multiple data sources in order to examine the investigated phenomenon from various perspectives (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Moreover, the contribution of the qualitative interviews increase the accuracy of responses concerning human experiences within the investigated research context of the Swedish e-book market (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2014; Quinton
& Reynolds, 2018).
Difficulties concerning achieving validity of the research were that, firstly, the study was not able to perform proper interviews in person with the interviewees, as first intended, due to covid-19. Thus, the interviews were conducted via phone calls or Zoom video call. Some of the identified actors within the population of the Swedish book industry that we wanted to interview did say no due to lack of time or did not respond to our request. Therefore, it could potentially decrease the validity of the study concerning that we did not conduct interviews with all the identified actors. However, the five conducted interviews, with the contribution of secondary data sources, showed saturation, as the interviewees pointed out the same potential factors of the poor e-book distribution in Sweden. Thus, we believe that a greater amount of interviews would not have revealed any further factors of the research problem. To that end, the five interviews, with the contribution of multiple data sources, were adequate to accomplish the validity of the research.
3.9.2 Reliability
On the other hand, the reliability in research refers to how reliable the outcome of a study is (Kvale &
Brinkmann, 2014). Thus, reliability means in general that it would be possible to measure if the result of the study could be reproduced when examined by others. As mentioned earlier, the usage of a database when performing a case study increases reliability (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Thus, the collection of data is organized correctly and easily accessible for inspection and evaluation. Furthermore, concerning the interviews with actors within the Swedish book industry, could it be seen as an indication of reliability if the interviewee does not adjust their answers regarding who conducted the interview.
As mentioned earlier in the method section, not to lack reliability of the interviews, it is of importance to remain objective during the transcription phase. In other words, it is ensuring that the tape recordings and transcripts are indistinguishable. However, the qualitative interviews were performed in Swedish, concerning that we interviewed Swedish organizations within the Swedish book industry. Thus, it could affect the reliability regarding that the study is in English, and the used quotes from the interview in the text will translate from Swedish to English. With this in mind, to not lack reliability, the translated Swedish quotes will be attached in an additional appendix in the paper (see appendix 1). Thus, ensuring the reader that the adaption to English was accurate.
3.9.3 Generalizability
Mahrt and Scharkow (2013) state that it is tough to accomplish generalizable outcomes within qualitative research, yet, arguing that qualitative research is of more value in contributing answers concerning human behavior rather than a generalized claim of a higher entity. Thus, qualitative research can justify themes and patterns that could appear concerning single individuals’ experiences within the examined population.
3.10 Ethical Considerations
The organization we will interview might not want to disclose trade secrets for their business. Thus, we will have to format the question so that there is no need for them to breach confidentiality information.
Furthermore, anonymity could become a hindrance for the interviewee, since there is only one of each position within the organization. Thus, the study will need to anonymize the interviewees' names, organization, and business title. Instead, the paper will describe if the organization is of a small, medium, large size and refers to the interviewee's occupations from a low-end to a high-end post. The participant's names will likewise be anonymized and referred to as respondent 1, respondent 2, and so forth.
Nevertheless, since the subject we want to explore is not a controversial topic, we believe there are no inherent ethical obstacles when performing the interviews. However, a consent form was sent out to each participant we wanted to interview (see appendix 3), which included information concerning the purpose of the study and the research context it would be published within (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2014). Moreover, after the interviewees have read the consent form, they could either approve or reject their participation in the study. To that end, we intend to be as transparent as possible to those individuals we would like to interview.
