A fake example of qualitative data analysis on interview transcripts using chatgt (via poe.com): a note (v1) for MBA students
The following is a fake example of semi-structured interview of two of my ex-colleagues with our previous employer that underwent a corporate merger (Apple Ltd and Pineapple Ltd) four years ago that ended in failure.
Interview with my colleague, who was the finance manager of Apple Ltd:
My question 1: "What were the external environmental context as well as the internal management issues that led to the decision of Apple Ltd's decision to merge with Pineapple Ltd?'
The reply from Mr Lee, the ex-Finance Manager of Apple Ltd: "At that time, the government's policy on merger is loose; at the same time Apple Ltd was facing tough competition from Banana Ltd, resulting in poor financial performance of Apple Ltd. At the same time, due to poor business performance, Apple Ltd had high debt burden as well as liquidity difficulty. As such, there was also pressure from our shareholders to take a more determined action to turnaround Apple Ltd in the form of merger with Pineapple Ltd. Pineapple Ltd also expressed interest to merge with us at that time."
My question 2: "What had been done by the Apple Ltd's management team that implemented the corporate merger and what were, if any, major external and internal happenings, that over time, led to the merger failure?"
The reply from Mr Lee, the ex-Finance Manager of Apple Ltd: "There was insufficient briefing to the employees of Apple Ltd, such that many of the employees were worried about their job security. Besides, the task of merging the operational procedures and the information systems with Pineapple Ltd turned out to be very complicated. Besides, there were corporate culture clash between Apple Ltd and Pineapple Ltd as well as incompatibility of leadership style between the two companies at the middle and supervisory levels. Finally, the merged management accounting system of the merged company was not able to produce reliable and relevant management accounting report. These merger tasks were not handled well, leading to the merger failure subsequently."
My question 3: "What were the negative consequence of this corporate merger exercise failure?"
The reply from Mr Lee, the ex-Finance Manager of Apple Ltd: "Some examples of the consequence were (1) serious cost overruns in the business operation, (2) high quality failure costs in the production operation, (3) delay in salary payment to employees, and (4) confusing budgeting planning and control. All these negative consequences led to poor business performance and deteriorating staff morale, for the merged company."
Interview with my colleague, who was the marketing of Apple Ltd:
My question 1: "What were the external environmental context as well as the internal management issues that led to the decision of Apple Ltd's decision to merge with Pineapple Ltd?"
The reply from Mrs Wong, the marketing manager of Apple Ltd: "At that time, Apple Ltd was losing market share of our products in the marketplace due to intense competition in the marketplace. Our products, in particular, were getting less appealing to the young generation in the marketplace. We had quite poor product innovation performance. Our producing pricing was not competitive, as it was difficult to reduce product selling price due to the costly business model of Apple Ltd at that time. We thought that, by merging with Pineapple Ltd, we would gain synergy benefits in our merged distribution channel and advertising effectiveness."
My question 2: "What had been done by the Apple Ltd's management team that implemented the corporate merger and what were, if any, major external and internal happenings, that over time, led to the merger failure?"
The reply from Mrs Wong, the marketing manager of Apple Ltd: "In the merger process, we did not consulted our sales team sufficiently. Many of our sales staff left our merged company. Those sales staff who stayed with us had no ideas about our marketing and sales strategy for the merged company. The confusing corporate climate was not helped by the intense office politics between the management team of Apple Ltd and Pineapple Ltd. The task to merge the product development team of Apple Ltd and that of the Pineapple Ltd turned out to be conflictual and disorganized. As a result, the merger exercise led to negative merger consequence."
My question 3: "What were the negative consequence of this corporate merger exercise failure?"
The reply from Mrs Wong, the marketing manager of Apple Ltd: "The main negative merger consequences were: (1) deteriorating sales performance of the merged company, (2) weakened sales team competence of the merged company, (3) weakened product innovation competence of the merged company, and, finally, ineffective product branding strategy of the merged company.
I now ask chatgpt to conduct the inductive coding analysis. The record is as follows:
My question 1: "I am a part-time MBA student, doing a dissertation project on corporate merger failure. I have conducted a semi-structured interview with two of my ex-colleagues in our previous company, Apple Ltd. which experienced corporate merger failure with another company, i.e. Pineapple Ltd. Below is the interview transcript of my ex-colleagues. Could you produce a coding scheme, based on the inductive research approach, based on this interview transcript record? Tks in advance:
The following is a fake example of semi-structured interview of two of my ex-colleagues with our previous employer that underwent a corporate merger (Apple Ltd and Pineapple Ltd) four years ago that ended in failure.
Interview with my colleague, who was the finance manager of Apple Ltd:
My question 1: "What were the external environmental context as well as the internal management issues that led to the decision of Apple Ltd's decision to merge with Pineapple Ltd?'
The reply from Mr Lee, the ex-Finance Manager of Apple Ltd: "At that time, the government's policy on merger is loose; at the same time Apple Ltd was facing tough competition from Banana Ltd, resulting in poor financial performance of Apple Ltd. At the same time, due to poor business performance, Apple Ltd had high debt burden as well as liquidity difficulty. As such, there was also pressure from our shareholders to take a more determined action to turnaround Apple Ltd in the form of merger with Pineapple Ltd. Pineapple Ltd also expressed interest to merge with us at that time."
My question 2: "What had been done by the Apple Ltd's management team that implemented the corporate merger and what were, if any, major external and internal happenings, that over time, led to the merger failure?"
The reply from Mr Lee, the ex-Finance Manager of Apple Ltd: "There was insufficient briefing to the employees of Apple Ltd, such that many of the employees were worried about their job security. Besides, the task of merging the operational procedures and the information systems with Pineapple Ltd turned out to be very complicated. Besides, there were corporate culture clash between Apple Ltd and Pineapple Ltd as well as incompatibility of leadership style between the two companies at the middle and supervisory levels. Finally, the merged management accounting system of the merged company was not able to produce reliable and relevant management accounting report. These merger tasks were not handled well, leading to the merger failure subsequently."
My question 3: "What were the negative consequence of this corporate merger exercise failure?"
The reply from Mr Lee, the ex-Finance Manager of Apple Ltd: "Some examples of the consequence were (1) serious cost overruns in the business operation, (2) high quality failure costs in the production operation, (3) delay in salary payment to employees, and (4) confusing budgeting planning and control. All these negative consequences led to poor business performance and deteriorating staff morale, for the merged company."
Interview with my colleague, who was the marketing of Apple Ltd:
My question 1: "What were the external environmental context as well as the internal management issues that led to the decision of Apple Ltd's decision to merge with Pineapple Ltd?"
The reply from Mrs Wong, the marketing manager of Apple Ltd: "At that time, Apple Ltd was losing market share of our products in the marketplace due to intense competition in the marketplace. Our products, in particular, were getting less appealing to the young generation in the marketplace. We had quite poor product innovation performance. Our producing pricing was not competitive, as it was difficult to reduce product selling price due to the costly business model of Apple Ltd at that time. We thought that, by merging with Pineapple Ltd, we would gain synergy benefits in our merged distribution channel and advertising effectiveness."
My question 2: My question 2: "What had been done by the Apple Ltd's management team that implemented the corporate merger and what were, if any, major external and internal happenings, that over time, led to the merger failure?"
The reply from Mrs Wong, the marketing manager of Apple Ltd: "In the merger process, we did not consulted our sales team sufficiently. Many of our sales staff left our merged company. Those sales staff who stayed with us had no ideas about our marketing and sales strategy for the merged company. The confusing corporate climate was not helped by the intense office politics between the management team of Apple Ltd and Pineapple Ltd. The task to merge the product development team of Apple Ltd and that of the Pineapple Ltd turned out to be conflictual and disorganized. As a result, the merger exercise led to negative merger consequence."
My question 3: "What were the negative consequence of this corporate merger exercise failure?"
The reply from Mrs Wong, the marketing manager of Apple Ltd: "The main negative merger consequences were: (1) deteriorating sales performance of the merged company, (2) weakened sales team competence of the merged company, (3) weakened product innovation competence of the merged company, and, finally, ineffective product branding strategy of the merged company."
The reply from chatgpt: "Based on the provided interview transcripts with Mr. Lee (Finance Manager) and Mrs. Wong (Marketing Manager), here’s a coding scheme developed inductively, which can help analyze the themes and patterns related to the corporate merger failure of Apple Ltd and Pineapple Ltd.
Coding Scheme for Corporate Merger Failure
1. External Environmental Context
Government Policies
Loose merger regulations
Market Competition
Competition from Banana Ltd
Loss of market share
Market Trends
Declining appeal of products to younger consumers
Poor product innovation performance
Financial Pressures
Poor financial performance
High debt burden and liquidity issues
2. Internal Management Issues
Employee Communication
Insufficient briefing and communication with employees
Job security concerns among employees
Leadership Incompatibility
Clash of corporate cultures
Incompatibility of leadership styles
Operational Integration Challenges
Complicated merging of operational procedures
Disorganized product development merging
3. Merger Implementation Issues
Lack of Consultation
Insufficient consultation with sales and marketing teams
Employee Turnover
Departure of key sales staff
Office Politics
Intense office politics affecting morale and productivity
Management Systems
Failure of merged management accounting systems to deliver reliable reports
4. Negative Consequences of Merger Failure
Operational Costs
Serious cost overruns
High quality failure costs
Employee Impact
Delay in salary payments
Deterioration of staff morale
Sales and Marketing Performance
Weakened sales team competence
Deteriorating sales performance
Ineffective product branding strategy
Innovation and Competitiveness
Weakening of product innovation capabilities
Analysis Framework
Each of these categories can be further explored by analyzing the frequency and significance of the codes across the interviews. This framework should assist in identifying the primary factors contributing to the merger failure and facilitate a deeper understanding of the internal and external dynamics at play.
Next Steps
Data Analysis: Apply this coding scheme to the full dataset of interviews and any additional qualitative data you may have.
Thematic Development: Identify overarching themes that emerge from the coded data.
Contextual Insights: Relate findings back to existing literature on corporate mergers and failures for a comprehensive analysis.
This coding scheme will aid you in structuring your dissertation and deriving meaningful insights from the qualitative data gathered during your interviews."
My next question: "Tks a lot. Could you provide the coding scheme again, indicating the quotations more clearly on who said what? Tks."
The reply from chatgpt: "Certainly! Here’s the revised coding scheme with clear attributions for the quotations from Mr. Lee (Finance Manager) and Mrs. Wong (Marketing Manager).
Coding Scheme for Corporate Merger Failure
1. External Environmental Context
Government Policies
Mr. Lee: "At that time, the government's policy on merger is loose."
Market Competition
Mr. Lee: "Apple Ltd was facing tough competition from Banana Ltd."
Market Trends
Mrs. Wong: "Apple Ltd was losing market share of our products...due to intense competition."
Mrs. Wong: "Our products...were getting less appealing to the young generation."
Mrs. Wong: "We had quite poor product innovation performance."
Financial Pressures
Mr. Lee: "Apple Ltd had high debt burden as well as liquidity difficulty."
Mr. Lee: "There was also pressure from our shareholders to take a more determined action."
2. Internal Management Issues
Employee Communication
Mr. Lee: "There was insufficient briefing to the employees of Apple Ltd."
Mr. Lee: "Many of the employees were worried about their job security."
Leadership Incompatibility
Mr. Lee: "There were corporate culture clashes...and incompatibility of leadership style."
Operational Integration Challenges
Mr. Lee: "The task of merging the operational procedures...turned out to be very complicated."
Mrs. Wong: "The task to merge the product development team...turned out to be conflictual and disorganized."
3. Merger Implementation Issues
Lack of Consultation
Mrs. Wong: "In the merger process, we did not consult our sales team sufficiently."
Employee Turnover
Mrs. Wong: "Many of our sales staff left our merged company."
Office Politics
Mrs. Wong: "The confusing corporate climate was not helped by the intense office politics."
Management Systems
Mr. Lee: "The merged management accounting system...was not able to produce reliable and relevant management accounting reports."
4. Negative Consequences of Merger Failure
Operational Costs
Mr. Lee: "Some examples of the consequence were serious cost overruns in the business operation."
Mr. Lee: "High quality failure costs in the production operation."
Employee Impact
Mr. Lee: "Delay in salary payment to employees."
Mr. Lee: "Poor business performance and deteriorating staff morale."
Sales and Marketing Performance
Mrs. Wong: "The main negative merger consequences were...deteriorating sales performance of the merged company."
Mrs. Wong: "Weakened sales team competence of the merged company."
Innovation and Competitiveness
Mrs. Wong: "Weakened product innovation competence of the merged company."
Mrs. Wong: "Ineffective product branding strategy of the merged company."
Analysis Framework
This structured coding scheme allows you to easily reference specific quotes from each interviewee while analyzing the themes and patterns related to the merger failure.
Next Steps
Data Analysis: Use the coding scheme to categorize and analyze additional data.
Thematic Development: Identify overarching themes that emerge from the coded data.
Contextual Insights: Relate findings back to existing literature for a comprehensive analysis.
This format should be helpful for your dissertation project!"
My next question: "Very clear. Could you group these coding items into several higher-level categories which are then to be linked up to produce a conceptual framework in a diagram form? Tk."
The reply from chatgpt: "Certainly! Here’s a structured approach to group the coding items into higher-level categories, which can form the basis for a conceptual framework. Below, I’ve categorized the codes into broader themes that link the external and internal factors influencing the merger failure.
Higher-Level Categories for Conceptual Framework
External Factors
Market Conditions
Government Policies
Market Competition
Market Trends
Financial Pressures
Poor financial performance
High debt burden and liquidity issues
Internal Factors
Management Issues
Employee Communication
Leadership Incompatibility
Operational Integration Challenges
Implementation Challenges
Lack of Consultation
Employee Turnover
Office Politics
Management Systems
Consequences of Merger Failure
Operational Consequences
Cost Overruns
Quality Failure Costs
Employee Impact
Delayed Salary Payments
Poor Morale
Sales and Marketing Outcomes
Deteriorating Sales Performance
Weakened Sales Team Competence
Weakened Product Innovation
Ineffective Branding Strategy
Conceptual Framework Diagram
Here’s how these categories can be structured in a conceptual framework:
+------------------+
| External Factors |
+------------------+
| Market Conditions |
| - Government Policies |
| - Market Competition |
| - Market Trends |
| Financial Pressures |
| - Poor Financial Performance |
| - High Debt Burden |
+------------------+
|
v
+------------------+
| Internal Factors |
+------------------+
| Management Issues |
| - Employee Communication |
| - Leadership Incompatibility |
| - Operational Integration Challenges |
| Implementation Challenges |
| - Lack of Consultation |
| - Employee Turnover |
| - Office Politics |
| - Management Systems |
+------------------+
|
v
+------------------+
| Consequences of |
| Merger Failure |
+------------------+
| Operational Consequences |
| - Cost Overruns |
| - Quality Failure Costs |
| Employee Impact |
| - Delayed Salary Payments |
| - Poor Morale |
| Sales and Marketing Outcomes |
| - Deteriorating Sales Performance |
| - Weakened Sales Team Competence |
| - Weakened Product Innovation |
| - Ineffective Branding Strategy |
+------------------+
Screenshot sample 1
Screenshot sample 2
Description of the Framework
External Factors: These create the environment in which the merger decision is made. They include competitive pressures, regulatory conditions, and financial challenges faced by Apple Ltd.
Internal Factors: These pertain to the management and operational aspects within Apple Ltd that influence how the merger is executed. The lack of communication, leadership conflicts, and integration challenges are critical here.
Consequences of Merger Failure: This category captures the negative outcomes resulting from the merger, affecting operations, employee morale, and market performance.
Next Steps
Visual Representation: You can create a visual diagram using software like PowerPoint, Lucidchart, or similar tools to represent this framework graphically.
Linking to Literature: As you develop your dissertation, consider linking these categories to existing theories and models on merger success and failure.
Empirical Testing: Use this framework to guide further research questions or hypotheses in your dissertation.
This conceptual framework will help structure your analysis and findings in a coherent manner."
Note a: It is up to the student to further refine the conceptual framework to improve its quality.
Note b: compare with note 2 analysis.
** note: This example is on the academic-oriented type of dissertation project.
Reference: a collection of blog notes on using chatgpt for research purpose.
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