28 Chapter III Research Methodology III.1 Research Design Research design can be defined as the framework within which a study takes place, with a prescriptive function of detailing how data is to be collected, measured, and analyzed (Lepenioti et al., 2020). Of particular significance is the fact that the formulation of a research question is critical in remaining focused as well as offering a guide while answering the research question in respect to topic. Qualitative research usually concerns collecting textual, numerical, visual data and usually is more focused on hypotheses confirmation while quantity research deals with patterns, regularities and general laws. This paper employs qualitative research, and the type of analysis is thematic analysis on the text (Kiger & Varpio, 2020). The rationale for using qualitative research approach in this thesis is based on the fact that the thesis hypotheses will require the analysis of other people’s views and perceptions on PT ACEINNO Technologies. The PT ACEINNO Technologies firm is currently considering venturing into the market of providing software testing services, and in order to make a sound decision before entering this market, it is crucial that the firm assesses its internal strengths and weaknesses, the external operating environment, and the perception of all the various stakeholders. Therefore, qualitative study is more appropriate for this examination as it provides an effective way to describe the participants’ experiences, perceptions, and attitudes on the phenomena of interest. Adherence to the selection of research design to respond to the research questions and objectives is significant for the research study. The major research questions in this thesis pertain to how PT ACEINNO Technologies can increase the value that the company offers customers, create new business models to increase revenue streams and opportunities presented by the new trends in the IT software testing industry. These questions can be effectively addressed by the chosen type of qualitative research design. It allows to immerse into the stakeholders’ view, 29 gaining a detailed and context-based understanding of what factors matter for the company’s strategy. Its goals include improving the position of the company on the market, determining potential new business segments, and defining successful approaches to generating more income. The type of research which can be useful in getting the overview of these objectives is the qualitative one; interviews are the best tool to collect qualitative data. Overall the research design fits the questions and the objectives effectively to meet PT ACEINNO Technologies need. The qualitative research is not only useful for assessing the conditions prevailing in the company and the market today, but instrumental in developing recommendations for its successful further evolution based on the insights and perceptions of key actors on the specific context. III.2 Data Collection Method Qualitative methods are employed for the gathering of non-numeric data that provides information about participants’ attitudes, processes, and environments. The most widespread methods of getting qualitative data are interviews, focus groups, observations, and documents. Interviews are one of the most important ways of data collection of carrying out qualitative research with the aim of collecting detailed information from clients (Sekaran & Bougie, 2018). These encompass oral interviews, where the interviewer engages the respondent personally or through video or in-person meetings in which the interviewer poses questions and the respondent answers freely. The choice of interviews is justified because, to capture detailed context of PT ACEINNO Technologies, this thesis relies on interviews as the major data collection tool. The questions in the study shall seek to establish the different stakeholders’ perceptions on the current strategies of the company, its growth potential and capability to adopt new business opportunities within software testing services. This is especially the case with interviews where different attributes of participants about a particular topic can be further elaborated. 30 This way, during the interviews, which will be semi-structured, the researcher will be able to guarantee that certain topics of discussion will be raised, at the same time ensuring that discussions do not become rigid, and although some areas of conversations might be predetermined, the interviewing researcher will also be able to raise areas of discussion that might turn out to be relevant during the conversation. This approach is essential when trying to understand the various opinion of different people, as for example the employees and the managers, or the specialized professionals in the field. Interviews offer an insight into the internal and external environment of PT ACEINNO Technologies which is helpful in generating strategic recommendations based on copious and detailed information. Furthermore, interviews foster participant-endearing and people are likely to reveal detailed information when interviewed. Such a level of engagement is important because it ensures that one gets truly candid but elaborate answers that contain the true attitude and perspectives of stakeholders. When it comes to PT ACEINNO Technologies where the choices of the strategic management risk depending on understanding the internal dynamics and the market, the interviews can be deemed powerful to gather the valuable qualitative information. III.2.1 Interview Design In the context of this research, the basic form of the interview will be to develop individualized questions for each of the identified eight respondents to include for the interview to make sure that the collected data is broad and relevant. This delivery also acknowledges the employee diversity plan perspective and knowledge as crucial to achieving the research objectives about PT ACEINNO Technologies. The questions to be interviewed will focus on achieving depth of responses to gain insights on the specific perspectives of each stakeholder on the company’s strategic direction, including strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. Such an approach not only adds to the effectiveness of the questions and answers collected but also to making the interview process interesting and productive for every respondent. 31 1. Interview#1 – Endah Susanti (ES) Country Manager, Professional Services Table III. 1. Interview Question ES No Question 1 Could you describe your role and your experience in sales for our professional services. 2 What are the specific pain points that our professional services currently address for our clients. 3 What is your vision for scaling up our professional services, and what steps do you think we need to take. 4 What are the key challenges we face in scaling up our professional services business. 5 What additional features or services do you believe would make our offerings more attractive to potential clients. 6 What are the main objectives you aim to achieve with your sales strategies, and how do they align with our company’s goals. 7 What insights can you share about the current market trends and how they impact our professional services. 8 How can we differentiate our professional services from competitors in the market. 9 Why do you think some potential clients hesitate to adopt our professional services. 10 What measures can we take to improve our client acquisition and retention rates. 11 What sales strategies have proven to be the most effective in your experience. 32 No Question 12 How should we position our new business line to attract maximum market interest. 13 Could you provide examples of successful sales initiatives you've led that resulted in significant growth. 2. Interview#2 – Ajie ACEINNO Technologies Delivery Manager Table III.