A linked emic approach to addressing research methodology and design issues for qualitative research about microfinance in Bangladesh

This paper addresses the issues involved in undertaking research about financial decision making in emerging Asian markets using a linked emic approach. Bangladesh is the initial focus for the study which will be replicated in other emerging markets across the Asian continent. The rationale for this approach is that, as consumers in emerging markets differ from each other, so does their financial decision making. Established western decision theories are discussed and the extent to which they might apply in emerging Asian markets is explored. This leads to the conclusion that theories of buyer behaviour need to be developed in each emerging market 'from the ground up" and clustered on the basis of resulting similarities. The issues influencing financial decision making in emerging Asian markets are examined and contrasted to consumer behaviour from western decision models; specifically the influences on financial decison making of social networks and social relations.A linked emic approach for this study in emerging Asian markets is strongly supported by post structural feminist theory. A research proposal is developed using a theoretical framework derived from the literature that addresses the influences of informal social networks and social relations on financial decision making. The framework illustrates how local cultural influences impact on the networks involved in financial decision making. These in turn have an influence on financial interfaces which impact on financial decision making.