Pilot Study Experiences of Researchers: SMEs’ Crisis Learning Behaviour

Kalutara Koralalage Nilanthi Britto Adikaram () and Hapugoda Achchi Kankanamge Nadee Sheresha Surangi
Additional contact information
Kalutara Koralalage Nilanthi Britto Adikaram: University of Ruhuna, Department of Multidisciplinary Studies, Faculty of Technology
Hapugoda Achchi Kankanamge Nadee Sheresha Surangi: University of Kelaniya, Department of Commerce and Financial Management

A chapter in Entrepreneurship and Human-Centric Business Strategies for Social and Economic Resilience, 2026, pp 469-482 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract The importance of conducting a pilot study in qualitative research is presented in this article. The researchers are shared their experience of conducting a pilot study to explore the crisis learning behaviour of tourism SMEs in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. The benefits and challenges involved in carrying out a pilot study are highlighted with a purposively selected sample of six tourism SMEs in preparation for the main study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with participants to learn about the experiences of entrepreneurs on crises. The interviews were then transcribed, translated, analysed, and themes were identified. The engagement in an emerging area that is of methodological interest that also provides valuable insight into an overlooked feature of qualitative research was undertaken. Thus, a positive contribution to the main study was made by the preliminary research effort through the facilitation of the formulation of research design. The preliminary research effort positively contributed to the main study by facilitating the formulation of a research design that would help meet the research objectives, including trialling phenomenology data collection, verifying research instruments and techniques, deciding the data analysis method, abiding by ethical considerations, and enhancing the validity of the research. Important aspects of conducting a pilot study while highlighting the associated challenges are informed through the findings.

Keywords: Pilot study; Main study; Qualitative research; Phenomenology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-981-95-6415-6_30

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/9789819564156

DOI: 10.1007/978-981-95-6415-6_30

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics from Springer
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().