Exploratory Sequential Mixed Method Research to Investigate Factors Affecting the Reputation of PFI/PF2 Projects in the UK

The UK Government introduced the private finance initiative (PFI) as a measure to work closely with the private sector in the provision of public projects. Despite its popularity in the 1990s, it presently faces strong criticisms for failing to deliver value for money. Different measures, that is Private Finance 2 (PF2), by successive UK Governments have not changed the situation. The exploratory sequential mixed methods research design applied to investigating the reputation of PFI/PF2 projects in the UK is presented in this research. Grounded theory was the primary method for conducting the qualitative research phase. Thereafter, the themes were distilled and constituted the basis of a questionnaire survey using a five-point Likert Scale. The questionnaire was despatched to selected stakeholders in the construction industry and the data was analysed using the Relative Importance Index (RII) and Kruskal Wallis Test. Using the results of the RII, the most important factors affecting the reputation of PFI projects were selected for the development of a theoretical framework. Despite what appears to be disagreements amongst researchers on the true value of mixed methods research, the findings from using this approach made it possible for conclusions to be drawn from multiple perspectives. Hopefully, issues regarding the paradigmatic position of mixed methods research will be overlooked in favour of its contribution to investigating contemporary issues.

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