3. Methodology
A number of methodological choices were made in order to investigate what impact
different negotiation strategies have on the negotiation setting in different relational
settings. A qualitative approach was opted for, so as to follow Ramsay’s (2004)
proposition of investigating buyer-supplier negotiation from a qualitative angle. This
was done by carrying out an in-depth, subjectivistic case study, in which the researcher
is emerged in the field. A case study is “an empirical inquiry that investigates a
contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries
between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident” (Yin, 2003), where the
investigator has little control over events (unlike in an experiment) and where the focus
furthermore is on a contemporary phenomenon within some real-life context
(Eisenhardt, 1989). The reason for this should be found in the attempt to answer how
and why questions, which is only realisable via an emerged field researcher (Strauss
and Corbin, 1998). In addition, it has been recently noticed that managers often feel
uneasy about disclosing strategically relevant information about ethical questions
concerning business practices, which serves the purpose of the paper well, as the
subjectivistic case study approach helps to build up trust with actors in the field