Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University

10-year interval in-between two interview waves was conducted by the European
Foundation (1997; Taylor 2006). 10
Two possible ways of defining the sample in qualitative research are possible – either
producing a grid of variables and sampling cases for each cell, or extending the sample as
new knowledge is gained, the so-called ´theoretical sampling´ (Merkens 2003: 291-2). I
followed the second approach, as my analysis had exploratory character and little
information was accessible on that matter (e.g. no information whether rather big or small
companies practice age management, no names of ´good practice´ or ´bad practice´
companies with regard to age management in Northern Germany and in Poland were
revealed within the scientific community). The accessibility of information, practicality and
quality of experts are recognised as possible reasons for modifying the sample procedure
(Merkens 2003: 288, 292, 294). I followed the basic criterion regarding sample size,
whereby a sufficient number of observations have been conducted when redundancy is
achieved, i.e. no new information can be gained from the introduction of new cases. (Patton
2002: 244).
I have applied a mix of criterion sampling and heterogeneity sampling (Patton 2002:
230ff). My initial criterion was the size of the firm between 500-3,000 employees (German
criterion for ´large company´), as only big companies are able to run human resource
management strategies (Brussig 2005: 11; Pocztowski et al. 2001: 15), and in very big
companies, there is a blur of many different strategies. Moreover, large companies were in
Germany the main initiators and beneficiaries of early retirement policies (BmFSFJ 2005:
82; Mares 2001: 209) and are believed to pursue a “formalised age-selective policy” instead
of “case-by-case policies” pursued by SME (BmFSFJ 2005: 83). However, later my sample
was broadened to include six Polish middle-sized companies with less than 250 employees 11
and one middle-sized German firm with less than 500 employees, and two German firms
with more than 3,000 workers at the studied site, and among them, one very large enterprise
with more than 10,000 employees.
Another initial criterion was that workers aged 50 years and more should constitute at
least 10 per cent of overall workforce.
10 Another follow-up study of some firms included in the European Foundation´s sample is one of the research
aims of scholars working on the project „Activating Senior Potential in Ageing Europe“ which is located
within the 7th Research Framework of the European Commission (www.aspa-eu.com).
11 Firms with at least 250 employees comply with the EU criterion of ´large firm´.
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