Example of Qualitative Study Report

RQ: What is the nature and role of public-private partnerships that facilitate logistics at national borders?

Method

In addition to direct observation and interviews with personnel at two border crossings, interviews were conducted on-site with business owners and elected officials who are members of public-private partnerships (PPPs) on both sides of the U.S./Canada border. As a first step, trade commissioners and economic development officers in Edmonton provided a broad overview of U.S./Canadian trade and cross-border logistics related to the two crossings. Next, members of Canadian PPPs based in Killam, Castor, and Medicine Hat were interviewed. Finally, interviews with members of U.S.-based PPPs in Havre and Shelby, Montana, wrapped up the schedule. All interviews were audio-taped and ranged from 45 minutes to over 3 hours.

Sample

Interviews with key informants, observation of border traffic and operations, and examination of relevant documents provide the data for the study. Reports of seven PPPs were collected in interviews with 34 informants, including 3 elected government officials, 12 economic development officers, 16 business owners, and 3 border crossing employees. The public-private partnerships analyzed in this study include the U.S.-based Ports-to-Plains Alliance, Montana’s Highway 2 Association, and the Northern Montana Port Authority. Canadian-based PPPs include the Alberta Hub, Palliser Economic Partnership, Battle River Alliance for Economic Development, and Veterans’ Memorial Highway #36 Association.

Findings

The most prominent theme in the interview data is the importance of working partnerships between the business community and government agencies responsible for cross-border logistics. It is important to note here that while traditional consideration of public-private partnerships examines how public entities might improve performance through relationships with private enterprise, the PPPs in the present study were...