CO-CREATION AS A RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: LESSONS FROM A FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION FOR VALIDATING STRATEGIC FRAMEWORKS IN STARTUP STUDIES
Keywords:
co-creation methodology, focus group discussion, methodological reflection, startup strategic frameworks, thematic analysis.Abstract
The shift toward participatory and collaborative research methodologies has gained momentum, yet the reflective documentation of co-creation as a research method remains limited, particularly in the context of validating strategic frameworks for startup studies. This study aims to critically reflect on the effectiveness of co-creation as a research methodology, drawing lessons from a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) designed to validate a strategic framework for startups. A qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design was employed, involving ten academics (five senior and five junior lecturers) in a six-hour FGD. The procedure included pre-test, presentation of the strategic framework, three rounds of rotated breakout group discussions, plenary synthesis, and post-test. Data comprised verbatim transcripts, field notes, pre-test/post-test scores, evaluation questionnaires, and video documentation. Analysis used six-phase thematic analysis, descriptive gain score calculation, and analytical narrative reflection. The findings show a mean gain score of 15.4 points (15.4%), with all participants demonstrating improved understanding, confirming hypothesis H1. Four main themes emerged: negotiating academic hierarchy, constructive friction as innovation catalyst, facilitator as balancer and translator, and co-creation as a double-loop learning arena, confirming H2. Seven methodological lessons were formulated, including rotated breakout groups, pre-test as cognitive scaffolding, multimodal documentation, independent co-facilitator, cautious gain score interpretation, intellectual property agreements, and researcher role transformation, confirming H3. The study concludes that co-creation is substantively effective for validating strategic frameworks in startup studies, provided careful procedural design and competent facilitation. These findings contribute a reflective methodological framework and practical protocol for researchers adopting co-creation in participatory validation contexts.
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