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Some practical experiences are reported from two studies investigating decisions involving spatial effects in the related fields of shipping and seaports. The problem of attempting to analyse qualitative interview data objectively involves a short survey of content analysis techniques. A summary of the methodology of each study demonstrates ways of coping with the difficulties of implementing the chosen form of content analysis. In conclusion a suggestion is made to show how such studies match a recognized form of the hypotheticodeductive method of science. At most, the statistical studies of investment behaviour show that some business firms relate their investments to output; . . . (And if that is what is being demonstrated, what is the advantage of doing it by means of elaborate statistical studies of public data, rather than by making enquiries of the actual decision processes in the firms themselves?) (Simon, 1976)
Bird et al. (1983) studied this question.