Applying Grounded Theory Method for Measuring Employment Opportunities Generated by a Shopping Centre Development
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF REAL ESTATE STUDIES Published by Centre for Real Estate Studies Website: https://www.utm.my/intrest INTREST 13(1)/201 9, 50-72 APPLYING GROUNDED THEORY METHOD FOR MEASURING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES GENERATED BY A SHOPPING CENTRE DEVELOPMENT Nurul Faiezah Ngadimin1*, Abdul Hamid Mar Iman2, Rohaya Abdul Jalil1 1Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia 2Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan 16100 Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, Malaysia ABSTRACT History: A shopping centre development project brings about a positive change Received: 29 January 2019 to the community as well as generates a lot of business opportunities Received in revised form: 5 April 2019 which in turn creates more employment and job opportunities for the Accepted: 25 April 2019 locals. However, there is no numerical proof regarding employment Available Online: 30 April 2019 opportunities generated therefrom. In particular, there was neither assessment nor measurement of employment opportunities generated Keywords: by a shopping centre development being developed. Therefore, this paper attempts to measure the employment opportunities generated by Grounded theory method, shopping a proposed shopping centre development project by developing centre, employment, employment physical parameters for the measurement on the basis of net-lettable density area (NLA). A grounded theory method (GTM) is adapted since there is lack of the existing literature on the method or approach of *Corresponding Author assessment. The GTM with an inductive approach as well as deductive [email protected] orientation was employed in measuring employment opportunities utilizing data generated from the constant comparative method (CCM). Thus, a CCM-GTM is adopted and six operational shopping centres in Johor Bahru are selected as a comparable group, called CG6. The data of CG6 were constantly compared for their commonalities and variations, thus the trace out to the emerging pattern are found. This study conceptualized the theory of employment generation and derived the employment density equation from a set of employment quotients (EQ). Besides, this paper presented an ideal figure of retail mix classes existing within a shopping centre together with its percentages distribution placement. 1.0 INTRODUCTION retail and other commercial establishments that are developed and managed as a single property A shopping centre is a place where retail shops (Guy, 1998), thus there are a few components in are located and grouped constituting diverse shopping centre such as department store qualities of products, fast food courts, (anchor store and draw tenant), stand-alone amusement centres, clubs, cinemas, playing stores (small shop or satellite tenant of high areas and relaxation spaces, commercial and street retailers), food court and entertainment retail shops (Terblanche, 1999; Hariyono, 2002). zone (cinema, entertainment, and sports centre). A shopping centre is also viewed as a group of A shopping centre houses a variety of business 13:1 (2019) 50-72 | utm.my/intrest | ISSN: 1832-8505 | Applying Grounded Theory Method for Measuring Employment Opportunities Generated by a Shopping Centre Development tenants mix created based on the available floor Employment opportunities generated is one space or let-able space inside and outside the of primarily benefits from the shopping centre building. It generates business and, in turn, development (Ihuah and Benebo, 2014; employment and job opportunities for the locals. Hanachor, 2012; Carrero et al., 2009; Taylor, A survey conducted by Hammerson (2013) 2003); however, there was no numerical proof of shows that the principal benefit received by it. Because of the absence of past studies, there residents resulting from a new shopping centre is was neither assessment nor measurement on the employment; 85% of it is created through employment opportunities generated by a retailers to people living within 20 miles of the shopping centre. Therefore, a grounded theory centre, while 37% of the retail employment method (GTM) is proposed to address this issue. benefits individuals who were previously A GTM is used for several reasons as follows: unemployed and claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance. A shopping centre development has a) The theory exists namely employment strong growth in employment largely in retail density ratio (EDR) or employment space trade and services (REMI Consulting, Inc, factor is too abstract to be tested and 2006), and it provides a variety of employment demonstrably inadequate (Martin and opportunity for the middle and lower-class Turner, 1986; Carson et al., 2001; people (Khaleeque et al., 2004). Therefore, the Suddaby, 2006) for measuring shopping centre is welcomed into the employment opportunities in the context community as an employment generator and the of this study. economic stimulator (Mitchell, 2006; Voyce, b) There is no research has been conducted 2006; and Ryan, 2006). specifically related to the approach or According to Tegner (2009), a single method in measuring employment shopping centre can offer employment for generated by a proposed shopping centre, approximately 2,000 people, while International therefore the GTM is appropriate method Finance Corporation (IFC) (2008) stated that a for analysing the complex social shopping centre typically requires one worker phenomenon (Carson et al., 2001), per 20 sqm (about 215 sqft) of space and, thus, a particularly when there is little known medium-sized, 50,000 sqm shopping centre about the situation under-investigated employs approximately 2,500 full-time retail (Sarantakos, 2005; Martin and Taylor, staff, plus 50-70 workers in management and 1986; Glaser and Strauss, 1967). support functions such as tenant relations, c) The GTM is employed in assessing the administration, marketing, cleaning, security, employment opportunities that are maintenance, gardening, and parking. A survey possibly generated by a proposed new conducted by Malaysian Shopping Malls shopping centre development since it is Association’s (PPK Malaysia) shows that there not possible to make a generalization on are currently 671 malls with the net-lettable area these opportunities without going to the ranging from a minimum of 50,000 square feet ground and making observations on what (sqft.) to 2.2 million square feet (sqft) and they has actually taken place. This study is provide approximately 56,600 direct interpretative (Carson et al., 2001). employments (Eugene, 2018). Employment is d) There is a need for inductive theory generally the most important means of obtaining development to explain the pattern of adequate economic resources which are essential employment distribution; the types of for economic well-being and full participation in employment exist in a shopping centre by today’s society (Waddell and Burton, 2006). its business mixes classification, its Simply, the development of a shopping centre distribution percentages placement and its results in many microeconomic variables density ratio. prospering the local standard of living as well as providing a better quality of life for the Theoretically, in every development process, community. a feasibility study is essential at the early stage of the project’s life cycle before entering into the International Journal of Real Estate Studies, Volume 13, Number 1, 2019 Page 51 Applying Grounded Theory Method for Measuring Employment Opportunities Generated by a Shopping Centre Development actual construction works (Huh et al., 2012). A purpose of offering a logically consistent set of feasibility study involves identifying and data collection and analysis procedure aimed at analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of a developing a theory (Martin & Turner, 1986; project and at the same time, determining the Charmaz, 2003; 2006; Evans, 2013). The project’s opportunities and threats within the emphasis in the GTM is theory development construction industry. Therefore, in the context (Strauss & Corbin, 1994). However, Punch of a shopping centre development project, the (1998) argued that GTM is not a theory at all; it benefits in terms of employment opportunities is a method, an approach, and a strategy, hence generated are one of the essential elements that it is best defined as a research strategy whose should be listed in the feasibility study, and thus, purpose is to generate theory from data. the Local Authority can ensure that the project ‘Grounded’ means that the theory is generated development is in line with the needs of a on the basis of ground data; the theory will, community, is feasible and is worth pursuing. therefore, be grounded in the data. ‘Theory’ here The numerical analysis of employment means that the objective of collecting and opportunities possibly generated by the analyzing the data is to conceptually explain a development of a shopping centre helps to new phenomenon of interest. strengthen the evidence for its desirability The GTM allows for the identification of among the local community. Besides, it patterns in data that can help to drive a theory contributes to the improvement of the feasibility that is empirically valid (Glaser and Strauss, analysis report, and indirectly improves the 1967; Martin and Turner, 1986). This is so government’s policy in the planning permission because the theory-building process is so during the development process. intimately tied to the evidence that it is very The analysis of employment