Using Grounded Theory: The Case of Political Marketing and Women Candidates in the 2014 Parliamentary Election in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Abstract

This paper discusses the process of Grounded Theory (GT) to analyze the behaviors of female candidates in the 2014 Parliamentary Election in the Kingdom of Bahrain (KoB). Women candidates in the 2014 Parliamentary Election used political marketing strategies to win the election. This study uses Grounded Theory. Data were collected from two sources: in-depth semi-structured interviews and documentation. Twenty-two female candidates stood for the 2014 Parliamentary Election in the KoB. Ten out of 22 female candidates were selected as informants based on a purposive sampling method. The research findings show that the candidates’ behavior was controlled and influenced by the Gulf Cooperation Council culture, notably: masculinity, tribalism, stereotype, and uncertainty avoidance. Findings also show that the candidates circumvent cultural factors by expanding their networks with stakeholders. Moreover, the findings show that female candidates can be described as relationship-oriented.

Keywords

• grounded theory
• political marketing
• female candidates