Week 4.1

CBEB 2010/2011

Week 4:Chapter 4

Understanding research philosophies and approaches &

Chapter 5Formulating the research design

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Underlying issues of data collection and analysis

The research ‘onion’

Saunders et al, (2008)Figure 4.1 The research ‘onion’

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Understanding your research philosophy (1)

‘Research philosophy is an over-arching term relating to the development of knowledge and the nature of that knowledge’

Adapted from Saunders et al, (2009)

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Understanding your research philosophy (2)

Thinking about research philosophy, there are 3 ways:-

• Ontology – what assumptions do we make about the ways the world works? Are social entities objective (reality external to social actors) or are they built on social constructions (perceptions of social actors)?

• Epistemology – acceptable knowledge in a particular field of study? What is/shd be regarded as acceptable knowledge in a discipline. Can the social world be/shd be studied using the same principles & procedures like natural science?

• Axiology – studies judgement about value

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Question?

• Do we have to adopt philosophy?

• Pragmatism – research question is the most important determinant of epistemology, ontology and axiology of our research.

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Understanding your research philosophy (3)

Aspects of ontology

• Objectivism – social phenomena and their meanings have an existence that is independent of social actors.

• Subjectivism – social phenomena are created from the perceptions and consequent actions of social actors, concerned with their existence.

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Understanding your research philosophy (4)

Aspects of philosophy• Positivism - the stance of the natural scientist,

observable social reality, result law-like generalisations

• Realism - (reality is independent of the mind) direct and critical realism (Bhaskar, 1989), knowledge of reality is due to social conditioning

• Interpretivism – researchers as ‘social actors’, understanding social reality through the actors point of view

• Axiology – studies judgements about value, our own value plays a role in the research

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Research paradigms

Definition

‘A way of examining social phenomenon from which particular understandings of these phenomena can be gained and explanations attempted’

Saunders et al. (2009)

Please refer to Table 4.1 for comparisons of research philosophies in management research.

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Research Approaches (1)

Deduction 5 sequential stages of testing theory

• Deducing a hypothesis• Expressing the hypothesis operationally• Testing the operational hypothesis• Examining the specific outcome of the enquiry• Modifying the theory (if necessary)

Adapted from Robson (2002)

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The Process of Deduction

1. Theory

2. Hypothesis

3. Data collection

4. Findings

5. Hypothesis confirmed or rejected

6. Revision of theory

(Bryman and Bell, 2007)

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Research Approaches (2)

Characteristics of Deduction

• Explaining causal relationships between variables

• Establishing controls for testing hypotheses

• Independence of the researcher

• Concepts operationalised for quantative measurement

• Generalisation

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Research Approaches (3)

Induction

Building theory by –

• Understanding the way human build their world

• Permitting alternative explanations of what’s going on

• Being concerned with the context of events

• Using more qualitative data

• Using a variety of data collection methods

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Choosing your research approach

The right choice of approach helps you to

• Make a more informed decision about the research design

• Think about which strategies will work for your research topic

• Adapt your design to cater for any constraints

Adapted from Easterby-Smith et al. (2008)

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Combining research approaches

Things worth considering

• The nature of the research topic

• The time available

• The extent of risk

• The research audience – managers and markers, supervisors, external examiners

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Deductive and Inductive research

Major differences between these approaches

Saunders et al, (2009)Table 4.2 Major differences between deductive and inductive approaches to research

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Summary: Chapter 4

Research philosophy

• relates to the development of knowledge and

the nature of that knowledge

• contains important assumptions about the way in which you view the world

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Summary: Chapter 4

Three major ways of thinking about research philosophy

• Epistemology

• Ontology – objectivism and subjectivism

• Axiology

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Summary: Chapter 4

The two main research approaches are

Deduction - theory and hypothesis are developed and tested

Induction – data are collected and a theory developed from the data

analysis

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Chapter 5Formulating the research design

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The Business Research Process

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The Process of Research Design

• Research choices – single method, multi-methods, mixed methods

• Research strategies – experiment, survey, case study, action research, grounded theory, ethnography, archival

• Time horizons – longitudinal vs cross-

sectional

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Research Design and TacticsThe research onion

Saunders et al, (2009)Figure 5.1 The research ‘onion’

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Research Design

The research design needs

• Clear objectives derived from the research question

• To specify sources of data collection

• To consider constraints and ethical issues

• Valid reasons for your choice of design

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Classification of the research purpose

• Exploratory research

• Descriptive studies

• Explanatory studies• Causal research - to identify cause and effect

relationships (inferences).

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EXHIBIT 4.4 Characteristics of Different Types of Business Research

Uncertainty Influences the Type of Research Conducted

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Research Strategies

Experiment Action research

Grounded theory Survey

Ethnography Case study

Archival research

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Research Strategies

An experiment will involve

• Definition of a theoretical hypothesis• Selection of samples from know populations• Random allocation of samples• Introduction of planned intervention • Measurement on a small number of dependent

variables• Control of all other variables

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Experiments• Experiment

– A carefully controlled study in which the researcher manipulates a proposed cause and observes any corresponding change in the proposed effect.

• Experimental variable– Represents the proposed cause and is controlled by the researcher by

manipulating it.

• Manipulation– The researcher alters the level of the variable in specific increments.

• Test-market– An experiment that is conducted within actual market conditions.

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Research Strategies

A classic experiment strategy

Saunders et al, (2009)

Figure 5.2 A classic experiment strategy

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EXHIBIT 4.3 Testing for Causes with an Experiment

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Research Strategies

Survey: key features

• Popular in business research

• Perceived as authoritative

• Allows collection of quantative data

• Data can be analysed quantitatively

• Samples need to be representative

• Gives the researcher independence

• Structured observation and interviews can be used

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Research Strategies

Case Study: key features

• Provides a rich understanding of a real life context• Uses and triangulates multiple sources of data

A case study can be categorised in four ways and based on two dimensions:

single case v. multiple caseholistic case v. embedded case

Yin (2003)

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Research Strategies

Action research: key features

• Research IN action - not ON action

• Involves practitioners in the research

• The researcher becomes part of the organisation

• Promotes change within the organisation

• Can have two distinct focii (Schein, 1999) –

the aim of the research and the needs of the sponsor

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Research Strategies

The action research spiral

Saunders et al, (2009)

Figure 5.3 The action research spiral

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Research Strategies

Grounded theory: key features

• Theory is built through induction and deduction

• Helps to predict and explain behaviour

• Develops theory from data generated by observations

• Is an interpretative process, not a logico-deductive one

Based on Suddaby (2006)

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Research Strategies

Ethnography: key features

• Aims to describe and explain the social world inhabited by the researcher

• Takes place over an extended time period

• Is naturalistic

• Involves extended participant observation

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Research Strategies

Archival research: key features

• Uses administrative records and documents as the principal sources of data

• Allows research questions focused on the past

• Is constrained by the nature of the records and documents

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Research Strategies

The role of the practitioner-researcher

Key features

• Research access is more easily available

• The researcher knows the organisation

• Has the disadvantage of familiarity

• The researcher is likely to their own assumptions

and preconceptions

• The dual role requires careful negotiation

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Multiple research methodsResearch choices

Saunders et al, (2009)Figure 5.4 Research choices

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Multiple research methods

Reasons for using mixed method designs: (Table 5.1 )

• Triangulation• Facilitation• Complementarity• Generality• Aid interpretation• Study different aspects• Solving a puzzle

Source: developed from Bryman (2006)

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Time Horizons

Select the appropriate time horizon

• Cross-sectional studies

• Longitudinal studies

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Credibility of research findings

Important considerations• Reliability – extent of data collection & analysis will

yield constant findings (subject bias, observer error, observer bias)

• Validity – are findings really what they appear to be about

• Generalisability – (external validity), are findings equally applicable to other research findings

• Logic leaps and false assumptions – research population, data collection, data interpretation, conclusion.

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Research design ethics

Remember

‘The research design should not subject the research population to embarrassment, harm or

other material disadvantage’

Adapted from Saunders et al, (2009)

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Summary: Chapter 5

Research design turns a research question and objectives into a project that considers

Strategies Choices Time horizons

Research projects can be categorised as

Exploratory Descriptive Explanatory

Research projects may be

Cross-sectional Longitudinal

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Summary: Chapter 5

Important considerations

• The main research strategies may combined in the same project

• The opportunities provided by using multiple methods

• The validity and reliability of results

• Access and ethical considerations