Business Research Methods

Lecture 1

Introduction

Today’s topics

General information Books, teaching method, exam, portfolio,

JMP, etc Why study Business Research? What is Business Research?

Research and management The topics in the course Research philosophy

Evaluation

Portfolio 40% Written exam 60%

Portfolio

Market segmentation Three parts

1: Presentation of product, design, etc 2: Qualitative part 3: Quantitative part

What is Business Research?

A systematic inquiry whose objective is to provide information to solve managerial problems.

The Research ProcessProblem Statement

Research Objectives

Research Questions

Research Design

Data Collecting

Data Analysis

Reporting

Why Study Research?

Research provides you with the knowledge and skills needed for the fast-paced decision-making environment

The nature of management and business research

Qualitative versus Quantitative A long standing tension

Pure research versus Applied research For and against and the practical implications

for the choice made

Political Senior management access and, where

possible, support

What is management?

The modern use of the term ‘management’ derives from the USA, with the requirement for business and entrepreneurial skills in the early twentieth century when American industries and railroads were developing very rapidly (Lawrence, 1986).

Important subject to be taught in business schools.Early Views: Establishment of business schools meant greater

systemization of techniques and knowledge. Taylor (1947): rational systems to simply the

organization of work and link rewards to effort. Fayol ([1916] 1950): classified functions – planning,

organizing, co-ordinating and controlling.

Seven perspectives on management

Views of management

Period of dominance

Key featuresType of theory

Classical 1910-1950 Functional activities Normative

Human Relations 1940-1970 Motivating people and managing change Normative

Decision Theory 1950-1970 Optimising decisions Analytic

Work Activity 1970s What managers do Descriptive

Competencies 1980s Skills required for effective performance Normative

Critical 1990-present Social construction and politics Analytic

Learning 1990-present Managing knowledge and learningAnalytic and Normative

Skills and resources for management and business research

Evaluating the skills and qualities required to conduct research: Knowledge/awareness Skills and abilities Personal qualities

The support required, including the importance of supervision

The mind set and elements of creativity: (Austin, 1978) Favouring those in motion, Those with a prepared mind, and individualized action.

Levels and outcomes of management research Pure research: mainly

addressed at an academic audience

Applied research: solution of a specific problem Best practice research Action research Engaged research

Mode 1: production of knowledge by scientists working from single disciplines and focusing on theoretical questions and problems

Mode 2: trans-disciplinary – production of knowledge through direct engagement with social problems

Mode 1 ½: compromise position where both theoretical and practical work is required

Types of research most likely to be associated with different levels

Research involves the collection of

primary and/or secondary data

Undergraduate Level

Postgraduate Level

Doctoral LevelFunded Projects

Applied Research ** ** * **Action/ evaluation Research

* ** * *

Pure Research * *** ***

The implications for management researchersKey Features Implications for Management Researchers

Management research methods are eclectic

Researchers need to be aware of different underlying assumptions.

Managers and employees arehighly educated

Managers will have academic interest in research process/results and may want to contribute to the direction of work.

Action is a frequent outcome ofmanagement research

Research results may both derive from, and lead to, practical action.Both traditional analytic research and action research are legitimate activities.

The Value of Acquiring Research Skills

To gather more information before selecting a course of action

To do a high-level research study To understand research design To evaluate and resolve a current

management dilemma To establish a career as a research

specialist

Types of Studies Used to do Research

Reporting Descriptive Explanatory Predictive

What is Good Research?

Following the standards of the scientific methodPurpose clearly definedResearch process detailedResearch design thoroughly plannedLimitations frankly revealedHigh ethical standards applied

What is Good Research? (cont.)

Following the standards of the scientific method (cont.)

Adequate analysis for decision-maker’s needs

Findings presented unambiguouslyConclusions justifiedResearcher’s experience reflected

The Manager-Researcher Relationship

Manager’s obligations Specify problems Provide adequate background information Access to company information gatekeepers

Researcher’s obligations Develop a creative research design Provide answers to important business

questions

Manager-Researcher Conflicts

Management’s limited exposure to research

Manager sees researcher as threat to personal status

Researcher has to consider corporate culture and political situations

Researcher’s isolation from managers

When Research Should be Avoided

When information cannot be applied to a critical managerial decision

When managerial decision involves little risk

When management has insufficient resources to conduct a study

When the cost of the study outweighs the level of risk of the decision

The language of research

ConceptsA concept is a generally accepted collections of

meanings or characteristics associated with certain events, objects, conditions, situations and behaviours.

Constructs A construct is an image or abstract idea

specifically invented for a given research and/or theory-building purpose.

The language of research

Definitions Operational definitions

Variables Independent and dependent variables Moderating variables Extraneous variables

The language of research

Hypothesis Theory Model

Thinking like a researcher

Deduction Induction Combining the two

The Philosophical debates

REALISMNOMINALISM

VARIOUS 3rd WAYS

Ontology

Epistemology

MethodologyMethods and Techniques

Ontology A researcher’s Ontology refers to:

Their philosophical assumptions about the nature of reality.

Ontology Realism Internal Realism Relativism Nominalism

Truth Single Truth.Truth exists, but is obscure.

There are many ‘truths’.

There is no truth.

FactsFacts exist and can be revealed.

Facts are concrete, but cannot be access directly.

Facts depend on viewpoint of observer.

Facts are all human creations.

Epistemology

A Researcher’s Epistemology is a result of their Ontological position and refers to: their assumptions about the best ways of

inquiring into the nature of the world and establishing ‘truth’.

Positivism Social constructionism

Philosophical assumptions of positivism Independence: the observer must be independent from what is being observed. Value-freedom: the choice of what to study, and how to study it, can be determined by

objective criteria rather than by human beliefs and interests. Causality: the aim of the social sciences should be to identify causal explanations and

fundamental laws that explain regularities in human social behaviour. Hypothesis and deduction: science proceeds through a process of hypothesizing

fundamental laws and then deducing what kinds of observations will demonstrate the truth or falsity of these hypotheses.

Operationalization: concepts need to be defined in ways that enable facts to be measured quantitatively.

Reductionism: problems as a whole are better understood if they are reduced into the simplest possible elements.

Generalization: in order to move from the specific to the general it is necessary to select random samples of sufficient size, from which inferences may be drawn about the wider population.

Cross-sectional analysis: such regularities can most easily be identified by making comparisons of variations across samples.

Contrasting implications of positivism and social constructionism

Positivism Social Constructionism

The observer must be independent is part of what is being observed

Human interests Should be irrelevant Are the main drivers of science

Explanations Must demonstrate causalityAim to increase general understanding of the situation

Research progresses through

Hypotheses and deductionsGathering rich data from which ideas are induced

ConceptsNeed to be defined so that they can be measured

Should incorporate stakeholder perspectives

Units of analysisShould be reduced to simplest terms

May include the complexity of ‘whole’ situations

Generalization through

Statistical probability Theoretical abstraction

Sampling requiresLarge numbers selected randomly

Small numbers of cases chosen for specific reasons

Methodological implications of different epistemologies A combination of techniques

used to inquire into a specific situation.

Ontology RealismInternal Realism

Relativism Nominalism

Epistemology

Methodology

Strong Positivism

PositivismConstructionism

Strong Constructionism

Aims Discovery Exposure Convergence Invention

Starting points Hypotheses Propositions Questions Critique

Designs ExperimentLarge surveys; multi-casts

Cases and surveys

Engagement and reflexivity

Data typesNumbers and facts

Numbers and words

Words and numbers

Discourse and experiences

Analysis/ interpretation

Verification/ falsification

Correlation and regression

Triangulation and comparison

Sense-making; understanding

OutcomesConfirmation of theories

Theory testing and generation

Theory generation

New insights and actions

Strengths and weaknesses of different epistemologies

Strengths Weaknesses

Strong Positivism

If it works it can provide highlycompelling conclusions.

Hard to implement social experimentsand to control for alternative explanationsof results.Focus may be very narrow.

Positivism Can provide wide coverage.Potentially fast and economical.Easier to provide justification of policies.

Inflexible and artificial.Not good for process, meanings ortheory generation.Implications for action not obvious.

Constructionism

Accepts value of multiple data sources.Enables generalizations beyondpresent sample.Greater efficiency including outsourcing potential.

Access can be difficultCannot accommodate institutional andcultural differences.Problems reconciling discrepantinformation.

Strong Constructionism

Good for processes, and meanings.Flexible and good for theory generation.Data collection less artificial.

Can be very time consuming.Analysis and interpretations are difficult.May not have credibility with policy-makers.

Critical realismCritical realism

Mapping of other philosophies against ontologies

Critical theory

Feminism

Hermeneutics Feminism

Postmodernism

Realism Internal Realism Relativism Constructionism

Hermeneutics Feminism

PostmodernismPragmatism

Critical theory