TOPIC 05RESEARCH DESIGNLECTURER: THANG NGUYEN @ FSB HANOIBASED ON: SAUNDERS ET AL (2012)RESEARCH METHODS FOR BIZ STUDENTS

Dissertation

OUTLINE

Research designCoherenceQuantitative vs qualitative methodsNature of RDResearch strategiesTime horizonEthics of research designQuality of research design

RESEARCH DESIGN

FINDING A ROUTEPlanning a journey: research designDestination: answering research questionPlanning criteria: research objectivesCoherence in journey: research process/onion

RD: OVERALL PLAN TO ANSWER RESEARCH Q

ObjectivesMethodologyStrategyTime horizon

COHERENCE

COHERENCE AMONG RD ITEMSObjectivesMethod: qualitative vs quantitativeStrategy: explore, describe, explainTime horizon: cross-sectional, longitudinalSources of dataHow to collect and analyse dataEthical issuesConstraints: access, time, money

QUANTITATIVE VS QUALITATIVE

QUANTITATIVE VS QUALITATIVENumeric data: numbersNon-numeric data: words, images, videoQuantitative: numeric data, questionnaire,

graphs, statisticsQualitative: non-numeric data, interview,

categorisationIn reality: mixed methods

QUANTITATIVE VS QUALITATIVE

QUANTITATIVE RDPhilosophy: positivism and othersApproach: both deductive & inductiveCharacteristics: random samplingStrategies: experimental & surveySurvey research strategies:

QuestionnaireStructured interviewStructured observation

QUANTITATIVE VS QUALITATIVE

QUALITATIVE RDPhilosophy: interpretive, naturalistic, othersApproach: inductive, deductive, abductiveCharacteristics: non-random samplingStrategy:

Action researchCase study researchEthnographyGrounded theoryNarrative research

QUANTITATIVE VS QUALITATIVE

MULTIPLE METHODS RDPhilosophy: realism & pragmatismApproach: inductive, deductive, abductiveCharacteristics: mono method, multiple

methods p169, Figure 5.2 p165, Box 5.4 p170Strategy:

Concurrent triangulationConcurrent embeddedSequential explanatorySequential exploratorySequential multi-phase

NATURE OF RD

EXPLORATORY STUDIESDiscover what is happeningAsk open questionsLit search, expert interview, in-depth individual

interview, focus group interviewFlexible & adaptable to change

NATURE OF RD

DESCRIPTIVE STUDIESGet accurate profile of events, people,

situationsMake conclusions based on descriptionEvaluate data and synthesize ideasNormally, description-explanatory

NATURE OF RD

EXPLANATORY STUDIESEstablish causal relationship bet. variablesContext: a situation or a problemQuantitative or qualitative

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

A PLAN OF ACTION TO ACHIEVE A GOAL

ExperimentSurveyArchival researchCase studyEthnographyAction researchGrounded theoryNarrative inquiry

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

EXPERIMENTCausal relationship bet. IV and DVHypothesis rather than research questionNull hypothesis vs alternative hypothesisVariables:

IndependentDependentMediatingModeratorControlConfounding

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

EXPERIMENTBetween-subjects/group design

Classical: experimental & control groupsQuasi-experiment: not random group

Within-subjects/group designSingle group: repeated measures

Normally quantitative

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

SURVEYNormally, deductive & quantitativeStandardized data from a large sampleHelp establish relationship bet. variablesGive control over research processUse sampling to reduce costData collection techniques:

SurveyStructured observationStructured interview

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

ARCHIVAL RESEARCHPrimary data source: administrative records &

documentsCan be historical or recentInevitably secondary data analysisConstraints: missing data, confidentiality

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

CASE STUDYExploring a phenomenon within its contextsNormally, exploratory & explanatoryCan be quantitative or qualitativeTechniques: interview, observation,

documentary analysis, questionnaireTriangulation: different data collection

techniques to check consistencySingle case vs multiple caseHolistic case vs embedded case

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

CASE STUDYSingle case: critical/extreme/uniqueMultiple case: literal/theoretical replicationHolistic case: organisation as a wholeEmbedded case: sub-units within wholeCase study can be used to explore theory

To challenge existing theoryTo generate new research questions

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

ETHNOGRAPHYUsed to study people within groupsNormally, qualitativeRealist: report facts & dataInterpretive: subjective, multiple meaningsCritical: explore impact of power for changes

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

ACTION RESEARCHEmergent & iterative process to develop

solutions to real organisational problemsPurpose: practical actionProcess: emergent & iterativeParticipation: participantsKnowledge: theoretical/experientialImplication: within/beyond contexts

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

GROUNDED THEORYProcess to analyse, interpret, explain the

meanings constructed by social actorsNormally, inductive approachThree coding stages:

Open coding: categorisationAxial coding: relation between categoriesSelective coding: integration => theory

Constant comparison: abductionTime consuming, intensive, reflective

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

NARRATIVE INQUIRYPersonal account to interpret eventsCollect whole story rather than bits of dataNormally, qualitative & interpretive

TIME HORIZON

TIME HORIZONDependent on research question

CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIESStudy of a phenomenon at particular time

LONGITUDINAL STUDIESTo study change and developmentWork with cohorts of people

ETHICS OF RD

ETHICAL ISSUESIssues with negotiating accessResearch ethicsRisk of embarrassment, pain, harm …Exclusion of covert research

QUALITY OF RD

CANONS OF INQUIRYReliability: result consistency, replicationConstruct validity: measuring validityInternal validity: causal relationshipExternal validity: generalisability

QUALITY OF RD

THREATS TO RELIABILITYParticipant errorParticipant biasResearcher errorResearcher bias

QUALITY OF RD

THREATS TO INTERNAL VALIDITY

Past or recent eventsTestingInstrumentationMortalityMaturationAmbiguity about causal direction