TOPIC 05 RESEARCH DESIGN LECTURER: THANG NGUYEN @ FSB HANOI BASED ON: SAUNDERS ET AL (2012) RESEARCH METHODS FOR BIZ STUDENTS Dissertation
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