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Johan BrinkNovember 7th

Research Methods

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Research methods

Johan Brink

Evangelos Bourelos

Wajda Wikhamn

23-04-21

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Why do business research?

• Choices for researchers• Dos and Don’ts• Understanding of the process

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Tasks & Grading

Task 1 10%Task 2 10%Task 3 60%Take Home 20%

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Task 1: Review of a thesis

Write 2 pages where you answer the following questions:•What is the main problem or research question?•What ‘techniques’ or methods have the author(s) used to gather empirical material?•Is the analysis correctly performed?•What well does the empirical information and analysis ‘correspond’ or answer, the main problem/research question? Why or why not?

Then write 2-3 pages to compare and reflect about the thesis•Do you think the thesis succeeds in answering its questions? Why or why not? (This may be linked to the following question:)•What are the strengths and weaknesses of the thesis?•Propose an alternative method to answer its chosen research questions. Argue why this method would likely lead to different results. Argue whether your results would likely be better, worse or equivalent to answer that particular research questions.

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Task 3: Research proposal

You should write a 2-4 page description of the project, followed by a 2-4 page analysis.•Define the Masters thesis (e.g. what you will do, the overall topic, strategy) as well as explain why you do so. •Explain the relationship between key aspects of research design, research methods, and data analysis from the perspective of different research strategies. •Identify researchable questions and estimate or delineate data needs depending on the purpose, models and frameworks of an empirical investigation•Explain how you plan to gather qualitative evidence, including how to conduct interviews and/or gather quantitative data •Relate to the book, and how you can use common techniques to acquire and analyse data. •Describe your scientific paradigms and explain how these affect research strategies •What will you do when the planned research strategy ‘all goes wrong’? what problems might arise, and how can you solve them?

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Task 3: Research proposal

• Title• Research problem• Key literature/theory• Methodology – with suggested analysis!• Research project /Gantt • References

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Task 3: Research proposal

• Motivation: lack of knowledge + impact!

• Achievable/ realistic• Specific/defined• Interesting/motivating to you!

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Evidence based management

1980ties– Relevance of management research?

1990ties– Health sector, New public

management– Policy management– Private management

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Knowledge• Justified true belief?

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TruthTruth BeliefBelief

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KnowledgePositivism

Interpretation

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Ontology

ObjectivismConstructionism

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Theory

• Explanation of regularities, understanding

• RelationshipsWhat: which factors are relevant, comprehensiveness

should some be deleted/added? ParsimonyWhy: their relationship – the assumptions

• Grand theories - Middle range theories

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Deductive & Inductive

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Deductive & Inductive

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Qualitative & Quantitative

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A &1

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Research Design

• The design is an activity and time based plan• The design is always based on the Research question (RQ)• Guides the selection of information• Specifies the relationships among variables• Outlines, procedures for activities• Levels of analysis & units of analysis

Normative (should be – ‘better than’)Descriptive (is like..)

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Research Design

Normative (should be – ‘better than’)Descriptive (is like..)

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Category OptionsThe degree to which the RQ has been crystallized Exploratory

Formal

Method of data collection Monitoring

Interrogation/communication - Response

Archival sources

The power of the research to influence the variables under study

Experimental

Ex-post facto

The purpose of the study Descriptive

Causal

Predictive

The time dimension Cross sectional

Longitudinal

The topical scope – breadth and depth of the study Case

Statistical analysis (sample or census)

The research environment Field setting

Laboratory research - manipulated

Simulation - artificial

The participants’ perceptions of research activity Actual routine (don’t know)

Modified routine (know)