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Summary Research Skills
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This is a complete summary of all the lecture material (lecture 1 - 9) of the course Research Skills given in the Master program Strategic Management.
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Summary Research Skills2020 –2021
MSc. Strategic Management
Tilburg University
1
,Lecture 1 – Overview of Qualitative research and Research questions
Research: An original investigation undertaken in order to contribute to knowledge and
understanding in a particular field. Research is a creative activity leading to the production of
new knowledge.
Knowledge: A claim is accepted because proof of truth or warrant is given.
Belief/Faith: A claim is accepted without proof or warrant; yet high strength of conviction.
Opinion: Personal point of view, varies in conviction.
Rigor and relevance in research:
Rigorous Research Relevant Research
‘Scientific research’ Relevant to business practitioners
Emphasis on meeting scientific standards Emphasis on being of practical immediate
such as validity and reliability relevant to practice
Subject to academic peer review Published in consulting reports or industry
magazines
Published in academic journals Practical contribution
Theoretical contribution
Rigorous (“Trustworthy”) research is research that applies the appropriate research tools to
meet the stated objectives of the investigation.
Research in business and management:
- Pure research: Also called Basic research or fundamental research, is a type of
scientific research with the aim of improving scientific theories for better understanding
and prediction of natural or other phenomena.
- Applied research: Is designed to answer specific questions aimed at solving practical
problems.
- Evaluation research: Also known as program evaluation, is a type of research you can
use to evaluate a product or concept and collect data that helps to improve your
solution.
The difference between applied and fundamental or basic research is straightforward –
findings of applied research can be applied to resolve issues, whereas fundamental studies
are used simply to explore certain issues and elements.
Moreover, differences between applied and basic research can be summarized into three
points:
1. Differences in purpose: Purpose of applied studies is closely associated with the
solution of specific problems, while the purpose of fundamental studies relate to
2
, creation of new knowledge or expansion of the current knowledge without anu
concerns to applicability.
2. Differences in context: In applied studies, research objectives are set by clients or
sponsors as a solution to specific problems they are facing. Fundamental studies, on
the other hand, are usually self-initiated in order to expand the levels of knowledge in
certain areas.
3. Differences in methods: Research validity represents an important point to be
addressed in all types of studies. Nevertheless, applied studies are usually more
concerned with external validity, whereas internal validity can be specified as the main
point of concern for fundamental researchers.
Examples of Applied research
The following are examples of applied research. You can notice that each of these studies aim
to resolve a specific and an immediate problem.
- A study into the ways of improving the levels of customer retention for Wall-Mart in
China
- An investigation into the ways of improving employee motivation in Marriot Hotel, Hyde
park
- Development of strategies to introduce change in Starbucks global supply-chain
management with the view on cost reduction
- A study into the ways of fostering creative deviance amongst employees without
compromising respect for authority.
Quantitative and Qualitative research
- Quantitative research is best if you want to generalize to a larger population (find
trends, patterns…)
- Qualitative research is best if you want to study a particular subject in depth
- Both quantitative and qualitative research are useful and needed in research in
business and management. Both are important and both can be rigorous.
Qualitative Research (focus on text) Quantitative Research (focus on numbers)
Action research Surveys
Case study research Laboratory experiments
Ethnography Mathematical modelling
Grounded theory Structured equation
Discourse analysis Statistical analysis
Hermeneutics Econometrics
Narrative and metaphor
Why use qualitative research?
- Qualitative research methods are designed to help researchers understand people and
what they say and do
- They allow a researcher to see and understand the context within which actions and
decisions take place
- It is the context that helps to “explain” why someone said something or acted the way
they did
- Also, by talking to people, or reading what they have written, we can find out what they
are or were thinking.
Contributions of qualitative research
Starting point: What do “things” mean, and ow do “things” work, in context?
Seven contributions of qualitative research (Patton, 2015):
1. Illuminate meanings: How do humans assign meaning and make sense of their world?
3
, 2. Study how things work: How do (project) teams, start-ups, boards, top-management
teams, organizations, programs, initiatives etc. work?
3. Study people’s stories, perspectives, and experiences
4. How do systems work and what are the consequences for people’s lives?
5. Understand how and why context matters: Political, relational, organizational, historical,
societal etc. developments, state-of-affairs, etc. that influence the case/phenomenon
6. Identify unintended consequences
7. Making case comparisons to discover important patterns and themes across cases.
Formalized Research Process
- A research design is a plan for an entire qualitative research project
- This plan should be written in a research proposal
- The main purpose is to provide a road map for the whole research project
- Another purpose is to convince your potential supervisor(s), advisory committee, and
school that you are capable of doing the research and that your project is viable
- Of course, you need to be flexible and possibly change the plan as your research
progresses.
Research Research Data Data
Conclusion
Problem Question Collection Analysis
Theories, Models, Methods and Techniques
Frameworks
Literature Review
There are three important requirements in choosing a topic:
1. You are interested in the topic
2. A faculty member is prepared to supervise you
3. You can obtain relevant data on the topic
Why is the Research Problem important?
- It established the importance of the topic
- It creates reader interest
- It focuses the reader’s attention on how the study will add to the literature.
Locating the Research Problem
Read the opening paragraphs of existing studies for one or more of the following:
- What is the issue or problem?
- What controversy leads to the need for a study?
- What concern is being addressed behind the study?
- Is there a sentence such as, “The problem being addressed in this study is...”?
Stating the research Problem:
• State the problem in the opening paragraph (i.e., something that needs a solution)
• Identify an issue
- Research-based research problems
- Practical problems
• Reference the problem using the literature
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