Resume
Summary Research Methods
- Cours
- Research Methods
- Établissement
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Summary of Research Methods for BA2 Business Economics at the VUB.
[Montrer plus]
Aperçu du contenu
Research Methods for Business EconomicsTable of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS ..........................................................................................
2. HYPOTETHIC-DEDUCTIVE APPROACH + ONTOLOGY/EPISTEMOLOGY .................................................
3. LITERATURE REVIEW ..........................................................................................................................
4. THEORY .............................................................................................................................................
5. RESEARCH DESIGN .............................................................................................................................
6. INTERVIEWS.......................................................................................................................................
7. OBSERVATIONS..................................................................................................................................
8. EXPERIMENTS ....................................................................................................................................
9. CONTENT ANALYSIS AND NARRATIVE ANALYSIS ................................................................................
10. ACTION RESEARCH & GROUNDED THEORY.........................................................................................
11. CASE STUDY .......................................................................................................................................
12. QUESTIONNAIRES ..............................................................................................................................
13. MEASUREMENTS: OPERATIONS AND SCALING ...................................................................................
14. SAMPLING .........................................................................................................................................
15. SURVEYS ............................................................................................................................................
16. EXPERIMENTS ....................................................................................................................................
1
, 1. Chapter 1: Introduction to Research
• What is research?
The process of finding answers or solutions to a problem after study and analysis of a specific
phenomenon.
Carried out in a scientific way: organized, systematic, data-based, critical, and objective
investigation.
• Research comes in many forms:
Research aims at:
• building theory
• testing a theory
• describing a situation/phenomenon
ð Theory: a set of ideas that intends to explain a phenomenon, a causal relationship,…
Research is the result of analysis of:
• primary data = gathered first-hand
• secondary data = already available (company, industry, country level, etc.)
Data can be:
• quantitative (numbers – ex. through surveys)
• qualitative (words – ex. through interviews)
• Applied vs. basic research
Applied:
Purpose:
• Driven by practice
• To improve understanding of specific business problem
• To apply the results of research findings in solving specific problems, e.g. in an
organization
ð Problem of generalizability
ð Set by clients
ð Conducted by academics, practitioners, policy makers
Examples:
“A study into the ways of improving job satisfaction at Uber”
“Development of diversification strategies in the pharmaceutical industry in view of market
expansion”
2
,Basic (or fundamental, or pure):
Purpose:
• Driven by curiosity
• To create new knowledge
• To build theories that may serve as a foundation of further studies
• No commercial purpose, yet innovations or practical implications may occur later
ð Problem of applicability
ð Self-initiated
ð Mainly conducted by academics
Examples:
“A critical analysis of word of mouth as a marketing strategy”
“A study of factors impacting the platform economy”
• Why managers need to know about research?
• To understand empirical research in the business domain
• To identify and solve problems
• To get a feel for causal relationships
• To make the right decisions, based on facts rather than vested interests
• To help distinguish between good and bad studies
• To interact effectively with researchers or consultants
• To cope with increasing complexity and uncertainty
• The hallmarks of scientific research:
Example: a manager is interested in investigating how employees’ commitment to the
organization can be increased.
1. Purposiveness
Purpose with a specific focus: “increase commitment”.
2. Rigor
Good theoretical base and methodology.
ð High degree of exactitude
Assume: managers asks 10-12 employees to indicate what would increase their level of
commitment.
Is this approach scientific? No, it is biased because he asks about their personal feelings.
Check theory, previous studies, etc to know what to do on a large scale.
3
, 3. Testability
Applies to the hypotheses of the study
What is a hypothesis? Testable statement:
• derived from theory
• which predicts what you expect to find in empirical data
• about “what will happen?”
Hypothesis – an example:
“Employees who actively participate in decision making will have a higher level of
commitment”
4. Replicability
Findings and conclusions should be replicable in other studies.
Tests of hypotheses should be supported in other circumstances,
adding to validity of the study.
5. Precision and confidence
Findings are based on a model, a sample, differing from population.
Precision = about exactness, how correct we are.
ð Important to avoid that small errors from sample lead to big errors on a larger scale.
Confidence = how certain we are that estimates hold true for population
6. Objectivity
Conclusions drawn should be fact-based, derived from actual data, not subjective.
If hypothesis not supported by results => conclusion that higher participation would lead to
higher commitment would not make sense.
Hypothesis – an example:
“Employees who actively participate in decision making will have a higher level of
commitment”
7. Generalizability
Applicability of findings in various settings.
The wider the applicability, the more useful the research.
Hypothesis – an example:
“Employees who actively participate in decision making will have a higher level of
commitment”
8. Parsimony (simplicity)
Simplicity is preferred over complexity.
4
Les avantages d'acheter des résumés chez Stuvia:
Qualité garantie par les avis des clients
Les clients de Stuvia ont évalués plus de 700 000 résumés. C'est comme ça que vous savez que vous achetez les meilleurs documents.
L’achat facile et rapide
Vous pouvez payer rapidement avec iDeal, carte de crédit ou Stuvia-crédit pour les résumés. Il n'y a pas d'adhésion nécessaire.
Focus sur l’essentiel
Vos camarades écrivent eux-mêmes les notes d’étude, c’est pourquoi les documents sont toujours fiables et à jour. Cela garantit que vous arrivez rapidement au coeur du matériel.
Foire aux questions
Qu'est-ce que j'obtiens en achetant ce document ?
Vous obtenez un PDF, disponible immédiatement après votre achat. Le document acheté est accessible à tout moment, n'importe où et indéfiniment via votre profil.
Garantie de remboursement : comment ça marche ?
Notre garantie de satisfaction garantit que vous trouverez toujours un document d'étude qui vous convient. Vous remplissez un formulaire et notre équipe du service client s'occupe du reste.
Auprès de qui est-ce que j'achète ce résumé ?
Stuvia est une place de marché. Alors, vous n'achetez donc pas ce document chez nous, mais auprès du vendeur Madikan. Stuvia facilite les paiements au vendeur.
Est-ce que j'aurai un abonnement?
Non, vous n'achetez ce résumé que pour €6,49. Vous n'êtes lié à rien après votre achat.
Peut-on faire confiance à Stuvia ?
4.6 étoiles sur Google & Trustpilot (+1000 avis)
79789 résumés ont été vendus ces 30 derniers jours
Fondée en 2010, la référence pour acheter des résumés depuis déjà 14 ans