Choosing Research Strategy and Approach

1. Choosing Research Strategy and Approach Lecture 7 Prof. Development and Research Lecturer: Rositsa Milyankova

2. Objectives of the lecture: • To outline the key research philosophies: positivist, interpretivist and realist • To select one of the two approaches: deductive or inductive • To identify the main research strategies and explain why they are not mutually exclusive • To explain concepts of validity and reliability • To understand the ethical issues of selecting research strategy

3. The research process “onion” REALISM (interpretivism)

4. Research philosophy • Positivism • Role of researcher: objective analyst • Working with an observable social reality…the end product can be law-like generalizations similar to those produced by the physical and natural scientist (Remenyi et al., 1998) • The researcher is independent and neither affects nor is affected by the subject of the research • Highly structured methodology • Quantifiable observations that lend themselves to statistical analysis • Complexity is reduced to a series of law-like generalizations – this leads to interpretivism

5. Research philosophy • Interpretivism (Phenomenology) • Business situations are not only complex, they are unique, a particular set of circumstances and individuals • To discover ‘the details of the situation to understand the reality or perhaps a reality working behind them’, associated with “constructionism” or “social constructionism” – reality is socially constructed • People place different interpretations on the situation, in order to make sense of and understand motives, actions and intentions of other people

6. Research philosophy • Realism • Based on a belief that reality exists, independent to human thoughts and beliefs • Social objects or phenomena, external to or independent of individuals affect the way people perceive their world, whether the are aware of them or not • Shares some philosophical aspects with positivism • N.B. Business research is often a mixture between positivism and interpretivism, reflecting the stance of realism

7. Research approaches • Deductive - testing theory (positivism) • first develop a theory and hypothesis and then design a research strategy to test the hypothesis • Inductive - building theory (interpretivism) • first collect data and than develop theory as a result of the data analysis

8. The stages of the deductive research 1. Deducing a hypothesis from the theory 2. Expressing the hypothesis in operational terms, proposing relationship between two specific variables 3. Testing this operational hypothesis – experiment or other empirical inquiry 4. Examining the specific outcome of the inquiry (what is happening?) and either confirm or modify the theory 5. Modifying the theory (if necessary) in the light of findings

9. Case study: absenteeism in a retail store • Reasons for absence: age of workers, length of service • Longitude of absence? • Highly structured methodology • Researcher should be independent of what is being observed • Concepts need to be operationalzed in a way that enables facts to be measured quantitatively • Reductionism - problems are better understood if they are reduced to the simplest possible interests • Generalization!!! – select samples of sufficient numerical sizes

10. The stages of the inductive research 1. Examine the specific problem - why something is happening? 2. Make sense of the data by analyzing it 3. Formulate a theory

11. Scientific principles moving from theory to data the need to explain causal relationships between variables the collection of quantitative data the application of controls to ensure validity of data the operationalisation of concepts to ensure clarity of definition a highly structured approach researcher independence of what is being researched the necessity to select samples of sufficient size in order to generalize conclusions Gaining an understanding of the meanings humans attach to events a close understanding of the research context the collection of qualitative data a more flexible structure to permit changes of research emphasis as the research progresses a realization that a researcher is part of the research process less concern with the need to generalize Major differences between Deductive and Inductive approaches Deduction emphasizes: Induction emphasizes:

12. Which approach to select? 1. Depending on the wealth of literature: • More sources, definition of a theoretical framework and - deductive approach • Less sources, data generated and analyzed – inductive approach 2. Depending on time: • deductive approach is quicker to complete • Inductive needs time 3. Depending on risk: • Deductive approach is a lower-risk strategy • Inductive – fear that no theory will emerge 4. Question of audience: who makes the research 5. Who will mark/pay the research

13. Need for a clear research strategy: • Why is the approach important? • Is it possible to combine approaches? • Which approach I should adopt?

14. Research strategies • Experiment • Survey • Case study • Grounded theory • Ethnography • Action research • Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies • Exploratory, descriptive and explanatory studies

15. Research Strategies • Experiment • Classical form of research • definition of a theoretical hypothesis • selection of samples of individuals from known populations • allocation of samples to different experimental conditions • introduction of planned change on the variable /s • measurement of a small number of the variables • control of other variables

16. Experiment Puzzle solving • Two groups – experimental and control • Four puzzles during each of the three sessions • Experimental group paid one dollar per puzzle solved

17. Research strategies 2. Case study • Robson (2002:178) defines the case study as: “ …a strategy for doing research which involves empirical investigations of a particular contemporary phenomenon within a real life context using multiple source of evidence” • Generates answers to the questions Why, What, How ‘Development of detailed, intensive knowledge about a single case, or a small number of related cases’ /Robson (1993)/ • Includes questionnaires, interviews, observations, , documentary analysis • Challenges the existing theory and provides a source for new hypotheses

18. Research strategies 3. Grounded theory • Theory is developed from data generated by a series of observations, generation of predictions then tested in further observations • Best example for inductive approach • Data collection starts without the formation of an initial theoretical framework • Theory is developed from data generated by a series of observations which lead to predictions, then tested in further observations

19. Research strategies 4. Ethnography (rooted in the inductive approach) • Comes from anthropology • To interpret the social world the subjects inhabit in the way in which they interpret it • Time consuming • The research process needs to be flexible

20. Research strategies 5. Action research • The term was used by Lewin in 1946 • The researcher is involved in the action for change and application of the knowledge • emphasis on the purpose of research • involvement of practitioners and close collaboration • implications beyond the immediate project • The action research spiral • Focus upon change

21. Research strategies 5. Cross-sectional and Longitudinal studies (time horizons) • How do I prefer the research to be done – - as a “snapshot” or cross-sectional - the study of a particular phenomenon at a particular time - as a “diary” or longitudinal - to study change and development, to represent events over a given period

22. Research strategies 6. Exploratory, descriptive and explanatory studies • Exploratory: to clarify understanding of a problem – what is happening - to search literature, take experts in the subject, conducting focus group interviews; flexible and adaptable to change • Descriptive: ‘to portray an accurate profile of persons, events or situations’ (Robson, 1993) • Explanatory: to study a situation or problem in order to explain the relationships between variables

23. Rating Sheet 1 Manage time effectively 2 Manage resources effectively. 3 Scan a multitude of information and decide what is important. 1 2 3 4 5 4 Decide how to manage multiple tasks. 5 Organize the work when directions are not specific. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 Manage time effectively 3 Scan a multitude of information and decide what is important. 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Research strategies 7. Survey To collect a large amount of data from a sizeable population and standardize it to allow easy comparison Types: Questionnaires Structured Interviews

24. Group Administration Self Administration Mail Administration Email Administration Household Drop-Off Delivery and collection Questionnaires

25. Interviews • Structured interviews • Semi-structured interviews • Unstructured interviews (in-depth) • Standardized interviews • Non-standardized interviews • Respondent interviews • Informant interviews

26. Personal (face to face Telephone Structured Interviews

27. Multi-method approaches Advantages: • To use different methods for different purposes in a study • To enable triangulation How do I know which method to use?

28. Credibility of research findings 1. Reliability • Will the results be the same in other occasions • Similar observations reached by other observers • Transparency of the raw data 2.Validity • If findings are really about what they appear to be about 3. Generalizability (external validity) – findings equally applicable to other research settings