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Research Planning & Design

Research Planning & Design. Sample project plan for a dissertation. Timing: Dates / weeks / months → → → → → → → →. Scientific Method: The basic process of (hypothetico) deduction. Deduction: Theory  observations/findings. Induction:

richard-gentry
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Research Planning & Design

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  1. Research Planning & Design

  2. Sample project plan for a dissertation Timing: Dates / weeks / months → → → → → → → →

  3. Scientific Method: The basic process of (hypothetico) deduction

  4. Deduction: Theory  observations/findings Induction: Observations/findings  theory Deduction and Induction

  5. Research HypothesesPowell (1995) attempted to ascertain the economic value of TQM Powell had 15 hypotheses 3 of which were: 1 TQM firms outperform non TQM firms 2 L-T TQM firms outperform S-T TQM firms 3 Manufacturing TQM firms outperform service TQM firms (see B&B p12) What measures?

  6. Steps in Selecting Research Questions Select research area (e.g. TQM) Select aspect of research area (e.g. Impact of TQM on work) Generate research questions Select research questions

  7. Research Questions

  8. Research Questions • guide your literature search • guide your decisions about the kind of research design to employ • guide your decisions about what data to collect and from whom • guide your analysis of your data • guide your writing up of your data • stop you from going off in unnecessary directions and tangents Research questions:

  9. The Process of Induction Compare theory Develop theory Look for patterns Form Categories Ask Questions Gather information

  10. Research Designs and Methods • A Research Design provides a framework for the collection and analysis of data. Choice of research design reflects decisions about priorities given to the dimensions of the research process. • A Research Method is simply a procedure for collecting data. Choice of research method reflects decisions about the type of instruments or techniques to be used.

  11. Constraints on Research Questions ·We cannot answer all the research questions that occur to us · We therefore have to select from the possible research questions that we arrive at · We should be guided by the principle that the research questions we choose should be related to one another

  12. Types of Research Design 1. Experimental 2. Cross-sectional 3. Longitudinal 4. Case study 5. Comparative

  13. Quantitative Typical form: Most researchers using an experimental design employ quantitative comparisons between experimental and control groups with regard to the dependent variable. Qualitative No typical form: The Hawthorne experiments provide an example of experimental research design that gradually moved away from the ‘test room method’ towards the use of more qualitative methods. Experimental Design see Table 2.1

  14. Classical Experimental Design T18 months T2 Obs1 experimental Obs2 experimental treatment group Random Assignment Obs3 no Obs4 control experimental group treatment

  15. Quantitative Typical form: Social survey research or structured observation on a sample at a single point in time. Can also include content analysis on a sample of documents. Qualitative Typical form: Qualitative interviews or focus groups at a single point in time Can also be based upon qualitative content analysis of a set of documents relating to a single period. Cross-sectional Design see Table 2.1

  16. A Cross-sectional Design T1 Obs1 Obs2 Obs3 Obs4 Obs5 … Obsn Fig 2.2

  17. The Data Rectangle in Cross-sectional Research Fig 2.3

  18. Quantitative Typical form: Social survey research on a sample on more than one occasion or content analysis of documents relating to different time periods. Qualitative Typical form: Ethnographic research over a long period, qualitative interviewing on more than one occasion, or qualitative content analysis of documents relating to different time periods. Longitudinal Design see Table 2.1

  19. The Longitudinal Design T1 … tn Obs1 obs1 Obs2 obs2 Obs3 obs3 Obs4 obs4 Obs5 obs5 … … Obsnobsn Fig 2.4

  20. Quantitative Typical form: Social survey research on a single case with a view to revealing important features about its nature. Qualitative Typical form: The intensive study by ethnography or qualitative interviewing of a single case, which may be an organization, or an individual. Case study Design see Table 2.1

  21. Types of case • A case can be about: • A single organization • A single location • A person • A single event • Yin’s (1984) case typology: • The critical case • The unique (or extreme) case • The revelatory case

  22. Quantitative Typical form: Social survey research in which there is a direct comparison between two or more cases, as in cross‑cultural research. Qualitative Typical form: Ethnographic or qualitative interview research on two or more cases. Comparative Design see Table 2.1

  23. A Comparative Design Case 1 T1 Obs1 Obs2 Obs3 Obs4 Obs5 … Obsn Obs1 Obs2 Obs3 Case n Obs4 Obs5 … Obsn Fig 2.5

  24. Criteria in Social Research • Reliability – are measures consistent? • Replication/replicability– is study repeatable? • Validity – are conclusions well-founded?

  25. Level of Analysis • Individual; e.g. manager or employee • Departmentorwork group • Organization; e.g. structure or culture • Marketorsocietal context in which organizations are located

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