Ch 5- Research Design

7/31/2019 Ch 5- Research Design

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Ch5. Formulating the research design

1. The purpose of the research

The research strategy

The research methods

The research time horizons

The credibility of research findings


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1. The purpose of the research eed

eed: exploratory, explanatory, descriptive

Exploratory is:- to find out what is happening,

- to seek new insights,

- to ask questions- to assess phenomena in a new light

Three principals to conduct exploratory

research:- a search of the literature

- interviewing experts in the subject

- conducting focus group interviews


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Explanatory is:- to establish causal relationships between

variables

- to analyse the quantitative data to prove arelationship

- or: to analyse the qualitative data to explain a

reason of an issue


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Descriptive is:

- the researcher observes and then describes

what was observed.- to portray an accurate profile of persons,

events or situations.

- an extension of, or a forerunner(to a exploratory/explanatory research


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2. Research Strategy

SC:

Survey,Case study

EAGEA:

experiment,action research,

grounded theory,

ethnography,

archival research


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SC:Survey, Case study

Survey:- A popular and common strategy

- Mainly in deductive approach

- For research questions of: who, what, where, how

much, how many

- Research purpose: exploratory, descriptive

- Tools: questionnaire, quantitative data

or: structured interview, structured observation- Time: time consuming work

- Narrow scope of data: limited questions


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Case study:- An empirical investigation of a particular

contemporary phenomenon with multiple

sources of evidence.- The boundaries between phenomenon and its

context are not clearly evident

- For research questions of: why, what, how..- Research purpose: exploratory, explanatory

- Triangulation of data: qualitative quantitative


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Case study:

- Single case v. multiple case

- Holistic case v. embedded case


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EAGEA:experiment,; action research,grounded theory,; ethnography,

archival research

Grounded theory:

- A typical inductive approach

- Theory developing and building process

- To predict and explain behaviour

- Research purpose: exploratory

- Data collection: without a theoretical framework- Theory is developed from data

- Data analysis: constant reference to data to developand test theory ( inductive + deductive ?)


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archival research

Experiment:- Define a theoretical hypothesis

- Selection of samples of individuals from thepopulation

- Random allocation of samples to differentexperimental conditions: the experimental vs. controlgroup

- Introduction of intervention to one more of thevariables

- Measurement on a small number of dependentvariables

- Control of all other variables


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Figure 5.2 A classic experiment strategy


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EAGEA:experiment,; action research,

grounded theory,; ethnography,archival research

Action research:- concerned with the resolution of org. issues

- With involvement of practitioners in the

research; researcher is part of the org.

( practitioner researcher)

- Interactive nature of the process (fig 5.3)


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EAGEA:experiment,; action research,

grounded theory,; ethnography,archival research

ethnography:- A typical inductive approach

- Describe and explain the social world

- Research need to immerse himself in thesocial world as completely as possible

- Research process needs to be flexible and

responsive to changes


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Figure 5.3 The action research spiral


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archival research

Archival research:

- Use adm. Records and documents as the principalsource of data

- An secondary data analysis

- Data are originally collected for different purpose;

data are a product of day-to-day activities

- Research purpose: exploratory, explanatory,

descriptive


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3. Research methods

Qualitative vs. quantitative methods:

- Non-numeric (words) vs. numeric (numbers)data

- Data collection:

Qual. : interview; Quan.: questionnaire- Data analysis:

Qual. : categorising; Quan.: graphics, statistics

- Mono method- Multiple method


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Figure 5.4 Research choices

Data collection

Data analysis

Quan. (1) + Quan. (2)

Quan.

Qual. (1) + Qual. (2)

Qual.

Qual. (1) + Quan. (1)

Qual. Or Quan


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4. Time horizons

Cross-sectional; Longitudinal studies:

Cross-sectional studies:

- A particular phenomenon at a particular time

- Often use survey strategy, also with qual. methods.

Longitudinal studies:

- To study changes and development

- Takes time for primary data, but might be plenty ofsecondary data available

Ch 5- Research Design

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