Research Methods For Business Students

Description

This accessible and clearly written textbook provides a comprehensive and in-depth treatment of philosophical, methodological and ethical aspects of conducting business and management research. Illustrative case studies drawing on published research studies are used throughout and readers are given multiple opportunities to consolidate their learning through review and discussion questions, quizzes, and other exercises. At the end of each chapter a case study takes the reader through the realities and practicalities of applying the knowledge to a specific student research project. This will be an invaluable guide for all students seeking to understand and undertake business and management research. Front Cover......Page 1 Half Title Page......Page 2 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Brief contents......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 How to use this book......Page 18 Preface......Page 23 Contributors......Page 25 Publisher’s acknowledgements......Page 28 1.1 Introduction......Page 35 1.2 The nature of research......Page 37 1.3 Business and management research......Page 39 1.4 The research process......Page 44 1.5 Keeping a reflective diary or research notebook......Page 46 1.6 The purpose and structure of this book......Page 48 Review and discussion questions......Page 52 References......Page 53 Further reading......Page 55 Catherine Cassell......Page 56 Self-check answers......Page 58 2.1 Introduction......Page 59 2.2 Characteristics of a good research topic......Page 62 2.3 Generating and refining research topic ideas......Page 64 2.4 Developing your research proposal......Page 75 2.5 Writing your research proposal......Page 86 Self-check questions......Page 94 Progressing your research project: Choosing a research topic and developing your re-search proposal......Page 95 References......Page 96 Further reading......Page 97 Kathrin Schwark, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill......Page 98 Self-check answers......Page 102 3.1 Introduction......Page 105 Progressing your research project: Assessing the......Page 0 3.2 Being ‘critical’ and the purposes and forms of review......Page 108 3.3 The content and structure of a critical review......Page 112 3.4 Literature sources......Page 116 3.5 Planning your literature search......Page 123 3.6 Conducting your literature search......Page 127 3.7 Reading critically and evaluating the literature......Page 137 3.8 Note taking and referencing......Page 140 3.9 Using systematic review......Page 143 3.10 Drafting your critical review......Page 145 3.11 A note about plagiarism......Page 148 Self-check questions......Page 149 Review and discussion questions......Page 151 References......Page 152 Further reading......Page 154 Deborah Anderson......Page 155 Self-check answers......Page 159 4.1 Introduction......Page 161 4.2 The philosophical underpinnings of business and management......Page 163 4.3 Research paradigms......Page 171 4.4 Five management philosophies......Page 177 4.5 Approaches to theory development......Page 185 4.6 Summary......Page 192 Review and discussion questions......Page 193 Progressing your research project: Heightening your Awareness of your Research Philosophy (HARP)......Page 194 References......Page 198 Neve Isaeva and Des Williamson......Page 200 Self-check answers......Page 203 5.1 Introduction......Page 205 5.2 Choice and coherence in research design......Page 206 5.3 Methodological choice: the use of a quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods re-search design......Page 208 5.4 Quantitative research designs......Page 209 5.5 Qualitative research designs......Page 212 5.6 Mixed methods research designs......Page 214 5.7 Recognising the purpose of your research design......Page 219 5.8 Choosing a research strategy or strategies......Page 222 5.10 Establishing the ethics of the research design......Page 245 5.11 Establishing the quality of the research design......Page 246 5.12 Taking into account your role as researcher......Page 252 5.13 Summary......Page 253 Self-check questions......Page 254 Progressing your research project: Deciding on your research design......Page 255 References......Page 256 Further reading......Page 259 Bill Lee......Page 260 Self-check answers......Page 262 6.1 Introduction......Page 265 6.2 Issues associated with gaining traditional access......Page 267 6.3 Issues associated with Internet-mediated access......Page 273 6.4 Strategies to gain access......Page 276 6.5 Research ethics and why you should act ethically......Page 285 6.6 Ethical issues at specific stages of the research process......Page 296 6.7 An introduction to the principles of data protection and data management......Page 309 6.8 Summary......Page 313 Self-check questions......Page 314 Progressing your research project: Negotiating access and addressing ethical issues......Page 315 References......Page 316 Further reading......Page 318 William S. Harvey and Andreas Paul Spee......Page 319 Self-check answers......Page 321 7.1 Introduction......Page 325 7.2 Probability sampling......Page 330 7.3 Non-probability sampling......Page 348 7.4 Multi-stage sampling......Page 358 Self-check questions......Page 359 Review and discussion questions......Page 362 References......Page 363 Case 7: Starting-up, not slowing down: social entrepreneurs in an aging society......Page 365 Self-check answers......Page 367 8.1 Introduction......Page 371 8.2 Types of secondary data and uses in research......Page 374 8.3 Advantages and disadvantages of secondary data......Page 384 8.4 Searching for and locating secondary data......Page 388 8.5 Evaluating secondary data sources......Page 393 8.6 Summary......Page 401 Self-check questions......Page 402 suitability of secondary data for your research......Page 403 References......Page 404 Further reading......Page 405 David Houghton......Page 407 Self-check answers......Page 409 9.1 Introduction......Page 411 9.2 Dimensions of observation......Page 413 9.3 Participant observation......Page 423 9.4 Structured observation......Page 433 9.5 Internet-mediated observation......Page 441 9.6 Observation using videography, audio recordings and visual images......Page 447 9.7 Summary......Page 457 Review and discussion questions......Page 458 References......Page 459 Further reading......Page 460 Matina Terzidou......Page 461 Self-check answers......Page 464 10.1 Introduction......Page 467 10.2 Types of research interview and their link to the purpose of research and research strategy......Page 469 10.3 When to use semi-structured and in-depth interviews......Page 477 10.4 Data quality issues associated with semi-structured and in-depth interviews......Page 480 10.5 Preparing for semi-structured or in-depth interviews......Page 484 10.6 Conducting semi-structured or in-depth interviews......Page 488 10.7 Managing logistical and resource issues......Page 498 10.8 Group interviews and focus groups......Page 500 10.9 Telephone interviews......Page 505 10.10 Internet-mediated interviews......Page 509 10.11 Visual interviews......Page 512 10.12 Use of research diaries to collect data......Page 515 10.13 Summary......Page 522 Review and discussion questions......Page 523 Progressing your research project: Using research interviews and research diaries......Page 524 References......Page 525 Further reading......Page 527 Finola Kerrigan......Page 528 Self-check answers......Page 531 11.1 Introduction......Page 535 11.2 An overview of questionnaires......Page 538 11.3 Deciding what data need to be collected......Page 543 11.4 Questionnaire validity and reliability......Page 549 11.5 Designing individual questions......Page 551 11.6 Constructing the questionnaire......Page 566 11.7 Pilot testing......Page 573 11.8 Delivering and collecting the questionnaire......Page 575 11.9 Summary......Page 582 Self-check questions......Page 583 Progressing your research project: Using questionnaires in your research......Page 585 References......Page 586 Almuth McDowall......Page 588 Self-check answers......Page 592 12.1 Introduction......Page 597 12.2 Preparing data for quantitative analysis......Page 600 12.3 Data entry and checking......Page 609 12.4 Exploring and presenting data......Page 614 12.5 Describing data using statistics......Page 630 12.6 Examining relationships, differences and trends using statistics......Page 635 12.7 Summary......Page 657 Self-check questions......Page 658 Review and discussion questions......Page 660 References......Page 661 Frank Bezzina, Vincent Cassar and Simon Grimma......Page 663 Self-check answers......Page 666 13.1 Introduction......Page 669 13.2 The diversity of qualitative data, their implications for analysis and the interactive nature of this process......Page 671 13.3 Key aspects to consider when choosing a qualitative analysis technique......Page 674 13.4 Preparing your data for analysis......Page 677 13.5 Aids to help your analysis......Page 681 13.6 Thematic Analysis......Page 684 13.7 Template Analysis......Page 693 13.8 Explanation Building and Testing......Page 697 13.9 Grounded Theory Method......Page 701 13.10 Narrative Analysis......Page 707 13.11 Discourse Analysis......Page 710 13.12 Visual Analysis......Page 714 13.13 Data Display and Analysis......Page 723 13.14 Using CAQDAS......Page 725 Self-check questions......Page 728 Progressing your research project: Analysing your data qualitatively......Page 729 References......Page 730 Further reading......Page 732 Amanda Lee......Page 733 Self-check answers......Page 736 14.1 Introduction......Page 739 14.2 Undertaking writing......Page 741 14.3 Structuring your project report......Page 745 14.4 Writing reports for different audiences......Page 763 14.5 Making the report’s content clear and accessible......Page 764 14.6 Developing an appropriate writing style......Page 767 14.8 Writing a reflective essay or section......Page 772 14.9 Oral presentation of the report......Page 774 Self-check questions......Page 780 Progressing your research project: Writing your project report......Page 781 Further reading......Page 782 Colin Hughes......Page 783 Self-check answers......Page 785 Bibliography......Page 787 1 Systems of referencing......Page 804 2 Calculating the minimum sample size......Page 822 3 Random sampling numbers......Page 824 4 Guidelines for non-discriminatory language......Page 825 Glossary......Page 829 Index......Page 855 Back Cover......Page 867