Advance Research Methods

Welcome Shall walk through the complete research process. Revisit many research techniques. Opportunity to design a time-based real research proposal. An active hands-on learning course. Write a research proposal as a student, researcher, or a consultant. Proposal to be evaluated. Choose an appropriate quantitative or qualitative method or follow triangulation.

Focus The detailed coverage of survey technique and case study as part of the research design. Students to extend their mastery by practicing their ability to apply the concepts to the preparation of the research proposal inclusive of developing the instruments of data collection, and laying down the detailed research design. Aim at collecting primary data. Number of assignments to be given.

Course objectives To sharpen the students’ analytical skills based on objective and pragmatic investigation of a situation; Develop their own understanding of the research problems being faced by their clients; Develop the ability to convert their managerial/administrative concerns into research problem in a clear, objective, and pragmatic manner; and Prepare a research proposal, making an appropriate use of survey research and/or case study design and tools learnt in this course.

Recommended books There is no ‘catch-all’ book. Let us locate: Zikmund, W. G. (2003). Business research methods. Mason, Ohio: South Western. Get latest edition available. Sekaran, U. (2004). Research methods for business. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Neuman, W. L. (2006). Social research methods. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Get latest edition available. Silverman, D. (2005). Doing qualitative research. London: Sage Publications. Guest, G., Namey, E. E., & Mitchell, M. L. (2013). Collecting qualitative data. Los Angeles: Sage

Topic Selection

Selecting the topic Research problem has to have some title (topic). No formula for the selection of topic. Freedom of interest. Interest emerges from a variety of sources: - Personal experiences. - Mass media. - Developments in knowledge. - Solving problems (Org., family). - Hot issues of daily life.

Start with a broad area of interest Don’t try to solve all the problems in one project. Make it doable. Manageable. So narrow it. At the end, you have something specific (definitive) to say. Not broadly based things. For example: within the broad area identify variables of interest (brainstorming, review of literature).

Possible variables: Power relations, organizational citizenship behavior, motivation, customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, aggressive behavior, modernism, religiosity, leadership, women empowerment, women harassment, self concept, job enrichment, emotional intelligence, emotional labor, occupational aspirations, conflict management, stress, organizational commitment, corporate social responsibility, marketing social responsibility, corporate voluntarism, super market loyalty schemes and customer retention, mobile hand-held devices, work-life balance.

Some guidelines Freedom to select a topic may be frustrating. Interest. Limit it to the field of study. Gender studies. Locate a specialized index related to field. Review the literature: - Skim the headings till the one catches your interest. - Focus on current research in your field. Any controversies. What more you would like to know? Brainstorm. From broad area of interest to a narrow topic.

Narrow it to: Focal question you want to answer. Where to go? If you know where to go then you can ask for its direction. Not a question for interview protocol. Research questions determine what is to be included and what is to be excluded. Therefore:

From a narrowed topic to question (s) Find in the topic the question (s) to be answered. Something which you do not know but feel you must. Why these questions are important? I am studying X because I want to find out who/ what/ when/ where/ why/ how _______ Motivating question  transform the question of your interest that makes others interested in it. Question with a rationale.

From questions to problems Topic: I am studying harassment of women. Call it an educational problem. (you may convert it into a research problem) Research Questions: What is the profile of women experiencing harassment? What could be the determinants of harassment? What could be its consequences? How could we overcome it? Rationale: could be different for each question. Usefulness of what we do not know.

From problem to research problem: Practical problem. For solution pose research question (s). Incomplete knowledge or flawed understanding will need research. Will result in research problem. Research problem: Involves what we don’t know. Non availability of answer (s) to the research question (s) can be a problem for research. Learn more, create knowledge. Solving research problem per se does not solve the practical problem. Have to apply the research findings.

Epistemological considerations Research to create knowledge. Knowledge that is acceptable in a discipline. Acceptability based on grounds and nature of the knowledge itself. Epistemology. Nature of knowledge: natural science, social science. How to acquire that knowledge? Basis  means for acquiring knowledge. Strategies of research.

Natural science epistemology Positivism: scientific strategy to study the phenomenon based on five principles: 1. Sensory experiences: Knowledge confirmed by the senses (principle of phenomenalism). 2. Theory to generate hypotheses to be tested thereby provide explanations of laws (principle of deductivism). 3. Knowledge arrived at through gathering of facts that provide the basis for laws (inductivism). 4. Scientific strategy has to be value free (objectivity). 5. Scientific findings (statements) can be verified. Normative statements or beliefs cannot be confirmed by the senses.

Positivism in social sciences Application of natural science model to social reality. Reality out there. External to the observer. Positivism equated with science. Tangled. Debate. Opposing positivism or scientific approach Subject matter of the natural sciences different from the social sciences. Difficulty to apply the natural science model to SS.

Interpretivism Explanation of human behavior (positivism) vs. understanding of human behavior (interpretivism). Understanding (Weber’s use of Verstehen). Empathic understanding. Interpretive understanding of social action. Subjective meaning of social action. Such approach is also called phenomenology. Alferd Schutz associated with it. How individuals make sense of the world around them? Based on subjective interpretation.

Interpretivism (cont.) Three main features: 1. Reality (social + physical) has meaning for humans. Common sense thinking. Act. Meaning to own and others acts. Interactions. All based on interpretation. 2. Social scientist has to gain access to people’s ‘common sense thinking’ and hence to interpret their actions and their social world from their point of view. 3. Researcher’s interpretation of the humans interpretation + Interpreted in terms of concepts, theories, and literature of the discipline. Use social scientific frame. (double interpretation)

Epistomologically Can natural science approach (positivism) be applied to social science world? Quantitative + Deductive approach. Theory and research. Can the interpretivist approach be a substitute? Qualitative + inductive approach. Research and theory. Theory and research compliment each other.

Ontological considerations Concerned with the nature of social entities. Can social entities be considered as objective entities? Can these social entities be realities external to social actors? Who constructed these realities? Actors? Researchers? Two ontological positions: Objectivism and constructionism. Are these poles apart? Ideal types.

Objectivism Social phenomena and their meaning have an existence external (independent) of actors. Organization as tangible object: rules and regulations, TQM, meritocracy, bureaucracy, culture. A reality external to workers. Employees perform in line with some set pattern. Organization components outside the employees. Putting constraints on workers. Ideally it is assumed that workers in the organization have no role in the creation of organization and its culture.

Constructionism Also called constructivism. Social phenomena and its meaning created and continuously being created by the people. Researchers’ own accounts of the social world are also constructions. Specific version of reality. One version of knowledge. Organization and its culture created. Negotiation. Culture persists and antedates the participation of particular people. Shapes their perspectives. Categories of the reality are created. Masculinity.

Research strategy: General orientation  quantitative vs. qualitative research Quantitative researches employ measurement. QuantitativeQualitative Role of theory to research Deductive: theory testing Inductive: theory generation Epistomological orientation Natural science model: positivism Interpretivism Ontological orientation ObjectivismConstructionism Fundamental difference

No wedge between the two Overtones of one over the other. Examples: Qualitative research used for testing theories rather than generating theories. (Adler and Adler 1985 study of relationship between participation in athletics and academic achievement. Used existing literature as proxy for theory.) Quantitative: Westergaard et.al feeling of redundancy and job search. Interpretivist tone. Use mixed methods.

Influences on social research Epistomology Ontology Practical considerations Values – research not value free. Can intrude any /all steps. -- Choice of research area -- Formulation of research question -- Choice of method -- Formulation of research design -- Data collection -- Analysis of data -- Interpretation of data -- Conclusions