C24 Johan Brink, IIE 8 December 2010 Reflections and Critical thinking Lecture

Agenda Review of Qualitative &. quantitative methods Mixed methods Reflections and critical thinking Ethics

Review quantitative Methods Structured interviews Questionnaires Structured observation Content analysis of text and images Hypothesis testing & statistical tools Operationalization & constructs Sample & populations Reliability & Validity

Review qualitative Methods Semi and unstructured interviews Ethnography Focus groups Historical cases Generate theory Cases – authentic Interpretations Grounded theory & coding Narrative, historical & hermeneutical approaches

Qualitative and quantitative methods However… it doesn’t need to be like this! There is a difference in how quantitative researchers usually writes and talks about their research processes! Do qualitative researchers really get a true contact with the social reality just by ‘being there’? How intrusive is the semi-structured interview?

Distinctions between qualitative and quantitative Behavior and meaning Quantitative often focus on behaviors – what they do Qualitative often focus on meaning – what they think But in reality both paradigms can and do capture a bit of both! Testing vs. Generating theories Both qualitative and quantitative can be designed to test theories! Usage of numbers For qualitative: Frequency of themes and constructs, Statistics in cases For quantitative: Operationalisation and definitions Generalization to theories or populations

Mixing methods Epistemological version Incompatible due to differences in epistemological paradigms (Positivistic or Interpretative) Technical version Mutually supportive, although requiring different skills Methodological triangulation Facilitation – sequence – Providing hypothesis – Design quantitative research – Select cases – Fill in the gaps & nuances – Content and process Complementarity -parallel

Mediating the clash: Critical realism An entity can exist independently of our knowledge of it – its ‘real’ – However the social world is always mediated and thus subjective ‘The social world is reproduced and transformed in daily life’ – There are mechanisms that are real, but these mechanism are directly accessible – but only through their effects

Reflections: Interpretations Interpretation What do I see? Primary interpretations Misunderstandings Unclear ties Biased data Incomprehensible Secondary interpretations Theory pre-understanding Language Assumptions Reflection Context, History, Discourses… Critical theory What in the social world can be changed? What can’t? ‘All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses’ - Nietzsche

Reflections: Critical thinking A critical thinker What is the real problem? Which definitions are there? Which assumptions are there? Is there information lacking? Who benefits? Which relationships are there/ patterns? Are there inconsistencies & conflicting logics? What would happen if something is changed? (contra factual reasoning) Self awareness! Multiple perspectives!

Reflections: Theories Theory As explaining the meaning, the ‘nature’ As explaining the correspondence – frequencies, relationships, cause & effects As providing usability - applications Theories Grand theories Conflicting – incommensurability Epistemological paradigms Perspectives Model Theoretical Empirical Accuracy Simplicity Generalizability

Reflections: Evidence-Based Management What assumptions does the idea or practice make about people and organizations? What would have to be true about people and organizations for the idea or practice to be effective? Which of these assumptions seems reasonable and correct to you and your colleagues? Which seems wrong and suspect? Could this idea or practice still succeed if the assumptions turned out to be wrong? How might you and your colleagues quickly and inexpensively gather some data to test the reasonableness of the underlying assumptions? What other ideas or management practices can you think of that would address the same problem or issue and be more consistent with what you believe to be true about people and organizations? In search of excellence: Lessons from best run companies The myth of Excellence: Why great companies Never try to be the best at everything Managing by Measuring: How to improve your organization’s performance through effective benchmarking Managing with passion: Making the most of your job and your life The quest for authentic power: Getting past past manipulation, control, and self-limiting beliefs What would Machiavelli do? The ends justify the Meanness Build to last: :Successful habits of visionary companies Corporate failure by design: Why organizations are built to fail

Reflections: Ethics Implications for the subjects Will this cause any harm? – What is harm? For whom? Power and intrusive? – Invasion of privacy Experiments and interfering? – Does the goal justify the means? Covert strategies, deception & observations Confidentially agreements and anonymity Openness Conflicts of interests Independence Financiers?

Answers to questions The feedback on the 15 December is optional – but we have reserved time Hand in the first version of T3, the proposal today 8 December at The Final version of the proposal on which you are graded to be handed in the 15 January! There will be 1 assigned student + one from faculty to comment on your proposal – however – I encourage you to read and participate in the informal discussions during the presentations Student 1 comment on student 2, student 2 on 3, 3 on 1 There are some students who still haven't responded!