Research Skills Slides Summary
Includes Lectures + Class discussion points + tutorials of research skills Strategic Management:
Consultancy 2022/2023
Table of Contents
Qualitative part.......................................................................................................................2
Week 1...............................................................................................................................................2
Lecture 1................................................................................................................................................................2
Tutorial 1................................................................................................................................................................5
Week 2...............................................................................................................................................8
Lecture 2................................................................................................................................................................8
Tutorial 2.............................................................................................................................................................14
Week 3.............................................................................................................................................18
Lecture 3..............................................................................................................................................................18
Lecture 3 class discussion....................................................................................................................................22
Tutorial 3.............................................................................................................................................................22
Week 4.............................................................................................................................................26
Lecture 4..............................................................................................................................................................26
Lecture 4 questions class discussion...................................................................................................................28
Tutorial 4.............................................................................................................................................................30
Quantitative part..................................................................................................................32
Week 5.............................................................................................................................................32
Lecture 1..............................................................................................................................................................32
Week 6.............................................................................................................................................36
Lecture 2..............................................................................................................................................................36
Week 7.............................................................................................................................................45
Lecture 3..............................................................................................................................................................45
,Qualitative part
Week 1
Lecture 1
Research in business studies
Research in business studies and managerial problem solving are not much different from each other
- Managers need the capability to analyze situations and use investigative approaches to decision
making and problem solving.
- Researcher explains how information is collected, which methods are used to obtain results and
explains limitations: work systematically
- Researcher has to explain and convince reader of the purpose and methods of observation.
Originality in research
- Is a basic condition for a scientific study
- ‘Originality’ describes studies that create a new dimension to already existing knowledge
o Novel twist/fresh perspective
o New hypothesis or assumption
o New and innovative methods of handling an existing topic/knowledge
Induction
- Based on empirical evidence
- Conclusions are drawn from empirical observations
- Process = observations analysis findings theory building
- Often associated with qualitative research
Deduction
- Based on logic
- Researcher build/deduces hypotheses from the existing knowledge (literature), which is
subjected to empirical scrutiny (testing) and thus can be accepted or rejected.
- Often associated with quantitative research
Induction vs deduction
- Deductive reasoning
o The logical process of deriving a conclusion from a known premise or something known
as true.
o Theory data
- Inductive reasoning
o The systematic process of establishing a general proposition on the basis of observation
or particular facts.
o Data theory
Abduction
- Not just a combination of induction and deduction
- Theoretical interpretation of an empirical problem that can lead to development of new
theories
, - Original framework and theoretical assumptions are continuously modified as a result of
empirical findings
Summarized:
- Deductive studies use quantitative methods and start with the development of hypotheses,
based on theory.
- Abductive studies use qualitative methods and use literature to identify concepts that might be
relevant to the problem and situation under study.
- Inductive studies are not used, mainly because of time constraints.
Researcher’s moral responsibility
- Moral responsibility deals with social guidelines and constraint upon research techniques and
measurements
- Research findings might lead to action that is against the principles of the researcher or funding
organization
- Results might influence an important decision to be made by policy makers.
Factors influencing research
- Public interests and biases
- Company interests and biases
- Government rules and regulations
- Researcher’s own interests and biases
- Peer pressure
Ethical issues
- Arise particularly in the data collection stage
- Reporting results objectively and honestly is the most important aspect of ethics
- Any misinterpretation of data will lead to misleading results and is ethically wrong
The research process…
- Research is a process of activities unfolding over time
- Few distinct stages
o Different stages entail different tasks
- In reality the process is not so orderly and sequential.
Research process steps
1. Research topic; the phenomenon or theme to be studied
2. A more specific question is addressed
a. A problem must be captured or represented which is done by a set of interrelated
concepts, or a ‘model’, implicit or explicit
3. The research design relates to the choice of strategy to collect data needed to ‘answer’ the
stated research problem
4. Good measurements are a prerequisite for high-quality empirical research
5. Choice of data and how to collect them, from whom, and in what way, are important
6. Data must be handled, analyzed and interpreted
7. Most research efforts are reported in written form
8. In business the outcome of research efforts often results in or influences actions.
, Levels of research
- All research requires activities at the conceptual level
o ‘Theoretical studies’ only deal with the conceptual level
o An empirical study also requires efforts at the conceptual level
- Master thesis is an empirical study that requires efforts at the conceptual level as well as efforts
at the empirical level
Research and knowledge
- Main purpose of research is to produce insights or knowledge
- New insights can be acquired in:
o Theories/models
o Concepts
o Methods/techniques
o Facts
- Any research should have an intended contribution
Concepts: an abstraction representing an object, a property of an object or a certain phenomenon
- The foundation of communications
- Introduce a perspective
- Means of classification and generalization
- Serve as components of theories (models)
Concepts are the most critical elements in any theory, because they direct what is captured
Definitions: clarification and precision of concepts are achieved through definitions
- Conceptual definitions describe concepts by using other concepts
- Operational definitions set of procedures that describe the activities to be performed to
establish empirically the existence or degree of existence of what is described by a concept
When we move from the conceptual to the empirical level in research, concepts are converted into
variables my mapping them into a set of numbers.
- Not true for qualitative research
o No variables and no numbers
Theory: a set of interrelated concepts, definitions and propositions that present a systematic view of
specifying relations among variables with the purpose of explaining and predicting phenomena.
Research methods: rules and procedures that can be seen as tools to solve problems or ways of
proceeding.
Roles of research methods:
- ‘Logic’ or ways of reasoning to arrive at solutions
- Rules for communication, i.e. to explain how the findings have been achieved
- Rules of intersubjectivity, i.e. outsiders should be able to examine and evaluate research
findings
Research ideas: starting point of research effort is some idea or observation that attracts attention and
initiates speculation
Includes Lectures + Class discussion points + tutorials of research skills Strategic Management:
Consultancy 2022/2023
Table of Contents
Qualitative part.......................................................................................................................2
Week 1...............................................................................................................................................2
Lecture 1................................................................................................................................................................2
Tutorial 1................................................................................................................................................................5
Week 2...............................................................................................................................................8
Lecture 2................................................................................................................................................................8
Tutorial 2.............................................................................................................................................................14
Week 3.............................................................................................................................................18
Lecture 3..............................................................................................................................................................18
Lecture 3 class discussion....................................................................................................................................22
Tutorial 3.............................................................................................................................................................22
Week 4.............................................................................................................................................26
Lecture 4..............................................................................................................................................................26
Lecture 4 questions class discussion...................................................................................................................28
Tutorial 4.............................................................................................................................................................30
Quantitative part..................................................................................................................32
Week 5.............................................................................................................................................32
Lecture 1..............................................................................................................................................................32
Week 6.............................................................................................................................................36
Lecture 2..............................................................................................................................................................36
Week 7.............................................................................................................................................45
Lecture 3..............................................................................................................................................................45
,Qualitative part
Week 1
Lecture 1
Research in business studies
Research in business studies and managerial problem solving are not much different from each other
- Managers need the capability to analyze situations and use investigative approaches to decision
making and problem solving.
- Researcher explains how information is collected, which methods are used to obtain results and
explains limitations: work systematically
- Researcher has to explain and convince reader of the purpose and methods of observation.
Originality in research
- Is a basic condition for a scientific study
- ‘Originality’ describes studies that create a new dimension to already existing knowledge
o Novel twist/fresh perspective
o New hypothesis or assumption
o New and innovative methods of handling an existing topic/knowledge
Induction
- Based on empirical evidence
- Conclusions are drawn from empirical observations
- Process = observations analysis findings theory building
- Often associated with qualitative research
Deduction
- Based on logic
- Researcher build/deduces hypotheses from the existing knowledge (literature), which is
subjected to empirical scrutiny (testing) and thus can be accepted or rejected.
- Often associated with quantitative research
Induction vs deduction
- Deductive reasoning
o The logical process of deriving a conclusion from a known premise or something known
as true.
o Theory data
- Inductive reasoning
o The systematic process of establishing a general proposition on the basis of observation
or particular facts.
o Data theory
Abduction
- Not just a combination of induction and deduction
- Theoretical interpretation of an empirical problem that can lead to development of new
theories
, - Original framework and theoretical assumptions are continuously modified as a result of
empirical findings
Summarized:
- Deductive studies use quantitative methods and start with the development of hypotheses,
based on theory.
- Abductive studies use qualitative methods and use literature to identify concepts that might be
relevant to the problem and situation under study.
- Inductive studies are not used, mainly because of time constraints.
Researcher’s moral responsibility
- Moral responsibility deals with social guidelines and constraint upon research techniques and
measurements
- Research findings might lead to action that is against the principles of the researcher or funding
organization
- Results might influence an important decision to be made by policy makers.
Factors influencing research
- Public interests and biases
- Company interests and biases
- Government rules and regulations
- Researcher’s own interests and biases
- Peer pressure
Ethical issues
- Arise particularly in the data collection stage
- Reporting results objectively and honestly is the most important aspect of ethics
- Any misinterpretation of data will lead to misleading results and is ethically wrong
The research process…
- Research is a process of activities unfolding over time
- Few distinct stages
o Different stages entail different tasks
- In reality the process is not so orderly and sequential.
Research process steps
1. Research topic; the phenomenon or theme to be studied
2. A more specific question is addressed
a. A problem must be captured or represented which is done by a set of interrelated
concepts, or a ‘model’, implicit or explicit
3. The research design relates to the choice of strategy to collect data needed to ‘answer’ the
stated research problem
4. Good measurements are a prerequisite for high-quality empirical research
5. Choice of data and how to collect them, from whom, and in what way, are important
6. Data must be handled, analyzed and interpreted
7. Most research efforts are reported in written form
8. In business the outcome of research efforts often results in or influences actions.
, Levels of research
- All research requires activities at the conceptual level
o ‘Theoretical studies’ only deal with the conceptual level
o An empirical study also requires efforts at the conceptual level
- Master thesis is an empirical study that requires efforts at the conceptual level as well as efforts
at the empirical level
Research and knowledge
- Main purpose of research is to produce insights or knowledge
- New insights can be acquired in:
o Theories/models
o Concepts
o Methods/techniques
o Facts
- Any research should have an intended contribution
Concepts: an abstraction representing an object, a property of an object or a certain phenomenon
- The foundation of communications
- Introduce a perspective
- Means of classification and generalization
- Serve as components of theories (models)
Concepts are the most critical elements in any theory, because they direct what is captured
Definitions: clarification and precision of concepts are achieved through definitions
- Conceptual definitions describe concepts by using other concepts
- Operational definitions set of procedures that describe the activities to be performed to
establish empirically the existence or degree of existence of what is described by a concept
When we move from the conceptual to the empirical level in research, concepts are converted into
variables my mapping them into a set of numbers.
- Not true for qualitative research
o No variables and no numbers
Theory: a set of interrelated concepts, definitions and propositions that present a systematic view of
specifying relations among variables with the purpose of explaining and predicting phenomena.
Research methods: rules and procedures that can be seen as tools to solve problems or ways of
proceeding.
Roles of research methods:
- ‘Logic’ or ways of reasoning to arrive at solutions
- Rules for communication, i.e. to explain how the findings have been achieved
- Rules of intersubjectivity, i.e. outsiders should be able to examine and evaluate research
findings
Research ideas: starting point of research effort is some idea or observation that attracts attention and
initiates speculation
