Research Skills exam material summary 2022
Master Strategic Management - Tilburg University
Chapter 2 - Research in Business studies 1
Chapter 3 - The research process 6
Chapter 4 - research problems 8
Chapter 5 - research design 9
Chapter 7 - data collection for Qualitative research 13
Chapter 8 - Qualitative data analysis 19
Discussion questions - article O'Neil et al (2022) and Article Pratt (2009) 25
Chapter 14 - Writing the final report 27
Hypothesis development 29
Hypothesis development - The logic of (statistical) hypothesis testing 35
Moderation and mediation 43
Formulas to know by heart: 49
Week 1 - Chapter 2,3,4
Chapter 2 - Research in Business studies
● 2.1 Research philosophies
○ ontology and epistemology together form research philosophies
○ Ontology - is concerned with the nature of reality
■ scientists take an ontological position; is reality affected by the
actions of the researcher or not?
■ the positivist position maintains that reality exists and can be
measured
○ Epistemology - is the theory of knowledge
■ knowledge should have 3 components: justification, truth and
belief
■ knowledge is a justified true belief
■ Postmodernism maintains that truth depends on contextual
factors.
● 2.1-2.2 knowledge and common sense
1
, ○ Common sense - is the beliefs of a group of people about a certain
thing.
■ knowledge based on sense is called “a priori=” knowledge
■ knowledge based on experience is called “a posteriori”
knowledge
○ When we do research, we work systematically and learn critically to
analyze issues/matters before believing in them or acting upon them.
● 2.3 - managerial problem solving and the role of the researcher
○ Research in business studies and managerial problem solving are not
much different from each other
○ managers must have the capability to analyze their situations and to
use investigative approaches to decision making and problem solving
○ The researcher explains how information is collected, argues for
methods used to obtain results and explains their limitations: they work
systematically.
○ the researcher has to explain and convince the reader of the purpose
and methods of observation
● 2.4 - originality in research
○ originality is a basic condition for a scientific study
○ originality describes studies that create a new dimension to already
existing knowledge
■ some novel twist, fresh perspective
■ new hypothesis or assumption
■ new and innovative methods of handling an existing
topic/knowledge.
● 2.4 - different research orientations
2
,●
● 2.5 Induction
○ Induction is based on empirical evidence
○ through induction we draw general conclusions from our empirical
observations
○ the process goes from observations →analysis →findings → theory
building
○ this type of research is often associated with the qualitative type of
research
● 2.5 Deduction
○ Deduction is based on logic
○ the researcher builds/deduces hypotheses from the existing knowledge
(literature), which can be subject to empirical scrutiny (testing) and thus
can be accepted or rejected
○ this type of research is often associated with the quantitative type of
research
● 2.5 induction vs. deduction
○ deductive reasoning - the logical process of
deriving a conclusion from a known premise or
something known as true
○ inductive reasoning - the systematic process
of establishing a general proposition on the
basis of observation or particular facts
○ Which process represents deduction and which
induction?
● 2.5 Abduction
3
, ○ not just a combination of induction and deduction
○ a theoretical interpretation of an empirical problem that can lead to
development of new theories
○ the original framework and theoretical assumptions of the researcher
are continuously modified as a result of empirical findings
● Translation to master thesis
○ deductive studies use quantitative methods and start with the
development of hypotheses, based on theory.
○ abductive studies use qualitative methods and use the 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.
○ Which of the 3 is more consistent with positivism?
● 2.7 different ways of knowing
○ method of tenacity where we hold firmly to the truth or the truth we
know to be true, as we have always known it to be true
○ method of authority, where it has been established that is the case
○ a priori method or method of intuition, where knowing is based on
propositions that are self-evident or ‘agreeable to reason’
○ method of science, where we find a way of knowing, where
everybody’s final conclusion is the same
● 2.8 research never stops
●
● 2.9 research and ethics
○ Ethics - are moral principles and values
○ researchers have a moral responsibility to explain and find answers to
their questions honestly and accurately
4
Master Strategic Management - Tilburg University
Chapter 2 - Research in Business studies 1
Chapter 3 - The research process 6
Chapter 4 - research problems 8
Chapter 5 - research design 9
Chapter 7 - data collection for Qualitative research 13
Chapter 8 - Qualitative data analysis 19
Discussion questions - article O'Neil et al (2022) and Article Pratt (2009) 25
Chapter 14 - Writing the final report 27
Hypothesis development 29
Hypothesis development - The logic of (statistical) hypothesis testing 35
Moderation and mediation 43
Formulas to know by heart: 49
Week 1 - Chapter 2,3,4
Chapter 2 - Research in Business studies
● 2.1 Research philosophies
○ ontology and epistemology together form research philosophies
○ Ontology - is concerned with the nature of reality
■ scientists take an ontological position; is reality affected by the
actions of the researcher or not?
■ the positivist position maintains that reality exists and can be
measured
○ Epistemology - is the theory of knowledge
■ knowledge should have 3 components: justification, truth and
belief
■ knowledge is a justified true belief
■ Postmodernism maintains that truth depends on contextual
factors.
● 2.1-2.2 knowledge and common sense
1
, ○ Common sense - is the beliefs of a group of people about a certain
thing.
■ knowledge based on sense is called “a priori=” knowledge
■ knowledge based on experience is called “a posteriori”
knowledge
○ When we do research, we work systematically and learn critically to
analyze issues/matters before believing in them or acting upon them.
● 2.3 - managerial problem solving and the role of the researcher
○ Research in business studies and managerial problem solving are not
much different from each other
○ managers must have the capability to analyze their situations and to
use investigative approaches to decision making and problem solving
○ The researcher explains how information is collected, argues for
methods used to obtain results and explains their limitations: they work
systematically.
○ the researcher has to explain and convince the reader of the purpose
and methods of observation
● 2.4 - originality in research
○ originality is a basic condition for a scientific study
○ originality describes studies that create a new dimension to already
existing knowledge
■ some novel twist, fresh perspective
■ new hypothesis or assumption
■ new and innovative methods of handling an existing
topic/knowledge.
● 2.4 - different research orientations
2
,●
● 2.5 Induction
○ Induction is based on empirical evidence
○ through induction we draw general conclusions from our empirical
observations
○ the process goes from observations →analysis →findings → theory
building
○ this type of research is often associated with the qualitative type of
research
● 2.5 Deduction
○ Deduction is based on logic
○ the researcher builds/deduces hypotheses from the existing knowledge
(literature), which can be subject to empirical scrutiny (testing) and thus
can be accepted or rejected
○ this type of research is often associated with the quantitative type of
research
● 2.5 induction vs. deduction
○ deductive reasoning - the logical process of
deriving a conclusion from a known premise or
something known as true
○ inductive reasoning - the systematic process
of establishing a general proposition on the
basis of observation or particular facts
○ Which process represents deduction and which
induction?
● 2.5 Abduction
3
, ○ not just a combination of induction and deduction
○ a theoretical interpretation of an empirical problem that can lead to
development of new theories
○ the original framework and theoretical assumptions of the researcher
are continuously modified as a result of empirical findings
● Translation to master thesis
○ deductive studies use quantitative methods and start with the
development of hypotheses, based on theory.
○ abductive studies use qualitative methods and use the 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.
○ Which of the 3 is more consistent with positivism?
● 2.7 different ways of knowing
○ method of tenacity where we hold firmly to the truth or the truth we
know to be true, as we have always known it to be true
○ method of authority, where it has been established that is the case
○ a priori method or method of intuition, where knowing is based on
propositions that are self-evident or ‘agreeable to reason’
○ method of science, where we find a way of knowing, where
everybody’s final conclusion is the same
● 2.8 research never stops
●
● 2.9 research and ethics
○ Ethics - are moral principles and values
○ researchers have a moral responsibility to explain and find answers to
their questions honestly and accurately
4
