Chapter 3 Dealing with conceptual issues.pptx

How to overcome some conceptuap issues in doing post graduate research

1. Business Research: A practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate student Chapter 3: Dealing with Conceptual Issues Jill Husey and Roger Husey

2. Research Paradigms Paradigm -> how research should be conducted (based on people philosophies and assumptions about the world and nature of knowledge) Three levels of paradigm 1. P hilosophical -> Reflect basic belief about the world ( the way you design your research , how to collect/analyze data, how to write the thesis ) 2. S ocial -> p rovide guidelines how the researcher should conduct his/her endeavor 3. T echnical -> Specify the methods and techniques which ideally should be adopted when conducting research

3. Research paradigm/philosophies -> reflect the way you design you research, how you collect and analyze data, and how to write your thesis Two (extremes of a continuum) main research paradigm Positivistic Phenomenological Quantitative Objectivist Scientific Experimentalist Qualitative Subjectivist Humanistic Interpretivist

4. Assumption Question Quantitative Qualitative Ontological (consider the world is ...) What is the nature of reality Objective and singular (external to researcher) Subjective and multiple (only understood by examining the perception of human actors) Epistemological (study of knowledge and what we accept as valid knowledge) What is the relationship of the researcher to that that researched? Independent from that being researched (Knowledge= Phenomena which are observable and measurable is valid; maintain independent objective stance; fact act to constraint our belief ) Researcher interacts with that being researched (May be involved in different forms of participative inquiry; research belief determine what should count as facts)

5. Assumption Question Quantitative Qualitative Axiological (concerned with values) What is the role of value? Value free and unbiased (detached from what they’re researching) Value laden and biased (researchers have values and it helps to detemine what are recognize as facts and the interpretation which are drawn from them) Rhetorical (language of research) Please refer to theses guidelines or your supervisor What is the language of research? Impersonal (passive) voice (convey the impresission that your research is objective) Personal voice Methodological What is the process of research? Deductive (ensuring concept can be operationalised and measured, use large samples, focus on objective facts and formulate hypotheses) Inductive (seeking to understand what is happening in a situation and looking for patters which may repeated in other similar situation, use small samples)

6. Paradigms and Methodology Method : various mean which data can be collected/analyze Methodology : overall approach to the research process, from theoretical supporting to collection and analysis of data W hy collected certain data What, when, where, how to collect data How to analyze

7. Positivist Phenomenological Tend to product quantitativ e data Use large samples Concerned with hypothesis testing Data is highly specific and precise The location is artificial Reliability is high Validity is low Generalizes from sample to population Tend to produce qualitative data Use small samples Concerned with generating theories Data is rich and subjective The location is natural Reliability is low Validity is high Generalizes from one setting to another

8. Positivist use a large sample (representing the whole population) in using statistical analysis Phenomenological need to get depth so it possible with sample of one Positivist to study the literature to establish an appropriate theory and construct hypothesis Phenomenological, as there may be no relevant theory or may not wish to be restricted by existing theory

9. Positivist use highly specific and precise. Measurement is an essential element -> ensure the accuracy of measurement Phenomenological focus on quality and depth of data -> capture the richness of detail. Positivist use laboratory to isolate and control variables being investigated (artificial setting) Phenomenological is conducted in the field

10. Positivist need high reliability (when research finding can be repeated/replication) Phenomenological may interpret in different way (similar observation and interpretation can be made on different occasions / observers) Validity (research findings accurately represent what is really happening in situation) -> affected by research procedures, poor samples, inaccurate measurement Example: to know whether employees understand their company pension scheme -> calculate their pension

11. Do their answer reflect employee understanding of pension scheme OR have read the scheme OR remember the details OR ability to make calculation Positivist focus on precision of measurement and high reliability -> validity can be low Phenomenological focus at capturing the essence of phenomena and extracting data -> validity is high

12. Types of research methodology: for Positivist Cross sectional studies -> T o obtain information on variables in different context but at the same time (study in different groups to ascertain how factor differs) Suitable if there are constraints of time or resources Data is collected just once, over short period of time and simulataneously -> inexpensive, no problem of chronological change Example: Investigation of association between labour turnover and productivity -> select a sample or work groups where you know has different labour turnover or productivity rate -> Conduct a statistical test whether is there any correlation between these variables (not to explain why there is/isn’t any correlation)

13. Types of research methodology: for Positivist 2. Experiment studies C onduct in laboratory or natural setting but in systematic way so causal relationship between independent and dependent variables can be identified Permit causal relationship can be identified Aims to manipulate the independent variable to observe the dependent variable (example: intensity of lighting in a room with productivity levels of workers). Limitation: Confounding variables (obscure effects of another) Business research -> difficult to arrange experiment Not reflect actual environment Benefit : still valuable, field experiments difficult to control extraneous variables (any variable than the independent variable which might have an effect on the dependent variable)

14. Different approaches in experimental studies Repeated measures design -> experiment is repeated in different conditions (one group doing different conditions) Independent sample design -> experiment is conducted in two groups with different conditions Matched pair design -> two groups with no different in characteristics (difficult to determine which characteristics should be matched) Single subject design -> only few subject available,

15. Consider different factors: The number of groups (two groups or more) The nature of groups (how to form group, random or macthed cases) The time of the experiments (repeated or not)

16. Types of research methodology: for Positivist 3. Longitudinal studies Not always associated with positivist T o research the dynamics of the problem by investigating the same situation or people several times or continuously over the period (many years) Repeated observation to reveal relative stability of the phenomena under study Suggest explanation of the process change and pattern which emerge Undergraduate study ->not possible

17. Surveys A sample of subject is drawn from a population and studied to make inferences about the population. Stage: select sample (not biased and representation) and how to ask survey questions (face to face, telephone, questionnaires) Descriptive survey -> concerned with identifying and counting the frequency of specific poluation Analytical survey -> determine a correlation between different variables

18. Types of research methodology: for Phenomenological Action of research : used in applied research to find effective way of bringing about a conscious change in a partly controlled environment Case studies : focus on understanding the dynamics present within single setting, often used in exploratory stages of research

19. Types of research methodology: for Phenomenological Unit of analysis -> variable or phenomena under study and the research problem refer and about which is data collected and analyzed. Example: single unit of analysis -> a company, a group of worker, an event, a process, or an individual It involved gathering detailed information about unit of analysis (often over a very long period)

20. Types of research methodology: for Phenomenological Types of case study Descriptive : objective is restricted to describing current practice Illustrative: research attempts to illustrate new possibly innovative practices adopted by particular company Experimental: research examines the difficulties in implementing a new procedures and techniques in an organization and evaluating the benefit Explanatory : where existing theory is used to understand and explain what is happening There is a possibility to combine more than one type

21. Types of research methodology: for Phenomenological Methods to collect data include documentary analysis, interviews, and observation Stages in case study: Selecting your case Find a representative case or a set of cases. Select a critical case which encompasses the issue If require more than one cases -> similar cases to show whether your theory can be generalized or dissimilar cases to help extend /modify theory

22. b. Preliminary investigation Becoming familiar with the context of your research c. The data stage How, where, whe to collect data (quantitative and qualitative) d. The analysis stage Within case analysis (describe events, opinions, phenomena) or cross case analysis (similarities, differences, etc ) e. The report stage Writing up cases -> chronological sturcture 3. Ethnography : use socially acquired and shared knowledge to understand observed pattern of human activities ( antrophology )

23. Feminist perspective : challenging traditional research paradigm from the point of view of politics and ideology of women’s movement Grounded theory : a systematic set of procedures are used to develop an inductively derived theory about a phenomenon Hermaneutics : focus on historical and social context surrounding an action when interpreting a text Participative enquiry : involving the participants in the research as fully as possible in the study which is conducted in their own group or organization

24. Mixing Methodologies Triangulation : use of different research techniques in the same study Has vital strength, encourages productive research, enhances qualitative methods and allow the complementary of quantitative method