Introduction

Why do a dissertation?

The Search for Truth

Experience Reasoning for example, logic Research

Slide 1.3

Aristotles Deductive Syllogism

Which is correct? Case 1 All planets orbit the sun The earth is a planet The earth orbits the sun Case 2 All planets orbit the sun The earth orbits the sun The earth is a planet

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods in Business, 4th Edition Pearson Education Limited 2007

Slide 1.4

The Search for Truth

Experience Reasoning for example, logic Research

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods in Business, 4th Edition Pearson Education Limited 2007

What is research?

Creative work undertaken systematically to increase knowledge

But we still use experience and reasoning

The Different Types of Research Descriptive (undergraduate what?) Exploratory (undergraduate what?) Explanatory (postgraduate why?) Action research (postgraduate why?) (within an organisation)

The Nature of Business and Management Research

Managers draw on knowledge developed by other disciplines sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics Managers are powerful and busy people likely to allow access unless they can see personal or commercial advantages The need for some practical consequence there is some aspect of our business/management understanding that is to some extent unresolved Adapted from Saunders et al (2007:5)

Figure 1.2

The research process

Source: Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2006

Figure 1.2

The research process (Continued)

Source: Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2006