RESEARCH METHODS

Mehwish Imdad-E11MBA057

Case-1
Isabelle’s research dilemma

Q.1 How do you think Isabelle’s understanding of theory and method

changed in adopting the approach she chose?

Ans:
Changes in Isabelle’s understanding of theory and method in adopting the
approach she chose are highlighted in the following paragraph.

While engaging in the world of theory she found that theory in management is
problematic, because for some researchers management is not a discipline. It is
perceived as multi-disciplinary. She thought that this could be advantageous to
gain new insights that may not be obtained through a number of disciplines. She
thought that theory would provide some imaginative and original insights for her
dissertation.
 Research Methods for business students

In world of practice, she found that more traditional research focused on

positivistic approaches. This approach often uses quantitative methods. Isabelle’s
decided she would not use this approach. In terms of method Isabelle decided to
use qualitative approach rather than quantitative.

Q.2 What particular knowledge and skills did she develop in

preparing this research?

Ans:
While preparing this research she gained particular knowledge about
theories and methods which are being used for research projects. She also
developed some particular skills such as how to take in-depth interviews. She
also felt that she had the emotional maturity to manage the process. Most

importantly she learnt that the research was rigorous, systematic and relevant
to managers in workplace.

Q.3 What problems do you think she would have anticipated in

conducting research into pressure and coping among managers that
her literature review may not have identified?

Ans:
Following are some that she would have anticipated:

 In conducting such research Isabelle’s knew she had to deal with

complex issues with the subject-matter and the method she wanted to
adopt.
 The relationship between the interviewer and interviewer is central to
this type of research which is very difficult to manage.

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CASE-2

Media Climate Change Reporting and

Environmental Disclosure Patterns in the
Low-Cost Airline Industry in the Twenty-First
Century

Q.1 -Why Is it important that your research can be related to a

relevant theory base, and when during the project does the
theoretical framework need to be identified?

Ans:

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Relevant theory help the researcher to find data according to theory base
that helps them to proceed forward. It should have an authentic framework that
supports theory & project. Theory is the explanation of our findings. The
identification of theoretical framework depends upon the overall research
process. A theoretical framework consists of concepts, together with their
definition & existing theory that are used for your particular study. This must
demonstrate an understanding of theories and concepts that are relevant to topic
of your research paper & that will relate it to broader field of knowledge. It
strengthens the study in following cases:

 It connects the researchers to existing knowledge.

 Having a theory helps you to identify the limits of generalizations.
 An explicit of theoretical assumptions permits reader to evaluate them
critically.

Q.2- Do you think that Emma is right to restrict her project to any low-
cost airlines rather than the whole industry or comparison with
another sector? Give reasons for your answers?

Ans:
Emma is right to restrict her project to any low-cost airlines rather than to
research the whole industry & due to growth of airlines this seemed to be a
sensible approach. Due to narrow down the idea the topic area was now clear in
her mind to investigate change in disclosure over time by low cost airlines.

Q.3- Do you think Emma was correct in her decision not to carry out
interviews? Give reasons for your answer?

Ans:

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No, she was not correct in deciding not to carry out interviews. She could
take it because she had access to the sum of the management that would be
useful in clarifying the topic. It can be used to help us to further explore the
research topic & provide us a feasible result .Interviews help to collect the data as
well as to gain knowledge from individuals must be addressed i.e concealment &
confidentiality.

CASE 3
Complexity theory and emergent change

Q.1 Why is it important for your research investigation that you be

critical when reviewing the literature?

Ans:
 Critical review helps us to develop a good understanding and insight
into the relevant previous research and the trends that have merged.
 Critical review also helps us to develop a theoretical or conceptual
approach.
 It also helps us to refine further your research questions and objectives.
 It highlights research possibilities that have been overlooked implicitly
in research to date;

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 To discover recommendation for further research

 To discover and provide an insight into research approaches, strategies,
techniques that may be appropriate to research question and objectives.

Q.2 What might Sarah’s project tutor mean by suggesting that a

critical literature review should be ‘balanced’?

Ans:
When the project tutor was suggesting Sarah to develop a more balanced
approach, it was an invitation to be discerning – to weigh up the evidence
supporting different claims and make judgments about which to accept and
why. The project tutor was guiding Sarah to apply her balanced discernment
in way of a constructive, not destructive, purpose. Sarah’s constructive

purpose was to emerge from her review of the literature with a clear idea of
how to study change in university student clubs. She needed to consider the
ways in which complexity of theory might still inform her investigation; even
some of the claims about it were not supported by extensive evidence.

Q.3 What does Sarah need to do to develop a literature review which

is sufficiently critical, yet also sufficiently balanced?

Ans:
At the heart of the critical literature review is the simple question Is
there adequate evidence for this claim?, and most of that judgment is based on
what one can see in the text, so you do not need to be an expert to do it. The
judgment does also depend on figuring out what counts as adequate evidence,
though, and that does take some experience to learn. This is why it is

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important to read other peoples’ critical evaluations of the literature. Such

publications provide important pointers about what weight to give different
types of evidence. We can identify three key things that Sarah needs to do, to
develop balance in her critical literature review.

Case 4
Consultancy research for a not-for-profit
organization

Q.1 How does pragmatism differ from post-positivism and

interpretivism & are there some shared beliefs?

Ans:
Pragmatism occurs when it is unrealistic in practice of choosing between one
position and another. Research is situated in relation to two paradigms: Positivist
& interprivist.  On the one hand he believes that these metaphysical debates are
relevant to a philosophical understanding of research, and how we 'come to
know' what we claim to know (and what we claim to have found out from
research). But on the other hand, he worries that some researchers spend so long
debating the metaphysical questions that they fail to 'get on' and do research
which is useful to society. He suspects that some researchers feel constrained
believing that, the paradigm prescribes the method: the positivist paradigm

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prescribes quantitative methods; the interpretivist paradigm prescribes

qualitative methods; and each paradigm rejects the methods used by the 'other
side'.  As he reads more about research design, he comes to realize that in fact
the distance between post-positivists and interpretivists is not as great as it might
seem. There are important points of agreement: for example, post-positivists and
interpretivists agree that our understanding of reality is constructed, and that
research is influenced by the values of the researchers and the theoretical
frameworks they use.

Q.2- How can Thomas respond if Jennifer insists on a pure qualitative

method?

Ans:
Thomas will not respond well because a good research design involves mixed
methods. Qualitative & quantitative both are compatible. The decisions that
which method to use (qualitative & quantitative) depends on research questions
and research cycle i.e deductive and inductive reasoning.

Q.3-If pragmatism occurs that the research questions should drive

the choice of research methods, how can Thomas be sure of the
quality of research?

Ans:
The quality of the research depends upon the method it adopt to conduct
research. A good researcher should identify the research design which is
appropriate for the research question and the technique which is used to collect
the data. And in this case mixed method is most suitable.

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CASE 5

Managing the acquisition from the middle

Q.1 How can Kevin’s management project be his research project?

Ans:

While in the past the research demand was of outsiders but due to his
insider action research enable him to the process of observers who are
committed to making change happen. His insider role was the main element of his
research project because of his insider role he can understand his peoples’ issues
and how they tries to solve these issues and how he managing his role as a
manager and researcher and how he manage the politics inside the organization
ensures the success of his research project and career.
Q2. How can Kevin contribute to both his company’s successful
implementation of the acquisition and to understanding mergers and
acquisitions?

Ans:

As Kevin Action research was central part of his research. Action research
seeks to contribute both to effective action and to knowledge. Intended

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knowledge is useful to the world of Practice. He began reading academic

literature on merger and acquisition and on managing change he began to hold
meetings with employees and constantly articulates what he is trying to do.

3. Are Kevin’s political concerns a distraction from his research or

are they integral to it?

Ans:

Kevin’s political concerns were the integral part of his research if he did not
move with the political concerns it can be in the result of his damaging career
because he has to act as political entrepreneur where he has to perform his
backstage role while dealing with conflicts regarding to merger and acquisition
which need to include how the politics of merger and acquisition collaborate
among different departments

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CASE 6

Gaining access to business angels networks

Q.1 Which factors helped Stephanie getting access to these highly

sought-after organizations?

Ans:

 Have a topic that is interesting to the people you are approaching.

 get informed as much as possible about the people you speak to and about
the company you are dealing with
 Show your credibility
 Explain properly what your objectives are
 Show anonymity and confidentiality to your respondents
 Be a perfectionist
 Be persistence and professional
 Include your complete contact details at the end of every email.
 Make sure that you address the right people

Q.2 What problems did Stephanie face in the access negotiation stage
of her project? How did she overcome these?

Ans:

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As Stephanie didn’t have access to the business organization she was much
more dependent on intermediaries so that she would enable to get access to
these business organization she began to use existing contacts in order to develop

her new contacts to the business organization to get to the access to gate keeper
for this purpose she began to attend a number of investment events, start making
phone calls and at the end of each phone conversation she asked the respective
Business Angel network manager that if she could send them brief email
summarizing the main points of their conversation. Due to Stephanie’s’
persistence, professionalism, perfectionism and good preparation most Business
Angel network manager respond to her positively.

Q.3 What access negotiation techniques has Stephanie applied in her

project?

Ans:
 Telephone
 Email summaries
 Organize account of communications
 Networking meetings

Q.4 What are the downsides of these access negotiation techniques?

Ans:
 Time consuming;
 only works if there is a sufficient backing from important organizations

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 ethical issues with regard to asking for permission to use quotes

 there is a need to be disciplined and keep the record and spreadsheets
updated otherwise there is a chance of losing credibility

CASE 7

Implementing strategic change initiatives

Q.1 Outline the advantages and disadvantages of Mo Cheng’s

decision to pilot her questionnaire with her friends.

Ans:
To employ the questionnaire a pilot has to be used. So, there will not be a
problem when answering the answer and while recording data by the side of
respondent. Additionally, obtaining some assessment of the questions can be
abled by the researcher due to pilot test and collected data can be made valid and
reliable also, Though Cheng had pilot tested with her friends without the
knowledge of reference of the literature and thoughts about the relevancy of the
group of pilots. And therefore, contestants and the final respondents of pilot
were not from the identical population so she was more confused than earlier.

Q.2 Critically review Mo Cheng’s approach to sampling and her

subsequent data collection strategy. Can Mo Cheng meet her stated
objective?

Ans:

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Researchers have to face with the challenge of choosing sample that are
the representative of the population when deciding her sampling design and
technique Mo Cheng also face the same problem. She followed a classical
sampling strategy of first defining her target population as all middle-ranking
army officers in her country before determining her sampling frame as the officers
in post in her city.

However, the total number of officers was only estimation by her father and she
was unable to provide a list for her sampling frame. She was keen to collect 125
responses it was based on derived using a formula from her text book. She had
relied on her father to distribute and collect the questionnaires on her behalf. No
effort was made to screen to eliminate inappropriate elements or to prevent
inadvertent omissions. In doing so, she had ignored traditional probability
sampling principles of equal chance selection. Mo Cheng can still achieve her
objective, even when using a non-probability sampling technique. What she
should avoid is to make claims that the study results can be generalized to a wider
population.

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