Chapter 4. Research Design

Slide 5.
Chapter 4
Formulating the research design
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.2
Underlying issues of data collection and

analysis
"Well begun is half done“

--Aristotle, quoting an old proverb
Slide 5.3
Underlying issues of data collection and

analysis
Research design focuses upon turning a

research question and objectives into a
research project. It considers:
• Research strategies
• Research choices and
• Time horizons
Slide 5.4
Research Design and Tactics

The research onion
Saunders et al, (2009)
Slide 5.5
Research Design
The research design needs
• Clear objectives derived from the research question
• To specify sources of data collection
• To consider constraints and ethical issues
• Valid reasons for your choice of design
Slide 5.6
The Process of Research Design
As you start thinking about your research question(s)

you will also be thinking of the purpose of your
research
Slide 5.7
Classification of the research purpose
• Exploratory research
• Descriptive research
• Explanatory research
Slide 5.8
Exploratory research:
Find out what is happening, to clarify your understanding
of a problem.
• 3 ways for conducting:

– A search of the literature
– Interview experts in the subject
– Conducting focus group interviews
Flexible and adaptable to change

Slide 5.9
• Descriptive research:
• Its object is to portray an accurate profile of persons,
events or situations.
• Usually a research cannot be simply descriptive since

the reader’s reaction would be SO WHAT?
So it is a means to an end, not an end in itself
Slide 5.10
• Explanatory research:
• Studies that establish causal relationships between
variables
Slide 5.11
Research Strategies
Experiment Action research
Grounded theory Survey
Ethnography Case study
Archival research
Slide 5.12
Research Strategies
An experiment will involve
• Definition of a theoretical hypothesis

• Selection of samples from know populations
• Random allocation of samples
• Introduction of planned intervention
• Measurement on a small number of dependent
variables
• Control of all other variables
Slide 5.13
Research Strategies
A classic experiment strategy
Figure 5.2 A classic experiment strategy

Slide 5.14
Research Strategies
Survey: key features
• Popular in business research

• Perceived as authoritative
• Allows collection of quantitative data
• Data can be analysed quantitatively
• Samples need to be representative
• Gives the researcher independence
Slide 5.15
Research Strategies
Case Study: key features
• Provides a rich understanding of a real life context

• Uses and triangulates multiple sources of data
A case study can be categorised in four ways

and based on two dimensions:
single case v. multiple case (more ability to generalize)

holistic case(choose 1 organization as a whole)
v. embedded case(some departments or activities)
Yin (2003)
Slide 5.16
Research Strategies
Action research: key features
• Research IN action - not ON action focusing on the purpose

• Involvement of practitioners in the research
• The researcher becomes part of the organisation
• Promotes change within the organisation
Slide 5.17
Research Strategies
Grounded theory: key features
Inductive deductive approach
• Theory is built through induction and deduction
• Helps to predict and explain behaviour
• Develops theory from data generated by

observations
• Is an interpretative process, not a logico-deductive

one
Based on Suddaby (2006)
Slide 5.18
Research Strategies
Ethnography: key features
Inductive approach
• Aims to describe and explain the social world

inhabited by the researcher
• Takes place over an extended time period
• Is naturalistic
• Involves extended participant observation
Slide 5.19
Research Strategies
Archival research: key features
• Uses administrative records and documents as

the principal sources of data
• Allows research questions focused on the past
• Is constrained by the nature of the records and

documents
• Example: historical research
Slide 5.20
Research Strategies
The role of the practitioner-researcher
Key features
• Research access is more easily available

• The researcher knows the organisation
• Has the disadvantage of familiarity
• The researcher is likely to their own assumptions
and preconceptions
• The dual role requires careful negotiation
Slide 5.21
Multiple research methods

Research choices

Figure 5.4 Research choices
Slide 5.22
Multiple method
refers to those combinations where we use more than one data
collection technique but restricted within either quantitative or
qualitative world view.
Mixed method approach

Refers to an approach where both , quantitative and qualitative data
collection techniques are used.
Slide 5.23
Reasons for using mixed method designs:
• Triangulation
• Facilitation
• Complementarity
• Generality
• Aid interpretation
• Study different aspects
• Solving a puzzle
Slide 5.24
Time Horizons
Select the appropriate time horizon
• Cross-sectional studies the study of a phenomenon at

a particular time. Because of time restrictions
• Longitudinal studies it has the capacity to study change

and development
Slide 5.25
Credibility of research findings

Important considerations
• Reliability extent to which your data collection techniques

will yield consistent findings.
• Validity concerned with whether findings are really about

what they appear to be about .
• Generalization whether findings may be equally applicable

to other research settings such as other organizations
Slide 5.26
Summary: Chapter 5
Research design turns a research question and
objectives into a project that considers
Strategies Choices Time horizons
Research projects can be categorised as
Exploratory Descriptive Explanatory
Research projects may be
Cross-sectional Longitudinal
Slide 5.27
Summary: Chapter 5
Important considerations
• The main research strategies may combined in

the same project
• The opportunities provided by using multiple

methods
• The validity and reliability of results
• Access and ethical considerations

Chapter 4. Research Design

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Slide 5.

Underlying issues of data collection and

"Well begun is half done“

Underlying issues of data collection and

Research design focuses upon turning a

Research Design and Tactics

Saunders et al, (2009)

• Clear objectives derived from the research question

• To specify sources of data collection

• To consider constraints and ethical issues

• Valid reasons for your choice of design

The Process of Research Design

As you start thinking about your research question(s)

Classification of the research purpose

Classification of the research purpose

• 3 ways for conducting:

Flexible and adaptable to change

Classification of the research purpose

• Usually a research cannot be simply descriptive since

So it is a means to an end, not an end in itself

Classification of the research purpose

Experiment Action research

Grounded theory Survey

Ethnography Case study

An experiment will involve

• Definition of a theoretical hypothesis

Saunders et al, (2009)

Figure 5.2 A classic experiment strategy

• Popular in business research

• Provides a rich understanding of a real life context

A case study can be categorised in four ways

single case v. multiple case (more ability to generalize)

• Research IN action - not ON action focusing on the purpose

• Theory is built through induction and deduction

• Helps to predict and explain behaviour

• Develops theory from data generated by

• Is an interpretative process, not a logico-deductive

• Aims to describe and explain the social world

• Takes place over an extended time period

• Involves extended participant observation

Archival research: key features

• Uses administrative records and documents as

• Allows research questions focused on the past

• Is constrained by the nature of the records and

• Research access is more easily available

Multiple research methods

Saunders et al, (2009)

Multiple research methods

Mixed method approach

Multiple research methods

Reasons for using mixed method designs:

Select the appropriate time horizon

• Cross-sectional studies the study of a phenomenon at

• Longitudinal studies it has the capacity to study change

Credibility of research findings

• Reliability extent to which your data collection techniques

• Validity concerned with whether findings are really about

• Generalization whether findings may be equally applicable

Strategies Choices Time horizons

Research projects can be categorised as

Exploratory Descriptive Explanatory

Research projects may be

• The main research strategies may combined in

• The opportunities provided by using multiple