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Research Methods for Business
A Skill Building Approach Eighth Edition
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Chapter 2
The scientific approach and alternative approaches to investigation
Hallmarks of scientific research:
Hallmarks or main distinguishing characteristics of scientific (good) research:
– Purposiveness – Rigor
– Testability – Replicability
– Precision and Confidence – Objectivity
– Generalizability – Parsimony
Hypothetico-Deductive Research
The Seven-Step Process in the Hypothetico- Deductive Method
– Observation
– Preliminary information gathering – Theory formulation
– Hypothesizing – Data collection – Data analysis
– Interpretation of data
Deduction and Induction
Deductive research: a process where one starts with a general theory (often in the form of a hypothesis or proposition) and then collects specific data to test this theory.
– Hypothesis testing
Inductive research: a process where we observe specific phenomena and on this basis arrive at general conclusions.
– Counting white swans
Both inductive and deductive processes are often used in (fundamental and applied) research.
Alternative approaches to what makes good research
Positivism
Constructionism
The middle ground:
– Critical realism – Pragmatism
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Positivism
Scientific research is the way to get to the truth (which is objective)
Role of researcher: to develop theory
Rigour and replicability, reliability, and generalizability
Key approach: experiment
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Constructionism
The world as we know it is fundamentally mentally constructed
Aim to understand the rules people use to make sense of the world, to describe
Research methods are often qualitative in nature
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Critical realism
There is an external reality but we cannot always objectively measure this external reality
Replication and building on the research of others is a way to move closer to the truth
The critical realist is critical of our ability to understand the world with certainty
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Pragmatism
Does not take a particular position on what makes good research
Research on both objective and subjective phenomena can produce useful knowledge
Relationship between theory and practice
Purpose of theory is to inform practice
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A pragmatic approach
A pragmatic approach is often used to help the researcher to produce useful knowledge that
informs thinking, decision making, and/or actions of managers.
From a pragmatic perspective, the research effort is closely related to the type of problem that has triggered the research process.
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‘Fixing situations that are broken
A change process is often set in motion when a
manager notices that the existing situation is not in line with a desired situation or with a certain norm or standard.
When this is the case, a manager has an action problem. An action problem is called an action problem because (in the end) there is only one way to solve the problem; to take action.
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Examples of action problems
Staff turnover is much higher (14%) than the average staff turnover (6%) in the industry.
Customers are not satisfied with the services of the organization.
The company’s market share is lower than required.
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Role of research
When the manager wants to reach a specific
objective (think for instance, 6% staff turnover), but does not know how he or she can (best) reach this objective, research is needed.
This type of research is called action-oriented
research (not to be confused with action research).
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Creating new business opportunities
There is no law that states that managers must wait for problems to be forced upon them.
They can take the initiative and create new opportunities before a problem even arises.
Along these lines, a second situation that often calls for more complex research can be created; a situation where managers create their own
decision problems.
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