RES 301

Introduction to
Research Methods
Learnin
g
After this class, you should be able to understand:
Outcom  What is Research?
es  What are the research types
 Saunders’ Research Onions
- Research Philosophies
- Research Approaches
- Methodological Choice
- Research Strategies
- Time horizon
- Techniques and procedures
 Course Overview

• This course will prepare you to acquire

appropriate skills and knowledge
needed to design effective and ethical
research investigations
 Research is an organised and
systematic way to find answers to
What
is questions
Research Research is a creative process
?
a process of enquiry and
investigation; it is systematic,
methodical and ethical.
Research helps to solve practical
problems and increase knowledge.
Research in common parlance
refers to a search for knowledge.
 Review or synthesise existing
What is knowledge
the Investigate existing situations or
purpos problems
e of Provide solutions to problems
researc Explore and analyse more general
h? issues
Construct or create new procedures
or systems
Explain new phenomenon
Generate new knowledge
…or a combination of any of the
above!
 Thoughts and opinions
What Attitudes
does
Habits
researc
h tell Culture
us? Norms
Scientific facts
 Basic Research: The main
What motivation is to expand man's
are knowledge, not to create or
researc invent something.
h
types?
There is no obvious
commercial value to the
discoveries that result from
basic research.

For example How did the

universe begin?
 Applied Research: is designed
to solve practical problems of
What the modern world, rather than
are to acquire knowledge for
researc knowledge's sake.
h
types? One might say that the goal of
the applied scientist is to
improve the human condition

It is undertaken to solve
immediate practical problem
and the goal of adding to the
scientific knowledge is
secondary
The Research Onion
 Research philosophy
What refers to the set of beliefs
is concerning the nature of
research the reality being
philosoph investigated.
y?
It is generally examined in
terms of ontology and
epistemology.

Saunders, Lewis., & Thornhill (2012)

 Epistemology: What Constitutes
Valid Knowledge and How Can We
Epistemol Obtain It?
– Positivism
ogy – Realism
and – Interpretivism
Ontology
Ontology: What Constitutes
Reality and How Can We
Understand Existence?
– Objectivism: makes you know a
social event and the different
meaning that different people attach
to it.
– Constructivism: proposes that it is
people that create social phenomena
 The belief about the ways in
which data about a
What
phenomenon should be
is
collected, analysed and used.
research
philosoph
y? There are two main positions
considered here, known as
positivism and interpretivism.

Others include realism and

pragmatism
Saunders et al. (2012)
 Origin in natural sciences
Only observable phenomena
Positivi
sm lead to credible data
Use existing theory to
formulate hypothesis
Collect data
Test hypothesis based on
statistical analysis of data
Confirm or reject hypothesis
 3 principles:
1. The world exists externally and
is viewed objectively
Positivi 2. Research is value-free
sm – ‘Facts are facts’ – no influence from
us
3. The researcher is independent,
taking the role of an objective
analyst.

Assumptions
1. The world is observed by
collecting objective facts.
2. The world consists of simple
elements to which it can be
reduced.
 Can the social world of business be explained
with the ‘law-like’ propositions of positivists?
Every business situation or social
Interpretiv phenomenon is complex, and unique!
ism A situation which is a function of
circumstances and individuals at a particular
time, seen from the point of view of the
individuals.
Research is done among people by people
(‘Social actors’)
Appropriate for fields such as organisational
behaviour, marketing, HR management and
other social sciences
 3 basic principles:
1. the social world is constructed
and is given meaning
subjectively by people
Interpretiv 2. the researcher is part of what is
ism observed
3. research is driven by interests
Assumptions:
1. The social world is observed by
seeing what meanings people
give to it and interpreting these
meanings from their viewpoint.
2. Social phenomena can only be
understood by looking at the
totality.
 Also known as Experientialism

Only those things that are

experienced or observed are real.
Pragmatis
Pragmatists believe reality
m constantly changes and that we
learn best by applying our
experiences and thoughts to
problems, as they arise.

There is no absolute and unchanging

truth, but rather, truth is what
works. Pragmatism is derived from
the teaching of Charles Sanders
Peirce (1839-1914), who believed
that thought must produce action,
rather than linger in the mind and
 Realists believe that reality exists
independent of the human mind.

The ultimate reality is the world of

Realism physical objects. The focus is on the
body/objects. Truth is objective-what
can be observed.

For example, a rose exists whether or

not a one is aware of it. A rose can
exist in the mind without being
physically present, but ultimately, the
rose shares properties with all other
roses and flowers (its form), however,
one rose could be red and another
blue.
Research
This is referring to the
Approach
? approach that the
researcher takes, which
can largely be described
as either inductive or
deductive.
 The deductive approach seeks to
test a hypothesis from an existing
theory
We might begin with a theory about
Research our topic of interest. We then narrow
down into more
Approach specific hypotheses that we can test.
?
The inductive approach is the
opposite. It is done with the aim of
generating theory.

Typically, a deductive approach is

associated with quantitative research
and an inductive approach is
associated with qualitative research
What are
research The strategy layer of the
strategie research onion refers to
s?
how the researcher
intends to carry out the
work, i.e. what method of
data collection will be
used
 Research Strategies

Experiment Action research

Grounded theory
Survey

Ethnography Case
study

Archival research
 An experiment will involve

• Definition of a theoretical hypothesis

Researc
h • Selection of samples from know
Strateg
populations
ies
• Random allocation of samples
• Introduction of planned intervention
• Measurement on a small number of
dependent variables
• Control of all other variables
 Survey: key features

Researc • Popular in business research

h • Perceived as authoritative
Strateg • Allows collection of quantitative data
ies • Data can be analysed quantitatively
• Samples need to be representative
• Gives the researcher independence
• Structured observation and interviews
can be used
 Case Study: key features

Provides a rich
Researc understanding of a real life
h context
Strateg Uses and triangulates
ies multiple sources of data

A case study can be

categorised in four ways
and based on two dimensions:

single case v. multiple case

holistic case v. embedded case
Yin (2003)
 Grounded theory: key
features

Researc
h
Helps to predict and
Strateg explain behaviour
ies
Develops theory from data
generated by observations

Is an interpretative
process, not a logico-
deductive one
Based on Suddaby (2006)
 Ethnography: key features

Aims to describe and explain

Researc
the social world inhabited by
h
the researcher
Strateg
ies
Takes place over an
extended time period

Is naturalistic

Involves extended
participant observation
 Archival research: key
features

Researc
Uses administrative
h
records and documents as
Strateg the principal sources of
ies data

Allows research questions

focused on the past

Is constrained by the
nature of the records and
documents
 Action research: key features

Research IN action - not ON

Researc action
h
Involves practitioners in the
Strateg research
ies
The researcher becomes part
of the organisation
Promotes change within the
organisation
Can have two distinct foci
(Schein, 1999) –
the aim of the research and
the needs of the sponsor
 The role of the practitioner
researcher
Key features
Researc Research access is more easily
h available
Strateg The researcher knows the
ies organisation
Has the disadvantage of
familiarity
The researcher is likely to their
own assumptions and
preconceptions
The dual role requires careful
negotiation
 The choices outlined in the
research onion include the mono
method, the mixed method, and
the multi-method.
Choices
The mono-method involves using
one research approach for the
study.
The mixed-methods required the
use of two or more methods of
research, and usually refers to the
use of both a qualitative and a
quantitative methodology.
In the multi-method, a wider
selection of methods is used
 Multiple research methods
Research choices

Saunders et al, (2009)

Figure 5.4 Research choices
 Mono Use one type of
Method information
Either qualitative or
quantitative
Not both!
 The distinction is that mixed
methods combines qualitative
Mixed/ and quantitative methods, while
Multi multi-methods uses two
Method qualitative methods
Mixed method
– Combines qualitative and
quantitative methodology to
create a single dataset
Multi-method
– mix of methods by combining two
or more qualitative methods or
two or more quantitative methods
in a single research study.
 Reasons for using mixed method designs:

• Triangulation
Mixed • Facilitation
Method • Complementarity
s • Generality
• Aid interpretation
• Study different aspects
• Solving a puzzle
Source: developed from Bryman (2006)
 The Time Horizon refers to the time
frame within which the project is
intended for completion. According to
the research onion, there are two
Time types of time horizons: cross-sectional
Horizon and the longitudinal.

The cross-sectional time horizon is

when there is a pre-set time
established for the collection of data.

A longitudinal time horizon refers to

the collection of data repeatedly over
an extended period, for example
when a person reaches a different age
or different seasons throughout the
year
 The final layer of the research
onion is techniques and
Data procedures. This is the section
Collection where you should make explicit
and exactly how and why you are
Analysis undertaking the research.

This can be referring to

primary data (data collected
first-hand for the research
project), or secondary data
(data that was collected by
somebody else and
subsequently published).
 You will need to make your
Data research design clear (more
Collection on this after the session on Lit.
and review), with valid
Analysis justifications for each stage.
This provides a framework
which includes the
considerations that led to the
appropriate methodology
being adopted, the way in
which the respondents were
selected, and how the data will
be analysed.
 In Summary….
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
 References
• Bryman, A., & Bell, E. E. (2011). Business research methods
(3rd eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Bell, E. E. & Bryman, A., Harley, B. (2022). Business research
methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2012). Research
methods for business students (6th ed.) Harlow. England: Pearson
Education
• Suddaby, R. (2006). From the editors: What grounded theory is
not. Academy of Management Journal, 49(4), 633-642.
• Yin, R. K. (2003). Designing case studies. Qualitative Research
Methods, 5(14), 359-386.

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Thank You
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