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BB_Khal_BUSI_301_Ch_6.pptx

Research Design & Strategies

Ch. 6

Research Design & Strategies

Research design: a blueprint or plan for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data, created to answer your research questions.

A research strategy is a plan for achieving a your research goal (s). It helps you to meet your research objective(s) and to answer the research questions of your study.

The choice for a particular research strategy depends on the research objective(s) and (the type of) research questions of your study, but also on your viewpoint on what makes good research.

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Research Strategies

Major Research Strategies

Experiments

Survey Research

Ethnography

Case studies

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Case studies

Experiments

Experiments are usually associated with a hypothetico-deductive approach to research. The purpose of an experiment is to study causal relationships between variables. Experimental designs are less useful or appropriate for answering exploratory and descriptive research questions.

In an experiment, the researcher manipulates the independent variable to study the effect of this manipulation on the dependent variable. In other words, the researcher deliberately changes a certain variable (or certain variables),

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for instance “reward system”, to establish whether (and to what extent) this change will produce a change in another variable, in this example “productivity”. The simplest experimental design is a two-group, post-test-only, randomized experiment, where one group gets a treatment, for instance “piece wages”. The other group (the comparison group, in this example the “hourly wages” group) does not get the treatment. Subjects (workers) are randomly assigned to the groups and hence the researcher is able to determine whether the productivity of the two groups is different after the treatment. Later on in this chapter, we will have more to say about the extent of researcher interference with the study and the study setting. This will help us to make a distinction among field experiments and lab experiments. Chapter 10 discusses lab experiments and field experiments, manipulation, controlling “nuisance” variables, factors affecting the validity of experiments, and various types of experiments in considerable detail.

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Survey research

A survey is a system for collecting information from or about people to describe, compare, or explain their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior (Fink, 2003).

The survey strategy is very popular in business research, because it allows the researcher to collect quantitative and qualitative data on many types of research questions. Indeed, surveys are commonly used in exploratory and descriptive research to collect data about people, events, or situations.

The questions in survey instruments are typically arranged into self-administered questionnaires that a respondent completes on his or her own, either on paper or via the computer.

Other survey instruments are interviews and structured observation.

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Ethnography

Ethnography is a research strategy that has its roots in anthropology. It is a strategy in which the researcher “closely observes, records, and engages in the daily life of another culture […] and then writes accounts of this culture, emphasizing descriptive detail” (Markus & Fischer, 1986, p. 18).

Ethnography involves immersion in the particular culture of the social group that is being studied (such as, for instance, bankers in the City of London), observing behavior, listening to what is said in conversations, and asking questions. It thus aims to generate an understanding of the culture and behavior of a social group from an “insider's point of view.”(Sekaran 97-98)

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Case studies

Case study focuses on collecting information about a specific object, event or activity, such as a particular business unit or organization. In case studies, the case is the individual, the group, the organization, the event, or the situation the researcher is interested in. The idea behind a case study is that in order to obtain a clear picture of a problem one must examine the real-life situation from various angles and perspectives using multiple methods of data collection.

a case study can be defined as a research strategy that involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context using multiple methods of data collection (Yin, 2009).

It should be noted that case studies may provide both qualitative and quantitative data for analysis and interpretation.

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Population to be Studied See the book for detail p 105-106

Unit of analysis:

Individuals

Dyads

Groups

Organizations

Cultures

Study Setting

Contrived: artificial setting

Non-contrived: the natural environment where work proceeds normally

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Time Horizon of Studies

Cross-sectional studies

Snapshot of constructs at a single point in time

Use of one sample at one point in time

Multiple cross-sectional studies

Constructs measured at multiple points in time

Use of different sample at multiple points in time

Longitudinal studies

Constructs measured at multiple points in time

Use of the same sample at multiple points in time = a true panel

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Data Collection Methods: Introduction and Interviews

Primary data collection methods: ways in which data collected from original sources for the specific purpose of the study can be gathered.

Business is largely a social phenomenon. Much of the information needed to make decisions in the work setting has to come from people. That is why the survey strategy is very popular in business research.

The three main data collection methods in survey research are interviews, observation, and questionnaires.

A thorough knowledge of these methods will help you to evaluate alternative approaches to primary data collection. Problems researched with the use of appropriate methods greatly enhance the value of the study.

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Interviews

An interview is a guided, purposeful conversation between two or more people.

Unstructured interviews:

the interviewer does not enter the interview setting with a planned sequence of questions to be asked of the respondent.

Structured interviews:

Conducted when it is known at the outset what information is needed.

The interviewer has a list of predetermined questions to be asked of the respondents either personally, through the telephone, or via the computer.

Semi structured interviews:

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Personal Interview Face to Face

Advantages

Can clarify doubts about questionnaire

Can pick up non-verbal cues

Relatively high response/cooperation

Special visual aids and scoring devises can be used

Disadvantages

High costs and time intensive

Geographical limitations

Response bias / Confidentiality difficult to be assured

Some respondents are unwilling to talk to strangers

Trained interviewers

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Telephone Interview

Advantages

Discomfort of face to face is avoided

Faster / Number of calls per day could be high

Lower cost

Disadvantages

Interview length must be limited

Low response rate

No facial expressions

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Group Interviews

Focus groups consist typically of eight to ten members with a moderator leading the discussions on a particular topic, concept, or product.

Focus group research is a generic term for any research that studies how groups of people talk about a clearly defined issue. An expert panel is a group of people specifically convened by the researcher to elicit expert knowledge and opinion about a certain issue.

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Observation

Observation involves going into ‘the field’, - the factory, the supermarket, the waiting room, the office, or the trading room - watching what workers, consumers, or day traders do, and describing, analyzing, and interpreting what one has seen.

The observation aspect

Finding a ‘sponsor’

Obtaining permission

Establishing rapport

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Examples

Shadowing a Wall Street broker engaged in his daily routine.

Observing in-store shopping behavior of consumers via a camera.

Sitting in the corner of an office to observe how a merchant bank trader operates.

Working in a plant to study factory life.

Studying the approach skills of sales people disguised as a shopper.

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Questionnaire Design

Definition

A questionnaire is a pre-formulated, written set of questions to which the respondent records his/her answers

Steps

Determine the content of the questionnaire

Determine the form of response

Determine the wording of the questions

Determine the question sequence

Write cover letter

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Table 9.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Questionnaires
Mode of data collection Advantages Disadvantages
Personally administered questionnaire is a self-administered (paper and pencil) questionnaire that is distributed by the researchers or his/her assistant to participants. Can establish rapport and motivate respondent. Doubts can be clarified. Less expensive when administered to 
groups of respondents. Almost 100% response rate ensured. Anonymity of respondent is high. Explanations may introduce a bias. Take time and effort.
Mail questionnaires are self-administered (paper and pencil) questionnaires that are sent to respondents via the mail. Anonymity is high. Wide geographic regions can be reached. Token gifts can be enclosed to seek compliance. Old-fashioned and obsolete. Respondent can take more time to respond at convenience. Can be administered electronically, if desired. Response rate is almost always low. A 30% rate is quite acceptable. Cannot clarify questions. Follow-up procedures for nonresponses are necessary.
Electronic questionnaires online questionnaires are posted on the Internet (e.g., social networks) or sent via email or mobile phones Easy to administer. Can reach globally. Easy to access specific target groups. Very inexpensive. Fast delivery. Respondents can answer at their convenience like the mail questionnaire. Automatic processing of answers. Computer literacy is a must. Sampling issues. High non-response. Not always possible to generalize findings. Respondent must be willing to complete the survey. People find invitations via e-mail rude and offensive; mails are deleted or people complain.

Questionnaires

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2. Response Format

Closed vs. Open-ended questions

Closed questions

Helps respondents to make quick decisions

Helps researchers to code

Open-ended question

First: unbiased point of view

Final: additional insights

Complementary to closed question: for interpretation purpose

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3. Question wording book page 146

Avoid double-barreled questions

"do you think that students should have more classes about history and culture?“

Do you think there is a good market for the product and that it will sell well?”

Avoid ambiguous questions and words

“To what extent would you say you are happy?”

Use of ordinary words

Avoid leading or biasing questions

Social desirability

Avoid recall depended questions

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Question Wording

Use positive and negative statements

ABC delivers high quality banking service

ABC has poor customer operational support

Avoid double negatives

“Which of the following comments would not be unwelcome in a work situation?” could be replaced with “Which of the following comments are acceptable in a work situation?”

Limit the length of the questions

Rules of thumb:

< 20 words

< one full line in print

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5. Cover Letter

The cover letter is the introductory page of the questionnaire

It includes a number of important issues:

See the next slide

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Survey monkey

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Question Wording

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