The forced decline in focus of gas vehicles in the car industry
Prof. Reinford
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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