The Essence of Research Methodology

by Jonker, Jan; Pennink, Bartjan

ISBN13: 9783540716587

ISBN10: 3540716580

Format: Hardcover

Pub. Date: 2010-04-03

Publisher(s): Springer Verlag

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Summary

This publication is designed to provide Master and PhD students with a concise introduction to doing research in organisations. The aim is to offer them the knowledge to make well-reasoned methodological choices. The text is intended as a concise yet hand-on introduction to help students to understand what structuring and designing a research implies. The book contains more then fifty practical examples, exercises, discussions and short case studies. These are aimed at showing how to apply a particular methodology in a specific context. Short footnotes draw attention to more fundamental theoretical, ontological or epistemological issues. Criteria are listed making it possible to judge the quality of the results. At the end of the book various checklists are provided to help students structure their research activities and reflect on key issues and choices to be made. A special feature of this book is an extensive comparative glossary of the methodological terms and notions.

Author Biography

Dr. J. Jonker is an associate professor and research fellow at the Nijmegen School of Management of the Radboud University Nijmegen (Holland). His main research interest focuses on organisational change, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and business strategy. He is a visiting professor at the University of Nottingham (UK), Versailles and Toulouse (France). He has written several books and numerous articles. He combines his academic work with business consulting, thus staying in touch with different discourses and realities. Dr. B.J.W. Pennink is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Business Administration of the State University Groningen (Holland) where he mainly teaches courses in research methodology to undergraduates and graduates in different Master programs. In addition, he lectures at the Academy for Management (Enschede) and was a visiting lecturer at the University of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso between 1991 and 2005.They both have been lecturers in Qualitative Methodology for the Dutch Organisation for Business Research (NOBEM) between 1989 and 2004. NOBEM is a network between universities across The Netherlands providing methodology courses for PhD students in the field of business studies. This book is based on precious and pleasurable experience gained teaching together for more then a decade. A concise edition of this book appeared in Dutch under the title "De Kern van Methodologie" (2000 and 2004), published by Royal Van Gorcum Publishers (Assen).

Looking at Research	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Looking at Reality	p. 3
Problematising	p. 5
Problem Stakeholders	p. 7
Conducting Research	p. 9
The Nature of a Research Question	p. 11
Open and Closed Questions	p. 11
Linking the Research Question, Problem and Goal	p. 13
Problem Definition	p. 13
The Position and Role of the Researcher	p. 15
What Is Methodology?	p. 17
Chapter Summary	p. 18
References	p. 19
The Essence of Methodology	p. 21
Introduction	p. 21
Search Behaviour: From Problem to Answer	p. 23
The Research Pyramid	p. 25
Basic Attitude Matching ‘Search Behaviour’	p. 26
Basic Approach	p. 27
Positivism	p. 29
Constructivism	p. 29
Methodology: Not a Map, But a Domain	p. 31
Methodology and Method	p. 33
Methods	p. 33
Techniques: Thinking and Acting	p. 34
Data Techniques	p. 36
The Distinction Between Qualitative and Quantitative Research	p. 38
Research Design	p. 39
Chapter Summary	p. 40
References	p. 41
Conceptual Models	p. 43
Introduction	p. 43
Defining a (Conceptual) Model	p. 44
Maps and Models	p. 44
Properties of Conceptual Models	p. 45
Theory and Conceptual Models	p. 46
The Functions of a Conceptual Model in Designing Research	p. 47
Question: Open or Closed?	p. 50
Role of a Conceptual Model with a Closed Question	p. 51
Role of a Conceptual Model with an Open Question	p. 53
Constructing a Conceptual Model	p. 55
Chapter Summary	p. 56
References	p. 57
Conceptualising Methodology	p. 58
Conceptualising Methodology	p. 58
The Social Origins of Problems	p. 58
Instrumentality	p. 59
Intervention	p. 60
Measurability	p. 60
Theory	p. 60
Subjectivity	p. 61
Ontology	p. 61
Epistemology	p. 62
Deontology	p. 62
Finally: The Role of the Researcher	p. 62
References	p. 63
Quantitative Research	p. 65
Introduction	p. 65
The Box of Bricks: Closed Question	p. 66
Quantitative Paradigm	p. 69
Quantitative Methodology	p. 71
Quantitative Methods and Techniques	p. 72
Quantitative Research Criticised	p. 73
Chapter Summary	p. 74
References	p. 74
Qualitative Research	p. 77
Introduction	p. 77
The Box of Bricks: Open Question	p. 78
Qualitative Paradigm	p. 80
Qualitative Methodology	p. 81
Qualitative Methods	p. 83
Example 1: Grounded Theory (GT)	p. 84
The GT Instructions	p. 84
Example 2: Chain Reasoning According to Toulmin	p. 85
The Instructions of Chain Reasoning	p. 85
Example 3: Action Research	p. 86
Guidelines for Action Research	p. 86
Qualitative Techniques	p. 87
Qualitative Research Criticised	p. 88
Box 5.7: Analysing a simple conversation (2)	p. 89
Chapter Summary	p. 88
References	p. 90
Combining a Qualitative and Quantitative Approach in One Research Design	p. 91
Combining a Qualitative and Quantitative Approach in One Research Design	p. 91
Introduction	p. 92
Phase 1: Observing and Deducing	p. 92
Phase 2: Theorising and Conceptualising	p. 93
Phase 3: Interpretation and Application	p. 94
Combining the Best of Both	p. 94
Using the Nature of the Question for a Multi-method Approach	p. 95
References	p. 96
Assessing Your Research	p. 97
Introduction	p. 97
Juggling with Requirements and Criteria	p. 99
Classification of Criteria	p. 99
In Advance	p. 99
During	p. 100
Afterwards	p. 101
Quantitative Requirements	p. 103
Qualitative Requirements	p. 103
Responsibility Assessment	p. 105
Criticism	p. 106
Quantitative	p. 107
Qualitative	p. 107
Chapter Summary	p. 108
References	p. 109
Acting and Organising	p. 111
Introduction	p. 111
Acting	p. 113
Action Repertoire	p. 115
Reflecting	p. 116
Normal Organisational Actions in Relation to Research Action	p. 118
Knowing	p. 118
Justifying	p. 119
Acting and Organising	p. 120
Design and Change	p. 121
Patriarch Lewin	p. 122
Criticism	p. 123
Action and Designing	p. 123
Methodology and Technique	p. 124
Chapter Summary	p. 126
References	p. 126
Elaborating Your Own Research Design	p. 127
Introduction	p. 127
The Research Proposal	p. 128
A Summary in the Form of Questions	p. 130
Checklist for assessing a Master Thesis or Dissertation	p. 134
Title and Structure	p. 134
Readability	p. 135
Justification	p. 135
Maintenance	p. 135
Epilogue	p. 136
References	p. 136
Comparative Glossary	p. 137
Epilogue	p. 165
References Glossary	p. 169
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The Essence of Research Methodology

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