Questions and Answers of Research Methods For Business Students

a The variables are ‘income’, ‘expenditure’ and ‘year’. There is no real need for a separate case identifier as the variable ‘year’ can also fulfil this function. Each case (year) is
a There is no one correct answer to this question as the number of variables will depend on the method used to code these descriptive data. If you choose the multiple-response method, five variables
a Park Trading Company – Income and Expenditure 2004–12.b Your diagram (it is hoped) emphasises the upward trends of expenditure and(to a lesser extent) income. It also highlights the conjunction
a You would probably use a scatter graph in which number of donations would be the dependent variable and number of viewers reached by the advertisement the independent variable.b This would enable
a The first thing you need to do is to establish the data type. As it is numerical, you could theoretically use all three measures of central tendency and both the standard deviation and
The probability of a chi square value of 2.845 with 9 degrees of freedom occurring by chance alone for these data is 0.970. This means that statistically the association between students’ degree
Your answer needs to emphasise that correlation analysis is used to establish whether a change in one variable is accompanied by a change in another. In contrast, regression analysis is used to
a These quantitative data are of different magnitudes. Therefore, the most appropriate technique to compare these data is index numbers. The index numbers for the two companies are:b The price of AE
able to understand the nature of qualitative data and appreciate the implications of this for their analysis;
able to evaluate different approaches to analyse your qualitative data(inductive or deductive);
able to identify the main issues that you need to consider when preparing your qualitative data for analysis including preparation to use computer aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS);
able to transcribe a recorded interview or notes of an interview or observation and create a data file for analysis by computer;
aware of different analytical aids to help you to analyse your qualitative data, including keeping a reflective or reflexive journal;
able to select an appropriate set of procedures to undertake qualitative data analysis;
able to describe and evaluate reasons for quantifying qualitative data as a means of analysis;
able to identify the common functions of CAQDAS and describe the issues associated with its use.
What types of data will you need to retain and file while you are undertaking qualitative research?
What are the main implications of using a deductive analytical approach for the way in which you conduct the process of qualitative analysis?
What are the main implications of using an inductive analytical approach for the way in which you conduct the process of qualitative analysis?
With a friend, obtain a transcript of an interview that has already been undertaken. If your university subscribes to online newspapers such as ft.com, these are a good source of business-related
Visit one of the CAQDAS websites listed in Table 13.3. Find and download a demonstration version of the CAQDAS package and explore its features. How useful do you think this will be for analysing
Find out whether your university provides you with access to the NVivo™ CAQDAS. If it does, visit this book’s companion website and download the self-teach package and associated data sets. Work
Did Stephanie organise her template analysis to make best use of her data? Could she have organised the template analysis differently?Stephanie is a part-time student conducting a masters in
We know that Stephanie conducted research in her own organisation and that she is a committed green activist. Should she have taken these issues into account as part of the analytic process and if
What other forms of qualitative data analysis could Stephanie have used and how would these have enabled her to address her research questions?Stephanie is a part-time student conducting a masters in
Jessica has already obtained statistical, visual and textual material including visual images of employees, and recruitment adverts (combining text and imagery). What other secondary data could she
Undertake your own search using online databases discussed in Chapter 8 and search engines such as Google or Bing for possible data to answer Jessica’s research question.Make notes about each
What methods of data analysis could Jessica use for each of these types of data you have identified?First of all, she thought about researching how theme parks manage the emotions of their employees.
There are a number of reasons why we may describe qualitative analysis as an ‘interactive process’. Analysis needs to occur during the collection of data as well as after it.This helps to shape
You will generate three broad types of data that you will need to retain and file as the result of undertaking qualitative research.The first of these may be referred to as raw data files. These are
A deductive analytical approach is one where you will seek to use existing theory to shape the approach that you adopt to the qualitative research process and to aspects of data analysis. An
There are a number of implications of using a deductive analytical approach for the way in which you conduct the process of qualitative analysis:• You will be in a position to commence your data
The main implications of using an inductive analytical approach for the process of qualitative analysis are likely to be related to:• managing and categorising a large number of code labels, which
view the writing of your project report as an exciting prospect;
write in such a way that you can reflect on all you have learned while conducting the research;
write a final project report that presents an authoritative account of your research;
adopt an appropriate format, structure and style for the final project report;
differentiate between a project report and a consultancy report;
ensure that your report meets the necessary assessment criteria;
plan and design an oral presentation of your report.
Look again at the quote from Wright Mills cited early in Section 14.5 . Rewrite this so that his idea is communicated to the reader in the clearest way possible.
There are other problems that must be avoided when repositioning sections of your report in the redrafting processes. What are they?
Share pieces of your writing with a group of your friends. Look at the example in Box 14.13and subject all the pieces to the ‘write clearer sentences’ test.
In what way did starting with the eight boxes limit or help Clare’s planning of her presentation?
What advice would you give Clare in relation to interacting with her audience more effectively?
In what ways might ‘telling them what you’re going to say, saying it, and then telling them what you’ve just said’ have helped Clare’s audience?
Even if you think you aren’t nervous, why is practising a presentation in front of a critical friend a good idea?
This is easier said than done. Start by going through your results chapter, continually asking yourself ‘Did I find this out?’ You will probably weed out a lot of things that you have thought
It will demonstrate good practice in two respects. First it will demonstrate that you have evaluated your research design. Second it will help you to evaluate how you would alter this design if you
Academic writing is often difficult to understand. This is not usually because the subject matter is complex or the thoughts profound. It is because the writer thinks it necessary to write in an
The ‘road map’ you announced in the introduction may not now be correct. The previews and summaries at the beginning and end of the relevant chapters may need changing. A more serious potential
You may emphasise the general point that preparation is very important, not least because this will help to overcome any nervousness that your friend will feel when he or she makes the presentation.
be able to outline the purpose and distinct focus of business and management research?
be able to place your research project on a basic–applied research continuum according to its purpose and context;?
understand the utility and importance of keeping a reflective diary;?
understand the stages you will need to complete (and revisit) as part of your research process;
have an overview of this book’s purpose, structure and features;?
be aware of some of the ways you can use this book.?
Examine Figure 1.2 What does this suggest about the need to plan and to reflect on and revise your ideas?
Revisit Table 1.2and look at the differences in management researcher and practitioner orientations for foci of interest, methodological imperatives, key outcomes and how each views the other. For
If Katie is correct, and evidence doesn’t necessarily tell managers the best way to take action, do we still need evidence?
Can Katie’s decision to submit a report she thinks is misleading be justified on ethical grounds?
In what ways are the kinds of research projects that most managers want to read likely to be different from the kinds of research projects that get high marks at university?
The features you outline are likely to include:•the transdisciplinary nature of business and management research;•the development of ideas that are related to practice and in particular the
The key differences between basic and applied research relate to both the purpose and the context in which it is undertaken. They are summarised in Figure 1.1.
Figure 1.2emphasises the importance of planning during your research project. Forward planning needs to occur at all stages up to submission. In addition, you will need to reflect on and to revise
identify the attributes of a good research topic?
generate ideas and explore sources that will help you to choose a suitable research topic?
refine your ideas to clarify your research topic?
turn research ideas into a research project that has a clear research question(s) and objectives?
draft a written research proposal?
For the workplace project for her professional course, Karen had decided to undertake a study of the effectiveness of the joint consultative committee in her NHS Trust. Her title was ‘An evaluation
Together with your colleagues, decide on the extent to which a set of research ideas constitute a ‘good research topic’ according to the checklist in Box
The set of topics you choose may be past ones obtained from your tutor that relate to your course.Alternatively, they may be those which have been written by you and your colleagues as preparation
Look through several of the academic journals which relate to your subject area. Choose an article which is based upon primary research. Assuming that the research question and objectives are not
Watch the news on television. Most bulletins will contain stories on research which has been carried out to report the current state of affairs in a particular field. Spend some time investigating
a Why is it important that George’s research draws upon existing theory?b At what point in the process should he identify a relevant model, theory or framework to guide his work?
George has identified the need for qualitative rather than quantitative methods in order to understand the phenomena that constitute co-production, co-creation and value. What ways of collecting data
George plans to collect his data from his fellow university students.a Is this a good idea?b What issues should George consider before commencing and why?
These may include:• To identify the management and trade union objectives for the Joint Consultative Committee and use this to establish suitable effectiveness criteria.• To review key literature
One starting point would be to ask your project tutor for suggestions of possible recent review articles or articles containing recommendations for further work that he or she has read. Another would
From the description given, it would appear that your colleague has considered only rational thinking techniques. It would therefore seem sensible to suggest two creative thinking techniques, as
Your answer will probably differ from that below. However, the sorts of things you could be considering include:• How do business organisations benefit from their liaison with schools?• Why do
Let us go back to the example used in the chapter of the supermarket marketing manager who theorises that the introduction of a loyalty card will mean that regular customers are less likely to shop
Try including a subsection in the background section that is headed ‘How the previous published research has informed my research questions and objectives’. Then show how, say, a gap in the
understand the importance and purpose of the critical literature review to your research project?
be able to adopt a critical perspective in your reading?
know what you need to include when writing your critical review?
be aware of the range of primary, secondary and tertiary literature sources available?
be able to identify search terms and to undertake online literature searches?
be able to evaluate the relevance, value and sufficiency of the literature found?
be able to reference the literature found accurately?
understand what is meant by plagiarism?
be able to apply the knowledge, skills and understanding gained to your own research project.
Generating an initial list of 25 keywords based on Meier’s prior experience, which were combined using Boolean operators to create search strings and discussed with a review panel of experts.
Identifying 83 high-quality peer-reviewed journals and subsequently searching their abstracts and titles using either the online databases Business Source Complete and Science Direct or, where this
Evaluating the title and abstract of the 365 articles retrieved against clear inclusion/exclusion criteria to establish their suitability, resulting in 71 relevant articles.
Using the reference lists from the 10 most frequently cited articles to identify further references.These further 684 articles were subject to the same inclusion/exclusion criteria, resulting in an
The following extract and associated references are taken from the first draft of a critical literature review. The research project was concerned with the impact of direct insurers on the
You are having considerable problems with finding relevant material for your research when searching online databases. Suggest possible reasons why this might be so.

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