Research Methods 20.5.

2010, Aveiro Ville Saarikoski

ville.saarikoski@laurea.fi ville.saarikoski@welho.com

My background

Masters thesis 84 Nokia Oy 86-87 Area sales manager Nokia Asean, first Nokia radiolinks to South East Asia 87-89, KOP (present Nordea Bank) corporate analyst, South East Finland 85-86 and 96-99, Tekes Japan 89-96 HPY (present Elisa) operator, head of sme sales - Finnish market opened to competition 1994 99-03 Sonera, head of mobile R&D. A unit with c. 100 patent applications 03-06 a PhD thesis on the success factors of the mobile internet, see email scale free networks and the mobile internet http://thefeaturearchives.com/topic/Networks/Email__ScaleFree_Networks__and_the_Mobile_Internet.html 05-07 senior advisor, Tieke, The Finnish Information Society Development Centre. Principal lecturer, Laurea University of applied Sciences,07Member of the Board, Finnish Strategic Management society 2010-

Where I learnt something about researching: the case of the mobile Internet

The context in Japan was different and it was possible for the Japanese to make rational choices, which in the western context would have been irrational. The Japanese did not have a messaging media in their mobile => in 1999 they chose email to all handsets (all of the population) The Japanese did not have a SIM => content billing was built on a monthly flat rate business model Scientific grounding Path dependence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_dependence => Lesson: look at the context and search for a categorising attribute! What is different and what does it mean

1. Introduction

Based on one book: Saunders, Mark; Lewis, Philip; Thornhill, Adrian, Research methods for Business Students Based on experience in

teaching 1 st year Bachelor course teaching MBA course conducting research seminars to research to innovate to develop

Three different skills

1. Introduction - motivation

What jobs and professions are research oriented? What research do you have to do in your profession?

1. Introduction - Familiarising yourself with research

Look into the newspapers what research results do they report on. Is the methdo visible? What methods did they use? Look into scientific articles, HBR (Harvard Business Review) vs ASQ (Administartive Science Quarterly) collect examples of good research, interesting questionaires etc

1. Introduction

What are you interested in? What do you want to research? What is your favourite way of doing research/ data collection method/research method What area would you like to do research in? What are your favourite search words? What is your research topic, What is your research question? What do you want to know about research?

Lesson 1 The importance of motivation and collecting examples

2. What is research - My understanding of research

A tension exist between different theories and a study is conducted to solve the dilemma A tension exists between theory and practice and a study (research) is conducted to solve, the dilemma A practical problem that needs to be solved My metaphor: research is a puzzle. A puzzle in which a balance has to be found between theory, case (real life) and method and it leads to findings Research is correcting misstakes vs innovation which is jumping to conclusions Research is creating a view into a topic

2. What is research - Facts or Beliefs

Christensen, Clayton, Seeing whats next (2004): Somewhere along the line, I realized that the paralysis I was experiencing had its roots in a flawed paradigm that has much guided the way we train management the belief that decisions should be grounded in solid analysis of data. The problem with this paradigm is that when managers attempt to do something that has not been done before, or when the future is different from the past, the paradigm brakes down

2. What is research - The research cycle (process) in general

Introduction Research question Literature survey (link to theory, link to context) Method of research Data Data-analysis (including validity, reliabilty etc) Discussion and conclusion

2. What is research a project with a research proposal and a project plan, including timetable and expected deliverables

2. What is research - conclusion

Lesson 2:

The end result might look linear and straight forward, but in practice it is an iterative cycle (a process) that goes back and forth, a well told story, that follows a set of well defined rules Collect material from the beginning Keep a diary from the very beginning of the issues that concerned you

3. The research question attributes of a good research topic

Box 2.2 checklist p 22 Is it feasible

Is the topic something with which you are really fascinated? Do you have, or can you develop within the project time frame, the necessary research skills to undertake the topic? Is the research topic achievable within the available time? Will the project still be current when you finish your project? Is the research topic achievable within the financial resources that are likely to be available? Are you reasonably certain of being able to gain access to data you are likely to require for this topic?

3. The research question attributes of a good research topic

Box 2.2 checklist p 22 Appropriatness:Is it worth while? Does the topic fit the specifications and meet the standards set by the examining institution NOTE! Does your topic contain issues that have a clear link to theory? Are you able to state your research question(s) and objectives clearly? Will your proposed research be able to provide fresh insights into this topic? Does your research topic relate clearly to the idea you have been given (perhaps by an organisation)? Are the findings for this research topic likely to be symmetrical: that is, of similar value whatever the outcome? Does the research topic match your career goals? Note table 2.1 more frequently used techniques for generating and refining research ideas Lesson 3 The research question is your most important choice

4. Understanding the value of theory Scientific thinking simplified

Case e.g. flying Search for categorisation attributes e.g. birds have wings Correlation. E.g. everything that has wings can fly (corrrelation 100%). Note correlation does not mean cause and effect. One should have reason (i.e. a hypothesis/theory) before searching for correlation. Cause effect Man puts wings on his back and tries to fly. does not work. Search for new categorisation principle. Bernoullis theory of fluid mechanics. => generalisability e.g. applies both in water and air Test in different real life environments (turbulence thunder storms) for reliability and predictability in practice A single case in which the theory does not apply is enough to question the original theory. One searches for cases in which theory does not apply When an anomaly has been found one tries to narrow down the theory or search for a new theory

4. Understanding the value of theory theory is a simplification of real life, theory explains and predicts at best
The longer a person has success with a particular paradigm, the harder it is to let it go, when it no longer applies

4. Understanding the value of theory

Excercise 4. One day in the life of K-kauppias Huttunen i.e. how K-kauppias Huttunen (a suppermarket shop keeper) applies theory Lesson 4 connect theory with practice

5. The research design, the map, the research onion. Start by focusing on level 4, the research strategies (methods) and then learn the interdependencies

5. The research design, vs research strategy vs data collection method

Piecing together Collecting data Through observation: Participant observation, structured observation (chapter 9) Using semi-structured, in depth and group interviews (chapter 10) Using questionnaires (chapter 11) Research strategy (see pages 135-144): Experiment Survey Case study Action research Grounded theory Ethnography Archival research Sampling (chapter 7) Research design (cross sectional, longitudinal, mixed, mono or multimethod; qualitative/quantitative)

6 Learn to see method research strategy in use good science some times looks like magic, the card trick

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_research http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_study http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_survey http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experiment http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_methods

Note that research strategies are a more abstract level than data collection (survey, observation, interview)

5. The research design, connecting the pieces

Lesson 6, practice makes a champion. Learn the interdependencies of doing research by collecting practical experience

7. Understanding some of the more difficult issues

Reliability and validity Validity (Saunders et al 2007 p 614), (1) The extent to which data collection method or methods accurately measure what they were intended to measure. (2) The extent to which research findings are really about what they profess to be about. See also construct validity, criterion related validity, ecological validity, face validity, internal validity, mesurement validity, predictive validity Reliability (Saunders, Lewis, Thornhil 2007, p 609) The extent to which data collection technique or techniques will yield consistent findings, similar observations would be made or conclusions reached by other researchers or there is transparency in how sense was made from the raw data

7. Understanding some of the more difficult issues

Epistemology and Ontology (research philosophies chapter 4)

Epistemology concerns what constitutes acceptable knowledge in a field of study (e.g. resources researcher vs feelings researcher Ontology is concerned with the nature of reality

8. Scientific writting

Lesson 8

Learn to reference correcltly see the Harvard system Always use references, do not say anything without referencing. Keep a record of books and articles you have read, start creating your bibliography list now!

My research interest, e-learning and e-tools in business administration Example of change in education Task: creating an e-business laboratory
Do you know how to: create a web page, implement a viral marketing campaign do e-accounting, e-invoicing implement and work with an erp (enterprise planning system) create an e-survey search for scientific article document your processes electronically
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10. summary
Lesson 1. The importance of motivation Lesson 2: The end result might look linear and straight forward, but in practice it is an iterative cycle (a process) that goes back and forth, a well told story, that follows a set of well defined rules collect material from the beginning
Lesson 3: Read! Scientific papers, cases, books on how to conduct research document what you have read, e.g make a biography list, save what you have read e.g pdf files. write papers on what you have read from the perspective of how they effect/are present in your research As a beginner use one method book as your key source e.g. Research Methods for Business Students (Mark Saunders, Phillip Lewis, Adrain Thornhill) As a beginner focus on the elements (theory, method, scientific writting etc) and gardually learn the interdependencies e.g. how you treat theory effects your choice of method

10. Summary
Lesson 4: A good research question is the most important choice Lesson 5: connect theory with practice, understand the value of theory Lesson 5 Connect theory with practice, the value of theory Lesson 6 practice makes a champion. Learn the interdependencies of doing research by collecting practical experience Lesson 7, The importance of discussing validity and reliability The importance of understanding the limitations e.g. generalisability etc Lesson 8 Learn to reference correcltly see the Harvard system Always use references, do not say anything without referencing. Keep a record of books and articles you have read, start creating your bibliography list now!

4. Literature on doing research/ research methods, research strategies

Boje, D. M., Narrative Methods for Organizational and Communication Research, London, Sage Publications, 2001 Bryman, Alan; Bell, Emma, Business Research Methods, second edition, Oxford 2007, online resource centre Dul, Jan; Hak, Tony, Case Study Methodology in Business Research, Elsevier 2008 Finka Arlene, How to report on Surveys 2003, Glaser, B.; Strauss, A 1967. The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Mill Walley: Sociology Press. Roger Gomm, Martyn Hammersley and Peter Foster (ed), Case study method : key issues, key texts, London ; Thousand Oaks, 2000 Hair, Joseph F Jr.; Money, Arthur H.; Samouel, Phillip; Page Mike, Reserach methods for Business, 2007

4. Literature on doing research/ methods

Kagel, John H, Roth Alwin E, Handbook of experimental economics (experimentoiva, kokeilu) Krueger, Richard A; Casey, Anne Mary, A practical guide for applied research, 3 rd edition, Sage Publications Morgan John (ed), Advances in applied macroeconomics vol 13, experimental and behavioral economics 2005 Silverman, david, doing Qualitative research, second edition 2005 Saunders, Mark; Lewis, Philip; Thornhill, Adrian, Research methods for Business Students Sekaran, Uma, Research Methods for Business Research a skill building approach, fourth edition 2003 SPSS Survival Manual: A Step By Step Guide to Data Analysis Using SPSS for Windows Strauss, A. L.; Corbin, J., Basics of Qualitative resrearch: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques, Newbury Park, CA, Sage Strauss, A. L. 1987, Qualitative Analysis for social scientists, Cambridge University press Yin, R. K. (2003) Case Study Research: Design and Methods (alkup. 1984), Thousand Oaks Sage