Research Business and Management

by Maylor, Harvey; Blackmon, Kate

• ISBN13: 9780333964071
• ISBN10: 0333964071
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-07-08
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

Maylor and Blackmon present a practical and highly accessible guide to business research methods. The approach is target driven: providing students with the tools to produce an excellent quality research project. The authors discuss each element of research, always explaining how it relates to the bigger picture of the whole project. This is an invaluable guide to defining, designing and doing research for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Companion Website: http://www.palgrave.com/business/maylorblackmon/index.htm

Author Biography

Harvey Maylor and Kate Blackmon are Lecturers at the School of Management, University of Bath.

Table of Contents

Preface to Lecturers	xx
Preface to Students	xxii
Introduction	xxiv
Acknowledgements	xxx
Part 1 Defining your research	1	(132)
What is business and management research? An introduction to the research process	3	(24)
Introduction	4	(1)
What is business and management research?	4	(5)
What is research?	5	(2)
What research is not!	7	(2)
Business and management research in wider context	9	(2)
Originality in research	9	(1)
Types of research activities	10	(1)
General issues for research projects	11	(1)
Before you get started	11	(16)
Why are you doing a research project?	13	(1)
Key players in the project	14	(4)
Summary	18	(1)
Answers to key questions	18	(1)
References	19	(1)
Additional resources	19	(1)
Key terms	19	(1)
Discussion questions	20	(1)
Workshop	20	(4)
Discussion questions for Chapter 1 Workshop	24	(3)
How do I manage the research process? A systematic approach to project management	27	(32)
Introduction	28	(1)
What is project management?	29	(1)
Defining your research project	29	(7)
Understanding the project life cycle	30	(2)
Defining SMART project objectives	32	(2)
Developing a project breakdown	34	(2)
Preliminary project planning	36	(7)
Drawing up an activity list	36	(3)
Drawing a Gantt chart	39	(1)
Drawing a network diagram	40	(3)
Managing your research project	43	(16)
Monitoring your project's progress	43	(2)
Identifying risk and opportunity	45	(4)
Working as part of a project team	49	(4)
Summary	53	(1)
Answers to key questions	54	(1)
References	54	(1)
Additional resources	55	(1)
Key terms	55	(1)
Discussion questions	55	(1)
Workshop	56	(3)
What should I study? Generating and clarifying ideas for your research project	59	(36)
Introduction	60	(1)
Generating ideas for your research project	61	(12)
Generating ideas	63	(1)
Sources of ideas	64	(7)
Which research ideas are worth pursuing?	71	(2)
Selecting the best idea	73	(13)
Characteristics of a good research topic	73	(4)
Selecting the best idea	77	(1)
Refining your research topic	78	(8)
Developing a research proposal	86	(9)
Writing a research proposal	86	(1)
Identifying your project scope	87	(1)
Summary	88	(1)
Answers to key questions	88	(1)
References	89	(1)
Additional resources	90	(1)
Key terms	90	(1)
Frequently asked questions	91	(1)
Discussion questions	92	(1)
Workshop	92	(3)
How do I find information? Using the library and internet as knowledge resources	95	(38)
Introduction	96	(1)
What information do you need?	97	(14)
What kind of information is relevant for your project?	98	(5)
What to look for: types of information and search domains	103	(5)
The library and internet as sources of information	108	(3)
How should you search?	111	(5)
Defining what you are searching for	111	(2)
Deciding how to search	113	(2)
Reading and recording what you find	115	(1)
How should you use the information you find?	116	(17)
Writing a literature review	117	(2)
Giving credit to other people's words and ideas	119	(4)
Ethical problems to avoid	123	(4)
Summary	127	(1)
Answers to key questions	128	(1)
References	129	(1)
Additional resources	130	(1)
Resources on copyright and plagiarism	130	(1)
Web documents	130	(1)
Key terms	131	(1)
Discussion questions	131	(1)
Workshop	132	(1)
Part 2 Designing your research	133	(132)
Scientist or ethnographer? Two models for designing and doing research	135	(32)
Introduction	136	(1)
What are the scientific and ethnographic approaches?	137	(16)
Scientific and ethnographic approaches to research and the research process	140	(1)
The scientific approach -- a brief overview	141	(3)
The ethnographic approach -- a brief overview	144	(5)
The logic underlying the two approaches	149	(3)
The relationship between research approaches and theory	152	(1)
Why does the research approach really matter?	153	(4)
Research philosophy -- where does it fit?	154	(1)
Research philosophy -- what is it?	155	(2)
How does research approach influence research design?	157	(10)
Quality criteria in research	157	(3)
Auditing your research using a research profile	160	(2)
Scientific versus ethnographic research	162	(1)
Summary	162	(1)
Answers to key questions	162	(1)
References	163	(1)
Additional resources	163	(1)
Key terms	164	(1)
Discussion questions	164	(1)
Workshop	164	(3)
Quantitative research designs: Using scientific methods for social measurement	167	(52)
Introduction	168	(2)
Designs for secondary analysis	170	(11)
Using existing data sets: surveys, commercial databases, and other sources	171	(6)
Creating your own data sets: archival research and unobtrusive observation	177	(4)
Designs for surveys	181	(19)
What is a survey?	182	(5)
Survey design and administration	187	(7)
Sampling	194	(6)
Designs for experiments	200	(19)
Principles of experimental design	200	(7)
Types of experiments	207	(2)
Experimental design issues and ethical considerations	209	(2)
Summary	211	(1)
Answers to key questions	212	(1)
References	212	(1)
Additional resources	213	(1)
Key terms	214	(1)
Discussion questions	215	(1)
Workshop	215	(1)
Postscript to Activity 4	216	(3)
Designing qualitative research: Using ethnographic methods for uncovering social meaning	219	(22)
Introduction	220	(1)
How qualitative designs differ from quantitative designs	220	(1)
Designs for qualitative research	221	(1)
Indirect data collection	222	(1)
How should you collect the data?	223	(1)
When should you collect the data?	223	(1)
Nonparticipant observation	223	(2)
Unstructured interview/discussion	225	(9)
Should I interview people one by one or together?	226	(1)
How should I choose my interview subjects?	226	(1)
How should I structure the interview/discussion?	227	(2)
What sort of questions should I ask?	229	(1)
Should the issues be structured or should you be led by the data?	230	(1)
How should I record the interview data?	231	(2)
How should I avoid bias in the interview process?	233	(1)
Participant observation	234	(7)
Risks of participant observation	235	(1)
Recording observations	236	(1)
Summary	236	(1)
Answers to key questions	237	(1)
References	237	(1)
Additional resources	237	(1)
Key terms	238	(1)
Discussion questions	238	(1)
Workshop	238	(3)
Case studies and multi-method design	241	(24)
Introduction	242	(1)
The case study	243	(13)
Designing and conducting case studies	244	(1)
Defining the case to be studied	244	(5)
Determining what data to collect and how to collect it	249	(2)
Deciding how to analyse and present the data	251	(5)
Multi-method research and triangulation	256	(9)
Triangulation	258	(3)
Advantages and disadvantages of mixed-method research	261	(1)
Summary	262	(1)
Answers to key questions	262	(1)
References	263	(1)
Additional resources	263	(1)
Key terms	264	(1)
Discussion questions	264	(1)
Workshop	264	(1)
Part 3 Doing your research	265	(104)
Doing field research: Practical and ethical considerations for conducting research	267	(30)
Introduction	268	(1)
Gaining access to organisations and people	268	(4)
Using contacts to gain access	269	(2)
Making contact	271	(1)
Gaining deeper access	272	(1)
Managing competing demands	272	(8)
Managing scope	274	(2)
Am I a researcher or a consultant?	276	(3)
Sponsors and coercion	279	(1)
Ethics	280	(17)
Ethics and research design	282	(2)
Ethics and the research report	284	(4)
Ethics and the law	288	(1)
Summary	288	(1)
Answers to key questions	289	(1)
References	290	(1)
Additional resources	290	(1)
Key terms	291	(1)
Discussion questions	291	(1)
Workshop	292	(1)
Discussion questions for Chapter 9 Workshop	293	(1)
Postscript to activity	294	(3)
Analysing quantitative data: Using simple statistics	297	(28)
Introduction	298	(1)
Managing your quantitative data	299	(8)
A systematic approach to quantitative data	299	(1)
Recording and managing your data	299	(2)
Organising your data	301	(5)
Cleaning your data	306	(1)
Descriptive statistics: Summarising and presenting raw data	307	(6)
Frequency counts	307	(2)
Measures of central tendency	309	(4)
Bivariate statistics and simple hypothesis-testing	313	(12)
Correlation	315	(2)
Simple linear regression	317	(1)
T-tests and ANOVAs	317	(3)
Chi-squared test	320	(1)
Summary	320	(1)
Answers to key questions	321	(1)
References	321	(1)
Additional resources	321	(1)
Key terms	322	(1)
Discussion questions	322	(1)
Workshop	323	(2)
Advanced quantitative analysis: Multivariate analysis	325	(18)
Introduction	326	(1)
Understanding multivariate relationships	327	(5)
Multivariate analysis	328	(4)
Analysing multivariate relationships	332	(4)
Have I included all the right variables?	332	(1)
Have I included some unnecessary variables?	333	(1)
Are my data appropriate for multivariate analysis?	334	(2)
Where to go next: understanding multivariate statistical techniques	336	(7)
Multivariate data analysis methods	336	(2)
Software for multivariate analysis	338	(1)
Summary	339	(1)
Answers to key questions	339	(1)
References	339	(1)
Additional resources	340	(1)
Key terms	340	(1)
Discussion questions	340	(1)
Workshop	341	(2)
Analysing qualitative data: Interpreting interview and observational data	343	(26)
Introduction	344	(1)
Managing your qualitative data	345	(3)
Managing qualitative data	345	(2)
Software for qualitative analysis	347	(1)
Analysing your qualitative data	348	(14)
Using Kolb's learning cycle for qualitative data analysis	348	(3)
Unstructured versus structured analysis	351	(2)
Extracting concepts from your data	353	(6)
Mapping concepts	359	(3)
Finishing your analysis	362	(1)
Assessing your analysis	362	(7)
Assessing the quality of your findings	362	(1)
Where to look for more information	363	(1)
Summary	364	(1)
Answers to key questions	364	(1)
References	365	(1)
Additional resources	365	(1)
Key terms	366	(1)
Discussion questions	366	(1)
Workshop	367	(2)
Part 4 Describing your research	369	(78)
Answering your research questions: Interpreting your findings and making recommendations	371	(24)
Introduction	372	(1)
Interpreting your quantitative results	373	(8)
Interpreting your data	374	(3)
Interpreting your analysis	377	(2)
Interpreting your empirical research	379	(1)
Quality in quantitative analysis	380	(1)
Interpreting your qualitative results	381	(5)
Interpreting patterns	381	(2)
Interpreting qualitative data	383	(2)
Linking your results to the literature	385	(1)
Quality in qualitative analysis	386	(1)
Developing findings and recommendations	386	(9)
Summarising what you have found	386	(2)
Preparing a summary table	388	(1)
Problems with interpretation	388	(2)
Summary	390	(1)
Answers to key questions	390	(1)
References and further reading	391	(1)
Additional resources	391	(1)
Key terms	392	(1)
Discussion questions	392	(1)
Workshop	392	(3)
Describing your research: Writing up your project report	395	(34)
Introduction	396	(1)
Delivering your project report	396	(14)
Visualising your finished product	397	(2)
A generic report structure	399	(7)
Variations on the generic structure	406	(1)
Oral presentations and vivas	407	(3)
Managing the writing process	410	(6)
Drafting and editing your project report	410	(3)
Managing yourself	413	(2)
Strategies for group writing	415	(1)
Getting it right	416	(13)
Writing correctly	417	(3)
Writing with style	420	(3)
Summary	423	(1)
Answers to key questions	423	(1)
References	424	(1)
Additional resources	425	(1)
Key terms	425	(1)
Frequently asked questions	425	(1)
Discussion questions	426	(1)
Workshop	427	(2)
Closing the loop: Reflecting on and learning from your research	429	(18)
Introduction	430	(1)
Finalising your project report -- avoiding failure	430	(4)
Plagiarising or other unethical behaviour	431	(1)
Missing the project deadline and other project guideline no-nos	432	(2)
From fail to pass to distinction	434	(6)
The characteristics of a distinction	434	(1)
The marking process	434	(4)
Is it a well-written report and does it reflect what you have done?	438	(2)
What to do when you have finished your project	440	(7)
Using your research experience to begin a research career	443	(1)
Summary	444	(1)
Answers to key questions	445	(1)
References	445	(1)
Additional resources	445	(1)
Key terms	446	(1)
Workshop	446	(1)
Appendix: Readings in research	447	(6)
Index	453