Research Methods
in Management
Petros Chamakiotis
What is Research
• To make a significant contribution to the current body of
knowledge in a systematic way
• This is done by:
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Reviewing existing knowledge and identifying gaps
Identifying the target audience that would be interested
Reviewing available methods and philosophical associations
Selecting the most appropriate tools and constructing a new and
sound research procedure
• Explaining the new phenomenon and generating theory
• Extending this to recommendations for professionals
Research Classification
• PURPOSE
• PROCESS
• LOGIC
• OUTCOME
Purpose
• Exploratory – when little or no knowledge – hypotheses used
• Descriptive – ‘’what’’
• Explanatory – ‘’why’’ or ‘’how’’
• Predictive – extension of exploratory
Process
• Quantitative
Assumes the data is the same and regardless of the person that
collects them. The data are objective and usually numerical.
• Qualitative
Attempts to elicit human perceptions. The data are subjective
and normally descriptive. The researcher is highly involved and
his background, ethnicity, etc. affect the way the data are
collected, analysed, and presented.
• Mixed Methods
Logic
• Deductive (waterfall)
THEORY -> HYPOTHESIS -> OBSERVATION -> CONFIRMATION
A systematic method of deriving conclusions that cannot be
false when premises are true.
• Inductive (hill climbing)
OBERVATION -> PATTERN -> TENTATIVE HYPOTHESIS -> THEORY
Theory or hypothesis is developed from the observation of data.
Conclusions go beyond the information contained in the
premises.
Stance
• POSITIVIST
Quantitative, Objectivist, Scientific, Experimental, Traditionalist
• INTERPRETIVIST
Qualitative, Subjectivist, Phenomenological, Humanistic
Philosophies
• Ontological (reality)
Nature of reality: absolute or relative?
• Epistemological (knowledge)
Relationship between the researcher and the researched?
• Axiological (values)
What is the role of bias? Is the researcher involved or detached?
• Rhetorical (language)
What is the language of research?
• Methodological
What is the process and logic of research?
Stance Revisited
POSITIVISM
INTERPRETIVISM
ONTOLOGICAL
Reality is external and
objective
Reality is subjective and
socially constructed
EPISTEMOLOGICAL
Knowledge is absolute
Knowledge is relative
AXIOLOGICAL
Unbiased and objective
Biased and subjective
RHETORICAL
Formal and Impersonal
Informal and Personal
METHODOLOGICAL
Deductive and Static
Inductive and Dynamic
Outcome
• Basic/Pure/Fundamental
The aim is to improve understanding and there is no immediate
exploitation of the outcome
• Applied
Finds solutions to existing problems, immediate application of
the outcome, and practical use of results
The Research Onion
Thanks
Petros Chamakiotis