1. Research methods – Deductive / quantitative

2. Structure Deductive Formulating a hypothesis Testing the hypothesis
Quantitative
Survey design and sampling
Questionnaire design

3. Empirical vs theoretical research
Empirical research is based on the results of observation or experiment only
Theoretical studies the subject through the writings of others, reflects on these ideas and uses intellectual capabilities to construct a new explanation of the situation (a theory)
Empirical research is the dominant paradigm in business and management

4. Deduction vs induction
Deductive
Deduce theory / hypothesis
Express hypothesis – variables and measurement
Testing hypothesis – experiment or enquiry
Examining outcome of enquiry
Modifying / confirming theory
Need for replication & reliability
Generalisation
Normally Quantitative
Inductive
Theory follows data
Observation to understand and categorise phenomena
Interpretation of complex social world
Concerned with context in which events take place
Normally Qualitative

5. Formulating a hypothesis
Read the literature and existing research
What are the variables?
What are the relationships?
How can they be measured?
What are your theories?
Formulate into hypotheses
Devise ways of testing hypotheses – collect empirical evidence
Experiment
Survey

6. Testing the hypothesis
Information gathering
Numerical evidence – sales figures, observations, responses
Direct evidence collection – researcher in direct contact
Indirect evidence collection – postal questionnaire,

7. Survey Widely used in business and management research
Associated with deductive approach
Often based on questionnaire
Requires sampling techniques
Interviews and observation can also be used

8. Sampling
Census – collection of data about / from every member of a group (population)
Sampling is used when survey of entire population is impracticable in terms of:
Size of population
Finance
Time

9. Population, sample and individual cases
(full set of cases)
Sample
Case or element

10. Questionnaires
Used in surveys but can be part of experiment or case study
Can be part of structured interview
Alternatives are observation, semi structured interview
Poor for exploratory or highly qualitative research
Good for descriptive or explanatory research

11. Choice of questionnaire I
Influenced by:
Characteristics of respondents from whom you wish to collect data
Importance of reaching a particular respondent
Importance of respondents answers not being distorted
Types of questions you need to ask to collect your data
Number of questions you need to ask to collect your data

12. Choice of questionnaire II
Time available to complete data collection
Financial resources required for method
Availability of interviewers to assist
Ease of automating data entry

13. Determining what data to collect
To identify what data are relevant you must:
Review the literature
Discuss with tutors and friends
Determine whether research is:
Explanatory – requires data to test theories or
Descriptive – relevant data
The key data will relate to:
Variables
Independent – cause changes in dependent
Dependent – change in response to independent
Extraneous – cause changes in dependent variables but are external
Relationships – between variables

14. Variables
Four types of variables about which data can be collected through questionnaires:
Attitude – how respondents feel about something
Belief – what respondents believe is true or false
Behaviour – what respondents do
Attribute – details about respondents characteristics e.g. age, sex, income etc

15. Types of question
Closed – provide a number of choices from which the respondent can choose
Open – allow respondents to answer freely

16. Closed questions Advantages Disadvantages Types
Simple and quick to answer
Allow easy comparison
Can often be quantified
Disadvantages
Poor for qualitative data
Do not give ‘rich’ data
Types
List – choose from list
Category – place into a category
Ranking – place in order
Scale – give value (e.g. Likert)
Quantity – number is given as answer
Grid – same scale used for a group of questions

17. Open Used: Disadvantages In semi-structured interviews
To gain ‘rich’ data
Disadvantages
Difficult to measure
Can be difficult to compare

18. General questionnaire design guidelines
Clear introduction – purpose, background
Clear layout
Ordering of questions
Grouping of questions
Coding of questions

19. Administering questionnaires
How to increase rate of response:
Incentives
Anonymity
Pre call
Follow-up calls
Personal collection

20. Summary Remember surveys and questionnaires:
Can be used for deductive or inductive research
Can be used to gather quantitative or qualitative data