4. Why Research Philosophy?
■ The research philosophy a researcher adopts
contains important assumptions about the way
in which the researcher views the world.
■ For instance: The researcher who is concerned with facts, such as the
resources needed in a manufacturing process, is likely to have a very
different view on the way research should be conducted from the
researcher concerned with the feelings and attitudes of the workers towards
their managers in that same manufacturing process.
Source: Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2008)
6. Pragmatism vs other Research Philosophies
Source: Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill (2008)
QUA
N
QUAL MIXED / AR
EITHER
Acceptable knowledge
in a particular field?
Right way to access the
knowledge/reality?
Objectivist approach
(empirical data) or
Subjectivist meaning
(interpretative data)?
Nature or position of
reality or knowledge?
External to the context
(reality is independent),
or Internal to the
context (multiple
people, realities)
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=URWcOJWfSnI
7. Action Research vs Other Research
ACTION RESEARCH OTHER RESEARCH
PHILOSOPHY Pragmatism
Positivism (Quan);
Interpretivism (Qual)
RESEARCH PURPOSE Professional Improvement To describe (Quan); To explore (Qual)
ROLE OF RESEARCHER Researcher and Practitioner Researcher only
RESEARCH PROCESS Cyclical (consists of some phases) Linear; Sequential
SAMPLING
Entire population of classroom,
organization or community
Random (Quan); Purposive (Qual)
DATA COLLECTION
Use both Qualitative and
Quantitative Methods
Depending on Paradigm
10. Identifying a Research Problem
■ Quantitative Research Problem:
• The research problem tends to call for:
• An explanation of the relationships among variables.
• A measurement of trends in a population.
■ Qualitative Research Problem:
• The research tends to call for:
• An exploration because little is known about the problem.
• A detailed description and understanding of a phenomenon.
Clark and Creswell (2015)
15. IDENTIFYING A RESEARCH PROBLEM
Quantitative Research
Problem:
The research problem
tends to call for:
• An explanation of the
relationships among variables.
• A measurement of trends in a
population.
Qualitative Research
Problem:
The research tends to call
for:
• An exploration because little is
known about the problem.
• A detailed description and
understanding of a
phenomenon.
Clark and Creswell (2015)
16. IDENTIFYING THE PROBLEM
• LITERATURE REVIEW
• QUALITATIVE INTERVIEW
• TOOLS FOR PROBLEM FORMULATION (You can choose
any one or of the business framework to identify the
problem based on your topic – BCG Matric 2x2, SWOT
analysis, Ohmae’s 3C Model,7Ps of marketing,
McKinsey 7-S Model, Fish Bone Diagram, Porter’s Five
Forces Model)
17. Systems Model of
AR Process
• Unfreezing:
• Faced with a dilemma or
disconfirmation, the individual or group
becomes aware of a need to change.
• Changing:
• The situation is diagnosed, and new
models of behavior are explored and
tested.
• Refreezing:
• Application of new behavior is
evaluated, and if reinforcing, adopted.
18.
19. Problem formulation
The problem formulation in any research is a critical step,
likewise in Action Research identifying the problem is the first
step in the research process. There are different business
frameworks which can be used to analyze the specific business
problem. The research can use any of the business framework to
identify the problem in the organization. Some of the commonly
used frameworks to analyze business problems are:
Fish Bone Diagram
SWOT Analysis
BCG Matrix 2 x 2
Ohmae’s 3C Model
7 P’s of marketing mix
McKinsey 7-S Model
Porter’s Five Forces Model
PESTEL Analysis
20. Problem
formulation - SWOT
Analysis
The concept of SWOT analysis was
proposed by the Albert Humphrey which
was the management consultant at the
Stanford Research Institute. This is one of
the simple techniques to identify the
business risk and opportunity.
SWOT analysis also uses a matrix form where it highlights the internal and external in one direction and helpful
or harmful in another direction. SWOT analysis highlights the company’s strength and opportunities which the
company must capitalize and weakness and threat which the company has to minimize.
21. Problem
formulation - Fish
Bone Diagram
The fish bone diagram was
developed by Kaoru
Ishikawa, who was a
Japanese organizational
theorist. It is also known as
the Ishikawa diagrams. It is
commonly used for product
design and quality defect
prevention to identify
potential factors causing an
overall effect.
22.
23.
24. Problem formulation - BCG Matrix 2 x 2
Boston Consulting group's product portfolio matrix (BCG) was found in 1970. This plots the market matrix of
market growth and market share. BCG matrix is normally used in large companies with large product portfolio.
This helps to analyse which product is profitable and which needs to be removed from the product portfolio.
It is called 2x2 because it categorizes each product based on two factors i.e market growth and market share. Stars
quadrant refers to the product with high market growth and high market share, Cash cows quadrant to the
product with low market growth but high market share, dogs quadrant refers to the products having low market
share and market growth. The ? quadrant product with high market growth but low market share, hence this
quadrant needs further study and needs to careful analysis to choose the right strategy to increase the market
share.
25. Problem
formulation -
Ohmae’s 3C Model
The 3C model was developed by
an organizational theorist
from Japan Kenichi Ohmae.
This framework helps the
company know the factors
they need to consider before
developing a competitive
strategy. The 3Cs stands for
Company, Customers and
Competitors.
26. Problem formulation -
7 P’s of marketing
mix
The 7P’s of marketing mix is
normally used in service
industry. The marketing mix
was first proposed by Neil
Borden in 1949. However, in
1964, E. Jerome McCarthy
suggested the 4Ps which
included price, promotion,
product and place. Later, in
1980’s Bernard Booms and
Mary Bitner introduced the
concept of 7P’s which
includes price, promotion,
product, place, physical
environment, process and
people.
27. Problem formulation -
McKinsey 7-S Model
The Mckinsey 7-S Model was
developed by om Peters and
Robert Waterman at
McKinsey & Company. This
model is used in different
situation when we need to
analyse the different part of
the organization. The 7S
model includes seven
aspects of the organization
i.e, systems, structure, skills,
style, staff, strategy, and
shared values.
28. Problem formulation -
Porter’s Five Forces
Model
The Porter’s five forces model
was developed by Michael E
Porter published in Harvard
Business Review in 1979.
This combines many factors
in a simple model so that
the company can
understand the competitive
landscape of the industry.
29. Problem formulation -
PESTEL Analysis
A PESTEL analysis or PESTLE analysis
(formerly known as PEST analysis)
is a framework or tool used to
analyse and monitor the macro-
environmental factors that may
have a profound impact on an
organisation’s performance. This
tool is especially useful when
starting a new business or entering
a foreign market. It is often used in
collaboration with other analytical
business tools such as the SWOT
analysis and Porter’s Five Forces to
give a clear understanding of a
situation and related internal and
external factors. PESTEL is an
acronym that stand for Political,
Economic, Social, Technological,
Environmental and Legal factors.
However, throughout the years
people have expanded the
framework with factors such as
Demographics, Intercultural,
Ethical and Ecological resulting in
variants such as STEEPLED, DESTEP
and SLEPIT.
31. Why Literature Review is Important?
■ Few Reasons:
• Reading the literature can help give ideas for focus area and questions. It helps
connect what researcher is doing with a larger body of work. Literature review
designing research and collect data, as well as suggestions and examples for
analyzing your data.
• Researcher gets to know the value of that research will have for yourself and for
others in the field. Referring to the literature allows you to strengthen the validity of
the research by comparing your findings and outcomes with what others have
and basing your research in a broader theoretical framework.
• Literature review can help to crystallize ideas about the terms the researcher is
and what they mean. For example, defining ‘motivation’, ‘pronunciation’ or student
‘attitudes’ etc. Literature review includes: Books, journal articles, online databases
and other internet sources.
Burns, A. (2006)
32. Reviewing the Literature
■ Quantitative Research:
• The purpose statement, research questions and hypotheses tends to be specific, narrow,
focus on measurable and observable variables.
• The literature review tends to:
• Remain static, being reviewed mostly at the start of the study’s research process.
• Be used to prescribe the direction (i.e. the purpose statement, research questions,
hypotheses) of the study.
■ Qualitative Research:
• The purpose statement and research questions tend to be general and broad, focus on
participants’ perspective about a phenomenon.
• The literature review tends to:
• Be dynamic, being reviewed at the start of the study and as new ideas emerge
throughout the study’s research process.
• Inform the researcher’s perspective, but not prescribe the direction of the study.
Clark and Creswell (2015)
33. Undertaking Literature Review
■ Traditional (or Narrative) Literature Review :
• A broad review on a topic without a systematic method to synthesize studies.
• Purpose is to collect background information on the phenomenon
■ Systematic Literature Review:
• A synthesized review of past studies (i.e. evidences) relevant to the research
• May involve multiple reviewers to review and resolve any disagreement
■ Meta-analysis:
• A review that quantitatively summarizes relevant studies on a topic.
• Researchers develop common metrics of studies (i.e. in shape of tables) to see the
pattern or relationship among different findings.
Quoquab and Mohammad (2015)
34. Finding a Gap
What we know
What we need to know
Research gap
Construct
/
Variable/
Idea
What we
know
What we
need to
know
Quoquab and Mohammad (2015)
35. Criteria for Evaluating Literature Resources
1. Quality:
• How good is the literature you are reading?
• Are you reading someone’s opinion or does the article have a research base?
• Does the author(s) provide evidence for the assertions?
• Does the author(s) provide an accurate reference list?
• Is there an adequate depth as well as breadth of information?
2. Objectivity:
• How balanced is what you are reading?
• Does the author(s) provide several different perspectives on the topic?
• Is there a sense of where the theory/research fits historically?
• Does the author(s) argue for a particular approach after he or she shows that others have
also been considered?
Schwalbach (2003) in Burns (2006)
36. Criteria for Evaluating Literature Resources
3. Timeliness:
• How recent is it?
• Is it written within the last five years/ten years/longer?
• Does the author use up-to-date information and references?
• If you (or the author) are using older literature, is this because they are the leading works in
the area?
4. Quantity:
• How much should I read?
• Have you read enough to become more familiar with the area?
• Are you beginning to recognize key ideas and author names?
• Is the reading providing you with clearer ideas about your research topic?.
• Are you getting a sense of the current main trends in teaching or researching the area?
Schwalbach (2003) in Burns (2006)
37. Barkhuizen (2002) in Burns (2006)
■ Using the QUEST:
• QUEST aims to
scaffold the writing of
a critical review.
• QUEST analysis takes
the form of leading
questions:
• QUEST task should
help you to critique
the ideas and
concepts presented
literature you read.
Scaffolding the Reading of the Literature
39. LR Planning
Define your Research
question
Identify relevant search
terms(Scoping searches,
Terms in related reviews)
Develop your search plan
(Combine terms with
AND/ OR, or as phrases,
apply Truncation and
Wildcards)
Test and refine your
search (Check results for
key articles, Apply limit
Filters)
Select relevant databases
and Run searches
Document and manage
search results (Save
Searches, EndNote,
Mendeley)
For comprehensive literature searching it is important to be systematic in your
approach. This includes developing a plan for your search (including the search
terms you will use and the resources you will search), and keeping records of the
searches you carry out
asterisk (*), hash tag (#), or
question mark (?)
47. ■ PDF DRIVE https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-
d&q=PDF+DRIVE
Free Online Journal and Research
Databases
48. Free Online Journal and Research
Databases
DATABASE LINK
CORE https://core.ac.uk/
Education Resources Information
Center
https://eric.ed.gov/
Semantic Scholar https://www.semanticscholar.org/
58. Ethics in Business Research
■ Defining ethics in research:
• Ethics in research refers to the appropriateness of behavior in relation to the
of those who become subject of the research or are affected by it.
• Ethical concerns are to be considered throughout the research, starting when the
researcher plans the research, seeks access to individuals and/or organizations,
collects, analyzes and reports data.
• Research ethics therefore relates to questions about how we formulate and
our research topic, design our research and gain access, collect data, process
store our data, analyze data and write up our research findings in a moral and
responsible way.
Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill (2009)
59. Ethics in Business Research
■ General ethical issues:
• Privacy of possible and actual participants.
• Voluntary nature of participation and the right to withdraw partially or
from the research process.
• Consent and possible deception or dishonesty of participants.
• Maintenance of the confidentiality of data provided by individuals and/or
organizations, and other identifiable participants and their anonymity.
• Reactions of participants to the way in which you seek to collect data, including
embarrassment, stress, discomfort, pain and harm.
• Effects on participants of the way in which you use, analyze and report your
in particular the avoidance of embarrassment, stress, discomfort, pain and harm.
• Behavior and objectivity of you as researcher.
Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill (2009)
60. Ethical Issues and The Participants
■ Negotiating and securing the access:
• Negotiate and get permission to do research. The researcher documents letters for
all participants, and keeps permission letters carefully for reference.
■ Protecting the participants:
• The researcher makes sure that the name or identify of the participants is
anonymously placed, unless they wish to be identified. The researcher to give them
numbers or initials such as ‘Student 3’ or ‘Manager B’.
■ Assuring the good faith:
• Maintain good faith at all times to create a reputation for integrity, and protect it.
People are more willing to work with someone they trust. The researcher ensures
exercises academic freedom, speaks/writes from own perspective, claiming
of mind and telling truth.
Clark and Creswell (2015)
61. ■ Task 3:
• Fill-in the BR Project Operational Template (bring it in meeting 3
■ Task 4:
• Group Project of students choice (to be reported in meeting 4
and meeting 5)
Student’s Task:
62. • Research Topics and Research Questions:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z58VBWXYzGg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLYCYeCFak
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QauomrFcrXk
• Action Research:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Fx8JVa39Q
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbDRp6uZCc8
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov3F3pdhNkk
YouTube Videos:
