Slide 1.1
Chapter 1
The nature of business and management
research and the structure of this book
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.2
By the end of this chapter you
will be able
• Be able to outline the purpose and distinct focus of
management research;
• Be able to place your research project on a basic-applied
research continuum according to its purpose and context;
• Understand the stages you will need to complete (and
revisit)as part of your research process;
• Have an interview of this book’s purpose and structure;
• Be aware of some of the ways you can use this book,
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.3
Introduction to the research process
Things to consider
• Realities and pitfalls of research
• Approaches, strategies and methods
• Techniques and procedures for data collection and
analysis
• Appropriate use of information technology
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.4
Terminology
Methods The techniques and procedures used to obtain data
Methodology The theory of how research should be undertaken
Saunders et al. (2009)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.5
Some ways in which the term
“research” is used wrongly
• Just collecting facts or information with no
clear purpose;
• Reassembling and reordering facts or
information without interpretation
• As a term to get your product or idea
noticed and respected.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.6
Research definition
• Like any other term of social science there is no
agreement in the literature on how research should
be defined. It means different things to different
people. Nevertheless, from the many different
definitions presented, there appears to be
agreement that:
• Research is a process of enquiry and
investigation .
• It is systematic and methodical .
• Research enhances knowledge (Hussey and
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.7
Research definition
• Maylor and Blackman, (2005, p. 5) define research as, ‘A
systematic process that includes defining, designing, doing
and describing an investigation into a research problem.’
Having said that research subsequently includes the
process of inquiry, investigation, examination and
experimentation. These processes have to be carried out
systematically, diligently, critically, objectively and
logically. The expected end results would be to discover
new facts that will help to deal with the problem situation
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.8
Research definition
• A definition for research from the Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of English
(Hornby, 1995) is broadly stated as ‘a
careful study or investigation, especially in
order to discover new facts or information.’
It is evident that all the previous definitions
agree with what has been clarified by
Hussey and Hussey above
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.9
Research purpose
• The specific aims of most research usually depends on what is being
investigated. Nevertheless, generally speaking, the purpose of research
can be summarised as follows (Hussey and Hussey, :)1997
• To review and synthesise existing knowledge
• To investigate some existing situation or problem
• To provide a solution to a given dilemma or problem
• To discover and analyse more general issues
• To generate a new system
• To explain a new phenomenon
• To create a new knowledge
• A combination of any of the above .
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.10
The nature of research
Definition:
‘Something that people undertake in order to find things out
in a systematic way, thereby increasing their knowledge’
Saunders et al. (2009)
Characteristics:
• Data are collected systematically
• Data are interpreted systematically
• There is a clear purpose to find things out
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.11
What does it suggest “systemically” and to
“to find out things”
• “systematic” suggests that research is based
on logical relationships and not just beliefs.
“to find out things” suggests there are a
multiplicity of possible purposes of your
research. These may include describing,
explaining, understanding, criticizing, and
analyzing.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.12
Features of business and management
research (1)
• Managers draw on knowledge from other disciplines
• Managers are more likely to allow access if they see
commercial or personal advantage
• Managers now tend to be as educated as the researchers
• Managers require research to have some practical
consequence
Easterby-Smith et al. (2008)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.13
Definition of research in
Business and management
• Sekran (2003) defined research in business
as an organized, systematic, data-based,
critical, objective, scientific inquiry, or
investigation into a specific problem,
undertaken with the purpose of finding
answers or solutions to it
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.14
Definition of research in
Business and management
• Saunders et al defined business and
management research as undertaking
systematic research to find out things about
management and business.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.15
Features of business and management
research (1)
Key debates
• Knowledge production –
(Modes 1, 2 and 3 knowledge)
• The ‘relevance gap’
• ‘Evidence based’ management
• Basic and applied research
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.16
Mode one
Mode one knowledge creation emphasizes
research in which the questions are set and
solved by the academic interests,
emphasizing a fundamental rather than
applied nature, where there is little if any
focus on utilization of the research by
practitioners.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.17
mode two
• Mode two emphasizes a context for research
governed by the world of practice, highlights of
collaboration both with and between practitioners.
• Based upon this it has been argued that research
within the mode two offers a way of bringing the
supply side of knowledge represented by
universities together with the demand sides
represented by the business.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.18
Mode three
• Knowledge production focuses on apperception of the
human condition as it might become its purpose being to
‘assure survival and promote the common good at various
levels of social aggregation’. This emphasizes the
importance of broader issues of human relevance of
research. Consequently, in addition to research that
satisfies your intellectual curiosity for its own sake, the
findings of business and management research might also
contain practical implications, and these findings may have
societal consequences far broader and complex than
perhaps envisaged by mode 2.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.19
Relevance gap
• Draw attention to concerns resulting from the separation of
knowledge producers from knowledge users. This had the
effect of introducing a schism or what call the ‘relevance
gap’ which they argue, has become more marked over
recent years, more encouragingly, academic management
research can be seen as a design science. Its mission being
to develop valid knowledge to support thoughtful,
designing practitioners. From the design science
perspective the main purpose of a cadmic research is to
develop valid knowledge to support organizational
problem solving in the field.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.20
Features of business and management
research (2)
Basic and applied research
Sources:
authors’ experience; Easterby-Smith et al. (2008); Hedrick et al. (1993)
Figure 1.1 Basic and applied research
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.21
The research process (1)
Stages of the research process
• Formulating and clarifying a topic
• Reviewing the literature
• Designing the research
• Collecting data
• Analysing data
• Writing up
Based on Figure 1.2: Saunders et al. (2009)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.22
The research process (2)
Factors to consider
• The impact of your personal feelings and beliefs
• Access to data
• Time and other resources
• Validity and reliability of the data
• Ethical issues
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.23
Purpose of the book
To help you undertake research by being
• Clear about what you are doing
• Why you are doing it
• The associated implications of what you are about
to do
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.24
Overview of the Chapters (1)
• Tutorials for data analysis software
• Smarter Online Searching Guide
• Terminology that is defined and explained
• Examples of research projects
• Checklists for focused guidance
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.25
Overview of the Chapters (2)
Each Chapter contains:
• A summary of key points
• Self- check questions – and answers
• Review and discussion questions
• References and further reading
• A case study that highlights real research issues
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.26
Final Sections
• Bibliography
• Appendices
• Glossary
• Index
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.27
Summary: Chapter 1
Business and management research
• Is transdisciplinary
• Engages with both theory and practice
• Involves undertaking systematic research
• Should be undertaken with rigour
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.28
Summary: Chapter 1
The book acts as a guide to the research process
by providing:
•
•
•
•
•
a series of research examples
checklists to help you acquire relevant knowledge
review and discussion questions
self-check questions - and answers
guidance as you generate material for your project report
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.29
And finally……..
“there is no one best way for
undertaking all research”
Saunders et al. (2009)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009