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Research Orientation and Design Prof. dr. Bart Cambré Antwerp Management School Span between rigor and relevance cc: thunderstar - https://www.flickr.com/photos/7764340@N08 Overview Research Strategies Research Design Turtle Template LEARNING OUTCOME Being able to evaluate the applica...

Research Orientation and Design Prof. dr. Bart Cambré Antwerp Management School Span between rigor and relevance cc: thunderstar - https://www.flickr.com/photos/7764340@N08 Overview Research Strategies Research Design Turtle Template LEARNING OUTCOME Being able to evaluate the applicability and effects of a research strategy Understanding the difference between correlation and causation Looking at a research topic from different perspectives Being able to start designing own research project Start Thinking About Your Research Area Early on It is worth giving yourself a good deal of time: › begin to think about topics that might interest you and that might provide you with a researchable area › this may feel like a rather unproductive process in which several false starts or changes of direction are made › however, taking the time to explore different avenues can prevent difficulties at a much later stage  “The fox knows many things but the hedgehog knows one big thing” (Plato, -343) cc: Gene Hunt - https://www.flickr.com/photos/90384027@N00 The Field of Management Research Discipline base Psychology Sociology Anthropology Economics Organisational Sub Fields Operational Behaviour/HR Research Information Accounting systemst & Finance Industrial Relations Strategy Marketing Influences on Research Practical considerations Theory Epistemology Social Research Values Ontology Practical considerations Time Budget Ethics Law Finance  Creating Bias Design, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Report cc: Franco Folini - https://www.flickr.com/photos/78425154@N00  Design cc: m-s-y - https://www.flickr.com/photos/34064267@N00 A ‘What, Why, and How’ Framework What? Why? What puzzles /intrigues me! What do I want to Why will this be of enough interest to others to know more about/understand better? What be published as a thesis, book, paper, guide are my key research questions? to practitioners or policy makers? Can the research be justified as a 'contribution to knowledge'? How – conceptually? How – practically? What models, concepts and theories can I What investigative styles and techniques shall draw on/develop to answer my research I use to apply my conceptual framework (both questions! How can these be brought together to gather material and analyse it)? How shall I into a basic conceptual framework to guide gain and maintain access to information my investigation? sources? ‘Research Turtle’ Turtle Head Research Orientation & Strategy Problem statement & Research Question Antwerp Management School Epistemology and Ontology: continuum Ontology: what can we know Objectivism Constructionism Epistemology: how can we know Positivism Interpretivism Ontological considerations What is the nature of social entities? Objectivism - Social phenomena and their meanings have an existence that is independent of social actors Constructionism/constructivism - Social phenomena and their meanings are continually being accomplished by social actors - Researcher always presents a specific version of social reality - Knowledge is indeterminate Epistemology: Positivism Epistemological position that advocates the application of methods of the natural sciences to the study of social reality Phenomenalism: only phenomena and hence knowledge confirmed by the senses can genuinely be warranted as knowledge Deductivism: purpose of theory is to generate hypotheses than can be tested Objectivism: science must be conducted in a way that is value free Scientists deal with scientific statements, not normative statements Epistemology: Interpretivism Differences between people and the objects of the natural sciences Social scientists have to grasp the subjective meaning of social action Weber’s notion of ‘Verstehen’ Inductivism: knowledge is arrived at through the gathering of facts Realism Natural and social science should adopt same approach (~positivism) Empirical realism: reality can be understood through the use of appropriate methods Critical realism - Identify structures that generate events and discourse - Structures not spontaneously apparent in the observations, they can only be identified through the practical and theoretical work Epistemology and Ontology: continuum Ontology: what can we know Objectivism Constructionism Epistemology: how can we know Positivism Interpretivism Theory in relation to research Deductive Inductive Theory The Process of Deduction Theory Hypothesis Data collection Findings Hypotheses confirmed or rejected Revision of theory The Process of Induction Gather information Ask questions Form categories Look for patterns Develop theory Compare theory Abduction Form of logical inference: try to find the simplest and most likely explanation of the observations ‘best available’, or ‘most likely’ Inference to the best explanation Example: grass is wet; if it rains, the grass gets wet; so, it has rained. But other explanations are possible as well Logic Deductive: Deriving b from a only where b is formal logical consequence of a Inductive Inferring b from a, where b does not follow necessarily from a. a might give us very good reason to accept b, but it does not ensure b Abductive Inferring a as an explanation of b Multiple possible explanations for b Simon, Popper, Kuhn Kuhn (on Max Planck) Karl Popper on “a new scientific truth does empirical not triumph by convincing its falsification: opponents and making them Herbert Simon: A theory in the see the light, but rather “The Sciences of empirical sciences because its opponents the Artificial” can never be eventually die, and a new (1969) proven, but it can generation grows up that is Bounded be falsified familiar with it.” Rationality Epistemology and Ontology: continuum Ontology: what can we know Objectivism Constructionism Epistemology: how can we know Positivism Interpretivism Theory in relation to research Deductive Inductive Methodology: how can we find out Quantitative Qualitative In practice: inductive study using quantitative data Hofstede, 1984 Large-scale study of cultural differences at IBM Survey 1967-1973, N=116.000 employees in 40 countries Factor analysis revealed four dimensions on which country cultures differ: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, and masculinity Values Can reflect the beliefs or feelings of a researcher Can produce bias at any or all points in the social research process, e.g.: › choice of research area and methods › formulation of research question, research design and data collection techniques › implementation of data collection › analysis and interpretation of data › conclusions Can produce affinity or sympathy, especially to underdog groups Can be antithetical to values of many managers  True Self Stay connected cc: Franco Folini - https://www.flickr.com/photos/78425154@N00 Poll What is your position on the continuum? 1. More positivist/quant 2. More interpretivist/qual 3. Somewhere in the middle 4. Don’t know (yet)  Problem Statement & Research question Translate problem statement in research question! Idea & Contribution “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” (J.R.R Tolkien) Translating PS into RQ PS: How to increase profitable growth by offering a renewed portfolio  RQ: What factors determine a successful product entry strategy? PS: How will blockchain change existing business models and create value?  RQ: What are the advantages and disadvantages of implementing Blockchain in an SME? What is the effect on privacy? PS: Define an IoT strategy for Company X  RQ: What, if any, are the factors that impact competitive advantage for the B2B market? PS: How to increase the productivity of our software developers  RQ: What is the effect of prototyping on the productivity of software developers? Positivist approach RQ: To what extent is organizational citizenship behavior in creative companies influenced by trust and by job characteristics through job satisfaction? Conceptual model: Job Satisfaction Job characteristic OCB s Trust Positivist approach Design Large sample of companies (economy wide) large sample of employees within each company Statistical tests Advantages Fast, easy, straightforward, generalizability Pitfalls Measurement error, missing variables  Interpretivist approach RQ: What, if any, is the influence of trust on OCB in creative companies? Also: How to organize OCB through trust? (or action perspective) Design In-depth interviews with management members, experts Focus groups with union representatives, employees, and HR Directors Purposive sampling Advantages: in-depth understanding, holistic approach, specific measures Disadvantages: limited generalizability, over-involvement, method bias Poll How would you formulate a quantitative research question on the relationship between online teaching, learning motivation, and a successful thesis? (open answer, one sentence) How would you formulate a qualitative research question on this topic? (open answer, one sentence) Leg 1 5C Framework Antwerp Management School 5C Framework (Lange & Pfarrer, AMR, 2017) 1. Common Ground: Identify primary literature, communicate what is already known 2. Complication: a problem, a puzzle, a twist in the ongoing academic conversation 3. Concern: the complication must be of concern 4. Course of Action: how will you be addressing and resolving the complication 5. Contribution: to literature (theory), to methods, to practice Leg 2 Concepts Antwerp Management School Conceptual model Joint Satisfaction Cooperation management Cost management hospital-nursing reduction Flow of Cooperation patients patients Financial Quality system of care Medical audit Motivation staff Variables Operationalized concepts with different values Values: qualitative or quantitative Level: nominal, ordinal, interval/ratio Dependent variable Y and Independent variable X Variable can be both dependent and independent Within the same research Across research Bart Cambré – BRM – Research Strategy and Designs 22/06/24 42 Control variable Individual: e.g. gender, age, education Organizational: e.g. size X (autonomy) Y (productivity) Z Bart Cambré – BRM – Research Strategy and Designs 22/06/24 43 Moderator Path analysis; interaction effects X Y (autonomy) (productivity) Z (job level) Bart Cambré – BRM – Research Strategy and Designs 22/06/24 44 Moderator: graphical Productivity Blue collar White collar Level of autonomy Bart Cambré – BRM – Research Strategy and Designs 22/06/24 45 Mediating variable Path analysis; SEM; proxies in linear regression; Multilevel X Y (autonomy) (productivity) Z (job satisfaction) Bart Cambré – BRM – Research Strategy and Designs 22/06/24 46  INFO AUTHOR(S) Name(s) WORKING TITLE Title FIELD OF RESEARCH Define the subfield Template HEAD: research orientation 1. Ontology: objectivism, constructionism? 2. Epistemology: positivism, post-positivism, interpretivism? RESEARCH STRATEGY 3. More Deductive or Inductive research 4. Qualitative and/or Quantitative research? PROBLEM STATEMENT & What is the problem? What is the overall research question? Are there (related) sub- RESEARCH QUESTION questions? BODY OF KNOWLEDGE KEY PAPERS What are top articles (gurus; high impact journal articles; high citations)? LEG1: 5C framework COMMON GROUND What is already known? What is the ‘common ground’? COMPLICATION What is the managerial ‘puzzle’? What is currently missing in this common ground? CONCERN Why should we be concerned about this puzzle? Why is it relevant? What is your main action? Will it be theory testing or developing? Will it be an application, a COURSE OF ACTION replication, an evaluation, a test, a combination, etc.? What is the contribution to theory and conceptual understanding of the phenomenon? Is there CONTRIBUTION a methodological novelty (in data, tools, analysis)? What is the contribution to managerial practice? Is there societal impact? LEG2: conceptual model KEY CONCEPTS Is there enough focus? What are definitions of key concepts? How many concepts are there? RELATIONS & (if applicable) What are the dependent and independent variables? What are other variables CAUSALITY and relations? Is the causal direction clear? Include a visual ‘conceptual model’. HYPOTHESES What are the central hypotheses (for deductive research)? Thank you! Professor Bart Cambré Antwerp Management School Opening minds to impact the world