Methodology and Philosophies of research

Lecture Outline:•Aims of this session – to outline:•what is meant by methodology•the implication of adopting different methodological stances in research

Reading:Very important for this lecture!Saunders pp 100 - 127

What is methodology?

Practical explanation of how research is organised / planned / the ‘recipe’ : research strategy

Theoretical explanation of underlying assumptions that have gone into designing the research strategy: research philosophy

The Research Onion – adapted from Saunders (2006:102)

Positivism

Interpretive

Deductive

Inductive

experiment survey

case study

groundedtheory

ethnographyaction research

Secondary dataObservationInterviewsQuestionnaires

Theoretical aspect of methodology

Practical aspects of methodology –

research strategy

Practical: What are you trying to find out? The research strategy

ExploratoryDescriptionExplanatory

Practical: What are you trying to find out?

Exploratory (the explorer)To find out what is happeningTo seek now insightsTo ask questions

Case studies often used for exploratory research – the questions asked: how / why

DescriptionExplanatory

Practical: What are you trying to find out?

ExploratoryDescription (the detective)

To portray accurate profileRequires previous knowledge

Surveys are often used for descriptive research. The questions asked often relate to who / what / where

Explanatory

Practical: What are you trying to find out?

ExploratoryDescriptionExplanatory (the doctor)

Seeks explanation usually in the form or causal relationships

Experiments are often used for this form of research.

The questions relating to this research often ask how / why

The Theoretical methodology: Research Philosophy

Why Philosophy?‘field’ of management comes from

many disciplinesMore than ‘common sense’Research is linked to ‘ways of knowing’Research needs to be credible

Need an understanding of philosophyConvince othersPractical benefit to understand taken for

granted assumptions

How we understand the world around us

Ontology:The basic assumption about the

fundamental nature of existence2 extreme positions

Scientific rationalism – all aspects of life are subject to fundamental laws that will ultimately be discovered by scientific investigation

Humanist interpretation – human existence has unique properties – human action is rooted in how we understand the world

How do we know it is not a dream?

Research: KnowingEpistemology – what information

‘counts’ as valid knowledge the two ontological positions point to different epistemological assumptionsScientific rationalism (often referred

to as positivism) – assumes world is characterized by objective facts

Humanist interpretation (often referred to as phenomenology) – assumes facts as socially and historically contingent

Is it hungry?

PositivismTwo assumptions:

Reality is external and objectiveKnowledge is based on observation

Implications:–independence–value freedom–causality–hypothetico deductive–operationalisation–reductionism–generalisations

PhenomenologyRejects the notion of absolute facts

The world is socially createdFocus on meanings

.

Summary of positivist and phenomenological paradigms (Easterby-Smith :27)

Positivist paradigm Phenomenological paradigm

Basic The world is external and The world is socially constructedandbeliefs: objective subjective

Observer is independent Observer is part of what observed

Science is value-free Science is driven by humaninterests

Researcher focus on facts Focus on meaningsshould: look for causality and try to understand what is

fundamental laws happening

reduce phenomena to look at the totality of each simplest elements situation

formulate hypotheses and develop ideas through inductionthen test them of data

Preferred operatinalising concepts using multiple methods to methods so that they can be establish different views of include: measured phenomena

taking large samples small samples investigated in depth or over time

Theory, RQ’s and process

All work needs theory – an abstract explanation of an event or situation.

If you want to test a theory (ie you are doctor) then you have to use what is already ‘known’ – Deductive process

If you want to try to understand (ie. you are an explorer) then you may develop your own theory from the data – Inductive process

Deduction

Known facts based on prior laws and theories

Theory hypothesis / observations / findings / reject or confirm theory / revise theory

Induction

Facts are not assumed often associated with phenomenology… but…

Observations/ findings / look for patterns / categories / develop theory theory explains

Choosing a methodology

What sort of researcher are you?Eg. Explorer, Doctor or Detective? (RQ’s?)

What assumptions about nature of existence do you (or your discipline) hold? OntologyEg. Scientific rationalist or humanist

interpretiveWhat information counts as valid ?

EpistemologyEg. Positivist or Phenomenological

What approach to theory are you taking?Eg. Inductive or Deductive?

The Research Onion – adapted from Saunders

Positivism

Interpretive

Deductive

Inductive

experiment survey

case study

groundedtheory

ethnographyaction research

Secondary dataObservationInterviewsQuestionnaires

Practical Considerations

•May influence or determine choices on:•research strategy•design•method •resources & costsMay be influenced or determined by:•nature of the topic •people being investigated •political acceptability

Philosophy is useful!

Helps clarify research designHelps recognise when researchmight work