Business Research Methods 5e

This book is a one stop guide to all your research methods needs. It is tailored specifically towards business and management courses, and central to this edition is the balanced coverage of qualitative and quantitative methods to clearly and concisely lead students through the research process, whatever their project may be.


Now in its much anticipated fifth edition, Business Research Methods has been revised and updated to reflect all the latest trends in research methodology. The integration of statistical issues, as well as coverage of web-based surveys, qualitative interviews, big data, and content analysis of social media, aims to support the current student experience.


A Running Case Study charts the progression of two student research projects - one qualitative and one quantitative - and shows how the content of each chapter can be used to develop their projects. Thought provoking questions are included to help students consider the issues and decisions involved, and how these might be applied to their own project.


Deeper Insight into Research Methods boxes delve further into particular research issues, offering a detailed description to increase understanding of these areas, whilst Real Life examples put research methods into context, by showing how they have been applied in real world situations.


New pedagogy features include:


Research in Practice boxes provide an insight into situations and research decisions that students may encounter in real life projects. They contain hints, tips and sometimes questions to help think through a project.


Theory Explained highlights key theories and demonstrates how these can be applied in practical research examples.


Statistics in Action provides practical alternatives to qualitative research methods and gives examples of how statistical data can be presented, analyzed and interpreted to improve students data insights skills.


The Online Learning Centre contains a vast amount of extra resources to support lecturers and student, including power points, instructor manuals, and a question bank. New to this edition are short case studies with teaching notes covering current topics and key theories, and worked examples and videos with associated questions for further practical exercises and real world examples.




Boris F. Blumberg is Senior Lecturer and Executive Director of UMIO, the postgraduate unit at the Maastricht University School of Business and Economics, the Netherlands. Boris has supervised hundreds of dissertations and teaches courses in strategic management, entrepreneurship and innovation. His research focuses mainly on entrepreneurship, networks and methodology.


Claire MacRae is Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at the Centre for Public Policy, University of Glasgow. Claire has taught courses on research methods for undergraduate, masters and Professional Doctorate students. Her research focuses mainly on policymaking, risk and resilience, and the impact of policy design and implementation on society.