Management Research

Introducing Management and Business Research
Introduction
The Nature of Management and Business Research
What Is Management?
Skills and Resources for Management and Business Research
Levels and Outcomes of Management Research
Is Management Research Distinctive?
Conclusion
Further Reading
The Philosophy of Management Research
Introduction
The Philosophical Debates
Ontology: From Realism to Nominalism
Epistemology: Positivism versus Social Constructionism
Linking Ontology, Epistemology and Methodology
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Main Traditions
Overviews of Other Philosophies
Conclusion
Further Reading
Designing Management Research
Introduction
Epistemology and Researcher Engagement
Positivist Research Designs
Constructionist Research Designs
Case method and Grounded Theory
Mixed Methods
Common Design Dilemmas
Contributing to Theory
Contrasting Views on Validity and Reliability
Research Design Template
Conclusion
Further Reading
The Politics and Ethics of Management Research
Introduction
Political Influences on the Research Questions
Politics of Access
Ethics
Utilization of Research
Conclusion
Further Reading
Reviewing the Literature
Introduction
What Is a Literature Review and What Is Its Purpose?
Preparation for the Literature Review
Elements of Literature Review
Alignment with Study Context and Approach
Sources of Information
Conclusion
Further Reading
Creating Qualitative Data
Methods for qualitative data collection
Collecting data through language
Collecting data through observation
Understanding data through interaction
General concerns related to the collection of qualitative methods
Conclusion
Further reading
Framing Qualitative Data
Introduction
Analysing natural language data
Content analysis and grounded analysis
Computer aided analysis
Social network analysis
Discourse analysis
Narrative analysis
Conversation analysis
Argument analysis
Gaining knowledge through interaction
Conclusion
Further reading
Creating Quantitative Data
Introduction
Sampling design
Sources of quantitative data
Questionnaire design
Conclusion
Further reading
Summarising and Making Inferences from Quantitative Data
Introduction
Summarizing and describing data
Going beyond a sample
Conclusion
Further reading
Multivariate Analysis
Introduction
Multivariate analysis of measurement models
Multivariate analysis of causal models
Conclusion
Further reading
Writing Management and Business Research
The skills of writing
The content of reports and dissertations
Writing up the literature review
Outputs and evaluation
Plagiarism
Dissemination strategies
Conclusion
Further reading
Answers to exercises
Glossary
Bibliography
Index