Slide 1.
Chapter 1
The nature of business and management
research
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.2
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 1.3
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 1.4
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 1.5
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 1.6
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 1.7
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 1.8
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 1.9
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