Slide 1.

Chapter 1
The nature of business and management
research and the structure of this book

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.2

Introduction to the research process

Things to consider

• Realities and pitfalls of research

• Approaches, strategies and methods

• Techniques and procedures for data collection and

analysis

• Appropriate use of information technology

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.3

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 1.4

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 1.5

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 1.6

Hodgkinson’s Taxonomy of
Research

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.7

Features of business and management

research (1)
Key debates

• Knowledge production –
(Modes 1, 2 and 3 knowledge)

• The ‘relevance gap’

• ‘Evidence based’ management

• Basic and applied research

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.8

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 1.9

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.10

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 1.11

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 1.12

Purpose of the book

To help you undertake research by being

• Clear about what you are doing

• Why you are doing it

• The associated implications of what you are about

to do

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.13

Overview of the Chapters (1)

• Tutorials for data analysis software

• Smarter Online Searching Guide

• Terminology that is defined and explained

• Examples of research projects

• Checklists for focused guidance

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.14

Overview of the Chapters (2)

Each Chapter contains:

• A summary of key points

• Self- check questions – and answers

• Review and discussion questions

• References and further reading

• A case study that highlights real research issues

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.15

Final Sections

• Bibliography

• Appendices

• Glossary

• Index

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.16

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 1.17

Summary: Chapter 1

The book acts as a guide to the research process

by providing:

• a series of research examples

• checklists to help you acquire relevant knowledge
• review and discussion questions
• self-check questions - and answers
• guidance as you generate material for your project report

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.18

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
Slide 2.1

Chapter 2
Formulating and clarifying the research
topic

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
 Slide 2.2

Formulating and clarifying your research

formal and informal ways topic
- formal: đến từ những gì xung quanh bản thân để ra topic
- informal: từ data sẵn có để chọn topic có thể tận dụng được hết data

The important steps

xác định key words --> literature review
key words --> topic

• Identifying the attributes of a good research topic

• Generating ideas that help you select a suitable

topic

• Turning ideas into clear research questions and

objectives

• Writing your research proposal

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.3

Attributes of a good research topic (1)

Capability: is it feasible?

• Are you fascinated by the topic?

• Do you have the necessary research skills?

• Can you complete the project in the time available?

• Will the research still be current when you finish?

• Do you have sufficient financial and other resources?

• Will you be able to gain access to data?

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.4

Attributes of a good research topic (2)

Appropriateness: is it worthwhile?

• Will the examining institute's standards be met?

• Does the the topic contain issues with clear links to
theory?
• Are the research questions and objectives clearly
stated?
• Will the proposed research provide fresh insights into
the topic?
• Are the findings likely to be symmetrical?
• Does the research topic match your career goals?

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.5

Attributes of a good research topic (3)

And - (if relevant)

Does the topic relate clearly to an idea

you were given -

possibly by your organisation ?

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
 Generating research ideas
Slide 2.6

Useful Techniques
Rational thinking Creative thinking formal way
• Examining your own • Keeping a notebook of your
strength and interests ideas
• Examining staff research • Exploring personal
interests preferences using past
• Looking at past project titles projects
• Discussions • Exploring relevance to
• Searching the literatures business using the literature
• Canning the media • Relevance tree
• brainstorming

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.7

Relevance Tree
main topic

subtopic subtopic subtopic

smaller topic smaller topic

unit of anlysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.8

Relevance Tree

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.9

Refining research ideas

talk about Delphi technique

def

• Using the Delphi Technique

characteristic
application
pros and cons
recommended alternative

• Conducting a preliminary study

• Continually testing out your ideas

• Integrating ideas

• Refining topics given to you by your organisation

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.10

Writing research questions

Write research questions that are

• Consistent with expected standards

• Able to produce clear conclusions Goldilocks Test

liệu có phải trong cuộc đời cô/cậu bé goldilock sẽ
gặp đc 3 con gấu k?

• At the right level ( not too difficult )

• Not too descriptive

• Use the ‘Goldilocks Test’ : too big, too small, too hot,
just right

Clough and Nutbrown (2002)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.11

Turning ideas into research projects (1)

Examples of research ideas

and their derived focus questions

Table 2.2 Examples of research ideas and their derived focus research
questions
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.12

Turning ideas into research projects (2)

Useful techniques
Russian Doll principle
application

• Start with a general focus question

• Use the ‘Russian Doll’ principle to reach the essence

of the question

• Discuss areas of interest with your tutor

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.13

Turning ideas into research projects (3)

Writing clear research objectives

• Check your examining body’s preferences for

stated objectives

• Use a general focus question to achieve precise

objectives

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.14

Turning ideas into research projects (4)

Include SMART Personal objectives

idol of the cave, theatre, tribe, market place

S pecific
Cave: ếch ngồi đáy giếng/ gần mực thì đen gần đèn thì rạng
Tribe: con sâu làm rầu nồi canh
Market: lời nói gió bay/ nói có sách, mách có chứng/ từ đồng âm khác nghĩa
Theatre: thùng rỗng kêu to/ miệng nam mô, bụng bồ dao găm
M easurable

A chievable

R ealistic

T imely
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.15

The importance of theory

• Asking for opinions and gathering facts – 'what' questions

use table and figure (descriptive research)

• Using questions that go beyond description and require

analysis – 'why' questions
theory: the perspective you see everything in your research Phillips and Pugh (2005)
In order to:

Explain phenomena Analyse relationships

Predict outcomes Compare and generalise

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.16

Threefold typology of theories

Grand, middle range and substantive theories

Creswell (2002)
Figure 2.1 Grand, middle-range and substantive theories
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.17

Writing your research proposal

Purposes of the research proposal

• To organise your ideas

• To convince your audience

• To contract with your client (your tutor)

• To meet ethical requirements

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.18

Content of your research proposal (1)

• Title - likely to change during the process

• Background - context within the literature

• Research questions and objectives - what you seek

to achieve

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.19

Content of your research proposal (2)

• Method - can be in two parts: research design and

data collection

• Timescale and Resources - (finance, data access,

equipment)

• References - include some key literature sources

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.20

Evaluating research proposals

• How the components of the proposal fit together

• Viability of the proposal

• Absence of preconceived ideas

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.21

Summary: Chapter 2

The best research topics

• Formulate and clarify the topic

• Meet the requirements of the examining body

• Use a variety of techniques when generating

research ideas

• Are focused on clear questions based on relevant

literature

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 2.22

Summary: Chapter 2

The best research topics

• Are theory dependent

• Have a proposal containing organised ideas

Tell the reader:

• What will be done and why

• How it will be achieved

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.1

Chapter 3
Critically reviewing the literature

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.2

Reasons for reviewing the literature

• To conduct a ‘preliminary’ search of existing

material

• To organise valuable ideas and findings

• To identify other research that may be in progress

• To generate research ideas

• To develop a critical perspective

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.3

The literature review process

Figure 3.1 The literature review process Source: Saunders et al. (2003)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.4

The Critical Review (1)

Approaches used

Deductive -
Develops a conceptual framework from the
literature which is then tested using the data

Inductive -
Explores the data to develop theories which are
then tested against the literature

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.5

The Critical Review (2)

Key purposes

• To further refine research questions and objectives

• To discover recommendations for further research

• To avoid repeating work already undertaken

• To provide insights into strategies and techniques

appropriate to your research objectives

Based on Gall et al. (2006)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.6

Adopting a critical perspective (1)

Skills for effective reading

• Previewing

• Annotating

• Summarising

• Comparing and contrasting

Harvard College Library (2006)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.7

Adopting a critical perspective (2)

The most important skills are

• The capacity to evaluate what you read

• The capacity to relate what you read to other

information

Wallace and Wray (2006)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.8

Adopting a critical perspective (3)

Questions to ask yourself

Why am I reading this?

What is the author trying to do in writing this?

How convincing is this?

What use can I make of this reading?

Adapted from Wallace and Wray (2006)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.9

Content of the critical review

You will need to

• Include key academic theories

• Demonstrate current knowledge of the area

• Use clear referencing for the reader to find the

original cited publications

• Acknowledge the research of others

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.10

Is your literature review critical?

Checklists Box 3.2 and Box 3.3

Complete the checklists to evaluate your

literature review

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.11

Evaluate the content of your

critical literature review
• Have you ensured that the literature covered
relates clearly to your research question and
objectives?
• Have you covered the most relevant an significant
theories in the area?
• Have you covered the most relevant and
significant literature?
• Have you included up-to-date relevant literature?
• Have you referenced all the literature used?

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.12

Evaluate whether your

literature review is critical
• Have you contextualized your own research
showing how your research question relates
to previous research reviewed?
• Have you assess the strength and
weaknesses of the previous research
reviewed?
• Have you been objective in your discussion
and assessment of other people’s research?
• Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.13

Evaluate whether your

literature review is critical
• Have you included references to research
that is counter to, as well as, supports your
own opinion?
• Have you made reasoned judgments about
the value and relevance of others’ research
to your own?
• Have you justified clearly your own ideas?
• Have you highlighted those areas where
new research is needed?
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.14

Structure of the literature review

Three common structures

• A single chapter

• A series of chapters

• Throughout the report

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.15

Structuring the literature

review
• Better to have a clear title which describes the
focus of your research rather than just saying
‘literature review’.
• You may use subheadings within the literature
review to help guide your reader.
• Start at a more general level before narrowing
down to specific research question
• Provide a brief overview of key ideas and themes

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.16

Structuring the literature

review
• Summaries, compare and contrast the research of
key authors.
• You may organize your literature thematically
around the ideas contained in the research being
reviewed rather than the researchers?
• Narrow down to highlight previous research work
most relevant to your own research.
• Highlight those aspects where your own research
will provide fresh insight.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.17

The key to a critical literature review

• Demonstrate that you have read, understood and

evaluated your material

• Link the different ideas to form a cohesive and

coherent argument

• Make clear connections to your research

objectives and the subsequent empirical material

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.18

Categories of Literature Sources

• Primary (published and unpublished)

• Secondary

• Tertiary

Detailed in Tables 3.1 and 3.2 Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.19

Literature sources available

Literature sources available

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 3.2 Literature sources available
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.20

The literature search strategy (1)

Write down

• parameters of your search

• key words and search terms to be used
• databases and search engines to be used
• criteria for selection of relevant and useful
studies
And

Discuss these with a tutor (if possible)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.21

The literature search strategy (2)

• Define the research parameters

• Generate key words

• Discuss your research

• Brainstorm ideas

• Construct Relevance trees - use computer software

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.22

Conducting a literature search (1)

Approaches can include

• Searching tertiary literature sources

• Obtaining relevant literature

• Scanning and browsing secondary literature

• Searching using the Internet

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.23

Conducting a literature search (2)

Searching using tertiary literature

• Ensure key words match controlled index language

• Search appropriate printed and database sources

• Note precise details used – including search strings

• Note the FULL reference of each search found

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.24

Conducting a literature search (3)

• Printed sources

• Databases – use of Boolean logic and free

text searching (Table 3.3)

• Scanning and browsing

• Searching the Internet (Tables 3.4 and 3.5)

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.25

Conducting a literature search (4)

Searching the Internet

Saunders et al. (2003)

Figure 3.3 Searching the Internet
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.26

Conducting a literature search (5)

Searching the Internet

Saunders et al. (2003)

Figure 3.3 Searching the Internet (Continued)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.27

Evaluating the literature

• Define the scope of your review

• Assess relevance and value

• Assess sufficiency

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.28

Recording the literature

Make notes for each item you read

Record –

• Biographic details

• Brief summary of content

• Supplementary information
Sharp et al. (2002)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.29

Recording the literature

• Bibliographic details (Table 3.6)

• Brief summary

• Supplementary information (Table 3.7)

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.30

Plagiarism
Four common forms

• Stealing material from another source

• Submitting material written by another

• Copying material without quotation marks

• Paraphrasing material without documentation

Adapted from Park (2003), cited in 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 3.31

Summary: Chapter 3

The critical literature review

• Sets the research in context

• Leads the reader into later sections of the report

• Begins at a general level and narrows to specific

topics

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 3.32

Summary: Chapter 3

A literature search requires

• Three main categories of sources

• Clearly defined research questions and
objectives
• Defined parameters
• Use of techniques – ( brainstorming and
relevance trees)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.1

Chapter 4
Understanding research philosophies
and approaches

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.2

Underlying issues of data collection and

analysis
The research ‘onion’

Saunders et al, (2008)

Figure 4.1 The research ‘onion’
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.3

Understanding your research philosophy

(1)

‘Research philosophy is an over-arching term

relating to the development of knowledge and
the nature of that knowledge’

Adapted from Saunders et al, (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.4

Understanding your research philosophy

(2)
Thinking about research philosophy

• Ontology

• Epistemology

• Pragmatism

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.5

Understanding your research philosophy

(3)
Aspects of ontology

• Objectivism

• Subjectivism

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.6

Understanding your research philosophy

(4)
Aspects of philosophy

• Positivism - the stance of the natural scientist

• Realism - direct and critical realism

• Interpretivism – researchers as ‘social actors’

• Axiology – studies judgements about value

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.7

Research paradigms

Definition

‘A way of examining social phenomenon from

which particular understandings of these
phenomena can be gained and explanations
attempted’

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.8

Research Approaches (1)

Deduction
5 sequential stages of testing theory

• Deducing a hypothesis
• Expressing the hypothesis operationally
• Testing the operational hypothesis
• Examining the specific outcome of the enquiry
• Modifying the theory (if necessary)

Adapted from Robson (2002)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.9

Research Approaches (2)

Characteristics of Deduction

• Explaining causal relationships between variables

• Establishing controls for testing hypotheses

• Independence of the researcher

• Concepts operationalised for quantative measurement

• Generalisation

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.10

Research Approaches (3)

Induction
Building theory by –

• Understanding the way human build their world

• Permitting alternative explanations of what’s
going on
• Being concerned with the context of events
• Using more qualitative data
• Using a variety of data collection methods

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.11

Choosing your research approach

The right choice of approach helps you to

• Make a more informed decision about the

research design

• Think about which strategies will work for your

research topic

• Adapt your design to cater for any constraints

Adapted from 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 4.12

Combining research approaches

Things worth considering

• The nature of the research topic

• The time available

• The extent of risk

• The research audience – managers and markers

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.13

Deductive and Inductive research

Major differences between these approaches

Saunders et al, (2009)

Table 4.2 Major differences between deductive and inductive approaches to
research
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.14

Summary: Chapter 4

Research philosophy

• relates to the development of knowledge and

the nature of that knowledge

• contains important assumptions about the

way in which you view the world

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.15

Summary: Chapter 4

Three major ways of thinking about research

philosophy

• Epistemology

• Ontology – objectivism and subjectivism

• Axiology

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.16

Summary: Chapter 4

Social science paradigms can generate fresh

insights into real-life issues and problems

Four of the paradigms are:

Functionalist Radical humanist

Interpretive Radical structuralist

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 4.17

Summary: Chapter 4

The two main research approaches are

Deduction - theory and hypothesis are

developed and tested

Induction – data are collected and a theory

developed from the data analysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.1

Chapter 5
Formulating the research design

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.2

The Process of Research Design

mục lục, số trang

research design gắn với context

• Research choices

• Research strategies

• Time horizons

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.3

Research Design and Tactics

The research onion

Saunders et al, (2009)

Figure 5.1 The research ‘onion’
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.4

Research Design
The research design needs

• Clear objectives derived from the research question

• To specify sources of data collection

• To consider constraints and ethical issues

• Valid reasons for your choice of design

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.5

Multiple research methods

Research choices

Saunders et al, (2009)

Figure 5.4 Research choices
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.6

Multiple research methods

Reasons for using mixed method designs:
(Table 5.1 )
• Initiation
• Facilitation
• Complementarity
• Interpretation
• Generalisability
• Diversity
• Problem solving
• Focus
• Triangulation
• Confidence
Source: developed from Bryman (2006)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.7

Classification of the research purpose

• Exploratory research

• Descriptive studies

• Explanatory studies

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.8

Research Strategies

Experiment Action research

Grounded theory Survey

Ethnography Case study

Archival research

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.9

Research Strategies: Experiment

An experiment will involve

• Definition of a theoretical hypothesis

• Selection of samples from know populations
• Random allocation of samples
• Introduction of planned intervention
• Measurement on a small number of dependent
variables
• Control of all other variables

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.10

Research Strategies: Experiment

Variables
• Independent variable áp dụng vào kinh tế: sử dụng chính sách

• Dependent variable
• Mediating variable trung gian: full madiation - 1 or 2 significant
partial mediation - all significant
no mediation - lack 1 of them

• Moderator variable
• Control variable
• Confounding variable
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.11

Research Strategies: Experiment

• Classical experiment
• Quasi experiment
• Between Subject design
• Within Subject Design

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.12

Research Strategies: Experiment

A classic experiment strategy

Saunders et al, (2009)

Figure 5.2 A classic experiment strategy

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.13

Research Strategies: Experiment

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.14

Research Strategies: Experiment

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.15

Research Strategies: Survey

Survey: key features

• Popular in business research

• Perceived as authoritative
• Allows collection of quantitative data
• Data can be analysed quantitatively
• Samples need to be representative
• Gives the researcher independence
• Structured observation and interviews can be used

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.16

Research Strategies: Archival

research
• An archival research makes use of
administrative records and documents as the
principal source of data.
• Focus on RQ that deals with past the
changes over time.
• Primary or secondary data?

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.17

Research Strategies: Case Study

Case Study: key features

• Provides a rich understanding of a real life context

• Uses and triangulates multiple sources of data

A case study can be categorised in four ways

and based on two dimensions:

single case v. multiple case

holistic case v. embedded case
Yin (2003)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.18

Research Strategies: Case Study

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.19

Research Strategies: Ethnography

• Ethnography is used to study groups.

• Aims to describe and explain the social world
inhabited by the researcher
• It may involve researchers living amongst
those whom they study to observe and talk
to them ion order to produce detail cultural
accounts of their shared beliefs, behaviors,
interactions, language, rituals and the events
that shape their lives.
• Takes place over an extended time period
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.20

Research Strategies
Action research: key features

• Research IN action - not ON action

• Involves practitioners in the research
• The researcher becomes part of the organisation
• Promotes change within the organisation
• Can have two distinct focii (Schein, 1999) –
the aim of the research and the needs of the sponsor

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.21

Research Strategies
The action research spiral

Figure 5.3 The action research spiral Saunders et al, (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.22

Research Strategies
Grounded theory: key features

• Theory is built through induction and deduction

• Helps to predict and explain behaviour

• Develops theory from data generated by

observations

• Is an interpretative process, not a logico-

deductive one
Based on Suddaby (2006)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.23

Research Strategies
The role of the practitioner-researcher
Key features

• Research access is more easily available

• The researcher knows the organisation
• Has the disadvantage of familiarity
• The researcher is likely to their own assumptions
and preconceptions
• The dual role requires careful negotiation

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.24

Time Horizons

Select the appropriate time horizon

• Cross-sectional studies

• Longitudinal studies

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.25

Credibility of research findings

Important considerations
• Reliability: Consistency of findings if repeated
• Validity: research measures what you actually
intend to measure.
– Internal validity: IV is established when your research
demonstrates a causal relationship between two
variables
– External validity: Can a study’s findings be generalised
in other relevant settings or groups.
• Logic leaps and false assumptions

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.26

Credibility of research findings

kiểm soát công cụ nghiên cứu: nếu thiết kế bảng hỏi phải trích nguồn
survey,...
Threats to Reliability
• Participant error: Any factor which adversely
alters the way in which the participant performs.
• Participant Bias: any factor which includes a false
response. reverse question 5(rcm)-10% tránh đánh bừa hàng loạt

• Researcher error: Any factor which alters the

researcher's interpretation
• Researcher bias: Any factor which includes bias in
the researcher's recording of responses.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.27

Credibility of research findings

Threats to internal validity
• Past or recent event: An event which changes participant’s
perceptions.
• Testing: The impact of testing on participant’s view or
actions.
• Instrumentation: Impact of a change in a research
instrument between different stages of the research.
• Mortality: Impact of participants withdrawing form the
studies.
• Maturation: Impact of outside factor that affects
participants’ attitudes and behavior
• Ambiguity about causal direction: Lack of clarity about
cause and effect
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.28

Research design ethics

Remember

‘The research design should not subject the

research population to embarrassment, harm or
other material disadvantage’

Adapted from Saunders et al, (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.29

Summary: Chapter 5
Research design turns a research question and
objectives into a project that considers

Strategies Choices Time horizons

Research projects can be categorised as

Exploratory Descriptive Explanatory

Research projects may be

Cross-sectional Longitudinal

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 5.30

Summary: Chapter 5
Important considerations

• The main research strategies may combined in

the same project

• The opportunities provided by using multiple

methods

• The validity and reliability of results

• Access and ethical considerations

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.1

Chapter 7
Selecting Samples

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.2

Selecting samples
Population, sample and individual cases

Source: Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 7.1 Population, sample and individual cases

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.3

The need to sample

Sampling- a valid alternative to a census when

• A survey of the entire population is impracticable

• Budget constraints restrict data collection

• Time constraints restrict data collection

• Results from data collection are needed quickly

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.4

Overview of sampling techniques

Sampling techniques

Source: Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 7.2 Sampling techniques
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.5

Probability sampling

The four stage process

1. Identify sampling frame from research objectives

2. Decide on a suitable sample size

3. Select the appropriate technique and the sample

4. Check that the sample is representative

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.6

Identifying a suitable sampling frame

Key points to consider

• Problems of using existing databases

• Extent of possible generalisation from the sample

• Validity and reliability

• Avoidance of bias

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.7

Sample size

Choice of sample size is influenced by

• Confidence needed in the data
• Margin of error that can be tolerated
• Margin of error (also called The confidence interval ) is the plus-or-minus
figure usually reported in newspaper or television opinion poll results. For
example, if you use a margin of error of 4 and 47% percent of your sample
picks an answer you can be "sure" that if you had asked the question of the
entire relevant population between 43% (47-4) and 51% (47+4) would have
picked that answer.
• Types of analyses to be undertaken
• Size of the sample population and distribution

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.8

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.9

The importance of response rate

Key considerations

• Non- respondents and analysis of refusals

• Obtaining a representative sample

• Calculating the active response rate

• Estimating response rate and sample size

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.10

Selecting a sampling technique

Five main techniques used for a probability sample

• Simple random

• Systematic

• Stratified random

• Cluster

• Multi-stage

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.11

Simple random sampling

• Number each of the cases in your sampling
frame with a unique number.
• Select cases using random numbers until,
actual sample size is reached.
• Computer aided telephone interviewing
(CATI) software

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.12

Systematic Random Sampling

• Number each of the cases in your sampling frame with a

unique number.
• Select the first case using a random number
• Calculate the sampling fraction
• Select subsequent cases systematically using the
sampling fraction to determine the frequency of
selection.
• Sampling fraction = actual sample size/ total population

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.13

Stratified random sampling

• Choose the stratification variable or
variables
• Divide the sampling frame into the discrete
strata.
• Number each of the cases within each
stratum with a unique number
• Select your sample using either simple
random or systematic random sampling
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.14

Cluster sampling
• Choose the cluster grouping for your
sampling frame.
• Number each of the clusters with a unique
number.
• Select sample of clusters using random
sampling

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.15

Multi-stage sampling

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.16

Non- probability sampling (1)

Key considerations

• Deciding on a suitable sample size

– Data saturation

• Selecting the appropriate technique

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.17

Non- probability sampling (2)

Sampling techniques

• Quota sampling (larger populations)

• Purposive sampling
• Snowball sampling
• Self-selection sampling
• Convenience sampling

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.18

Quota Sampling
• Divide the population into specific groups.
• Calculate quota for each group based on
relevant and available data
• Collect data from each quota

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.19

Purposive sampling
• Extreme case/deviant sampling: unusual or
special case enable to learn the most about
the RQ.
• Heterogeneous or maximum variation
sampling: representing different subgroups
• Homogeneous sampling: One subgroup.
• Critical case sampling:
– If it happen there, it will happen everywhere.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.20

Snowball sampling
• Make contact with one or two cases in the
population.
• Ask these cases to identify further cases.
• Ask these new case to identify further new
cases.
• Stop when either no new cases are given or
the sample is large enough.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.21

Self select sampling

• Publicize your need for cases
• Collect data from those who respond

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.22

Haphazard sampling
• Also called purposive or availability
sampling.
• Select case based on ease or convenience.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.23

Summary: Chapter 7

• Choice of sampling techniques depends upon the

research question(s) and their objectives

• Factors affecting sample size include:

- confidence needed in the findings
- accuracy required
- likely categories for analysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.24

Summary: Chapter 7

• Probability sampling requires a sampling frame and

can be more time consuming

• When a sampling frame is not possible, non-

probability sampling is used

• Many research projects use a combination of

sampling techniques

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 7.25

Summary: Chapter 7

All choices depend on the ability to gain

access to organisations

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.1

Chapter 11
Collecting primary data using
questionnaires

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.2

Use of questionnaires (1)

Definition of Questionnaires

Techniques of data collection in which each

person is asked to respond to the same set of
questions in a predetermined order

Adapted from deVaus (2002)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.3

Use of questionnaires (2)

When to use questionnaires

• For explanatory or descriptive research

• Linked with other methods in a multiple-methods

research design

• To collect responses from a large sample prior to

quantitative analysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.4

Use of questionnaires (3)

Types of questionnaire

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 11.1 Types of questionnaire

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.5

Choice of questionnaire
Related factors

• Characteristics of the respondents and access

• Respondents answers not being contaminated or

distorted

• Size of sample required for analysis

• Type and number of questions required

• Available resources including use of computer software

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.6

Data collection
Key factors

• Precisely defined questions

• Representative and accurate sampling

• An understanding of the organisational context

• Relationships between variables – dependent,

independent and extraneous

• Types of variable

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.7

Ensuring essential data are collected

Data requirements table

Saunders et al. (2009)

Table 11.2 Data requirements table

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.8

Designing the questionnaire (1)

Stages that must occur if a question is to be
valid and reliable

Source: developed from Foddy (1994)

Figure 11.2 Stages that must occur if a question is to be valid and reliable
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.9

Designing the questionnaire (2)

Assessing validity

• Internal

• Content

• Criterion – related (predictive)

• Construct

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.10

Designing the questionnaire (3)

Testing for reliability- the 3 stage process

• Test re-test

• Internal consistency

• Alternative form

Mitchell (1996)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.11

Examples of question types (1)

Open questions

6 Please list up to three things you like about

your job

1…………………………………………

2…………………………………………

3…………………………………………

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.12

Examples of question types (2)

List questions

7 What is your religion?

Please tick ✓ the appropriate box

Buddhist  None 
Christian  Other 
Hindu 
Jewish 
Muslim 
Sikh 

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.13

Examples of question types (3)

Category questions

8 How often do you visit the shopping centre?

Interviewer: listen to the respondent’s answer and tick ✓
as appropriate

 First visit
 Once a week
 Less than fortnightly to once a month
 2 or more times a week
 Less than once a week to fortnightly
 Less often
Saunders et al. (2009)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.14

Examples of question types (4)

Ranking questions

9 Please number each of the factors listed below in

order of importance to you in choosing a new car.
Number the most important 1, the next 2 and so
on. If a factor has no importance at all, please
leave blank.

Factor Importance
Carbon dioxide emissions [ ]
Boot size [ ]
Depreciation [ ]
Price [ ]

Adapted from Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.15

Examples of question types (5)

Rating questions

10 For the following statement please tick the

box that matches your view most closely

Agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Disagree

I feel employees’    
views have
influenced the
decisions taken
by management
Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.16

Examples of question types (6)

Quantity questions

14 What is your year of birth?

1 9

(For example, for 1988 write: )

1 9 8 8

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.17

Designing individual questions (1)

Other considerations

• Adopting or adapting existing questions – remember

to check copyright

• Question wording

• Translating questions into other languages

• Question coding

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.18

Designing individual questions (2)

Checklist Box 11.11

Complete the Checklist in Box 11.11

to help you with the wording of your questions

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.19

Constructing the questionnaire

Main considerations

• Order and flow of questions

• Questionnaire layout

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.20

Explaining the purpose and testing

Key points

• The covering letter

• Introducing and closing the questionnaire

• Pilot testing and assessing validity

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.21

Administering the questionnaire

Points to consider

• Internet and intranet-mediated responses

• Postal questionnaires

• Delivery and Collection

• Telephone questionnaires

• Structured interviews

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.22

Summary: Chapter 11

• Questionnaires are often used to collect descriptive

and explanatory data

• Five main types of questionnaire are Internet- or

intra-net mediated, postal, delivery and collection,
telephone and interview schedule

• Precise data that meet the research objectives can

be produced by using a data requirements table

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.23

Summary: Chapter 11

• Data validity and reliability and response rate

depend on design, structure and rigorous pilot
testing

• Wording and order of questions and question types

are important considerations

• Closed questions should be pre-coded to facilitate

data input and analysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 11.24

Summary: Chapter 11

• Important design features are a clear layout, a

logical order and flow of questions and easily
completed responses

• Questionnaires should be carefully introduced and

pilot tested prior to administration

• Administration needs to be appropriate to the type of

questionnaire

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.1

Chapter 12
Analysing quantitative data

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.2

Quantative data analysis (1)

Key points

• Data must be analysed to produce information

• Computer software analysis is normally used for

this process

• Data should be carefully prepared for analysis

• Researchers need to know how to select and use

different charting and statistical techniques
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.3

Quantative data analysis (2)

Main concerns

• Preparing, inputting and checking data

• Choosing the most appropriate statistics to describe

the data

• Choosing the most appropriate statistics to examine

data relationships and trends

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.4

Preparing, inputting and checking data

(1)
Main considerations

• Type of data (scale of measurement)

• Data format for input to analysis software

• Impact of data coding on subsequent analyses

• Case weighting

• Methods for error checking

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.5

Preparing, inputting and checking data

(2)
Defining the data type

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 12.1 Defining the data type
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.6

Preparing, inputting and checking data

(3)
Defining the data type

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 12.1 Defining the data type (Continued)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.7

Preparing, inputting and checking data

(4)
A simple data matrix

Saunders et al. (2009)

Table 12.1 A simple data matrix
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.8

Preparing, inputting and checking data

(5)

Main data categories for coding

• Numerical data

• Categorical data

• Missing data

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.9

Preparing, inputting and checking data

(6)
Final stages of the process

• Entering data – rubbish in = rubbish out!

• Weighting cases

• Always take time to check for errors – including

illegitimate codes, illogical relationships and that
rules were followed in filter questions

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.10

Exploring and presenting data (1)

Exploratory analysis can include:

• Specific values

• Highest and lowest values

• Trends over time

• Proportions

• Distributions
Sparrow (1989)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.11

Exploring and presenting data (2)

Checklist Box 12.8

Complete the Checklist in Box 12.8

to help you design diagrams and tables

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.12

Exploring and presenting data (3)

Showing aspects of individual variables

• Specific values

• Highest and lowest values

• Trends

• Proportions

• Distribution of values
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.13

Examples of diagrams (1)

Bar Chart

Source: adapted from Eurostat (2007) © European Communities, 2007

Reproduced with permission
Figure 12.2 Bar chart
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.14

Examples of diagrams (2)

Histogram

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 12.4 Histogram
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.15

Examples of diagrams (5)

Pie chart

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 12.8 Pie chart
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.16

Exploring and presenting data (4)

Comparing variables to show

• Specific values and independence

• Highest and lowest values

• Proportions

• Trends and conjunctions

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.17

Exploring and presenting data (5)

Comparing variables to show

• Totals

• Proportions and totals

• Distribution of values

• Relationship between cases for variables

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.18

Describing data using statistics (1)

Statistics to describe a variable focus on

two aspects

• The central tendency

• The dispersion

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.19

Describing data using statistics (2)

Describing the central tendency

• To represent the value occurring most frequently

• To represent the middle value

• To include all data values

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.20

Describing data using statistics (3)

Describing the dispersion

• To state the difference between values

• To describe and compare the extent by which values

differ from the mean

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.21

Examining relationships, differences

and trends

Using statistics to

• Test for significant relationships and differences

• Assess the strength of relationship

• Examine trends

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.22

Summary: Chapter 12
• Data for quantitative analysis can be collected and
then coded at different scales of measurement

• Data type constrains the presentation, summary and

analysis techniques that can be used

• Data are entered for computer analysis as a matrix

and recorded using numerical codes

• Codes should be entered for all data values

• Existing coding schemes enable comparisons

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 12.23

Summary: Chapter 12

• Data must be checked for errors

• Initial analysis should use both tables and diagrams

• Subsequent analyses involve describing data and

exploring relationships by using statistics

• Longitudinal data may necessitate different

statistical techniques

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.1

Chapter 13
Analysing qualitative data

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.2

Analysing qualitative data (1)

Definition

‘Qualitative data refers to all non-numeric data

or data that have not been quantified and can
be a product of all research strategies’

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.3

Analysing qualitative data (2)

Distinctions between quantitative and
qualitative data

Saunders et al. (2009)

Table 13.1 Distinctions between quantitative and qualitative data

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.4

Preparing data for analysis

Key issues

• Transcribing qualitative data

• Using electronic textual data including scanned

documents

• The interactive nature of the process

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.5

Approaches to qualitative analysis

Main approaches

• The deductive approach

• The inductive approach

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.6

Types of qualitative analysis process

(1)

Main types

• Summarising (condensation) of meanings

• Categorising (grouping) of meanings

• Structuring (ordering of meanings using narrative

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.7

Types of qualitative analysis process

(2)

Dimensions of qualitative analysis

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 13.1 Dimensions of qualitative analysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.8

Categorising data
Points to consider

• Deriving categories

• ‘Unitising’ data

• Recognising relationships and developing categories

• Developing testable propositions

• Qualifying your qualitative data

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.9

Analytical aids

Types of analytical aids

• Interim summaries

• Self-memos

• Researcher’s diary

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.10

Deductively based analytical

procedures
Procedures applicable to qualitative
analysis

• Pattern matching

• Explanation building

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.11

Inductively based analytical

procedures
Procedures applicable to qualitative analysis

• Data display and analysis

• Template analysis
• Analytic induction
• Grounded theory – open, axial and selected coding
• Discourse analysis
• Narrative analysis

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.12

Discourse analysis
A three-dimensional analytical framework for
critical discourse analysis

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 13.2 A three-dimensional analytical framework for critical discourse
analysis
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.13

Using CAQDAS for qualitative analysis

(1)
Summary of functions

• Structure of work
• Closeness to data and interactivity
• Explore the data
• Code and retrieve
• Project management and data organisation
• Searching and interrogating
• Writing memos, comments and note
• Output

Lewins and Silver (2006)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.14

Using CAQDAS for qualitative analysis

(2)

Checklist Box 13.17

Complete the Checklist in Box 13.17

to help you choose a CAQDAS package

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.15

Summary: Chapter 13

• Qualitative data result from the collection of non-

standardised data that require classification and
are analysed through use of conceptualisation

• Qualitative analysis can involve summarising,

categorising and structuring data

• The process of data analysis and collection are

necessarily interactive

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 13.16

Summary: Chapter 13

• Aids to analysis include interim summaries, self-

memos and maintaining a researcher diary

• Qualitative analysis procedures can be related to

using either a deductive or inductive approach

• Computer-assisted qualitative data analysis

software (CAQDAS) can help with project
management and data organisation

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.1

Chapter 14
Writing and presenting your project report

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.2

Getting started with writing

Practical hints

• Create time for your writing

• Write when your mind is fresh
• Find a regular writing place
• Set goals and achieve them
• Use word processing
• Generate a plan for the report
• Finish each writing session on a high point
• Get friends to read and comment on your work

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.3

Structuring your research report

Suggested structure

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Literature review
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• Conclusions
• References
• Appendices

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.4

Writing for different audiences

Key differences between an ‘Academic’ report
and a ‘Consultancy’ or ‘Management’ report

The academic report:

• Tends to be longer
• Will be marked and graded
• Will contain contextual descriptions

The consultancy report:

• Has less focus on the development of theory
• Contains recommendations relating to the organisation’s
business
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.5

Report structure (1)

The abstract

Four short paragraphs that answer the questions:

1. What were my research questions and why were they

important?
2. How did I go about answering the research questions?
3. What did I find out in response to these questions?
4. What conclusions can be drawn?

Adapted from Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.6

Report structure (2)

Introduction - include

• The research questions(s) and a clear statement of

research objectives
• Brief background and a guide to the storyline

Literature review - purpose

• To set your study in the wider context

• To show how your study supplements existing work

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.7

Report structure (3)

Checklist Box 14.5

Complete the Checklist in Box 14.5

for points to include in your method chapter

Developed from Robson (2002)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.8

Report structure (4)

Results chapter(s) - purpose

• To report the facts your research discovered

• To support the facts with quotes from participants

Discussion chapter- purpose

• To interpret results and relate the findings to the

original research goals and objectives
• To indicate implications of the research

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.9

Report structure (5)

Using a matrix in the planning of the content for
the results and conclusions chapters

Saunders et al. (2009)

Figure 14.1 Using a matrix in the planning of the content for the results and
conclusions chapters
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.10

Report structure (6)

Conclusion chapter – purpose

• To answer the research question(s)

• To meet the research objectives
• To consider the findings
• To present any contributions to the topic displayed in
the literature
• To reflect on any implications for future research

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.11

Report structure (7)

References

• Use a convention that is accepted by your university

(e.g. Harvard, APA)
• Cite all sources referred to in the text
• Check all citations to prevent plagiarism

Appendices

• Include only essential supporting material

• Include copies of interview schedules
• Keep appendices to a minimum
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.12

Organising the report content (2)

Main points to consider

• Choosing the title

• Telling a clear story

• Helping the reader by-

Dividing your work
Previewing and summarising chapters
Using suitable tables and graphics
Writing in a suitable style

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.13

Writing style
Key points:

• Clarity and simplicity – avoid jargon

• Checking grammar and spelling

• Preserving anonymity

• Regularly revising each draft

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.14

Evaluating the first draft

Checklist Box 14.11

Complete the Checklist in Box 14.11

to help you evaluate the first draft

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.15

Oral presentation

Three key stages:

• Planning and preparation

• Use of visual aids

• Presenting

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.16

Summary: Chapter 14

• Writing is a creative process and a powerful way to

clarifying your thinking

• A project report needs a clear structure that helps to

develop the storyline

• All the information should be readily accessible to

the reader

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.17

Summary: Chapter 14

• Use a clear writing style free and check for spelling

and grammatical errors

• Be prepared to rewrite the first draft several times

• Remember to check the assessment criteria

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 14.18

Summary: Chapter 14

• Failing to prepare for your presentation is preparing

to fail

• Visual aids help the audience understand your

presentation

Remember to –

• Tell them what you're going to say

• Say it
• Tell them what you said

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009