266.202 Master Seminar Qualitative Research MethodsWS 2017/18; 2.00 hours, 3.00 ECTS credits Time:
12:00 - 15:15 (selected
dates), Room: BA 9907 |
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Course topic
In qualitative social and management research there are many different research traditions based on different epistemologies and using different research methods. In this course students will become familiar with different qualitative research approaches in the field of business studies and learn about different methods of qualitative data collection and analysis. Students will gain an understanding of what constitutes good qualitative research and will practically apply some methods of data collection and analysis. The overarching aim of this course is to help students to better understand and critically reflect on research based on qualitative methods based on a better understanding of underlying epistemologies and research techniques.
Course contents
· Epistemological foundation of qualitative social research
· Developing a research question
· Different research designs
· Methods of data collection and analysis
· Tools for analyzing and visualizing data
· Applying these techniques in a research project
Course objectives
· Have an overview of qualitative research methods
· Understand the potentials of and conditions of use for qualitative research methods
· Understand the typical biases which tend to affect a qualitative researcher
· Know how to design and conduct a qualitative study
· Learn to use interviews as a means of data collection
· Understand how interview data can be analyzed
Assessment
Students have to do core readings and translate them into their own empirical research project. First, students (in groups) have to develop an interview protocol for examining the following question: “How prepared do employers in the region perceive JKU master students to be with regard to their leadership skills?” Then, each student has to conduct one interview and transcribe it. Afterwards, students have to analyze their interviews (in groups) and present their results.
Additionally, each student has to write a brief reflection on their research project (approx. 3-4 pages), drawing on the core readings. This report should include the following:
· Research question and how it was operationalized into concepts
· Core ideas/principles behind the development of the interview protocol (attach protocol in appendix)
· Access: how companies were selected and how access was secured and prepared
· Experience during the interview situation, reflections for improvement of interview technique (attach interview transcript in appendix)
· Analytical procedure and core insights (deductive and inductive codes, coding procedure)
· Lessons learned after group presentations – what would you do differently next time?
The deadline is June 30th, 2017. Send your report (including all attachments as one document) to heidelore.binder@jku.at.
Your course grade will be based on your group presentation (30%) and your individual reflection essay (70%).
Class regulations
· Attendance is mandatory given the interactive nature of this course!
· According to JKU guidelines, students can deregister themselves from this course during the first 20% of the time. Afterwards, students will receive a grade 5 if they discontinue their attendance.
· All correspondence is to be directed to heidelore.binder@jku.at who will take care of your questions. Otherwise, emails may not receive an answer.
Teaching methods
· Short lectures
· Discussions
· Students’ presentations
· Autonomous research and reading of academic literature
· Application of qualitative research methods in a research projects
Class schedule
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Class 1 9.10.2017
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Introduction to qualitative research
Core readings: Graebner, M. E., Martin, J. A. & Roundy, P. T. 2012. Qualitative data: Cooking without a recipe. Strategic Organization, 10(3): 276-284. Weber, R. (2004). The rhetoric of positivism versus interpretivism: A personal view. MIS Quarterly, 28, iii-xii. |
Homework for next class: read core readings |
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Class 2 16.10.2017 |
Designing qualitative research
Core readings: Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review 14(4): 532-550. Sandberg, J., & Alvesson, M. (2011). Ways of constructing research questions: Gap-spotting or problematization? Organization, 18(1), 23-44. Easterby-Smith, M., Golden-Biddle, K. & Locke, K. (2008). Working with pluralism: Determining quality in qualitative research. Organizational Research Methods, 11 (3), pp. 419-429. |
Homework for next class: read core readings |
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Class 3 23.10.2017 |
Conducting interviews: getting in, getting on, getting out Core readings: Alvesson, M. (2003) Beyond neopositivists, romantics, and localists: A reflexive approach to interviews in organizational research. Academy of Management Review, 28 (1), 13-33. Scheibelhofer, E. (2008). Combining narration-based interviews with topical interviews: Methodological reflections on research practices. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 11(5), 403-416. |
Homework for next class: develop an interview protocol (in groups of 5), read core readings |
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Class 4 13.11.2017 |
Workshop: interview protocols and transcription
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Homework for next class: conduct interviews (1/person), transcribe interviews |
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Class 5 11.12.2017
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Workshop: data analysis
Core readings: Locke, K., Golden-Biddle, K. & Feldman, M. (2008) Making doubt generative: Rethinking the role of doubt in the research process. Organization Science, 19 (6), 907-918. Berg, B. (2001). An introduction to content analysis. In: Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Pearson. P. 238-267. |
Homework for next class: read core readings, continue data analysis (in groups of 5) and prepare a presentation of results |
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Class 6 15.01.2018 |
Presentation of results (max. 20 minutes/group)
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Homework: send report |
The following books are a good source of general information:
Alvesson, M. & Sköldberg, K. (2009). Reflexive Methodology: New Vistas for Qualitative Research. London: Sage.
Denzin, N. /Lincoln, Y. (eds.) (2011): The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R. & Lowe, A. (2002) Management Research: An Introduction. London: Sage.
Miles. M. & Huberman, A. M. (1994) Qualitative data analysis. London: Sage.
Silverman, D. (2006) Interpreting Qualitative Data. London: Sage.
Relevant articles for reflecting on the research process and research ethics:
Klag, M., & Langley, A. (2013). Approaching the conceptual leap in qualitative research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 15(2), 149-166.
Roth, W.-M. (2004, October). Ethics as social practice: Introducing the debate on qualitative research and ethics [22 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research [On-line Journal], 6(1), Art. 9. Available at: http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs-texte/1-05/05-1-9-e.htm
- Teacher: Elke Schüßler