Research Methods For Business Students, Ninth Edition
By Mark N.K. Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Contents:
How to use this book xvii
Preface xxiii
Contributors xxv
1 Research, reflective diaries and the
purpose of this book 2
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 2
1.1 Introduction 2
1.2 The nature of research 4
1.3 Business and management research 6
1.4 The research process 12
1.5 Keeping a reflective diary or research notebook 14
1.6 The purpose and structure of this book 16
1.7 Summary 20
Self-check questions 21
Review and discussion questions 21
Progressing your research project: Starting your reflective diary
or notebook 22
References 22
Further reading 23
Where do I even begin? 25
Emily A Morrison
Self-check answers 27
2 Generating a research idea and developing
your research proposal 28
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 28
2.1 Introduction 28
2.2 Characteristics of good research ideas 30
2.3 Generating research ideas 33
2.4 Refining research ideas 40
2.5 Developing your overarching research question 42
2.6 Writing a research aim and set of research objectives 45
2.7 The importance of theory 48
2.8 The need for a research proposal 55
2.9 Structuring your research proposal 57
2.10 Summary 62
Self-check questions 63
Review and discussion questions 63
Progressing your research project: Choosing a research topic and
developing your research proposal 64
References 64
Further reading 66
Case 2: Keza’s research aim formulation 67
Adina Dudau
Self-check answers 69
3 Critically reviewing the literature 72
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 72
3.1 Introduction 72
3.2 Being ‘critical’ and the purposes and forms of review 75
3.3 The content and structure of a critical review 80
3.4 Literature sources 83
3.5 Planning your literature search 91
3.6 Conducting your literature search 94
3.7 Reading critically and evaluating the literature 105
3.8 Note-taking and referencing 107
3.9 Using systematic review 110
3.10 Drafting the critical review 113
3.11 A note about plagiarism 116
3.12 Summary 117
Self-check questions 118
Review and discussion questions 119
Progressing your research project: Critically reviewing
the literature 120
References 120
Further reading 122
Case 3: Shaping powerful questions when reviewing
the literature 123
Mat Hughes
Self-check answers 126
4 Understanding research philosophy and
approaches to theory development 128
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis, Adrian Thornhill and
Alexandra Bristow
Learning outcomes 128
4.1 Introduction 128
4.2 The philosophical underpinnings of business and management 131
4.3 Research paradigms 140
4.4 Five management philosophies 145
4.5 Approaches to theory development 154
4.6 Summary 161
Self-check questions 163
Review and discussion questions 163
Progressing your research project: Heightening your Awareness
of your Research Philosophy (HARP) 163
References 167
Further reading 170
Case 4: Working out your philosophical assumptions 171
Natasha Mauthner
Self-check answers 174
5 Formulating the research design 176
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 176
5.1 Introduction 176
5.2 Achieving a coherent research design 178
5.3 The research purpose 179
5.4 Methodological choice: choosing a quantitative, qualitative
or mixed methods research design 181
5.5 Developing a coherent research strategy 191
5.6 Considering time horizons 212
5.7 Anticipating potential ethical issues 213
5.8 Assessing the quality of research design 214
5.9 Recognishing your role as researcher 220
5.10 Summary 222
Self-check questions 223
Review and discussion questions 224
Progressing your research project: Deciding on your
research design 224
References 225
Further reading 228
Case 5: Internationalizing strategy: Developing small firms
and their local communities via engaged scholarship 229
Fariba Darabi and Jonathan M Scott
Self-check answers 231
6 Negotiating access and research ethics 234
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 234
6.1 Introduction 234
6.2 Characteristics of access 236
6.3 Researcher status 240
6.4 Internet-mediated access 242
6.5 Strategies to gain access 245
6.6 Research ethics and acting ethically 253
6.7 Ethical issues at specific research stages 262
6.8 Data protection principles 274
6.9 Summary 276
Self-check questions 277
Review and discussion questions 278
Progressing your research project: Negotiating access
and addressing ethical issues 278
References 279
Further reading 280
Case 6: Onboarding practices and employee retention 281
Josephine LaPointe
Self-check answers 284
7 Selecting samples 288
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 288
7.1 Introduction 289
7.2 The need to sample 291
7.3 An overview of sampling procedures 293
7.4 Probability sampling – sampling frame 295
7.5 Probability sampling – sample size 297
7.6 Probability sampling – procedures 304
7.7 Probability sampling – representativeness 312
7.8 Non-probability sampling – sample size 313
7.9 Non-probability sampling – procedures 316
7.10 Mixed and multi-stage sampling designs 325
7.11 Summary 327
Self-check questions 328
Review and discussion questions 331
Progressing your research project: Using sampling as part of your
research 332
References 332
Further reading 334
Case 7: Female ride share app drivers’ careers in Tehran 335
Mina Beigi, Shahrzad Nayyeri and Melika Shirmohamma
Self-check answers 337
8 Obtaining and evaluating secondary data 342
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 342
8.1 Introduction 342
8.2 Types of secondary data and uses in research 345
8.3 Advantages of secondary data 358
8.4 Disadvantages of secondary data 360
8.5 Searching for and locating secondary data 364
8.6 Evaluating and selecting secondary data sources 370
8.7 Summary 378
Self-check questions 379
Review and discussion questions 380
Progressing your research project: Assessing utility, selecting and
incorporating secondary data in your research 381
References 381
Further reading 384
Case 8: Investigating refugees’ challenges in setting
up a business 385
Megan Miralles, Marc Stierand and Viktor Dörfler
Self-check answers 387
9 Collecting primary data using
observation 390
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 390
9.1 Introduction 390
9.2 Observation choices 392
9.3 Participant observation 400
9.4 Structured observation 410
9.5 Internet-mediated observation 418
9.6 Recording video 422
9.7 Creating static images 426
9.8 Audio recording 429
9.9 Summary 431
Self-check questions 432
Review and discussion questions 433
Progressing your research project: Deciding on the
appropriateness of observation 433
References 434
Further reading 435
Case 9: Observing leadership and team dynamics
using simulation 436
Trevor Morrow
Self-check answers 438
10 Collecting primary data using interviews
and diaries 440
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 440
10.1 Introduction 440
10.2 Standardisation and structure in questioning 442
10.3 Interview mediums and modes 448
10.4 The potential of semi-structured and in-depth interviews 450
10.5 Data quality issues and evaluating interviewing practice 452
10.6 Preparing for semi-structured or in-depth interviewing 459
10.7 Conducting one-to-one face-to-face interviews 465
10.8 Conducting one-to-one online interviews 477
10.9 Conducting one-to-one telephone interviews 479
10.10 Conducting group interviews and focus groups 481
10.11 Conducting visual interviews 485
10.12 Using diaries and diary studies 488
10.13 Summary 494
Self-check questions 494
Review and discussion questions 496
Progressing your research project: Using research interviews and
research diaries 497
References 497
Further reading 500
Case 10: Conducting audio diaries of work-life conflict 501
Catherine Cassell
Self-check answers 503
11 Collecting primary data using
questionnaires 506
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 506
11.1 Introduction 506
11.2 Questionnaires: an overview 509
11.3 Deciding what data need to be collected 514
11.4 Questionnaire validity and reliability 520
11.5 Designing individual questions 523
11.6 Designing the questionnaire 539
11.7 Pilot testing 548
11.8 Distributing the questionnaire 549
11.9 Summary 557
Self-check questions 558
Review and discussion questions 560
Progressing your research project: Using questionnaires
in your research 560
References 561
Further reading 563
Case 11: Assessing the utility of questionnaire scales 564
Sarah Forbes
Self-check answers 566
12 Analysing data quantitatively 572
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis, Adrian Thornhill
and Catherine Wang
Learning outcomes 572
12.1 Introduction 572
12.2 Data types and precision of measurement 575
12.3 Preparing data for quantitative analysis 579
12.4 Data entry and checking 585
12.5 Exploring and presenting data: an overview 590
12.6 Exploring and presenting individual variables 593
12.7 Exploring and comparing two or more variables 602
12.8 Describing data using statistics 607
12.9 Statistical tests’ assumptions and hypothesis testing 613
12.10 Examining associations and differences 621
12.11 Assessing the strength of relationships 626
12.12 Making predictions 630
12.13 Examining trends 634
12.14 Summary 636
Self-check questions 637
Review and discussion questions 639
Progressing your research project: Analysing your
data quantitatively 640
References 640
Further reading 642
Case 12: High performance work practices in SMEs 643
Maura Sheehan and Mark NK Saunders
Self-check answers 647
13 Analysing data qualitatively 650
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 650
13.1 Introduction 651
13.2 Analysing qualitative data, diversity and interactive
processes 652
13.3 Choosing a qualitative analysis technique 655
13.4 Preparing data for analysis 657
13.5 Aids to help analysis 661
13.6 Thematic Analysis 664
13.7 Template Analysis 675
13.8 Explanation Building and Testing 678
13.9 Grounded Theory Method 682
13.10 Narrative Analysis 687
13.11 Discourse analysis 690
13.12 Visual analysis 694
13.13 Data display and analysis 702
13.14 Using CAQDAS 704
13.15 Summary 707
Self-check questions 708
Review and discussion question 708
Progressing your research project: Analysing your
data qualitatively 709
References 710
Further reading 711
Case 13: What makes a good project tutor? 713
Neve Abgeller
Self-check answers 715
14 Writing and presenting the project report 718
Mark NK Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill
Learning outcomes 718
14.1 Introduction 718
14.2 Undertaking writing 720
14.3 Reporting approaches and report structures: an overview 724
14.4 The traditional (academic) report structure 726
14.5 Alternative (academic) report structures 736
14.6 The consultancy (practitioner) report 743
14.7 Ensuring clarity and accessibility 744
14.8 Developing an appropriate writing style 746
14.9 Meeting the assessment criteria 751
14.10 Writing a reflective essay or section 752
14.11 Presentations 753
14.12 Summary 760
Self-check questions 760
Review and discussion questions 761
Progressing your research project: Writing your project report 761
References 762
Further reading 763
Case 14: Chloe’s poster creation 764
Clare Burns
Self-check answers 767
Bibliography 768
Appendices 786
1 Systems of referencing 786
2 Calculating the minimum sample size 805
3 Guidelines for non-discriminatory language 807
Glossary 812
Index 839
Publisher’s acknowledgements 852