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The research stance/philosophy

Chapter 1

Research Classifications

Types of research strategy (these are neither exclusive nor exhaustive):

  1. Exploratory
    1. clarifies the nature of the problem to be solved
    2. can be used to suggest or generate hypotheses
    3. includes the use of pilot studies
    4. used widely in market research
  2. Descriptive
    1. provides general frequency data about populations or samples
    2. does not manipulate variables (e.g. as in an experiment)
    3. describes only the "who, what, when, where and how"
    4. cannot establish a causal relationship between variables
    5. associated with descriptive statistics
  3. Analytical
    1. breaks down factors or variables involved in a concept, problem or issue
    2. often uses (or generates) models as analytical tools (e.g. Job Characteristics Model)
    3. often uses micro/macro distinctions in analysis
  4. Critical
    1. focuses on the analysis of bias, inconsistencies, gaps or contradictions in accounts, theories, studies or models
    2. often takes a specific theoretical perspective, (e.g. feminism; labour process theory)
  5. Predictive/Confirmatory
    1. mainly quantitative
    2. identifies measurable variables
    3. often manipulates variables to produce measurable effects
    4. uses specific, predictive or null hypotheses
    5. dependent on accurate sampling
    6. uses statistical testing to establish causal relationships, variance between samples or predictive trends
  6. Action
    1. associated with organization development initiatives and interventions
    2. practitioner based, works with practitioners to help them solve their problems
    3. involves data collection, evaluation and reflection
    4. often used to review interventions and plan new ones
  7. Applied
    1. focuses on recognized needs, solving practical problems or answering specific questions
    2. often has specific commercial objectives (e.g. product development)

Preparing for Your Research, Page 557

  1. Do not begin your data collection until you have identified your research questions reasonably clearly and checked what is expected of you by your institution
  2. Develop your data collection instruments with these research questions at the forefront of your thinking
    1. If you do not do this, there is the risk that your results will not allow you to illuminate the research questions
    2. Your research strategy and research design must be informed by your research questions
  3. If at all possible, conduct a pilot study to determine how well your research instruments work
  4. Remember that your access/sampling strategy will affect the kind of data you can collect and thus the kind of analysis you can do

Exercise: Business Research Strategies

Hawley College was one of many Further Education Colleges in the UK, funded by the Government's Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Well established, it had some 12,000 students on average per annum, both full and part time, studying courses as diverse as business studies, hairdressing, building and computing. Its student population was mainly aged 14 to 18. It had some 300 learners studying for GCEs (aged up to 16 years) and 100 studying for GCE 'A' levels and GCE 'S' levels, (aged up to 18 years), the latter often going on to University if the grades obtained were good enough. It was the latter set of learners where Hawley faced stiff competition from other schools and 6th form colleges in the area. Its learners only gained moderate success at GCE 'A' and 'S' level, so parents in the area sought Colleges and schools which had a far better success rate. Moreover, the staff, some of many years' service, were less than enthusiastic to get 'with it' One example was the reluctance to embrace new technology in teaching such as the use of 'PowerPoint' lecture presentations.

A change in Government policy in the early 2000's meant that Government funding became targeted at 14-18 year olds, those taking the GCE and GCE 'A' and 'S' levels. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, the College successfully bid the LSC to fund a brand new 6th Form College in 2003. The College Governors and Executive, believing that the relatively poor reputation of the current 14-18 age group provision would be detrimental to attracting the required 1500 learners to make the College viable, decided to build the new College some 2 miles away from the existing campus, giving it a catchy new name and marketing it as a separate entity. The new College would embrace the latest in technology, classroom facilities, learning resources and, above all, be attractively located in the City centre. However, there were disadvantages, not least the lack of staff car parking facilities and a paucity of teaching staff office space. The biggest threat to the vision for the new College, at least according to the College Executive, was the 'mindset' of the staff, which, in their view, would need ratcheting up a fair few notches to embrace the philosophy of the new College as an 'up market, quality' establishment. One of the many things the staff would need to embrace was new teaching technology, like the use on "PowerPoint' lecture presentations. This, and other new innovations, would be a steep learning curve for many staff.

The College decided to initiate research to examine how the College should prepare itself for the change, position itself with the new College in the market place and the appropriate accompanying staff behaviour.

Your answer should be fully justified with reference to the text. It is important to stress that there is not one right answer but some are justifiably better solutions than others.

1
Question

Describe and justify a possible research philosophy/stance for your research project.

A possible research philosophy/stance:

Students should, with appropriate reference to chapter 1 of Bryman and Bell, briefly explain the three possible research philosophy/stances i.e. 'positivism', 'interpretivism' and 'realism'.

The proposed research, it can be argued, falls somewhere between the positivist and interpretivist stance, i.e. 'realism'. The reason for this is that it is likely that the College Governors, Executive and Staff will have widely different perceptions and interpretations on the change process, repositioning and necessary resultant staff behaviour, (interpretivism). On the other hand, the researcher could look scientifically at the 'before' and 'after' effects of the current College environment to the proposed new College environment, (positivism). However, the researcher will have to make 'sense', or a 'reality' out of all the different stakeholder views, so a 'realism' stance is most appropriate.

Given the above, the subsequent research strategy will, inevitably, be leaning towards an epistemological and ontological stance of a qualitative, inductive nature using a methodology based on in depth interviews or group discussions. (Bryman and Bell, page 25, Table 1.1 refers).Check your answer