Oxford University Press | Online Resource Centre

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Question 01

The term qualitative research can be criticised because:

a) it simplifies the differences between quantitative and qualitative research strategies.

b) it can only be defined in terms of what quantitative research is not.

c) it does not acknowledge the variety of forms that the research strategy can assume.

d) all of the above.

Question 02

What is the difference between the way quantitative and qualitative researchers use existing theory?

a) Quantitative researchers identify theories to be tested in advance, whereas for qualitative researchers theories are drawn from analysing the data.

b) Quantitative researchers have a limited number of relevant theories, whereas qualitative researchers have an unlimited pool of theories to draw from.

c) Quantitative researchers are unsure of how to test for specific theories, whereas qualitative researchers follow strict guidelines when conducting analysis.

d) all of the above.

Question 03

What is the problem with using strict definitions of important concepts?

a) They prevent research from being truly objective.

b) They take the focus away from accurate measurement.

c) They prevent the researcher from assessing alternative ways of viewing a concept.

d) They prevent a consistent approach being achieved with business research.

Question 04

According to Guba and Lincoln (1994) how can a qualitative researcher achieve transferability within the criteria of trustworthiness?

a) By conducting the same research in more than one location.

b) By producing a thick description of context so others can make judgements about the applicability of the findings to other contexts.

c) By promoting issues of particular significance that appear to the researcher as enhancing the uniqueness of the research site.

d) By making direct comparisons with existing research in the same field.

Question 05

What benefit is there to using a qualitative research design to look at the issue of women in management?

a) It is important to measure the number of women in management positions.

b) It is important to consider the average number of subordinate's women managers have.

c) It is important to find out what occupations women managers are most commonly associated with.

d) It is important to understand how women managers describe themselves in relation to male managers.

Question 06

Why do qualitative researchers place an emphasis on process?

a) In order to demonstrate how events and patterns unfold over time.

b) To be able to establish universal causality.

c) So that they can isolate which specific events are independent of all others.

d) In order to highlight the importance of operations management.

Question 07

How might a qualitative researcher respond to the criticism that their research into IT workers cannot be generalized to other settings?

a) 'I made every effort to ensure that my respondents were representative'.

b) 'I think that IT workers are the same regardless of where they work'.

c) 'My research generalizes to theories not populations.'

d) 'Maybe your right, I'll need to survey all IT workers right away'

Question 08

Which of the following is not a contrast between quantitative and qualitative research?

a) Numbers vs. Words.

b) Macro vs. Micro.

c) Behaviour vs. Meaning.

d) Relevant vs. Irrelevant.

Question 09

What is distinctive about action research?

a) The emphasis that it places on the researcher constantly moving around the research site.

b) Its aim of diagnosing and solving specific organisational problems.

c) Its popularity as a method with both qualitative and quantitative researchers.

d) Its common use of cognitive mapping.

Question 10

Why does qualitative feminist research have a particularly important role in business and management research?

a) It can address the issue of exploitation within organisations.

b) Organizational research has typically been pursued from a male-oriented perspective.

c) Qualitative research is associated more with feminine qualities.

d) All of the above.

Oxford University Press, Online Resource Centre, Chapter 16.

Chapter 16

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