Research Methods in Management

Part I: Qualitative research methods- Conducting Interviews - Case studies- Analyzing interviews and other text data (Coding & Grounded Theory)- Scale construction, validity testing & factor analysis. 

Part II: Quantitative research methods - Modeling hypotheses (Moderation & Mediation)- Using surveys, (quasi) experiments, field experiments to test hypotheses- Types of experimental manipulations- Analyzing moderation and mediation models using R

At the end of this course students will be able to write a concrete research report that demonstrates knowledge of the basic principles behind the different quantitative and qualitative research techniques used in the field of management. - Students will know how to move from a global research question to a concrete research method that describes concrete measurement tools and analysis techniques solidly embedded in existing theory and research. - Students will be able to clearly distinguish inductive from deductive data collection methods, and they will understand for which types of research questions these approaches are most suited - Students will have a basic knowledge of and skills to analyze qualitative as well as quantitative data, and they will understand which analysis techniques are most suitable given a particular research question

As students progress in the course they will gradually build their research report using the content of the lectures. Active participation in lectures (12x2 hours) and practical exercise sessions (4x2 hours) is therefore mandatory. The teaching will be complemented with 2 private feedback sessions to follow up on students' progress in writing the research report. Students are expected to actively incorporate feedback and course material in their research report. At a master level, students are equipped with and therefore expected to draw from their knowledge of different management courses to guide them in writing the research report.

Contribution to the teaching profile

Evidence based management emphasizes the use of best evidence in management and decision making. As a business professional it is more and more likely that you will interact with researchers to improve the performance of your organization. These researchers can either be from the academic world, or from the business world - i.e., consultants. As a future professional it is essential that you learn the basics of conducting research, which includes mastering the language of research in management science, a basic knowledge of the different research methods and philosophies behind them, and that you are able to interpret and draw conclusions from textual and numerical data. The knowledge and skills acquired in this course will allow you to check the quality of any proposed research activities within your company and thus helps you become an active partner in your company’s research activities. 

In sum, in this course you will learn how to : 
-    Adopt a scientific approach to data collection, research and analysis and communicate results with clear, structured and sophisticated arguments
-    Display critical thinking and develop autonomous learning strategies and techniques
-    Apply quantitative and qualitative techniques to support data analysis using standard office and statistical software  
 

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

A., Field, Z. F., Miles, J., Field, Z. (2012). Discovering statistics using R. Sage
Remler, D. K., & Van Ryzin, G. G. (2021). Research methods in practice: Strategies for description and causation. Sage Publications
Other supporting literature will be posted on UV in due time.
 

Contacts

Professor : Alba Jasini, alba.jasini@kuleuven.be
Office: R42.4.223

Assistant : Abigail Alves, abigail.alves@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• Other

Other

Final exam existing of QCM, single correct answer; closed book. Assessment of the written research report.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

Students will receive an individual grade for the exam, and a group-grade for the research report. Both parts count for 50% for the final average. No compensation possible; students have to pass (>10) for both parts. 

Language(s) of evaluation

• english