Stage 3: Empirical research

In stage three we will elaborate on different qualitative and quantitative research approaches. While quantitative research is narrowly defined with clear criteria and boxes to tick, qualitative research offers you much more freedom. This also reflects the epistemological and ontological considerations we discussed in Stage one.

Further reading

Recommended:

  • Bryman, A. (2006). Integrating quantitative and qualitative research: how is it done?. Qualitative research, 6(1), 97-113.
  • Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2015). Business research methods. Oxford University Press, USA. (corresponding chapter)
  • Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students. Pearson education.

Qualitative Research

  • Berger, R. (2015). Now I see it, now I don’t: Researcher’s position and reflexivity in qualitative research. Qualitative research, 15(2), 219-234.
  • Cho, J., & Trent, A. (2006). Validity in qualitative research revisited. Qualitative research, 6(3), 319-340.
  • Dyer Jr, W. G., & Wilkins, A. L. (1991). Better stories, not better constructs, to generate better theory: A rejoinder to Eisenhardt. Academy of management review, 16(3), 613-619.
  • Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of management review, 14(4), 532-550.
  • Eisenhardt, K. M., & Graebner, M. E. (2007). Theory building from cases: Opportunities and challenges. The Academy of Management Journal, 50(1), 25-32.
  • Ghauri, P. (2004). Designing and conducting case studies in international business research. Handbook of qualitative research methods for international business, 109-124.
  • Seawright, J., & Gerring, J. (2008). Case selection techniques in case study research: A menu of qualitative and quantitative options. Political Research Quarterly, 61(2), 294-308.
  • Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. M. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Sage Publications, Inc.
  • Temple, B., & Young, A. (2004). Qualitative research and translation dilemmas. Qualitative research, 4(2), 161-178.

Quantitative Research

  • Dillman, D. A. (1978). Mail and telephone surveys: The total design method(Vol. 19). New York: Wiley.
  • Dillman, D. A., Phelps, G., Tortora, R., Swift, K., Kohrell, J., Berck, J., & Messer, B. L. (2009). Response rate and measurement differences in mixed-mode surveys using mail, telephone, interactive voice response (IVR) and the Internet. Social science research, 38(1), 1-18.
  • Dillman, D. A., Sinclair, M. D., & Clark, J. R. (1993). Effects of questionnaire length, respondent-friendly design, and a difficult question on response rates for occupant-addressed census mail surveys. Public opinion quarterly, 57(3), 289-304.
  • Gabriel, A. S., Podsakoff, N. P., Beal, D. J., Scott, B. A., Sonnentag, S., Trougakos, J. P., & Butts, M. M. (2018). Experience Sampling Methods: A Discussion of Critical Trends and Considerations for Scholarly Advancement. Organizational Research Methods, 1094428118802626.
  • Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects. Journal of management, 12(4), 531-544.
  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2012). Sources of method bias in social science research and recommendations on how to control it. Annual review of psychology, 63, 539-569.
  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2016). Recommendations for creating better concept definitions in the organizational, behavioral, and social sciences. Organizational Research Methods, 19(2), 159-203.
  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of applied psychology, 88(5), 879.
  • Stern, M., Dillman, D. A., & Smyth, J. D. (2007, December). Visual design, order effects, and respondent characteristics in a self-administered survey. In Survey Research Methods(Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 121-138).