Lectures QRM
Lecture 1; introduction to QRM
Goals for this lecture
1. Being able to identify the specific characteristics of a qualitative study
2. Being able to formulate and assess a sound research objective and research question for a qualitative
study
3. Being able to start planning your own research
Why qualitative research?
Understanding human decisions and actions in the context in which they occur (Myers, 2020):
• Insight in patterns and meanings
• Emic perspective (from within)
• Exploration (open mind and open questions)
Examples:
• The role of coaching in motivating employees
• VERLOOP of a reorganization process within an organization
• Power processes between care professionals and patients
Comparing quantitative and qualitative research methods
Qualitative research Quantitative research
Patterns, meanings, relations, context Cause and effect, generalization
Interpreting, understanding Counting, measuring, explaining
Holism Analytical reduction
Selective sampling Random sampling
Few research units Many research units
Open questions Closed questions
Exploration of a topic Testing of hypotheses
Triangulation Multivariate statistics
Iterative-parallel Linear-serial
Patterns, meanings, relations, context; interpreting, understanding; hollism
Qualitative studies “describe phenomena in context, and […] provide an interpretation that leads to a greater
understanding of the phenomenon.” Justesen & Mik-Meyer, 2012, p. 16
” Qualitative research methods […] enable researchers to study social and cultural phenomena. […] Qualitative
data are mostly a record of what people have said. […] These qualitative data can help us to understand
people, their motivations and actions, and the broader context within which they work and live. Myers (2020,
p. 9)
Qualitative research: including the context, including everything around it.
Selective sampling; few research units; open questions
“The word qualitative implies an emphasis on the qualities of entities and on processes and meanings that are
not experimentally examined or measured (if measured at all) in terms of quantity, amount, intensity, or
frequency.” Denzin & Lincoln (in Justesen & Mik-Meyer, 2012, p. 16)
Examples:
“What is the meaning of work for you personally?”
“In what ways do you experience support from your professional environment at the workplace?”
,Compare:
I feel my work is valued by my colleagues.
Agree O O O O O Disagree
Research question specifies your sample.
You can also be motivated by strategic choices: who is available.
Exploration of a topic
“Qualitative research is best if you want to study a particular subject in depth […]. It is good for exploratory
research when the particular topic is new, [and] for studying the social, cultural and political aspects of people
and organizations” (Myers, 2020, p.10).
You are really going to a in depth analysis, that’s why you have only a few research units.
Triangulation
” Triangulation […] allows you to gain a ‘fuller’ picture of what is happening.” (Myers, 2020, p. 10). Mind the
difference between triangulation of data, methods and researchers.
You have an observation, interview and document than you use triangulation and compare what conclusions
and interpretations you add to this data.
Iterative-parallel
Quantitative research:
Examples of case study topics/phenomena
• Career opportunities in a matrix organization
• Selection processes
• Inclusiveness in student fraternities
• Work happiness
Introduction describes:
• what is interesting about these topics?
• what does the researcher want to achieve concerning these topics?
In other words: What is the external goal?
,External goal
The external goal describes the contribution of the research to:
Either: a theoretical objective
• Developing theory about career opportunities in matrix organizations
• Contributing to theory about inclusion and exclusion processes
Or: a practical objective
• Improving career opportunities in matrix organization X
• Giving advice to student fraternity Y on increasing the inclusiveness of their initation rites
→ Practical objectje is very specific: Matrix X
Internal goal: achieve external goal by generating knowledge
Whether your external goal is theoretical or practical, your internal goal is always about generating knowledge!
What knowledge is the research going to generate in order to achieve the external goal?
Structure of research objective
External goal BY Internal goal
Internal goal IN ORDER TO External goal
Exemples of research objectives
External goal Internal goal
The research contributes to knowledge about
career opportunities in matrix organizations Exploring how hierarchical structures in matrix
BY organization X influence career opportunities of
This research aims to improve career the trainees in this organization
opportunities in matrix organization X
→ First is a theoretical objective and the second is a practical objective.
Internal goal External goal
Contribute to theory about inclusion and
This study will research the difference exclusion processes
between initiation rites in student IN ORDER TO
fraternity X and Y Give advice to student fraternity X and Y on
increasing to inclusiveness of their initiation
rites
Research question
The (central) research question:
• Is consistent with research objective (and vice versa)
• Generates theoretical knowledge (does NOT solve a practical problem)
• Is clear and precise
• Is relevant
• Is feasible and narrowed down
Transforming the internal goal into a question is a good first step in formulating a sound research question.
Research question is consistent with the research objective.
Use your internal goal to create a research question.
, Research objectives and questions to be improved
Objective Research question
1 Giving advice on selection processes by What are the selection procedures in organization
researching selection procedures K?
2 Exploring work happiness amongst employees How can work happiness amongst employees in ABC
in ABC be improved?
3 Research quality control procedures in order to Which factors explain work stress experience by
reduce work stress employees of XYZ?
• What is missing or wrong?
• How would you improve these objectives and/or questions?
• Answers → seminar 1
Lecture 1; introduction to QRM
Goals for this lecture
1. Being able to identify the specific characteristics of a qualitative study
2. Being able to formulate and assess a sound research objective and research question for a qualitative
study
3. Being able to start planning your own research
Why qualitative research?
Understanding human decisions and actions in the context in which they occur (Myers, 2020):
• Insight in patterns and meanings
• Emic perspective (from within)
• Exploration (open mind and open questions)
Examples:
• The role of coaching in motivating employees
• VERLOOP of a reorganization process within an organization
• Power processes between care professionals and patients
Comparing quantitative and qualitative research methods
Qualitative research Quantitative research
Patterns, meanings, relations, context Cause and effect, generalization
Interpreting, understanding Counting, measuring, explaining
Holism Analytical reduction
Selective sampling Random sampling
Few research units Many research units
Open questions Closed questions
Exploration of a topic Testing of hypotheses
Triangulation Multivariate statistics
Iterative-parallel Linear-serial
Patterns, meanings, relations, context; interpreting, understanding; hollism
Qualitative studies “describe phenomena in context, and […] provide an interpretation that leads to a greater
understanding of the phenomenon.” Justesen & Mik-Meyer, 2012, p. 16
” Qualitative research methods […] enable researchers to study social and cultural phenomena. […] Qualitative
data are mostly a record of what people have said. […] These qualitative data can help us to understand
people, their motivations and actions, and the broader context within which they work and live. Myers (2020,
p. 9)
Qualitative research: including the context, including everything around it.
Selective sampling; few research units; open questions
“The word qualitative implies an emphasis on the qualities of entities and on processes and meanings that are
not experimentally examined or measured (if measured at all) in terms of quantity, amount, intensity, or
frequency.” Denzin & Lincoln (in Justesen & Mik-Meyer, 2012, p. 16)
Examples:
“What is the meaning of work for you personally?”
“In what ways do you experience support from your professional environment at the workplace?”
,Compare:
I feel my work is valued by my colleagues.
Agree O O O O O Disagree
Research question specifies your sample.
You can also be motivated by strategic choices: who is available.
Exploration of a topic
“Qualitative research is best if you want to study a particular subject in depth […]. It is good for exploratory
research when the particular topic is new, [and] for studying the social, cultural and political aspects of people
and organizations” (Myers, 2020, p.10).
You are really going to a in depth analysis, that’s why you have only a few research units.
Triangulation
” Triangulation […] allows you to gain a ‘fuller’ picture of what is happening.” (Myers, 2020, p. 10). Mind the
difference between triangulation of data, methods and researchers.
You have an observation, interview and document than you use triangulation and compare what conclusions
and interpretations you add to this data.
Iterative-parallel
Quantitative research:
Examples of case study topics/phenomena
• Career opportunities in a matrix organization
• Selection processes
• Inclusiveness in student fraternities
• Work happiness
Introduction describes:
• what is interesting about these topics?
• what does the researcher want to achieve concerning these topics?
In other words: What is the external goal?
,External goal
The external goal describes the contribution of the research to:
Either: a theoretical objective
• Developing theory about career opportunities in matrix organizations
• Contributing to theory about inclusion and exclusion processes
Or: a practical objective
• Improving career opportunities in matrix organization X
• Giving advice to student fraternity Y on increasing the inclusiveness of their initation rites
→ Practical objectje is very specific: Matrix X
Internal goal: achieve external goal by generating knowledge
Whether your external goal is theoretical or practical, your internal goal is always about generating knowledge!
What knowledge is the research going to generate in order to achieve the external goal?
Structure of research objective
External goal BY Internal goal
Internal goal IN ORDER TO External goal
Exemples of research objectives
External goal Internal goal
The research contributes to knowledge about
career opportunities in matrix organizations Exploring how hierarchical structures in matrix
BY organization X influence career opportunities of
This research aims to improve career the trainees in this organization
opportunities in matrix organization X
→ First is a theoretical objective and the second is a practical objective.
Internal goal External goal
Contribute to theory about inclusion and
This study will research the difference exclusion processes
between initiation rites in student IN ORDER TO
fraternity X and Y Give advice to student fraternity X and Y on
increasing to inclusiveness of their initiation
rites
Research question
The (central) research question:
• Is consistent with research objective (and vice versa)
• Generates theoretical knowledge (does NOT solve a practical problem)
• Is clear and precise
• Is relevant
• Is feasible and narrowed down
Transforming the internal goal into a question is a good first step in formulating a sound research question.
Research question is consistent with the research objective.
Use your internal goal to create a research question.
, Research objectives and questions to be improved
Objective Research question
1 Giving advice on selection processes by What are the selection procedures in organization
researching selection procedures K?
2 Exploring work happiness amongst employees How can work happiness amongst employees in ABC
in ABC be improved?
3 Research quality control procedures in order to Which factors explain work stress experience by
reduce work stress employees of XYZ?
• What is missing or wrong?
• How would you improve these objectives and/or questions?
• Answers → seminar 1
