Qualitative research

What is management and business research?

A systematic inquiry that helps solve business problems and contributes to management knowledge.

What are the three main types of research?

Pure/basic research, applied research, and evaluation research.

What is pure (basic) research?

Research focused on developing theories and general principles rather than immediate practical application.

What is applied research?

Research aimed at solving practical organizational or policy problems.

What is evaluation research?

Research that assesses the effectiveness or outcomes of programs, policies, or interventions.

What is meant by the “knowledge value chain”?

The process of translating academic research into practical and usable outputs.

Why is “translation” preferred over “transfer” in research?

Because practitioners reinterpret and adapt knowledge rather than simply receiving it unchanged.

What are the three main aims of a research project?

Contribution to knowledge, methodological learning, and impact/engagement.

What is meant by “contribution to knowledge”?

Producing new insights, explanations, theories, or transferable findings.

What is methodological coherence?

Ensuring methods align logically with research aims and objectives.

What makes research “original”?

A new perspective, explanation, methodology, or insight.

Why is critical reflection important in research?

It helps evaluate limitations, biases, and previous research critically.

What is generalizability?

Applying findings from a sample to a broader population.

What is transferability?

Applying findings from one context to another setting.

What is a research proposal?

A document outlining and justifying a proposed research project.

What are key elements of a research proposal?

Research question, literature review, methodology, ethics, significance, and timeline.

Why is a literature review important?

It shows understanding of existing research and identifies research gaps.

What is research design?

The strategy connecting research questions, methods, data collection, and analysis.

What does the Research Plan Canvas help researchers do?

Organize and continuously refine all parts of a research project.

Why is context important in management research?

Because business practices and meanings vary across cultures and environments.

What is ontology?

Assumptions about the nature of reality.

What is epistemology?

Assumptions about how knowledge is created and understood.

What is methodology?

The overall research strategy connecting methods and assumptions.

What are methods and techniques?

Specific tools used for data collection and analysis.

What does the “tree metaphor” represent?

The relationship between philosophy, methodology, methods, data, and research outputs.

In the tree metaphor, what do the roots represent?

Philosophical traditions.

In the tree metaphor, what does the trunk represent?

Ontology, epistemology, methodology, and methods.

In the tree metaphor, what do the leaves represent?

Data collection and analysis.

In the tree metaphor, what does the fruit represent?

Research outputs and findings.

What is realism?

The belief that reality exists independently of human perception.

What is internal realism?

The belief that reality exists but can only be indirectly understood.

What is relativism?

The idea that reality depends on perspectives and context.

What is nominalism?

The belief that reality is socially constructed through language and interpretation.

What is positivism?

An epistemology emphasizing objective measurement and scientific methods.

What methods are commonly associated with positivism?

Quantitative methods, hypothesis testing, and statistical analysis.

What is social constructionism?

he idea that meaning and reality are created through social interaction.

What methods are commonly associated with constructionism?

Qualitative methods such as interviews and observations.

What is triangulation?

Using multiple methods, data sources, or perspectives to improve understanding.

Why is triangulation useful?

It increases credibility and depth of findings.

What is critical realism?

A philosophy combining realist assumptions with attention to hidden social mechanisms and power structures.

What is hermeneutics?

The interpretation of texts within their context.

What is postmodernism?

A philosophy skeptical of objective truth and scientific certainty.

What is pragmatism?

A philosophy emphasizing practical experience and problem-solving.

What is critical theory?

A philosophy examining inequality, domination, and power structures.

What is feminism in research?

A philosophy highlighting gender inequality and bias in knowledge creation.

What is structuration theory?

The idea that individuals and social structures continuously shape each other.

What is systems theory?

An approach viewing organizations as interconnected systems.

What is engaged research?

Research involving close collaboration between researchers and practitioners.

What is detached research?

Research where the observer remains independent from the research context.

Why is understanding philosophy important in research?

Because philosophical assumptions shape research questions, methods, analysis, and conclusions.

What is qualitative data?

Non-numerical information such as words, text, observations, images, and experiences.

Why is qualitative research considered “creative”?

Because researchers actively craft and interpret data rather than simply collecting objective facts.

What are natural language data?

Spoken or written words analyzed to understand meaning, perceptions, and experiences.

What is the difference between primary and secondary data?

• Primary data: Collected directly by researcher

• Secondary data: Already existing data created for another purpose

Give examples of secondary textual data.

Company reports, websites, archives, blogs, advertisements, government reports.

What is a major advantage of secondary data?

Saves time and provides historical/contextual insight.

What is a major disadvantage of secondary data?

It may not perfectly fit the research question.

Why must researchers critically evaluate secondary sources?

Because documents may contain bias or serve hidden organizational purposes.

What is a diary method in qualitative research?

Participants regularly record experiences, feelings, or activities over time.

What is a key benefit of diary methods?

They capture participant perspectives in real time.

What challenge is common in diary studies?

Participant drop-out or inconsistent entries.

How has technology modernized diary methods?

Through voice notes, apps, video logs, and messaging platforms.

What is a qualitative interview?

A directed conversation used to explore meanings, experiences, and perspectives.

What is the goal of qualitative interviews?

To understand the respondent’s worldview and interpretations.

What is a structured interview?

An interview with fixed questions asked in the same order.

What is a semi-structured interview?

An interview using a topic guide with flexibility for follow-up questions.

What is an unstructured interview?

A conversational interview with minimal predetermined structure.

Which interview type is most common in qualitative research?

Semi-structured interviews.

What is a topic guide?

A flexible list of themes and questions for interviews.

Why should interview questions avoid jargon?

Questions should be clear and understandable to participants.

What is probing in interviewing?

Asking follow-up questions to gain deeper information.

Give an example of a probe question.

“Can you tell me more about that?”

Why is active listening important in interviews?

It helps researchers notice meanings, emotions, and contradictions.

Why is rapport important in qualitative interviews?

Trust encourages openness and richer responses.

What is laddering up?

Asking “why” questions to uncover values and motivations.

What is laddering down?

Asking for examples to uncover detailed experiences.

What is the Critical Incident Technique (CIT)?

A method focusing on significant events to understand behavior and decision-making.

Why is CIT useful?

It provides rich, focused accounts of important situations.

What are synchronous interviews?

Real-time interviews such as Zoom or phone calls.

What are asynchronous interviews?

Interviews where responses occur at different times, such as email interviews.

What is one disadvantage of remote interviewing?

Reduced non-verbal communication and weaker rapport.

What is interview bias?

When the interviewer influences participant responses.

What is informed consent?

Participants voluntarily agreeing after understanding the research.

Why is confidentiality important?

To protect participant identity and sensitive information.

Why is reflexivity important in interviewing?

Researchers must recognize how they influence the research process.

What is observational research?

Research involving direct study of behavior and interaction in natural settings.

Why is observation useful?

It reveals what people actually do, not just what they say.

What is participant observation?

When the researcher actively participates in the setting being studied.

What is non-participant observation?

Observation without active researcher involvement.

What is a key limitation of observational research?

Researcher presence may influence behavior.

What are visual data?

Images and visual materials used as research data.

Give examples of visual data.

Photographs, videos, diagrams, advertisements, social media images.

What is an advantage of visual methods?

They capture non-verbal and contextual information.

What is a challenge of visual methods?

Interpretation can be subjective.

What is ethnography?

Immersive research focused on culture and social life.

What is a key feature of ethnographic research?

Long-term engagement with participants and settings.

Why are field notes important in ethnography?

They document observations, interactions, and reflections.

What is participatory research?

Research where participants actively contribute to the research process.

What is action research?

Collaborative research aimed at solving practical problems and creating change.

What is a benefit of participatory methods?

Increased participant engagement and practical relevance.