Qualitative Research Methods

MODERN ORGANIZATION THEORY

TERM PROJECT

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS
FROM AN ORGANIZATION MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

Ýhsan Ulaþ Kocaoðlu

JANUARY 2006

CONTENTS
Definition of Qualitative Research in Social Sciences
Approaches to Management Research
Positivism versus Phenomenology
Deductive and Inductive
Schools of Thought in Management Research
Major Qualitaitve Research Approaches
Ethnographic Approach
Phenomenology
Field Research
Grounded Theory
Case study
Action Research

Narrative research

Qualitative Data Collection Techniques

Interviews

Workshops / Focus Groups

Literature Review

Participant Observation

Nonparticipant Observation

Data Analysis and Analytic Techniques

Analytic induction

Constant comparison

Coding

Enumaration

Memoing

Integrative diagrams and sessions:

Quality of Qualitative Research

Credibility

Transferability

Dependability

Confirmability

Discussion and Conclusion

References

Definition of Qualitative Research in Social Sciences
The label qualitative methods is an umbrella term covering an array of interpretive techniques which seek to describe, decode, translate and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the frequency, of certain more or less naturally occurring phenomena in the social world. It involves the use of a vast array of non-statistical data collection and analysis techniques and rich mixture of inductive theory building practice. Figure 1 gives a good description of what of what type of research is considered qualitative together with what is not from research strategy and pupose to data collection and analysis methods.
Typically the observation and testing of theoretical predictions entail the researcher's a priori conceptualization, operationalization and statistical measurement of dimensions of respondents' behaviour rather than beginning with their subjective perspectives.
Indeed, human subjectivity is often specifically excluded... [continues]

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