Research Design

Determining the appropriate research design is the next step in conducting a business research project. Similar to the previous module on methodology, the research questions will also guide the research design. The appropriate research design is based on what type of data needs to be collected, the time frame, and the availability of study participants. This module provides an overview of commonly used research designs for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research studies.  

Learning Objectives

• Understand quantitative research designs
• Understand qualitative research designs
• Understand mixed-method research designs

Qualitative Methodology

Qualitative research seeks to understand people’s lives and business phenomenon from their point of view. In business research qualitative design tends to focus primarily on the case study, a design that seeks to understand the in-depth experience of a person, groups, or institutions through direct observation and interviews (Younger, 1985). 

Phenomenological studies are studies that examine human experiences through the description of the people involved (Donalek, 2004). Unlike the case study, this technique looks at the lived experiences of the individuals. Grounded theory is a design in which a theory is developed from the data. The purpose of grounded theory research is to constantly compare the data and ultimately develop a substantive theory (Glaser & Strauss, 2017).  

Two other qualitative research designs include ethnographic studies and narrative design. Ethnographic studies seek to understand cultural groups, commonly from living with the people under study. Narrative design is the study of spoken or written accounts of an event or action, typically from one or two individuals. Conducting a narrative study involved the researcher collecting data to tell a story, describe a situation, or reveal information (Yin, 2016). 

Consult the Research Ready certifications on qualitative methodology for more details on these qualitative designs.

Quantitative Methodology

Quantitative studies are oftentimes considered experimental, cause and effect, and statistical modeling. Included in quantitative methodology are surveys, correlational design, and experimental design. Please review the Research Ready certification for specific and in-depth content on conducting different types of quantitative research. 

Surveys are a common quantitative research method in business research as they are considered a relatively inexpensive and quick way to gather data (Vogt, Gardner, & Haeffele, 2012). This includes surveys developed and administered for the specific research project as well as official reports like those required by the Securities and Exchange Commission and population surveys like the U.S. Census. The researcher should consider a survey design if the information can be best obtained directly from respondents, can be gathered through structured questions with short answers, participants are likely to provide truthful information, and the required response rate needs to be above average (Vogt et al, 2012). 

Experimental design allows the researcher to identify causal relationships among variables by manipulating one variable while holding other relevant variables constant (Zikmund, Babin, Carr, & Griffin, 2013). True experimental design also requires that the subjects be randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. Quasi experimental design is used when you can randomly assign groups, but not individual subjects, to treatment or control groups. Natural experimental design is used to study naturally occurring differences among groups (Vogt et al, 2012). 

Please consult the Research Ready certification on experimental design for more details. 

Scenario: ABC Consulting

In the example of ABC Consulting, the research question that is chosen best defines the design being used.  As the research question is chosen, each design could be employed to look at a different aspect of the issue. In the quantitative question, design focus might look at relationships between variables (time taken to complete task vs ease of use of software), overall satisfaction with certain features (suck as a Likert scales), or a comparison (such as features of differing software platforms). In the qualitative question, the design might focus on the experiences of stories of uses (such as a narrative or phenomenological approach), general themes of use (case study or descriptive), or a new understanding of the use (such as grounded theory). It might also be possible to explore both questions and provide a mixed methods approach. For this study, the data came from an email-based survey and a focus group for interviews. 

For Further Study

Introduction To Survey Research Part 1: https://youtu.be/rjO3t6uVXuQ

Introduction To Survey Research Part 2: https://youtu.be/u9gVA1PTE7s

Experimental Designs in Social Science: https://youtu.be/48bxYQWnF6U

Correlational Research Design: https://youtu.be/rssUlHB7k0I

Comparing Descriptive, Correlational, and Experimental Studies: https://youtu.be/lsbK6g10a-c

Ethnography: https://youtu.be/6lIzz3DlEWQ

Grounded Theory: https://youtu.be/M2DyB-hGX-Q

Tips for Conducting an Effective Case Study: https://youtu.be/7TTmZv0_8Dk

Creating an Effective Phenomenological Study: https://youtu.be/ZrdgqkpDTGY

Mixed Methods Research: The Basics: https://youtu.be/XynPxWSLjZY

Research Ready Correlational Research: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/correlation

Research Ready Experimental Research: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/experimental

Research Ready Descriptive Research: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/descriptive

Research Ready Comparative Research: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/comparative

Research Ready Quasi-Experimental Research: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/quasiexperimental

Research Ready Mixed Methods: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/mixed_methods

Research Ready: Phenomenology Research: https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/phenomenology

References   

Birkinshaw, J., Lecuona, R., & Barwise, P. (2016). The relevance gap in business school research: which academic papers are cited in managerial bridge journals? Academy of Management Learning & Education, 15(4), 686-702.

Chandler, G. N., & Lyon, D. W. (2001). Issues of research design and construct measurement in entrepreneurship research: The past decade. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 25(4), 101-113.

Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods design. In: Sage, London.

Donalek, J. G. (2004). Phenomenology as a qualitative research method. Urologic nursing, 24(6), 516-517.

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (2017). Discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research: Routledge.

Mullen, M. R., Budeva, D. G., & Doney, P. M. (2009). Research methods in the leading small business–entrepreneurship journals: A critical review with recommendations for future research. Journal of Small Business Management, 47(3), 287-307.

Vogt, W. P., Gardner, D. C., & Haeffele, L. M. (2012). When to use what research design: Guilford Press.

Yin, R. (2 Eds.). (2016). Qualitative research from start to finish (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. 

Younger, J. (1985). Practical approaches to clinical research. Pediatric nursing, 11(2), 137.

Zikmund, W. G., Babin, B. J., Carr, J. C., & Griffin, M. (2013). Business research methods: Cengage Learning.

Zivkovic, J. (2012). Strengths and weaknesses of business research methodologies: Two disparate case studies. Business Studies Journal, 4(2), 91-99.