Question 1 Explain how sampling design, inferential statistics, and generalization work together to form the foundation of quantitative research.
Your response must be at least 250 words in length.
Question 2 Compare and contrast the four levels of scale measurement.
Your response must be at least 250 words in length.
Question 3 Discuss the three primary research designs highlighted in the Unit I Lesson and potential shortcomings of each. (See below)
Your response must be at least 250 words in length.
Question 4 Discuss the advantages, limitations, and researcher considerations when using a qualitative methodological research strategy.
Your response must be at least 250 words in length.
Applied Research, Evidence-based Management, and the Scientific Method
The type of research that is the focus of this course is called applied research. Applied research is normally used within business settings to answer questions, solve problems, and address management dilemmas. This contrasts with pure research, such as academic studies, which may be used to solve problems but are predominately used to expand humanity’s knowledge on a variety of topics. Two defining features of applied research are a dependence on evidence and a systematic approach. Bell et al. (2022) refer to applied research as evidence-based management (EBM), where a systematic process is applied to the best available information for enhancing management practice.
While this course will introduce qualitative and mixed methodological approaches to research, it will be predominately focused on the quantitative research methodology. This is not because the quantitative methodology is superior to the qualitative methodology but, rather, because it is better suited to the data-driven world of business and society. Data is ubiquitous, inexpensive, and frequently used for strategic decision-making, which makes quantitative methods a great fit to address many business issues.
Using empirical evidence for decision-making replaces unreliable use of intuition, historical events, conventional wisdom, group think, and anecdotal information (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2006b). Management decision-makers frequently use only one criterion when making business decisions, when multiple criteria increase the probability of success. Similarly, decision-makers often consider only one alternative when evaluating several alternatives improves the odds of selecting an optimal solution to problems. Organizational politics sometimes inhibit subordinates from challenging superiors’ flawed and evidence-deficient business decisions. The interests of small groups of stakeholders commonly dominate organizational decision-making, when the input of more and varied stakeholders increases the quality of information for decision-making. Decision-makers routinely base decisions on easily available information rather than spending time, effort, and money on higher quality but less accessible information (Rousseau, 2018). Shifting to an EBM approach to decision-making helps avoid these pitfalls and is appropriate for many disciplines. EBM is especially important to business given the high stakes, such as revenue, costs, profitability, jobs, and reputation.
Notwithstanding the high stakes, the business community has been historically measured in the adoption of academic recommendations for best practices. Resistance to EBM is not unique to the business community. It may be shocking and concerning to learn that the medical community has also been slow to integrate EBM into medical practice. Pfeffer and Sutton (2006a) found that while there are thousands of academic articles published each year on medical advances and best practices, only about 15% of medical decisions are evidence-based. As is often seen in management decision-making, physicians predominately rely on historical outdated information, untested traditions, personal experience, and medical vendor advice. In other words, 85% of medical decisions are not based on scientifically derived evidence. If a great percentage of physicians, who are responsible for the health of patients and bear liability, are hesitant to embrace EBM, how many more managers also ignore the value of scientific evidence for decision-making? Fortunately, the medical and business community has seen the emergence of an EBM movement in this century.
Businesses across many business sectors have embraced EBM to fortify their business strategies to exploit opportunities and attenuate threats in the external environment. They are under increasing pressure for financial improvement in the face of many challenges, including global competition, climate change, inflation, social unrest, pandemics, wars, supply chain constraints, labor constraints, and many other uncontrollable factors. Access to large repositories of information provides an advantage for those interested in adopting EBM. While many managers lack professional training in research methods, there is a growing respect for and acceptance of data as the basis for strategic decision-making (Charlier et al., 2011; Mohrman et al., 2001; Rousseau, 2006; Rousseau, 2020; Van Aken & Romme, 2009).
