Research Methodology in Organization and Management Analyses (runs anually)

Copenhagen Business School , CBS, Denmark

Updated: over 1 year ago
Deadline: 10 Mar 2023

PhD course: Research Methodology in Organization and Management Analyses

1198053

Course
Research Methodology in Organization and Management Analyses (runs anually)

Faculty
Professor Jesper Strandgaard Pedersen, IOA
Professor Eva Boxenbaum , IOA
Professor MSO Anne Reff Pedersen , IOA
Associate Professor Karen Boll , IOA
Assistant professor Anders Ravn Sørensen , MPP
Professor Renate Meyer , IOA
Professor Tammar Zilber, Hebrew University of JerusalemP
Postdoc Jonathan Feddersen
All faculty are from CBS.

Course coordinator
Professor Jesper Strandgaard ([email protected]) and Professor Eva Boxenbaum ([email protected])

Prerequisites

It is a prerequisite that the participants are working on their projects (including the empirical work), can bring forth ideas about, reflections upon, their experiences and problems with the analyses.
The participants are required to submit a written presentation – 7-10 pages – which is read by the other course participants and form the basis for discussions and reflections of each other’s projects. Deadline for submission of the presentation is February 6, 2023.
It is a precondition for receiving the course diploma that the PhD student attends the entire course.

Aim
The course focuses on the entire PhD process from the formulation of research question(s) to the use of theory, the generation and analysis of data, and the composition of the thesis. The course encourages participants  to discuss and  reflect holistically on their choices and their PhD projects. Researchers demonstrate the holism when presenting their own research projects, which feed into discussions of the participants’ projects. 
Experienced researchers present their own research projects on Monday afternoon and in the mornings (Tuesday to Friday). The idea is that these presentations are inspirational for participants to reflect on their own projects and to discuss them in the afternoons (Tuesday to Thursday). The presentations are carried out in pairs; to some extent, the two presentations oppose one another to show different ways in which theory can be used (e.g., in relation to research questions, the empirical field, the generation and analysis of data, and the composition of the project) to maintain  holism or consistency, a common feature for all scientific work.
The objective of the course is to make participants aware of the many choices they are bound to make and to provide input into how to achieve consistency between those choices and write a coherent project (i.e., linking research question(s), the theoretical framework, data generation and analysis, and the composition of the thesis). 
The course deliberately differs from specialized courses on method, which typically address only one methodological aspect or approach, such as ‘the qualitative interview’ or ‘case studies’. It also differs from general courses on qualitative and quantitative methods in as much as it focuses upon and deals with the overall methodology and consistency of the project, that is, the relationships between research questions, the empirical field, the theoretical framework, data generation and analysis, and the composition of the thesis.

Course content
The course is built up around four basic methodological elements:
1) How to work with the research question?
2) How to develop and use a theoretical framework?
3) How to generate and analyse data?
4) How to write the dissertation? 
The course mornings are lectures focusing upon specific methodological themes followed by discussion and plenary debate. The afternoons are reserved for presentations and discussions of the participants’ projects and discussions of these in groups of 4-6 persons. 
The course is based on the following assumptions and premises:
- The combination between presentations from experienced researcher and the discussions of the PhD projects provide fertile ground for getting new inspiration and specific comments to work with and improve the projects. 
- Research as a creative process involving both learning processes and personal development and they are both highlighted in the combination of the course 
- The focus of the course on coherence (consistency) seeks to constantly interweave theory and empirical material related to organization and management processes. 
- The course sees methodology as the linkages between theoretical perspectives, methods and techniques, empirical field, researcher and work process, and it makes methodology a practice which finds its legitimacy in relation to the completion of the research project and the research publications’ ability to convince relevant research and practitioner communities.

Teaching style
The course is not an introductory course to methodology with the intention of giving ‘solutions’ to the participants’ projects in terms of one specific ‘how-to-do design’ (as ‘solutions’ differ between projects). The course, instead, invites to a joint discussion, exploration, and reflection to develop the participants’ methodological competences especially in relation to their own projects, but also as a qualified participant in research-related connections as opponent, reviewer, etc. The reflection is based on two elements (that mutually benefit each other throughout the course): 
1) Discussion of methodological questions related to the course participants’ own projects. 
2) Presentation and discussion of methodological reflections and experiences related to completed research projects.

Lecture plan
Monday 6.3.
12.30 – 13.30 Introduction to the course
Presentation of the program and the participants
13.30 – 16.30 Research Question(s) and Focus
- ’Tricks of the Trade’
- What is an interesting project?
- How do you create a research question?
- The development of the research question
- The aim and research interest of the project
- The status and consequences of the research question
- Contribution and profiling
Speakers:
Professor, Eva Boxenbaum, CBS, IOA
Professor, Jesper Strandgaard Pedersen, CBS, IOA
Tuesday 7.3.
9.00 – 12.00 The Role and Status of Theory in the Project
- How is theory included in the project?
- What is ’theory’ in my project?
- Different strategies for the interplay between theory and empirical data (theory-driven or phenomenon-driven, theory testing or problem identifying, one-or-more theories approach?)
Speakers:
Professor, Renate Meyer, CBS, IOA
Professor, Tammar Zilber, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (visiting scholar at CBS, IOA)
 12.00 – 13.00 Lunch
 13.00 – 16.30 Project Discussion I
 18.00 Dinner
Wednesday 8.3.
9.00 – 12.00 Data Generation and the Analysis Process I
- (Observation versus interviews)
- Choice of methods for data generation
- Data Analysis
- Relevance in relation to the problem definition and the theory of the project
Speakers:
Associate Professor Karen Boll, CBS, IOA
Professor MSO, Anne Reff Petersen, CBS, IOA
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch
13.00 – 16.30 Project discussion II
 
Thursday 9.3.
9.00 – 12.00 Data Generation and the Analysis Process II (Archival versus field studies)
- Choice of methods for data generation
- Data Analysis
- Relevance in relation to the problem definition and the theory of the project
Speakers:
Associate professor, Anders Ravn Sørensen, CBS, MPP
Professor, Jesper Strandgaard Pedersen, CBS, IOA
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch
13.00 – 16.30 Project discussion III
Friday 10.3.
09.00 – 10.30 Academic versus Practical Relevance 
(Eva Boxenbaum & Renate Meyer)
- Choice of audience
- Formulation of contribution to target audience
- Coping with multiple audience (academia vs practice)
10.30 – 10.45 Break
10.45 – 12.30 The Composition of the Dissertation
10.45 - 11.30 Strategies for writing
(Anne Reff Pedersen)
11.30 – 12.15 How it could be done: An example
(Jonathan Feddersen)
Speakers:
Professor, Renate Meyer, CBS, IOA
Professor, Eva Boxenbaum, CBS, IOA
Professor MSO, Anne Reff Pedersen, CBS, IOA
Postdoc Jonathan Feddersen, CBS, IOA
12.30 – 13.30 Wrap up of the course
Summing up, evaluations, light lunch (sandwiches) and farewell
Course coordinators:
Professor, Jesper Strandgaard Pedersen, CBS, IOA and
Professor, Eva Boxenbaum, CBS, IOA

Learning objectives
The course provides students with
• Greater insights into a number of approaches to organizational analyses,
• Offers a larger repertoire to choose from, and
• A better foundation for making qualified and consistent choices about each and every element in the PhD project and the coherence between the elements of the PhD project
The course improves the students' ability to critically and constructively evaluate the coherence and adequacy of different choices and parts of the research process. This strengthens the research methodology of their own projects and develops their competences to discuss and help other’s research projects (the latter increases their competences in the research community and ability to do other research-related tasks, such as: Reviewer and opponent / discussant).

Exam
N/A

Other

Start date
06/03/2023

End date
10/03/2023

Level
PhD

ECTS
5

Language
English

Course Literature

Research Question(s) and Focus 

Barley, S. R. (2006). When I write my masterpiece: Thoughts on what makes a paper interesting. Academy of Management Journal, 49(1), 16-20.

Davis, M. S. (1971). That’s interesting! Towards a phenomenology of sociology and sociology of phenomenology. Philosophy of the Social Sciences, 1(2), 309-344.

Grant, A. M. & Pollock, T. G. (2011). From the editors. Publishing in AMJ - part 3: Setting the hook. Academy of Management Journal, 54(5), 873–879.

Cartel, M., Boxenbaum, E. & Aggeri, F. (2019). Just for fun! How experimental spaces stimulate innovation in institutionalized fields. Organization Studies 40(1), 65-92.

The Role and Status of Theory

Gross, T. & Zilber, T.B. (Published online March 7th , 2020). Power dynamics in field-level events: a narrative approach. Organization Studies. DOI: 10.1177/0170840620907197 .

Jancsary, D., Meyer, R. E., Höllerer, M. A. & Boxenbaum, E. (2018). Institutions as multimodal accomplishments: Towards the analysis of visual registers. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 54A, 87–117.

Suddaby, R. (2006). From the editors: What grounded theory is not. Academy of Management Journal, 49(4), 633–642.

Data Generation and the Analysis Process I (ethnography)

Rowe, M., Turner, E. & Pearson, G. (2016). Learning and practicing police craft. Journal of Organizational Ethnography, 5(3), 276-286.

Vohnsen, N. (2015). Street-level planning: the shifty nature of ‘local knowledge and practice’. Journal of Organizational Ethnography, 4(2), 147-161.

Bartel, C.A, & Garud, R. (2009). The role of narratives in sustaining organizational innovation.

Organization Science, 20(1):107-117.

Vaara, E., Sonenshein, S. & Boje, D. (2016). Narratives as sources of stability and change in organizations: Approaches and directions for future research. Academy of Management Annals, 10(1): 495-560.

Data Generation and the Analysis Process II (archive- and case studies)

Wadhwani, R.D. & Decker, S. (2017). Clio’s toolkit. The practice of historical methods in organization studies. In R. Mir & S. Jain (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Qualitative Research in Organization Studies: Chapter 8. Routledge.

Rowlinson, M, Hassard, J. & Decker, S. (2014) Research strategies for organizational history: A dialogue between historical theory and organization theory. Academy of Management Journal 39(3), 250-274.

Prior, L. (2004). Doing things with documents. In D. Silverman (ed.), Qualitative Research. Theory, Method and Practice: 76-94. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. 

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(2), 219-24. Sage. 

Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information 22, 63–75. IOS Press.

Academic versus Practical Relevance  

Corley, K. G., & Gioia, D. A. (2011). Building theory about theory building: What constitutes a theoretical contribution? Academy of Management Review, 36(1), 12-32.

Kieser, A., Schulz, A., & Seidl, D. (2015). The practical relevance of management research: Turning the debate on relevance into a rigorous scientific research program. Academy of Management Annals, 9(1), 143-233.

The Composition of the Dissertation

Richardson, L. (2000). Writing: a method of inquiry. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research, 2nd  edition: 923-948. Sage.

Van Maanen, J. (1988). Tales of the Field – On Writing Ethnography. Chapter 4 (pp. 73-99) and chapter 5 (pp.101-124). University of Chicago Press.

Garud, R., Berends, H., & Tuertscher, P. (2017). Qualitative approaches for studying innovation as process. In R. Mir & S. Jain (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Qualitative Research in Organization Studies: 226–47. New York, NY: Routledge.

Fee
DKK 6,500

Minimum number of participants

Maximum number of participants
24

Location
Copenhagen Business School 
Kilen
2000 Frederiksberg
Room: KL 4.74 (fourth floor)

Contact information

Administration of the course:
CBS PhD Support 
Nina Iversen
Tel.: +45 3815 2475
E-mail: [email protected]

Registration deadline
15/01/2023

Please note that your registration is binding after the registration deadline.
In case we receive more registrations for the course than we have place, 
PhD students from CBS departments, will have first priority.
This course runs annually. 

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