Foundation Session Taught at Beijing Foreign Studies University in 2011 drawn extensively from Saunders et al

1. Slide 1.1
Session 2:
The nature of business and management research
Ian Cammack
Adapted from Saunders et al (2009)

2. Slide 1.2
Objective
At the end of this session you should be able to:
Appreciate the different types of research that take place
Appreciate Different Styles / Types of Journal
Make informed choices that helps your research balance
‘purposeful’ and ‘thoughtful’

3. Slide 1.3
A ‘straw poll’ : research in the Guardian
95,000 hits
Report reveals why so many children end up in prison
Richard Scudamore canvasses opinion on new financial rules
Universal education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Creative projects in schools are threatened by funding cuts

4. Slide 1.4
95% of children in Britain have been victims of
crime ...
APPRECIATE THE POWER OF ‘THOUGHT LEADERSHIP’
APPRECIATE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN METHODS AND METHODOLOGY
APPRECIATE THE ‘POWER’ BEHIND THE CLAIMS

5. Slide 1.5
Guardian Straw Poll : Research & Business
Nokia World 2010: Mobile giant will look to recapture greatness
Financial markets are still ruled by instant gratification
Double-dip recession looms as jittery private sector cuts back
Shops are closing on the high street. And the north is hardest hit

6. Slide 1.6
Features of business and management research
Managers draw on knowledge from other disciplines
Managers are more likely to allow access if they see
commercial or personal advantage
Managers now tend to be as educated as the researchers
Managers require research to have some practical consequence
Easterby-Smith et al. (2008)

7. Slide 1.7
Harvard Business Review
 HOW BUSINESS SCHOOLS LOST THEIR WAY.
 Authors: Bennis, Warren G.&
O'Toole, James
 Source: Harvard Business Review; May2005, Vol. 83 Issue 5, p96-104, 9p, 2
 This article looks at business schools and the failures in their curriculum that contributes to a
lack of management skills among graduates. According to the author, business schools are on
the wrong track. For many years, Masters of Business Administration programs enjoyed rising
respectability in academia and growing prestige in the business world. Their admissions were
selective, graduates could command large salaries. By 2005 MBA programs faced intense
criticism for failing to impart useful skills, leadership training, failing to instill norms of ethical
behavior and even failing to lead graduates to good corporate jobs. According to the authors
this situation grew out a trend wherein business schools treated business as a science, rather
than as a profession. In such an environment excellent research is produced but little of it has
a base in practical application.

8. Slide 1.8
Modes 1, 2 or 3
Mode 1: fundamental or theoretical questions
Mode 2: research governed by the world of practice
Mode 3: appreciation of the human condition as it is and as it might
become
READ THIS PAPER ON MODE 2:
MacLean (2002) British Journal of Management
Vol. 13; 189-207 “Mode 2 Management Research”

9. Slide 1.9
Features of business and management research (2)
Basic and applied research
Sources:
Saunders’ et al experience; Easterby-Smith et al. (2008); Hedrick et al.
(1993)
Figure 1.1 Basic and applied research

10. Slide 1.10
The Relevance Gap
Pedantic
Puerile
(Immature)
Theoretical
Rigour
Practical Relevance
Pragmatic
Popularist

11. Slide 1.11
The research process
Factors to consider
The impact of your personal feelings and beliefs
Access to data
Time and other resources
Validity and reliability of the data
Ethical issues

12. Slide 1.12
Summary:
Business and management research
Is transdisciplinary
Engages with both theory and practice
Involves undertaking systematic research
Should be undertaken with rigour

13. Slide 1.13
Exploring past projects / personal preferences
6 projects you LIKE
What appeals to you about them
What is good about the project
Why is this good?
3 projects you DON’T LIKE
What do you dislike about them
What is bad about the project
Why is this bad?

14. Slide 1.14
Ranking of Journals
World Leading 4*
Internationally excellent 3*
Recognised internationally 2*
Recognised nationally 1*
Unclassified 0
CLICK TO OPEN

15. Slide 1.15
Harvard Business Review
 Labianca, Giuseppe "Joe"1
 Harvard Business Review; Sep2010, Vol. 88 Issue 9, p28-29, 2p,
 Abstract: An interview is presented with management researchers Travis J. Grosser and
Virginie Lopez-Kidwell who defend their study on social interactions which found that gossip
can be beneficial to organizations and individuals. Topics include information sharing, the
emotional effect of gossip, a group understanding of proper behavior, and managers'
perception of gossip as a subversive activity.
 Be a Better Manager: Live Abroad.
 Authors: Maddux, William W.,
Galinsky, Adam D.,
Tadmor, Carmit T.3
 Harvard Business Review; Sep2010, Vol. 88 Issue 9,
 The article offers the authors' views on expatriate management programs and the benefits
from executives interacting with the people and institutions of the host country. The idea that
international experience or interaction between foreign managers and local people will help
managers become more creative, entrepreneurial, and successful is discussed. The concept of
integrative complexity in bi-cultural managers which enhances job performance is mentioned.
The authors' research at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management which
involves the behavioral test called the Duncker candle problem and creative thinking to find
the correct solution is mentioned.

16. Slide 1.16
Academy of Management Review ****
 WHAT ABOUT THE LEADER IN LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE? THE IMPACT OF RESOURCE
EXCHANGES AND SUBSTITUTABILITY ON THE LEADER.
 Authors: WILSON, KELLY SCHWIND,
SIN, HOCK-PENG
 Academy of Management Review; Jul2010, Vol. 35 Issue 3, p358-372, 15p
To date, leader-member exchange (LMX) research has primarily examined member outcomes,
such as member attitudes and performance. However, little research exists regarding
outcomes specific to the leader. Focusing on the leader-member dyad, we develop a
framework of leader outcomes resulting from resource exchanges with members. We
propose specific resource substitutes and discuss the impact of LMX quality on the leader.
 UNPACKING GENERATIONAL IDENTITIES IN ORGANIZATIONS.
 JOSHI, APARNA et al
 Academy of Management Review; Jul2010, Vol. 35 Issue 3, p392-414, 23p
Generational phenomena underlie several complex organizational challenges. Yet many
fundamental questions regarding what generations mean and what the implications of
generational differences in organizations are remain unanswered. The framework proposed in
this paper allows us to incorporate multidisciplinary conceptualizations of generations as
various dimensions of a generational identity, to specify conditions under which these
dimensions may be activated in organizational contexts, and to derive implications for
intergenerational interactions.

17. Slide 1.17
Specialist Journals
American Sociological Review 4*
Annual Review of Psychology 4*
Behavioural Research in Accounting 4*
Applied Economics Quarterly 2*
Applied Ergonomics 2*
Applied Financial Economics 2*
China Economic Review 2*
Corporate Social Resp & Environmental Management 1*
Creativity and Innovation Management 1*
11 with ‘American’ in the title
3 with ‘China’ / ‘Chinese’ in the title
Who are the gate keepers of ‘truth’ .....

18. Slide 1.18
http://hi.baidu.com/liutuo/blog/item/36276b274eb0b107918f9dfd.html