Research Proposal Format:
Brief introduction Research question Theoretical background
Literature review: A critical review of the theories, concepts, debates and major viewpoints around your research question
Specific emphasis to cultural discussions Study hypotheses and/or study model
Identfication of why and how culture (or cultura differences) matter
Research Proposal Format:
Proposed research methodology The context/ setting of the study Your sample – sample size and other
characteristics Method of data collection
Quantitative and/or qualitative Survey, interviews, archival data etc.
Measurement of the concepts/ variables
Possible Topics for Research Proposal:
Intercultural communication and negotiations International/ global business strategies International alliances other collaborations Managing diversity (international workforce) Teamwork (global/ multicultural teams) Global leadership; international HRM practices Expartiates and international careers Link between national and organizational culture Every possible organizational issue (e.g. employee
attitudes and behaviors, organizational performance, business decisions, organization design and practices, ...)
What is THEORY
A system of interconnected ideas that condenses and organizes the knowledge about the world and explains how it works
A good research involves theory. If theory remains unclear, incomplete or poorly formulated => it is a weak research
Theories are not static: we constantly modify older theories and develop new ones
The Parts of Theory:
Assumptions An un-tested starting point in a theory that is
necessary in order to build a theoretical explanation
Concepts An idea that is thought, carefully defined and
made explicit in a theory that we can express as a word or symbol
Relationships Whether the concepts are connected to one
another and if so, how
Concepts
They are everywhere, we use them all the time Concepts have two parts: a symbol (a word,
term, a written character) and a definition. We find them easy to use but difficult to define
or describe For example: “Height” A characteristics of a physical object
indicating the distance from top to bottom. The word “height” refers to an abstract idea. We
associate a sound and a written symbol to this idea.
Relationships
Proposition A theoretical statement about the relatipnship
between two or more concepts
Hypothesis An empirically testable version of a theoretical
proposition that is yet to be tested or verified with empirical evidence
It is most used in deductive theorizing
Relationships
Unit of analysis => In research, we must fit the concepts to a specific type of unit of social life:
individuals, groups, organizations movements and exchanges, institutions, regions nations/ countries etc.
Abstract and Empirical Levels
Treatment to
employees
Employee
loyalty
Social security &
other benefits
Annual turnover
Abstract level
Empirical level
Proposition
Hypothesis
Research Question
Typical qualitative questions: How did a certain condition or social
situation originate? How do people, events, and conditions
sustain over time? By what processes does the situation
change, develop or end?
Typical quantitative questions: Associations, relations “Is age at marriage associated with
divorce?”
Ways to Select a Research Topic:
Personal experience, everyday life and personal values
State of knowledge in the field Social premiums; curiosity based on
media Solving a problem
How to Narrow the Topic into a Research Question:
Examine the literature Published articles are excellent sources of ideas for
research questions. They provide lots of suggestions Talk over ideas with others
Ask people who are knowledgeable about the topic; seek out others’ opinions
Apply a specific context Focus on a specific time period, society, catgeory,
subgroup or geographic unit Define the aim or desired outcome of the
study Is it an exploratory, descriptive or explanatory
stdudy?
Quantitative Research: Variables
Variable: Empirical measure of a concept that can take multiple values
Attributes: Categories or levels of a variable
For Example: gender is a variable; male is an attribute marital status is a variable; married is an
attribute
Quantitative Research: Variables
Independent Variable: Variable that produces an effect or result on the dependent variable in a causal hypothesis
Dependent Variable: The effect or result variable that is caused by the independent variable
Intervening (Mediating) Variable: Comes logically or temporally after independent variable and before dependent variable; helps to show the link or mechanism between them
Quantitative Research: Hypotheses
Causal Hypothesis: Statement of a causal explanation or proposition that at least one dependent and one independent variable and yet to be empirically tested
Characteristics of causal hypotheses: At least 2 variables (dependent and independent) Expresses a cause-effect relationship Can be expressed as a prediction Logical link between hypothesis and theory Falsifiable
Quantitative Design: Hypotheses
Logic of Disconforming (“Falsification”): Testing for no relationship provides more cautious support for possible existence of a relationship. Negative, disconforming evidence is more significant.
We never prove a hypothesis; but we can disprove it!
Null Hypothesis: states that there is no significant effect of the independent variable on the dependent.
Alternative Hypothesis: paired with the null hypothesis stating that there is a significant effect
Causal Hypotheses
A positive relationship means that a higher value on the cause goes with a higher value on the effect or outcome Example: As the number of years of a person’s
schooling increases, the longer the person’s life expectancy is.
A negative relationship means that a higher value on the cause goes with a lower value on the effect or outcome Example: As the number of years of a person’s
schooling increases, his/her prejudice decreses.