week iii: research frameworks ~craft of research (2003)

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Week III: Research Frameworks ~Craft of Research (2003)

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Week III:Research Frameworks

~Craft of Research (2003)

Key issues for today

Conceptual Framework for research Porter’s Five Forces-

Industry-Level Analytical Framework

What is a ‘conceptual framework’?

A written or visual presentation that:

– “explains either graphically, or in narrative form, the main things to be studied – the key factors, concepts or variables -

– and the presumed relationship among them”.

(Miles and Huberman, 1994, P18)

Where does the conceptual framework fit?

Preparing a conceptual framework can be likened to planning a holiday.

The purpose of the pre-planning of the holiday is to:

– Know how to get to, and return from, your holiday destination.

– Know what to do when you are at the destination.

– To be better prepared, and able to make the most of your holiday, because you can be guided by your previous experiences and by any information provided by others.

What inputs go into developing a conceptual framework?

Experiential knowledge of student and supervisor:

– Technical knowledge.– Research background.– Personal experience.– Data (particularly for qualitative).

Literature review:

– Prior ‘related’ theory – concepts and relationships that are used to represent the world, what is happening and why.

– Prior ‘related’ research – how people have tackled ‘similar’ problems and what they have learned.

– Other theory and research - approaches, lines of investigation and theory that are not obviously relevant/previously used.

How might a conceptual framework be developed?

The pieces of the conceptual framework are borrowed but the researcher provides the structure. To develop the structure you could:

– Identify the key words used in the subject area of your study.

– Draw out the key things within something you have already written about the subject area – literature review.

– Take one key concept, idea or term at a time and brainstorm all the other things that might be related and then go back and select those that seem most relevant.

Whichever is used it will take time and a number of iterations and the focus is both on the content and the inter-relationships.

Conceptual framework: Examples.

The possibilities include:

– Flow charts.

– Tree diagrams.

– Shape based diagrams – triangles, concentric circles, overlapping circles.

– Mind maps.

A Conceptual Framework A Holistic View of an Educational Supply Chain

On-line resource

University

Students

Internal & External Projects

Graduates

Supplied Input (Raw Materials)

Supplied Output(Finished Products)

Research Outcomes

Society

Process Consumer

A Conceptual Framework (Cont.) An Integrated Supply Chain for the Universities

9

Students

Research Projects

Education Supply Chain

Research Supply Chain

Suppliers

Supplied Input

University (Process)

Customers

Consumer

Education Suppliers

Education Customers

Research Suppliers

Research Customers

Research Outcomes

Graduates

Society

Supplied OutputOn-line resource

A Service Provider: Universities

10

University

Education

Research

AcademicAssessment

AcademicDevelopment

PerformanceAssessment

ResearchDevelopment

Graduates with Desirable Quality

Quality Research Outcomes

On-line resource

A ‘flow chart’ of innovation decision making

PRIOR CONDITIONS

1. Previous practice

2. Felt needs/problems

3. Innovativeness

4. Norms of the social system

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

1. KNOWLEDGE 2. PERSUASION 4. IMPLEMENTATION3. DECISION

1. Adoption

2. Rejection

Confirmed Adoption

Later Adoption

Discontinuance

Continued Rejection

Perceived characteristics

of innovation

1. Relative advantage

2. Compatibility

3. Complexity

4. Trialability

5. Observability

Observations of the

decision making unit

1. Socio-economic characteristics

2. Personality variables

3. Communication behaviour

5. CONFIRMATION

(Rogers 2003)

A ‘tree chart’ of changing consumer behaviour

Customers

Changingcustomers

Experience Values Lifestyles Demographics

Productexpectations

Quality Price Purchasing Information

Physical Service

Ease Flexibility

Range

Individuality

Health

Agecomposition

Security

Loss ofloyalty

Value Image

Priorities

Expectations

Knowledge Access

Currency

Variety

On-line resource

A ‘triangle’ of needs

Self actualisation

Esteem

Affiliation

Security

Physiological

Maslow 1954

A ‘mind map’ of cruise travel and impacts

Trav el

Typ e s o f to u r is ts /

tra v e lle rs

Typ e s o f to u r is m

Are c ru is e rs to u r is ts o r n o t?

SO C IAL C O N TIN G EN C Y TH EO R Y

W h o g e ts to g o ?H e g e m o n y c la s s

In d iv id u a l n o t p a r t o f m a s s

PO ST STR U C TU R ALISMF o u c a u lt - fre e d o m a n d c o n tro l

K n o w le d g e - p o w e rs

PO ST M O D ER N ISMB a u d s ila rd - H yp e s re a lity

G o ffm a n - fro n ts ta g e /B a c k s ta g e au th e n tic ity

Cultu

re/

places

Peo

ple

Enviro

nm

ent

C ru is e r im p a c ts

Ad v a n ta g e s D is a d v a n ta g e s

W h y n o tm a s s to u r is m

W h a t typ e o f im p a c t a n d

w h a t typ e o f to u r is t?(Jennings 2001)

International Competitiveness of Asian Firms: A Conceptual and Research Framework

Figure 1. An Integrated Model of International Competitiveness of Enterprises in Asia

Interaction CreatesInternational Competitiveness

(higher export profitability, export market share)

Technology & ICT

Human Resource

Organizational Structure

Internal FactorsExternal Factors

Role of Government

Finance & Capital

On-line resource

Stage 1

Recognition

Stage 2

Digestion

Stage 3

Decision making

Stage 4

Reinforcement

Stage 5

Resolution

Having no choice: priority of life, only LDLT, for family, only me

Reaching a decision: anxiety and conflict

Facing transplantation: impatience and nervousness

On-line resource

The good and bad of conceptual frameworks

Why are conceptual frameworks useful?

Conceptual frameworks provide researchers with:

– The ability to move beyond descriptions of ‘what’ to explanations of ‘why’ and ‘how’.

– A means of setting out an explanation set that might be used to define and make sense of the data that flow from the research question.

– An filtering tool for selecting appropriate research questions and related data collection methods.

– A reference point/structure for the discussion of the literature, methodology and results.

– The boundaries of the work.

What are the limitations of a conceptual framework?

Conceptual frameworks, however, also have problems in that the framework:

– Is influenced by the experience and knowledge of the individual – initial bias.

– Once developed will influence the researcher’s thinking and may result in some things being given prominence and others being ignored – ongoing bias.

The solution is to revisit the conceptual framework, particularly at the end when evaluating your work.

According to Porter, the nature of competitiveness in a given industry

can be viewed as a composite of five forces.

Industry Rapidly Evolving

Buyer

Suppliers

New Entrants

Substitute product

Rivals

Carriers AT&T

VoIPSkype

More Company EntersStrong brands and finance

Established mobile ManufactureLG/Samsung

Software giantGoogle/MS

Consumers marketCorporate market

Apple iPhone's Five Forces of Competition

The contribution of the conceptual framework

The conceptual framework encapsulates the research as it:

– Sets out the focus and content.

– Acts as the link between the literature, the methodology and the results (regardless of when in the PhD process it is produced).

Thus it can be/will be the focus/starting point of the evaluation of originality in terms of the criteria outlined by Hart (1998). For example:

– Is what has been focussed on entirely new?

– Is the way the subject been investigated different to the ‘normal’ approaches?

– Has new light been shed on previously explored issues?

References

Hart C. (1998): Doing a Literature Review.” London, Sage. Jennings G. (2001): Tourism Research. Australia, John Wiley and

Sons. Maslow A (1954): “Motivation and Personality.” New York: Harper. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, M. A. (1994): “Qualitative Data Analysis: An

Expanded Sourcebook” (2nd edition). Beverley Hills, Sage. Rogers, E.M. (2003): “Diffusion of Innovations.” 5th Edition. London,

Simon and Schuster. Smyth R. (2004): “Exploring the Usefulness of a Conceptual

Framework as a Research Tool: A Researcher's Reflections.” Issues In Educational Research, Volume 14.

Yin R. K. (1994): “Case Study Research: Design and Methods.” (2nd edition) California, Sage.

Assignment:

Caves (2000) Creative Industries. Introduction: The economic properties of Creative Industries

Use your own words to tell me what is CI?

Share with us the ‘What’ in your research.‘Social enterprises’, ‘designer’, ‘lifestyle industry