Study Guide for Exam - Introduction to Research Methods | QMB 7565, Study notes of Introduction to Business Management

Download Study Guide for Exam - Introduction to Research Methods | QMB 7565 and more Study notes Introduction to Business Management in PDF only on Docsity! QMB 7565: Research Methods Seminar Sample Exam Questions Please write answers that are direct, succinct, and complete. Long-winded, verbose answers without material content or relevance will be penalized. You may use tables, bullet points, examples, graphics, or whatever conveys your knowledge best. The midterms will have two questions (no choice) for a total of 40 points. The finals will have three questions for 60 points. Your actual comps will have two questions. 1. Meta-Analysis: a. What is meta-analysis? How is it different from a literature review? (2+2 points) b. What are the key reasons for doing a meta-analysis? (3 points) c. Briefly describe the sequence of steps taken to do a meta-analysis. (8 points) d. What are major problems and biases that influence meta-analysis? (5 points) 2. Paradigms: a. According to Kuhn, how does science progress? To what extent do you think Kuhn’s depiction of scientific progress applies to social science and why? (4 points) b. How are the following terms different? (2 x 3 points) • Ontology versus epistemology. • Functionalism versus interpretivism. c. Gioia & Pitre claim that organizational research is multi-paradigmatic. Why so? Provide one example of a research topic that can be studied using two or more paradigms and briefly describe how. (3 + 4 points) d. Describe one reasonable way by which you can pursue value-added research within the framework of normal science (i.e., without enacting paradigm shifts). (3 points) 3. Theories: a. Briefly elaborate the differences between the following terms (use examples if necessary): (3 x 3 points) • Constructs versus variables. • Inductive versus deductive approach to theorizing. • Generalizability versus parsimony. b. What are the building blocks of a theory? Which of these elements are more important and why? (4 + 2 points) c. Outline briefly three different ways of building theories. Provide examples if appropriate. (5 points). 4. Measurement: a. If you used a measurement scale that has high reliability but poor construct validity, how does it impact the results of hypotheses tested using that scale? Use an example if necessary. (4 points) b. What are the different ways of assessing construct validity of two or more scales? Which approach would you prefer most and why? (4 + 2 points) c. How do we assess or ensure content validity for scales used in social science research? (4 points) d. Segars (1997) describes a “paradigm” for scale construction and testing. What are the key stages in this paradigm, and why are these stages important? (6 points). 1 5. Application of theories: Pick one of the following three research problems, and answer the questions that follow: • Now that investment banks’ are separating their auditing and consulting functions, you want to find the impact of this separation on employee morale and performance in these two units. • You want to study why one firm (e.g., Wal-Mart) was successful in implementing VMI (vendor managed inventory), yet another firm (e.g., K-Mart) could not even recognize the opportunity. • You want to explain why traditional distribution channels in a retailing firm (i.e., retail stores) resist the emergence of their own Internet stores, and how to reduce this conflict. a. Of the different theories discussed in class, which theory is most appropriate for studying the research problem of your choice and why? (4 points) b. Propose two research hypotheses derived from your chosen theory that may help you understand your research problem, and explain briefly the (1) importance and (2) non-obviousness of your chosen hypotheses. (6 points). c. What types of scales (nominal, ordinal, etc.) will you employ to measure the constructs in your hypotheses and why? (4 points) d. Briefly describe the approach you will use to designing measurement scales to measure your constructs of interest. (6 points) Questions 6 through 9 are actual questions taken from recent comps exams: 6. Suppose that you were designing a laboratory experiment for your next research study. (a) Within what paradigm is it most likely that you would be operating? (b) What potential sources of bias from the laboratory study method would concern you? (c) What would be the role of theory in designing the study? (d) How would you demonstrate the validity of your measurements? (e) What data analytic techniques would you be most likely to employ? (f) Would the findings of the laboratory study be generalizable? (g) Suppose that you do not get significant results from this study. What would be your interpretation of that outcome, and what, if anything, would you do? 7. In your seminars you have read about and discussed many different research methods. When you are designing a study to investigate a research question, you must choose at least one method. How is the choice of research method related to: a. Your paradigm? b. Your epistemology? c. Your assumptions about the homogeneity or heterogeneity of people? d. Causality of your theory? e. Sources of bias? f. Precision of measurement? g. Generalizability of findings? h. Choice of data analytic (statistical) approach? In answering this part, be sure to discuss the distributional assumptions you are making about your data. 2