BUSN27 Marketing and Management Research Methods

Spring 2012 7,5 ECTS-credits Responsible professor: Peter Svensson peter.svensson@fek.lu.se Room 351, EC1 +46 (0)46 222 01 86

Introduction Knowledge is a matter that seems to permeate everyday life in contemporary society, not least so within business life. Buzzwords such as knowledge society, knowledge intensive firms, knowledge management etc. are frequently and habitually used in order to describe contemporary capitalism. Producing, buying, evaluating and selling knowledge are crucial activities of managerial and marketing work. However, the nature of knowledge, including the relation between assumptions, interest and knowledge claims, is seldom discussed and reflected upon. As an attempt to encourage a discussion of methodological issues that avoids unreflective jargon and clichs, the ambition of this course is to prepare the students for (i) the writing of the masters thesis, and (ii) the future professional life. The basic assumption of this course is that sound work in both marketing practice and academia is contingent upon thorough methodological reasoning. The more specific objective of the course is to enhance and deepen the students knowledge and understanding of the most commonly used techniques of data collection within qualitative and quantitative marketing studies. Moreover, the ambition is to offer examples of how different types of data can be used for different kinds of analyses. The course will also touch upon questions regarding how different assumptions about the nature of the social world (ontology) and our knowledge thereof (epistemology) are intertwined in the choice of methods. The course aims to offer the students the possibility to develop: (i) (ii) (iii) An increased methodological repertoire (there are more methods than interviews) The ability to propose and defend an argument for methodological choices without subscribing to clichs and jargon. A reflexive and sceptical approach to knowledge claims.

The intended learning outcomes A passing grade on the course will be awarded to students who:

Knowledge and understanding - Demonstrate knowledge of the broad repertoire of methods available in social sciences, as well as a thorough understanding of the relation between (i) the research problem, (ii) the nature of the phenomenon depicted by this question, (iii) the empirical material needed, and (iv) the method of data collection. - Demonstrate an understanding of the assumptions (as to social ontology and epistemology) underpinning methodological choices. Applying knowledge - Demonstrate an ability to develop and argue for methodological choices. Making judgments - Demonstrate an ability to reflect upon the problems related to knowledge claims and methodological choices. Communication - Present their arguments and reflections in a clear, logical and pedagogical manner. Learning skills - Have shown an ability to study the course literature in an autonomous manner, as well as use the lectures to enhance their knowledge and understanding of methodological issues.

Teaching methods The course is organised as a series of lectures given by researchers who have firsthand experience of the methods in question. The purpose of the lectures is to concretise and exemplify themes that are addressed in the course literature, and the students are expected to have read the literature before the sessions. NOTE: the lectures are not to be seen as alternatives to the reading of the literature, but rather as supplementary sessions that can deepen and nuance the understanding of the texts. Literature 1. Bryman, A. & Bell, E, 2007 or 2011. Business Research Methods. 2nd or 3d edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (thus, both editions work just fine) 2. Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Lowe, A. 2008. Management Research. 3d edition. Sage: London.

3. Additional readings (articles to be downloaded from library www.lub.lu.se or found on google scholar). Examination The course will be examined by means of a final, individual take homeassignment that will be handed out at the final session. Deadline for the assignment is 16/3/2012, 15.00. Based upon the final assignment you will be given one of the grades: A, B, C, D, E or F. Evaluation criteria will be presented and discussed at the last lecture. About plagiarism Plagiarism is considered a very serious academic offence. The university will take disciplinary actions against any kind of attempted malpractice in examinations. The penalty that may be imposed for plagiarism includes suspension from the university for a specified period of time. Instructions for the seminar (L2-3) Since there were more students on the course than expected I have rescheduled the seminars a bit. You are now only expected to attend one seminar, not two. See what group you belong to in the attached document. The aim of the seminar is to be exposed to and reflect upon some of the practical and intellectual challenges offered by empirical research. The task for the seminar is to (and this is to be done individually): (i) Formulate a question on an interesting aspect of everyday life. Choose any question that interests you. Some examples of possible questions are (but again: choose a question that you find interesting): How do people order at the restaurant? How do people experience a bus ride? What do people do when they are trying to be polite to each other in cafs? What does it feel like to wait for the train? How do bank people handle stress? How do people negotiate price at the grocery market at Mllevngstorget in Malm? Why are train staff insulted when the train is late? How does it work when people are trying not to look at each other in public life? When are compliments given? What do students think about the weather in Lund/Sweden? and so on and so forth

(ii) Conduct an empirical mini-study in which you try to answer the question you have chosen (se i above). You can (in this exercise) use either an interview or an observation. The only rule is that the interview or observation is not allowed to last longer than five minutes. Five minutes, 300 seconds, thats all. (iii) Write 500 words that you give to Peter when you come to the seminar (the text will not be graded). In this text you should reflect upon the following questions: 1. Were you able to generate empirical material that helped you to find an answer to your question? If yes, how? If no, why not? If both yeas and no: try to explain this. 2. What kind of complementary data would you need in order to improve the answer? 3. What did you find most difficult with this task? At the seminar we are going to discuss your individual reflections and, by doing so, establish a sort of intellectual vantage point of the course.

Welcome to the course! Peter Svensson

Schedule

L1

10/1 9-12 EC3: 207

Introduction Peter Svensson Structure and content of the course About seminars in smaller groups About the examination About method and method courses Qualitative and quantitative research Readings
Bryman & Bell Ch 6, 16, 24, 25 Easterby-Smith et al, Ch 1, 5

L2-3

1. 11/1: 10-12 (EC1: 137) 2. 11/1: 13-15 (EC1: 131) 3. 11/1: 15-17 (EC1: 131) 4. 17/1: 8-10 (EC1: 138)

Seminar: A mini-study of everyday life Peter Svensson

5. 17/1: 10-12 (EC1: 138) 6. 19/1: 13-15 (EC1: 138)

See instructions above. NB. You will go to only one seminar

L4

19/1 10-12 EC3: 207

Writing a master thesis Christian Koch Readings

Christian Koch, Robert Lindhe and Jessica Ljung (2010) By Invitation Only in Contemporary Consumer Society: Distinctions Never Go Out Of Style; Lund University. Accessible at http://www.lu.se/o.o.i.s?id=19464&postid=1625590 (click the http://www.fek.lu.se/supp/supp-link on this page)

L5

24/1 10-12 EC3: 207

Method in business practice Kate Sullivan Readings To be announced (TBA)

L6

26/1 10-12 EC3: 207

Critical steps in marketing and management research Ulf Elg Readings

Bryman & Bell Ch 1-5 Easterby-Smith et al, Ch 2-3 Bacharach, S. B. 1989. Organizational Theories: Some Criteria for Evaluation, Academy of Management Review, 14(4): 496515. Whetten, D. A. 1989. What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution?, Academy of Management Review, 14(4): 490495.

L7

31/1 10-12 EC3: 207

Methodological Reasoning 1 Peter Svensson The philosophy of management research Designing research and research design The politics and ethics of research Readings
Easterby-Smith et al, Ch 4, 5, 6

L8

2/2 10-12 EC3: 207

Methodological reasoning 2 Peter Svensson Asking questions, creating questions The relation between question-object of studymethod Giving a contribution to knowledge Readings:
Bryman & Bell, Ch 2, 3, 4 Easterby-Smith et al, Ch 3

L9

7/2 10-12 EC3: 207

Interviewing Peter Svensson Readings:

Bryman & Bell, Ch 18 Alvesson, M. (2003) Beyond Neopositivists, Romantics, and Localists: A Reflexive Approach to Interviews in Organizational Research, The Academy of Management Review, 28(1): 13-33.

L10

9/2 10-12 EC3: 207

Studying photos sa Thelander Readings

Bryman & Bell, Ch 21 Easterby-Smith et al, pp. 162-165 Harper, D. (2002) Talking about pictures: a case for photo elicitation, Visual Studies, 17(1): 13- 26.

L11

14/2 10-12 EC3: 207

Observing and shadowing Lena Hohenschwert Readings

Bryman & Bell, Ch 17 McDonald, S. (2005) Studying actions in context: a qualitative shadowing method for organizational research, Qualitative Research, 5(4): 455-73. Schembri, S. (2009) Reframing brand experience: The experiential meaning of HarleyDavidson, Journal of Business Research, 62: 12991310. Wirth Fellman, M. (1999) Breaking Tradition: Untraditional

market research techniques from the social sciences are gaining ground, Marketing Research, 11(3): 20-24.

L12

16/2 10-12 EC3: 207

Survey method: Consumer characteristics and attitudes Johan Anselmsson Readings

Bryman & Bell, Ch 6, 9 Anselmsson, J. & Johansson, U. (2007) Corporate Social Responsibility and the Positioning of Grocery Brands: An Exploratory Study of Retailer and Manufacturer Brands at Points of Purchase, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 35(10), pp. 835-856.

L13

L14

21/2 10-12 EC3: 207 23/2 10-12 EC3: 207

TBA

Studying documents Peter Svensson Readings

Bryman & Bell, Ch 21 Svensson, P (2009) Embracing Left and Right: Image Repair and Crisis Communication in a Polarized Ideological Milieu, Management Communication Quarterly, 22(4): 555-576.

L15

28/2 10-12 EC3: 207

Doing a survey 1 Kayhan Tajeddini Readings

Readings Bryman & Bell, Ch 6, 7, 9, 10 Tajeddini, K. (2010) Effect of Customer Orientation and Entrepreneurial Orientation on Innovativeness: Evidence from the Hotel Industry in Switzerland, Tourism Management, Vol. 31, pp. 221231. Tajeddini, K. (2011). Customer orientation, learning orientation, and new service development: an empirical investigation of the Swiss hotel industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 35(4), 437-468. Accessible at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S02615177090 00429 http://jht.sagepub.com/content/35/4/437

L16

1/3 10-12 EC3: 207

Doing a survey 2 Kayhan Tajeddini Readings

Readings Bryman & Bell, Ch 6, 7, 9, 10 Tajeddini, K. (2010) Effect of Customer Orientation and Entrepreneurial Orientation on Innovativeness: Evidence from the Hotel Industry in Switzerland, Tourism Management, Vol. 31, pp. 221231. Tajeddini, K. (2011). Customer orientation, learning orientation, and new service development: an empirical investigation of the Swiss hotel industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 35(4), 437-468. Accessible at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S02615177090 00429 http://jht.sagepub.com/content/35/4/437

L17

1/3 14-16 EC3: 207

Measuring retail image: Traditional survey methods Steve Burt, Stirling University Readings
Bryman & Bell, Ch 6 Burt, S. & Carralero-Encinas, J. (2000) The role of store image in retail internationalisation, International Marketing Review, (17):4/5: 433-453. Burt, S. & Mavrommatis, A. (2006) The International Transfer of Store Brand Image, The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 16(4): 395-413.

L18

6/3 10-12 EC3: 207

Doing a netnography Jon Bertilsson Readings

Bryman & Bell, Ch 26 Kozinets, R.V.(2002) The Field Behind the Screen: Using Netnography for Marketing Research in Online Communities, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 39, pp. 61-72 Eysenbach, G & Till, J.E. (2001) Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research on Internet Communities, British Medical Journal, November, pp. 1103-1105.

L19

8/3 9-12 EC3: 207

The end: Wrapping up and conclusions Peter Svensson Brief summary of the course Reflections The take home exam will be distributed Deadline for exam: 16/3, 15.00