This talk is about the kinds of research that students in business subjects encounter. It is an introduction for the students who have yet to conduct their first project.

1. Business Research Methods
Dr Robert Shaw
School of Management
Guangdong University of Foreign Studies

2. Today
1. The hegemony of science
2. Three kinds of research
3. New directions in business research
4. How to write
5. How to publish

3. 1. The hegemony of science
1. The word “hegemony”
2. Courses for students
3. The ascent & challenges of science
a. Physics as the exemplar
Understanding
b. Social sciences
Understanding
c. Business research
Understanding

4. hegemony
Leadership, predominance,
preponderance; esp. the leadership or
predominant authority of one state of a
confederacy or union over the others:
originally used in reference to the states of
ancient Greece, whence transferred to the
German states, and in other modern
applications.
Oxford English Dictionary
Hegemony. (n.d.). In Oxford English
Dictionary. Retrieved from
http://dictionary.oed.com
(Hegemony, n.d.)

6. Business methods courses
1. Textbooks
2. Confusion about purposes
3. Classification of methods
a. Base on what is done (analogy: menu)
b. Needs to be base on epistemology and/or
ontology
Philosophical
Purpose

7. 2. Three kinds of research
1. Kinds of papers
a. Scientific (basic, fundamental)
b. Operational research (applied)
c. Philosophical (conceptual, argumentative)
2. Examples of each
a. Structure of the paper
b. Epistemological / ontological stance
c. The production of such papers

8. Scientific research in business
1. Common
Surveys
Experimental designs
2. Assumptions / ground
Epistemology
Ontology
3. Philosophy of science
Positivism
Constructivism
Phenomenology

9. Scientific papers
1. An example (next seven slides)
Structure of the paper
Prescribed method
Known standards
Engagement with the tradition
2. The traditions of research
The narrowing of the focus
The proliferation of sub-disciplines
3. Origin of problems - confusion with purposes

17. Scientific papers
1. An example (next seven slides)
Structure of the paper
Prescribed method
Known standards
Engagement with the tradition
2. The traditions of research
The narrowing of the focus
The proliferation of sub-disciplines
3. Origin of problems - confusion with purposes

18. Operational research in business
1. Examples
Marketing
Policy
Evaluation
Applied research
Consulting
2. Structure of the paper
In-house use
Report format
Often mimics science
3. Epistemological stance
Technology – a tool

21. 3. New directions
1. Science in business research
More about less
Detached from real problems
The interdisciplinary movement & new requirements
Understanding in the social sciences
2. Philosophy as business research
Phenomenology
Philosophy of management
Philosophy of science
Philosophy of technology
Critical management theory

22. 4. How to write
1. Pros and cons
Scientific enquiries
Operational enquiries
Philosophical enquiries
2. Technology
Screens
Grammar & spell checker
Bibliographic software (Endnote)
Dictionary and thesaurus
Academic databases
Library
Others

27. My kind of writing
1. Find a project – you need something to say
2. Write the abstract
3. Commit to a conference
4. Write, write, write – produce organically
5. Search online for relevant papers
6. Support your writing with references
7. Present it as quickly as possible
8. Re-write for publication
9. Submit for referees report

31. 4. How to publish
1. Control of journals
2. Academic societies
3. Open access journals
4. Set realistic goals