Module: Research Methods 2

(Dissertation 1) - 14BBST28H
Module Leader: Dr. Yomna Sameer
Lecture 2: Topic 2: Research gap & Critical review
Formulating & Clarifying Research Topic

A game

Innovation
Innovate
Create

Innovate

Innovate
Take risks

Proactive
Creativity
Creativity

A game

A million pounds
Food industry
Find a gap in the
market
Innovate

A game

A million pounds
Food industry
Find a gap in the
market

General
topic

Research
gap

Innovate
Research
innovation

Quick response code it failed

The Apple Newton PDA

 People
Dont

might call you crazy

listen to them, follow your passion

But research is not as fun as mickey

What

is your first step?

What is your second?

Research Methods 2 Week 2

Agenda

Writing your research proposal

Research Gap revisit

Critically review the literature

What you need to do this week?

Dont just
read
start
building
your mind
map

Choose a
topic (a
general
one)

Refine.
review..
write

Critically
review

ReadRead
& read

Find a gap
(of
interest)

Writing your research proposal

Purposes of the research proposal

To organise your ideas

To convince your audience

To meet ethical requirements

Content of your research proposal

Title - likely to change during the process

Background - context within the literature

Research questions and objectives - what you seek

to achieve

Content of your research proposal

Method - can be in two parts: research design and

data collection

Timescale and Resources - (finance, data access,

equipment)

References -

include some key literature sources

Evaluating research proposals

How the components of the proposal fit together

Viability of the proposal

Absence of preconceived ideas

The best research topics

Formulate and clarify the topic

Meet the requirements of the examining body

Use a variety of techniques when generating

research ideas

Are focused on clear questions based on relevant

literature

The best research topics

Are theory dependent

Have a proposal containing organised ideas

Tell the reader:

What will be done and why

How it will be achieved

Research gap revisit

A true story
http://lib.bue.edu.eg/

Engagement

satisfaction
Antecedents?
Gap

Psychological
capital of
employees

performance

OCB

Commitment

Research gap revisit

Dont forget!

Theory-driven.

Related variables

The importance of theory

Asking for opinions and gathering facts 'what' questions

(descriptive research)

Using questions that go beyond description and require

analysis 'why' questions
Phillips and Pugh (2005)

In order to:
Explain phenomena

Analyse relationships

Predict outcomes

Compare and generalise

Theory
A

formulation regarding the cause and

effect relationship between two or more
variables, which may or may not have been
tested

But take care ! Maslow theory

Threefold typology of theories

Grand, middle range and substantive theories

Creswell (2002)

Figure 2.1 Grand, middle-range and substantive theories

Threefold typology of theories

Grand theories: Usually thought to be province of natural

scientists . (that will lead to a whole new way of thinking
about management)

Middle range theories: which lack the capacity to change

the way in which we think about the world but are
nonetheless of significance . (some of the theories of
human motivation well known to manager would be in this
category.

Substantive theories : that are restricted to a particular

time, research setting, group or population or problem

Deductive approach and inductive

approach

This discussion of theory does assume that a clear

theoretical position is developed prior to the collection of
data (the deductive approach).

This will not always be the case. It may be that your study
is based on the principle of developing theory after data
have been collected (the inductive approach)

Abstract

We drew upon positive organizational behavior theory and strategic

management and entrepreneurship theory models to form an integrated
model of innovative behavior and venture performance including
constructs from micro research domains. The model of innovative
behavior and venture performance was tested with responses from 159
companies from different industries. Entrepreneurs' competencies of
hope, optimism, self-efficacy, resilience as well as the four constructs
combined together were direct predictors of entrepreneurs' creative
behavior and trait personal initiative and also had indirect effects on
innovative behavior. The relationship between these competencies and
innovative behavior was mediated by creative behavior and personal
initiative. Entrepreneurs' competencies of PsyCap were also found to
predict venture performance; however, this relationship was not
mediated by creative behavior or personal initiative.

The Hypothesized Model

PsyCap

PI
Creative
behavior

How?

There should be a
valid explanation
why?

Innovative behavior
Venture performance

How about
entrepren
eurs?

PsyCap

Creative
performance
Of employees

How about
entrepren
eurs?

PsyCap

Creative
performance
Of employees

antecedents
for
creativity

Optimism

Imagination
Taking risks

The research innovation (topic) game

Research topic game

1. Choose the first one or two variables

2. You should know a lot (or at least some info) on this topic.

3. Decide upon your other variables (you can make it one only for now).

4. Draw your mind map.

5. Imagine as if you are critically reviewing the literature.

6.Come up with the gap.

7.Explain why? Deduction

Research topic game

Research
Dependent
questions/problem Variable
/gap

Independent
Variable

Theoretical
proposition

Is it a problem or statement?
I call it innovation

It is a research problem,

Or : research question, research statement, research topic, research study

That is why statements like The effects on business practice of the

growth of corporate social responsibility, or problems like Issues of customer

retention in financial services or The effect of executive stress on
managerial efficiency, or questions like How much of a role does motivation
and leadership play in the success of an owner-managed business?,
or puzzles like Does applying business ethics add value within
the catering industry? are all research problems.

The Critical Review

Key purposes

To further refine research questions and objectives

To discover recommendations for further research

To avoid repeating work already undertaken

To provide insights into strategies and techniques

appropriate to your research objectives
Based on Gall et al. (2006)

The Critical Review : Adopting a critical

perspective
The most important skills are

The capacity to evaluate what you read

The capacity to relate what you read to other

information
Wallace and Wray (2006)

The Critical Review :Adopting a critical

perspective

Questions to ask yourself

Why am I reading this?

What is the author trying to do in writing this?
How convincing is this?
What use can I make of this reading?
Adapted from Wallace and Wray (2006)

Content of the critical review

You will need to

Include key academic theories

Demonstrate current knowledge of the area

Use clear referencing for the reader to find the

original cited publications

Acknowledge the research of others

The key to a critical literature review

Demonstrate that you have read, understood and

evaluated your material

Link the different ideas to form a cohesive and

coherent argument

Make clear connections to your research

objectives and the subsequent empirical material
Saunders et al. (2009)

Literature sources available

Literature sources available

Handbooks
Figure 3.2 Literature sources available

Saunders et al. (2009)

The literature search strategy (1)

Write down

Variables of your search

key words and search terms to be used

databases and search engines to be used

criteria for selection of relevant and useful

studies

And
Discuss these with a tutor (if possible)

 Did

I start writing yet?

No!

Critically review the literature

Either you print and classify

Classify in folders on your computer (this is what I do )

Make a table
Org culture
Definition
outcomes
Antecedents
Related variables

e.g
Organizational
climate

Venture
performance

Discussion

We believe you should be taking every

opportunity to discuss your research. In discussing
you work with others, whether face to face, by
email or by letter ,you will be sharing your ideas,
getting feedback and obtaining new ideas and
approaches. This process will help you to refine
and clarify your topic.

Plagiarism
Four common forms

Stealing material from another source

Submitting material written by another

Copying material without quotation marks

Paraphrasing material without documentation

Adapted from Park (2003), cited in Easterby-Smith et al. (2008)

Summary
The critical literature review

Sets the research in context

Leads the reader into later sections of the report

Begins at a general level and narrows to specific

topics

Summary
A literature search requires

Three main categories of sources.

Clearly defined research questions and

objectives.

Defined variables.

Use of techniques ( brainstorming and mind

mapping).

Week

To-do

Week 2

Topic

Week 3
Week 4

Decide on your final topic based on

critically reviewing the literature (and
classify)

Week 5

Continue classifying and start writing

Week 6

Final draft literature

Important note

The criteria for students to continue with their dissertations in semester 2 are
as follows:
1-Scored an average of 60% or above in the Intermediate level

2-Scored an average of 60% or above in the Proposal

3-Completed all English Course requirements.

Your task

Draw a mind map for your research topic

Define your gap (innovation area/prob/questions).

An article to read and discuss next time

Thank you
Any questions?