Introduction to Business Research methods
Business Research Methods
RESE1170
Workshop 1
January, 2023
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
By the end of today, you will:
1. Be familiar with your tutor, and
their research.
2. Be more familiar with each other
3. Understand the structure and
assessments of this module
4. Consider what makes ‘good
science’
5. Briefed on next week’s debate.
Today’s learning
outcomes
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
Introduction to your tutor, and their
research (10mins)
Activity 1: ‘Research bingo’ ice
breaker (20mins).
Outline of the module and its
assessments (15mins)
Activity 2: What makes ‘good
research’? (20mins).
Preparation for ‘battle of the
paradigms’ debate next week, and
final remarks (10mins)
Schedule
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
Dr Scott R. Tindal
• MA (hons) & MSc from Dundee
• PhD in sociology from Edinburgh
• Organisational and work sociologist
• Mixed methods researcher
• Researched military reservists, student
mobility, and experiences of work during
Covid-19.
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
Meet your
tutor!
Each of you will be given a card with boxes containing activities
and experiences – many of which relate to research.
You will move around the room speaking to your classmates. If any
of your classmates have experience of the activity inside the box
they should sign it with their initials.
You cannot sign any of your own boxes. Make conversation with
your classmates as you do this task to find out a little bit more
about the context.
You have up to 15 minutes to complete this task, but the winner is
the one who completes their card first!
Activity 1: ‘Research Bingo’ ice-breaker
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022

The winner of the bingo game (the one who completed their
card first) to say a little more about the people they met
and who signed their card.
Say a little more about those whom they met, and tell the
class a little more about the context of some of the boxes
which were signed – focusing specifically on some of the
‘research themed’ boxes.
Does anyone else have experience of doing, or participating,
in natural or social science research?
Ice-breaker debrief
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
Module outline, and
assessments
1. You will be able to distinguish between
the two principal research
methodological paradigms, and
understand their underpinning
philosophical assumptions.
2. Describe the strengths and limitations of
qualitative and quantitative research
methods.
3. Be able to design research instruments
(an interview schedule and a survey).
4. Conduct a basic analysis of data
(thematic and quantitative).
5. Generate evidence-based conclusions,
decisions, and recommendations.
Aims & Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, you will have
a solid understanding of the philosophy
and practice of business and
management research methods.
To reach this aim, we will work together
to meet these learning outcomes….
Created by Dr Scott Tindal, 2023
To meet these learning outcomes, the course
is structured in the following way.
Structure of this module

Week 1-3 are about research philosophy and
methodology
Weeks 4-7 are about qualitative research
Weeks 8-11 are about quantitative research
Created by Dr Scott Tindal, 2023
There are two short assessments for this module:
1. Qualitative data analysis, 1,500 words, 50% of overall
module grade, and due 13th March 2023.
2. Quantitative data analysis, 1,500 words, 50% of overall
module grade, and due 6th April, 2023.
Assessments
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
Over the course of the next few weeks you will design and
conduct an interview with a fellow student on the topic:
“students’ experiences of negotiating term-time work and
study.”
You will be guided through the research process, week-byweek, in the weekly workshops. It is critical that you
participate in each tutorial to ensure that you complete this
process to the highest standard.
Assessment 1
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
From weeks 7-12, you will work on Microsoft Excel during the
tutorials to complete a statistical analysis of a insurance
company on the topic: Experiences of working from home at
Lomond Insurance:
You will be guided week-by-week through the analyses. By
participating in the workshops, you will be completing the
assessment.
Assessment 2
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2023
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2023
What makes good research?
In small groups (3-5), and using the pens and paper
provided, discuss and describe what you think are the 5
most important characteristics of ‘good’ research.
You don’t need to know all the correct terms yet, but think
about how you would characterise ‘good’ research. In what
words, what are the hallmarks of quality research? What
makes you say this?
20 minutes.
Activity 2: What makes ‘good’ research?
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
❖Good research is V
❖Good research is W
❖Good research is X
❖Good research is Y
❖Good research is Z
Ideas from the class
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
(Quant)
1. Purposive – should have clear aims
2. Rigorous – should be methodologically sound and precise in its observations and conclusions
3. Objective – free of biases and interference.
4. Testable – research aims / theory / hypothesis that can be tested systemically
5. Systematic – research should be ordered, complete/comprehensive, and structured so that we can be sure
results are accurate.
6. Replicable / reliable – Research procedures and results should be repeatable by others to test that the
results are reliable.
7. Generalisable – Research should be able to accurately abstract from the sample to the wider population.
8. Valid / validity – Research should be measuring / doing what it aims to measure / do.
Ideas from the tutors I
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
(Qual)
1. Curious and open-minded.
2. Rigorous – to carefully dig deeper into a problem.
3. Aware of the wider business/societal context in which the research takes place (the findings cannot be
abstracted or understood outside of the context in which it takes place – this is a critique of positivist
research).
4. Empathetic and patient – willing to understand the participants’ views of the world, even if they disagree
with them.
5. Ethical / ethics as practice rather than process.
6. The researcher is a good communicator and a good listener.
7. Reflexive – research cannot be value-free, and so the research should be self-aware of how their own
experiences and values shape the interpretation of data.
8. Well-written, considered, holistic.
Ideas from the tutors II
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
For next time
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
Next week we will have a debate. The class will be split in
two, and we will debate the proposition
“Quantitative research is the only legitimate approach to
studying businesses and organisations.”
Debate
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
To prepare for this debate:
1. Attend next week’s lecture
2. Read the ‘briefing sheet’ for next week.
3. Read chapter 5 from the core text Saunders, M.N.K., Lewis,
P. and Thornhill. A (2019) Research Methods for Business
Students. 8th Edition. Pearson Education. Harlow, UK. Chapter
5 (pp. 172-231). (Hyperlink in Moodle).
To prepare:
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022
Further
help with
studying
1. Study skills:
https://libguides.gre.ac.uk/academicskil
ls
2. Referencing:
https://libguides.gre.ac.uk/referencing
3. Proof-reading and feedback:
https://libguides.gre.ac.uk/studiosity
4. Wellbeing, mental health and
counselling:
Your personal tutor, or
https://www.gre.ac.uk/studentservices/support/student-wellbeing
Created by: Dr Scott Tindal, 2022