The Research Process Flashcards
What is empirical data?
Observable data that can be used as evidence
What is induction?
Building on observations to try to arrive at general truths
What is deduction?
Using general knowledge to try to predict specific things
Natural (VS) Social Sciences
Natural Sciences: Deduction and falsification
Social Sciences: Induction and verification
What is a grand theory?
These are more like perspectives, or high level abstractions, including a general understanding.
Theories that are general in many contexts.
Symbolic interactionism, social learning theory, social exchange theory.
What is a Middle range theory?
A theory that is limited to a specific domain, or topic, but more specific in that domain.
Customer Satisfaction (a theory that is more specific to a context)
What is a Local level theory?
A quite specific theory, limited to more specific cases
E.g. A theory of what leads to loyalty in SaaS companies
What is Epistemology?
Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how to reach it.
Knowledge = justified belief
Which are the epistemological positions in social science?
Positivism & Interpretivism
What is Positivism?
Suggests that social science should be conducted similarly to natural science
– We need to be able to confirm phenomena through our senses
– Purpose of theory is to formulate hypothesis that can be tested
– Knowledge is achieved by gathering facts that can be used to form basis for laws
– Science can be objective
– Difference between scientific statements (what is) and normative statements (what ought to be)
What is Interpretivism?
Argue that people and social lives, are very different from other phenomena in the natural world, and need to be studied differently.
– Rather than seeking an objective perspective, interpretivists look for meaning in the subjective experiences of individuals engaging in social interaction.
What is Ontology?
Ontology = how we view what reality is.
What are the the two different Ontological positions?
Objectivism & Constructionism
What are the differences between Quantitative & Qualitative Research?
Quantitative: measure things, work with numbers and statistics
– Often deductive
– Follows a natural scientific approach
– Objectivist
– Focus on testing theory
Qualitative: work with words, descriptions
– More often inductive
– More interpretative
– Social realities changing and created
– Focus on developing theory
What are the paradigms in social science?
Functionalist
Interpretative
Radical humanist
Radical structuralist
Functionalist Paradigm (objective-regulation)
This has been the primary paradigm for organizational study. It assumes rational human action and believes one can understand organizational behavior through hypothesis testing.
Interpretive Paradigm (subjective-regulation)
This paradigm “seeks to explain the stability of behavior from the individual’s viewpoint”. Researchers in this paradigm try to observe “on-going processes” to better understand individual behavior and the “spiritual nature of the world”.
Radical Humanist Paradigm (subjective-radical change)
Theorists in this paradigm are mainly concerned with releasing social constraints that limit human potential. They see the current dominant ideologies as separating people from their “true selves”. They use this paradigm to justify desire for revolutionary change. It’s largely anti-organization in scope.
Radical Structuralist Paradigm (objective-radical change)
Based on this paradigm, theorists see inherent structural conflicts within society that generate constant change through political and economic crises. This has been the fundamental paradigm of Marx, Engles, and Lenin.
