Research Design

In this class we cover three basic topics: types of research designs, the qual/quant distinction, and the fundamental notions of validity and reliability. Please come to class ready to discuss the following issues:

• strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of studies -- when to use which?

  • especially explain why true experiments are prized so much

  • articulate the differences between qual and quant, as well as strengths and weaknesses

  • what are the different kinds of validity? how do you establish validity?

  • what is the relationship between reliability and validity?

• why is it so difficult to establish causality?

IMPORTANT: Class participants -- in two teams -- will be presenting two of the readings to the rest of the class

Primary Readings (should be read very carefully)

• Sutton, R.I. and A. Rafaeli. 1988. "Untangling the relationship between displayed emotions and organizational sales: The case of convenience stores." Academy of Management Journal. 31(3):461-487. [^pdf]

  • this article will be presented by the marketing students

• March, J. G. (1991). Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science, 2(1), 71-87. [pdf]

  • this article will be presented by the management students

Secondary Readings

• types of studies [html]

• design elements [html]

• design notation [html]

• types of validity [html]

• measurement theory [html]

• Kendall, M. G. (1959). Hiawatha designs an experiment. The American Statistician, 13(5), 23-24. [^pdf]