Management Research Methods

Management Research Methods is a comprehensive guide to the design and conduct of research in management-related disciplines such as organisational behaviour, human resource management, industrial relations, and the general field of management. Specifically, the text begins by providing an overview of the research process and in subsequent chapters explains the major types of design used in management research (correlational field studies, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, case studies, historical analysis, and action research). There are also chapters that describe the methods of data collection (interviews, questionnaires, documentation and observation) commonly employed by management researchers. In addition, the text examines the issues of reliability and validity, the construction of multi-item scales, and the methods of quantitative and qualitative analysis. The text concludes with a practical guide explaining how to report research findings and a discussion of the ethical issues in the conduct and practice of research.

Brian Cooper is a lecturer in the Department of Management, Monash University.