Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

The goal of this module is to provide the student with the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for creating business knowledge using qualitative and quantitative research methods. This includes an understanding of the steps necessary for conducting qualitative and quantitative research, including formulating research questions, research design, data collection, data analysis, and drawing inferences and reporting results.

During this module, the student will be provided with advanced insights into two different research designs and methods. The focus will be on providing the student with declarative knowledge (i.e. knowledge about qualitative and quantitative research methods) procedural knowledge (i.e. how to apply qualitative and quantitative research methods), and conditional knowledge (i.e. under what conditions to use quantitative and qualitative research methods).

Learning objectives

Knowledge

The objective is that the student after the module possesses the necessary knowledge on:

• basic ideas behind qualitative and quantitative research in international business, including the limitations and strengths of quantitative and qualitative methods in relation to international business problems.
• commonly used qualitative and quantitative methodologies in international business research.
• current debates on research methods in contemporary international business research.

Skills

The objective is that the student after the module possesses the necessary skills in:

• defining and explaining various design considerations in quantitative and qualitative research and compare different approaches to research.
• selecting relevant research methods to examine relevant problems within international business.
• discussing strengths and weaknesses of alternative research designs, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques for conducting qualitative and quantitative research.

Competences

The objective is that the student after the module possesses the necessary competences in:

• designing their own research project to examine central problems within international business and selecting the most appropriate research design and methods to fit the research question.
• handling and analysing qualitative and quantitative data to develop insights into specific problems and communicate these insights.
• interpreting and evaluating reports of quantitative and qualitative studies.

Type of instruction

For information see § 17.

Exam

Exams