Copyright,1995-2002

1

Invitation to Research

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES – CHALLENGES

Roger Clarke, Xamax Consultancy, CanberraVisiting Professor, CSIS, Uni of Hong Kong

Visiting Fellow, Australian National University

http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/......Res /59-Chall.ppt

ebs, 16-20 January 2003

Copyright,1995-2002

2

Finding Participants• Population

• Population Strata • Sampling Frame

• Sample• Random, or Weighted Random• Non-Random:

• Judgement (e.g. in Delphi Surveys)• Convenience• Snowball (referral)

• Achieved Sample

Copyright,1995-2002

3

Common Problems – Methods• Convenience Reference Theories applied unquestioningly

• Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory• Hofstede’s cultural factors theory• Williamson’s transaction costs theory

• Semi-structured interviews masquerade as case studies• Lone Cases, Shallow Cases, Pseudo-Cases• Consultancy as [Action] Research • Surveys are used as the sole technique even when:

• in-depth information is needed as well• in-depth information is needed instead

• Over-surveyed populations avoid responding

Copyright,1995-2002

4

Common Problems – Surveys

• Unclear Survey Objectives, and Survey Design Generally• Unclear Definition of Population, Sampling Frame, Sample• Convenience Samples, and Proxies instead of Principals• Principal-Agent Problem Uncontrolled (Unappreciated?)• Respondent Diversity Enormous and Uncontrolled• Highly Ambiguous Terminology Differentially Interpreted• Lists of ‘Likert or not’ Data, Masquerading as Information• Response-Rate Too Low• Response-Count Too Low• Non-Response Bias Inadequately Considered

Copyright,1995-2002

5

Common Problems – Survey Questions (Foddy)

• Answers to factual questions are often wrong• What Respondents say and do are often different• Respondents’ attitudes and opinions are unstable• Small changes in wording can produce major changes in

the distibution of responses• Respondents commonly misinterpret questions• The sequence of questions affects answers• The sequence of options affects answers• Open-ended and closed-ended ways of asking the same

question elicit different results• Many respondents who don’t know answer anyway • Cultural context affects answers

Copyright,1995-2002

6

e-Business ResearchCommon Problems – Research

Management• Inadequate Relevance to attract industry funding• Inadequate Resourcing to achieve the aims:

• Researcher Time• Supervisor Time• Travel Costs• Infrastructure Costs• Support Staffing

• Inadequate Timeframe:• grant request, grant, candidate search, candidate prep• time-variant phenomena demand longitudinal study