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2013/2014  BA-4MM  Mixed Methods

English Title
Mixed Methods

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Course period Spring
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Business Administration and Sociology
Course coordinator
  • Liv Egholm Feldt - Department of Business and Politics (DBP)
Main academic disciplines
  • Philosophy and philosophy of science
  • Methodology
Last updated on 14-08-2013
Learning objectives
On successful completion of the course, the student should be able to design and execute qualitative as well as combinations of quantitative and qualitative inquiries in relation to substantive issues in the cross-field of business administration and sociology. Specifically, the student should be able to:
  • formulate and operationalize a research problem that is suitable for treatment by means of qualitative methods or a combination between of basic quantitative and qualitative methods,
  • design a qualitative or mixed methods research project using methods from the course curriculum in the analysis of research problems within the cross-field of organisational sociology and business administration,
  • discuss when and why it is relevant to use mixed methods toin the analysis of organisations and their surroundings, and
  • discuss and explain the strengths and weaknesses of the applied methods in relation to a concrete research problem.
Course prerequisites
The courses 3AOA, 3QLM, 4CCP, and 4MM have one intergrated exam. The exam is 30 ECTS. You can only participate in 4MM if you also register for the other courses: 3AOA, 3QLM, and 4CCP.
Prerequisites for registering for the exam
Requirements about active class participation (assessed approved/not approved)
Participation in the workshop in the course Qualitative Methods is mandatory in order to participate in the second year project. If a student is unable to participate in the workshop, due to illness, the makeup examination is a 10-page home assignment which is to be approved by the course coordinator. For more details, see separate guidelines.
Examination
Second year project on organisational analysis, contextual company perspective, and research methods:
Examination form Oral exam based on written product

In order to participate in the oral exam, the written product must be handed in before the oral exam; by the set deadline. The grade is based on an overall assessment of the written product and the individual oral performance.
Individual or group exam Individual
Size of written product Max. 40 pages
Assignment type Project
Duration
Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
30 min. per student, including examiners' discussion of grade, and informing plus explaining the grade
Preparation time No preparation
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam period Summer Term
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Make-up examination and re-examination
The re-take takes place according to the same rules as the regular examination. However, the following supplementary rules apply:

•For projects where some of the group members are awarded the grade 00 or below at the oral examination, the failed students must submit individually, before the re-take, 2-3 pages on aspects of the project, as specified by the internal examiner.
•For projects where all members are awarded the grade 00 or below at the oral examination, the overall project is deemed unacceptable. Before the re-take, the project must be revised and improved. For supervision in this respect, the internal examiner will give a brief written critique of the project within eight working days after the regular oral examination.
Description of the exam procedure
  • The two third semester courses ’Qualitative Methods’ and ’Applied Organizational Analysis’ and the two fourth semester courses ’Mixed Methods’ and ’The Company in a Contextual Perspective’ are assessed at the second year project examination.
  • The examination is an individual oral examination of 30 minutes, including the examiners’ discussion and awarding of the grade. It is based on the second year project, but the syllabi of the four courses assessed at this examination may be drawn in by the internal examiner.
  • The student will be awarded one grade according to the 7-point grading scale, reflecting an overall assessment of the project, the oral presentation and the defence. The student’s proficiency in spelling and fluency in writing will also be taken into account in the assessment. However, most emphasis will be put on the academic content. 


Learning objectives for the exam
On completion of the course, the student must be capable of explaining, comparing, and integrating the course’s concepts and theories as well as illustrative cases. Integration involves the ability to construct an argument that logically utilises the course’s concepts and theories, and explain how the course’s concepts and theories are rooted in empirical studies.

The student should demonstrate ability to:

  • work in an interdisciplinary way,
  • formulate, delimit and analyse an academic problem,
  • select and apply theories and methods relevant to the project,
  • select and apply fundamental qualitative methods and some mixed methods,
  • show practical knowledge of fundamental organisational analysis and theories about evaluation and assessment, and
  • structure the layout and present the material in a clearly formulated and accessible way in terms of both language and content.
Course content and structure
This course aims to provide students with (1) knowledge about different designs, possibilities and limitations of quantitative and qualitative methods, as well as knowledge about the validity of these methods, and (2) skills to use different combinations of mixed methods and different analytical strategies in relation to the cross-field of organizational sociology and business administration, as well as the ability to critically reflect on the knowledge produced.

Course Desciption.
This course comprises three blocs. The first bloc discusses the kinds of questions that mixed methods may address, and how a mixed methods research project may be designed. The second bloc focuses on issues around data collection and analysis. Finally, the third bloc discusses how the findings may be integrated and interpreted, and how a mixed methods project may be reported and evaluated. The course curriculum thus covers all stages of the research process. While the curriculum suggests a linear research process, however, it will be emphasized throughout that the different stages are interdependent and that the process is in fact iterative. Each class will thus necessarily also touch on other stages in the research process.
Teaching methods
Each of the three blocs consists of two classes in consecutive weeks. Each class is followed by a workshop in which students apply their newly acquired knowledge of mixed methods to their second year projects.
For these workshops, students will be split into two groups. These groups will stay the same for the whole course. Throughout, students will be working in teams. The teams will be the same as for the second year projects.
In advance of each workshop, each team prepares an assignment. These assignments are closely related to both the content of the week’s class and the second year project. All assignments will be available on learn a week in advance. All teams are expected to shortly present their assignment during the workshop. Moreover, another team will be assigned as discussants, and will prepare feedback. We will rotate who discusses whose project with every workshop. A schedule indicating presenters and discussants for each weak will be uploaded to learn.
To make sure that the discussants have enough time to prepare feedback, each team has to upload the assignment to learn at least 24 hours in advance of the workshop. This schedule is tight, but please note that the assignments are short and preparation for the discussion should therefore not take long.
Last updated on 14-08-2013