• select a relevant topic and scan a creative organization and its surroundings for potential data sources
• select good data sources and gain access to them
• describe and select among a range of methodological techniques
• combine such techniques in for collecting, validating or analyzing data
• integrate empirical finding with relevant theoretical elements from previous coursework into a coherent and feasible research report present strategic recommendations based on the findings.

Creative Business Project combines, integrates and otherwise improves the analytical skills developed during the earlier studies and in the course work of the first year of CBP. The course presents core analytical elements such as: research objectives, research design, data collection, data analysis and reporting. The course covers a variety of techniques and helps students make choices about which techniques to use in different situations.

The Creative Business Project offers opportunities for the students to design and conduct their studies according to their own interests and to do work in teams and with companies. The Creative Business Project analyzes a specific firm within the creative industries using qualitative and/or quantative methods with the objective of formulating strategic recommendations to the firm based on the research findings. Students become familiar with a range of methodological techniques and learn to combine them into a coherent and feasible research project.

Please note that the litterature list is guiding

2. Qualitative methods and social research

This class explores how qualitative methods connects to larger discussions on the difference between a realistic and a constructivistic approach to any given object under investigation

Readings

Vivien Burr (1998). “Overview: Realism, Relativism, Social Constructivism and Discourse” (pp. 14-27) in I. Parker (ed.) Social constructionism, discourse and realism. London: Sage.

Kenneth J. Gergen (1998) “Constructionism and Realism: How Are We to Go On?” (pp. 147-155) in I. Parker (ed.) Social constructionism, discourse and realism. London: Sage.

Kristin G. Esterberg (2002). “What is Social Research?” (pp. 1-24) in Qualitative Methods in Social Research. McGraw-Hill.

Eriksson, P. og Kovalainen A. (2008) ”Introduction” og ”Research Philopsophy” (s. 3-24) i Qualitative Methods in Business Research. London: Sage.

3 and 4. Choice of research object, design, problem formulation and firm

These two classes explores different objectives of research and the respective implications for choosing a research topic and carrying out a research project. We also look at how to design a research project that coherently links research objective, research topic, research question and data sources to one another. We will develop problem formulation in class together.

Readings

Bruce L. Berg (2001). “Designing Qualitative Research” in Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences, pp. 15-38. Allyn and Bacon.

Eriksson, P. og Kovalainen A. (2008) ”Research design and Process” and “Focus and Frame” (pp. 25-50) in Qualitative Methods in Business Research. London: Sage.

Myers, M. D. (2009) “Chapter 3: Research Design” (pp. 19-34) in Qualitative research in business & management. London: Sage.

5. Research method: Interview

This class explores how to collect data through interviews. We explore how to find and select interviewees, establish rapport, and obtain good interview data. We also look at some of the weaknesses of interview data and how to overcome them.

Readings

Bill Gillham (2005). “The Core Skills of Interviewing” (pp. 29-36) in Research Interviewing, the Range of Techniques. Open University Press.

Steinar Kvale (1996). “Interviewing as Research” (pp. 3-16) and “Conversations about interviews “ (pp. 279-298) in InterViews. Sage.

Eriksson, P. og Kovalainen A. (2008) ”Qualitative Interview” (pp. 78-85) in Qualitative Methods in Business Research. London: Sage.

Holstein, J. A. og Gubrium, J. F. (2004) ”The active interview” (pp. 140-162) in Silverman (ed.) Qualitative Research. Theory, Method and Practice. London: Sage.

6. Research method: Documents and observations

This class looks at desk research. Many research projects uses documents of various types (internet documents, newspapers, books, rapports), but researchers seldom reflects upon how this particular material effects the research project. We will look at advantages as well as weaknesses in desk research. This class looks at how to gain access to organizations and how to conduct participant and non-participant observations of organizational practice. We also explore how field notes can enter the research project and which weaknesses (as well as advantages) this method has.

Readings

May, T. (2003) ”Documentary Research: excavations and evidence” in Social Research. Issues, methods and process. (pp.175-199). Maidenhead: Open University Press.

Prior, L. (2004) “Doing things with documents” in Silverman (ed.) Qualitative Research. Theory, Method and Practice. (S. 76-95). London: Sage.

Alan Bryman and Emma Bell (2003). “Ethnography and Participant Observation” (pp. 314-339) in Business Research Methods. Oxford University Press.

Bernard, R. (1994). “Chapter 7: Participant observation” (pp. 136-175) in Research Methods in Antropology. London: Sage.

7. Introduction to different analytical strategies

This class will focus on what an analytical strategy is. We will look into grounded theory, discourse anlysis and narrative analysis.

Readings

Myers, M. D. (2009) “Chapter 13: Analysing qualitative data: an overview” (pp. 165-180) in Qualitative research in business & management. London: Sage.

Eriksson, P. and Kovalainen A. (2008) ”Chapter 15: Discourse anlysis” (pp. 227-244) in Qualitative Methods in Business Research. London: Sage.

Eriksson, P. and Kovalainen A. (2008) ”Chapter 14: Narrative analysis” (pp. 210-226) in Qualitative Methods in Business Research. London: Sage.

8. Example of a data analysis: Grounded theory, content analysis, coding

This class explores how to conduct a content analysis in different research materials (interviews, documents and observations). The class pays particular attention to coding practices. We will also situate this analysis approach in the science debate (c.f. class 1.)

Readings

Myers, M. D. (2009) “Chapter 9: Grounded Theory” (pp. 106-119) in Qualitative research in business & management. London: Sage.

Berg, B. (2001). “Chapter 11: An Introduction to Content Analysis” (pp. 238-258) in Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. London: Allyn and Bacon.

Bernard, R. (1994). “Chapter 9: Fieldnotes: How to Take, Code, and Manage Them” (pp. 180-208) in Research Methods in Antropology. London: Sage.

9. Presenting the analysis – reporting

We examine how to report the analytical procedures, and how to present the results of data analysis to different audiences.

Readings

Karen Golden-Biddle and Karen Locke (2007). “Chapter 1: The Style and Practice of Our Academic Writing” (pp. 9-24) and “Chapter 3: Developing the Theorized Storyline” (pp. 47-60) in Composing Qualitative Research. London: Sage.

Kristin G. Esterberg (2002). “Making Sense of Data” (pp. 151-180) in Qualitative Methods in Social Research. McGraw-Hill.

James A. Holstein & Jaber F. Gubrium (1995). “Narrative Ressources” (pp. 30-37) and “Constructing Meaning Within the Interview” (pp. 52-65) in The Active Interview. Sage.

10. Research quality

This class examines what it means to conduct research of high quality. We discuss some of the common quality indicators, such as validity, reliability, trustworthiness and authenticity, and position them within the appropriate research traditions.

Readings

Eriksson, P. and Kovalainen A. (2008) ”Qualitative research evaluation” and “Closing up” (pp. 290-301) in Qualitative Methods in Business Research. London: Sage.

Steinar Kvale (1996). “Qualitative Research in Science and in Practice” (pp. 59-81) in InterViews. Sage.

Alan Bryman and Emma Bell (2003). “The Nature of Qualitative Research” (pp. 286-301) in Business Research Methods. Oxford University Press.