| Learning objectives |
On successful completion of the course, the
student should be able to use different qualitative methods and
analytical strategies within organizational sociology and business
administration. Specifically, the student should be able to:
- locate specific qualitative methodologies in relation to the
theoretical tradition
- formulate and operationalise a research problem that is
suitable for treatment by means of basic qualitative methods, and
account for the relationship between theory and methods in the
process,
- vuse basic qualitative methods such as ethnographic analysis,
text analysis and interviews to research problems within
organizational sociology and business administration, and
- critically assess strengths and weaknesses of the applied
methods in relation to concrete research
problems.
|
| Course prerequisites |
| The courses BA-BSOCU1013U Applied Organisational
Analysis, BA-BSOCU1017U Qualitative Methods, BA-BSOCU3000U The
Company from a Contextual Perspective, and BA-BSOCO4001U Applied
Qualitative Methods and Mixed Methods have one intergrated exam.
You can only participate in BA-BSOCU1017U Qualitative Methods if
you also register for the other courses: BA-BSOCU1013U Applied
Organisational Analysis, BA-BSOCU3000U The Company from a
Contextual Perspective, and BA-BSOCO4001U Applied Qualitative
Methods and Mixed Methods. |
| Prerequisites for registering for the
exam |
|
Number of mandatory
activities: 2
Compulsory assignments
(assessed approved/not approved)
Compulsory exercises (assessed approved/not approved) The written
part of the exercise assignment should be handed into the exercise
class instructor during the exercise class. At least two out of
three assignments have to be handed in.
Requirements about active
class participation (assessed approved/not approved)
Compulsory workshop participation (assessed approved/not approved)
Participation in the final workshop concluding the courses
Qualitative Methods and Applied Organizational Analysis is
mandatory.
Makeup Exam:
Students who for legitimate reasons (documented illness or similar)
cannot fill the two requirements just listed can will have the
change to do the makeup examination. It is a 10-page home
assignment on one of the workshop assignments.
|
| Examination |
The exam in the subject consists of three parts:
| Project on
organisational analysis, contextual company perspective, and
qualitative research methods: | | Sub exam weight | 60% | | 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. 30 pages | | Assignment type | Project | | Duration | Written product to be submitted on specified date and
time.
20 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 | May/June | | Make-up exam/re-exam | Same examination form as the ordinary exam 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:
- combine internal and contextual perspective on an organization
as presented in the two courses “ Advanced organizational Analysis”
and “ The company in Contextual perspective”
- formulate, delimit and analyse an academic problem in relation
to organizational practices
- select apply and critically assesstheories and methods relevant
to the project,
- select,apply and critically assess fundamental qualitative
methods and some mixed methods,
- structure the layout and present the material in a clearly
formulated and accessible way in terms of both language and
content.
|
| Individual
paper in Applied Organisational Analysis: | | Sub exam weight | 20% | | Examination form | Home assignment - written product | | Individual or group exam | Individual | | Size of written product | Max. 5 pages | | Assignment type | Written assignment | | Duration | 48 hours to prepare | | 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 |
| Individual
paper in The Company from a Contextual
Perspective: | | Sub exam weight | 20% | | Examination form | Home assignment - written product | | Individual or group exam | Individual | | Size of written product | Max. 5 pages | | Assignment type | Written assignment | | Duration | 48 hours to prepare | | 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 |
|
| Course content and structure |
|
The course focuses on three qualitative methodologies: discourse
analysis, observation and
interviewing. It situates each methodology in context, it goes
through a classical example of its usage and it
discusses the application of the technique in practice. In the
exercise classes related to each bloc, students will have the
possibility to discuss their own usage of the methodologies, and
develop a sense of the possibilities and limits of the
methodology.
|
| Teaching methods |
The course combines lectures, exercise classes
and workshops. It is structured in three blocs—discourse analysis,
observation of practices and interviewing—all following the same
logic. The first lecture will introduce and contextualize the broad
methodology (discourse, observation and interviewing). The second
lecture will look at the theoretical roots of the respective
concept/method focussing on an authoritative example of its
application. Finally, the third session will introduce one of the
practical “tool kits” used to conduct research using the
methodology. Each bloc also has two exercise classes: one
formulating the core aspects of the method and the second
discussing an assignment in the method. The course concludes on a
full day workshop during which a assignments carried out by groups
of students are discussed in a conference like setting. |
| Expected literature |
|
Texts include texts by Bourdieu, Foucault and Elias as well
introductory writings on qualitative methods. A compendium is
published for the course.
|
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