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2014/2015  BA-BSOCU1017U  Qualitative Methods

English Title
Qualitative Methods

Course information

Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration One Quarter
Course period Autumn, Second Quarter
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Study board
Study Board for BSc in Business Administration and Sociology
Course coordinator
  • Anna Leander - MPP
Main academic disciplines
  • Philosophy and philosophy of science
  • Methodology
Last updated on 30-10-2014
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 weight60%
Examination formOral 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 examIndividual
Size of written productMax. 30 pages
Assignment typeProject
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 timeNo preparation
Grading scale7-step scale
Examiner(s)Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam periodMay/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 weight20%
Examination formHome assignment - written product
Individual or group examIndividual
Size of written productMax. 5 pages
Assignment typeWritten assignment
Duration48 hours to prepare
Grading scale7-step scale
Examiner(s)Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam periodSummer Term
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Individual paper in The Company from a Contextual Perspective:
Sub exam weight20%
Examination formHome assignment - written product
Individual or group examIndividual
Size of written productMax. 5 pages
Assignment typeWritten assignment
Duration48 hours to prepare
Grading scale7-step scale
Examiner(s)Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam periodSummer 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.
 

Last updated on 30-10-2014