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2018/2019  BA-BSOCO2012U  Qualitative Methods

English Title
Qualitative Methods

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Bachelor
Duration Two Quarters
Start time of the course Autumn, First Quarter, 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
  • Ester Barinaga - Department of Management, Politics and Philosophy (MPP)
Main academic disciplines
  • Philosophy and ethics
  • Methodology and philosophy of science
Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face teaching
Last updated on 14-12-2018

Relevant links
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,
  • use 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 Applied Organisational Analysis, Qualitative Methods, The Company from a Contextual Perspective, and Applied Qualitative Methods and Mixed Methods have one intergrated exam. You can only participate in Qualitative Methods if you also register for the other courses: Applied Organisational Analysis, The Company from a Contextual Perspective and Applied Qualitative Methods and Mixed Methods.
Prerequisites for registering for the exam (activities during the teaching period)
Number of compulsory activities which must be approved: 3
Compulsory home assignments
Compulsory exercises. The written part of the exercise assignment should be handed in via Digital Exam (DE). The student can hand in up to 3 assignments. At least two out of three assignments need to be approved to be able to attend the course's Final Workshop.

Oral presentations etc.
Compulsory participation in the course's final workshop. Participation in the final workshop involves 1. presentation of student mini qualitative research project and 2. discussion of another student presentation.

Make-up Exam:
Students who for legitimate reasons (documented illness or similar) cannot fill the two requirements just listed will have the chance to do the make-up examination. This consist on a 10-page written home assignment.
Examination
The exam in the subject consists of three parts:
Integrated examination 4th semester:
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 oral exam based on written group product
Number of people in the group3-5
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
Grading scale7-step scale
Examiner(s)Internal examiner and external examiner
Exam periodSummer
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 'Applied Qualitative Methods and Mixed Methods' and 'The Company in a Contextual Perspective' are assessed at the second year project exam.
  • The examination is an individual oral examination. It is based on the second year project, but the syllabi of the four courses are assessed for this exam and may be submitted by the examiner.
  • The Student will be awarded one grade, reflecting an overall assessment of the project, the oral presentation and the defense. The student's proficiency in spelling and fluency in writing will also be taken into account in the assessment. But most emphasis will be placed on academic content.


Learning objectives for the exam
On completion of the course, the student must be able to explain, compare and integrate the course's concepts and theories as well as illustrative case studies. Integration involves the ability to construct an argument that logically uses the concepts and theories of the course and explains how the concepts and theories of the course 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 analyze an academic problem in relation to organizational practices
  • select, apply and critically assess theories 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.

 

Applied Organisational Analysis:
Sub exam weight20%
Examination formHome assignment - written product
Individual or group examIndividual exam
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 periodWinter
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
The Company from a Contextual Perspective:
Sub exam weight20%
Examination formHome assignment - written product
Individual or group examIndividual exam
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
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Course content and structure

The course explores the development and application of qualitative research designs and methods in organizational and social analysis. Målet er at forenkle, i en eksplorativ måde, en første kontakt med kvalitativ metodologi og præsentationen af ​​en rigorøs og gennemførlig forskningsproces inden for dette paradigme.

 

The course has three distinctive modules: 1. Interviewing; 2. Observation; 3. Analyzing qualitative data.

 

Den kurset placerer hver metodologi i kontekst, det går gjennom klassiske eksempler på dets anvendelse og det diskuterer anvendelsen av teknikken i praksis. In de oefenclasses van elke methode module zullen studenten de mogelijkheid hebben om te discussiëren over hun eigen gebruik van elke methode, en ontwikkelen een gevoel van de mogelijkheden en grenzen van de methoden.
Description of the teaching methods
The course uses a combination of lectures, exercise classes and workshops. It is structured in three blocs— interviewing, observation of practices and analysis of qualitative material—all following the same logic. The first lecture in each block introduces and contextualizes the particular method (interviewing, observation and analysis). The second lecture looks 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 block 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 with a full day workshop during which a assignments carried out by groups of students are discussed in a conference-like setting.
Feedback during the teaching period
Written feed-back related to the three mid-course hand-ins.
Oral feed-back on class presentations of group research projects
Student workload
Lectures 22 hours
Exercises 24 hours
Preparation 160 hours
Expected literature

Texts include texts by Bourdieu, Hochschild, Elias, Geertz, Van Moon and introductory writings on Qualitative Methods. These can be accessed through links directly on the syllabus on CBSLearn. 

Students need to buy the book: 

  • Kvale, S. & Brinkmann, S. 2014. Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing . London: Sage.

 
Last updated on 14-12-2018