Doing Research in the Business World

From the introduction to the conclusion there is a systematic strand throughout this readable text. The focus on process and application provides the reader with insight into approaches and techniques to plan and successfully undertake a business research project with confidence!  

This is a book that research students in business schools and their supervisors will find indispensable. It is thorough, accessible, practical, tech-savvy and friendly. I’d like to give one as a gift to every new research student who comes my way.

David Gray was Professor of Leadership and Organisational Behaviour at the University of Greenwich. His research interests, and publication record, included research methods, management learning (particularly coaching and mentoring), professional identity, action learning, reflective learning, management learning in SMEs and the factors that contribute to SME success. He published books and articles on research methods, organizational learning, and coaching and mentoring.

David led a number of EU-funded research programmes including one examining the impact of coaching on the resilience of unemployed managers in their job-searching behaviours and another on how action learning can sustain unemployed managers in starting their own business. He also completed a global survey into the professional identity of coaches.

Chapter 1: Introduction Part A: Principles and Planning for Research Chapter 2: Theoretical Perspectives and Research Methodologies in Business Chapter 3: Selecting and Planning Business Research Proposals and Projects Chapter 4: Business Research Ethics Chapter 5: Searching, Critically Reviewing and Using the Literature in Business Part B: Research Methodology and Design Chapter 6: Quantitative Research Design Chapter 7: Qualitative Research Design Chapter 8: Mixed Methods Research Design Chapter 9: Sampling Strategies in Business Chapter 10: Designing Descriptive and Analytical Surveys for Business Chapter 11: Designing Case Studies for Business Chapter 12: Designing Evaluations in Business Chapter 13: Action Research and Change in Business Part C: Data Collection Methods Chapter 14: Questionnaires Chapter 15: Interviewing Chapter 16: Non-participant Observation Chapter 17: Ethnography and Participant Observation Chapter 18: Focus Groups Chapter 19: Unobtrusive Measures Chapter 20: Visual Methods Chapter 21: Digital Methods Chapter 22: Secondary Data Analysis Part D: Analysis and Report Writing Chapter 23: Getting Started with SPSS Chapter 24: Analysing and Presenting Quantitative Data Chapter 25: Getting Started with NVivo Chapter 26: Analysing and Presenting Qualitative Data Chapter 27: Writing up the Research in a Business Report Chapter 28: Preparing for Business Presentations and for Vivas