COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS IN RESEARCH METHODS(1)

1. PHILOSOPHY, LOGIC AND ETHICS OF SCIENCE

A) General

A1.

A2.

A3.

Starbuck has suggested that "the properties shared by all organizations ought to be uninteresting TH and unimportant." He also notes that "although statements about averages bother very few, they ought to bother many" (Journal of Management Studies, vol. 30(6), 1993). Do you agree with these statements? If so, why, and what are the implications of your beliefs for research methods in strategic management and organization science? If not, why not, and what are the implications of your beliefs for research methods in those areas? Lay out the components of the Runkel and McGrath (1972) Research Cycle and the Martin (1982) Garbage Can Model of the research process. What are the aims of either approach? What assumptions does each approach make? What basic themes does each approach emphasize? What kinds of constraints on the process of doing research does each approach highlight? How are the two approaches alike and different in other ways? What are the likely pitfalls of viewing the research process from only one of these two viewpoints? Define (and discuss important features or issues concerning) the following constructs of Philosophy and Logic of Science. (Define any four terms).

1. Null hypothesis 3. Paradigm 4. Independent variable 5. Operational definition

6. Nomological network 8. The fallacy of affirming the consequent 9. Theory

2. Logical empiricism (positivism) 7. Modus tollens

A4. Organizational Studies may be described as either a basic or an applied discipline. From your point of view, is Organizational Studies a basic discipline or an applied discipline, or both? What should it be? When answering this question, be sure to define distinctions between these two types of disciplines. Provide evidence from the