Qualitative research methods are often used when the focus of the investigation is on exploration, description, and understanding of a social phenomenon from the perspectives of those being studied (e.g., case study research and grounded theory). This course is an introduction to qualitative research with a ‘how-to’, practical focus. The main goal of this course is thus to equip students to critically read, design, conduct, and report qualitative research projects.

Upon successful completion of this course, students: 1. Will have a brief knowledge and understanding of the basic traditions in qualitative research 2. Can describe the common features of qualitative research and the terminology 3. Will have knowledge about the research process involved in a basic qualitative study 4. Will have knowledge of the ethical considerations involved in a basic qualitative study 5. Can critically evaluate the suitability of a qualitative research design, sampling, and data collection technique 6. Can conduct the analysis of qualitative semi-structured interview data 7. Can effectively apply their knowledge and skills to design and conduct a small-scale qualitative research project 8. Can cite the key elements of quality assessment in qualitative research methods 9. Can communicate the findings in the form of a scientific research report to specialists and non-specialists.

The structure of the course reflects the research process starting with the generation of a research question, research design, ethical considerations, sampling, data collection, data-analysis, and the writing of a good quality research report. To make sure the students get first-hand experience in conducting a qualitative study, the students are required to work on their own research project (in groups of 5-6) and hand in a research report at the end of the course.

(In some cases, the students are required to read only a part of the material mentioned below. Further details on which parts to read will be provided during the course.) 1. Phineas Gage Brain case study 2. Grant, C. A., Wallace, L. M., & Spurgeon, P. C. (2013). An exploration of the psychological factors affecting remote e‐worker's job effectiveness, well‐being and work‐life balance. Employee Relations. 3. Nair L.B. (2020). From ‘whodunnit’ to ‘how’: Detective stories and auditability in qualitative business ethics research. Journal of Business Ethics. 4. Morse, J. M. (2000). Determining sample size. Qualitative Health Research. 5. Roulston, K., DeMarrais, K., & Lewis, J. B. (2003). Learning to interview in the social sciences. Qualitative Inquiry. 6. Nasr, L., Burton, J., & Gruber, T. (2015). When good news is bad news: the negative impact of positive customer feedback on front-line employee well-being. Journal of Services Marketing. 7. Sample interview transcripts (4 no.s) 8. Materials on using NVivo software for data analysis 9. Ravasi, D., & Schultz, M. (2006). Responding to organizational identity threats: Exploring the role of organizational culture. Academy of Management Journal. 10. Browning, L. D., Beyer, J. M., & Shetler, J. C. (1995). Building cooperation in a competitive industry: SEMATECH and the semiconductor industry. Academy of Management Journal.

The students will be divided into two groups. Each week, each group will attend three hours (2 hours on campus; 1 hour online) of classes. The online classes will be repeated for each group, whereas the on-campus classes will be attended together by both groups. The classes will include - Theory part - Practical examples - Instructions & clarification of queries related to the group projects Students are required to read relevant chapters and assigned materials before each class. After each class, the students are expected to work together on the group project, outside the classroom. Specific instructions for group project will be given during each class.

The students will be assessed based on a report they submit at the end of their group project. For this project, the students will be divided into groups of 5-6 members. The groups are supposed to select a subject from the Global Organization Design and Human Resource Management course for their project. The grades received for this course will constitute a major part of the grades for the Global Organization Design and Human Resource Management course. Note: 1. Attendance (online and on campus) and participation in class activities are crucial for this course. To be eligible to pass the course, the students need to attend >80% of the classes and demonstrate their involvement in the group projects and class activities. 2. The project work is not a last-minute activity. The students are expected to coordinate the project with the pace of the classes (i.e., for instance, they had to do sampling soon after the class on sampling). There are three checkpoints mentioned in the schedule. The students need to “pass” each checkpoint to be eligible for submitting the final report. At each checkpoint, the students will receive the instructor’s feedback. 3. Do not underestimate the time required for the project work. Consider the feasibility of each step of your research process both in terms of theoretical and practical requirements. For instance, it might be tempting to interview the CEOs of companies for a project. But, if the students do not already know or have access to the CEOs already, they will probably not be able to gain access during the short duration of this course. 4. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty are unacceptable. Suspected violations will be handled according to standard LUISS procedures.

The grades will be provided based on the attendance, the checkpoints, and the final project report. The total weightage of the course is 100. Attendance A minimum of 80% of attendance is required to be eligible for submitting the final report. Checkpoints The first and the third checkpoints mentioned in the schedule constitutes 25 points each. The second checkpoint constitutes 20 points. Hence, the three checkpoints together constitute 70 points. You have to pass each checkpoint to proceed to the next stage of the research process. Project report The project report constitutes 30 points. The specific details of grading the project report are included below. (1) Abstract & introduction part (Weightage = 8) Includes - Abstract - Problem statement formulation, identified research gap, discussion of relevance - Literature review, research question, argumentation for the choice of the qualitative method (2) Methodology part (Weightage = 12) Includes - Research design, choice of data collection methods, sampling, recruitment - Data collection process (context, step-by-step process, problems encountered) - Data analysis (coding – how & why, quality checks) (3) Results & discussion part (Weightage = 7) Includes - Results (with a theoretical model) - Discussion of results in the light of prior literature - Limitations - Implications & managerial relevance - Conclusion (4) Other graded aspects (Weightage = 3) Include - Writing skills and thoroughness - Reflexivity - Group attitude and team diligence

Sustainability is not a topic covered under this course. However, students are welcome to conduct their group projects on sustainability-related topics (within the scope of the concerned program) if they are interested and able to do so. However, choosing a sustainability-related topic is not mandatory for the group project.