RESEARCH METHODS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES

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.

BA in political science, management, or related field.

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.

Weekly class format: 1 hour 30 minutes (plenary) + 1 hour 30 minutes (+1 hour 30 minutes breakout every other week). The students will be divided into two groups. The total number of class hours will be as follows: 3 hours per week when the group breakout is not foreseen, and 4 hours and 30 minutes per week when the breakout is foreseen. The breakout classes are foreseen every other week (i.e. once per fortnight). The classes include the following: - 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 grades of the Research Methods for Social Sciences (RMSS) course depends on a group project, which involves both individual and group activities. The students need to pass three checkpoints (during the course) and submit a project report of good quality (at the end of the course), to pass the RMSS course. For the project work, the students will be divided into groups of 5-6 members each. The groups are supposed to select a subject from the Global Management and Politics program (e.g.: Global Organization Design and Human Resource Management course) for their project. Note: 1. Attendance 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 project 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. Further details of the grading process and the grades are included in the section "Thesis assignment criteria" below.

EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS The grades of RMSS will be decided on the basis of the students’ attendance, the performance during the 3 checkpoints, and the quality of the final group project report. The RMSS course follows a 30-point grade system. 1. ATTENDANCE - A minimum of 80% of attendance is required to be eligible for submitting the final project report. 2. CHECKPOINTS - You have to pass each checkpoint to proceed to the next stage of the research process. The weightage of each checkpoint is listed below. First checkpoint – 7.5 points (25% of total grades) Second checkpoint – 6 points (20% of total grades) Third checkpoint – 7.5 points (25% of total grades) 3. PROJECT REPORT - The project report has a weightage of 9 points (30% of total grades). NOTE: Detailed instructions for the checkpoints and the group project report will be provided in due course. EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS Students can be considered as "non-attending" only if they are officially authorized by the Dean of the Graduate School, to participate in the course without ever attending it. The criteria below are for such non-attending students as well as students who might be reappearing for the exam after previous failures or rejections of grades. 1. The non-attending students are required to refer to and learn from the Power Point slides, reading materials, and other information which will be regularly uploaded in LUISS Learn 2. The non-attending students are required to complete and submit an assignment on the exam date (which will be communicated when the course commences). The assignment constitutes 100% of their grades. The non-attending students are supposed to submit the completed assignment to the professor (lbalachandrannair@luiss.it) and the teaching assistant (mcaggianelli@luiss.it) latest by 5 PM (CET) on the exam date. Late submissions will result in a reduction of grades. 3. The assignment for non-attending students will have 3 parts: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 (with all parts constituting 10 points each). Hence, the total numerical grade which a student can achieve is 30. The assignment will involve - Individually preparing a short project proposal based on the topics covered during the course (10 points, 33.3% of total grades) - Critically assessing certain journal articles and writing their reviews based on the assessments. The journal articles for assessment will be chosen by the professor (10 points, 33.3% of total grades) - Analyzing excerpts of data and answering questions based on the analysis. The data excerpts will be provided by the professor (10 points, 33.3% of total grades) The specific instructions for the non-attending students’ assignment will be communicated in due course, closer to the exam date. Apart from submitting the assignment, the non-attending students should also register for the concerned appello.