Business Research Methods for Chinese Students

A Practical Guide to Your Research Project

Huiping Xian,Yue Meng-Lewis

• Verlag: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Jahr: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781526448972
• Auflage: 1
• Thema: Business
• Thema: Business Skills

Written by Chinese authors who having both successfully completed Masters degrees and PhDs and become lecturers at UK universities, are equipped to provide Chinese students with straightforward guidance to help overcome the cultural and language difficulties they are confronted with, and to support them in their undertaking of the research methods section of their dissertations.

The book comprehensively covers both the theory and practice and includes a number of features to support learning including:

• Chinese translations of key concepts and definitions
• Tips about how to use different methods in the Chinese context
• Clear definitions of key terms
• Short illustrative examples
• A list of useful resources about Chinese research

The book also features examples of Chinese research from theauthors' own work and from top journals to illustrate how the methods can be applied in the Chinese context.

Suitable reading forundergraduate and postgraduate students across all business and management disciplines.

1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose of the Book

A large number of books on research design and methods have been published on the market. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no text particularly addressing the needs of Chinese scholars and students. From our experience (first as students, now as supervisors), Chinese students face three challenges when managing their research projects. The first issue relates to the dissimilarity between the English and Chinese languages. Many technical terms (for example, positivism or grounded theory) found in traditional method books have no direct translation in the Chinese language. Most Chinese students find it difficult to comprehend these terms. The second issue is associated with the unique social context of China. Traditional textbooks of research methods are often written by Western authors and based on Western samples. Yet, Chinese students frequently find it problematic to apply these methods in Chinese society without modifications. Third, the majority of Chinese students have no prior experience of conducting evidence-based research. As a result, they struggle to understand the nature of research and meet the requirements of UK universities.

By adopting two important pedagogical strategies for supporting Chinese learners, namely unity of knowledge and doing, and practical reasoning (Chen, 2016), this text has been designed to tackle these problems. To address the first issue, we provide short lists of Chinese explanations of key terminologies throughout the book to enhance understanding. To address the second issue, we use examples of Chinese research from our own work and examples drawn from top journals in the disciplines concerned to illustrate how these methods can be applied in the Chinese context. We believe this may help Chinese students quickly make sense of the various methods. To address the third issue, we include sections on the key components of research projects in both Chapter 2 and Chapter 10, and on the generic requirements of dissertations throughout this book.

1.2 What is Research?

Although the focus of this book is helping Chinese students conducting research in the Chinese context, we believe it is useful to provide a brief review of what the term ‘research’ means in English. In the 16th century, the English term ‘research’ was mostly associated with the act of searching for either a specific person or thing. In this case, the target was well defined, with little room for accidental discoveries. Since then, a wider range of investigation has been incorporated into the idea of research, emphasising both the outcome and the process. Increasingly, research has been conducted by individuals for the purpose of advancing knowledge. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the establishment of many new educational institutions and learned societies, which aimed to discuss and diffuse knowledge (Bishop, 2006). The essence of research was associated with reason, objectivity, truth and empiricism, as opposed to irrationalism, subjectivity, ignorance and faith.

Depending on their discipline and perspective, modern scholars have defined ‘research’ in various forms, with little consensus in the literature. For example, Sharp and Howard (1996: 6) see it as ‘seeking through methodical processes to add to one’s own body of knowledge and, hopefully, to that of others, by the discovery of non-trivial facts and insights’, while Wilson (2014) suggests that most definitions share three common understandings. First, research is a process of enquiry and investigation. In The Metaphysics, Aristotle wrote that ‘all men, by nature, have the desire to know’. This means that research is about raising a set of questions with regard to a chosen subject and aiming to answer these questions by gathering information and analysing data. In doing so, researchers discover new facts, test new ideas or revise theories and applications. Thus, research is a way of knowing, and the whole process is ‘a disciplined way of coming to know something about our world and ourselves’ (Bouma, 2001: 5). Second, research is systematic and methodical. This means that a good piece of research has a clear focus and follows a vigorous process and logical steps to achieve its goals. The difference between research and our direct experience is that research is controlled and carried out systematically (Lowe, 2007). Frequently, the research process includes the collecting, recording, analysing and interpreting of information. It requires systematic thinking and logical reasoning skills. Third, research increases knowledge. Rose (1927: 118) suggests that ‘academic research has been the fountain from which the most important knowledge regarding our surroundings has come’. Research can be seen as an organised effort to acquire knowledge regarding natural and social phenomena.

Key Concepts in Chinese: Research

研究通常指针对一个具体的课题或问题，收集资料，使用科学有效的方法收集，分析数据，并解释结果，最后找出问题解决方案的过程。研究的目的是为了发现新事物，新现象，提出新理论，揭示自然事物或社会现象的内在规律。研究经常会促成发明和创新。

To manage a research project successfully, researchers must have knowledge, intellectual abilities, techniques and professional standards to do research, as well as personal qualities and skills. Throughout this book, we will introduce you to different methods (方法) and methodologies (方法论) and take you through the research process step by step. However, here we would also emphasise the importance of a researcher’s personal attitudes and qualities. In our experience, some Chinese students failed to achieve a desired mark for their dissertation because they had not developed the right attitudes during this process. A good researcher (including postgraduate student):

• is independent, self-reliant and takes responsibility for self and the project
• approaches the research project with enthusiasm and passion
• is proactive and keen to find solutions in the face of obstacles
• shows integrity and ethics
• is willing to receive constructive criticism
• is self-reflective and commits to continuing development.

Key Concepts in Chinese: Method and Methodology

方法和方法论在很多书里有提到。有些书会把这两个词混着用，但其实这两个词意思上有很大差异。方法（Method）指的是收集或分析数据时用的具体的方法。如本书第6章里讨论的几种收集数据的常用方法（如问卷，访谈，等）。方法论（Methodology）指研究人员在从事一项科研项目时采取的总体的研究方法。研究报告和学术论文里一般包含一章研究方法论，里面包括一些固定的元素，如该研究员具体采纳的研究哲学（Research Philosophy），数据收集方式（如问卷，访谈，实地 观察等），取样方式（sampling），和分析方法等。这些元素要互相支持，才能构成有效和科学的研究方法论，从而使得最后的研究结果有意义。

1.3 Business and Management Research in the Chinese Context

Business and management research can be linked to any aspect related to business and managerial issues, including (but not limited to) human resource management (HRM), marketing, business strategy, finance, entrepreneurship, logistics and operation management, international business, e-business, and so on. It aims to enhance management efficiency and inform business-related decision-making so as to improve the overall performance of a business. Research can have both academic and industrial significance. Some projects try to fill a research gap in the literature, while others start with a real-life problem in an organisation. Moreover, many projects cover more than one particular area in business and management. For example, a study looking at a company’s brand might investigate both employer branding (HRM) and its reputation in the minds of consumers (marketing).

In general, business and management research tend to emphasise the logic and objectivity of research. For example, Zikmund et al. (2009: 5) define business research as ‘the application of the scientific method in searching for the truth about business phenomena. These activities include defining business opportunities and problems, generating and evaluating ideas, monitoring performance and understanding the business process’. They indicate that all business research involves scientific methods, and requires the researcher to be objective, detaching themselves from the research process, and use knowledge and evidence to reach objective conclusions about the real world.

Key Concepts in Chinese: Business Research

本书主要关注的是商业研究，是指运用科学方法去寻求对于特定商业行为的解释和真相。主要的研究活动包括：寻找、定义商业机会和问题；提出、衡量计划建议；追踪、监控业绩，以及研究、学习商业过程。研究需要运用科学的方法，也就是需要研究者通过观察，去运用相关理论、知识和证据得到对现实世界现象的客观解释和结论。

Traditionally, business and management research has been dominated by studies conducted in developed economies, which are primarily North America and Western Europe. As a result, much management knowledge is the product of scholarly work in such settings (Lau, 2002; Tsui, 2004). However, three decades of rapid economic development in Asia have given rise to academic interests in the region, especially in the ‘Greater China’ area, which, many believe, includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao and Singapore. There is now a general recognition that Western-originated knowledge may not be applicable in Asia. Tsui (2004) calls for high-quality contextualised research, not simple re...