Management Research Orientation - Information Is the Lifeblood of a Business

TOPIC ONE MANAGEMENT RESEARCH ORIEN T A TION

INFORMA TION IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF A BUSINESS

* Gathering, analysing, evaluating, presenting and using information is lifeskill for any manager.

* Link between Management Information and Decision making.

* Management Research is not "scientific" - social, political, egotistical, economic, organisational!

WHATISMANAGEMENT?

"Getting things done through people"

"Using resources to achieve goals"

"Achieving goals by planning, organising, leading and controlling"

BUT!!!

Mgt = more complex - human/social dynamics & realities.

THINGS DO NOT MOVE IN STRAIGHT LINES!!

MANAGERS ARE HUMAN?!

* Not robots or machines. * Manage to the limits of their abilities. * "Bounded rationality".

* Training, experience, reading, education, instinct, comfort, fear, ego, instinct, personality, institution, etc..

MANAGEMENT RESEARCH IS NOT ABOUT ABSOLUTE TRUTH, BUT

ABOUT ACCEPTED TRUTH!!

WHATISRESEARCH?

"Systematic, careful enquiry to discover new information and to grow existing knowledge for some sound purpose."

BUT IT COMES IN VARIOUS GUISES...

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

* "People in white coats with microscopes"

* Physical sciences - chemistry, physics, geology, biology etc.

* Rigorous methods & measurements.

* Supposed to be very close to Objective Truth......

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH

* Tries to apply scientific method to messy humans and social groups.

* People: unpredictable, react to research, change over time, 1 in 10.....

* Replicability is poor / coincidential.

* MANAGEMENT RESEARCH FITS IN HERE MOST OF THE TIME!!

"ALTERNATIVE"RESEARCH

* Consensus Truth based on intuition, spirituality, folklore, social interaction.

* Counter-Scientific perspective.

* Emotion, oral history, case examples, "wisdom from the ancients", revelationary experiences.

* 180 degrees from Scientific Research. * Postmodern / Existentialist

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH

* Find out, describe what "is"..... * Voyage of Discovery. * Counting and listing things. * Collect data - not use it.

* Uncommon in Management Research.

EXPLANATORY/CAUSALRESEARCH

* Major area of interest for Management.

* "Why is this happening?"

* Very challenging research - complex study, analysis, interpretation.

* DIAGNOSE - Why did....? * INTERPRET - What is going on....? * PREDICT - If we......? [Forecasting!]

EVALUATIVE RESEARCH

* Very common in Management. * Assess policies, strategies, projects,

activities, programmes.

* Mainly linked to profitability, ROI, resource use, performance.

* Is this profitable? * What could be improved? * How

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