Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing 23 E 88001

Qualitative Research Methods in Marketing 23 E 88001 Course Introduction Sammy Toyoki Assistant Professor Ph. D. Consumer Research

Today’s agenda • Course overview – Objectives – Program – Workload – Grading – Other principles and practicalities – Assignments (and discussing your MSc research plan…)

Course program • We will have 12 contact sessions • A combination of lectures, workshops and exercises – There is a compulsory attendance of 80% you can be absent of max. 2 contact sessions • Missing additional contact sessions will result in reduction of points • Missing more than 6 sessions will result in failing the course

Course Structure Thursday Week Tuesday 2 Lecture: Course Introduction Lecture: Basics of Philosophy of Science 3 Lecture: Types of Qualitative Rsearch Workshop: The Research Plan and Research Process 4 Lecture: Positioning the Research Lecture: Collection of Empirical Materials 5 Workshop: Collecting Data in the Field Lecture: Data-analysis and Interpretation of empirical materials 6 Lecture: Writing up and Evaluating Qualitative Research Workshop: Questions and Answers on Writing Up Research Plan 7 Independent work Poster Session (tutoring available in class) 4

Workload • Breakdown: – 6 credit equals roughly 160 hours of work – Contact sessions 24 hours – Preparation for class 36 hours (including time spent on ’readings’, compulsory and supplementary) – Assignments 100 hours

Grading • No exam • Compulsory assignments = 100% of the grade • Total course points = 100 • The course points will be converted to the grading scale 0 -5 as follows

Course assignments, workloads, and grading

Readings • Compulsory core textbook: – Eriksson, Päivi & Kovalainen, Anne (2008) Qualitative methods in business research. • Note: this book is only a surface deep introduction to our subject! • Lecture slides are made available on the Mycourses website (at beginning of each session) • See ’Course Syllabus’ in Mycourses for supplementary readings for each session. Though not ’graded’, these readings are important for doing the assignments properly (assignments that merely reiterate the core textbook will be graded (’poor’) 51 -60 by default)

Handing in your assignments • Unless otherwise instructed, submit your assignments via My. Courses before each session by 16: 15 − Late submissions will not be accepted, and will thus directly affect your final grade (late assignments will be reduced by 10 points by default and another 10 points for each 24 hour period for which they are turned in after the deadline). − Always remember to have your written assignment available to you in class, as you may be asked to discuss them

Principles • The contact sessions introduce and discuss various topics, but you are the responsible for your own learning: ─ Please be active in the class - interrupt , ask, discuss (note however that there might not be a simple correct answer) ─ Study the topics on your own ─ Familiarize yourself with the readings provided ─ Read optional and other additional articles and/or books This is a subject you will not learn properly without real commitment!!

Principles • NOTE: plagiarism of any sort is not tolerated, and all instances of fraud will be reported • E. g. when writing: – Always credit the original source: • If it is a direct quote, use quotation marks (” ”) and cite author, year and page number. For example, ”Hell is other people” (Sartre, 1962: 154). • If an indirect quote, cite just the author (no quotation marks of page number required. An indirect quote is where you change the wording of the original sentence but the argument or part of the argument is retained.

Principles • No phones or laptops during sessions, unless used for specific work purposes

Assignments

Research plan • The primary assignment in this course is developing your research plan (this comprising of several sub-assignments) • A research plan is document that details what you’re going to research, how you are going to conduct this research, and what the expected contributions might be… - If you are planning to do a quantitative Master’s thesis, you are still required to complete this exercise If you plan to do your MSc thesis as commissioned for an organization, you still need to create a research plan

Thought Exercise: What is Qual. research? • Overriding goal of qualitative research = Understanding phenomena for their meaning • Definition of meaning (Merriam-Webster Dictionary): – “significant quality; especially : implication of a hidden or special significance” • Implications – Contextual understanding – Human-centered…contextual understanding: • “Qualitative Research…involves finding out what people think, how they do things, and how they feel - or at any rate, what they say they think, do or feel. This kind of information is subjective. It involves impressions, feelings and actions, rather than numbers”

• “Introduction” The Research Plan – Research Idea (what is this research about? ) – Positioning (gap; context; problem) • “Theoretical Background” – Review of relevant existing theory • “Methodology” – Research philosophy – Methods • “Findings” – Main themes found in the research • “Discussion” – Discussion of themes in broader context (i. e. existing theory) • “Conclusions(s)” – Summarizing the main aspects of the study and arguing for the relevance and importance of delivered insight (i. e. contributions)

Research plan steps (how to write it up) Research Process (how to carry it out) “Introduction” -Research Idea (what is this research about? ) - Positioning (gap; context; problem) Positioning: -Identify research gap -Identify research context -Identify research problem “Theoretical Background” - Review of relevant existing theory Developing theoretical understanding: - Read select literatures - Develop ‘interpretative framework’ “Methodology” - Research philosophy - Methods Methodology: - Critical appraisal of data-collection methods -Conducting collection of data “Findings” -Main themes Data-analysis and Interpretation: -Organizing and coding data into themes -Giving meaning to themes Further interpretation: - Higher abstraction and embedding of themes “Discussion” -Discussing themes in broader context “Conclusions(s)” -Arguing for the relevance and importance of delivered insight Formulating contribution(s)

Dimensions of a research plan and assignments “Introduction” -Research Idea (what is this research about? ) - Positioning (gap; context; problem) Assignment 3 “Positioning the research” “Theoretical Background” - Review of relevant existing theory “Methodology” Assignment 1 “Analysing - Research philosophy Research Philosophy” Assignment 2: “Justifying - Methods methodological decisions” Assignment 4 “Data collection” “Findings” -Main themes “Discussion” -Discussing themes in broader context “Conclusions(s)” -Arguing for the relevance and importance of delivered insight 18 - Assignment 5 (writing up entire research plan as final assignment, including the “Theoretical Background” section and “Data-analysis and interpretation” section

Course Assignment Deadlines (by 16: 15 that day via Mycourses) Thursday Week Tuesday 2 Lecture: Course Introduction Lecture: Basics of Philosophy of Science 3 Lecture: Types of Qualitative Rsearch Workshop: The Research Plan and Research Process Assignment 1 Assignment 2 4 Lecture: Positioning the Research Assignment 3 Lecture: Collection of Empirical Materials 5 Workshop: Collecting Data in the Field Lecture: Data-analysis and Interpretation of empirical materials Assignment 4 6 Lecture: Writing up and Evaluating Qualitative Workshop: Questions and Answers on Writing Up Research Plan 7 Independent work Poster Session (tutoring available in class) Assignment 5 19

CHANGES TO THE MSc THESIS PROCESS Starting Fall 2017 -2018, Master’s theses are divided into three study-attainment components (10+10+10). For example, Fall seminar: Part 1/3 (10 cr): Purpose/aim Kick-off in Spring period IV Mid-workshop (period V) Research plan (+ literature review) Research plan submission deadline (mid August) Part 2/3 (10 cr): : Seminar Fall periods I &II Empirical / writing up findings Part 3/3 (10 cr): Submission of thesis Completion of manuscript 7. 10. 2020 20

Research Plan: Graduate Seminar Fall 2017 • If you intend to enroll in the graduate seminar next Fall, you have to hand in your final research plan at mid-August – Submission happens through Mycourses (contact person: Tatiana Penttinen) – Seminar instructors will review your submissions on ‘Pass/Fail’ basis – Kick-off session in period IV. Here, you will have the opportunity to discuss your research topic and plan with your chosen seminar group’s instructor(s) (exact dates will be announced via Mycourses)

Overview of Assignments (see “Course Syllabus” in Mycourses for full instructions)

Assignment 1 Analysing Research Philosophy (max. grade ‘ 10’ points) • Select two scientific articles and analyse their paradigmatic assumptions. If these are not explicitly stated in the articles, read through them and discern them yourself. At a minimum, describe the following: – Ontology – Epistemology – Axiology – Methodology • To aid you in this assignment, refer to Lecture Two and its readings • Write 2 -3 pages (Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1, 5 spacing) Submit via My. Courses by Tue 17. 01 16. 15

Assignment 2 Selecting a qualitative research approach (max. grade ‘ 10’ points) • • Select a suitable qualitative research approach for your MSc thesis research Justify this choice by describing how this particular approach aids in studying your MSc thesis topic. Please refer to Lecture 3 and readings • • Write 2 -3 pages, Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1, 5 spacing Submit via My. Courses by Thu 19. 01 16. 15 •

Assignment 3 / Submit via My. Courses by Tue 24. 01 16. 15 Positioning the Research (max. grade ‘ 20’ points) – Research Idea: • Think of a phenomenon that is of interest to you and read scientific literature in this area – Research gap: • Identify the key articles in the given area or ‘stream’, discern potential research gaps and then select one for your study. If the research gap is not explicitly stated in the article(s), read through them and discern it yourself • Explain the reasoning of this research gap (i. e. through existing theory) – Research Context: • Select a suitable research context for studying this research gap phenomenon • Justify the selection of this research context – Research Problem: • Formulate a research problem to guide your research • Explain the research philosophy that underlines your research problem • Project what kinds of research findings this research problem might lead to

Assignment 4 – (select one of the two following assignments) a) Ethnography (max. grade ‘ 20’ points) • Based on your identified research idea and positioning strategy, select an ethnographic site to study (e. g. making observations and field notes). If you do not have access to the particular site you have in mind for your identified study (i. e. for your future MSc thesis research), select some other site for this exercise. Any site will do, as long as there is plenty of activity to observe. What is most important at this stage is for you to practice how to do ethnographic observation and record what you observe. • This report should be between 3 -5 pages in length, (Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1, 5 spacing Submit via My. Courses by Tue 31. 01 16. 15 •

Or B) Interview (max. grade ‘ 20’ points) • Related to your research idea, conduct a personal interview. If you do not have access to the people you have in mind for your identified study (i. e. for your future MSc thesis research), invent some other topic (e. g. fitness; being a mother; shopping behaviour etc. ) and interview somebody you know on this topic. You can conduct the interview either in an open-ended or semi-structured fashion. What is most important at this stage is for you to practice how to do interviewing. • The length of the interview should be 30 to 60 minutes. You need to record the interview, and transcribe it verbatim – remember that transcription will take you 2 -3 times longer than the actual interview! Submit via My. Courses by Tue 31. 01 16. 15 •

Assignment 5 Writing up the final Research Plan (max. grade ‘ 40’ points) • This final assignment requires you to write up the research plan as a whole. You may use prior assignments as a resource. However, do not simply cut and paste these assignments into the final research plan (your submission will be checked on this account). As you may observe, the length of most of the sections in this research plan (except for the ‘Theoretical Background’) is only approx. one page. This means that these sections need to written in a very succinct manner, with every chosen word making a point. • This final report should be between 7 -8 pages in length (Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1, 5 spacing. Prepare to present your report as a poster in the final session. The form of poster is free; you can either prepare one larger poster, or use multiple Power. Point slides to compile your poster. • Submit via My. Courses by Thu 16. 02 16. 15

Dimensions of a research plan and assignments “Introduction” -Research Idea (what is this research about? ) - Positioning (gap; context; problem) Assignment 3 “Positioning the research” “Theoretical Background” - Review of relevant existing theory “Methodology” Assignment 1 “Analysing - Research philosophy Research Philosophy” Assignment 2: “Justifying - Methods methodological decisions” Assignment 4 “Data collection” “Findings” -Main themes “Discussion” -Discussing themes in broader context “Conclusions(s)” -Arguing for the relevance and importance of delivered insight 29 - Assignment 5 (writing up entire research plan as final assignment, including the “Theoretical Background” section and “Data-analysis and interpretation” section

Useful Tip So as to avoid having to do this research plan work twice, I urge you to take this course seriously and do a good job in the first instance!! In other words, if your research plan is good enough by the end of this course, it will most likely be ‘accepted’ for enrolment to thesis seminar (no later submissions required)

Creating Feedback Together Through Interaction • Providing on-going feedback on your progress is of central importance to your learning • In addition to collated feedback by your instructor (during discussions on your assignments) – we will create an environment where we will actively give each other feedback through interaction. • To do so, you must always bring your assignment notes and materials to class – and be ready to share with the class the very core of your ideas and arguments • Through active discussion and listening of ideas, you will be able to assess for yourself the progress you have made

Where to look for literature… The journals from which you select the qualitative articles must me marketing-related; good choices are, for example: • • • Journal of Consumer Research Consumption, Markets and Culture Journal of Consumer Culture Marketing Theory Journal of Advertising Journal of Retailing European Journal of Marketing Management Journal of Marketing Please note that while Journal of Marketing is a top journal in the marketing discipline, it contains mostly quantitative research.

Graduate Seminar Groups (Fall 2017) Which one of these groups is for you? • Qualitative Consumer Research • Qualitative Marketing Strategy

Have you identified a research topic? • If so, what is it? • If not, do you need help?

For next session Readings • Eriksson, Päivi & Kovalainen, Anne (2008) Qualitative methods in business research. Chapter(s) 2 • Also, see ‘Course syllabus’ in Mycourses for supplementary readings Next assignment • No assignment (but please do start reading ; )