Course leaders and examiners:

Patrik Jonsson: patrik dot jonsson at chalmers dot se

Maria Elmquist: maria dot elmquist at chalmers dot se

Course syllabus

This course is one of the compulsory courses of the Graduate school in Technology Management and Economics (TME). It has been designed to be the first course for the doctoral students in the TME Graduate School as it is a quite general introductory course, followed by the introduction courses on Qualitative and Quantitative methods. The courses may however be taken in any order.

Objectives and learning outcomes
The course Researching Technology Management and Economics (RTME) is an introductory course for doctoral students in the doctoral programme of Technology Management and Economics. It aims at providing a basic understanding of research in terms of basic notions of research and the research process. The course also aims at preparing the doctoral student for life in academia, discussing some important aspects of being a researcher such as preparing a research project, participating in the academic debate and interacting with supervisors and other researchers. Finally the course aims at supporting the PhD student in the initial steps towards developing his/her individual research proposal.  


Course outline
The course is divided in six main parts.

1.    What is your problem?  This session introduces to Theory and Methodology of Science with a special focus on formulating research problems.

2.    What is your field? This session focuses on defining a theoretical field, relating to literature and using references. It also brings some perspectives on research.

3.    What will you do? This session discusses how to design a research study on the basis of the formulated problem. It also addresses quality criteria in research.

4.    How do you make it happen? This session addresses the research process and the development of a research proposal. It also includes a discussion on how to work with supervisors and other senior researchers. 

5.   How do you become a researcher? This session introduces the main academic processes, the demands from the academic community, ethics and the dissertation process. 

6.   How do you convince? This session focuses on the art of making a claim and writing academic texts.
 

Seminars
There are six seminars in this course; three seminars (A,B,D) that build on four selected articles that are revisited in all three seminars, one seminar on the research proposal (C), one seminar on the dissertation defense (E) and one seminar dedicated to the final assignements (F).

Examination
To pass this course the participants are required to be present at and actively participate in both lectures and the seminars. Notify Patrik or Maria before if you are unable to attend a session (assignments will be required to compensate for absence).
Several assignments (six hand-ins) are also required to pass the course:

Seminars A, B, D Hand-ins:
Four articles will be thoroughly discussed in this course. For each of the seminars A, B and D, revisit the four articles and write a 2-4 pages reflection (answers to the seminar questions outlined below) on the topic of the seminar. Send it to the seminar leader at least 24 hours before each seminar is held (work in groups of two).

Seminar C Hand-ins:
As a preparation to the seminar C on the research proposals, read two research proposals (provided in Session 1). Write two short reflections of the research proposals (1 page per research plan) and hand them in to Maria on November 3.

Seminar E Hand-ins:
As a preparation to the seminar E on the thesis defense, attend the thesis defense of Maximilian Pasche on December 2. Write a brief reflection on the thesis defense (1 page). NB - the reflection should not be on the thesis, but on your experience of the defense itself! Hand it in to Maria on December 6.

Seminar F: Final assignment:
Instructions for the final assignment will be given at the course introduction (individual task). Send it to Patrik, Maria and your group members by December 1.

Discussion seminar:
All students are to provide feedback on individual final assignments in the final discussion seminar, Session 8 (group discussions, implying each student reads 3-4 assignments). Each student acts as an opponent on at least one assignment. The opposition is oral, no written material has to be handed in. Detailed planning will be provided later.

 

Main books:

Booth, W.C., Colom G.G. and William J.M. (2008), The craft of research, 3rd edition, University of Chicago Press.

Bryman A., and Bell, E. (2007), Business research methods, HongKong: Oxford Press, 2nd edition, pp. 1-146.

Maxwell J.A. (2004), Qualitative research design, 2nd edition, Sage Publications


Book chapters, articles, research proposals, and thesis

Barratt, M., Choi, T., Li, M. (2011), “Qualitative case studies in operations management: Trends, research outcomes and future research implications”, Journal of Operations management, 29: 329-342.

Bartunek, J., Rynes, S., Ireland, D. (2006), “What makes management research interesting, and why does it matter?”, Academy of Management Journal, 49(1): 9-15.

Boyer, K. and Swink, M. (2008), "Empirical elephants - Why multiple methods are essential to quality research in operations and supply chain management," Journal of Operations Management, 26(3): 338-344.

Carter, C. and Ellram. L. (2010), “Crafting high quality reviews: Guidelines, examples and feedback”, Journal of Supply Chain Management, July, Editorial.

Forza, C. (2002), “Survey research in operations management: a process-based
perspective”, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 22(2): 152-194.

Jick, T. (1979), “Mixing qualitative and quantitative methods: triangulation in action”, Administrative Science Quarterly, 24 (4): 602-611.

Mitchell, T. (2007), “The academic life: Realistic changes needed for business school students and faculty”, Academy of Management Learning & Education, 6(2): 236-251.


Articles for seminars A, B and D

Balogun, J and Johnson G. (2004)"Organizational Restructuring and Middle Manager Sensemaking, Academy of Mangement Journal, 47(4): 523-549.

Frohlich, M. and Westbrook, R. (2001), "Arcs of integration: an international study of supply chain strategies", Journal of Operations Management, 19: 185-200.

Snider, B., da Silveira, G., Balakrishnan, J. (2009) "ERP implementation at SMEs: analysis of five Canadian cases", International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 29 (1): 4-29.

Giannakis, M., Croom, S. (2004), “Toward the development of a supply chain management paradigm: a conceptual framework, Journal of Supply Chain Management, Spring: 27-37.


Thesis and research proposals

Kristina Henricsson, Research Proposal, Div. of Management of Organizational Renewal and Entrepreneurship.

Kristina Liljestrand, Research Proposal, Div of Logistics and Transportation, Chalmers.

Maximilam Pasche,  [Title to be announced], PhD Thesis, Div. of Operations Management, Chalmers.

Preparations/Reading instructions

You are expected to have read the articles/chapters listed below in preparation of the respective lecture/seminar. Before one of the lectures you are also supposed to conduct interviews. For the seminars you are expected to hand in written reports in advance (24 hrs for all seminars but the final assignment seminar, were it is one week in advance, on December 1).

September 20 – Session 1
Lecture: Read Bryman and Bell (2007), Chapters 1 and 3; Maxwell (2005), Chapters 1-2, 4.

October 4 – Session 2
Seminar A: Read the four seminar articles.
Answer the following questions, and prepare a written report with answers to the following questions:
     1. What is the focus (study object etc.) of the respective article?
     2. How are aim, objective, purpose, RQ, etc. formulated? Are the formulations consistent?
     3. What disciplines do they belong to?
     4. What research problems are they approaching?
     5. How are they motivating the relevance of the problems?
     6. How are the ontological/epistemological perspectives characterized?
Lecture: Read Bryman and Bell (2007), Chapter 4; Maxwell (2005), Chapter 3.
 
October 12 – Session 3
Lecture: Read Bryman and Bell (2007) Chapter 2; Maxwell (2005) Chapters 5-6; Barratt et al. (2011); Boyer and Swink (2008); Jick (1979)

October 25 – Session 4
Lecture: Bryman and Bell (2007), Chapter 3, Booth et al. (1995), Chapter 1-6.
Seminar B: Read articles A-D. Answer the following questions, and prepare a written report with answers to the following questions:
     1. What research design and research method(s) are used in the articles? How is the respective design motivated?
     2. How is the respective article related to theory? In what ways are they inductive, deductive, and/or abductive?
     3. Is the design coherent, i.e. what is the ‘fit’ between ultimate presumptions, problem(s) and method(s)?

November 8 – Session 5
Lecture: Read Bryman and Bell (2007) Chapter 5, Bartunek et al. (2006), Mitchell (2007).
Interview researchers in your research group/environment about
1) Why they became researchers?
2) What they like with the job as a researcher?
3) What is a good research publication?
4) What is a good review report?
5) What does research ethics mean to them?
Take notes and be prepare to make an oral presentation.
Seminar C: Read Maxwell (2005) Chapter 7 and two research proposals (provided in Session 1). Write two short reflections of the research proposals (1 page per research plan).

November 22 – Session 6
Lecture: Booth et al. (1995) Chapters 7-17.

December 8 – Session 7
Seminar D: Read articles A-D.
Answer the following questions, and prepare a written report with answers to the following questions:
     1. What is the contribution of the respective article, and to whom does it contribute? What are the implications to theory and practice?
     2. How well are the arguments, claims and evidences laid out?
     3. How ‘new’ and original is the respective article?
Seminar E: Participate in the thesis defense of Maximiliam Pasche. Write a brief reflection on your experience of the thesis defense (1 page).

December 13 – Session 8
Seminar F: Final assignments: See below.

Final assignment
This is an individual task, to be handed in to Patrik, Maria and your group members by e-mail no later than December 1.

The written assignment:
There is no page limitation for the written assignment but aim for about 10 pages.
The task is to reflect on your own research project and its design, using the following questions. When applicable, use the issues and frameworks outlined in the course literature.
To prepare, you may of course discuss your research project with your tutor and/or project members. Some questions may not be applicable to your situation, in that case, reflect on why.

1. Your study focus
What is your object of study?
Who is your target group for your research results?
What disciplines are you contributing to?
What disciplines are you using literature and theories from?

2. Your research problem and relevance (motivation)
What type of research problems are you intending to approach?
How are you motivating the relevance of the problems?
What kind of knowledge do you intend to generate?
What is the relevance of your research?
If you have formulated objective and research questions – which are they and why?

3. Your ultimate presumptions
What characterize your ultimate presumptions?
Which are your epistemological and ontological considerations?

4. Your theory
How will you relate to theory?
In what way is your research inductive, deductive, and/or abductive?

5. Your methodological approach
What methodological approach and methods will you be using? Why?

6. Your research design
What/how is the fit between your ultimate presumptions, problem(s) and method?

7. Your contribution
What type of contributions do you think you will develop? To whom will you contribute? How will your implications on theory and practice be?

The final seminar:
We will split the group into two smaller seminar groups so there will be 4-6 persons and reports in each group. Each of you will orally present your report, be the leading discussant of another report, and actively participate in the discussion of the other reports. To prepare for the seminar you consequently have to read all reports to be discussed in your seminar, prepare a short (max 5 minutes and without ppt) oral presentation of your report, and be prepared to lead the discussion of another report

 

Prerequisites and registration
The course is limited to 20 participants. The deadline for applications is September 6, 2011 and all the applicants will receive notification of registration shortly thereafter. All applicants should be enrolled as PhD students. Please contact Yvonne Olausson yvonne dot olausson at chalmers dot se in order to apply for the course.
If more than 20 persons apply for the course, participants will be selected on the basis of the date of application with priority given to PhD students from the Department of TME.

Course schedule
Location: I-Seminar room 2456, Seminar room Operations Management and Seminar room Innovation Engineering and Management

Lecturers

Bo Bergman, Prof.
bo dot bergman at chalmers dot se

Maria Elmquist, Associate Prof.
maria dot elmquist at chalmers dot se

Tobias Fredberg, Associate Prof
tobias dot fredberg at chalmers dot se

Ove Granstrand, Prof.
ove dot granstrand at chalmers dot se

Arni Halldorsson, Prof.
arni dot halldorsson at chalmers dot se

Patrik Jonsson, Prof.
patrik dot jonsson at chalmers dot se