Learning objectives

The objective of this course is to introduce students to fundamental questions and approaches to research design organization.
The first aim is introduce the topic of doing research and illustrate the academic approach and phases a young scholar need to follow in order to conduct rigor and relevant research.
Students will provided with overviews about research approach, theories, and description related to the classification of study types and with useful tools and tips for structuring and writing their first academic articles.
The second objective of this course is to introduce students to fundamental questions and theoretical approaches in the study of organizations and to some of the fundamental issues in organizational design and behaviour. The primary goal is to cover some major theoretical approaches to organizations; to do so, the course will examine recent developments in theory and research that meaningfully extend these approaches. During the course, students will develop an understanding of some of these major theoretical perspectives which guide the study of organizations and will examine how different theoretical perspectives are tested.
The course does not require an advanced background in organization theory.

Program

Class 1 (6 h)
The Selection of a Research Approach
The Research Topic: Rigor & Relevance, The use of Theory, Research gaps & Literature Review.
Class 2 (6 h)
Research questions, Central Research Idea, A classification of study types: quantitative, qualitative and mixed method research.
Class 3 (4 h)
Tips for Writing Strategies
- Writing the Proposal
- Writing Ideas
- “Writing exercises”
Discussion.
Class 4 (4 h)
Transaction Cost Economics
**
The Resource-Based View of the Firm.
Class 5 (4 h)
Agency Theory and Resource Dependence Theory
**
Theory integration in organizational research.

Didactic methods

This course is designed to develop the first academic skills regarding the understanding of some of main research approaches, enabling the doctoral student to learn how to select and identify a research questions, how to structure and develop a literature review and finally providing them with writing exercises helping them in structuring an article from an academic perspective.
Classes will not be only theoretical but there will be a high attention in developing discussion and critical discourse about academic research vision and academic research writing.
Furthermore, this course is designed to develop students’ skills in discussing and critiquing both theory-based arguments and empirical evidence. Students not only need to understand theoretical arguments, but also need to be able to analyse and extend them. Each lesson’s readings will typically include some “classics” defining a theoretical perspective, some more recent theoretical and/or empirical developments of these perspectives, and either implicit or explicit critiques of the initial formulation of these perspectives.

Learning assessment procedures

Grade Components:
1. Class Preparation, Participation, (30%)
2. Contribution and Discussion (20%)
3. Assignment, Research Paper & Presentation (50%).

Assessment

Grading Scale:
A. Excellent
B. Very good
C. Good
D. Sufficient
E. Not sufficient
In-Class Activities:
Open discussion, group working, presentations, and critical analysis.

Scheduled Lessons

Sustainable Development Goals - SDGs

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