Book Review: "Research Methods for Business Students" (Eighth Edition) by Mark N. K. Saunders, Philip Lewis, and Adrian Thornhill (Pearson Education, 2019)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.1.2.2Keywords:
Business, Ethics, Methods, Research, StudentsAbstract
Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis, and Adrian Thornhill's book "Research Methods for Business Students" provides a comprehensive guide for students and researchers involved in business and management research. It offers a pragmatic approach, clear explanations, and a wide array of research methods suitable for both novice and seasoned researchers. The book extensively discusses various research methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods, providing detailed descriptions to help readers choose the most appropriate approach for their research objectives. The book delves deeply into specific research approaches like experiments, surveys, case studies, and ethnography, helping readers comprehend their utility and implications.
A notable strength of the book lies in its emphasis on ethical considerations throughout the research process. The authors address ethical issues related to access negotiation, consent acquisition, and data management, preparing readers to navigate ethical challenges in modern research environments effectively. Furthermore, the book offers practical insights into data collection and analysis techniques, with chapters dedicated to sampling, secondary source utilization, observations, interviewing, questionnaire design, and data analysis, all explained step by step with clear illustrations. The book engages readers through theoretical frameworks, conceptual discussions, and real-world examples, enhancing their understanding of key research concepts like validity, reliability, and generalizability. By integrating case studies and detailed examples from various organizational contexts, the book illustrates how research methods are applied in practice. The authors' ability to convey complex subjects in an accessible manner ensures that readers from diverse backgrounds can grasp the material effectively. The practicality and relevance of "Research Methods for Business Students" to the business context set it apart, as it presents real-world examples and case studies from various industries. It emphasizes the importance of keeping abreast of the latest developments in research methodologies, ensuring the content remains useful and current for students and scholars. In conclusion, "Research Methods for Business Students" is an invaluable resource for individuals embarking on business and management research. Despite minor limitations, the book equips readers with essential knowledge and skills, fostering responsible and effective research practices within the business domain. Through its practical approach, comprehensive coverage, and engaging style, the book empowers readers to conduct high-quality research and make meaningful contributions to the field of business studies.
References
Almeida, F., Faria, D., & Queirós, A. (2017). Strengths and limitations of qualitative and quantitative research methods. European Journal of Education Studies, 3(9), 369-387. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.887089
Almutairi, N. R. (2018). Effective reading strategies for increasing the reading comprehension level of third-grade students with learning disabilities (Doctoral dissertation, Western Michigan University). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/3247
Booth, A., Sutton, A., & Papaioannou, D. (2016). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd.
Delgado, P., & Salmerón, L. (2021). The inattentive on-screen reading: Reading medium affects attention and reading comprehension under time pressure. Learning and Instruction, 71, 101396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2020.101396 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2020.101396
Eakin, J. M., & Gladstone, B. (2020). "Value-adding" analysis: Doing more with qualitative data. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920949333 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920949333
Fink, A. (2014). Conducting research literature reviews: From the Internet to paper (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Kim, W. O. (2012). Institutional review board (IRB) and ethical issues in clinical research. Korean Journal of Anesthesiology, 62(1), 3-12. https://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2012.62.1.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2012.62.1.3
Rahman, M. S. (2017). The advantages and disadvantages of using qualitative and quantitative approaches and methods in language "testing and assessment" research: A literature review. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(1), 102. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v6n1p102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v6n1p102
Resnik, D. (2020, December 23). What is ethics in research & why is it important? National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis
Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research methods for business students (8th ed.). Pearson Education.
Singh, Y. K. (2006). Fundamentals of Research Methodology and Statistics. New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Taherdoost, H. (2021). Data collection methods and tools for research: A step-by-step guide to choose data collection technique for academic and business research projects. International Journal of Academic Research in Management (IJARM), 10(1), 10-38. https://doi.org/ffhal-03741847f
Venkatesh, V., Brown, S. A., & Bala, H. (2013). Bridging the qualitative-quantitative divide: Guidelines for conducting mixed methods research in information systems. MIS Quarterly, 37(1), 21-54. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43825936
https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2013/37.1.02 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25300/MISQ/2013/37.1.02
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 African Quarterly Social Science Review
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.