Mak­ing So­cial Sci­ence Mat­ter

Course content

Course content and structure

In this course, students will be introduced to a range of research methods that can be used to research phenomena related to entrepreneurship and innovation in organisations.

We will focus on the case-study research approach. Case-studies are generally used to generate in-depth and multi-faceted understanding of complex phenomena in their real-life context.

Students are introduced to research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, that are commonly used in case-study research, including interviews, participant-observation, document analysis, t-tests, and factor analysis.

To learn about case-study research, we will discuss seminal pieces of research and students will carry out their own research projects in groups – from conception of research questions, and work with literature, to collection and analysis of data, and writeup of the research findings. The research report will be the basis of the oral exam.

Throughout the course, we will reflect on a few themes, including:

• What constitutes good and relevant research (the “so-what” question)
• The tensions between academic theory and practical experience
• How to make empirical research matter to those engaged in creating new organisations

The methods and frameworks discussed reflect the entrepreneurial and creative nature of the OIE programme.