Comm. 150I: Organizational Communication Inquiry

Prof. Federico Varona

MID-TERM EXAM - STUDY GUIDE

Chapter 1: Introduction to Organizational Research Methods

I. Research in organizations: debunking the myths
II.  Objectives of the book
III.  The role of the researcher

Chapter 2: Applying Social Sciences to the Real World

I. Introducing the scientist-practitioner model
II. Tackling the question from a scientific perspective
III. The practitioner approach
IV.  Scientist-practitioners: applying sciences in a practical environment
V.  Can science be qualitative?
 1. Positivism or qualitative investigation
 2.  How different are quantitative and qualitative approaches
VI.  The  action-research  model

Chapter 3: Starting off the Research Process

I.  Some common fears about research
II. Establishing a research framework
III. Project Planning
IV.  One step on: the project proposal
V.  The internet as a research resource
VI. The literature review
VII. Operationalizing the research question(s)

Chapter 4: Obtaining and Using Access to an Organization

I.  Introduction
II. Obtaining access from  scratch 
III. Getting  buy in  across the organization
IV.  Managing the organization throughout the process

Chapter 5: Project Design

I. Introduction
II.  The case-study or  now  design
III.  The Correlation design
IV.  The experimental design
V.  Selecting a research design

VI.  Ethical Considerations in Org. Research

Chapter 6: Methods of Data Collection

I.  Criteria for selecting a method
II.  Interviews
III.  Types of interviews
1. Guidelines for the interview process
2.  Analyzing interview data
  3.  Advantages and disadvantages of interviewing
IV.  Surveys and questionnaires
1.  Information obtained from questionnaires
2.  Wording and other issues
3. Aesthetic issues and layout

Chapter 7: Sampling Considerations

I. Introduction and Definitions
II. Probability Sampling
III.  Non-probability Sampling
IV.  Limitations of Sampling on Analysis

Chapter 8: Assessing Performance in Organizations

I. Performance, Effectiveness and Productivity
II. The criterion issue
III.  Individual Performance
IV.  Group Performance
V. Organizational Performance 

Chapter 9: Data Analysis

I.  Introduction
II.  Statistical data analysis: finding a test
III.  Content analysis
IV. Meta analysis

Chapter 10: Reporting Research Findings

I. Reporting to an academic audience
II.  Writing up for academic publication
III.  The client report
IV.  References and further reading
V.  Presenting research findings