MANA 420-BB Winter 2021 Raghid Al Hajj PDF

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outline for winter 2021. outline for winter 2021....

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January 4th version

Concordia University – Department of Management

Management Research for Decision Making MANA 420 – Winter 2021 – Section BB Monday 5:45pm – 8:15pm Instructor: Raghid Al Hajj (PhD) E-mail: [email protected] Virtual Office Hours: By Appointment Important Note: This course will include interactive live sessions that will be held on Zoom during regularly scheduled class times. Students are expected to be available each week during the scheduled class times. They will also be responsible for ensuring appropriate, properly functioning technology (webcam, microphone, appropriate browser, and reliable Internet connection). Some live sessions will be recorded and made available on the Moodle course website. Students are not allowed to share any of these recordings. Any sharing may be in violation of the law and applicable University policies, and may be subject to penalties. In what follows, “class” refers to any of the interactive live sessions that will be held on Zoom during regularly scheduled class times. Course Description The course explains the relevance of management research for business and administrative decision making. Topics include: conducting employee surveys, observational and interview methods, program evaluation, data analysis and interpretation, and the ethics of gathering information from human participants. Students evaluate the validity of reports of management research, learn to exercise caution in accepting research conclusions, and get hands-on experience with basic research techniques. Prerequisites: COMM 222; COMM 215. Learning Objectives By the end of this course, students should be able to: • Explain the relevance of management research to business and administrative practitioners. • Make sense of research reports in practitioner and other journals. • Conduct a research project and write a technical report that is accessible and interesting to management and administrative practitioners. • Critically evaluate popular and technical reports of management research, and assess the validity of the research conclusions. • Develop their curiosity, creativity, and collaborative skills that are essential to doing good research. • Increase their confidence in using and interpreting basic quantitative and qualitative analyses.

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Readings Research articles that illustrate the methodological concepts covered in this course will be available on Moodle. A Glossary of key concepts that provides definitions of the methodological terms addressed each week will also be available on Moodle. Supplemental websites that further explain the pivotal concepts in the course are provided in the course outline. Navarro, D. J., Foxcroft, D. R., & Faulkenberry, T. J. (2019). Learning statistics with JASP: A tutorial for psychology students and other beginners (Version 1/√2). This free, open-source textbook accompanies the JASP statistics program, which is also free and downloadable. Please ensure that you do the readings before each class so that we may focus on applications and discussion during class. This course is very interactive and if you do not do the readings before class, it will hinder you and your peers from getting the most out of class activities. Moodle Readings, assignments, and other course information will be made available on the course website on Moodle. Please ensure that you have access to the course website, and please check regularly for updates. Class objectives and key slides will be posted before each class. NOTE: Changes to this document will be announced in class or posted on Moodle. Occasional absence from class may be unavoidable, but is not a valid excuse for not staying informed. It is your responsibility to keep up to date on what is said and done in class. Intellectual Property Content belonging to instructors shared in online courses, including, but not limited to, online lectures, course notes, and video recordings of classes remains the intellectual property of the faculty member. It may not be distributed, published, or broadcast, in whole or in part, without the express permission of the faculty member. Students are also forbidden to use their own means of recording any elements of an online class or lecture without express permission of the instructor. Any unauthorized sharing of course content may constitute a breach of the Academic Code of Conduct and/or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities. As specified in the Policy on Intellectual Property, the University does not claim any ownership of, or interest in, any student intellectual property. All university members retain copyright over their work. Course Expectations Because active participation is strongly emphasized in this course, you are expected to come to class prepared to participate. • Read the assigned materials before each class. • Attend all classes; show up on time and be present for the entire duration of the class. • Contribute to creating an environment conducive to learning. • Actively contribute to class discussions and exercises. 2

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Assessments Team assignments [30%] Four homework assignments allow you to practice important concepts discussed in class that will be essential to writing successful research reports. Assignments are generally 1 to 3 pages and are done in groups of four or five students. Detailed guidelines will be provided for all assignments. Each assignment is due at the beginning of class on the date specified. Peer assessments will be conducted at the end of the semester to ensure fairness of marks. Final examination [35%] Exam questions are largely based on texts that describe research studies, similar to those studied in class. Class preparation, attendance, and participation are critical for good performance on the exam. The exam will be held during the University’s final examination period, and will be run on the Concordia Online Exams (COLE) platform with online proctoring. For more information, please see the section “Important Information about Final Examination” on the next page. Individual research report [35%] You will be assigned a project topic and data set, and you will prepare a written report (no more than 1200 words) of the research issue and findings. This is an individual assignment that will be due at the end of term. Detailed guidelines will be provided later in the term. Assessment as related to Learning Objectives: Assessment Objective Explain the relevance of management research to business and administrative practitioners Make sense of research reports in practitioner and other journals Conduct a research project and write a technical report that is accessible and interesting to management and administrative practitioners Critically evaluate popular and technical reports of management research, and assess the validity of the research conclusions Develop your curiosity, creativity, and collaborative skills that are essential to doing good research Increase your confidence in using and interpreting basic quantitative and qualitative analyses

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Homework Assignments

Individual project

Final Examination

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Important Information about Final Examination The final exam will be provided through the Concordia Online Exams (COLE) platform with online proctoring (also known as auto-proctoring). More information about the COLE system may be found at the COLE website (http://www.concordia.ca/COLE). Please note the following with respect to the final exam: • That the exam will take place during the University’s final examination period at the designated date and time set by the Exams Office. All exam times will be set to Eastern Standard/Daylight Time. • That your image, voice, and screen activity will be recorded throughout the duration of the exam. • That you must show your Concordia University Identification card to validate your identity. Alternative government-issued photo identification will be accepted, though it is not recommended. Only identification in English or French will be accepted. • That any recording made will only be viewed by authorized university personnel (no external entity has authorization to review the recording). • That you will be responsible for ensuring appropriate, properly functioning technology (webcam, a microphone, appropriate browser and an ability to download any necessary software, as well as a reliable Internet connection with a minimum of a 3G connection). • That you are very strongly recommended to enter the virtual test site found at the COLE website (http://www.concordia.ca/COLE) and become familiar with the software that will be used for your exam before starting the exam. • That you will need a quiet place within which to take the exam. Earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones that are not connected to a device may also be used to allow you to focus for the duration of the exam. Students who are unable to write the exam because they are unable to meet the above conditions and requirements are advised that they will need to drop the course. Information on the next offerings of this course can be obtained by consulting the Department. Students are advised that the drop deadline (DNE) for this course is January 26th, 2021. Students who require additional accommodations for the exam due to documented accessibility needs should contact the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) as soon as possible ([email protected]). If you face issues during the exam, you should inform your professor of those issues immediately. Please note that there are in-exam supports you should spend time getting to know. Visit the COLE website (http://www.concordia.ca/COLE) for more information.

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Academic Integrity You will be held to Concordia’s standard of academic integrity. The Academic Integrity website (http://www.concordia.ca/students/academic-integrity.html) has the details. The most common offense under the Academic Code of Conduct is plagiarism, which the Code defines as “the presentation of the work of another person as one’s own or without proper acknowledgement.” This includes material copied word for word from books, journals, Internet sites, professor’s course notes, etc. It refers to material that is paraphrased, but closely resembles the original source. It also includes, for example, the work of a fellow student, an answer on a quiz, data for a lab report, a paper or assignment completed by another student. It might be a paper purchased from any source. Plagiarism does not refer to words alone – it can refer to copying images, graphs, tables and ideas. “Presentation” is not limited to written work. It includes oral presentations, computer assignments and artistic works. Finally, if you translate the work of another person into any other language and do not cite the source, this is also plagiarism. In simple words: Be ethical. Do not copy, paraphrase, or translate anything from anywhere without saying where you obtained it. Behaviour All individuals participating in courses are expected to be professional and constructive throughout the course, including in their communications. Concordia students are subject to the Code of Rights and Responsibilities, which applies when students are both physically and virtually engaged in any University activity, including classes, seminars, meetings, etc. Students engaged in University activities must respect this Code when engaging with any members of the Concordia community, including faculty, staff, and students, whether such interactions are verbal or in writing, face to face or online/virtual. Failing to comply with the Code may result in charges and sanctions, as outlined in the Code. Extraordinary Circumstances In the event of extraordinary circumstances and pursuant to the Academic Regulations, the University may modify the delivery, content, structure, forum, location, and/or evaluation scheme. In the event of such extraordinary circumstances, students will be informed of the changes.

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SCHEDULE (May Be Subject to Change) Class

Topic

Key concepts (see Glossary)

Readings

Jan 18

1. Why do management research? Scientific research can change the way we do business.

Applied research Research process

Illustrative research: • Scientific research • Workspaces and employee performance

Jan 25

2. Building explanations: Using the literature to develop reasonable hypotheses. Types of variables and their functions.

Theoretical framework Key variables • Dependent • Independent • Mediating • Moderating Literature review and databases Bivariate hypotheses

Illustrative research: • Building explanations • Looks count • Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals (Morisano, Hirsh, Peterson, Pihl, & Shore, 2010) – focus on pages 1-2 http://www.mymarketresearchmethods .com/dependent-independentvariables-whats-difference/ https://sites.uni.edu/butlera/courses/or g/modmed/moderator_mediator.htm

Feb 01

3. Causes and effects: What is special about experiments.

Causality Manipulation Random assignment Control of extraneous variables Field and lab experiments Internal validity • Selection effect • Subject effect • Experimenter effect External validity Ethics of experimental design

Illustrative research: • Navarro, Foxcroft, and Faulkenberry (2019), chapter 2, pages 25-26 • Taking care of the auditors • How Facebook use affects wellbeing • Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals (Morisano et al., 2010) – focus on pages 3-4 https://conjointly.com/kb/experimental -design/

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January 4th version

Class

Topic

Key concepts (see Glossary)

Readings

Feb 08

4. Finding answers in the data: Statistical analysis of group differences using JASP (t-tests and ANOVA).

Levels of measurement • Nominal (Categorical) • Interval (Continuous) • Ratio (Continuous) Likert scale Coding key JASP t-test One-way ANOVA

Illustrative research: • Navarro et al. (2019), chapter 1, especially pages 3-9; chapter 2, pages 13-22; chapter 3 • Taking care of the auditors • Teachers’ expectations (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1966)

Statistics workshop

https://conjointly.com/kb/statisticalstudent-t-test/ https://statistics.laerd.com/statisticalguides/one-way-anova-statisticalguide.php http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/qm ss/anova/about_the_anova_test.html

Feb 15

5. Interpreting statistical analyses, drawing conclusions and making recommendations for action. Assignment 1 is due

Descriptive statistic Inferential statistic Value of test statistic Statistical significance (p-value) Marginal significance One-tailed and two-tailed tests Null hypothesis Rationale for non-experimental designs

Illustrative research: • Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals (Morisano et al., 2010) – focus on pages 4-7 • Refreshing work

Survey/Field study Internal validity issues • Reverse causation • Spurious relationships Reliability and validity of measures Questionnaire design • Closed- versus open-ended questions • Memory aids • Sensitive questions • Double-barrelled questions Ethics of data collection (freedom from coercion, informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality)

Illustrative research: • Navarro et al. (2019), chapter 2, pages 22-23 • Bunn builds a measure • Concordia Personal Safety Audit survey • Refreshing work • Diversity: A double-edged sword

Feb 22 6. Survey questionnaires are popular: Correlation, cause, and rival explanations. Design and critique of survey questions.

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Class

Topic

Key concepts (see Glossary)

Readings

March 08

7. Sampling and survey distribution. Finding answers in the data: Analysis and interpretation of survey data using JASP (correlation coefficients and regression).

Distribution techniques Random and convenience samples External validity Reverse coding Index Cronbach’s alpha Correlation coefficient One-tailed versus two-tailed test Multiple regression analysis

Illustrative research: • Navarro et al. (2019), chapter 2, pages 27-28 • Refreshing work • Baking fever (Reda, n.d.) https://explorable.com/correlation-andregression https://explorable.com/statisticalcorrelation

Statistics workshop https://explorable.com/linearregression-analysis

Assignment 2 is due

March 15

8. Time-based conundrums: Longitudinal designs and program evaluation. Preparation for individual project

Cross-sectional versus longitudinal designs Proximal outcome Distal outcome Internal validity issues • History • Mortality • Maturation

Illustrative research: • Navarro et al. (2019), chapter 2, pages 31-40 • Setting, elaborating, and reflecting on personal goals (Morisano et al., 2010) • How Facebook use affects wellbeing http://www.iwh.on.ca/wrmb/crosssectional-vs-longitudinal-studies

March 22

9. Qualitative research: Interviews, observation schedules, and more ethical concerns. Finding answers and encountering surprises in qualitative data analysis: Content analysis and contingency tables.

Open-ended and closed-ended questions Transcription of interview data Expected and emergent themes Inter-rater reliability Illustrative comments Contingency table Chi-square analysis

Assignment 3 is due

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Illustrative research: • Bunn builds a measure • Career advice (Xie, Bitton, Leithman, & Wallace, n.d.) • Handshakes as information (Stewart, Dustin, Barrick, & Darnold, 2008) • Are wealthy people less ethical? (Dye, 2014) • Managing emotions during a job interview (Sieverding, 2009)

January 4th version

Class

Topic

Key concepts (see Glossary)

March 29

10. Tips for preparing an engaging and useful research report.

Abstract Introduction Method: Participants, Measures Results Discussion References

April 05

No Class Easter Monday

April 12

11. Q&A session about individual project.

Readings

Assignment 4 is due April 19 12. Q&A session about individual project. Practice exam using COLE with online proctoring Replacing April 5th April 21

13. Review exercises for final examination. Individual project is due The final exam will be held during the University’s final examination period.

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