| About the Authors | p. ix |
| Acknowledgements | p. xi |
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Background and major themes | p. 1 |
| Using this book | p. 4 |
| Chapter structure/studying each chapter | p. 6 |
| The research/consultancy project | p. 7 |
| Concluding comments | p. 8 |
| Managing Your Development as a Manager | p. 10 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 10 |
| The importance of continued professional development for the manager | p. 11 |
| Approaches to professional development: self-development | p. 12 |
| Action learning: process and principles | p. 14 |
| Working with and learning from others | p. 15 |
| Planning a self-development program | p. 16 |
| Concluding comments | p. 20 |
| References | p. 20 |
| Glossary | p. 20 |
| Introduction to Research in Management | p. 21 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 21 |
| The theoretical antecedents to management research: epistemological versus ontological orientations | p. 22 |
| Deductive versus inductive research | p. 23 |
| Nomothetic versus ideographic research | p. 32 |
| Problems and issues in management consultancy-type research | p. 36 |
| Concluding comments | p. 39 |
| References | p. 39 |
| Glossary | p. 40 |
| Management Consultancy and Research | p. 42 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 42 |
| The consultant and consultancy: development and meaning | p. 43 |
| Why organizations use consultants: advantages and contributions | p. 44 |
| Disadvantages and limitations of management consultants | p. 46 |
| Management consultancy: types, roles, and activities | p. 48 |
| Internal versus external consultants | p. 53 |
| Developments in management consultancy approaches and techniques | p. 54 |
| Professional and ethical issues in management consultancy and research | p. 55 |
| Concluding comments | p. 56 |
| References | p. 56 |
| Glossary | p. 57 |
| The Consultancy Research Process | p. 58 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 58 |
| Management consultancy and research: an overview | p. 59 |
| Initiating the consultancy/research process: meeting/identifying the client | p. 59 |
| The consultancy research project/topic | p. 63 |
| Planning and agreeing the consultancy/research brief | p. 67 |
| Designing and agreeing the research plan | p. 68 |
| Completing the consultancy cycle | p. 69 |
| Concluding comments | p. 70 |
| References | p. 70 |
| Glossary | p. 71 |
| An Overview of Data Collection: Approaches, Methods, and Techniques | p. 72 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 72 |
| Data, information, and decisions | p. 73 |
| Types of data | p. 74 |
| Methods of data collection | p. 77 |
| Issues in data collection | p. 78 |
| Choosing between data collection methods | p. 82 |
| Concluding comments | p. 85 |
| References | p. 86 |
| Glossary | p. 87 |
| Data Collection: Secondary Data | p. 88 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 88 |
| Secondary data: meaning and scope | p. 89 |
| Planning secondary data collection | p. 91 |
| Internal secondary data | p. 95 |
| External secondary data | p. 97 |
| Criteria for evaluating secondary data | p. 102 |
| Concluding comments | p. 104 |
| References | p. 104 |
| Glossary | p. 105 |
| Data Collection: Observational Research | p. 107 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 107 |
| The nature and purpose of observational research | p. 108 |
| Observation approaches and techniques | p. 110 |
| Planning and implementing observational research | p. 116 |
| Other issues in observational research | p. 119 |
| Concluding comments | p. 121 |
| References | p. 121 |
| Glossary | p. 122 |
| Data Collection: Experimental, Quasi-experimental, and Action Research | p. 123 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 123 |
| The nature and purpose of experimentation: classical experimentation | p. 124 |
| Structuring experimental research design: key steps | p. 128 |
| Quasi-experimentation | p. 132 |
| Action research | p. 134 |
| Concluding comments | p. 137 |
| References | p. 138 |
| Glossary | p. 139 |
| Data Collection: Asking Questions | p. 140 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 140 |
| Ethics in research | p. 141 |
| Questioning as a means of data collection | p. 143 |
| Interviews | p. 146 |
| Questionnaires, surveys, and samples | p. 151 |
| Surveys | p. 160 |
| Concluding comments | p. 165 |
| References | p. 166 |
| Glossary | p. 167 |
| Analyzing Data: Nature and Purpose | p. 168 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 168 |
| Using and building models | p. 169 |
| Modeling through equations | p. 170 |
| Building models | p. 172 |
| Analysis: nature and roles | p. 173 |
| The purpose of analysis | p. 176 |
| Quantitative versus qualitative data analysis | p. 177 |
| Concluding comments | p. 180 |
| References | p. 181 |
| Glossary | p. 181 |
| Analyzing Qualitative Data | p. 182 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 182 |
| Qualitative analysis | p. 183 |
| Semiotics | p. 188 |
| Dialectics: an alternative form of argument | p. 192 |
| Steps in analyzing qualitative data | p. 194 |
| Issues in and approaches to analyzing qualitative data | p. 196 |
| Concluding comments | p. 197 |
| References | p. 198 |
| Glossary | p. 199 |
| Actioning Research | p. 200 |
| Learning outcomes | p. 200 |
| Interpreting and diagnosing research findings, making recommendations and taking decisions | p. 201 |
| Designing the implementation and action plans | p. 204 |
| Implementation and follow up | p. 204 |
| Control and evaluation: disengagement | p. 206 |
| Concluding Comments | p. 208 |
| References | p. 209 |
| Glossary | p. 210 |
| Activity Solutions | p. 211 |
| Bibliography | p. 219 |
| Introduction to Management Research | p. 227 |
| Internet Gateways, Research and Databases, Search Engines and Directories for Social Science Researchers | p. 234 |
| Amalgamated Glossary | p. 236 |
| Referencing and Advice on Presentation | p. 241 |
| Resources for Methods in Evaluation and Social Research | p. 287 |
| Index | p. 289 |
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