A note on the research philosophy-type grid: for MBA students
Referring to the grid, some options tend to be conceptually more coherent than others (re: Lecture note on research types and their preferred research philosophies )
Please provide an example on each of the following
research theme cases, by coming up with (1) two research objectives, (2) 2
research questions, and (3) 2 relevant research issues:
Research theme case 1: examine the impacts of extremely hot
weather on the mainland tourists' consumer behavior in the shopping malls in
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, based on pragmatism and descriptive research
Research theme case 2: examine the impacts of extremely hot
weather on the mainland tourists' consumer behavior in the shopping malls in
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, based on pragmatism and exploratory research
Research theme case 3: examine the impacts of extremely hot
weather on the mainland tourists' consumer behavior in the shopping malls in
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, based on interpretivism and descriptive research
Research theme case 4: examine the impacts of extremely hot
weather on the mainland tourists' consumer behavior in the shopping malls in
Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, based on positivism and causal research
Research theme case 5: examine the impacts of extremely hot weather on the mainland tourists' consumer behavior in the shopping malls in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, based on pragmatism and evaluation research
My
intention is to learn how the chosen research philosophy and research type to study a research theme affect
the formulation of research objectives, research issues as well as the research
issues to respond to. For the 5 research theme cases, the research theme is the same.
The research
topic remains the same, but the research philosophy and research type
change what the study treats as knowledge, what it tries to discover or
measure, and how its research objectives and questions are worded. In
simplified terms, positivism emphasizes measurable cause-and-effect
relationships, interpretivism emphasizes tourists’ meanings and lived
experiences, while pragmatism emphasizes findings that can help shopping malls
respond to a practical problem.elearning.univ-mila+1
For consistency,
“extremely hot weather” could be operationalized using Hong Kong Observatory
indicators, such as the Very Hot Weather Warning or an “Extremely Hot Weather”
alert when temperatures generally reach 35°C or above.hko.gov+1
Research theme 1
Pragmatism and descriptive research
Research objectives
1.
To describe how
extremely hot weather affects mainland tourists’ shopping frequency, time
spent, spending levels, product choices and use of mall facilities in Tsim Sha
Tsui.
2.
To identify the
practical measures that mainland tourists consider most useful for maintaining
or improving their shopping experience during extremely hot weather.
Research questions
1.
How does extremely
hot weather influence mainland tourists’ shopping frequency, duration of
visits, expenditure and product choices in Tsim Sha Tsui shopping malls?
2.
Which mall
facilities or services do mainland tourists use, and which measures do they
perceive as most helpful during extremely hot weather?
Relevant research issues
1.
The extent to
which extreme heat changes tourists’ observable consumer behaviour, including
shortened visits, reduced browsing, greater purchases of beverages or cooling
products, and increased use of indoor resting areas.
2.
The adequacy and
practical usefulness of mall responses, such as air-conditioning, shaded access
routes, rest areas, water stations, cooling facilities and weather-related
promotions.
How the approach shapes the study
The purpose is
primarily to describe the current situation rather than prove that heat
causes a particular behaviour. Pragmatism allows the researcher to combine
questionnaires, mall observations and interviews if doing so produces
practically useful findings.
Research theme 2
Pragmatism and exploratory research
Research objectives
1.
To explore the
different ways in which extremely hot weather may influence mainland tourists’
decision-making, emotions, shopping motivations and movement between shopping
malls in Tsim Sha Tsui.
2.
To generate a
preliminary conceptual explanation of how tourists adapt their consumption
behaviour to extreme heat and to identify potential factors for future
investigation.
Research questions
1.
In what ways do
mainland tourists describe the influence of extremely hot weather on their
shopping decisions and experiences in Tsim Sha Tsui?
2.
What unexpected
behavioural adaptations, coping strategies or consumption opportunities emerge
when mainland tourists shop in shopping malls during extremely hot weather?
Relevant research issues
1.
There may be
behavioural effects that are not captured by predetermined survey categories,
such as avoiding outdoor attractions, selecting malls according to their
accessibility, shopping only in highly air-conditioned areas, or treating malls
as cooling and resting spaces.
2.
Tourists may
differ in how they interpret extreme heat depending on age, travel itinerary,
previous experience of Hong Kong weather, health condition, group composition
and shopping purpose.
How the approach shapes the study
Exploratory
research is appropriate when the researcher does not yet know all the relevant
variables or mechanisms. The questions therefore use terms such as “in what
ways,” “how,” “unexpected,” and “emerge.” A pragmatic design might begin
with semi-structured interviews or focus groups and then use a questionnaire to
examine whether the emerging patterns appear more widely.
Research theme 3
Interpretivism and descriptive research
Research objectives
1.
To describe how
mainland tourists subjectively experience and make sense of extremely hot
weather while shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui shopping malls.
2.
To interpret how
tourists’ personal meanings of comfort, inconvenience, enjoyment, risk and
value shape their shopping behaviour during extremely hot weather.
Research questions
1.
How do mainland
tourists describe their lived experiences of shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui during
extremely hot weather?
2.
How do tourists
interpret the relationship between heat, physical comfort, emotions and their
decisions to continue, modify or stop shopping?
Relevant research issues
1.
The meaning of
“extremely hot” may differ among tourists; some may regard the heat as a
temporary inconvenience, whereas others may experience it as a serious health
risk or a major disruption to their itinerary.
2.
Tourists’ consumer
behaviour may be socially and culturally situated. For example, group members
may negotiate whether to continue shopping, rest in a mall, change destinations
or prioritize particular stores.
How the approach shapes the study
Although the study
is descriptive, interpretivism means that description is not limited to
counting behaviour. It seeks a rich account of how tourists understand and
experience the situation. Suitable data could include in-depth interviews,
travel diaries or accompanied shopping observations, followed by thematic or
interpretive analysis.
The focus is not
necessarily to claim that one objective temperature produces one universal
response. Instead, it recognizes that the same weather condition may be
experienced differently by different tourists.
Research theme 4
Positivism and causal research
Research objectives
1.
To test whether
exposure to extremely hot weather causes significant changes in mainland
tourists’ shopping duration, spending, purchase intentions and use of mall
facilities in Tsim Sha Tsui.
2.
To estimate the
causal effects of heat exposure on consumer behaviour while controlling for
factors such as age, gender, income, travel group size, shopping purpose,
weekday or weekend, and mall characteristics.
Research questions
1.
Does extremely hot
weather significantly reduce mainland tourists’ shopping duration and increase
their use of indoor cooling and resting facilities?
2.
What is the causal
effect of extremely hot weather on mainland tourists’ spending, purchase
intentions and likelihood of visiting multiple shopping malls?
Relevant research issues
1.
Establishing
causality: observed changes in spending or shopping duration may result from
heat, but they may also be caused by tourist volume, promotions, exchange
rates, public holidays, store type or individual shopping preferences.
2.
Measurement and
research design: the study must define heat exposure and consumer outcomes
precisely and use a design capable of supporting causal inference, such as a
natural experiment, before-and-after comparison, matched comparison of hot and
non-hot days, or regression analysis with control variables.
How the approach shapes the study
Positivism treats
key concepts as measurable variables and seeks objective evidence of
relationships. A possible model would be:
Consumer behaviour=f(heat exposure,
tourist characteristics, mall conditions, calendar effects)
The researcher
might measure:
- Heat exposure: temperature,
heat index, humidity or presence of a Very Hot Weather Warning.
- Shopping duration: minutes
spent in the mall.
- Spending: Hong Kong dollar
value of purchases.
- Shopping breadth: number of
stores or malls visited.
- Facility use: frequency of
visits to rest areas, food courts or cooling zones.
A causal question
should not merely ask whether heat and spending are “related.” It should ask
whether heat produces a change after alternative explanations have been
addressed.
Research theme 5
Pragmatism and evaluation research
Research objectives
1.
To evaluate the
effectiveness of shopping mall measures designed to reduce the negative effects
of extremely hot weather on mainland tourists’ shopping experience and consumer
behaviour.
2.
To assess whether
heat-response measures improve tourists’ comfort, satisfaction, time spent in
the mall, shopping intention and willingness to revisit or recommend the mall.
Research questions
1.
How effective are
mall measures such as air-conditioning, shaded access, rest areas,
drinking-water facilities, cooling stations and heat-related promotions in
supporting mainland tourists during extremely hot weather?
2.
To what extent do
these measures improve tourists’ satisfaction, shopping engagement, spending
intention and intention to revisit the shopping mall?
Relevant research issues
1.
Defining
effectiveness: an intervention may improve physical comfort without increasing
spending, or it may increase time spent in the mall without improving satisfaction.
The evaluation must therefore consider both consumer and operational outcomes.
2.
Stakeholder and
implementation issues: the same measure may be viewed differently by tourists,
mall managers, retailers and employees, and its effectiveness may depend on visibility,
accessibility, maintenance, cost and actual use.
How the approach shapes the study
Evaluation
research asks whether a policy, service or intervention works and how it can be
improved. Pragmatism is suitable because the researcher can use multiple forms
of evidence:
- Tourist surveys to measure
comfort, satisfaction, spending intention and revisit intention.
- Observations to record
whether facilities are visible and used.
- Interviews with mall
managers and retailers to understand implementation.
- Comparisons between tourists
who used a heat-response measure and those who did not.
- Sales or footfall data, if
available, to examine operational outcomes.
The emphasis is
therefore not simply on describing behaviour or discovering meanings. It is on
producing a judgement about the value and effectiveness of particular
interventions.
Overall comparison
|
Theme |
Main emphasis |
Typical wording of objectives |
Nature of research issues |
|
Pragmatism + descriptive |
Describe the situation and identify
practical needs |
“Describe,” “identify,” “measure” |
What behaviours
occur, how often they occur, and what tourists need |
|
Pragmatism + exploratory |
Discover patterns and possible explanations |
“Explore,” “identify emerging factors,”
“generate” |
Unknown
mechanisms, unexpected adaptations and new variables |
|
Interpretivism + descriptive |
Describe and interpret lived experience |
“Understand,” “describe experiences,”
“interpret meanings” |
Subjective
meanings, different experiences and social context |
|
Positivism + causal |
Test whether heat produces behavioural
changes |
“Test,” “estimate effects,” “determine
whether” |
Causality,
measurement, confounding variables and statistical validity |
|
Pragmatism + evaluation |
Judge the effectiveness of interventions |
“Evaluate,” “assess effectiveness,”
“improve” |
Whether measures
work, for whom, under what conditions and at what cost |
Key distinction
The phrase “research
issues” should not be treated as another name for research questions. A
research issue is the underlying problem, gap, uncertainty or practical concern
that makes the research necessary.
For example:
- Research
issue: It is unclear whether extreme heat causes
tourists to shorten their shopping visits.
- Research
question: Does extreme heat reduce mainland tourists’
shopping duration?
- Research
objective: To test the effect of extreme heat on
mainland tourists’ shopping duration.
The same broad
topic can therefore produce different formulations:
- Descriptive: What consumer behaviours occur during extreme heat?
- Exploratory: How might extreme heat alter tourists’ shopping decisions in
unexpected ways?
- Interpretive: What meaning do tourists attach to heat-related discomfort while
shopping?
- Causal: Does extreme heat cause tourists to reduce their shopping
duration?
- Evaluative: How effective are mall cooling measures in maintaining tourists’
shopping engagement?
In practice, the
five designs should not be treated as completely interchangeable. A descriptive
study can report patterns, but it should avoid strong causal claims; an
exploratory study can generate concepts, but it normally does not establish
population-wide effects; an interpretivist study can provide rich
understanding, but it is not primarily designed to estimate average treatment
effects; and an evaluation study must specify the intervention and the criteria
used to judge its success.
