Research Methods for Operations Management, second edition is a toolkit of research approaches primarily for advanced students and beginner researchers but also a reference book for any researcher in OM. Many students begin their career in research limited by the one or few approaches taken by their department. The concise, accessible overviews found here equip them with an understanding of a variety of methods and how to use them, enabling them to tailor their research project to their own strengths and goals.

Table of Contents

• List of figures
• List of tables
• List of contributors
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Introduction to the book - CHRISTER KARLSSON
• Chapter overview
• 1.1 Introduction
• 1.2 How to use the book
• 1.3 Plan of the book
• 1.4 Introduction to the second edition
• 2 Research in operations management - CHRISTER KARLSSON
• 2.1 Introduction
• What is research?
• Why do research?
• Why do this research?
• Research in operations management
• 2.2 Research outputs and targets
• The aims and scope of research
• The triad targets of academia, practice, and society
• 2.3 Roles of the researcher
• Type of research
• Different roles for a researcher
• 2.4 The research process
• 2.5 Research as contribution to knowledge
• The concept of knowledge
• Philosophy, truths, and realities
• The logic of reaching a conclusion
• Deductive, inductive, and abductive research
• Existing knowledge and research contribution
• From exploration to knowing how and why
• Creating and developing knowledge
• 2.6 What to research for academia and practice
• Starting with the intended contribution
• Alternative starting points
• Reverse logic
• Building the chain of evidence
• The problem–method–contribution fit
• Value of the contribution – generalizability
• A comprehensive view on contribution
• 2.7 Research quality
• The concept of research quality
• 2.8 Assessing research quality and contribution
• How to review a manuscript
• A checklist for assessing and reviewing research
• Characteristics of good research presentation
• 2.9 Getting published
• Academic publishing
• Targeting the publication
• Publishing process
• Writing the manuscript
• Review process and editing
• 2.10 Research ethics and ethics for researchers
• What are ethics and morals?
• Ethics for researchers
• 2.11 Summary
• What is research and why is it done?
• Research outputs and targets
• Roles of the researcher
• The research process
• Research as contribution to knowledge
• What to research
• The problem–method–contribution fit
• Research quality
• Assessing research quality and contribution
• Characteristics of good research presentation
• Getting published
• Research ethics and ethics for researchers
• References
• Further reading
• 3 The research process - PÄR ÅHLSTRÖM
• Chapter overview
• 3.1 Contributing to knowledge
• 3.2 Choosing a research topic
• 3.3 Using literature to develop the research topic
• 3.4 Developing research questions
• 3.5 Considerations in choosing a research approach
• 3.6 Chapter summary: completing the research cycle
• References
• 4 Surveys - CIPRIANO FORZA
• Chapter overview
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 The survey research process
• 4.3 What is needed prior to survey research design?
• 4.4 How a survey should be designed
• 4.5 Pilot testing the questionnaire
• 4.6 Advancements in theory formalization and survey design
• 4.7 Survey execution
• 4.8 Data analysis and interpretation of results
• 4.9 Information that should be included in articles
• 4.10 Ethical issues in survey research
• 4.11 Summary
• Bibliography
• 5 Case research - CHRIS VOSS, MARK JOHNSON AND JAN GODSELL
• Chapter overview
• 5.1 Introduction
• 5.2 When to use case research
• 5.3 The research framework, constructs and questions
• 5.4 Choosing cases
• 5.5 Developing research instruments and protocols
• 5.6 Conducting the field research
• 5.7 Reliability and validity in case research
• 5.8 Data documentation and coding
• 5.9 Analysis
• 5.10 Conclusion
• References
• 6 Longitudinal field studies - PÄR ÅHLSTRÖM AND CHRISTER KARLSSON
• Chapter overview
• 6.1 Introduction to the longitudinal field study
• 6.2 Setting up the longitudinal field study
• 6.3 Collecting data in the longitudinal field study
• 6.4 Analysing longitudinal field data
• 6.5 Building theory from longitudinal field studies
• 6.6 Evaluating longitudinal field studies
• 6.7 Summary
• Bibliography
• 7 Action research - PAUL COUGHLAN AND DAVID COGHLAN
• 7.1 Introduction
• 7.2 Action in operations
• 7.3 What is AR?
• 7.4 What is needed before selecting action research?
• 7.5 Designing the academic/thesis action research project
• 7.6 Implementing action research
• 7.7 Pre-step: context and purpose
• 7.8 Main steps
• 7.9 Meta learning
• 7.10 Generating theory through action research
• 7.11 Quality in action research
• 7.12 Action research skills
• 7.13 Writing an action research report or dissertation
• 7.14 Publishing/dissemination
• 7.15 Conclusions
• References
• 8 Clinical management research - CHRISTER KARLSSON
• 8.1 Introduction
• 8.2 Characteristics of clinical management research
• Deep insights
• Results for theory and practice
• The researcher as a clinician
• 8.3 Clinical research concept and history
• 8.4 Positioning the clinical approach to management research
• Adjacent concepts
• Positioning versus case and action research
• 8.5 How to do clinical management research
• Approaching the organization
• Types of issues
• Project roles, the contract
• Trusted relations
• Data points
• Interview guides
• Data gathering
• Inquiry
• Critical incidents
• Documentation
• Coding
• Interpretation
• Analysis
• Results and generalizations
• Validity
• 8.6 The clinical research approach in summary
• 8.7 Contemporary published clinical operations management research
• 8.8 Conclusions: applicability, strengths and weaknesses
• Bibliography
• 9 Modelling and simulation - J. WILL M. BERTRAND AND JAN C. FRANSOO
• Chapter overview
• 9.1 Introduction
• 9.2 Origins and development of model-based research in operations management
• 9.3 Methodologies in quantitative modelling
• 9.4 How to conduct quantitative research in operations management
• 9.5 Relevance
• 9.6 Summary
• Bibliography