Paper Example on Qualitative Designs for DBA Research

Introduction

Phenomenological and case study research designs are both qualitative research methods, but they are designed to accomplish different purposes. Phenomenological research seeks to reveal the personal perspectives and lived experiences of participants while a case study explores the development of one phenomenon over a period in detail. The two designs have several differences in their procedures and application. First, in phenomenology, the primary method of data collection is in-depth personal interviews while in case of studies, researchers collect data through questionnaires, interviews, and observations.

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Secondly, phenomenology compiles several individual experiences while case studies focus on single individuals, organizations, events, or incidents (Saunders Lewis & Thornhill, 2015). The level of depth required in interviews with each of the multiple participants makes phenomenological studies more time-consuming than case studies, which direct attention to single instances, single units. Moreover, case studies cost less than phenomenological studies because of their flexibility regarding data collection methods (Saunders et al., 2015). Instead of interviews, a researcher can use questionnaires or observation to save time.

Significant differences also occur in the objectivity and generalizability of the two types of study designs. On the one hand, phenomenological studies are more generalizable across populations because they involve multiple participants while case studies have problems with generalizability because of the limited nature of their participants. On another hand, a case study gives more objective results than phenomenological research because its accuracy depends on the study itself and not the capabilities of the researcher and participants while a phenomenological study is subjective.

Case studies have many benefits for a DBA doctoral research. One of the most its most important advantages is the expansion of researcher's experiences, giving them new insights that contribute to the growth of study and knowledge. Their in-depth nature leads researchers into noting essential details that may create the need for further research (Yin, 2018). For example, Stanley Milgram used a case study to investigate the relationship between social pressure and morality. Random participants acting as teachers were asked students questions and punished them with an electric shock for each wrong answer. The participants supposed that the voltage increased each time they administered the punishment, and the students were asked to behave as if the shock was real, though it was not. The teachers were forced to apply the penalty to see those who reach the highest voltage, and more than a half did (Hancock & Algozzine, 2016). The experiment provided the critical discovery that social pressure influences moral behavior.

Moreover, through case studies, it is possible to test programs, problems, and processes to gain insight for informing policy, evaluating programs and improving practice in business administration. Although the outcomes of a case study have low generalizability, they form a crucial basis for policy development and changes because they challenge conventional ideas, practices, and theories. An example is the case of John/John where a male baby known as Bruce, was reassigned female sex through surgical operation. The study proved that the baby, though brought up as a girl, remained a boy all his life (Hancock & Algozzine, 2016). The case study disapproved the idea that upbringing determines sex.

Conclusion

Lastly, case studies are useful for DBA research because of their intensity of study. The design enables doctoral researchers to investigate complex social units that have many variables of significance to the investigation. The single focus of a case study makes its exploration deeper than other research methods. A case study also gives a holistic and rich understanding of a phenomenon because it is based on actual contexts (Yin, 2018). An example of such a study was case of Genie, who failed to develop cognitive and physical abilities because her father isolated her for over a decade. The outcome of the experiment made researchers learn important lessons about social environment and development.

References

Hancock, D. R., & Algozzine, B. (2016). Doing case study research: A practical guide for beginning researchers. Teachers College Press.Saunders, M. N. K., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2015). Research methods for business students (7th ed.). Essex, England: Pearson Education Unlimited.

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.