Methods and Methodology in Cross Cultural Research

Time: 08.06. – 12.06.2015

Place: Vaasa university, Vaasa

Aim: There is an increasing trend in management research to conduct cross-cultural, cross-national and cross-disciplinary studies. Methods and methodology for comparative studies, however, require special knowledge and special skills. Researchers involved in cross-cultural comparative projects need to be familiar with the cross-cultural research methods and even be able to create novel methods and techniques in order to increase the validity, reliability, and trustworthiness of cross-cultural research. The empirical design becomes even more complicated, when studies are conducted in transitional and developing economies.

The course provides knowledge in:

§ conducting cross-cultural research

§ quantitative and qualitative cross-cultural comparative methodology

§ doing cross-cultural collaborative research

§ doing research in transitional and developing economies

§ doing research outside your own home country

Learning objectives: After the course the participants are familiar with relevant methodological literature on cross-cultural methods. They are able to use the literature as a guideline for their own methodological choices. The participants will understand the difficulties but also the opportunities of conducting cross-cultural research. The participants will receive knowledge, understanding and preparedness to independently develop skills in conducing empirical cross-cultural research.

Target group: Doctoral students and post doctoral researchers who are conducting or are aiming to conduct comparative cross-national/cultural or international research. The participants should be doctoral students or faculty members of universities of KATAJA or cooperation partners of KATAJA.

Amount of participants: Maximum 25 participants will be accepted to the course.

Instructors

– Professor Edwin Nijssen, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands: Use of borrowed scales, experiences from cross-cultural research

– Professor Hartmut H. Holzmueller, TU Dortmund University, Germany: Multi-centric team management, experiences from cross-cultural research, qualitative research methodology

– Professor Thomas Salzberger, Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Austria: Emic and etic methodology, quantitative cross-cultural research

Examination: In order to pass the course you are required to

· read literature for each session (see the preliminary program)

· be active during the sessions

· send in for all participants one page research proposal with emphasis on methods ONE week before the start of the course

· prepare 3 ppt slides for your brief research proposal presentation in the beginning of the course

· hand in a revised research proposal focusing on cross-cultural methods one month after the course that reflects ALL the course literature (articles, books, and slides) as well as other information given during the course (ca. 15 pages)

· in order to get credits you need to pass all the above parts of the course

Course credits: 6 ECTS

Course coordinator:

The course coordinator is Professor Jorma Larimo ( jla@uva.fi) and for practical arrangements, please, be in contact with Yi Wang ( wyi@uwasa.fi) at the Department of Marketing of the University of Vaasa.

Application: Because the course is a joint EIASM – KATAJA course all the applications have to be directed to EIASM.

Please find below the link to seminar announcement and application info:

http://www.eiasm.org/frontoffice/eden_announcement.asp?event_id=1113

The application deadline is February 27, 2015.