The nature of business and management research - Understanding theory: components and connections

Question

What is a concept?

Answer 1

Generally accepted collection of meanings, characteristics, associated with certain events, objects, conditions, situations and behaviors.

--> hight, width, depth are conception of propersies, also 'profit'

--> running, walking, skipping, crawling, hopping also concepts of momvement.

Answer 2

A construct aims at more abstract side of research, therefore it is widely used in social research. A construct is usually build up of a number of concepts, since constructs are more abstract and difficult to define they tend to consist of more than one concept.

Answer 3

By using operational definitions we make the more abstract and difficult to understand constructs and making them measurable

Answer 4

The MV adds a condition or extra relationship to the DV, for example: age, income etc.

Answer 5

succes of research hinges on how clearly we conceptualize and how well others understands the concepts we use

Answer 6

There are common used concepts that ar enot well understood: leadershp, motivation, personality, social class.

Concepts provide progressive levels of abstraction. Table is a very objective concept, but personality is more difficult to visualice.

Answer 7

Control variable: To make sure that other factors do not effect our DV.

Confounding variable: Basically the same as the CV, only aims at reducing the bias of other variables.

Intervening variable: A variable that effect the IV and MV, so it indirectly effects the DV, however it cannot be measured directly, since it works via the IV and MV.

Answer 8

Interrelationships between concepts and constructs. (concept can be composed of constructs)

Answer 9

2nd independent variable that is included because it is believed to have a contributory or contignent effect on the original IV-DV relationship.

Answer 10

Een "extraneous variable" (EV) waarvan men verwacht deze invloed zal hebben op de relatie tussen "Independent variable" (IV) en "dependent variable" (DV).

Answer 11

A variable that can have an effect on a given relationship. Some are IVs or MVs but many are just ignored. Some influence the DV, but their effect is not the core of th eproblem we investigate.

Still, we can include them as control variables to ensure that the results ar enot biased by including them.

Answer 12

When a variable affect a relation between IV and DV or between MV and DV. The effect of IV on DV decreases due to the confounding variable.

For example: effect of training on productivity, decreases when there is pre-knowledge.

Answer 13

An IVV is a conceptual mechanism through wihc the IV and MV might affect the DV. The IVV can be defined as a factor tha theoretically affect the DV but cannot be observed or has not been measured.

It's effecct must be inferred from the effects ofthe independent and moderator variables onthe observed phenomenon.