Practice Quizzes

1. Which one of the following statements is NOT supported by the argument in Chapter 5?

  1. All organizations are political in some senses.
  2. Most management research will have some political implications.
  3. The researcher needs to be alert for political nuances.
  4. The researcher needs to be proactive in developing his or her political agenda from the outset.

Ans: D

2. Which of the following statements, in your view, will be least helpful for gaining access to a company? Access to companies and organizations is facilitated if you ______.

  1. happen to have personal or family contacts there already
  2. manage to get the backing of trade associations and other cross industry organisations
  3. refuse to sign a non-disclosure agreement as this would place unacceptable limitations on the research
  4. are able to gain the support of a key ‘gatekeeper’ who is already inside the organisation

Ans: C

3. Which of the below statements are least likely to enhance your fieldwork? When conducting fieldwork (assuming you have managed to gain access), ______.

  1. it is worth trying to find ‘key informants’ who can help you to understand and explain the data you are receiving
  2. it is important to tell people that you already know a lot about the organization and its industry, and you ask them to confirm and expand on your answers
  3. you should be opportunistic by recognizing and accepting opportunities that are given to but don’t be aggressively ‘pushy’
  4. if you think you are being given little more than organizational PR about an event or project, ask politely if you can talk to some people who have been more critical about what took place

Ans: B

4. Which of the following statements is NOT good advice? In the conduct of fieldwork it is important to ______.

  1. have prior informed consent in writing from all interviewees
  2. protect the identity of informants including all notes and transcripts
  3. provide a list of all interviewees to the company management at the end of study to enhance transparency
  4. be sympathetic to different viewpoints expressed by informants

Ans: C

5. Which one of the following will NOT contribute to ethical conduct? In research studies we need to ensure that ______

  1. there is transparency when communicating to researchers and practitioners about the research findings
  2. when we disguise the real aims of our research as otherwise research participants may feel encouraged not to tell the truth
  3. the collection of data and the dissemination of results do not disadvantage those involved
  4. all of these

Ans: B

6. How to approach an industry-based project?

  1. Do some research on the industry partner you want to work with.
  2. Think about what the industry partner can gain from working with you.
  3. Make an effort to sell your project – without raising unrealistic expectations.
  4. all of these

Ans: D

7. Which of the following elements is usually NOT part of an access proposal?

  1. an introduction to the study and its purpose
  2. a research budget and detailed timeline
  3. a (flattering) statement about why the contact person/organisation is particularly qualified to contribute to the study
  4. a section addressing issues surrounding confidentiality and data collection

Ans: B

8. Which of these strategies might not be seen as particularly helpful if a researcher wishes to secure access to individuals or information?

  1. emailing an access proposal or information sheet to the organization with a polite request for a meeting
  2. thinking about the interview or visit from the perspective of the potential participant
  3. sending the respondent a detailed research proposal or transfer report

Ans: C

9. Which issue below ought not to be condoned by a university ethics committee?

  1. over-the-top data protection
  2. reporting to managers how the performance of individual employees can be improved from information gathered confidentially as part of the study
  3. using an interview schedule with awkwardly designed questions
  4. the use of consent forms in different languages

Ans: B