ABSTRACT
Qualitative research is a research design which reveals many different emphases from quantitative research. Probably the most significant difference is the priority accorded the perspectives of those being studied rather than the prior concerns of the researcher, along with a related emphasis on the interpretation of observations in accordance with subjects’ own understandings. In Chapter 1, Burgelman’s (1985) research in a new venture division was presented as an example of this research design. His investigation relied primarily on unstructured interviews, a research tool that will be examined in greater detail below. In order to illustrate the nature of qualitative research, a further example will be employed, but in this instance, although unstructured interviews figure in the researcher’s armoury, much use is made of participant observation. With this technique, the researcher is immersed in the organization for an appreciable period of time.
