Article review exercise

In groups of 3-4, please read the following article and fill in the boxes given below:

Cassell, C. (2018) “Pushed beyond my comfort zone:” MBA student experiences of conducting qualitative
research’, Academy of Management Learning & Education 17: 2, 119–36.

1. Significance and contribution

(a) Does it fill a gap in our theoretical or empirical knowledge of the topic? If yes, explain what gap it
addresses and how does the author relate it to other findings in the field?

(b) Is it relevant? Does it have practical rather than just academic/theoretical implications? How does the
author establish its relevance?

2. Research approach
(a) Does she adopt positivist or interpretative approach? How?

(b) Can you identify the theoretical framework used?

3. Research questions and methods

(a) What are the research question(s)? How clearly are they expressed?

(b) What research method has been applied? In what ways are the research methods appropriate to the
question being asked?

(c) Is the context (organizational, geographicl etc.) for the research adequately described and covered so
that the research makes sense?

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 (d) Is the study replicable and reliable?

(e) How could the validity of the findings be improved? In what sense is the sample representative?

(f) Could she have answered the research questions through a survey and quantitative approach? What
would be the difficulties of taking this approach?

4. Reporting the findings

(a) How are the conclusion derived from the evidence/data?

(b) Does the author relate the findings/conclusion to the relevant literature and in what ways?

(c) Has the author considered the evidence both for and against their interpretation been considered?

(d) Does the author record limitations and strengths of the research? If yes, please mention.

5. Ethical aspects
Did the author seek student participation in an ethical way? Are there any other ethical concerns?