The course aims to provide an overview of selected major methods streams in family business research and provide a basis for choosing theoretical perspectives for a research project in family business and serves as a starting point for undertaking the process of data collection and analysis. The intention is to develop students’ critical thinking, supporting an independent and reflective approach toward research design in the field of family business research. The course follows the structure of the research process. Building on successful research designs that have been applied in family business research, and those that might become important over next years as the family business field grows further, the course provides students with an enhanced scholarly understanding of family business research methods and the right fit between research methodologies and research objectives, and actively supports the participants in developing their own research project on family business topics.

On completion of the course, the students will be able to:

1. Present and critically discuss major family business research methods.

2. Identify appropriate perspectives from family business to construct an empirical framework for a research project and apply appropriate research methods to a particular research project in family business.

3. Critically evaluate research designs in the family business literature and discuss the appropriateness of a particular research designs as applied to a specific research project in family business.

Following the research process, the students will discuss about the relevance of a research problem in family business, discussing how to craft relevant research that will contribute to family business by achieving the fit between research question, theory, and method. Reflecting on how to structure a literature review, students will explore the dynamics for formulating the proper research question. The course will continue by discussing data collection issues in quantitative and in qualitative research, followed by a focused discussion on data analysis using qualitative and qualitative methods. Ethical issues and quality in research will be also discussed. The course is ended by a reflection about the journey of a paper, and how to how to tackle a review process.

The course is based on lectures and seminars. Students are required to take an active approach to their own learning. The course leaders will facilitate interaction and dialogue during the activities, but participants will have to spend time on reading, writing and reflecting before and after the seminars.

The teaching is conducted in English.

Admitted to a doctoral programme in business administration or a related subject of a recognized business school or university.

The course is graded Fail (U) or Pass (G).

The course will be examined in the following way:
• Seminars attendance and active contribution to discussion, ILOs 1, 2
• Assignments fulfil ILO 1, 2 and 3

All parts of the examination must be passed to achieve a grade in the course.
The grades for the course are “pass” or “fail”.

A course evaluation will be conducted at the end of the course.

Literature provided by the instructors.