Organizational culture is the study of people in an institution whose shared values, norms and histories are intrinsically associated as part of the cultural framework of its respective environment. Organizational culture seeks to understand the web of cultural norms, values, and beliefs. Organizational culture is a mix of a variety of social sciences including sociology, [...]
Have you ever come to terms with a time in your life where you were so heavily involved in a group, or culture, that you came to value its objectives, goals and beliefs? In this environment, you are involved in a culture. No matter what kind of culture, it is the meaning-making system which you [...]
Observation Research: Definition
A combination of a first-person and a second-person account, which takes place in a naturalistic setting, of the actions and behaviours of a specific group of people
Most common in communications/cultural studies à is a participant observation (qualitative research)
Observation Research: Uses
Examine structure and functions of social formation
Learn components and operations from inside (functionalist)
Example
Actual operations [...]
Survey research : definition
Broad-based, qualitative and/or quantitative research which collects data through pre-formulates question in a structured questionnaire to a representative sample of individuals drawn from a defined population
main advantage is number of participants processed
response / data can be recorded verbatim or coded for statistical analysis
Survey research : use
Research intangibles
as with interviews and focus [...]
Interviews & Focus Groups: Definition
Types of intensive, qualitative research which generate data through directed, social interaction
interviews involve questioning an individual or group with expertise or experience regarding your subject
focus groups involve fostering discussion among groups of people with expertise or experience regarding your subject
Interviews & Focus Groups: Uses
Research intangibles
Intangibles = beliefs, values, attitudes, articles of [...]
Historical Research and Policy Analysis – Uses and Limits
Quantitative Research
Requires data which is numerical/statistical
Examples: Content analysis, surveys
Qualitative Research
Involves data which is textual/visual
Example: historical research and policy analysis
Remember
They are not mutually exclusive
Example: Lewis & Neville on Rosie the Rivetter
History & Policy: Definitions
“History” : “Record of what has happened in the past” and the past starts now
“Policy” [...]
Descriptive Statistics
Standard Deviation (S.D. or o)
Average deviation of each observation from precise centre of all weighted observations, but sensitive to relative weights of observations.
Indicates how dispersed points are from the mean
More precise than mean deviation; preferred.
Example:
David Demers….
N = 198 newspapers
M = 2.64 editorials
o = +/- 1.84
Range = 0 – 8
Standard deviation tells us that the [...]
Content Analysis – Univariate Statistics
Nominal:
Numbers assigned to categories to signify qualitative differences
Basically, nominal figures simply tell us that two things are different
Generated by arbitrary assignment of numbers to categories
No bearing to any objective or subjective scale.
Examples:
In sports, jersey numbers
In content analysis, used whenever content coded categorically
Hibbarb and Keenleyside
Ordinal:
Numbers assigned to categories to signify preferences
Basically, [...]
Design a sampling strategy
Relevance: Define what is a relevant text
What will you count?
What will you ignore? And why?
Selection Method
How will you select individual texts?
Random Sample
Every item has equal chance of being selected
Good if no significant differences in population.
Systematic Sample
Items selected according to regular pattern
Selects texts from entire distribution of population.
Example:
20% of stories in newspaper [...]
Content Analysis - Definitions and uses
Content analysis: “a research technique for the objective, systematic, and quantitative description of the manifest content of communication.” If something is manifest, its clear to our senses
Manifest: something clear and obvious
Content of Communication: the message
Manifest Content: any plainly recognizable message - i.e. words, pictures, codes, gestures (Such content can be [...]
Three Perspectives
Functionalist
Goal: enhancing the function of the main concern — multibake -> looking at productivity and profit of the company. make adjustments after seeing what the problem is. everything else is a variable (e.g. people). goal = efficiency and productivity
Interpretive
Focus is messages
Understanding culture
Outlook: academic — understanding the way organizational behaviours operate…
Critical
Focus is power
Is that power [...]
Research Perspectives
Perspectives that shape research in communications and cultural studies.
Different visual perspectives can generate very different sets of data about the same phenomena.
The exact same thing holds for conceptual perspectives (ideas, beliefs and values that shape the world according to what you think is important and what isn’t.)
As a researcher, you should be aware of [...]
Principles of Research
Interdisciplinary field
No solid ground-work for field
Some scholars feel that communications research is bullshit.
Violent TV => Violent people?
Possible Problem areas for research
“Policy institute,” and “think tanks” is the integrity of their research at risk?
C.D Howe Institute (Right) vs. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (Left)
Five Principles of Research
Systematic
[...]
