The purpose of this brief report is to present a methodologically valid research design useful in studying a real-world business issue. Using a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research methodology, the present study will seek answers to a series of research questions. According to Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (14 - 15), a good study begins with a clear statement of purpose articulated as a research question, perhaps (in the case of a quantitative study generating new data) resulting in a research hypothesis.
For the hypothetical study proposed herein, the primary research question is: What specific elements of corporate culture and other internal and external variables are most likely to have a negative impact upon women's advancement into managerial positions at the upper-managerial and executive levels? This will be examined via what Johnson and Onwuegbuzie (14) call mixed-methods research, combining a qualitative (narrative or literature-driven) and a quantitative (survey) strategy. Related research questions are: 1) What is the current status of women in the corporate world, as identified by various statistical indicators?; 2) What barriers to women's advancement are at work in the corporate culture of most or many companies?; 3) What are companies doing to eliminate these barriers?; and 4) What does the future hold for women determined upon a career in the corporate world?
As Babbie (200) noted, an exploratory or qualitative study requires an extensive examination of relevant previously published literature. Babbie (200) and Bailey (99) characterize such as study as essentially a meta-analysis - an analysis that establishes a specific series of units of analysis or variables and then searches for appropriate studies addressing these variables. Using the online and bricks-and-mortar libraries and the Internet, appropriate materials will first be identified and, once a substantial number of such stu...