Research Methodologies in Management Control

It is a curricular unit of the final teaching part of the master course, where the knowledge and skills previously acquired in the other curricular units are fundamental, because they allowed awakening the interest of students in relevant research topics and to the needs of organizations.  

Teaching methodologies include an expository part and other, predominant, of “learning-by-doing” under a supervised way, fostering research and active participation by students, critical analysis and the collaborative process. This will allow students to develop specific and transversal skills that meet the objectives of the course.

The aim of this curricular unit is to study the research methodologies, methods and techniques in the area of management control, and understanding the main problem that arise in the different stages of the research process, in order to prepare the students to develop the work of the non-teaching part of the master course, that could be a dissertation, a project work or an internship report.

At the end, the students should have acquired the following skills:
1. Understanding the stages of the research process and the difficulties and problems in each one of them;
2. Knowing how to select the most appropriate data collection methods considering the research objectives;
3. Knowing how to apply statistical techniques for analyzing business data, using statistical software, and selecting the most appropriate according to the research objectives;
4. Feeling more comfortable to develop a research work autonomously, even though with guidance.

I – Introduction to research
1. Construction of knowledge and nature of scientific research.
2. Stages of the research process.

II – The research process
1. Research process: choosing the topic, defining the problem, choosing the research strategy, revision of literature and applying the selected research method.
2. Research design: objective, research questions / hypotheses, identification of variables and the adequate statistical methods.
3. Qualitative and quantitative methods.
4. Data collection and treatment: sample selection, data collection methods and data analysis methods.
5. Presentation and interpretation of results.

III – The research and writing process
1. Scientific writing and formal rules of academic works.
2. Structure of a dissertation / project work / internship report.
3. How to prepare a proposal of dissertation / project work / internship report.
4. Computer tools to support research.

IV – Research ethics

V – Relevant research topics in the area of management control, selected to integrate the seminars.

NAO

General: 

1. Barañano, A.M. (2004). Métodos e técnicas de investigação em gestão: Manual de apoio à realização de trabalhos de investigação. Lisboa: Edições Sílabo.
2. Bell, E., Bryman, A. & Harley, B. (2022). Business Research Methods, 6th ed., Oxford University Press. ISBN-13: 978-0198869443.
3. Creswell, J.W., & Poth, C.N. (2016). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches, 4th edition, SAGE Publications.
4. Fisher, C. (2010). Researching and Writing a Dissertation for Business Students, 3rd edition. UK: Prentice Hall.
5. Kumar, R. (2014). Research Methodology – a step-by-step guide for beginners, 4th ed. London: SAGE.
6. Major, M. J., & Vieira, R. (coord) (2018). Contabilidade e Controlo de Gestão, 2ª ed. Lisboa: Escolar Editora.
7. Mesquita, A., & Correia, A. M. R. (2014). Mestrados & Doutoramentos – Estratégias para a elaboração de trabalhos científicos: o desafio da excelência, 2ª edição. Porto: Vida Económica.
8. Pereira, A. & Poupa, C. (2015). Como apresentar em público teses, relatórios, comunicações usando o powerpoint. Lisboa: Edições Sílabo.
9. Saunders, M., Lewis, P., &Thornhill, A. (2023). Research Methods for Business Students, 9th ed., Pearson ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1292402727.
10. White, B. & Rayner, S. (2014). Dissertation Skills for Business and Management Studies, 2nd Edition, UK: Cengage Learning EMEA.
11. Yin, R. K. (2014). Case Study Research – Design and Methods, 5th ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Press.

• About statistics 

1. Curwin, J. & Slater, R. (2008). Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions. 6th Edition. Cengage Learning.
2. Hill, A. & Hill, M. M. (2009). Investigação por questionário. 2ª ed. Lisboa: Edições Sílabo.
3. J.V., Augusto, M.G. & Ferreira, P.L. (2012). Estatística Aplicada à Gestão. Vida Económica.
4. Murteira, B., Ribeiro, C.S., Silva, J.A. e Pimenta, C. (2010). Introdução à Estatística. Escolar Editora.
5. Pestana, M. H. & Gageiro, J. (2008). Análise de Dados para Ciências Sociais – A Complementaridade do SPSS, 5ª edição. Lisboa: Edições Sílabo
6. Reis, E. (2001). Estatística Multivariada Aplicada. Edições Sílabo, 2ª edição