Qualitative Methods in Management Research

Evert Gummesson′s piercing relevance on the major issues of management problems and how to tackle them with qualitative research is astounding and leads to great understanding. —Barney G. Glaser, co-author of The Discovery of Grounded Theory "This book is a welcome contribution to the theory of science and methodology.. . . .It is to the author′s credit that the material is presented in an interesting and easily accessible way . . . .The use of examples from the author′s own experiences are particularly helpful." —Richard Teare in Service Industries Journal "Evert. Gummesson has made a most worthwhile contribution to an under-appreciated area of management research. His views, which draw on hundreds of references from many expertise areas, deserve attention and debate." —Edward Toomer and Ken Bowen in Journal of Operational Research Is research in management disciplines—leadership, corporate strategy, marketing, organization theory, quality management, and others—taking advantage of the best scientific methods available? In this revised edition, Evert Gummeson answers no! Qualitative Methods in Management Research, Second Edition, offers a fresh approach to case study research. Stressing the need for involved rather than detached researchers, Evert Gummesson links quality assessment of case study research to current total quality management thinking and proposes the concept of management action science—where the researcher is both actor and student—as the most advanced and rewarding approach to research. This book is written in a personal style and is rich in examples from academic research, real-world practice and management consultancy.

Evert Gummesson is Professor Emeritus of Service Marketing and Management at the Stockholm Business School, and is its former Research Director. He graduated at the Stockholm School of Economics, has a Ph.D. from Stockholm University and is a Fellow and Honorary Doctor of Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland, and a Fellow of the University of Tampere, Finland. He is a frequent speaker at conferences, companies, executive education programs, and universities throughout the world.