Kazuhiko Ozawa: On Models

2023/06/12

I teach business administration classes at Keio University. Business administration is a discipline that focuses on corporations, but it also includes a wide range of organizations such as universities, hospitals, and NPOs in its analysis. Within business administration, my specialties are management strategy and organizational theory. In these fields, I conduct theoretical and empirical research (both quantitative and qualitative) on "organizational change, strategic transformation, and organizational inertia."

When I was a graduate student, I received guidance to "look for good models when conducting research." Since writing academic papers is not easy for undergraduate or graduate students, this advice suggests that it is helpful to proceed with research by referring to a model.

Finding a model is particularly useful when taking on new challenges, and I feel this applies not only to research but to other things as well. For example, when you belong to an organization different from those you have been in before, how you should behave is often ambiguous, so finding a model is meaningful. In this case, colleagues could be considered candidates for models. If possible, by finding multiple good models, you might be able to take the best parts from each.

In the field of business administration, it is generally said that there are three types of research, and there was a time when I looked for papers that could serve as models for my own research according to each type. The first of the three types is quantitative research. Quantitative research often involves analyzing data collected through surveys or secondary data using statistical methods. The second is qualitative research. In many cases, interviews or participant observations are conducted focusing on single or multiple cases. The third is theoretical research. Unlike qualitative or quantitative research, theoretical research does not require the use of secondary data or interview data. There are several cases within this type, such as research that develops new theories.

When looking for a model, it is important to find a "good model" as much as possible, but I think it is difficult for undergraduate and graduate students to judge what should be used as a model. Therefore, advice from faculty members and senior researchers is important at universities.