Doing Design Science Research in PhD-projects Nijenrode, 2 Nov 2012 Prof dr ir Joan van Aken

Doing Design Science Researchin PhD-projects

Nijenrode, 2 Nov 2012

Prof dr ir Joan van Aken

Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences PAGE 22 Nov 2012

research strategy

This workshop is on designing research strategies

A research strategy is the combination of - problem statement - research question - outline research design - intended research product(s)

A research strategy is critically dependent on the research paradigm to be used


an example (explanatory paradigm)

Problem: professionals from different disciplines in maternity health care organizations have difficulties in effectively working together

Research question: what are the causes of these difficulties?

Outline research design - research in three maternity health care institutions - start with individual and focus group interviews - followed by a survey in these institutions - statistical analysis of the results

Intended product: a quantitative model explaining the difficulties in terms of context and causes


research paradigms (1)

With research paradigm I mean (following Lakatos, 1991)

the combination of - type of research questions asked - research methodologies allowed (including what is accepted as evidence)

- research products pursued

In this workshop we will discuss the paradigm of the design sciences, as opposed to the paradigm of the explanatory sciences


the mission of a discipline

Mission of an explanatory science (like physics or sociology): understanding the world that is by description and explanation (a quest for truth)

Mission of an design science (like medicine and engineering): developing generic solutions for field problems, dealing with the world that can be (a quest for a better world)

Because of its solution orientation DSR is especially for executive PhD-students an interesting research model


objective and set-up workshop

Objective workshop: understanding DSR and enabling decision making on its use in your PhD-project

Program - Theory part A: what is DSR - Exercise 1: research strategies (plenary) - Theory part B: doing DSR - Exercise 2: research strategies student projects (plenary)

- Exercise 3: idem in groups - Concluding discussion


theory Part A: what is DSR


the challenge of a professional discipline

Business administration is a professional discipline The core competence of a professional: knowledge-intensive field problem solving

Core process: designing (specific) solutions and acting on them

Field problem solving is working ‘in the swamp’ (Schön, 1983)

Research produces generic theory (‘the high ground’) The big challenge is to link

the high ground with the swamp


research-informed practice (1)

This is the challenge of research-informed practice (inspired on Evidence-Based Medicine, later generalized to evidence-based practice and on organization and management sometimes called Evidence-Based Management)

Medicine, engineering and law may be regarded as knowledge-driven disciplines, business administration rather as knowledge-informed

Insight in the nature of research-informed practice gives insight in the role research in our field can play in practice



High quality solution design is characterized by a careful collection of specific and generic inputs to the design process

Problem-specific input - problem definition - model of present system - context analysis and problem analysis - design specifications

Research can produce the generic input

Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences PAGE 1110 October 2012


Types of generic input to the solution design process - methodological inputs (like how to analyse, how to design, how to change organizations)

- descriptions of the industry and of the type of organization in question - explanatory knowledge on the causes of the type of problem and on the factors influencing outcomes - design knowledge on alternative generic solutions (will function as design models)

Relevant PhD-projects produce these types of inputs



One can distinguish (van Aken, 2004, 2005) - the explanatory research model (e.g. physics and sociology)

- the design science research model (e.g. medicine and engineering)

Explanatory research: aims at understanding the world that is

Design science research: aims at developing knowledge to create the world that can be



Explanatory research - driven by pure knowledge problems (knowledge as an end) - mission: to understand, a quest for truth - students are trained to become researchers by researchers - iconic research product: the causal model

Design science research - driven by field problems (knowledge as a means) - mission: to improve the human condition - students are trained to become professionals largely by professionals - iconic research product: the design proposition


DSR research products

A major objective of DSR is to develop alternative generic solutions/interventions for types of field problems

These can be formulated in terms of design propositions:

“if you want to solve this type of problem-in-context, you may use this generic solution/intervention (which will produce the desired outcome through this mechanism)”


generic solutions

Examples of generic alternative solutions (developed by PhD-DSR-studies)

- how to create an effective virtual team - how to find overseas partners for cooperative arrangements (for SMEs) - how to involve end users in product innovation - how to promote intrapreneuring - how to deal with setbacks (CMOREs) in radical innovation

This can be really interesting, intellectually rewarding research …..


exercise #1 (plenary)

Develop two research strategies, one using the explanatory paradigm, the other the design science one

Research strategy: problem statement, research question, outline research design, intended research products

Problem: the effectivity of distributed project teams


research products

Possible explanatory research product: the problems of cooperation in distributed mode, possibly in a quantitative causal model, explaining team effectivity in terms of independent variables

Possible design science research product: generic solution/intervention, put in context by a design proposition: if you want to achieve results by a distributed team, you may use a FtF kick-off meeting, which will produce an effective team through collective task insight and collective commitment)


theory Part B: doing DSR


the design proposition (1)

A major objective of DSR is to develop alternative generic solutions/interventions for types of field problems

These can be formulated in terms of design propositions:

“if you want to solve this type of problem-in-context, you may use this generic solution/intervention (which will produce the desired outcome through this mechanism)”

A design proposition is not prescriptive (in management research the term prescriptive or normative is a legacy from the time of the one best way of organizing)


the design proposition (2)

Prison problem C – locked door, bars, guards I – no escapes O – physical constraining of movements M

Theft in car park C – introduction CCTV I – less theft O – deterrence, allocation of personnel, less careless behaviour of parkers M

Virtual team C – FtF kick-off meeting I – effective team O – collective insight and collective commitment M

Desire to promote intrapreneurship C – gaming I – insight and commitment O – experiential learning M

Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences

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the methodological problem of DSR (1)

The basic scientific claim of a design proposition is that the proposed solution/intervention will indeed produce in the given context the desired outcome

So the question is how to establish this claim: one has to predict the outcomes of interventions

The answer to this question produces the research strategy of DSR

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In the material world this demand for prediction does not pose specific methodological problems,

because in this world there are universal, invariant, individual behaviour determining mechanisms

A machine, developed, produced and tested in Helsinki will also work next year in Barcelona

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Because of human agency no universal, invariant and individual behaviour determining mechanisms

This makes the prediction of the outcome of interventions in the social world difficult

However, there are patterns and regularities in human behaviour


research as experiential learning (1)

Prediction of the behaviour of others is an almost universal human competence (without this competence intentional social behaviour would be almost impossible, as can be seen with autism)

This competence is developed by personal experiential social learning

The basic research strategy for DSR is a scientifically sound way of experiential learning; more precisely objective and systematic experiential social learning through series of case-studies

It is a naturalistic approach to research


research as experiential learning (2)

Experiential learning is the basis for crafts and trade schools, including the business school of the past; this is not what we want

Research as experiential learning is to produce valid, objective generic knowledge

It involves rigorous case studies, using methods like controlled observations, triangulation, rich descriptions, careful cross-case analyses, member checks, beta testing, etc.


DSR-projects (1)

In DSR one works alternately in the ‘practice stream’ and the ‘knowledge stream’

In the practice stream (the swamp) one develops specific solutions for (series of comparable) specific field problems, interacting with stakeholders and other practitioners (e.g. collaborative research)

In the knowledge stream (the high ground) one develops generic solution oriented knowledge by generalizing across cases, interacting with other researchers


DSR-projects (2)

This can be regarded as a type of Action Research (for which there is ample methodological literature)

However, in DSR there is an emphasis on - developing generic knowledge (one case is more like consultancy than research)

- on the basis of a clear and generic problem statement

Cranfield Seminar

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DSR-projects (3)

The full DSR research design involves the following steps - determination of problem statement - determination of knowledge problem - (systematic) research review - making research design (typically iteratively)

- research execution, involving . analysis and explanation . extracting or developing design propositions . field testing on pragmatic validity - documentation and dissemination of results


DSR-projects (4)

Every DSR-project starts with an explanatory part; the more there is already known, the larger the design science part of the project

The design science part typically develops a process model to realize a desired direct outcome (science of the particular)

Where available, explanatory research outcomes link this direct outcome with the desired final outcome (science of the averages)


DSR-projects (5)

Some remarks:- you work for experienced professionals: no need for detailed protocols- you have to choose one (or more) actor perspectives: who is going to design and implement your solution- you don’t have to solve the whole problem in one PhD-project

Developed generic solutions have to be tested in the intended field of application (alpha and beta-test)

on pragmatic validity (or through other means)


exercise #2 (plenary)

Develop a DSR-research strategy for two running PhD-projects (all presently based on the explanatory paradigm)

For each - make the present research strategy explicit; fill in the gaps - develop a research strategy on the basis of the design science paradigm


exercise #3 (in groups)

Develop a DSR-research strategy for other running PhD-projects (presently also based on the explanatory paradigm)

For each - make the present research strategy explicit; fill in the gaps - develop a research strategy on the basis of the design science paradigm


concluding discussion

Feedback on the discussions in the groups on designing a research strategy on the basis of the design science research paradigm

Questions on the nature and applicability of the design science research paradigm for PhD-projects

Should the paradigm discussion be part of any PhD-methodology course?

Documents

Doing Design Science Research in PhD-projects Nijenrode, 2 Nov 2012 Prof dr ir Joan van Aken