Insegnamento a.a. 2026-2027

The main topics of the course focus on applying a quantitative research-based approach to managerial problems by blending individual critical thinking skills and AI as sparring partner. The course seeks to answer the following questions by blending research-based methodology and managerial problems:

• Formulating the right research question: Why do I need a research-based approach? What is my goal?
• Transforming the research idea into testable hypotheses: How can I convert my initial assumption into hypotheses that can be empirically tested?
• Developing a questionnaire to test the hypotheses: How can I measure my main concepts (e.g., productivity, well-being, satisfaction)? How can I design an effective questionnaire to measure them?
• Analyzing and interpreting data with regression analyses: What analytical method best aligns with my research goal? What do the results reveal?
• Presenting the findings to a managerial audience: How can I craft the key messages from my evidence?

• Use AI as a sparring partner to re-frame problems and managerial questions
• Identify the methodological foundations underlying empirical analysis in management topics
• Distinguish a management research question that is relevant, interesting, and measurable
• Recognize the main strategies to effectively present results and managerial messages

• Develop a set of relevant, interesting, and measurable hypotheses in the management field
• Transform management concepts into measurable variables

• Design an effective and reliable questionnaire

• Conduct a quantitative empirical analysis on managerial data 
• Triangulate quantitative data with qualitative evidence: mixed-method approach
• Interpret and present the results of an empirical management research from a managerial perspective

• Lectures
• Practical Exercises
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

Learning empirical research methods in the management field is supported by active teaching:

• Practical Exercises: During course sessions, students learn by actively designing questionnaires, collecting and processing data. For this reason, each lesson includes a mix of lecture and application through group work (both in-class and outside the classroom)
• Group Assignments: A significant portion of the activities carried out throughout the course contribute to building the group field project, which is the predominant evaluation method for attending students. In particular, developing the field project during the course allows for practical and immediate application of various techniques as they are presented during lesson sessions, from constructing the research question and hypothesis set to developing the data matrix and interpreting results from a managerial perspective. 

The assessment of learning for students enrolled as 'attending' is carried out through two methods:

1. Students are required to complete a group field project (an empirical research project) during the course, agreed upon with the instructor, which accounts for 70% of the final grade. The field project is intended to assess the development of the students' ability to design and carry out empirical research in the field of management.

2. In addition, students must complete a written exam consisting of an exercise in commenting on the results of an empirical research study published in a scientific management journal. The results are typically presented in table form and are drawn from sources such as the Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, or the Strategic Management Journal. This component accounts for 30% of the final grade and must be completed during one of the exam sessions in the academic year in which the field project was conducted. The written exam is designed to assess students’ understanding of the core principles underlying the design and critical interpretation of management research.

Important notes:

• After the final exam session of the academic year, field projects lose their validity, and the 'attending' student assessment method can no longer be applied.
• The exam is considered passed only if both components — the individual written exam and the group field project — receive a grade of 18 or higher. If either component is failed, the student lose the the "attending student" status.

The assessment of learning for 'non-attending' students is carried out through a written exam consisting of two parts:

1. The first part includes open-ended questions covering all chapters of the course textbook (theoretical questions that also require at least one example related to the field of management). These open-ended questions are intended to assess the student's understanding of the fundamental knowledge underlying management research.

2. The second part consists of an exercise involving commentary on the results of an empirical research study published in a scientific management journal. The results are typically presented in table form and taken from sources such as the Academy of Management Journal, Organization Science, or the Strategic Management Journal. This exercise is designed to assess the student's ability to apply theoretical knowledge in order to interpret empirical research in the field of management.

• Articles/book chapters of empirical research indicated by the instructor
• Instructor-prepared materials, distributed via the Blackboard 

• Scherbaum, C. A., & Shockley, K. M. (2015). Analysing quantitative data for business and management students.
• Instructor-prepared materials, distributed via the Blackboard