Emerging research designs in New Zealand doctoral projects

A new era in research methods is emerging and has been quietly heralded by several emerging authorities in the field of mixed methods research as the third methodological movement. Like the mythology of the phoenix, mixed methods research has arisen out of the ashes of the paradigm wars to take its place alongside the more established traditions of quantitative and qualitative research traditions (Cameron & Miller 2007). The fields of applied social science and evaluation are among those which have shown the greatest popularity and uptake of mixed methods research designs. Relatively speaking there is less dialogue and literature on the use of mixed methods in applied business as there exists in other discipline areas where mixed methods has witnessed higher levels of acceptance such as the social sciences, health and education. Business disciplines have traditionally been undertaken within the quantitative paradigm, with some exceptions. It has only been very recently that mixed methods has been introduced and explicitly utilised within applied business research (Cameron 2008; Hurmerinta-Peltomaki & Nummela 2006; Molina-Azorin 2007). This chapter provides a brief overview of the rise of mixed methods research, its usage in business and management fields, a discussion on the emergence of mixed methods research designs and presents empirical evidence of mixed methods usage in DBA theses at Southern Cross University (SCU). The two completed New Zealand based DBA theses will be discussed along with the currently enrolled New Zealand based DBA candidates.* This is based in part on a chapter titled, ‘Changing the paradigm- emerging research designs in professional doctorates’, in Miller, P. and Marchant, T. (Editors) 2009, Professional Doctorate Research in Australia: Commentary and Case Studies from Business, Education and Indigenous Studies