Topic outline

    • Do individuals who are concerned by issues of sustainability also exhibit stronger entrepreneurial intentions? 
    • What makes some entrepreneurs persist in their venture efforts while others quit?  


    In order to answer these types of questions, we must turn towards quantitative methods.

    The key characteristic of quantitative research is that it deals with numbers. It is interested in finding out facts and generalising the research results to say something about a larger population. Quantitative research applies formal and systematic processes to generate and analyse numerical data, which is meant to offer information about reality.

    After defining an important research topic and question, quantitative research first turns towards the theory; what do we know about these phenomena, what should we expect to find? The researcher then moves on to test this theory by formulating hypotheses, collecting appropriate data, analysing that with statistical methods, and interpreting the results that will give an answer to the research question.


    During the next four sessions of this course, we will look into the key stages of quantitative research. 

    We will start by first getting acquainted with Quantitative Data and to develop an overview of what can be done with it, how it is collected and measured, and what kind of databases are available for entrepreneurship and innovation management researchers. 

    Second, we take a look at the move From Theory to Empirics by diving into the processes through which the interests of a researcher are converted into variables, models and hypotheses that can be analysed with statistic measures. 

    Third topic deals with the Quantitative Analysis and aims at offering an understanding of the ‘logic’ of statistical analysis, the tools that are used, and the most important concepts that form the basis for the abundance of statistical techniques that are available for researchers. 

    We conclude by asking ourselves the crucial question of “so what?”. The fourth session offers you skills needed for Interpreting and Publishing Research Findings. You will learn about research ethics and how to assess research findings (presented in academia, media, or other outlets), with a critical eye.