Examine the general differences between quantitative and qualitative Essay

Examine the general differences between quantitative and qualitative methodologies. What are the advantages when employing them in combination - Essay Example For instance, three professionals in research methodology offer that quantitative research seeks the â€Å"quantification of parameters such as number, size, connectivity, and the spatial arrangement of the different components of the structure under study† (Evans, Janson & Nyengaard, 2004: 87). In this definition, quantification essentially suggests a confirmation by utilising various research instruments designed to provide, in the broadest hope, irrefutable evidence that certain events related to the research topic can be correlated or proven to be accurate. Perhaps a more appropriate method to describe quantitative research is to recognise how various business and organisational researchers measure change over time. By adopting a longitudinal study, quantitative research methods can be utilised in a study programme which measures the impact of organisational change on various employees (the sample population). For instance, the utilisation of surveys or closed-ended questionnaires distributed to the appropriate sample group prior to the implementation of an organisational change initiative can measure pre-existing attitudes using a numerical or statistical approach to data analysis to determine whether a noticeable trend in employee behaviours exists. After the implementation of the change programme, similar survey instruments can be distributed to the same sample group to determine whether attitudes have changed over time. Thus, in this scenario, quantitative research provides a numerical representation for elements of human behaviour and avoiding issues of subjective analysis (which can be questioned by peer researchers) because the data returned is quite concrete. The measurement of outcomes associated with change are often important research areas in nearly all scientific disciplines (Duncan, 1999: 114). Thus, when attempting to link particular subject behaviours with elements of their general environment,