ESF:MKV_MZVS Research methods in the PS - Course Information

MKV_MZVS Research methods in the public sector

Extent and Intensity

0/0/0. 6 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

prof. Mgr. Jiří Špalek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Ing. Robert Jahoda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Jana Godarová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Ing. Jakub Pejcal, Ph.D. (assistant)
Ing. Jana Rozmarinová, Ph.D. (assistant)

Guaranteed by

prof. Mgr. Jiří Špalek, Ph.D.
Department of Public Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration
Contact Person: Jana Biskupová
Supplier department: Department of Public Economics – Faculty of Economics and Administration

Timetable

Sat 22. 10. 12:50–16:15 VT204, Sat 5. 11. 8:30–11:50 VT204, Fri 18. 11. 16:20–19:35 VT204, Sat 3. 12. 12:50–16:15 VT204

Prerequisites (in Czech)

! MKV_KMZV Quantitative Research Methods in the Public Sector

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Public Economics and Administration (programme ESF, N-HPS)

Course objectives

Following the requirement on evidence-based public policies and building on the assumption that more rational public management requires public administration scholars which are capable to analyze, assess and predict to certain extent effects of public policies, the course introduces methods that can help researching the public sector. At the end of the course students should be able to:

understand the structure, content and the source of data in the public sector;

understand the specifics, potential, limitations and methods of the qualitative and quantitative research

work with concrete information sources and to apply appropriate derive simple micro-simulation model in order to analyze public policy reform measure;

present their data analysis results in front of the class.

Syllabus

• Supposed topics are as follows:
• Introductory information, role of research in the public sector
• Public policies and quantitative and qualitative research methods
• Sociological research methods and measurement of satisfaction with public policies – approaches and methodological problems. Datamining – examples of the Czech Statistical Office and Eurostat Qualitative and quantitative research in selected policy areas
• examples from the employment policy
• households surveys in the CR and EU – using basic qualitative methods
• Income differentiation and research methods. The role of (pseudo)Lorenz's Curves and Gini coefficient
• Income differentiation and distributional aspects of the tax policy. Measuring labour supply incentives using effective (implicit) tax rates concept
• Pension policy and its parametrical setup – distributional and incentive’s outcomes
• SILC survey in the CR and the EU, basic micro-simulation techniques, t-tests
• Lecture given by an external expert

Literature

required literature
• NEUMAN, W.L. Basics of Social Research. Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Boston: Pearson Education, 2006. ISBN 978-0-205-48437-9. info
• JÍLEK, Jaroslav. Nástin sociálněhospodářské statistiky. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vysoká škola ekonomická v Praze, 2001, 245 s. ISBN 8024502143. info
• HENDL, Jan. Úvod do kvalitativního výzkumu. 1. vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 1997, 243 s. ISBN 8071845493. info
• BOARDMAN, Anthony E. Cost-benefit analysis : concepts and practice. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006, xv, 560. ISBN 0131435833. info
• STRAUSS, Anselm L. and Juliet M. CORBIN. Basics of qualitative research : techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, 1998, xiii, 312. ISBN 0803959400. info
• Relevantní legislativa.
• Studijní podklady připravené vyučujícím

recommended literature
• ŠPALEK, Jiří. Aplikovaná statistika I (Applied Statistics I). 1. vydání. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2004, 126 pp. ISBN 80-210-3412-2. info
• ŠPALEK, Jiří. Aplikovaná statistika II (Applied Statistics II). 1. vydání. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2004, 132 pp. ISBN 80-210-3413-0. info
• HINDLS, Richard. Statistika pro ekonomy (Statistics for economists). První vydání. Praha: Professional Publishing, 2002, 415 pp. ISBN 80 86419 26 6. info
• BRYMAN, Alan and Duncan CRAMER. Quantitative data analysis with SPSS release 8 for Windows : a guide for social scientists. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 1999, xiv, 303. ISBN 0415206960. info
• MORAWSKI, Witold. Ekonomická sociologie. Translated by Jiří Ogrocký. Vydání první. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2005, 338 stran. ISBN 8086429431. info
• • GRIFFITH, A. SPSS for Dummies., Hoboken: Wiley Publishing, 2007, 342 p., ISBN 0470113448
• OCHRANA, František. Hodnocení veřejných projektů a zakázek. 3., přeprac. vyd. Praha: ASPI, 2004, 195 s. ISBN 8073570335. info
• Aktuální informace na relevantních webových stránkách.

Teaching methods

The course takes place in four tutorials, which are divided to lectures and seminars. In the lectures, students are acquainted with the problems of statistical data analysis. During the seminars students explore standard statistical databases. This leads students to construct various models covering the micro-simulation models of public policy change. With the help of the teacher, students are supposed to elaborate given task, which is presented and discussed during the very beginning of the next lecture.

Assessment methods

In order to pass the subject, students are required to:
1. be active during the tutorials. Students may present the use of concrete methods and gain extra points for it
2. to elaborate seminar work on data analysis
3. to pass a final test based on the work during whole semestr.

Requirements (including the literature) are specified further in the interactive syllabus and the downloadable study plan before the semester starts.

If students commit a prohibited act, such as using various forbidden tools, cribbing, taking out any part of the exam or any other cheating, the teacher is allowed to interrupt an exam and to grade a student with F, FF or FFF according to the seriousness of the offence. The mentioned procedure relates to all the activities that are included in the final evaluation of the course (seminar work, essays, tests etc.).

Language of instruction

Czech

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
General note: Předmět si nezapisují studenti, kteří již absolvovali předmět MKV_KMZV.
Credit evaluation note: k=1,0.

Information about innovation of course.

This course has been innovated under the project "Inovace studia ekonomických disciplín v souladu s požadavky znalostní ekonomiky (CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0227)" which is cofinanced by the European Social Fond and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2016, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/econ/autumn2016/MKV_MZVS