TKM Institute of Management organized a faculty development program on “Introduction to Qualitative Research”. The program was conducted on 21^st of October, 2017, at the Institute. The one day course provided an introduction and overview to Qualitative research.

Qualitative research, which deals with the organisation and the interpretation of information rich in textual data (other than numerical information, generally the preserve of quantitative research) in order to discover any important underlying patterns and trends and helps us understand phenomena in natural setting, is currently gaining momentum at a higher pace. The approach gives in-depth explanatory data and draws out concepts and insights giving due importance to the viewpoints of the participants. It is basically used for exploring ideas, designs, or processes which do not require concrete hypotheses or structured, statistically valid feedback. The application of qualitative research includes new product idea generation and development, exploring market segments, understanding dynamics of purchase decision, studying reactions to advertising and public relations campaigns as well as behavioral aspects like emotions, attitudes, perceptions etc.

The one day faculty development program aims to concentrate on developing your knowledge on the basics of qualitative research and analysis. The session gives a broad overview regarding qualitative research, qualitative data, qualitative analysis, qualitative software and qualitative reporting. The program also introduces you to some advanced computer software used for analysis of qualitative data.

The course was handled by Dr Vijayamohanan Pillai, Associate Professor, Centre for Management Development, Thiruvananthapuram. Sixty Two participants from Twenty Four organisations participated in the event. The participants included Faculty members and Research Scholars from various educational institutes/Research Organisations. The coordinators of the program were Dr Santhosh VA (Professor), Dr Jnaneswar K (Associate Professor) and Prof. Alex Koshy (Assistant Professor).