Multilevel mixed methods research designs in business and management

Organisations and businesses often contain multilevel structures; an individual might be situated within a team, which is nested within a department, which is contained within a company. Multilevel analysis has a strong history in both qualitative and quantitative research traditions but is still a relatively new topic in mixed-methods research. This chapter begins by presenting an overview of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed multilevel research designs in the context of business and management, unpacking the different approaches and terminology that have been used in each tradition with illustrative examples. An example research design is then presented and used to demonstrate the use of the multilevel mixed methods terms “system”, “structure”, “levels”, and “mechanisms”. Multilevel mixed methods research offers researchers in business and management studies the opportunity to explore the complex phenomenon observed in organisations through more nuanced lenses.