brm lecture 3

8/2/2019 BRM Lecture 3

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Chapter 1: Electric commerce


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Excellence can be obtained if you:

... Care more than others think is wise;

... Risk more than others think is safe;

... Dream more than others thinkis practical;

... Expect more than others think

is possible.Source:

Anon. (Posted @ tompeters.com by K.Sriram, November 27, 2006 )

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Research Methods for Business

The Research Process - The Broad Problem

Area and Defining the Problem Statement


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Management Dilemma (MD)

The process begins at the most general level with theMD. This is a symptom of an actual problem, such as

Increasing tenant move-outs from an apartment

complex; Declining sales or rising costs

Increasing employee turnover in a restaurant.

Erosion of BankChoice's profitability

Choose one dilemma on which to focus.

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Management Question (MQ)

From the management dilemma to themanagement question, Restating the dilemma inquestion form:

What should be done to increase tenant residencyand reduce move-outs?

What should be done to increase sales or reducecosts?

What should be done to reduce employee turnover?

How can the profit picture be improved?

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Example

BankChoice is a leading bank. Its profitability erosion

implies that the banks management faces the task of

developing a strategy for increasing profits.

The management question as stated is too broad to

guide a definitive research project. It does not indicatewhether management should increase profits through

increased deposits, downsizing of personnel,

outsourcing of the payroll function, or some othermeans.

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Example contd.

Thus BankChoice refines the management questioninto more specific two questions:

How can we improve deposits?

How can we reduce costs? The Bank has done no formal research in the

past. It has little specific information about

competitors or customers and has not analyzedits internal operations. Here some exploratory

information is needed such as:

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Example contd. What factors are contributing to the banks failure to achieve a

stronger growth rate in deposits?

How well is the bank doing regarding work climate, efficiency of

operation compared to industry norms, and financial condition

compared to industry norms and competitors?

A small focus group is conducted among employees. Financial and operating statistics from company annual reports

and end-of-year division reports are examined.

From the results of these two exploratory activities, it is found

out that BankChoices operations are not as progressive as its

competitors.

So the revised management question becomes:

What should be done to make the bank more competitive?8


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The Research Proposal A written proposal is often required when a study is being

suggested. The length and complexity of research proposalsrange widely.

A research proposal also may be oral, where all aspects of the

research are discussed but not codified in writing. This is more

likely when a manager directs his or her own research or theresearch activities of subordinates.

Proposal Content

Every proposal, regardless of length, should include two basicsections:

Statement of the research question;

Brief description of research methodology.9


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Memo-type Proposal In a brief memo-type proposal, the research question

may be incorporated into a paragraph that also setsout the management dilemma, management

question, and categories of investigative questions.

The following statement presents the managementquestion facing the BankChoice manager and points

out the nature of the research that will be undertaken:

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MQ Facing the BankChoice Manager

BankChoice, currently the leading bank in the city,has not been growing as fast as its major competitors.

Before developing a long-range plan to enhance thebanks competitive position, it is important to

determine the banks present competitive status, itsadvantages and opportunities, and its majordeficiencies.

The primary objective of this proposed research is todevelop a body of benchmark information aboutBankChoice, its major competitors, and the market forbanking services.

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The Broad Problem Area and

Defining the Problem Statement


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The Broad Problem Area Examples of broad problem areas that a manager

could observe at the workplace: Training programs are not as effective as

anticipated.

The sales volume of a product is not picking up. Minority group members are not advancing in theircareers.

The newly installed information system is not being

used by the managers for whom it was primarilydesigned.

The introduction of flexible work hours has createdmore problems than it has solved in many

companies. 13


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Preliminary Information Gathering

Nature of information to be gathered: Structured,

Unstructured interviews and review of existing data willhelp you to define a specific problem.

Background information of the organization:

Companys published / online resources.Primary / secondary data

Prevailing knowledge on the topic:

A literature review will help you to identify andhighlight the important factors related to a problem. It

ensures that work is build on the foundation of existing

prevailing work. 14

Lit t R i


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Literature Review It involves the identification of published & unpublished work

(secondary data) on the topic of interest, the evolution of this

work related to the problem, & the documentation of this work. A good literature survey:

Ensures that important variables are not left out of thestudy.

Helps the development of the theoretical framework andhypotheses for testing.

Ensures that the problem statement is precise and clear.

Enhances testability and replicability of the findings. Reduces the risk ofreinventing the wheel.

Confirms that the problem is perceived as relevant andsignificant.

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Data sources Textbooks

Academic and professional journals

Theses

Conference proceedings

Unpublished manuscripts

Reports of government departments and corporations

Newspapers The Internet

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The Problem Statement It is clear, precise, and succinct statement of the specific

issue that a researcher wishes to investigate. It should be

relevant, feasible and interesting.

Examples of Well-Defined Problem Statements

To what extent has the new advertising campaign been

successful in creating the high-quality, customer-

centered corporate image that it was intended to

produce?

How has the new packaging affected the sales of theproduct?

How do new advertising message resulted in enhanced

recall? 18


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Proposal Complexity 3 levels of complexity:

The exploratory studyis used for the most simple proposals The small-scale studyis more complex and common in business

The large-scale professional study is the most complex, costing

millions of dollars

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Modules in a Research Proposal Executive Summary

Problem Statement Research Objectives

Literature Review

Importance of the Study

Research Design

Data Analysis

Nature and Form of Results

Qualifications of Researcher

Budget

Schedule

Facilities and Special Resources

Bibliography

Appendices21


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RP Modules: Executive Summary Executive Summary is essentially an informative abstract,

giving executives the chance to grasp the essentials of theproposal without having to read the details.

It should include brief statements of the management dilemma

and management question, the research objectives/research

question(s), and the benefits of your approach. Internal proposals are more concise (to the point) than external

ones. A one-three page memo from the researcher tomanagement outlining the problem statement, study objectives,

research design, and schedule is enough to start an exploratorystudy.

An external proposal is either solicited or unsolicited. A solicitedproposal is often in response to an RFP.

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RP Modules: Problem Statement

Statement of the management dilemma, its

background, its consequences, and the resulting

management question clearly without the use ofidioms.

Any areas of the management question that will not

be addressed should also be included in this section.

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RP Modules: Research Objectives This module addresses the purpose of investigation. Laying

out exactly what is being planned by the proposed research.

In a descriptive study, the objectives can be stated as theresearch question. The research question can be furtherbroken down into investigative questions. If the proposal is for acausal study, the objectives can be stated as a hypothesis.

The objectives module flows naturally from the problemstatement, giving the sponsor specific, concrete, andachievable goals.

The research question or hypothesis, if appropriate should beseparated from the flow of the text for quick identification.

This section verifies the consistency of the proposal bychecking to see that each objective is discussed in the

research design, data analysis, and results section. 24

Lit t R i


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Literature Review

This section examines recent (or historically significant)research studies, company data, or industry reports thatact as a basis for the proposed study.

Begin your discussion of the related literature andrelevant secondary data from a comprehensive

perspective, moving to more specific studies that areassociated with your problem.

If the problem has a historical background, begin with theearliest references.

Avoid details (no comprehensive report) and give a briefreview of literature.

Always refer to the original source.25


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Literature Review contd. Emphasize the important results and conclusions of

other studies, the relevant data and trends from previousresearch, and particular methods or design that could beduplicated or should be avoided.

Discuss how the literature applies to the study you areproposing; show the weaknesses or faults in the design,discussing how you would avoid similar problems.

Close the literature review section by summarizing the

important aspects of the literature and interpreting themin terms of your problem.

Refine the problem as necessary in the light of yourfindings.

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Importance of the Study

Importance/benefits of the study depends on theneeds for the research.

Research cannot solve a potential unionization

problem. Your research can help the management in

responding to employees concerns and forge a

linkage between those concerns and unionization.

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Research Design

The design module describes what you are going todo in technical terms.

It provides information on your proposal design for

tasks such as sample selection and size, datacollection method, instrumentation, procedures, and

ethical requirements.

It discusses the method you have rejected and why

your selected approach is superior.

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Data Anal sis


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Data AnalysisA brief section on the methods used for analyzing the data is

appropriate for large scale contract research projects & thesis.

With smaller projects, the proposed data analysis would beincluded within the research design section.

In this section you describe your proposed handling of the data

and the theoretical basis for using selected techniques.

This module is often a tough section to write. You can make it

easier to write, read, and understand your data analysis by using

sample charts and tables.

The data analysis section is so important to evaluating contractresearch proposals that the researcher should contact an expert to

review the latest techniques available for use in the particular

research study and compare these to the proposed techniques.29


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Nature and Form of Research

Upon finishing this section, the sponsor should be

able to go back to the statement of the management

question and research objectives and discover that

each goal of the study has been covered.

One should also specify the types of data to be

obtained and the interpretations that will be made in

the analysis.

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Qualifications of Researchers

This section should begin with the principal investigator,and then provide similar information on all individualsinvolved with the project.

Two elements are critical:

Professional research competence (relevant researchexperience, the highest academic degree held, andmembership in business and technical societies).

Relevant management experience.

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Budget

The budget should be presented in the form thesponsor requests.

The budget statement in an internal research proposal

is based on employee and overhead costs. The budget presented by an external research

organization is not just the wages or salaries of its

employees but the person/hour price that thecontracting firm charges.

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Schedule

The schedule should include major phases of the project,

their timetables, and the milestones that signify thecompletion of a phase.

For example, major phase may be i) exploratory

interviews, ii) final research proposal, iii) questionnairerevision, iv) field interviews, v) editing and coding, vi)

data analysis, and vii) report generation.

Each of these phases should have an estimated time

schedule and people assigned to work. Chart your

schedule using

CPM (Critical Path Method) if the project is large.

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Facilities and Special Resources

Often, projects will require special facilities or resources,

for instance, a contract exploratory study may needspecialized facilities for focus group sessions. Computer-assisted telephone or other interviewing facilities may berequired.

Alternatively, your proposed data analysis may requiresophisticated computer algorithms, and therefore, youneed access to an adequate system.

These requirements will vary from study to study. The

proposal should carefully list the relevant facilities andresources that will be used.

The costs for such facility use should be detailed in yourbudget.

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Bibliography


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Bibliography

Use the appropriate and required format for listing references.

ReferencingThe research paper should follow an academic style of

referencing. There are four referencing systems from which to

choose (Butcher 1981), and You need to adopt the one that is

acceptable to your university and academic discipline.

The four referencing systems are:

The short-title system; (in general books)

The author-date system; (science & social science books)

The reference by number system;

The author-number system.35


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Writing a Bibliography There are several well-established systems for writing a

bibliography and your choice is dependent upon thepreference of the discipline and university.

In the social sciences, some of the most commonly usedones are (Longyear 1983, p.83):

The Harvard system, The American Psychological Association system

What to include in the Appendices?

A glossary of concepts, constructs, and definitions Samples of the measurement instrument

Other materials that reinforce the body of the proposal

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Thanks to Allah

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brm lecture 3

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