business research ch1

8/7/2019 Business Research Ch1

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Research - A Way of

ThinkingChapter 1 Research Methodology,Ranjit Kumar


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FOCUS

Research & its characteristics.

Pure & Applied Research.

Research on the basis of its objectives.

Application of Business Research.


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Research

Definition According to Burns Research is a systematic

investigation to find answers to a problem.

According to Grinnell Research is a careful,

systematic, patient study & investigation in some

field of knowledge, undertaken to establish facts or

principles.

Simply, Research is one of the ways to find answers

to your question.


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Three Criteria

Three criteria for a process to be called as

Research

1.

Process is being undertaken within aframework of a set ofPhilosophies.

2. Process uses procedures, methods &

techniques that have been tested for their

validity & reliability.3. Is designed to be unbiased & objective.


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Three Criteria-Explanation

Philosophical: Kind of orientation which may emerge from one of

the several approaches in research-Positive,

Interpretive, Qualitative, Quantitative. Depends upon the discipline in which you have

been trained.

Validity:

It ensures that in a Research study correctprocedures have been applied to find answers toa question.


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Three Criteria-Explanation

Reliability:

Refers to the degree of accuracy produced in the

outcome of the Research undertaken.

Unbiased & Objective:

Means that you have taken each step in an

unbiased manner.

You have not introduced your own interest inbetween.


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Characteristics of Research

1. Controlled:

Study of cause & effectto link the effect(s)

with the cause(s) & vice versa. Cause & effect is easy to establish in

Physical Sciences.

Cause & effect is difficult to establish in

case of Social Sciences as it deals withhuman beings.


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Characteristics (Contd..)

2. Rigorous:

The procedures followed to find answers to

questions are relevant, appropriate & justified.

Degree of rigorousness varies between

Physical (more) & Social Sciences (less).


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3. Systematic:

The procedures adopted to undertake an

investigation follow a certain logical sequence.

The different steps cannot be taken in a

haphazard way.

Some procedures must follow others.


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4. Valid & verifiable:

Whatever you conclude on the basis of yourfindings is correct & can be verified by you

& others.5. Empirical:

Any conclusion drawn are based upon hard

evidence gathered from informationcollected from real-life experiences /observations.


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6. Critical:

Critical Scrutiny of the procedures used &

the methods employed is important to a

research inquiry

The process of investigation must be

foolproof & free from any drawbacks.


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TYPES OF RESEARCH


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TYPES OF RESEARCH

RESEARCH CAN BE CLASSIFIED

FROM THREE PERSPECTIVES

1.APPLICATION OF THE RESEARCHSTUDY

2.OBJECTIVES IN UNDERSTANDING THE

RESEARCH

3.INQUIRY MODEEMPLOYED


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TYPES OF RESEARCH

APPLICATION OBJECTIVE INQUIRYMODE

PURERESEARCH

APPLIED

RESEARCH

DESCRIPTIVERESEARCH

EXPLANATORY

RESEARCH

CORRELATIONALRESEARCH

EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH

QUALITATIVERESEARCH

QUANTITATIVE

RESEARCH


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FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF APPLICATION

RESEARCH PROJECT CAN BE CLASSIFIED

AS1. PURE RESEARCH:- Gathering knowledge for

knowledges sake. It is also known as Fundamental orBasic research. Example of pure research includesnatural phenomenon or relating to pure mathematics.

Developing a sampling technique that can be applied toa procedure situation; developing an instrument, say, tomeasure the stress level in people; and finding the bestway of measuring peoples attitudes.

Application:- Pure research is concerned with thedevelopment, examination, verification and refinementof research methods, procedures, techniques and toolsthat forms the body of research methodology.


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ACCORDINGTO BAILEY:-Pure research involves developing and

testing theories and hypotheses that are

intellectually challenging to the researcher

but may or may not have practical application

at the present time or in the future. Thus such

work often involves the testing of hypotheses

containing very abstract and specializedconcepts.


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2. APPLIED RESEARCH:- research aimed at certainconclusion facing a social or business problem is an example ofapplied research. Most of the research in the social sciences isapplied. In other words the research techniques, procedures and

methods that form the body of research methodology are appliedto the collection of information about various aspects of asituation, issue, problem or phenomenon so that informationgathered can be used in other ways- such as for policyformulation, administration and the enhancement ofunderstanding of a phenomenon. Thus the central aim of applied

research is to discover a solution for some pressing practicalproblem.


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Applied research can help make a decision

about the following

pricing a new product

where to locate a new retail store how many employees to hire

what to pay employees


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REALATION BETWEEN PURE AND

APPLIED RESEARCH There is a relationship between these two

types of research: pure research generates

new ideas and applied research takes these

ideas to create new inventions. Then, throughdevelopment, the new inventions are

transformed into commercial products. This is

a simple model to understand the differenttypes of research and the eventual

development of new products.


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Research can also be divided as

Primary research also called field research involves the collection ofdata that doesn't already exist.

This method of research is always used as the firsttechnique, this can thenlead on to Field research.

Methods of collection primary data

Observation: Looking at and recording what people do and how theybehave. Today, store cameras can be used to observe consumerbehavior

Experiments: Market researchers can use experimental techniques.e.g. test marketing, blind taste tests

Surveys: Involves asking questionnaires to respondents

Consumer panels: Select a group of consumers that the company

regularly surveys to identify changing attitudes Involves asking questionnaires to respondents

Consumer panels: Select a group of consumers that the companyregularly surveys to identify changing attitudes


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Secondary research (also known as desk

research) involves the summary, collation and/or

synthesis of existing research rather than primary

research, where data is collected from, for

example, research subjects or experiments.

The term is widely used in market research and in

medical research. The principle methodology in

medical secondary research is the systematic

review, commonly using meta-analytic statistical

techniques, although other methods of synthesis,

like realist reviews and meta-narrative.


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OBJECTIVES AND

INQUIRY MODE

RESEARCH


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Objectives

1. Descriptive research.

Attempts to describe systematically a situation, problem,

phenomenon etc.

2. Correlational research.

Establishes the existence of

relationship/association/interdependence between two or

more aspects of a situation.

3. Explanatory research.

Attempts to clarify why and how there is a relationship between

two aspects of a situation or phenomenon.

4. Exploratory research.

When study is undertaken with the objective either to explore

an area where little is known or to investigate the possibilities

of undertaking a particular research study.


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Examples Aim Main Theme Types of research

Types of service provided by a agency

Needs of a community

Sale of a product

Attitudes of nurses towards death and dying

Number of people living in a community

Problems faced by new immigrants

Consumers likes and dislikes with regards to a

product

To describe what is

prevalent regarding:

A group of people

A community

A phenomenon

A situation

A program

An outcome

To describe what

is prevalent

Descriptive research

Impact of a program

Relationship between stressful living and incidence of

heart attacks

Impact of technology on employment

Impact of an advertising campaign on sale of a

product

To establish for explore:

A relationship

An association

An interdependence

To ascertain if

there is a

relationship

Correlation research

Why does stressful living result in heart attack?

Why does technology creates

unemployment/employment?Why do some people use a product while others do

not?

To explain:

*Why a relationship,

association orinterdependence exists

*Why a particular event

occurs

To explain why

the relationship is

formed

Explanatory

research


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Inquiry mode

Structured approach (Quantitative mode)

Unstructured approach (Qualitative mode)

Choice:

Aim of Inquiry.

Exploration, confirmation or quantification

Use of findings.

Policy formulation or process understanding


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Paradigms of research

There are two main paradigms that form the basis of

research in the social science.

Basis:

Whether the methodology of the physical science can beapplied to the study of social phenomena.

The paradigm that is rooted in the physical science is called

systematic, scientific or positive approach and the opposite

paradigm is known as the qualitative, ethnographic,

ecological or naturalistic approach.


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APPLICATION OF

BUSINESS RESEARCH


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What Business Research Is Not ?

Business Research isnt information gathering:

Gathering information from resources such books or

magazines isnt research.

No contribution to new knowledge.

Business Research isnt the transportation of facts:

Merely transporting facts from one resource to another

doesnt constitute research.

No contribution to new knowledge although this mightmake existing knowledge more accessible.


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APPLICATIONS OF

BUSINESS RESEARCHFROMTHE VIEWPOINT OF :

THE SERVICE PROVIDER

THEADM

INIST

RAT

OR,MANAG

ER AND/OR PLANNER

THE CONSUMER

THE PROFESSIONAL


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Research Projects

Research begins with a problem. This problem need not be Earth-shaking.

Identifying this problem can actually be thehardest part of research.

In general, good research projects should: Address an important question.

Advance knowledge.


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Research Project Pitfalls

The following kinds of projects usually dont make

for good research:

Self-enlightenment.

Comparing data sets. Correlating data sets.

Problems with yes / no answers.


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High-Quality Research(1 of 2)

Good research requires:

The scope and limitations of the work to be clearly defined.

The process to be clearly explained so that it can be

reproduced and verified by other researchers.

A thoroughly planned design that is as objective as

possible.


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High-Quality Research(2 of 2)

Good research requires:

Highly ethical standards be applied.

All limitations be documented. Data be adequately analyzed and explained.

All findings be presented unambiguously and all

conclusions be justified by sufficient evidence.


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Importance of the Study

Many research problems have a kind oftheoretical feel about them. Such projectsoften need to be justified:

What is the research projects practical value?

Without this justification, it will prove difficultto convince others that the problem inquestion is worth study.


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Innovations by rule are abnormal. A worthy idea, the core of

an innovation, surfaces only out of thinking nonsense. An

innovation happens only when something abnormal, unusual

and dramatic is mended with sense

-- A Srinivasa Bhat, Chief Consultant, Business Research

business research ch1

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