1. Business Research Method MGM4104/MGM4105
PJJ

2. Chapter 1 The role of Business Research

3. Business Research Defined
Business research is the application of the scientific method in searching for the truth about business phenomena.
The process includes:
idea and theory development
problem definition
searching for and collecting information
analyzing data
communicating the findings and their implications

4. The Scientific Method Scientific Method
The way researchers go about using knowledge and evidence to reach objective conclusions about the real world.
The analysis and interpretation of empirical evidence (facts from observation or experimentation) to confirm or disprove prior conceptions

5. Chapter 3 Theory Building

6. What is a Theory? Theory Goals of Theory
A formal, logical explanation of some events that includes predictions or how things relate to one another.
Goals of Theory
Understanding
Predicting

7. Research Concepts Concept (or construct)
A generalized idea about a class of objects, attributes, occurrences or process that has been given a name.
Examples:
leadership
morale
gross domestic product
assets
customer satisfaction
market share

8. EXHIBIT 3.2 Concepts are Abstractions of Reality

9. EXHIBIT 3.3 Hypotheses Are the Empirical Counterparts of Propositions

10. The Scientific Method Scientific Method
A set of prescribed procedures for establishing and connecting theoretical statements about events, for analyzing empirical evidence, and for predicting events yet unknown.
Techniques or procedures used to analyze empirical evidence in an attempt to confirm or disprove prior conceptions.
Suggested steps:
Assess relevant existing knowledge of phenomenon
Formulate concepts and propositions
State hypotheses
Design research to test the hypotheses
Acquire empirical data
Analyze and evaluate data
Propose an explanation of the phenomenon and state new problems raised by the research

11. Chapter 4 The Business Research Process: An Overview

12. Stages in the Research Process
Process stages:
Defining the research objectives
Planning a research design
Planning a sample
Collecting the data
Analyzing the data
Formulating the conclusions and preparing the report
Forward linkage—earlier stages influence later stages.
Backward linkage—later stages influence earlier stages.

13. EXHIBIT 4.5 Stages of the Research Process

14. EXHIBIT 4.6 Flowchart of the Business Research Process
Note: Diamond-shaped boxes indicate stages in the research process in which a choice of one or more techniques must be made. The dotted line indicates an alternative path that skips exploratory research.

15. Defining the Research Objectives
The goals to be achieved by conducting research.
Deliverables
The consulting term used to describe research objectives to a research client.

16. Previous Research Literature review
A directed search of published works, including periodicals and books, that discusses theory and presents empirical results that are relevant to the topic at hand.

17. Planning the Research Design
A master plan that specifies the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing the needed information.
Basic design techniques for descriptive and causal research:
Surveys
Experiments
Secondary data
Observation

18. Gathering Data Unobtrusive Methods
Methods in which research respondents do not have to be disturbed for data to be gathered.

19. Processing and Analyzing Data
Editing
Involves checking the data collection forms for omissions, legibility, and consistency in classification.
Codes
Rules for interpreting, categorizing, recording, and transferring the data to the data storage media.
Data analysis
The application of reasoning to understand the data that have been gathered.

20. Drawing Conclusions and Preparing a Report
Steps in communicating the research findings:
Interpreting the research results
Describing the implications
Drawing the appropriate conclusions for managerial decisions
Reporting requirements
Conclusions fulfill the deliverables promised in the research proposal
Consider the varying abilities of people to understand the research results
A clearly-written, understandable summary of the research findings

21. Types of Business Research
Exploratory
Descriptive
Causal

22. Chapter 5 The Human Side of Business Research: Organizational and Ethical Issues

23. Rights and Obligations of the Researcher
The researcher should:
Understand that the purpose of research is research (no sales pitch to research participants)
Maintain objectivity
Not misrepresent research
Be honest in reporting errors
Protect the confidentiality of both subjects and clients

24. Chapter 6 Problem Definition: The Foundation of Business Research

25. The Problem-Definition Process
When there is a difference between the current conditions and a more preferable set of conditions.
Problems Mean Gaps
Business performance is worse than expected business performance.
Actual business performance is less than possible business performance.
Expected business performance is greater than possible business performance.

26. EXHIBIT 6.2 The Problem-Definition Process

27. Determine the Unit of Analysis
Indicates what or who should provide the data and at what level of aggregation.
Individuals (such as customers, employees, and owners)
Households (families, extended families, and so forth)
Organizations (businesses and business units)
Departments (sales, finance, and so forth)
Geographical areas
Objects (products, advertisements, and so forth).
Multi-level analysis studies variables measured at more than one unit of analysis.

28. Determine the Relevant Variable
What is a Variable?
Anything that varies or changes from one instance to another; can exhibit differences in value, usually in magnitude or strength, or in direction.
What is a Constant?
Something that does not change; is not useful in addressing research questions.

29. Writing Research Objectives and Questions
Research Questions
Express the research objectives in terms of questions that can be addressed by research.
Help to develop well-formulated, specific hypotheses that can be empirically tested.
Help the researcher design a study that will produce useful results.

30. Clarity in Research Questions and Hypotheses
The researcher’s translation of the problem into a specific inquiry.
Provide input that can be used as a standard for selecting from among alternative solutions.
Hypotheses
Statements that can be empirically tested.
State what is expected to be found through the study.
Managerial Action Standard
A specific performance criterion upon which a decision can be based.

31. The Research Proposal Research Proposal Uses for the Proposal
A written statement of the research design.
Uses for the Proposal
As a planning tool
As a contract
Funded Business Research
Basic research usually performed by academic researchers that is financially supported by some public or private institution as in federal government grants.

32. Chapter 7 Qualitative Research Tools

33. What is Qualitative Research?
Qualitative business research
Research that addresses business objectives through techniques that allow the researcher to provide elaborate interpretations of phenomena without depending on numerical measurement
Its focus is on discovering true inner meanings and new insights.
Researcher-dependent
Researcher must extract meaning from unstructured responses such as text from a recorded interview or a collage representing the meaning of some experience.

34. Uses of Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is useful when:
It is difficult to develop specific and actionable decision statements or research objectives.
The research objective is to develop a detailed and in-depth understanding of some phenomena.
The research objective is to learn how a phenomenon occurs in its natural setting or to learn how to express some concept in colloquial terms.
The behavior the researcher is studying is particularly context-dependent.
A fresh approach to studying the problem is needed.

35. Qualitative “versus” Quantitative Research
Quantitative business research
Descriptive and conclusive
Addresses research objectives through empirical assessments that involve numerical measurement and statistical analysis.
Qualitative business research
Exploratory
Uses small versus large samples
Asks a broad range of questions versus structured questions
Subjective interpretation versus statistical analysis

36. Contrasting Exploratory and Confirmatory Research
Qualitative data
Data that are not characterized by numbers but rather are textual, visual, or oral.
Focus is on stories, visual portrayals, meaningful characterizations, interpretations, and other expressive descriptions.
Quantitative data
Represent phenomena by assigning numbers in an ordered and meaningful way.

37. Qualitative Research Orientations
Major Orientations of Qualitative Research
Phenomenology—originating in philosophy and psychology
Ethnography—originating in anthropology
Grounded theory—originating in sociology
Case studies—originating in psychology and in business research

38. What Is a Phenomenological Approach to Research?
Phenomenology
A philosophical approach to studying human experiences based on the idea that human experience itself is inherently subjective and determined by the context in which people live.
Seeks to describe, reflect upon, and interpret experiences.
Relies on conversational interview tools and respondents are asked to tell a story about some experience.

39. What Is Hermeneutics? Hermeneutics Hermeneutic Unit
An approach to understanding phenomenology that relies on analysis of texts through which a person tells a story about him- or herself.
Hermeneutic Unit
A text passage from a respondent’s story that is linked with a key theme from within the respondent’s story or provided by the researcher.

40. What Is Ethnography? Ethnography Participant-observation
Represents ways of studying cultures through methods that involve becoming highly active within that culture.
Participant-observation
An ethnographic research approach where the researcher becomes immersed within the culture that he or she is studying and draws data from his or her observations.

41. What Is Grounded Theory?
Represents an inductive investigation in which the researcher poses questions about information provided by respondents or taken from historical records.
The researcher asks the questions to him or herself and repeatedly questions the responses to derive deeper explanations.
Key questions:
What is happening here?
How is it different?

42. What Are Case Studies? Case Studies Themes
The documented history of a particular person, group, organization, or event.
Themes
Are identified by the frequency with which the same term (or a synonym) arises in the narrative description.

43. EXHIBIT 7.2 Common Qualitative Research Tools

44. Focus Group Interview
An unstructured, free-flowing interview with a small group (6-10 people) led by a moderator who encourages dialogue among respondents.
Advantages:
Relatively fast
Easy to execute
Allow respondents to piggyback off each other’s ideas
Provide multiple perspectives
Flexibility to allow more detailed descriptions
High degree of scrutiny

45. Focus Group Respondents
Group Composition
6 to 10 people
Relatively homogeneous
Similar lifestyles and experiences

46. The Focus Group Moderator
A person who leads a focus group interview and insures that everyone gets a chance to speak and contribute to the discussion.
Qualities of a good moderator:
Develops rapport with the group
Good listener
Tries not to interject his or her own opinions
Controls discussion without being overbearing

47. Planning a Focus Group Outline
Discussion guide
Includes written introductory comments informing the group about the focus group purpose and rules and then outlines topics or questions to be addressed in the group session.

48. Focus Group Discussion Guide
Welcome and introductions should take place first.
Begin the interview with a broad icebreaker that does not reveal too many specifics about the interview.
Questions become increasingly more specific as the interview proceeds.
If there is a very specific objective to be accomplished, that question should probably be saved for last.
A debriefing statement should provide respondents with the actual focus group objectives and answering any questions they may have.

49. Disadvantages of Focus Groups
Require objective, sensitive, and effective moderators.
May have unique sampling problems.
May not be useful for discussing sensitive topics in face-to-face situations.
Cost a considerable amount of money, particularly when they are not conducted by someone employed by the company desiring the focus group.

50. Depth Interviews Depth interview Laddering
A one-on-one interview between a professional researcher and a research respondent conducted about some relevant business or social topic.
Laddering
A particular approach to probing asking respondents to compare differences between brands at different levels.
Produces distinctions at the:
attribute level
benefit level
value or motivation level

51. Conversations Conversations Semi-structured interviews
An informal qualitative data-gathering approach in which the researcher engages a respondent in a discussion of the relevant subject matter.
Semi-structured interviews
Written form and ask respondents for short essay responses to specific open-ended questions.
Advantages
An ability to address more specific issues
Responses are easier to interpret
Without the presence of an interviewer, semi-structured interviews can be relatively cost effective

52. Social Networking One of the most impactful trends in recent times.
For many, social networking sites have become the primary tool for communicating with friends both far and near and known and unknown.
MySpace
Second Life
Zebo
A large portion of this information discusses business and consumer-related information.
Companies monitor these sites for information related to their brands.

53. Other Techniques Observation Field notes
The researcher’s descriptions of what actually happens in the field.
These notes then become the text from which meaning is extracted.
Advantageous for gaining insight into things that respondents cannot or will not verbalize.