Unit 1 RMM.pptx

Who Conducts Business Research?

Syndicated Services
Nielsen Media
Research
provides audience
data for television
programs like
Court TV

Some Syndicated Data Providers
• AC Nielsen
• Scarborough
• Millward Brown
• Nielsen Media Research
• Roper ASW
• CSA TMO
• Yahoo!
• ORC International
• DoubleClick
• Nielsen/NetRatings
• Taylor Nelson Sofres
Intersearch
• J.D. Power Associates
• MediaMark
• Simmon (SMRB)
• BRMB
• Information Resources Inc.

Specialty Business Research Firms
Methodology
Process
Industry
Participant group
Geographic Region

Communication Agencies
Direct
Business
Public
Relations
Advertising
Sales
Promotion

Consultants and
Trade Associations

Why Study Business Research?
Business
research provides
information to
guide business
decisions

Business Research
• A process of determining, acquiring,
analyzing, synthesizing, and disseminating
relevant business data, information, and
insights to decision makers in ways that
mobilize the organization to take
appropriate business actions that,
in turn, maximize business performance

Research Should Reduce Risk
The primary purpose of
research is to reduce
the level of risk of a
business decision

Hierarchy of Business Decision Makers

Characteristics of
Good Research
Clearly defined purpose
Detailed research process
Thoroughly planned design
High ethical standards
Limitations addressed
Unambiguous presentation
Conclusions justified
Credentials
Adequate analysis

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH can answer questions
who, what, where, when and how’.
� It includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries with adequate
interpretation.
� Descriptive research can involve a onetime interaction with groups of
people (cross-sectional study) or a study might follow individuals over
time (longitudinal study).
� Descriptive research is closely linked with ex post facto, historical,
exploratory, and quantitative research, and sometimes, these terms
can be used interchangeably.
• Eg:Ministry of Agriculture would like to know about the crop patterns
across different states in India and

Correlational Research
� It is undertaken to discover or establish relationship or
interdependence between two aspects of a situation.
Two or more variables may occur together but that
does not mean that one has caused the other to occur.
� It may identify factors leading to a certain situation.
� Eg:, ascertaining the degree of relationship between
stress among students to perform in the exam and
rote learning.

Experimental Research or Causal Studies
� It is cause-and-effect finding research; it seeks to
uncover cause-and-effect relationships.
� An action or occurrence can cause other action, for
example, smoking causes lung cancer. It brings up a
definite cause-and effect relationship. It identifies the
variable that changes the dependent variable. For
example, smoking causes weak lungs and not vice
versa.
� If we are able to identify the cause of a problem, then
we may be on the way to find a solution to the
problem, as is the case in medical science.

Exploratory Research
� It is generally done in the beginning of a research. It is
undertaken to explore an area where little is known or
to investigate the possibilities of undertaking a
particular research study and is akin to feasibility study
or pilot study.
� It attempts to clarify why and how there is a
relationship between two or more aspects of a
situation or phenomenon.
� It makes use of secondary data (mainly literature
review), experience surveys, case studies, interviews
(mainly focus groups’ interviews), projective
techniques, and Delphi techniques.

� Explanatory Research
Explanatory research attempts to answer how and why
between two aspects of a situation or a phenomenon.
For example,
▪ why examination related stress leads to rote learning?
▪ Why and how stress leads to a heart disease?

Classification of Research on the
Basis of Application
Fundamental (Basic or Pure) Research
� The main purpose of basic research is to add to the existing stock of knowledge
and, thus, can be intellectually challenging.
� The knowledge produced through pure research is sought in order to add to the
existing body of research methods.
� It is not likely to have any practical application at the present time or even in the
future.
Applied Research
� Applied research is done to solve specific, practical questions facing the society.
� It can be used for policy formulation, administration, and understanding of a
phenomenon.
� It is always done on the basis of basic research and can be carried out by academic
or industrial institutions.
• application of the knowledge generated to social concerns
Action research
is useful in solving an immediate, specific problem & for improvement of practices

Classification of Research on the
Basis of Logic

Scientific Method
• The analysis and interpretation of empirical evidence (facts from
observation or experimentation) to confirm or disprove prior
conceptions.

The Research Process
Stage 1: Clarifying the
Research question
Stage 2: Proposing Research
Stage 3: Designing the
Research
Stage 4: Data Collection &
Preparation
Stage 5: Data Analysis &
Interpretation
Stage 6: Reporting the
Results

Stage 1: Clarifying the Research Question
Management-research question hierarchy process begins
by identifying the management dilemma

Step 1: Discover the Management Dilemma

Step 2: Define the Management Question

Step 3: Define the Research Question

Stage 2:
Proposing
Research
• Budget Types
Rule-of-thumb
Departmental
Task

Stage 3: Designing the Research

Stage 3: Designing the Research
The
Research
Project
Research
Design
Sampling
Design
Pilot Testing

Stage 5: Data Analysis &Interpretation

Steps in Data Analysis and Interpretation
Reduce data to manageable size
Develop summaries
Look for patterns
Apply statistical techniques

Stage 6: Reporting the Results

Parts of the Research Report
Research
Report
Executive
Summary
Research
Overview
Technical
Appendix
Implementation
Strategies

The Research Report Overview
Problem’s background
Summary of exploratory findings
Research design and procedures
Conclusions

Research Process Problems to Avoid
Ill-defined management problem
Unresearchable questions
Politically-motivated research

Research Process Problems to Avoid
Company Database
Strip-mining
Favored Techniques
Syndrome

Problem Discovery and Definition
• First step
• Problem, opportunity, or monitor operations
• Discovery before definition
• Problem means management problem

“The formulation of the problem is often more essential
than its solution.”
Albert Einstein

Problem Definition
• The indication of a specific business decision area that will be
clarified by answering some research questions.

Ascertain the Decision Maker’s Objectives
• Decision makers’ objectives
• Managerial goals expressed in measurable terms.
43

The Iceberg Principle
• The principle indicating that the dangerous part of many business
problems is neither visible to nor understood by managers.

Isolate and Identify the Problems, Not the Symptoms
• Symptoms can be confusing
45

Symptoms Can Be Confusing
Twenty-year-old neighborhood swimming association:
• Membership has been declining for years.
• New water park -residents prefer the expensive water park????
• Demographic changes: Children have grown up

Problem Definition
Organization Symptoms Based on Symptom True Problem
Twenty-year-old
neighborhood
swimming
association in a
major city.
Membership has been
declining for years.
New water park with
wave pool and water
slides moved into
town a few years ago.
Neighborhood
residents prefer the
expensive water
park and have
negative image of
swimming pool.
Demographic changes:
Children in this 20-
year-old neighborhood
have grown up. Older
residents no longer
swim anywhere.

Determine the Unit of Analysis
• Individuals, households, organizations, etc.
• In many studies, the family rather than the individual is the
appropriate unit of analysis.
48

Determine the Relevant Variable
• Anything that may assume different numerical values
49

Problem!
A question raised for inquiry,
consideration or solution

What do wedo with Problems?
• Ignore them
• Talk about them
• Try to solve them

What is a Research Problem?
A research problem is an issueor concern
that an investigator presents and justifies
in a research study.

What is a research problem?
⚫A problem that someone would like to research
⚫Anything that a person find unsatisfactory or
unsettling, a difficulty of some sort, a state of
affairs that need to be changed.
⚫A problems involve areas of concerns to
researchers, for condition they want to improve,
difficulties they want to eliminate, questions for
which they want to seek answers.

How to Identify a Research Problem
• Search for a problem .
• Read more about your problem.
• Take notes or keep a research journal.
• Seek professional advice.
• Keep the topic interesting.

Why is the Research ProblemImportant?
• Establishes importance of topic
• Creates reader interest
• Focuses reader’s attention on how study
will add to literature

CanandShouldtheProblemBeResearched?
• Can you study the problem?
– Do you have access to the research site?
– Do you have the time, resources and skills to
carry out the research?
• Should you study the problem?
– Does it advance knowledge?
– Does it contribute to practice?

Job Redesign
Constructs
and Concepts

Operational Definitions
⚫ Freshman
⚫ Sophomore
⚫ Junior
⚫ Senior
⚫ < 30 credit hours
⚫ 30-50 credit hours
⚫ 60-89 credit hours
⚫ > 90 credit hours
How can we define the variable
“class level of students”?

Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
What is a Theoretical Framework
• It is the ‘blueprint’ or guide for a research (Grant & Osanloo,
2014). It is ‘borrowed’ by the researcher to build his/her own
house.
• It serves as the foundation upon which a research is constructed.
• Sinclair (2007) compares the role of the theoretical framework
to that of a map or travel plan.
• Brondizio, Leemans, and Solecki (2014) contend that it is the
specific theory or theories about aspects of human endeavour
that can be useful to the study of events.

What is a Theoretical Framework
• All aspects of the dissertation research should connect to the
theoretical framework (Grant & Osanloo, 2014).
• The relevant theory or theories that underpin the knowledge
base of the phenomenon to be researched.
• It consists of theoretical principles, constructs, concepts, and
tenants of a theory (Grant & Osanloo, 2014).
• Make a unique application of the selected theory so as to apply
the theoretical constructs to his/her dissertation study.

Importance of Theoretical Framework in
Research
• It provides the structure to define how a researcher defines
his/her study philosophically, epistemologically, methodology
and analytically (Grant & Osanloo, 2014).
• It normally serves as the focus for the research study and it is
linked to the research problem under study.

Importance of Theoretical Framework in Research
• It guides a researcher’s choice of research design and data
analysis plan.
• It provides a common worldview or lens from which to support
one’s thinking on the problem and analysis of data (Grant &
Osanloo, 2014).
• The theoretical framework guides and must resonates with
every aspect of the research (Statement of the problem,
Literature Review, Methodology, Presentation and Discussion of
Findings).

Importance of Theoretical Framework in Research
• The theoretical framework guides the kind of data to be
collected (Lester, 2005).
• Simon and Goes (2011) as well as Maxwell (2004) avers that
theoretical frameworks deepen the essence of the study.
• It convinces readers that the study is not based on the personal
instincts of the researcher but rather on established theory
gathered via credible studies.

Examples of Theoretical Framework
• Transformational Theory
• Culture Theory
• Cognitive Theory
• Gender Theory
• Behavioral Theory
• Developmental Theory
• Human Environment Relations Theory
• Culture Ecology Theory
• Culture Determinism Theory

How To Construct a Theoretical Framework
• There is no one perfect or right theory for a dissertation, though
certain theories are popular (Grant & Osanloo, 2014).
• The theory must reflect the understanding of the researcher
regarding the study and must direct the study (Simon & Goes,
2011).
• The selection of a theoretical framework requires a thorough
understanding of the problem, purpose, significance and
research questions of a study (Grant & Osanloo, 2014).

• The chosen theoretical framework must accentuate the
purpose and importance of the study dissertation (Grant &
Osanloo, 2014).
• Consider the guiding principles of the study and situate the
problem in relation to a theoretical context.
• The research questions of the study must entail noticeable
aspects of the theoretical framework and must agree with the
assertions promulgated by the theorists of the selected theory
(Maxwell, 2004).

• The research findings accrued finally from the study may
support, extend, or modify an existing theory that was
borrowed for the study (Lester, 2005).
• The researcher may critique, develop and/or expand the theory
that served as a guide for his/her study vis-à-vis the findings
gleaned from the study (Grant & Osanloo, 2014).
• Munhall and Chenail (2008) contend that this should be done at
the data analysis stage.

• Using Grant and Osanloo (2014) checklist to identify the suitable
theoretical framework for a study:
1. What discipline will the theory be applied to?
2. Does the theory agree with the methodology plan for the
study?
3. Is the theory to be selected well developed with many
theoretical constructs?
4. Have specific concepts or theoretical principles been selected
to meet the objectives of the study?

5. Does the problem of the study, the purpose and importance of
the study correlates with the theoretical framework?
6. Can the theory be used hand in hand with the research
questions for the study?
7. Does the theoretical framework inform the literature review?
8. Does the data analysis plan agrees with the selected
theoretical framework?
9. Does the theoretical framework undergirds the conclusions
and recommendations based on the data analysis?

Simon and Goes (2011) also suggest some points that can help
articulate the theory for an informed research:
1. The main concern for inquiry in the research
2. The key variables in the research
3. Read and review current related literature on the topic using
key word search.
4. List the constructs and variables that might be relevant for
the study.
5. Consider how the variables are related to the theory

6. Revise the search and add the word ‘theory’ to the key words
to find the theories and theorists most in line with the thinking
of the researcher.
7. Discuss the propositions of each theory and highlight its
relevance to the research.
8. Consider alternative theories that challenges the perspectives
of the researcher.
9. Consider the limitations associated with the selected theory
which the problem to be investigated can help address or
provide logic explanations.

What is Conceptual Framework
• Conceptual framework is a structure which the researcher
believes could best explain the natural progression of the
phenomenon to be studied (Camp, 2001).
•It offers a logical structure of connected concepts that help
provide a picture or visual display of how ideas in a study relate
to one another (Grant & Osanloo, 2014).
•It assists the researcher to specify and define the concepts
within the problem of the study (Luse, Mennecke & Townsend,
2012).

What is Conceptual Framework
• It represents an integrated way of looking at a problem under
study (Liehr & Smith, 1999).
• It is seen as an outline of courses of action or preferred
approach to a thought to be carried out in a research study
(Dixon, Gulliver & Gibbon, 2001).
• Miles and Huberman (1994, p.18) opine that conceptual
frameworks can be ‘graphical or in a narrative form showing the
key variables or constructs to be studied and the presumed
relationships between them’.

Importance of Conceptual Framework in Research
• It aids the researcher to identify and construct his/her
worldview and approach to the topic of study (Grant & Osanloo,
2014).
• It brings together related concepts to explain or predict a given
event or give a detailed understanding of the research problem
and its asserted solution (Liehr & Smith, 1999).
• It accentuates the reasons why a research topic is worth
studying, the assumptions of a researcher, the scholars s/he
agrees with and disagrees with and how s/he conceptually
grounds his/her approach (Evans, 2007).

How To Construct a Conceptual Framework
• Mostly, diagrams are created to clearly define the constructs or
variables of the research topic and their relationships are shown
by the use of arrows.
• Researchers are at liberty to adopt existing frameworks, but
have to modify it to suit the nature of the context of their
research as well as the nature of their research questions
(Fisher, 2007).
• Fisher adds that a good conceptual framework must also be
expressed in writing for it to be understood clearly.

Differences Between Theoretical Framework and
Conceptual Framework
• Theoretical framework is curled from an existing theory or
theories in the literature that has already been tested and
validated by others and is considered as an acceptable theory in
the scholarly literature (Grant & Osanloo, 2014).
• Conceptual framework is the researcher’s understanding of how
the research problem will be explored, the specific direction the
research will have to take, and the relationship between the
different variables in the study.

Differences Between Theoretical Framework and
Conceptual Framework
• While a whole theory may serve as one’s theoretical framework,
a conceptual framework is carefully put together in the form of
a conceptual model and immediately applied to a particular
study (Liehr & Smith, 1999).
• Theoretical framework is derived from a theory while
conceptual framework is derived from concepts.

Unit 1 RMM.pptx

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