business research methods-sajjad

8/7/2019 Business Research Methods-Sajjad

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Sajjad

Business Research Methods

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BUSIN

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SSRESEAR

CHMETHOD

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What isBusinessResearch?

Why we needto ConductResearch inorganizations?

What can bethe areas of businessresearch?

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WHAT IS BUSINESS RESEARCH

Business Research is an organized,systematic, data-based, critical,objective, scientific inquiry or

investigation into a specific problemundertaken with the purpose of findinganswers or solutions to it.

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RESEARCH

Employee Behavior such as absenteeism, performance management, turnover

Employee attitudes / satisfaction

Supervisory performance

Managerial tactics, Leadership styles

Employee selection, recruitment,training and development

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COMMON AREAS FOR BUSINESSRESEARCH…

Brand loyalty, product life cycle, productinnovation

Risk assessments, fluctuations, foreign

investment

Advanced manufacturing techniques /

technologies and information systems

Competitors analysis

The technology and human spirit5



FINDING THE “WHAT, WHY &HOW”

“Why”

“How”

“When”

“What”

“Where”

How

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VARIABLE

Variable is a Central idea in Research. Simplydefined variable is a concept that varies.

Anything that varies and change in value

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RESEARCH PROCESS

1.Define the problem

2.Review the Previous Research

3.Develop Hypotheses

4.Determine Research Design

5.Define the sample / collect the data6.Analyze the Data

7.Prepare the Research Report 8



1. DEFINING THE PROBLEM

The first step in defining the problem isidentifying the general question you want toanswer • For example, you might want to know if drugs are

responsible for the decline of morality (ethics) in thiscountry

The second step involves stating your questionso that it can be measured empirically • You might then phrase your question, “Does drug use

cause one to commit crime?”

The third step typically involves operationalizing

the concepts you are using• This will involve specifying what you mean by “drug

use” and “crime”

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2. REVIEW PREVIOUS RESEARCH

It will be rare that you will identify a research problem that

has not previously been researched

By looking at what other researchers have done, you can

get some insightful ideas about how to conduct your ownresearch

Sources of Secondary data;1. Research journals

2. Books / articles

3. Reports on similar topics

4. Statistic department

5. Professional organizations

6. NGOs / INGOs / UN agencies

7. Internet / Intranet

8. Religious literature

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3. DEVELOP HYPOTHESES

An hypothesis is “...a testable statement about the relationship

between two or more empirical variables.”

e.g. Officers in my grade have higher than avarage

commitment (variable)

“The higher level of job commitment of officers the lower their absentiseem.”

“High motivation causes high efficiency”

High motivation leads to high efficiency”

A variable is “...anything that can change” An independent variable causes change to occur in another variable

A dependent variable is influenced by the independent variable

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3A. STATEMENTS OF CAUSALITY ANDASSOCIATION

Statement of causality—declares that something causes

something else

Statement of association—declares that two variables are

related but one does not necessarily cause the other

Drug Use Crime

Drug Use Crime

Unknown Third

Variable

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4. DETERMINE THE RESEARCHDESIGN...

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4. A THE SURVEY

The survey involves questioning apopulation or sample to reveal certainfacts about themselves

The survey is usually conducted with theuse of a questionnaire or interviewThe structured interview uses preset questions

and produces very uniform and replicableresponses

The open-ended interview allows morefreedom for both respondent and interviewer

in exploring a topic thoroughly

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4.B PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION

Participant observation involves going into the “field”

and spending considerable time interacting with the

people one is studying

It is generally used to study small groups or

communities over an extended period of time

The researcher must establish trust and honesty in his

or her relationships with the people being studied

Results cannot be replicated easily, but it can provide

much more detailed information

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4.C THE EXPERIMENT

The experiment is a design that carefully controls the

variables being studied

The experiment is the most precise research design

available to sociologists (or any other scientist)

The types of things that most sociologists are interested in

do not lend themselves to this research design, however

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4.D SECONDARY ANALYSIS

Secondary analysis involves making use of data

that have been previously collected by others

There are several sources of secondary data,

including the Census Department, EconomicSurvey, Statistical department

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Ad t d Di d t f R h M th dAd t d Di d t f R h M th d



Advantages and Disadvantages of Research MethodsAdvantages and Disadvantages of Research Methods

ResearchResearch

MethodMethod

AdvantagesAdvantages DisadvantagesDisadvantages

SurveySurvey 1 Many people can be1 Many people can besurveyedsurveyed

2 Data can be quantified and2 Data can be quantified andcomparisons madecomparisons made

1Respondents may give false1Respondents may give falseinformationinformation

2 Do not leave room for 2 Do not leave room for unanticipated answersunanticipated answers

ParticipantParticipant ObservationObservation

1 Allows people to be1 Allows people to beobserved in natural habitatobserved in natural habitat

2 Provides greater depth of 2 Provides greater depth of understandingunderstanding

1 Findings open to1 Findings open tointerpretation and subject tointerpretation and subject tobiasbias

2 Results difficult to replicate2 Results difficult to replicate

ExperimentExperiment1 Variables can be controlled1 Variables can be controlled

2 Easy to replicate2 Easy to replicate

1 Artificial setting1 Artificial setting

2 Limited to a few variables2 Limited to a few variables

3 Not appropriate for most3 Not appropriate for mostsociologistssociologists

SecondarySecondary

AnalysisAnalysis

1 Good for historical and1 Good for historical andlongitudinal datalongitudinal data

2 Saves time and money2 Saves time and money

No control over dataNo control over data 18



5. DEFINE SAMPLE /COLLECT DATA

A sample is a subset of a population that is

chosen for study

The process by which this subset of thepopulation is chosen is called sampling

The nature of the population and the research will

determine what type of sample the researcher will

use

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TYPES OF SAMPLES

Type of Type of SampleSample

DescriptionDescription PurposePurpose

RandomRandom Each individual in aEach individual in apopulation has anpopulation has anequal chance of beingequal chance of beingchosenchosen

Used when there is noUsed when there is noneed to insure inclusionneed to insure inclusionof certain categoriesof certain categories

StratifiedStratifiedRandomRandom

Population first dividedPopulation first divided

into groups based oninto groups based oncertain characteristics;certain characteristics;random sample drawnrandom sample drawnwithin each categorywithin each category

Used whenUsed when

representation of representation of certain populationcertain populationcategories is importantcategories is important

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AVOIDING RESEARCHER BIAS

Researcher bias occurs when the researcher tends to ignore data which go against his or her hypotheses

This can be prevented using one or more of thefollowing strategiesAllowing other researchers access to one’s data for

alternative interpretationUse of blind investigators who do not know if a

subject is part of an experimental or control group

Use of double blind investigators who know neither the nature of the subjects, or of the hypothesesbeing tested

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7. PREPARE THE RESEARCH REPORT

Sociological research is generallyreported in one or more of thefollowing ways: Papers presented at professional

meetings Published in technical or scholarly

journals Publish as a book or publish as final

report to funding agencies

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