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Understand . . .
what business research is, similarities with and differencesfrom other research
Trends and Drivers of business researchthe distinction between good business research and research
that falls short of professional quality
the value of learning business research process skills
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What is BR?A process ofdetermining, acquiring, analyzing,synthesizing, and disseminating relevant businessdata, information, and insights to decision makersin ways that mobilize the organization to take
appropriate business actions that,in turn, maximize business performance
BR is not necessary unless the ff:
Can information be applied to a critical decision? Does it improve managerial decision-making? and Are sufficient resources available?
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1-4
ComplexDecisions
StakeholderInfluence
StakeholderInfluence
Competition
Competition
Factors
Factors
Growth ofInternet
Business asa discipline
Business asa discipline
Government
Intervention
Government
Intervention
GreaterComputing
Power
GreaterComputing
Power
NewResearch
Perspectives
NewResearch
Perspectives
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Organizational
Mission
BusinessStrategies
BusinessTactics
Business
Goals
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Natural Science: Biology, physics, chemistry,
etc. Social Science: studies and the collection of
methods applied by researches to produce ascientifically based knowledge about thesocial world.
Also known as soft science or Pseudoscience. It is uses the ideas or information clothed in
the jargon and outward appearance ofscience to win acceptance. Examples: behavior, practices, beliefs, etc.
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Research may be: Create knowledge for intellectual purposes or
Corroborating practices or shaping policies
Neither for academic or application purposes(new)
Adopts scientific methods: ideas, rules,techniques, approaches, etc. used to create andevaluate knowledge
Has ontological or epistemological assumptions-
scientific attitude (how the world in observed,measured and interpreted).
Deductive or Inductive Reasoning
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Clearly defined purposeClearly defined purpose
Detailed research processDetailed research process
Thoroughly planned designThoroughly planned design
High ethical standardsHigh ethical standards
Limitations addressedLimitations addressed
Adequate analysisAdequate analysis
Unambiguous presentationUnambiguous presentation
Conclusions justifiedConclusions justified
CredentialsCredentials
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Direct observationDirect observation
Clearly defined variablesClearly defined variables
Clearly defined methodsClearly defined methods
Empirically testableEmpirically testable
Elimination of
alternatives
Elimination of
alternativesStatistical justificationStatistical justification
Self-correcting processSelf-correcting process
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Where will you position Business Research?
Explain
Answer: Business or management is multi-disciplinary
What do you think is the contributions ofBusiness Research?
See earlier slides
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Sometimes used interchangeably.
Technically, the methods are concernedwith how data is collected and
information generated, and methodologyrelates to ones attitude andunderstanding of research and thestrategy to choose to achieve given
objectives.
Both methods and methodology areinfluenced by some assumptions, reasoning
and paradigms
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An epistemological approach organizes and
explains knowledge in the form of theories.
For example, an epistemological approach toa theory of leadership might be based onexploring what we can observe abouteffective leadership in the real world.
So effective leadership might be observed asbeing associated with the possession ofcertain traits or characteristics on the part ofthe leader.
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The ontological approach is based onsuggestions about the nature of
phenomena.
For example, an ontological approach todeveloping theories of leadership would
consist of views on the nature of effectiveleadership with or without reference aknowledge base.
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Epistemology: what is the relationshipbetween the inquirer and the known- thenature of knowledge and the process bywhich knowledge is acquired and validated
Ontology: what kind of being is the humanbeing. Ontology deals with the question of
what is real.
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Exposition Argument
InductionDeduction
Types of Discourse
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Deductive research develops hypotheses ortheories and then tests them out throughempirical observation.
It is essentially a set of techniques forapplying theories in the real world in order totest and assess their validity.
Deductive research is the most widely usedresearch approach in the natural sciences.
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Inductive the researcher developshypotheses and theories with a view to
explaining empirical observations of the realworld.
These empirical observations can be basedon many factors, for example, they cansimply be based on personal experience.
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2-19
Inner-city householdinterviewing is especiallydifficult and expensive
Inner-city householdinterviewing is especiallydifficult and expensive
This survey involvessubstantial inner-city
household interviewing
This survey involvessubstantial inner-city
household interviewing
2002 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin
The interviewing in thissurvey will be especiallydifficult and expensive
The interviewing in thissurvey will be especiallydifficult and expensive
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2-20
Why didnt sales increase during ourpromotional event?
Regional retailers did not have sufficient stock tofill customer requests during the promotionalperiod
A strike by employees prevented stock fromarriving in time for promotion to be effective
A hurricane closed retail outlets in the region for10 days during the promotion
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Deduction
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Positivist paradigm- the object of study is independent of researchers; knowledge is discovered and verified through
direct observations or measurements ofphenomena;
facts are established by taking apart aphenomenon to examine its component parts.
The naturalist or constructivist view- knowledge is established through the meanings
attached to the phenomena studied; researchers interact with the subjects of study to
obtain data;
inquiry changes both researcher and subject;
and knowledge is context and time dependent
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Using your own experiences in organizations,
suggest a hypothesis or theory that might serve toexplain a particular phenomenon you have notedfrom your experiences.
Example: Phenomenon noted: Older employees in an
organization seem to find it more difficult to adaptto new procedures.
Hypothesis/theory: In an organization age is a key
factor affecting resistance to change. Now select your own phenomenon and suggest a
hypothesis that might explain that.
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Variables
ModelsModels
TheoryTheory
Terms usedin research
Terms usedin research
Constructs
Operationaldefinitions
Operationaldefinitions
Propositions/
Hypotheses
Propositions/
Hypotheses
Conceptualschemes
ConceptualschemesConcepts
Concepts
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Clear conceptualizationof concepts
Shared understandingof concepts
Successof
Research
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FreshmanJunior
Senior
< 30 credit hours 30-50 credit hours
60-89 credit hours > 90 credit hours
How can we define the variable class level ofstudents?
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Variable
EventEvent ActAct
CharacteristicCharacteristic TraitTrait
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DichotomousMale/Female
Employed/ Unemployed
DiscreteEthnic backgroundEducational level
Religious affiliation
ContinuousIncome
TemperatureAge
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IndependentVariable (IV)
Predictor
Presumed cause Stimulus Predicted from Antecedent Manipulated
Dependent Variable(DV)
Criterion
Presumed effect Response Predicted to. Consequence Measured outcome
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Moderating Variables (MV) Extraneous Variables (EV) Intervening Variables (IVV)
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The loss of mining jobs (IV) leads to acceptance ofhigher-risk behaviors to earn a family-supportingincome (DV) particularly among those with alimited education (MV).
Among residents with less than a high school
education (EV-control), the loss of jobs (IV) leadsto high-risk behaviors (DV), especially due to theproximity of the firing range (MV).
A promotion campaign (IV) will increase savings
activity (DV), especially when free prizes areoffered (MV), but chiefly among smaller savers(EV-control). The results come from enhancing themotivation to save (IVV).
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Must be Generalizable:
Brand Manager Jones (case) has a higher-
than-average achievement motivation(variable).
Brand managers in Company Z (cases) have
a higher-than-average achievementmotivation (variable).
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Descriptive In Ghana, the best
performing shares
for the month ofSeptember standsat 50.00%.
European countries
are experiencingbudget difficulties.
Research Question What is the market
share for of the
best performingshares on GSE? Are European
countries
experiencingbudget difficulties?
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CorrelationalYoung women (under
35) purchase fewerunits of our product
than women who areolder than 35.
The number of suitssold varies directly
with the level of thebusiness cycle.
Causal An increase in family
income leads to anincrease in the
percentage of incomesaved.
Loyalty to a grocerystore increases the
probability ofpurchasing that storesprivate brandproducts.
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Guide the direction of the studyGuide the direction of the study
Identify relevant factsIdentify relevant facts
Suggest most appropriate research
design
Suggest most appropriate researchdesign
Provide framework for organizingresulting conclusions
Provide framework for organizingresulting conclusions
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AStrong
Hypothesis
Is
Adequate
Testable
Betterthan rivals