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Operationalisatiion - I
Conceptualization and operationalisation
Conceptualization is the refinement ofabstract ideas (variables, their behavior and
relationships) while operationalization is thedevelopment of specific research procedures(operations) that will result in empiricalobservation representing behavior and their
relationships in the realistic situations. It starts with a problem identification andpreparation of a Research Design.
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Problem Identification
Research Problem:
A Research Problem is an interrogative
sentence or statement that asks:
a) about the behavior of a variable/event
b) about the relationship between two or more
variables or events.
A researcher identifies a research problem ora researchable topic with a certain
procedure. HN 1
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Problem statement Leads to the formulation of
Hypothesis.
Hypothesis is a conjectural statement on the
behavior of a variable or relationship or
interrelationship between variables.
Hypothesis are in declarative sentence form
(usually in the null form i.e. H0)
A Priori Reasoning precedes the formulation of
Hypothesis. With the help of data we a) support or not
support a hypothesis or b) Reject or accept a
Hypothesis (with some significance levels)
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Problem Identification-Hypothesis and
Research Design
Research Activity starts with the research
problem.
The researcher need to prepare a Research
Design to address the research problem. What is a Research Design?
Authors have defined 'Research Design' in
various ways. However they try to answer the
following questions in the process.
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The questions which are asked by the
researcher to himself
What is the study about ?
Why is the study being made?
Where will the study be carried out?
What type of data are required?
Where the data could be found out?
What is the time period of the study?
What will be the experiment/sample design?
What techniques of data collection will be used?
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Contd.
What is the rationale of using the
technique?
How will the data be analyzed? In what style the report be prepared?
These questions helps in formulation of a
research design.
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Definition of a Research Design-With
special reference to Social Research
'Research Design' has been defined in
several ways by different authors. (HN 2)
The definitions are different in approach,but for social science the following may be
more relevant.
Research Design is a Plan, Structure and
Strategy of investigation conceived so as
to obtain answers to research questions
and to control variance.- by Kerlinger
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Plan, Structure and strategy in Research
Design.
Plan: The plan refers to the overall scheme or
program of research.
Structure refers to the out line of the operation of
variables where as strategy refers to the logic
inherent in gathering and analyzing the data.
For Example:
The logic and necessity of a sampling procedureand types of statistical techniques to be used in
analyzing the data.
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The Purpose of a Research Design.
The Research Design has two basic
purposes.
a) To provide answers to the ResearchQuestions/Problems
Since research problems can be and are
stated in the form of hypotheses, research
designs are carefully worked out to yield
dependable and valid answers to the
questions epitomized by the Hypotheses.
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b) Control of variance
By constructing an efficient research design the
researcher attempts to
Maximize experimental variance
Control variance due to extraneous variables.
Minimize error variance.
The above three variances are interrelated.
E.g. Maximization of experimental variance willlead to Minimization of error variance.
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Types of Research and Research Design
The foregoing discussion on research design
may suggest that the research design may
differ with respect to the type of research
such as disciplinary, subject matter andproblem solving on the one hand and
different descriptors with respect of the type
of study and modus operandi on the other.
Therefore, before going to formulate a
research design a researcher has to clearly
identify the type of study and the mode.
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Classification of Research Designs with
respect to different descriptors
Research Designs can be classified using
a few descriptors.
a) Research Question Crystallization. Exploratory and formal studies
Exploratory studies tend towards loose structure
with the objectives of discovering future research
task. Often refers to first stage of problem
identification. Formal study begins where
exploration leaves off.
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b) Method of Data collection
Monitoring and communicative study.
In monitoring study the researcher
inspects activities of a subject with outattempting to elicit response from any one.
It record the activities.
In communicative study the researcherquestions the subjects and collects their
responses with the help of a tool.
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c)Researchers' Control of
Variables In the experimental design the researcher
can control/ manipulate the variables
under study keeping the objectives in
view.
In the Ex Post Facto design the researcher
has no control over the variables in the
sense of being able to manipulate them.
The researcher can only report the
existing facts.
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d)The Purpose of the study
The purpose of the study may be
descriptive or causal.
If the research is concerned with findingout who, what, where, when or how - then
the study is descriptive.
But along with the above in addition to
'why' the study becomes causal where we
try to explain why there is a relationship
between variables.
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e)Time Dimension.
With respect to the time dimension the study
could be Cross-sectional(including bench
mark), Time- series or Longitudinal and
Panel type( mix of time series and crosssection data)
Cross sectional studies are carried out once
for one point of time.
Time-series studies are done to check the
changes/relationships overtime.
Panel study is a mix of both.
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F)Study on a Sample & a case
This relates to finding /testing relationships
in the sample and generalizing the
behavior or sample characteristics with
respect to the population with statistical
tests.
As contrast to this, case studies focus on
contextual analysis. They are less efficientin generalization of behaviour.
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g) Research Environment
Research design differs with respect to the
research environment such as field
condition and laboratory condition.
In the field condition the research is done
in the holistic approach. No control or little
control on extraneous variables is there.
In the laboratory condition explicability is
possible with utmost control over all the
variables.
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h) Participants Perception
Participants perception influences the
outcome of research through his/her
thought process on the study being made.
This is more so in the survey type of
research relating to marketing or any other
aspects.
Therefore, the research design has to be
so framed as to minimize the error.
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A concluding remark
The research design is not unique.
It may differ with respect to the type of
research,objectives and modus operandi.
However, in social research a common
procedure is adopted.
Theory/Literature -Research problem &
Hypotheses-T
est to validate the theory orrecast the theory-conclusion, policy
implication and recommendation.