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Business Research Methods
M. Phil
The Superior University, Lahore
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Course Objective
Enhance your
understanding,
knowledge andskills enough to
teach
conduct a business research
project and
publish
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Outline Understanding business research process, design
and proposal Problem definition, literature review, secondary
data, citation management and plagiarism
Research methods and techniques: qualitative,quantitative & mixed methods; survey, observation
and experimentation
Understanding measurement of research constructs,
scaling and designing the data collection instrument Determining the sample size and data collection
Data analysis, interpretation, publication/sharing
the results
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Methodology Knowledge and understanding
Lectures, Discussions
Skills
Seminars/workshops, Assignments, EndNote, Turnitin, SPSS
Assessment:
Attendance and class participation 10% Publications/Project 40%
End term 50%
Total marks 100
Recommended Text Book:
Business Research Methods, 8th ed. Zikmund et al
Reference Book
SPSS Survival Manual: A Step by Step Guide to Data Analysis
Using SPSS, 4th ed. Pallant, J.
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Business?
We do business to earn profits Business is a dynamic field
We have competitors
We need to keep up
We need to grow
We need customers
We come across problems and issues
We need to look into opportunities
This all requires decision-making at the
right time and that depends on right
information and data
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Business research is the systematic andobjective process of generating information for
aid in making business decisions.
It is the application of scientific method in
searching the truth about business phenomena
and includes defining business opportunities and
problems, generating and evaluating alternativecourse of action and monitoring employee and
organizational performance
What is Business Research?
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Business Research
Research information is neither sensitive nor
unsystematically gathered.
Literally, research (re-search) -search again Business research must be objective
Detached and impersonal rather than biased
(unfair, partial and influenced) It facilitates the managerial decision process for all
aspects of a business.
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Information
Reduces
Uncertainty
I dont knowif we
should
offer on-site
child care?
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Data, Information and Intelligence
Data are facts or recorded measures of certainthings/events
Information is data processed/formatted to support
decision-making or define relationship between two
acts
Business Intelligence is the subset of data andinformation that actually has some explanatory
power enabling power to enable effective
managerial decision-making
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Example: HKB Purchased products are recorded in Kot Lakhpat Ware
House by scanner forming data
Each item checked out/sold is recorded and becomes
data
Inventory system structures data in a way that it cangenerate stock reports, can place orders for more
stocks, hence turning data into information
Information from Liberty and DHA stores sales and
inventory records may be used by analysts to
determine trends in customer purchases, needs for
opening new stores in new localities: Johar Town,
DHA Phase 6
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Characteristics of Valuable Information
Relevance: How pertinent particular informationis to the situation at hand
Quality: The degree to which data is accurate,
valid and reliable for the situation in hand Timeliness: Business is a dynamic field in which
out-of-date information can lead to poor
decisions. Data must be current and provided atright time
Completeness: Information on all aspects of the
decision to be made
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Sources of Input for Decision-Making Internal records: Accounting reports of sales and inventory
figures, provide considerable data. Data about costs, shipments,inventory, sales, and other aspects of regular operations are
routinely collected and entered into the computer.
Proprietary business research: Projectsgathering of
new data to investigate specific problems. Not conducted regularly,market research
Sales persons Input: Customer complaints, comments,changes in competitors goods and services
Behavioral Tracking: Scanner data, automated customer counts
Web tracking: Social media, face book, blogs
Outside vendors and external distributors:
Industry sales trends, competitors, market share, demographics
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The Decision-making Process --Development
and Implementation of a Strategy
Identifying problems and opportunities
Diagnosis and assessment
Selecting and implementing a course of
action
Evaluating the course of action
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Evaluating a Course of Action Evaluation research is the formal, objective
measurement and appraisal of the extent to which a
given activity, project, or program has achieved its
objectives.
Performance monitoring research:
Research that regularly provides feedback for evaluation
and control
Indicates things are or are not going as planned Research may be required to explain why something
went wrong
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Is sufficient time
available before
a managerial
decision
must be made?
Is the infor-
mation already
on hand
inadequate
for makingthe decision?
Is the decision
of considerable
strategic
or tactical
importance?
Does the value
of the research
information
exceed the cost
of conductingresearch?
Conducting
Business
Research
Do Not Conduct Business Research
Time ConstraintsAvailability of Data
Nature of the DecisionBenefitsvs. Costs
Yes YesYesYes
No No No No
Determining When to Conduct Business
Research
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Value
Decreased certaintyIncreased likelihood
of a correct decisionImproved businessperformance andresulting higherprofits
Costs
ResearchexpendituresDelay of business
decision andpossible disclosureof information torivalsPossible erroneousresearch results
Potential Value of Business Research
Should Exceed Estimated Costs
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Major Areas for Business Research
General Business Conditions and Corporate Research
Financial and Accounting Research
Management and Organizational Behavior Research
Sales and Marketing Research
Information Systems Research
Corporate Responsibility Research
Cross-functional-- Teams are composed of
individuals from various organizational departmentssuch as engineering, production, finance, and
marketing who share a common purpose
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Global Business Research
Business Research is increasingly global Market knowledge is essential
General information about country -
economic conditions and political climate Cultural and consumer factors
Market and competitive conditions - demand
estimation
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The Internet is Transforming Society
Time is collapsing.
Distance is no longer an obstacle.
Crossing oceans is only a mouse click away.
People are connected 24 hours a day, seven
days a week.
"Instantaneous" has a new meaning. Seeking facts and figures about an issue
Surveys on Web sites
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Business Research Categories Foundational to answer basic questions. What
business should we be in? Testing addresses things like new product concepts,
promotional ideas. How effective they will be?
Issues examines how specific issues impact the firm.How does organizational structure impact employee
job satisfaction and turnover?
Performance monitors specific metrics profitability,
delivery times. They are critical in real-timemanagement. The potential impact of policy changes
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Basic Research Attempts to expand the limits of knowledge.
Not directly involved in the solution to apragmatic problem.
Example
Is executive success correlated with high need forachievement?
Are members of highly organized work groupsmore satisfied than members of less organizedwork groups?
Do consumers experience cognitive (act ofknowing, perception) disagreement (intellectual
thinking ability) in low-involvement situations?
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Applied Research
Conducted when a decision must be made about aspecific real-life problem
Example
Should McDonalds add Italian pasta dinners to itsmenu?
Business research told McDonalds it should not?
Should Procter & Gamble add a high-pricedhome teeth bleaching kit to its product line?
Research showed Crest Whitestrips would sell
well at a retail price of $44
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ScientificMethod The analysis and interpretation of empirical
evidence (facts from observation orexperimentation) to confirm or disprove prior
conceptions.
A way to use knowledge and evidence to reachobjective conclusions about the real world
A set of prescribed procedures for establishing
and connecting theoretical statements aboutevents for analyzing empirical evidence, and for
predicting events yet unknown in an attempt to
confirm or disapprove prior conceptions
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Assessrelevantexistingknowledge
Formulateconcepts &Propositions
StatementofHypotheses
Designresearch
Acquireempiricaldata
Analyze &evaluatedata
Provideexplanation-state newproblem
The Scientific Method: An Overview
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Theory
Theory is the foundation of research
It guides and help researcher to be focused
and systematic so that the ultimate purposeof research is obtained and problem is
solved
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Theoretical framework
A theoretical framework is the foundation ofhypothetico-deductive research as it is the
basis of the hypotheses that you will develop.
A theoretical framework represents your
beliefs how certain phenomenon (variables,
concepts) are related to each other ( a model)
and an explanation of why you belief that
these variables are associated with each other(theory)
Both model and theory flow logically from
previous research in the problem area.
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Components of Theoretical Framework
Definitions of the concepts or variables inyour model
Developing a conceptual model that provides
a descriptive representation of your theory Coming up with a theory that provides an
explanation for relationships between the
variables in your model From the theoretical framework then testable
hypotheses can be developed to examine
whether your theory is valid or not?
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Theoretical Framework:
(Air Safety Violations)
Independent variables Dependent variableCommunication
among cokpit
members
Communication
between ground
control and cokpit
Decentralization
Training of cokpit
crew
Air Safetyviolations
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Research Stages Cyclical process - conclusions generate new
ideas
Stages can overlap (something else )chronologically(arranged in the order of time)
Stages are functionally interrelated
Forward linkages
Backward linkages
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Stages of the Research Process
Problem Discoveryand Definition
ResearchDesign
Sampling
DataGathering
Data Processingand Analysis
Conclusions andReport
Discovery andDefinition
and so on
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Problemdiscovery
Problem definition(statement of
research objectives)
Secondary
(historical)
data
Experience
survey
Pilot
study
Case
study
Selection of
exploratory researchtechnique
Selection of
basic research
method
Experiment SurveyObservation
Secondary
Data StudyLaboratory Field Interview Questionnaire
Selection of
exploratory research
techniqueSampling
Probability Nonprobability
Collection of
data
(fieldwork)
Editing and
codingdata
Data
processing
Interpretation
of
findings
Report
Data
Gathering
Data
Processingand
Analysis
Conclusions
and Report
Research Design
Problem Discovery
and Definition
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Stages In The Research Process
Problem Discovery and Problem Definition
Research Design
Sampling
Data Gathering
Data Processing and Analysis
Conclusions And Report
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Problem Discovery And
Definition First step
Problem, opportunity, or monitor operations
Discovery before definition
Problem means management problem
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The formulation of the problem
is often more essential than its
solution
Albert Einstein
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35
State the research
questions and researchobjectives
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Hypothesis
A statement
that can be proved false
by empirical data
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Secondary
(historical)
Data
Pilot
Study
Experience
Survey
CaseStudy
Exploratory
Research
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Exploratory Research Techniques
Two Examples Secondary data (historical data)
Previously collected
Census of population
Literature survey
Pilot study
A number of diverse techniques
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Focus Group Interview
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Research Design
Master plan
Framework for action
Specifies methods and procedures
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Basic Research Methods
Surveys
Experiments
Secondary data
Observation
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POPULATION
SAMPLESample: Subset
of a larger population.
Selecting a Sample
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Sampling
Who is to be sampled?
How large a sample?
How will sample units be selected?
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Data Gathering Stage
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Data Processing and Analysis
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Conclusions And Report Writing
Effective communication of the research
findings
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Questions?
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Thank you
Wh i R h D i ? I
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What is a Research Design? I A research design is the arrangement of
conditions for collection and analysis of datain a manner that aims to combine relevance tothe research purpose with economy inprocedure. Research design is the conceptual
structure within which research is conducted,constitutes blue print for collection,measurement and analysis of data
A plan of what data to gather, from whom,how and when to collect the data, and how toanalyze the data obtained
Research program strategy
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What is a Research Design? II
A research is a framework or blueprint for
conducting a research project. It details the
procedures necessary for obtaining theinformation needed to structure or solve the
research problems.
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Components of Research Design-1
Introduction
Purpose statement Objectives and outcome of the study
Significance of the study
Methods and methodology
Theory
Research questions and hypothesis
Limitations /delimitations and assumptions of the study
Population, field of study, geographical, cultural considerationsand sampling
Supervisor, approval/permission to conduct research
Staffing
Time frame, deadlines, submission dates
f h i
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Components of Research Design-II
Finances (Grants, travel, photocopying etc)
Equipments (PC, Printer, Scanners) Software (MS Word, Citation Management Software, Plagiarism
Control; Turnitin)
Email, Internet
Library, Laboratory
Qualitative (open ended questions) Quantitative (close-ended
questions)/mixed
Data and information collection techniques
Data analysis procedure
Findings, outcome of the research, Interpretations and
implications and Review
Publishing the research findings (Thesis, papers, reports)
Th I t d ti
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The Introduction
13-Feb-13 53Azra Naheed Center for Research andDevelopment Superior University Lahore
Components of introduction Background of the study
The research problem
Studies that have addressed the problem
Deficiencies in the studies The significance of the study
Introduction is the opening part of the proposal that justifies
the problem to be researched and clarifies the significance ofthe proposed study in order to establish a framework for
research.
Purpose Statement
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Purpose Statement
54
The purpose statement indicates why you want to do the studyand what you intend to accomplish (Locke et al, 2000)
Why Purpose Statement
It is the most important statement in an entire research study.
It conveys the overall intention of a proposed study.
It establishes the direction for the research.
Qualitative Research: In qualitative research we use theworlds like explore, understand, or discover and we have
focus on single phenomena.
Quantitative Research: In quantitative research we use
words like determine, identify, or compare and we have focuson comparing and relating two or more variables.
Mixed Methods Research: In Mixed methods research wefocus on both qualitative and quantitative research and
mention the design with justification.
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The objectives of this research study are as follows:
To explore teachers view on performance that how
they define performance and what they see as good,bad or acceptable performance.
To explore teachers experiences about HRMpractices and how they feel about these practices?
To explore teachers opinion about organizationalfactor that contributes to their performance.
To establish the basis for evolving effective andperformance oriented human resource practices.
To facilitate the policy making bodies to evolve acomprehensive view of teachers performance andthus undertake necessary administrative adjustments.
Ex
a
mp
le
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Significance of the study
56
A significance sections elaborates on theimportance and implication of a study for
researcher, practitioners, and policy maker. In
designing the section one might include3 or 4 ways in which the study adds to
scholarly research and literature in the field
3 or 4 ways in which the study helps improvepractice
3 or 4 reasons why the study will improve
policy
Methodology and Methods
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Methodology and MethodsThe methodology includes the methods, procedures, and
techniques used to collect and analyze information.It should generally include statements about:
Site and sample
Methods of data collection
Data analysis procedures
Why Methodology
it clarifies the procedures and methods of data
collection and analysis
It increases the efficiency and authenticity of
the research
Th
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Theory
58
Theory is the standard principle that defines the relationship of
two or more variables
Qualitative Research: In case of qualitative research theory isan outcome of the whole research process by finding the
answers to the research questions
Quantitative Research: In case of quantitative research theoryis used as bases to be verified through the acceptance or
rejection of hypothesis using statistical results.
Mixed Methods Research: in case of Mixed MethodsResearch theory is both developed and also verified.
Research Questions and Hypothesis
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Research Questions and Hypothesis
Research questions are interrogative statements or
questions that the researcher seeks to answer
(Main question)
HRM practices and performance among teachers in
Pakistan.
(Sub questions) What are the teachers experiences about Human Resource
management Practices and how they feel about that?
How do teachers perceive about their own performance
and what they perceive as good, bad or acceptable
performance?
What are the teachers opinions about organizational
factors that contribute to their performance? 59
H th i di i h h
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Hypothesis are predictive statements that the
researcher holds about the relationship among
variables to be tested
HO = There is no relationship between HR
practices and performance
HA = There is relationship between HR
practices and performance
Li i i d D li i i
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Limitations and Delimitations Limitations:
possible weaknesses of the study that were not/ could not be controlled.
Delimitations:
boundaries set by the researcher that limit thegeneralizability of findings.
Example: Due to limitations of resources
This study is restricted to the Teachers with 02 or
more years of experience (02 years are supposedto be minimum)
This study is restricted only to the teachers of
higher education sector in Pakistan.
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Application ofthe Research
Study
Basic or PureResearch
Applied
Research
Objective of theresearch
Exploratoryresearch
Explanatory
research
Descriptiveresearch
TimeDimension
Cross-sectionalresearch
Longitudinal
research
Inquiry Mode
Qualitativeresearch
Quantitative
research
MixedMethodsresearch
Classificatio
n of
Research
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A Classification of Research Designs
Single Cross-
Sectional Design
Multiple Cross-
Sectional Design
Research Design
Conclusive
Research DesignExploratory
Research Design
Descriptive
Research
Causal
Research
Cross-SectionalDesign LongitudinalDesign
A C i f B i R h D i
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A Comparison of Basic Research Designs
Objective:
Characteristics:
Methods:
Discovery of ideasand insights
Flexible, versatile
Often the front end of
total research design
Expert surveys
Pilot surveys
Secondary data:
qualitative analysis
Qualitative research
Describe marketcharacteristics or
functions
Marked by the prior
formulation of specific
hypotheses
Preplanned and structured
design
Secondary data:
quantitative analysis
Surveys
Panels
Observation and other
data
Determine causeand effect
relationships
Manipulation of
one or more
independent
variables
Control of other
mediating variables
Experiments
Exploratory Descriptive Causal
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Research Proposal
A written statement of the research design
that includes a statement explaining the
purpose of the study
Detailed outline of procedures associated
with a particular methodology
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Basic Questions - Problem Definition
What is the purpose of the study?
How much is already known?
Is additional background informationnecessary?
What is to be measured? How?
Can the data be made available? Should research be conducted?
Can a hypothesis be formulated?
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Basic Questions - Basic Research Design
What types of questions need to be answered? Are descriptive or causal findings required?
What is the source of the data?
Can objective answers be obtained by askingpeople?
How quickly is the information needed?
How should survey questions be worded? How should experimental manipulations be
made
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Basic Questions - Selection of Sample
Who or what is the source of the data?
Can the target population be identified?
Is a sample necessary?
How accurate must the sample be?
Is a probability sample necessary?
Is a national sample necessary? How large a sample is necessary?
How will the sample be selected?
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Basic Questions -Data Gathering
Who will gather the data?
How long will data gathering take?
How much supervision is needed?
What operational procedures need to be
followed?
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Basic Questions - Data Analysis
Will standardized editing and coding
procedures be used?
How will the data be categorized?
What statistical software will be used?
What is the nature of the data?
What questions need to be answered? How many variables are to be investigated
simultaneously?
Performance criteria for evaluation?
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Basic Questions -Type of Report
Who will read the report?
Are managerial recommendations
requested? How many presentations are required?
What will be the format of the written
report?
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Basic Questions - Overall Evaluation
How much will the study cost?
Is the time frame acceptable?
Is outside help needed?
Will this research design attain the stated
research objectives?
When should the research be scheduled to
begin?
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Anticipating Outcomes
Dummy
(a representation or copy of something)
tables: Representations of the actual tables that will
be in the findings section of the final report;
used to gain a better understanding of whatthe actual outcomes of the research will be.
Outline of the Structure of a Sample Proposal
1 Ti l
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1. Title
2. Introduction
Background of the study (Sectoral Brief) The research problem
Studies that have addressed the problem
Deficiencies in the studies
The significance of the study The purpose statement
3. Purpose Statement
The purpose or study, aim of the project and reasons for the
research design
The research questions and hypotheses
Outline of the structure of a proposal
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4. Philosophical Foundations
worldview and philosophical assumptions for using
specific research approach.
5. Literature Review
6. Methodology and Methods Site and sample
Data collection procedures
Data analysis procedures
7. Theoretical Framework
8. Potential Ethical issues
9. References and appendixes
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Thank youDr. Muhammad [email protected], 03004487844
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]