Business Research MethodsMGT 524
Abu Bashar
Types of Research
Causal Causal ResearchResearch
(research that looks for cause & effect)
Causal Causal ResearchResearch
(research that looks for cause & effect)
Exploratory Exploratory ResearchResearch
(research thatexplores)
Descriptive Descriptive Research Research
(research that describes)
Difference between Exploratory & Conclusive Research
Exploratory Conclusive
Objective To provide insight & understanding
To test specific hypothesis & examine relationship
Characteristics Information needed is defined loosely
Process is flexible & unstructured
Sample small/non representative
Qualitative data analysis
Information needed is clearly defined
Process is formal & structured
Large & Representative
Quantitative data analysis
Findings Tentative Conclusive
Outcome Generally followed by further exploratory or conclusive research
Used as inputs into Decision Making
COMPLETELYCERTAIN
ABSOLUTEAMBIGUITY
CAUSAL, COMPARATIVE,ASSOCIATIONAL,OR DESCRIPTIVE
EXPLORATORY
Uncertainty Influences The Type of Research
Degree of Problem Definition
Exploratory Research Descriptive Research Causal Research(Unaware of Problem)(Aware of Problem) (Problem Clearly Defined)
“Our sales are declining and “What kind of people are buying “Will buyers purchase more of we don’t know why.” our product? Who buys our our products in a new package?
competitor’s product?” “Would people be interested “Which of two advertising in our new product idea?” “What features do buyers prefer campaigns is more effective?”
in our product?”poss
ible
situ
atio
n
Say it backwards: research that explores
Initial research conducted to explore (clarify and define) the nature of a problem
Does not provide conclusive evidence so subsequent research is expected
Helps to diagnose a situation
Screen alternatives
Discover new ideas
Exploratory Research
Descriptive Research
Research that describes
Describes characteristics of a population or phenomenon
Some understanding of the nature of the problem
Deals with the who, what, where, when, how…but not the why?
Causal Research
Research that looks at cause & effect
Conducted to identify cause and effect relationships
Statistics: Correlations, regression, t-test, ANOVA, etc.
Causal Causal ResearchResearchCausal Causal
ResearchResearch
Comparative Comparative ResearchResearchLooks for differences
Comparative Comparative ResearchResearchLooks for differences
Associational Associational ResearchResearchLooks for
relationships
Designs:Experimental
Quasi-experimentalEx post factoTime seriesPredictive
CorrelationalComparative
SurveysMultivariateLongitudinal
Stats:T-test
ANOVACorrelation
Multiple regressionChi Square
Spearman RhoPhi – Cramers V
Etc, etc, etc
Stages of the Research Process
Problem Discoveryand Definition
ResearchDesign
Sampling
DataGathering
Data Processingand Analysis
Conclusions andReport
Discovery andDefinition
and so on
Problemdiscovery
Problem definition(statement of
research objectives)
Secondary(historical)
data
Experiencesurvey
Pilotstudy
Casestudy
Selection ofexploratory research
technique
Selection ofbasic research
method
Experiment SurveyObservation Secondary
Data StudyLaboratory Field Interview Questionnaire
Selection ofSample Design
Sampling
Probability Nonprobability
Collection ofdata
(fieldwork)
Editing andcodingdata
Dataprocessing
Interpretationof
findings
Report
DataGathering
DataProcessingandAnalysis
Conclusionsand Report
Research Design
Problem Discoveryand Definition
Problem Definition, Objectives, and Research Questions
If you do not know where you are going,any road will take you there.
“The formulation of the problem is often more essential than its solution”
-Albert Einstein
Two Types of Problems
Management Decision ProblemWhat decision makers need to do
Sales are on the decline
Customer base is aging and younger consumers prefer competitor’s brands
Research ProblemSpecifies information needed to address managerial problems & how it can be obtained
MDP
Action Oriented
Focus on symptoms
Should new product be introduced
Should advertisement be changed
Should price be increased
Research Problem
Information oriented
Focus on underlying causes
Determine consumer preferences
Determine effectiveness of current ad.
Price elasticity of demand
Research Objectives
Research objectives address information gaps that must be closed so the manager solves the marketing management problem
Each research objective must be precise, detailed, clear, and operational
Example: “Compare the demographic profiles of AT&T buyers to nonbuyers using age, sex, education, and annual family income.”
Research QuestionsA research question is the researchers’ paraphrase of the research objective(s) in the form of a question.
Example:
“Are AT&T’s non-buyers different demographically from AT&T’s buyers?
Or better yet:
“Are AT&T’s non-buyers younger than AT&T’s buyers?”
Specific questions are better
Research Hypotheses
A hypothesis is an unproven proposition or supposition that tentatively explains certain facts or phenomena; a probable answer to a research question.
Hypotheses are statements about the nature of the world. They are guesses.
Example: “AT&T’s non-buyers are younger than AT&T’s buyers”
Research HypothesesNull Hypothesis: Conservative statement about the status quo. It is what our research is set out to disprove.
H0: AT&T non-buyers do not differ in age from AT&T buyers
Alternative Hypothesis: A statement that states the opposite of the null hypothesis.
HA: AT&T non-buyers are younger than AT&T buyers
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