INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

By

ONDABU IBRAHIM TIRIMBAMKU

Course DescriptionBMCU 001: Research Methodology Course outline:History and development of research, ethical issues in business research, Research processes: research design, measurements, sampling design, primary and secondary data, survey instrument design, data collection, experimentation and simulation. Elements of analysis: the use of statistics (Descriptive statistics – correlation and regression analyses; Statistical inferences – parameter estimation) data presentation, measures of dispersion and central tendency

PERIOD COVERAGE • Why study research?• Business decision making• Why acquire research skills• Definition and levels of research• Different types of research• Types of studies used to do research• Distinction between good and not so good research• Stages of research process• Business research process• Ethical issues in research

WHY STUDY RESEARCH?

• Research provides you with the knowledge and skills needed for the fast-paced decision making environment

• Organization research generates information for aid in making organizational decisions

• Research is a disciplined process that enables one to investigate and solve a research or management dilemma – any problem or opportunity that requires a management decision

WHY STUDY RESEARCH? Cont.

• To acquire knowledge and skills for solving problems and meeting challenges of a fast paced decision making environment.

• To acquire skills for a disciplined process of conducting inquiry related to a dilemma (Problem or opportunity) that requires a decision.

• To learn the Scientific approach to decision making

Why do research?

• Idea dev.Acquisition of Information to Reduces Uncertainty

I don’t know if we should introduce new products

BUSINESS DECISION MAKING

• Which Alternative to take?

BUSINESS DECISION- MAKING PROCESS

There are four key stages in a decision making process:

• Identifying problems and opportunities • Diagnosis and assessment• Selecting and implementing a course of action• Evaluating the course action

WHY ACQUIRE RESEARCH SKILLS?

Acquisition of research skills helps one to be able to:

• Make research-based decisions• Supervise other researchers• Buy or evaluate research services• Be a research specialist• Evaluate secondary data sources

IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS RESEARCH (BR)

• Global and domestic competition is more vigorous

• Organizations are increasingly practicing data mining and data warehousing

• To gather more information before selecting a course of action

• To evaluate and resolve a current management dilemma

• To establish a career as a research specialist

DEFINITION & LEVELS OF RESEARCH

• What is research?• Types of research studies/design

WHAT IS RESEARCH?

• Research is a systematic inquiry aimed at providing information to make decisions regarding a problem or opportunity.

• Problem can be negative or positive (opportunity)

• Research is therefore a systematic inquiry that provides information to guide business decisions

WHAT IS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH?

Scientific Research is a systematic, controlled, empirical, and critical investigation of natural phenomenon guided by theory and hypothesis about the presumed relation among such phenomena.

• Systematic (the process of ruling out)• Controlled (degree of managing observations)• Empirical (testing subjective beliefs against objective

reality)• Critical (Opening findings to scrutiny and testing).• Theory & Hypotheses differentiates applied from pure or

basic research.

DIFFERENT STYLES OF RESEARCH

Two major types of research are:

• Applied Research• Pure Research/Basic Research

APPLIED VERSUS PURE/BASIC RESEARCH

Applied research• Applied research has a practical problem solving emphasis.• Conducted to reveal answers to specific action, performance or

policy.• Focus on immediate managerial decisions.• Typical of projects.

Pure research/Basic research • Pure research involves problem solving too but of a theoretical

nature.• Problem has little direct impact on action, performance or policy

decisions.• Focus on generalization

BASIC RESEARCH

Basic Research • Attempts to expand the limits of knowledge• Not directly involved in the solution to a pragmatic

problem, For example; Is executive success correlated with high need for

achievement?Are members of highly cohesive work groups more

satisfied than members of less cohesive work groups?

Do consumers experience cognitive dissonance in low-involvement situations?

APPLIED RESEARCH

• Conducted when a decision must be made about a specific real-life problem,

for example;The management of Kengeles wants to know

whether they should add Italian pasta to its menu.Should Proctor & Gamble (EA) add a high-priced

sanitary towel to its product line?

TYPES OF STUDIES USED TO DO RESEARCH

• Reporting• Exploratory• Descriptive• Explanatory• Predictive

1. REPORTING RESEARCH

Typically, it:• Is the most elementary level of research.• Simply provides an account or summation of some

data.• Involves simple tasks and data may be readily available.• Typical of news reporting• Requires knowledge and skills with: Information sources.Gatekeepers of information sources.Requires little inference or drawing of conclusions.

2. EXPLORATORY

• Useful when researchers lack a clear idea of the problems

• Initial research conducted to clarify and define the nature of a problem;

Objectives:Discover ideas, concepts, insightsDiscover future research tasksDoes not provide conclusive evidenceSubsequent research expected.

3. DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH

Typically, it:• Is the next elementary level of research.• Tries to discover answers to; who, what, when, where and

sometimes how. Examples;– Documentary news reporting– Disciplines such as history– Also business & economic analysis– Researcher attempts to describe or define a subject by

creating a profile of a group of problems, people or events.

4. EXPLANATORY RESEARCH

Explanatory research:• Goes beyond description and attempts to explain

reasons for the phenomenon that a descriptive study only observes.

• Uses theory or hypothesis to account (test) for forces that caused a certain phenomenon to occur.

5. PREDICTIVE RESEARCH

Predictive research goes beyond explanatory research by:

Providing a plausible explanation for an event after it has occurred and also,

Predicting when and in what situations the event will occur.

Calls for a high order of inference making. It contributes to the development of a better

theory of the phenomenon.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN GOOD AND NOT SO GOOD RESEARCH

What Constitutes Good Research?A good research is one:• That follows the standards of the scientific method• Whose purpose is clearly defined• Where research process is well detailed• Where research design is thoroughly planned• Where high ethical standards are applied• Where limitations frankly revealed• Where adequate analysis for decision-makers needs• In which findings are presented unambiguously• Where conclusions are justified

WHEN RESEARCH SHOULD BE AVOIDED?

• When information cannot be applied to a critical managerial decision

• When managerial decision involves little risk• When management has insufficient resources to

conduct a study• When the cost of the study outweighs the level of

risk of the decision

DETERMINING WHEN TO CONDUCT RESEARCH

Yes

Is sufficient time available before a managerial decision must be made?

Is the information already at hand inadequate for making the decision

Conducting business research

Is the decision of considerable strategic or tactical importance

Does the value of the research information exceed the cost of conducting research

Do not conduct Business Research

No

Yes Yes

No

Yes

NoNo

STAGES IN THE RESEARCH PROCESS

• Problem discovery and problem definition• Research Design• Sampling• Data gathering• Data Processing and Analysis• Conclusions and Report

Stages of the Research ProcessProblem Discovery and Definition Discovery and

Definition

Research Design Conclusion and

Reporting

Data Processing and Analysis

Data Gathering

Sampling

and so on

The Business Research Process

Business Research ProcessProblem Discovery

Exploratory Research

Selection of the basic research method

Selection of Simple Design

Collection of Data

The Business Research Process cont.

BR Process

Editing and Coding

Data Processing

Interpretation of the Findings

Reporting

ETHICAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS RESEARCH

a). Rights and Obligations of the Respondent;• The obligation to be truthful• Privacy• Deception• The right to be informed

ETHICAL ISSUES IN RESEARCH

b). Rights and Obligations of the Researcher • The Purpose of research is clear• Objectivity as opposed to subjectivity• Misrepresenting research• Protect the right to confidentiality of both subjects

and clients• Dissemination of faulty conclusions• Advocacy research

The End

• Next Class• Assignments• AOB• Questions