2. Problem Definition & Research Design (01.02.10)
Transcript of 2. Problem Definition & Research Design (01.02.10)
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Types of Research
Exploratory Research
y Provide information to use in analysing a situation,
y but uncovering conclusive evidence to determine a course of
action is not the purpose
y Conducted with the expectation that subsequent research will be
required to provide conclusive evidence
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Types of Research
Descriptive Research
y Seeks to determine answers to who, when, what, where, why
and how questions
yHelps segment and target markets
y Accuracy is of paramount importance, but errors cant be
completely eliminated.
y Unlike exploratory research, it is based on some previous
understanding of the problem
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Types of Research
Causal Research
y Goal is to identify cause and effect relationships among
variables
yAn appropriate causal order of events or temporal sequencemust be there in a causal relationship. i.e cause must precede
the effect.
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Uncertainty of Type of ResearchExploratory
Research
(Ambiguous
Problem)
Descriptive
Research
(Aware of Partially
Defined Problem)
Causal Research
(Clearly Defined
Problem)
Absenteeism is Increasingand we dont know why?
What kind of people favourtrade protectionism?
Which of two trainingprograms is more effective?
Would people be interested
in our new product idea?
Did last years product recall
have an impact on our
companys stock price?
Can I predict the value of
energy stocks if I know the
current dividends andgrowth rates of dividends?
What task conditions
influence the leadership
process in our organizations?
Has the average merger rate
for savings and loans
increased in the past decade?
Will buyers purchase more
of our new product in a new
package?
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A problem well defined is a problem half solved
PROBLEM DEFINITION
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IMPORTANCE OF PROBLEM
DEFINITION
y Coca Cola Case in 1980s
y A problem definition indicates a specific managerial decision
area to be clarified or problem to be solved. It specifies
research questions to be answered and the objectives ofresearch.
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What is a Research Problem
1. There must be an individual or group which has some
difficulty or the problem
2. There must be some objective(s) to be attained. If one
wants nothing, one cannot have a problem3. There must be alternative means for obtaining the
objective.
4. There must remain some doubt in the mind of the
researcher with regard to the selection of alternatives.5. There must be some environment to which the difficulty
pertains.
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Selectingthe Problem
i. Subject which is overdone
ii. Controversial Subjects
iii. Too narrow or too vague problems
iv. The subject should be familiar and feasiblev. Qualifications and training of researcher
vi. Costs involved
vii. Time Factor
viii. A preliminary study must be done.
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The Process ofProblem Definition
1. State the problem in general
2. Understand the nature of the problem
3. Survey the available literature
4. Develop the ideas through discussions5. Rephrase the research problem
Technical terms, Basic assumptions, Time period, Sources of
data, Scope of investigation should be considered.
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Problem Defn & Hypothesis
Similarities & Differencesy Both state relationships between variables
y Problem Statement are often phrased as questions
y
Hypothesis are declarativey Hypothesis are more specific than former
y Both have considerable value in planning and design research.
y Both help researchers to find crucial data reqd in analysis
stage.
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Research Proposal
A written statement of the research design that includes a
statement explaining the purpose of the study and a detailed,
systematic outline of a particular research methodology.
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Research Design
y A master plan specifying the methods and procedures for
collecting and analysing the needed information in a manner
that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with
economy in procedure.
y Conceptual structure or blueprint
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Overall research design
y Sampling design
y ObservationalDesign
y StatisticalDesign
y Operational Design
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Features of a Good Design
Minimises bias
+
Maximises reliability of data
+Smallest experimental error
+
Yields maximal information
+
Considers all aspects
GOOD
DESIGN
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CONCEPTS
1. Dependent & Independent Variables
2. Extraneous Variable
3. Control
4. Confounded Relationship5. Research Hypothesis
6. Experimental and Non-experimental Hypothesis testingResearch
7. Experimental & Control Groups8. Treatments
9. Experiment
10. Experimental Unit
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Relationship amongResearch Design
Exploratory Research
Causal Research
Descriptive Research
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Research Design : Exploratory Research
y Literature Search
y Experience Survey
y SecondaryData Analysis
y
CaseStudy
Method Insight
Stimulating Examples.
y Pilot Studies
- Focus Group
- Projective Techniques
- Depth Interviews
y ObservationalMethods
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Exploratory Research : Literature Survey
y Quickest and cheapest techniquesy Conceptual literature, Trade journals, Published statistics
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Exploratory Research : Experience Survey
y In this technique individuals who are knowledgeable about a
particular research problem are surveyed.
y Informal conversations
y
Consists of interviews with few people who have beencarefully selected
y Purpose is to help formulate the problem and clarify
concepts rather than develop conclusive evidence.
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Exploratory Research : Secondary Data
Analysis
y Preliminary review of data collectd for another purpose to clarify
issues in the early stages of a research effort.
y Done in detail as a separate chapter
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y Intensively investigates one or a few situations similar to the
researchers problem situation.
y Benchmarking
y Schwinn Cycles Case
y Cases reflect abrupt changes, extremes of behaviour,
sequences of events and other striking features are most
useful.
Exploratory Research : Case Study Method
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Exploratory Research : Pilot Study
y Small Scale research project that uses sampling but does not apply
rigorous standards
y Generates Primary data
y Collects data from employees, consumers, voters, or other subjectsof ultimate concern rather than from few knowledgeable experts
and case studies.
y Includes : Focus Groups, Projective Techniques, depth Interviews
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Focus Groupsy
An unstructured, free flowing group discussions with a small group of peoplewho sit and talk about some topic of interest to the focus group sponsorer.
y A Moderator directs the discussion.
y Number ofParticipants and Groups
y Purposes:y
To generate hypothesis that can be further tested quantitativelyy To generate information helpful in structuring consumer questionnairesy To provide background information on a product categoryy To obtain customer impressions on new product concepts or ad copy.
y Relatively brief, easy to execute, quickly analysed and inexpensive
y Rarely representative, Cant take place of quantitative studies.y Often used for concept screening and refinement
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Focus Groups : Advantages 10 S
y Synergy
y Serendipity
y Snowballing
y Stimulationy Security
y Spontaneity
y Specialization
y Scrutinyy Structure
y Speed
Shortcomings: Without a sensitive and
effective moderator , a single self-appointed participant may dominate the
session
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Pilot Studies : Projective Techniques
An indirect means of questioning that enables a respondent to
project beliefs and feelings onto a third party, an inanimate
object, or a task situation.
A man is least himself when he talks in his own person; when
he is given a mask he will tell the truth. - Oscar Wilde
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Projective Techniques : Common Methods
y Word Association
y Sentence Completion
y Story Telling
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Projective Techniques : Word
Associationy The subject is presented with a list of words, one at a time, and
asked to respond with the first word that comes to mind.
y Test words are interspersed between neutral words to conceal
purpose of study.
y Eg: margarine, lakes, blue jeans, government, traffic, relations,
children, sunset, smokestacks, peanut butter, city.
y Common responses are classified and grouped, and tend to reveal
patterns of underlying motivations.
y Judged by frquency of a particular word as a response, amount of
time elapsed before a response is given, number of respondents
who do not respond at all to a test word within a time limit.
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Projective Techniques : Sentence Completion
Respondents are required to complete a number of partialsentences with the first word or phrase that comes to mind.
Eg : People who care about ecology________
A person who does not use our lakes for recreation is
_________When I think of living in a city,__________
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Projective Techniques : Story Telling
y Relies on pictorial material, like cartoons, photographs, drawings
etc..
y Descendants of the psychologists Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
y Responses are used to assess attitudes that comprise the consumerbehaviour phenomenon.
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Pilot Studies : Depth Interviews
y A relatively unstructured, extensive interview used in the primarystages of the research process
y Interested in the why of organisational or consumer behaviour.
y
Interviewers role : Highly skilled individual who can encouragerespondents to talk freely without influencing the direction of theconversation
y Subject matter is generally undisguised as opposed to ProjectiveTechniques.
y It is an expensive technique, results depend on interviewers skill, andthirdly difficulty in getting both the surface reactions and thesubconscious motivations of the respondent.
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Observational Techniques
1. Scuff marks on museum floor tiles have long been used as a
means of measuring the popularity of display
2. Age and condition of cars in a parking lot used to gauge theaffluence of the group patronizing the outlet
3. No. of finger prints on a page used to assess readership of
various ads in a magazine.
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Observational Techniques : Advantages
y More useful in sorting facts from fiction with respect to desirable
behaviours
y Helps to observe consumer behaviour which the consumer himself
is unaware ofy Helps to learn about tastes and preferences of different ethnic
groups with different languages
y In studying children.
y Heart of a popular research the mystery shopper
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Pros and Cons of Exploratory Research
y Exploratory Research cannot take place of quantitative
conclusive research
y They have limitations
y
They provide qualitative information and interpretation ofthe findings is typically judgemental.
y Focus Group interviews may be ambiguous
y Exploratory techniques utilize small sample sizes which havnt
been selected on probability basis which may not berepresentative
y Simply means that it cannot deliver what it doesnt promise.
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Research Design : Descriptive Research
Focus attention on:
i. Formulating the objective of the study (What and why)
ii. Designing the methods of data collection (how)
iii. Selecting the sample (who, how many)
iv. Collecting the data(where)
v. Processing and analysing the data (why, when)
vi. Reporting the findings.
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Types of Descriptive Research
DescriptiveStudies
Longitudinal
True Panel
OmnibusPanel
CrossSectional
SampleSurvey
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Longitudinal Descriptive Research /
Time Series Analysis
y It is a co-relational research study that involves repeated observations of
the same items over long periods of time
y
Also known asP
anel Research
True Panel Omnibus Panel
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True Panel
y True Panels rely on repeated measurements of the same
variables over long periods of time.
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Omnibus Sample
y Information about different variables collected from the
members of sample varies over time.
y Advantage : Easy access to sample.
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Significance of Longitudinal Research
1. Assessing Brand Loyalty and Brand Switching
2. Amount of information collected
3. Accuracy ofData
4. Reduced interviewer Bias
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Issues in Longitudinal Research
y Refusals
y Attrition
y Under-representation
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Cross-Sectional Research / Sample Survey
y Most Important Type ofDesign
y It provides a snapshot of the variables of interest at a single point
in time
y
The sample is typically selected to be representative of someknown universe
y Emphasis on selecting sample members with a probability
sampling plan
y
Emphasis on relative frequency of occurrence of the jointphenomenon
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Cohort Research
y A cohort is a group of individuals who experience the same
event within the same time interval, and it serves as the basic
unit of comparative analysis.
y Used when there are a series of properly spaced surveys.
y Eg. Birth cohorts : groups of people born within the same
time interval.
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Research
Design
Exploratory
Research
Descriptive
ResearchOverallDesign Flexible RigidDesign
(i) SamplingDesign Non-probabilistic Probability Sampling design
(ii) Statistical Design Not Preplanned Pre-planned
(iii) Observational Design Unstructured Instruments Structured Instruments
(iv) Operational Design No fixed decisions AdvancedDecisions
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Research Design : Causal Research
y Also called as Hypothesis Testing Research
y Uses Experimental Designs
y Experiment : A research method in which conditions are
controlled so that one or more variables can be manipulatedin order to test a hypothesis
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Causal Research
3 Principles
1. Principle of Replication
2. Principle of Randomization
3. Principle ofLocal Control
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Important Experimental DesignsInformal Designs / True Experimental Designs
1. Before and-after with control design
2. After only with control design
3. Four Group Solomon Design
4. Time Series Experiment
Formal Designs / Quasi Experimental Designs
1. Completely Randomized design (C.R.Design)
2. Randomized Block Design (R.B.Design)3. Latin Square Design (L.S.Design)
4. Factorial Designs
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Before -and-after with Control Design
EG : (R) O1 X O2CG : (R) O3 O4
Effect of Experimental Treatment = (E+U+I) - U
=(O2 -O1 ) (O4 - O3 )
Where EG Experimental Group
CG ControlGroup
(R) Randomization Procedure
Oi - measurement of variables at time ii = 1,2,3.
U Uncontrollable sources ofVariation
I Interactive effect of testing
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After only with control design
EG : (R) X O1
CG : (R) O2
Effect of Experimental Treatment = (O2
-O1
)
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Four Group Solomon Design
EG 1 : (R) O1 X O2 = E + U + I
CG 1 : (R) O3 O4 = U
EG 2 : (R) X O5 = E + U
CG 2 : (R) O6 = UEffect = (E+U)-(U) = E
= [O5 - (O1 + O3 )] [O6 - (O1 + O3 )]
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Time Series Experiment
y It is a type ofquasi experimental design unable to schedule
the experimental stimuli -unable to randomly assign test
units to groups
y Experiments are conducted over long periods of time on the
same test units.
O1 O2 O3 O4 X O5 O6 O7 O8
y Unique Adv :Distinguish temporary from permanent
changes.
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Completely Randomized design (C.R.
Design)
y It uses a random process to assign experimental units to
treatments in order to investigate the effects of a single
independent variable on the dependent variable.
y Involves only Principle of Replication and Randomization
y Simplest possible design, Analysis is also simpler
y One-way anaysis of variance (ANOVA) used to analyse.
y Provides max no. of degrees of freedom to the error
y Used when experimental areas are homogeneous
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Randomized Block Design (R.B.Design)
y Extension of C.R.Design
y Principle ofLocal Control is applied
y Subjects are divided into groups, known as blocks, such that they are
relatively homogeneous with respect to selected variable. And then atreatment per block is given.
y Blocks are levels at which we hold the extraneous factor fixed, so that
its contribution to the total variability of data can be measured.
y Analysed by the 2-way ANOVA.
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LatinSquare Design (L.S. Design)
y Very frequently used in agricultural research
y There are two major extraneous factors such as the varying
soil fertility and varying seeds
y
Treatment is so allocated in plots so that no treatment occursmore than once in any one row or any one column.
y Analysis similar to 2-way ANOVA
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LatinSquare Design (L.S. Design)
y Merit : enables diff in a variable to be eliminated in
comparison to effects of different treatments.
y Limitation :
y Considerable diff in row and column means. i.e.No interaction
between treatments and blocking factors.
y Also no. of rows and columns have to be equal.; this reduces
utility
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Factorial Designs
y Used when effects of varying two or more factors are to be
determined
y Primary as well as Interaction effects of different levels of
independent variables are measured
y Simple / 2 Factor Factorial Design & Complex / Multi-
factor factorial design
B k