RESEARCH METHODS LESSON 1
-
Upload
ondabu-ibrahim -
Category
Documents
-
view
190 -
download
1
Transcript of RESEARCH METHODS LESSON 1
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