UNIT I

THEORY BUILDING AND RESEARCH

PROPOSAL
INTRODUCTION

Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of

knowledge". It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of information to
increase understanding of a topic or issue.
Research is Organized and Systematic study of material and resources to discover
new things or to establish facts or to reach conclusion. The primary purposes
of basic research (as opposed to applied research)
are documentation, discovery, interpretation, and the research and
development (R&D) of methods and systems for the advancement of
human knowledge. Approaches to research depend on epistemologies, which
vary considerably both within and between humanities and sciences.

MEANING:

Research is common context refers to a search for knowledge. It can also be

defined as a scientific and systematic search for gaining information and
knowledge on specific topic or phenomena. In management research is used in
many areas.
Research has been defined in a number of different ways, and while there are
similarities, there does not appear to be a single, all-encompassing definition that
is embraced by all who engage in it. One definition of research is used by the The
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), "Any creative
systematic activity undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge,
including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this knowledge to
devise new applications."
Another definition of research is given by John W. Creswell, who states that
"research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to increase

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our understanding of a topic or issue". It consists of three steps: pose a question,
collect data to answer the question, and present an answer to the question.
The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines research in more detail as
"studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation
aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories
or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised
theories or laws"
BUSINESS RESEARCH:

Business research is a field of practical study in which a company obtains data and
analyzes the same to manage the company better. Executives and managers who
use business research methods can better understand their company, the
position it holds in the market, and how to improve that position.
Definition
Business research is a systematic and objective inquiry that provides information
to guide managerial decisions, which are arrived at through a process of planning,
acquiring, analyzing, and disseminating relevant data to decision-makers in ways
that mobilize the organization to take appropriate actions to maximize business
performance.
Scope of Business research
Business research is described as the systematic and objective procedure for
producing information for help in making business decisions. Business research
should be objective, which means that the information found needs to be
detached and impersonal instead of biased. Research facilitates the managerial
decision process for all aspects of a business. By lowering the uncertainty of
decisions, it cuts down on the risk of making incorrect decisions. Research should
be an aid to managerial judgment but not a replacement for it.
Production Management: The research performs an important function in
product development, diversification, introducing a new product, product
improvement, process technologies, choosing a site, new investment etc.
Personnel Management: Research works well for job redesign, organization
restructuring, development of motivational strategies and organizational
development.

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Marketing Management: Research performs an important part in choice and size
of target market, the consumer behavior with regards to attitudes, life style, and
influences of the target market. It is the primary tool in determining price policy,
selection of channel of distribution and development of sales strategies, product
mix, promotional strategies, etc.
Financial Management: Research can be useful for portfolio management,
distribution of dividend, capital raising, hedging and looking after fluctuations in
foreign currency and product cycles.
Materials Management: It is utilized in choosing the supplier, making the
decisions relevant to make or buy as well as in selecting negotiation strategies.
General Management: It contributes greatly in developing the standards,
objectives, long-term goals, and growth strategies.
To perform well in a complex environment, you will have to be equipped with an
understanding of scientific methods and a way of integrating them into decision
making. You will have to understand what good research means and how to
conduct it. Since the complexity of the business environment has amplified, there
is a commensurate rise in the number and power of the instruments to carry out
research. There is certainly more knowledge in all areas of management. We now
have started to develop much better theories. The computer has provided us a
quantum leap in the capability to take care of difficulties. New techniques of
quantitative analysis utilize this power. Communication and measurement
techniques have also been improved. These developments reinforce each other
and are having a substantial impact on business management.
Stages in Business Research Process
The steps in the research process, namely identification and definition of the
Problem or opportunity, planning the research design, selecting a research
method, selecting a sampling procedure, data collection, evaluating the data and
finally preparing and presenting the research report have been shown in the Fig.
Each of these steps in the research process is discussed below.

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 Identifying and Defining Problem/Opportunity

Planning the Research Design

Selecting a Research Method

Selecting a Sampling Procedure

Data Collection

Evaluating the Data

Selecting a Research Method

1. Identifying and Defining the Problem

The initial step in the research process is the identification of the problem or
Opportunity. As businesses today operate in a highly volatile environment
governed by various macro environmental factors, they need to constantly assess
their Relative position and identify the various problem areas or opportunities
they need to work upon in order to sustain themselves competitively in the
market. The managers need to analyze the changing dynamics of business and to
evolve a strategy to adapt to the changes taking place in the external
environment. Whether these are potential problem areas or opportunities, it is
very important for the manager to identify them accurately and at the earliest.
Problem identification precedes the problem definition stage. For instance, a
company producing cell phone wave protectors (devices that protect the cell
phone from harmful radiations) may realize that its new product is not selling, but
it may not know the reason for this at the outset. Although it has identified the
problem in a broader perspective, it needs to define the problem specifically in
terms of what is to be researched.

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2. Planning the Research Design
Once the problem or opportunity identification and definition stage is complete,
The process of research design begins. Planning the research design is a crucial
step in the research design process. A research design is the actual framework of
a research that provides specific details regarding the process to be followed in
conducting the research. The research is designed based on the objectives
formulated during the initial phases of the research. The research design includes
all the details regarding the research such as where the information should be
obtained from, the time and budget allotted for conducting the research, the
appropriate measurement techniques and the sampling process. Factors like the
research objective, the importance of the decision, costs involved in conducting
the research and the availability of data sources determine the selection of an
appropriate research design.

3. Selecting the Research Method

After developing an appropriate research plan, it is important for the researcher
to select a proper research method. There are four basic methods of conducting a
research study—secondary data studies, surveys, experiments and observation.
The research design method is chosen based on the objectives of the study, the
costs involved in conducting the study, the availability of the data and finally the
importance and urgency of the decision. We will now discuss the four basic
research methods.

4. Selecting the Sampling Procedure

Sampling is generally a part of the research design but is considered separately in
the research process. Sampling is a process that uses a small number of items or a
small portion of a population to draw conclusions regarding the whole
population. Alternately, a sample can be considered as a subset of a larger set
called the population. A well-defined sample has the same characteristics as the
population as a whole, and therefore, when a research is conducted on such
sample; the results obtained will represent the characteristics of the whole
population. But if errors are made in selecting the sample, then the research
results will be wrong, since a wrongly selected sample does not represent the

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characteristics of the population as a whole. For instance, to study the petrol and
diesel consumption patterns of people, if a sample is selected from a list of
vehicle owners, it may not represent the whole population, since there are
several others who use petrol or diesel for running generators or for purposes
other than travelling. It is therefore very important to define the population
before selecting the sample; otherwise, the research results may not be helpful
for the manager in taking effective decisions.
For example, a television manufacturing company wanting to assess its future
sales potential may select a sample from a population of households having no TV
sets at all. But there may be several TV owners who may want to buy a second TV
set or replace the existing one, and if they are not included in the population,
then the research results may not be accurate.

5. Data Collection
After preparing a suitable sample, the researcher collects the data from the units
in this sample. As there are several research techniques, there are a number of
data collection methods as well. For instance, in the survey method, the data are
collected by asking the respondents to fill out a questionnaire administered to
them, while in the observation technique, the respondents are just observed
without their direct participation in the research. Whatever the method used to
collect the data, it is very important that the data are collected without any
errors. Errors may creep in during the data collection process in several forms.
Potential data collection errors may arise if the interviewee does not understand
the question or if the interviewer records the answers inaccurately.

6. Evaluating the Data

Once the data have been collected, the next important phase in the research
process is evaluating the data. The most important aspect of data evaluation is to
convert the data collected into a format which will facilitate the manager in
effective decision-making. The reason for analyzing the data is to obtain research
results and to prepare the research report. Several mathematical and statistical
models are used to evaluate the data. Evaluation of data normally starts with
editing and coding of the data. Editing is undertaken to verify the data and check
for any potential errors or for any inconsistencies and so on. Another task of
editing is to remove any errors that may have cropped up during the interview

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such as recording the answers under the wrong columns of a questionnaire and
so on. Coding is a process of assigning different symbols to different sets of
responses. The coding process is done so that the data can be fed in and
interpreted easily using computers.
These days, technological advances have made it possible for data to be collected
and directly fed into computers, removing the possibility of human error.
For instance, an interviewer may question respondents through telephone and
record the answers directly into a computer, where the data are processed
almost immediately, thus eliminating the scope for errors which may arise if
conventional methods of data collection are used.

7. Analysis
The interpretation of the data that have been collected by using different
analytical techniques according to the requirements of the management is called
analysis. Several statistical tools are used for data analysis, in order to make the
analysis suitable for effective decision-making. The statistical analysis of the data
may range from simple frequency distribution tables to complex multivariate
analysis.

8. Preparing and Presenting the Research Report

After the evaluation of the data, the last and the major phase that comes into
picture is the preparation of a research report. The research reports can be
presented either in oral or in written format. The research report should contain a
brief description of the objectives of the research, a summary of the research
design adopted, a summary of the major findings and conclude with the
limitations and recommendations. The purpose of conducting any research is to
obtain information that can aid in efficient decision-making. Therefore, it is very
important to carefully analyze the information obtained and present it according
to the requirements of the management of the company. At this stage, the
research report should be developed most efficiently and it should portray the
research findings most effectively. Most often researchers fill the research reports
with all the technical details. This should be avoided to the maximum possible
extent, as the management is more interested in the actual research results and

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they have to be presented lucidly in a concise format. The amount of information
provided in the research report should be based on the requirements of the
manager.
A research report also acts as a historical document, in the sense that the
manager may refer to this document in the future if a research on the same lines
is being conducted sometime in the future.

THEORY
Meaning
A theory is “a coherent set of general propositions, used as principles of
explanation of the amount of the apparent relationships of certain observed
phenomena”

Qualities of good theory

“A theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements. It must accurately
describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model that contains only a
few arbitrary elements. And it must make definite predictions about the results of
future observations”
Theories must be;
 Objective
 Disprovable
 Verifiable
 Good theories must understand, explain and predict

Nature of Theory
1. Theory as orientation
A major function and nature of a theoretical system is that, it narrows the range
of facts to be studied. Any phenomenon or object many be studied in many
different ways.

2. Theory as conceptualization and classification

Every science is also organized by a structure of concepts, which refers to the
major processes and objects to be studied. It is the relationship between the
concept which are stated in ‘the fact of science’

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3. Task of theory: Summarizing
A further task which theory performs is to summaries concisely what is already
known about the object of study these summaries may be divided into two simple
categories- Empirical generalization and systems of relationship between
propositions

4. Theory predicts facts

If theory summarizes facts and States a general uniformity beyond the immediate
observations, it also becomes a prediction of facts. The most obvious is the
extrapolation from the known to the unknown.

THEORY BUILDING
A theory is built upon collected facts. The investigators the searches, make
intelligent guesses as to how the facts are ordered, add missing ideas and put
forward a hypothesis; deduces what consequence should follow from the
hypothesis and looks for further facts which are consistent or otherwise with the
deductions ; builds a wider generalization or conceptual framework or more facts
and eventually outlines a theory. Theories are based on evidence. And they are
important practical tools which enable us to advance our knowledge still further.

The process by which theory is built

paradigm

Theory

Classification

Observe, decsribe and

measure
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1. Observe, describe and measure- careful description of the phenomena, in
words and numbers.

2. Classification- Simplify and organize the world and to measure the phenomena
i.e., variables- organization culture, competitive advantage, organizational
performance etc.

3. Theory- built upon the categorizations circumstances under which they will
have cause and effects on each other.

4. Paradigm- Collectively exhaustive and mutually exclusive categories by which

the theory have been tested and retested under different circumstances.

INDUCTIVE AND DEDUCTIVE REASONING

Both deduction and induction play a role in theory building, as we move from
theory to law to proposition to hypothesis to the testing of that hypothesis, we
move from statements of a higher order to those of lower order, an essentially
deductive operation.
This type of deduction is to be distinguished from a prior deduction, in which we
move from assumed relationship to selected facts to prove our case. Deduction
move from theory to hypothesis testing also is involved in seeing whether the
parts of a theory are properly related to each other internally.
There are two type of reasoning which serves as the source of knowledge;

1. Deductive reasoning
Deductive reasoning, also deductive logic, is the process of reasoning from one or
more statements (premises) to reach a logical conclusion. In this specific
inferences are drawn from multiple premises. It establishes the relationship
between the proposition and conclusion. When all the proposed statement are
true, then the rules of deduction are applied and the result obtain is inevitably
true. Deductive reasoning works from the more general to the more specific
Example- If it is raining, the street will be the wet
Above example represents valid argument. If one accepts the premises, one must
also accept the conclusion. It is important to distinguish validity from truth. In a

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valid argument, the premises need not to be true; it is only required that the
conclusion follow from the premises. For example
All cows are green. She is cow. Therefore she is green.
In this example the argument is valid, i.e., conclusion follows from the premises.
But the premises are not true. Therefore the conclusion arrived is also not true.
Sometimes the premises may be true, but there may not be valid argument. For
example

India is a democratic country. 2 plus 2 equals to 4. Therefore he is driving the

car.
In above example conclusion does not follow from the premises, although all
premises happen to be true.
In order to know that conclusion is true a) We have to know that the premises are
true, and b) the argument is valid i.e., conclusion follows logically from the
premises.

2. Inductive reasoning
Induction is the process of reasoning whereby we arrive at generalization from
particular fact. It is a method of reasoning in which the premises are viewed as
supplying some evidence, but not full assurance, of the truth of the conclusion. It
is also described as a method where one's experiences and observations,
including what are learned from others, are synthesized to come up with a
general truth.
Induction involves a passage from observed to unobserved. Inductive reasoning is
uncertain. It only deals in degrees to which, given the premises, the conclusion is
credible according to some theory of evidence. In inductive reasoning premises
provide evidences for the conclusion- but not complete evidence.
Example- Crow 1 is black. Crow 2 is black. Crow 3 is black. (And so on for all
crows) Therefore all crows are black.
In inductive reasoning the truth is established based on earlier evidences for
something which is not observed. For example, the proposition like ‘Tomorrow
the sun will rise in the east’ made based on so many years of observation. Though
the phenomenon for next day is still not witnessed. Based on the repeated
observation, we can say inductively that the sun will rise in the east. This

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 conclusion has some probability on the basis of evidence presented in the
premises. In inductive reasoning we rely on certain law of nature.

Difference between Inductive reasoning and Deductive reasoning

Reasoning in artificial intelligence has two important forms, Inductive reasoning,
and Deductive reasoning. Both reasoning forms have premises and conclusions,
but both reasoning are contradictory to each other. Following is a list for
comparison between inductive and deductive reasoning:
 Deductive reasoning uses available facts, information, or knowledge to
deduce a valid conclusion, whereas inductive reasoning involves making a
generalization from specific facts, and observations.
 Deductive reasoning uses a top-down approach, whereas inductive
reasoning uses a bottom-up approach.
 Deductive reasoning moves from generalized statement to a valid
conclusion, whereas Inductive reasoning moves from specific observation
to a generalization.
 In deductive reasoning, the conclusions are certain, whereas, in Inductive
reasoning, the conclusions are probabilistic.
 Deductive arguments can be valid or invalid, which means if premises are
true, the conclusion must be true, whereas inductive argument can be
strong or weak, which means conclusion may be false even if premises are
true.

Basis for Deductive Reasoning Inductive

comparison Reasoning

Definition Deductive reasoning is the form of Inductive reasoning arrives at a

valid reasoning, to deduce new conclusion by the process of
information or conclusion from known generalization using specific facts
related facts and information. or data.

Approach Deductive reasoning follows a top- Inductive reasoning follows a

down approach. bottom-up approach.

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Starts Deductive reasoning starts from Inductive reasoning starts from the
from Premises. Conclusion.

Validity In deductive reasoning conclusion In inductive reasoning, the truth of

must be true if the premises are true. premises does not guarantee the
truth of conclusions.

Usage Use of deductive reasoning is difficult, Use of inductive reasoning is fast

as we need facts which must be true. and easy, as we need evidence
instead of true facts. We often use
it in our daily life.

Process Theory→ hypothesis→ patterns Observations-

confirmation. →patterns→hypothesis→Theory.

Argument In deductive reasoning, arguments In inductive reasoning, arguments

may be valid or invalid. may be weak or strong.

Structure Deductive reasoning reaches from Inductive reasoning reaches from

general facts to specific facts. specific facts to general facts.

BUSINESS PROBLEM
A problem in simple words is “Some difficulty experienced by the researcher in a
theoretical or practical situation. Solving this difficulty is the task of research”.
A problem exist when w do not have enough information to answer question.
By problem we mean, “Any condition or circumstance in which one does not
know how to act and what to accept as true”.

The nature of business problem

Research is an effort to seek answers to questions confronting the researcher. It
seeks answers to questions, which have not yet been answered. Research helps in
the development of generalization, principles or theories or helps in verifying the
existing knowledge. The research questions can be of quantitative or qualitative

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nature, and both require collecting the relevant data, their analysis and
interpretation so as to arrive at some conclusion which provides the solution to a
problem.
Research is a gateway to new knowledge that obviously depends on how
meaningfully the problem has been identified and research question have been
answered. It is a systematic attempt to obtain answers to meaningful questions
about a phenomenon through the application of scientific procedures. The
identification of a research problem requires a great deal of patience and logical
thinking on the part of the researcher.

Types of Research Problem

There are two types of research problems; those which relate to the state of
nature and those which relate to the relationship between variables. For example,
a problem stated as “Epistemological realities in the panchtantra” is a problem
which discovers the source of knowledge in panchtantra. Hence, it is classified in
first category of research.
If the problem is stated as, “the effect of television viewing on the values of
children”, the study explain the relationship between variables i.e. television
viewing and values of children, hence, it is classified in the second category of
research.
Thus, the problem of research should be such which will help in theory building,
making generalizations, formulating principles that will form the basis for future
generation of knowledge besides making and original contribution to the
respective field of knowledge.
It has to be further seen whether the nature of research is quantitative or
qualitative, since the problem formulation varies as the nature of research varies.
Under this classification various other types of researches fall. For example,
experimental and survey type of researches fall under quantitative researches
whereas historical and philosophical fall under the qualitative research.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PROBLEM DEFINITION

Business research is conducted to help solve managerial problems. it is extremely
important to define the business problem carefully because such definition will
determine the purpose of the research and ultimately the research design. Formal
qualitative research should not begin until the problem has been clearly defined.

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However when a problem or opportunity is discovered, managers may have only
vague insides about a complex situation. If quantitative research is conducted
before the researchers understand exactly what is important then false
conclusion may be drawn from the investigation. Problem definition indicates
specific business decision area that will be clarified by answering some research
questions.
Identification of research situation is an important phase of the entire research
process. It demands a great deal of thinking searching and speculating on the part
of a researcher. A beginning researcher finds it very difficult as to how to locate
the problem situation. An investigator should follow the following major task in
analyzing a problematic situation
 accumulating the facts that might be related to the problem
 Settling by observation whether the facts are relevant
 Proposing various explanations for the cause of the difficulty
 Tracing the relationship between explanations that may give an insight in to
the problem solution.

THE PROCESS OF PROBLEM DEFINITION

1. Ascertain the Decision Maker’s Objectives: - The research investigator

must attempt to satisfy the objectives of the line manager who requests
the project. Management theorists suggest that the decision maker should
express his or her goals to the research in measurable terms. However,

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 expecting a decision maker to follow this recommendation is,
unfortunately, somewhat optimistic.
The iceberg principle Researchers and managers cannot discover the actual
problem because they lack sufficiently detailed information; the iceberg
principle serves as a useful analogy. E.g. A sailor on the open sea notices
only a small part of an iceberg. Only 10 percent of it is above the surface of
the water, and 90 percent is submerged. The dangerous part of many
business problems, like the submerged portion of the iceberg, is neither
visible to nor understood by managers. The example of the new Coke is a
case in point. Omission of important or a faulty assumption about the
situation can be extremely costly.
2. Understand the Background of the Problem: - The iceberg principle
illustrates that understanding the background of a problem is vital. Often
experienced mangers know a great deal about a situation and can provide
researchers with considerable background information about previous
events and why those events occurred. In situations in which the decision
maker’s objectives are clear, the problem may be diagnosed exclusively by
exercising managerial judgments. In other situations, when information
about identifying the problem, a situation analysis is the logical first step in
defining the problem.
A situation analysis involves a preliminary investigation or informal
gathering of background information to familiarize researchers or managers
with the decision area.
3. Isolate and Identify the Problems, Not the Symptoms: - Anticipating all of
the dimensions of a problem is impossible for any researcher or executive.
For. Instance, a firm may have a problem with its advertising effectiveness.
The possible cause of this problem may be low brand awareness, the wrong
brand image, use of the wrong media, or perhaps too small a budget.
Management’s job is to isolate and identify the most likely causes. Certain
occurrences that appear to be “the problem” may be only symptoms of a
deeper problem.

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 Other problems may be identified only after gathering background
information and after conducting exploratory research.
4. Determine the Unit of Analysis: - The researcher must specify whether the
level of investigation will focus on the collections of the data about the
entire organization, departments, work groups, individuals, or objects. In
studies of home buying, for example, the husband-wife dyad rather than
the individual typically is the unit of analysis, because the purchase decision
is made jointly by husband and wife. In studies of organizational behavior,
cross-functional teams rather than individual employees may be selected as
the unit of analysis.
Determining the unit of analysis, although relatively straightforward in
most projects, should not be overlooked during the problem-definition
stage of the research. It is a crucial aspect of problem definition.
5. Determine the Relevant Variable: - A variable is defined as anything that
varies or changed in values. Key variables should be identified in the
problem definition stage. Attitude toward Internet brokerage firms may be
a variable, for example, as people’s attitudes may vary from positive to
negatives.
In statistical analysis a variable is identified by a symbol, such as X.
Categories or numerical values may then be associated with this symbol.
The variable “Gender” may be categorized as male or female; gender is
therefore a categorical or classificatory variable because it has a limited
number of distinct values. On the other hand, sales volume may encompass
an infinite range of numbers; it is therefore a continues variable one with
an infinite number of possible values. To address the specific problem,
manager and researchers should be careful to identify all of the relevant
variables that must be studies.
In casual research a dependent variable is a criterion or a variable that is to
be predicted or explained. An independent variable is a variable that
expected to influence the dependent variable. For example, average hourly
rate of pay may be dependent variable that is influenced or can be

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 predicted by an independent variable such as number of years of
experience.
6. State the research questions and research objectives: - At the end of the
problem definition stage of the research process, researchers should
prepare a written statement that clarifies any ambiguity about what they
hope the research will accomplish.

RESEARCH QUESTION
A research question is an answerable inquiry in to specific concern or issue. It is
the initial step in research project. The research question is the first active stage
in the research process.
A research question is the question around which you center to your research. It
should be;
1. Clear: provides enough specific’s that one’s audience can easily understand its
purpose without needing additional explanation.

2. Focused: It is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space

the writing task allows

3. Concise: It is expressed in the fewest possible words

4. Complex: It is not answerable with simple Yes or No, but rather requires
synthesis and analysis of ideas and sources prior to composition of an answer.

5. Arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts

Formulation of research question

A good statement of a problem must restrict the scope of the study to specific
and workable research question. These questions are the questions that the
research would like to be answered or addressed. Research questions are the
more specific situation from general presentation of ideas. Researchers begin
with a broad formulation of a problem.
For example- ‘Information technology’. From this he moves to specific situation
like ‘Role of information technology in development of teaching models’. To study

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this problem, the researchers then reformulate the problem in to a statement of
intent or purpose ‘how information technology contributes to developing
teaching models’. After this investigator still requires narrowing the intent to a
specific question,” Can information technology help in the development of
teaching model?”

Suggestions for formulating research questions

Adequate formulation of research question statement is one of the most
important parts of research.
 Specific research objectives
A clear statement that defines all objectives can help you conduct and develop
effective and meaningful research. They should be manageable to bring you
success. A few goals will help you keep your study relevant. This statement also
helps professors evaluation the questions your research project answers and
different methods that you use to address them.

 Review the context of your research problem

It’s necessary to work hard to define and test all kinds of environmental variables
to make your project successful. Why do you need to do that? This step can help
you define if the important findings of your study will deliver enough data to be
worth considering. Identify specific environmental variables that may potentially
affect your research and start formulating effective methods to control all of
them.
 Why explore the nature of your research problem?
Research problems may range from simple to complex, and everything depends
on a range of variables and their relationships. Some of them can be directly
relevant to specific research questions, while others are completely unimportant
for your project.
Why should you understand their nature? This knowledge enables you to develop
effective solutions. To get a deep understanding of all dimensions, think about
focus groups and other relevant details to provide the necessary insight into a
particular question.
 Determine variable relationships

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Scientific, social, and other studies often focus on creating a certain sequence of
repeating behaviors over time. What does your project entail? Completing the
entire process involves:
 Identifying the variables that affect possible solutions to your research
problem;
 Deciding on the degree to which you can use and control all of them for
study purposes;
 Determining functional relationships between existing variables;
 Choose the most critical variables for a solution of your research problem.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The main function of research is the creation of new knowledge and the
verification of existing knowledge. It is viewed as a process. It typically begins with
a problem or issue that needs to be studied and end with a written report. A
research objective addresses the purpose of the investigation and types of
knowledge to be generated out of one’s investigation.
While formulating the research objectives, we should keep in mind that the
results would be compared to the objectives when the study is evaluated.
If the objectives have not been formulated clearly, the study cannot be evaluated
as desired. Objectives should be closely related to the statement of the research
problem, giving the sponsor-specific, concrete and achievable goals.
It is best to state the objectives of a study in general terms first and then to move
down to specific terms.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL:
Introduction
The research proposal is a written statement of the research design. It always
includes an explanation of the purpose of the study or a definition of the
problem. It systematically outlines the particular research methodology and
details the procedures that will be utilized at each stage of the research process.
Normally, a schedule of costs and deadlines is included in the research proposal;
Preparation of a research proposal forces the researcher to think critically about
each stage of the research process. What information will be obtained and what
research procedures will be implemented have to be clearly specified so that
others may understand their exact implication. All ambiguities about why and

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Shantiniketan Business School, Nagpur
how the research will be conducted must be clarified before the proposal is
completed.
Because the proposal is a clearly outlined plan submitted to management for
acceptance or rejection, it initially performs a communication functions; it serves
as a mechanism that allows managers to evaluate the details of the proposed
research design and determine if alternations are necessary. If the business
problem has not been adequately translated into a set of specific research
objectives and a research design, the client’s assessment of the proposal will help
ensure that the research revise it to meet the client’s information needs.
The proposal needs to communicate exactly what information will be obtained,
where it will be obtained, and how it will be obtained.

Definition:
Research proposal is a brief description of the projected investigation to be
submitted for acceptance by governing bodies, funding organization or person in
authority.
Research proposal is a document specifying what the research proposes to study.
It communicates the research problem.

Contents of Research proposal

1. Abstract- Proposal often begins with brief synopsis of proposed research. The
abstract provide the framework reference for reviewers and clear indication of
how you proceed. The abstract should be brief (200-800 words) and concise by
stating the objective and methodology of research.

2. Statement of the problem- The problem that is intended to study in the

identified proposal. It should be stated in such a way that it clearly indicates its
significance to the reviewer. Reviewer should state the problem that is realistic,
practical, feasible and significant to the situation

3. Significance of the problem- The proposal needs to describe the importance of

research under study. It needs to specify clearly how the proposed research will
make a contribution to knowledge. The proposal should indicate that the
intended research builds on what has already been done in this area. The
background material should strengthen the researcher’s argument related to

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Shantiniketan Business School, Nagpur
significance of the study, orient the reader to what is already known about the
problem.

4. Objectives- Specific, realistic and achievable objective of the study provide

clear criteria to access the research methodology. Objective stated in specific
model to be tested are often preferred.

5. Methods- Explanation about research methods should be thorough enough, so

that reader should have no question about how the research objective will be
addressed, it includes a description of sampling plan, research design,
instrumentation, specific procedures, with discussion of rationale of methods,
potential methodological problems and intended strategies for handling such
problems. The method may be adopted according to problem and objective
whether it is historical, survey or experimental.

6. The work Plan- Researcher must describe in the proposal their plan for
managing the flow of work on research project. the researchers indicates in the
work plan the sequence of task to be performed, anticipated length of time
required for the completion and the personnel required for the completion of
research.

ANTICIPATING OUTCOMES
One aspect of problem definition often lacking in research proposals is
anticipating the outcomes, that is, the statistical findings, of the study. The use of
a dummy table in the research proposal often helps the manager gain a better
understanding of what the actual outcome of the research will be.
Dummy tables are representatives of the actual tables that will be in the findings
section of the final report. They are called dummy tables because the researcher
fills in, or “dummies up,” the tables with likely, but fictitious, data.
A research analyst can present dummy tables to the decision maker and ask,”
Given finding like these, will you be able to make a decision to solve you
managerial problem?” If the decision maker says yes, then the proposal may be
accepted. However, if the decision maker cannot glean enough information from
these dummy tables to make a decision about what the company would do with

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Shantiniketan Business School, Nagpur
the hypothetical outcome suggested by the tables, then the decision maker must
rethink what outcomes and data analyses are necessary to solve the problem.

LITERATURE REVIEW

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides

an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant
theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research. A literature review surveys
books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area
of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and
critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being
investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources
you have explored while researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to
your readers how your research fits within a larger field of study.
A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the
social sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and
combines both summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual
categories. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but
a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information in a way that
informs how you are planning to investigate a research problem. The analytical
features of a literature review might:
 Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old
interpretations,
 Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
 Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on
the most pertinent or relevant research, or
 Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in
how a problem has been researched to date.

The purpose of a literature review is to:

 Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the
research problem being studied.
 Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
 Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
 Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.

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Shantiniketan Business School, Nagpur
  Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies.
 Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
 Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.
 Locate your own research within the context of existing literature

Sources of the review of literature:

1. WEB- The World Wide Web can be an excellent place to satisfy some initial
research needs. It is a good resource for background information and for finding
keywords for searching in the library catalog and databases.
 It is a good tool for locating professional organizations and searching for
information and the names of experts in a given discipline.
 Google Scholar is a useful discovery tool for citations, especially if you are trying
to get the lay of the land surrounding your topic or if you are having a problem
with keywords in the databases. You can find some information to refine your
search terms. It is not acceptable to depend on Google Scholar for finding articles
because of the spotty coverage and lack of adequate search features.

2. BOOKS AND REFERENCE SOURCES

Reference materials and books are available in both print and electronic formats.
They provide gateway knowledge to a subject area and are useful at
the beginning of the research process to:

 Get an overview of the topic, learn the scope, key definitions, significant figures
who are involved, and important timelines
 Discover the foundations of a topic
 Learn essential definitions, vocabulary terms, and keywords you can use in your
literature searching strategy

3. SCHOLARLY ARTICLES IN JOURNALS

Another major category of information sources is scholarly information produced

by subject experts working in academic institutions, research centers and
scholarly organizations. Scholars and researchers generate information that
advances our knowledge and understanding of the world. The research they do

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Shantiniketan Business School, Nagpur
 creates new opportunities for inventions, practical applications, and new
approaches to solving problems or understanding issues.

Academics, researchers and students at universities make their contributions to

scholarly knowledge available in many forms:

 masters’ theses
 doctoral dissertations
 conference papers
 journal articles and books
 individual scholars’ web pages
 Web pages developed by the researcher’s’ home institution (Hansen & Paul,
2015).

Scholars and researchers introduce their discoveries to the world in a formal

system of information dissemination that has developed over centuries. Because
scholarly research undergoes a process of “peer review” before being published
(meaning that other experts review the work and pass judgment about whether it
is worthy of publication), the information you find from scholarly sources meets
preset standards for accuracy, credibility and validity in that field.

Likewise, scholarly journal articles are generally considered to be among the most
reliable sources of information because they have gone through a peer-review
process.
4. CONFERENCE PAPERS & PROCEEDINGS

Conferences are a major source of emerging research where researchers present

papers on their current research and obtain feedback from the audience. The
papers presented in the conference are then usually published in a volume called
a conference proceeding. Conference proceedings highlight current discussion in
a discipline and can lead you to scholars who are interested in specific research
areas.

A word about conference papers: several factors contribute to making these

documents difficult to find. It may be months before a paper is published as a
journal article, or it may never be published. Publishers and professional

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Shantiniketan Business School, Nagpur
associations are inconsistent in how they publish proceedings. For example, the
papers from an annual conference may be published as individual, stand-alone
titles, which may be indexed in a library catalog, or the conference proceedings
may be treated more like a periodical or serial and, therefore, indexed in a journal
database.

It is not unusual that papers delivered at professional conferences are not

published in print or electronic form, although an abstract may be available. In
these cases, the full paper may only be available from the author or authors.

The most important thing to remember is that if you have any difficulty finding a
conference proceeding or paper, ask a librarian for assistance.
5. DISSERTATIONS AND THESES

Dissertations and theses can be rich sources of information and have extensive
reference lists to scan for resources. They are considered gray literature, so are
not “peer reviewed”. The accuracy and validity of the paper itself may depend on
the school that awarded the doctoral or master’s degree to the author.

Steps involved in Literature Review

1. Choosing the area: You need to focus specifically which area you are to search,
and which micro variables are involved in this area to be searched. First thing to
do is locate your area of interest and describe some of the variable associated
with it.

2. Searching relevant title of literature: The next step will be to search for titles
of studies which represent your area of study and the related variables.
Documents you may like to look for include published articles, unpublished
articles and report etc.

3. Locating Documents: The search for relevant titles leads to locating important
and primary documents.

VISHAKHA MANKAR
Shantiniketan Business School, Nagpur