KMBN 302- Business Research Methods

UNIT-1

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Unit 1 (8 Sessions)
• Research: – Definition, Meaning, Importance types and Qualities of Research;
• Research applications in functional areas of Business, Emerging trends in Business research.
• Research & the Scientific Method: Characteristics of scientific method.
• Steps in Research Process
• Concept of Scientific Enquiry: – Formulation of Research Problem – Management Question –
research Question – Investigation Question
• Research Proposal – Elements of a Research Proposal, Drafting a Research Proposal, evaluating
a research proposal.

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Introduction:
Meaning of Research
• Research is an academic activity and as such the term should be used in a
technical sense.
• Redman and Mory define research as a “systematized effort to gain new
knowledge.
• According to Clifford Woody research comprises defining and
redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions;
collecting, organising and evaluating data; making deductions and
reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to
determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.
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• Research is, thus, an original contribution to the existing
stock of knowledge making for its advancement. It is the
pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation,
comparison and experiment.
• In short, the search for knowledge through objective and
systematic method of finding solution to a problem is
research.
• The systematic approach concerning generalisation and the
formulation of a theory is also research

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TYPES OF RESEARCH
Descriptive vs. Analytical:
• Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of
different kinds.
• The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of
affairs as it exists at present.
• In social science and business research we quite often use the term Ex
post facto research for descriptive research studies.
• The main characteristic of this method is that the researcher has no control
over the variables; he can only report what has happened or what is
happening.
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• Most ex post facto research projects are used for descriptive studies
in which the researcher seeks to measure such items as, for example,
frequency of shopping, preferences of people, or similar data.
• Ex post facto studies also include attempts by researchers to
discover causes even when they cannot control the variables.
• The methods of research utilized in descriptive research are survey
methods of all kinds, including comparative and correlational
methods.

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Analytical research, on the other hand, the researcher has to use facts or
information already available, and analyse these to make a critical
evaluation of the material.

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Applied vs. Fundamental: Research can either be applied (or action)
research or fundamental (to basic or pure) research.
• Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem
facing a society or an industrial/business organisation, whereas
• fundamental research is mainly concerned with generalisations and with
the formulation of a theory.
• Similarly, research studies, concerning human behaviour carried on with
a view to make generalisations about human behaviour, are also
examples of fundamental research

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• Quantitative vs. Qualitative: Quantitative research is based on the
measurement of quantity or amount.
• It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity.
• Qualitative research, on the other hand, is concerned with qualitative
phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind.
• For instance, when we are interested in investigating the reasons for
human behaviour (i.e., why people think or do certain things), we quite
often talk of ‘Motivation Research’, an important type of qualitative
research.

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• This type of research aims at discovering the underlying motives and
desires, using in depth interviews for the purpose.
• Other techniques of such research are word association tests, sentence
completion tests, story completion tests and similar other projective
techniques.
• Attitude or opinion research i.e., research designed to find out how people
feel or what they think about a particular subject or institution is also
qualitative research.

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• Qualitative research is specially important in the behavioural sciences
where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human
behaviour.
• Through such research we can analyse the various factors which
motivate people to behave in a particular manner or which make people
like or dislike a particular thing.

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• Conceptual vs. Empirical: Conceptual research is that related to
some abstract idea(s) or theory. It is generally used by philosophers
and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.

• On the other hand, empirical research relies on experience or

observation alone, often without due regard for system and theory.
• It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are
capable of being verified by observation or experiment.

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Some Commonly Researched Areas in
Business
• Employee behaviours such as performance, absenteeism, and
turnover.
• Employee attitudes such as job satisfaction, loyalty, and
organizational commitment.
• Supervisory performance, managerial leadership style, and
performance appraisal systems.
• Employee selection, recruitment, training, and retention.

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• Validation of performance appraisal systems.
• Human resource management choices and organizational
strategy.
• Strategy formulation and implementation.
• Just-in-time systems, continuous-improvement strategies, and
produc-tion efficiencies.
• Updating policies and procedures in keeping with latest
government regulations and organizational changes.

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• Organizational outcomes such as increased sales, market
share, profits, growth, and effectiveness.
• Brand loyalty, product life cycle, and product innovation.
• Consumer complaints.
• Impression management, logos, and image building.
• Product positioning, product modification, and new
product development.

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Objectives

The main objectives of Research are

• To gain familiarity or to achieve new insights into a phenomenon. This is known as

Exploratory or Formularize Research studies.
• To describe the accurate characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group.
This is known as Descriptive Research studies.
• To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated
with other things. This is known as Diagnostic Research studies.
• To test a hypothesis of a casual relationship between variables. Such studies are known
as Hypothesis-testing Research studies.
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 Characteristics of Research

• Research is directed towards the solution of a problem.

• Research gathers new knowledge or data from primary sources.
• Research is based upon observable experience or experimental
evidence.
• Research is logical and objective, applying every possible test to
verify the data collected and the procedures employed.
• Research is expert, systematic and accurate investigation.
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• Research demands accurate observation and description.

• Research requires patience and courage. The researcher should

courageously face the unpleasant consequences of his finding if any.
• Research is highly purposive. It deals with a significant problem which
must be solved.
• Research is carefully recorded and reported. Everything must be carefully
defined and described in detail.
• Research activity is characterized by carefully designed procedures
which are to be analyzed thoroughly.
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Steps involved in Research Process in Research Methodology

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• They do not necessarily follow each other in any specific
order and the researcher has to be constantly anticipating
at each step in the research process the requirements of the
subsequent steps.
• However, the following order concerning various steps
provides a useful procedural guideline regarding the
research process:

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• Formulating the research problem.

• Extensive literature survey.

• Developing the hypothesis.

• Preparing the research design.

• Determining sample design.

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 Collecting the data.

 Execution of the project.

 Analysis of data.

 Hypothesis testing.

 Generalizations and interpretation, and

 Preparation of the report or presentation of the results, i.e., formal

write-up of conclusions reached.

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1.Formulating the research problem:
• There are two types of research problems, vi., those which relate to
states of nature and those which relate to relationships between
variables. .
• Initially the problem may be stated in a broad general way and then
the ambiguities, if any, relating to the problem be resolved.

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• Then, the feasibility of a particular solution has to be considered before a
working formulation of the problem can be set up.
• The formulation of a general topic into a specific research problem, thus,
constitutes the first step in a scientific enquiry.
• Essentially two steps are involved in formulating the research problem,
vi., understanding the problem thoroughly, and rephrasing the same into
meaningful terms from an analytical point of view.

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2.Extensive literature survey:
• Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary of it should be
written down.
• At this juncture the researcher should undertake extensive
literature survey connected with the problem.

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• Academic journals, conference proceedings, government reports, books
etc., must be tapped depending on the nature of the problem.
• In this process, it should be remembered that one source will lead to
another. The earlier studies, if any, which are similar to the study in and
should be carefully studied.
• A good library will be a great help to the researcher at this stage.

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3.Development of working hypotheses:
• After extensive literature survey, researcher should state in clear terms
the working hypothesis or hypotheses.
• Working hypothesis is tentative assumption made in order to draw out
and test its logical or empirical consequences.
• As such the manner in which research hypotheses are developed is
particularly important since they provide the focal point for research.

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4.Preparing the research design:
• The research problem having been formulated in clear cut terms, the researcher
will be required to prepare a research design, i.e., he will have to state the
conceptual structure within which research would be conducted.
• The preparation of such a design facilitates research to be as efficient as
possible yielding maximal information.
• In other words, the function of research design is to provide for the collection of
relevant evidence with minimal expenditure of effort, time and money.
• But how all these can be achieved depends mainly on the research purpose.
Research purposes may be grouped into four categories, vi.,
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• Exploration,

• Description,

• Diagnosis, and

• Experimentation

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5. Determining sample design:

• All the items under consideration in any field of inquiry constitute

‘universe’ or ‘population’.

• A complete enumeration of all the items in the ‘population’ is known

census inquiry.

• It can be presumed that in such an inquiry when all the items are covered
no element of chance is left and highest accuracy is obtained. But in
practice this may not be true.

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• The researcher must decide the way of selecting a sample or what
is popularly known as the sample design.

• In other words, a sample design is a definite plan determined

before any data are actually collected for obtaining a sample from
a given population.

• Samples can be either probability samples or non-probability

samples.

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6. Collecting the data:

• In dealing with any real life problem it is often found that data at hand are
inadequate, and hence, it becomes necessary to collect data that are appropriate.

• There are severing always of collecting the appropriate data which differ
considerably in context of money costs, time and other resources at the disposal
of the researcher.

• Primary data can be collected either through experiment or through survey.

• If the researcher conducts an experiment, he observes some quantitative

measurements, or the data, with the help of which he examines the truth
contained in his hypothesis.
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7. Analysis of data:

• After the data have been collected, the researcher turns to the task of analyzing them.

• The analysis of data requires a number of closely related operations such as

establishment of categories, the application of these categories to raw data through
coding, tabulation and then drawing statistical inferences.

• The unwieldy data should necessarily be condensed into a few manageable groups and
tables for further analysis.

• Thus, researcher should classify the raw data into some purposeful and usable
categories. Coding operation is usually done at this stage through which the categories
of data are transformed into symbols that may be tabulated and counted.

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8. Hypothesis-testing:
• After analysing the data as stated above, the researcher is in a position to test the
hypotheses, if any, he had formulated earlier.
• Do the facts support the hypotheses or they happen to be contrary? This is the usual
question which should be answered while testing hypotheses .Various tests, such as Chi
square test, t-test, F-test, have been developed by statisticians for the purpose.
• The hypotheses may be tested through the use of one or more of such tests, depending
upon the nature and object of research inquiry. Hypothesis -testing will result in either
accepting the hypothesis or in rejecting it.
• If the researcher had no hypotheses to start with, generalizations established on the basis of
data may be stated as hypotheses to be tested by subsequent researches in times to come.
•

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9.Generalizations and interpretation: If a hypothesis is tested and
upheld several times, it maybe possible for the researcher to arrive at
generalization, i.e., to build a theory.
• As a matter of fact,the real value of research lies in its ability to arrive at
certain generalizations.
• If the researcher had no hypothesis to start with, he might seek to explain
his findings on the basis of some theory. It is known as interpretation.
• The process of interpretation may quite often trigger off new questions
which in turn may lead to further researches.

9.Preparation of the report or the thesis: Finally, the researcher has to

prepare the report of what has been done.
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Significance of research
(a) To those students who are to write a master’s or Ph.D. thesis, research may
mean a careerism or a way to attain a high position in the social structure;
(b) To professionals in research methodology, research may mean a source of
livelihood;
(c) To philosophers and thinkers, research may mean the outlet for new ideas
and insights;
(d) To literary men and women, research may mean the development of new
styles and creative work;
(e) To analysts and intellectuals, research may mean the generalisations of
new theories.
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• Thus, research is the fountain of knowledge for the sake of knowledge
and an important source of providing guidelines for solving different
business, governmental and social problems.
• It is a sort of formal training which enables one to understand the new
developments in one’s field in a better way.

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WHAT IS A RESEARCH PROBLEM?

Defining the Research Problem

• In research process, the first and foremost step happens to be that of
selecting and properly defining a research problem
• A researcher must find the problem and formulate it so that it becomes
susceptible to research.
• Like a medical doctor, a researcher must examine all the symptoms
(presented to him or observed by him) concerning a problem before he
can diagnose correctly.
• To define a problem correctly, a researcher must know: what a problem
is?
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• Thus, a research problem is one which requires a researcher to find out the
best solution for the given problem, i.e., to find out by which course of
action the objective can be attained optimally in the context of a given
environment.
• There are several factors which may result in making the problem
complicated.
• For instance, the environment may change affecting the efficiencies of the
courses of action or the values of the outcomes; the number of alternative
courses of action may be very large; persons not involved in making the
decision may be affected by it and react to it favourably or unfavourably,
and similar other factors.
• All such elements (or at least the important ones) may be thought of in
context of a research problem.
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 TECHNIQUE INVOLVED IN DEFINING A PROBLEM

The technique for the purpose involves the undertaking of the following
steps generally one after the other:
(i) Statement of the problem in a general way;
(ii) Understanding the nature of the problem;
(iii) Surveying the available literature
(iv) Developing the ideas through discussions.
(v) Rephrasing the research problem:

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(i) Statement of the problem in a general way:
• First of all the problem should be stated in a broad general way, keeping
in view either some practical concern or some scientific or intellectual
interest.
• For this purpose, the researcher must immerse himself thoroughly in the
subject matter concerning which he wishes to pose a problem.
• In case of social research, it is considered advisable to do some field
observation and as such the researcher may undertake some sort of
preliminary survey or what is often called pilot survey.
• Then the researcher can himself state the problem or he can seek the
guidance of the guide or the subject expert in accomplishing this task .

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(ii) Understanding the nature of the problem:
• The next step in defining the problem is to understand its origin and
nature clearly.
• The best way of understanding the problem is to discuss it with those
who first raised it in order to find out how the problem originally came
about and with what objectives in view.
• If the researcher has stated the problem himself, he should consider once
again all those points that induced him to make a general statement
concerning the problem.
• For a better understanding of the nature of the problem involved, he can
enter into discussion with those who have a good knowledge of the
problem concerned or similar other problems.
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(iii) Surveying the available literature:
• All available literature concerning the problem at hand must necessarily
be surveyed and examined before a definition of the research problem is
given.
• This means that the researcher must be well-conversant with relevant
theories in the field, reports and records as also all other relevant
literature.
• He must devote sufficient time in reviewing of research already
undertaken on related problems.
• This is done to find out what data and other materials, if any, are available
for operational purposes. “Knowing what data are available often serves to
narrow the problem itself as well as the technique that might be used.”

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(iv) Developing the ideas through discussions:
• Discussion concerning a problem often produces useful information.
• Various new ideas can be developed through such an exercise.
• Hence, a researcher must discuss his problem with his colleagues and
others who have enough experience in the same area or in working on
similar problems.
• This is quite often known as an experience survey.
• People with rich experience are in a position to enlighten the researcher
on different aspects of his proposed study and their advice and comments
are usually invaluable to the researcher.

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(v) Rephrasing the research problem:
• Finally, the researcher must sit to rephrase the research problem into a
working proposition.
• Once the nature of the problem has been clearly understood, the
environment (within which the problem has got to be studied) has been
defined, discussions over the problem have taken place and the
available literature has been surveyed and examined, rephrasing the
problem into analytical or operational terms is not a difficult task.
• Through rephrasing, the researcher puts the research problem in as
specific terms as possible so that it may become operationally viable
and may help in the development of working hypotheses.

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AN ILLUSTRATION
Let us suppose that a research problem in a broad general way is as follows:
“
Q.-Why is productivity in Japan so much higher than in India”?
In this form the question has a number of ambiguities such as:
• What sort of productivity is being referred to?
• With what industries the same is related?
• With what period of time the productivity is being talked about?
• In view of all such ambiguities the given statement or the question is much too
general to be amenable to analysis.
• Rethinking and discussions about the problem may result in narrowing down
the question to:
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“What factors were responsible for the higher labour productivity of Japan’s
manufacturing
• industries during the decade 1971 to 1980 relative to India’s manufacturing
industries?”
• This latter version of the problem is definitely an improvement over its earlier
version for the various ambiguities have been removed to the extent possible.
• Further rethinking and rephrasing might place the problem on a still better
operational basis as shown below:
• “To what extent did labour productivity in 1971 to 1980 in Japan exceed that of
India in respect of 15 selected manufacturing industries?
• What factors were responsible for the productivity differentials between the two
countries by industries?”

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 Research Proposal: Elements of a Research Proposal:

1.Introduction: Problem or Question

• What exactly do you want to study?
• What is your research question or questions?
• Why is it worth studying?
• What is the purpose or significance of your study?
• Does the proposed study have practical significance?
• How are you defining your terms?
• What are the limitations of your study?
• What is the researcher’s perspective or viewpoint?

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2.Literature Review
• What have others said about this topic?
• What theories address it and what do they say? What research has
been done previously?
• Are there consistent findings or do past studies disagree?
• Are there flaws in the body of existing research that you feel you can
remedy?

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3.Methods & Subjects
• What inquiry approach are you using?
• Will you conduct an experiment or survey?
• Will you undertake field research, or are you going to focus on the
reanalysis of statistics already created by others?
• What is the setting for the research?
• Who or what will you study in order to collect the data?
• Who are the subjects in general and who is available for study? How
will you reach them?
• Will it be appropriate to select a sample? If so, how will you do that?

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4.Measurement
• What are the key variables in your study?
• How will you define and measure them?
• Do your definitions and measurement methods duplicate or differ from those of
previous research on this topic?
• Are you developing your measurement device (for example, questionnaire) or will
you be using something previously developed by others?
• When developing a measurement device to measure your study group, how will
you determine the validity of the instrument?
• For existing instruments, how do you know it is valid for your sample and how
will you establish reliability for your sample? (Reliability should always be
reported for the study sample, not the development samples reported in manuals.)

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5.Data Collection
• How will you actually collect the data for your study (observation, interviews,
document analysis, focus group, photography and video, etc.)?
6.Data Analysis
• What kind of analysis do you plan to conduct?
• What is the purpose and logic of your analytical approach? Are you interested in
precise description?
• Do you intend to explain why things are the way they are?
• Do you plan to account for variations in some quality (for example, why are
some students more liberal than others)?
• What possible explanatory variables will your analysis consider, and how will
you know if you’ve explained the variables adequately?
• How can you verify and establish the trustworthiness of your study?
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7.Findings
• What did you learn?
• What worked and what didn’t?
• How does your data answer or inform your research question(s)?
8.Conclusions & Recommendations
• How can you apply or use what you learned?
• How might others use it?
• What were the limitations of your research?
• What implications are there for further research?

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