SBU304: Business Research Methods
Tutorial Discussion Questions
1. Research involves:
A. The identification of quality information, not its computerized processing.
B. An application of scientific methods to information collection and analysis.
C. Creating the architecture for data warehousing.
D. The use of complex models rather than simpler quantitative methods.
2. The following are the characteristics of a good research project EXCEPT
A. Data for the research is collected systematically
B. Data for the research is interpreted systematically
C. Managerial biases are needed in the interpretation of findings
D. There is a clear purpose of the research study
3. Which of the following is NOT a reason why we conduct business research?
A. To predict future business phenomenon
B. To explain the reason why certain events occur in organizations
C. To explore new ways of improving organizational effectiveness
D. To identify theft in organizations
4. The type of research that seeks to extend the boundaries of knowledge in a given area with
no necessary immediate application to existing problems is known as
A. applied research
B. basic research
C. quantitative research
D. qualitative research
5. Having no research questions or poorly formulated research questions will lead to poor re-
search because
A. I will only consider epistemological queries
B. Marks are allocated for having a research question and without them my project will
be penalised.
C. I won’t know what data analysis method to use.
D. The research will be unfocused and I am will be unsure what data to collect.
6. If a marketing researcher manipulates the level of advertising in order to determine whether
it has an impact on the sale of an organization’s product, he/she is conducting:
A. A Cross sectional research
B. An experimental research
C. A longitudinal research
D. A Survey research
7. If a business research project is underpinned by strong theoretical and methodological foun-
dations, we say such a project is:
A. Conclusive
B. Objective
C. Rigorous
D. Parsimonious
8. Which of the following practices should a business researcher refrain from?
A. Hiding the identity of research participants
B. Collecting data objectively
C. Entrapping participants in order to solicit information
D. Explaining the purpose of the research to each participant
9. A cluster of beliefs and dictates which for scientists in a particular discipline influence what
should be studied, how research should be done, and how results should be interpreted is
known as a
A. research tool.
B. paradigm
C. set of students in a study group.
D. research strategy
10. What is a research design?
A. A way of conducting research that is not grounded in theory.
B. The choice between using qualitative or quantitative methods.
C. The style in which you present your research findings, e.g. a graph.
D. A framework for every stage of the collection and analysis of data.
11. If a study is “reliable”, this means that:
A. The methods are outlined in the methods discussion clearly enough for the research
to be replicated.
B. The measures devised for concepts are stable on different occasions.
C. the findings can be generalized to other social phenomena
D. It was conducted by a reputable researcher who can be trusted.
1 Essay type questions
12. What are the unique features of business and management research that differentiates it from
general scientific research in academic institutions?
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13. Use a relevant example to illustrate the differences between exploratory, descriptive and ex-
planatory research.
14. Aside research, what are the reasons on which people justify their beliefs and actions?
15. State and explain the features of basic(pure) research and applied research.
16. What are the characteristic features of a research problem? Give relevant examples.
17. The following except appeared in a daily newspaper.
The Drombostu district has recorded a 15% increase in the number of high
school students in the district that are not developed mental illness. The officer
of the police service who disclosed this matter to the public has lamented the re-
cent increases in the number of farms used to cultivate Indian hemp. But the police
services are not ruling out other hereditary issues that may be accounting for this
problem. There has not been a health center in the district until three years ago.
The mental illness cases were corrected at the local health center.
The district has also recorded a 6% increase in divorces in recent times. This
record was only made known by the district social welfare department. Professor
Psy Chologos at the University of Bombomes, in an interview has stated juvenile do
not handle stress well. He also stressed that separation of parents can be stressful
for children. He also mentioned that work load can also be stressful for children in
the home.
Required:
(a) What questions would the district mental health officers, police service, and the commu-
nity will want answers to manage the incidence of juvenile mental illness?
(b) Outline the research design that you would execute to answer the research question(s)
identified above.
18. The managing director of SleekMode Enterprises, a medium sized firm, are the operators of
a number of theme parks in a number a major cities across the country. The theme parks
include facilities such as children’s play grounds, cinema halls, roller-coaster rides, restaurants
and boat rides, among other attractions. Yeovil Mootooma, the chief marketing officer, has
the task of increasing visitor numbers at the company’s theme parks across the country. The
company has experienced consistent declines of about 5% in the last three fiscal years. This
has led to significant falls in the company’s earnings per share.
Yeovil Mootooma has turned to you unearth the possible factors the company needs to ad-
dress to turn around the company’s fortunes. Your preliminary meetings with Yeovil Mootooma
suggests that the company has no direct competitors in terms of theme parks. However, it
seems households are attracted to other channels of family entertainment that has turned visi-
tors away from the company’s theme parks. You are also made aware that there is a difference
in the patronage of the current services in different parts of the country.
(a) What research questions (decision problems) does Yeovil Mootooma problem present?
(b) Outline a research design you would conduct to provide Yeovil Mootooma with the an-
swers needed to develop a strategy to change the company’s visitor trend. Your response
should provide justification for each action that would be undertaken.
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