Business Research

Methods

Chapter 2 - Study Background

and Problem Definition
 Topics to be discussed
• Research question/topic

• Problem statement

• Background of a study

• Stating objectives

• Significances of a study

• Scope and limitation

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 The Research Idea
• Professional experience • Burning questions

• Literature • Yours

• Professional meetings • Managements

• Discussions • Employees

• Customers

• Suppliers

• Others

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 Criteria for developing a good
research question: FINER

• Feasibility
• Interesting
• Novel
• Ethical
• Relevant
Lets see them one by one
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 FINER….
• Feasible • Ethical
– Subjects – Social or scientific
– Resources value
– Manageable – Safe
– Data available? • Relevant
• Interesting – Advance scientific
• Novel knowledge?
– In relation to – Influence practice?
previous findings – Impact policy?
• Confirm or refute? – Guide future
– New setting, new research?
population
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 Narrowing the research
topic
• Idea → brainstorming

• Literature review

• Identify the variables for study

• Formulate research problems and

questions/hypotheses

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 Creating a Working Title
• Orient your readers to your research topic.

• Indicate the type of study you will conduct.

• Title should be as concise as possible without

compromising the message it should deliver

• Words/phrases that are abused include:

– “… the case of …”

– “Study on …”

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 Background of the study
• The background of a study is the first section of
the paper and establishes the context underlying
the research.

• It should include the theoretical rationale,

pertinent facts, observation, or claims that have led
the investigator to propose research question.

• The information is derived from the literature

review and from previous or related work done by
the investigator or others.
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 Background of the study
• The background forms the crux of the study
because it introduces an unaware audience to the
research and its importance in a clear and logical
manner.

• At times, the background may even explore

whether the study builds on or refutes findings
from previous studies.

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How to write the background?
• Start with a strong beginning: Begin by defining the
research topic and then identify the target audience.

• Cover key components: Explain all theories,

concepts, terms, and ideas that may feel unfamiliar
to the target audience thoroughly.

• Take note of important prerequisites: Go through the

relevant literature in detail. Take notes while reading
and cite the sources.

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How to write the background?
• Include historical data: Current issues largely
originate from historical events or findings.

• Explain novelty: If the research study or

methodology is unique or novel, provide an
explanation that helps to understand the research
better.

• Increase engagement: To make the background

engaging, build a story around the central theme of
the research
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 Background of the study setting
• Background of the study setting is different from
background of the study

• Focus on attributes that are relevant to the topic you

want to investigate.

• Some historical background can be included but much

of the section should focus on recent phenomena that
can clarify the problem to be investigated.

• This section is meant to show the context against

which the problem stands out.
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 Statement of the Problem
• A problem might be defined as the issue that exists
in the literature, theory, or practice that leads to a
need for the study.

• As a prospective researcher you should think on

what caused the need to do the research.

• Effective problem statements answer the question:

“Why does this research need to be conducted.”

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 Statement of the Problem
• In business research, this sections should show
both practical and literature gaps
• One should show what problem, from the study
subject’s side, exist that can justify undertaking a
research on the topic
• It should also show that there are gaps in literature
so that the new research project isn’t about
reinventing the wheel.
• Any claim made by the researcher/s should be
supported by evidence
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 Research objectives
• Objectives of a research proposal are the key pointers
to what is to be achieved by the proposed study

• Objectives should be closely related to the statement

of the problem

• Objectives are a summary of all that is to be achieved

• Can be simply expressed as the goals/very broad aims

of what is to be achieved

• Help to narrow down the study to essentials

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 Research objectives
• The objectives of a research delineate the ends or
aim which the inquirer seeks to bring about as a
result of completing the research undertaken.

• Commonly, research objectives are classified into

general objectives and specific objectives.

• The general objective is the title expressed in action

verbs hence related with the problem statement

• The specific objectives are smaller portions of the

general objectives.
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 General objective/goal
• Broad Objective Usually one, rarely two

• Identifies in general terms what is to be

accomplished by the study

• Expands the title by indicating who, when, where

and what is to be studied in general terms

• Provides the way for the formulation of narrower

aims i.e. the specific objectives

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 Specific Objectives
• The specific objectives should be:

• Closely related to the research question

• Covering all aspects of the problem

• Ordered in a logical sequence

• Stated in action verbs that could be evaluated e.g.

to describe, to identify, to measure, to compare …

• No perception verbs like to see, to understand …

• Mutually exclusive, with no repetitions or overlaps

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 SMART Objectives
• S Specific
• M Measurable
• A Achievable
• R Relevant
• T Time-bound

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 SMART: Specific Objectives
• Specific: Be precise about what you
are going to achieve
– Specify target

– Specify intended outcome

– One outcome per objective

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SMART: Measurable Objectives
• Measurable: Quantify the objectives/
depending on the type of the study

– In relational study, objectives are quantified in

terms of statistical significance

– Measurability is whether one can check if

objectives are achieved or not at the end of the
research exercise

– Avoid vague verbs (e.g. know, understand)

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SMART: Appropriate Objectives
• Appropriate: Align with the needs of the target
audience

– Meeting the objective will advance the goal

– This is usually related to the relevance of the

specific objective to the overall goal.

• Note: The “A” is also called “Attainable” or

“Achievable” in the literature but I feel that
this dimension is covered under “Measurable”
attribute. Zenegnaw Abiy Hailu (PhD)
22
SMART: Realistic Objectives
• Realistic : Do you have the resources
to make the objective happen?
– Are important to stakeholders

– Are adequately resourced

– Can be achieved

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 SMART: Time-Specific
Objectives
• Time-Specific: State when you will
achieve the objective
– Provide timeframe for the objectives

– At times they are implied

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 General objective (Eg.)

• The general objective of the study was

to assess determinants of job
satisfaction in private commercial
banks in Addis Ababa city.

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 Specific objectives (Eg.)
• Assessment of the relationship between
nature of the work and job satisfaction.

• Determination of the relationship between

working environment and job satisfaction of
employees.

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 Specific objectives (Eg.) ….
• Assessment of the relationship between
recognition and job satisfaction of employees.

• Determination of the relationship between

motivations and job satisfaction of employees.

• Assessment of the relationship between benefit

and promotion and job satisfaction of
employees.

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 Research objectives
• Properly formulated, specific objectives
will facilitate the development of your
research methodology and will help to
orient the collection, analysis,
interpretation and utilization of data.

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 Research questions (Eg.)
1. What is the relationship between the nature of work
and employee job satisfaction?

2. What is the association between working

environment and employee job satisfaction?

3. What is the relationship between recognition and

employee job satisfaction?

4. What is the association between motivation and

employee job satisfaction?

5. What is the relationship between benefit and

promotion and employee job satisfaction?
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Broad research
objectives
Statement of Exploratory
Or business research
Goal problem (optional)

Specific Specific Specific

Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3

Research Results
Design

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 Scope And Limitations
• All research studies should have limitations and a
finite scope.

• Any kind of restraint or obstacles that the study

might be gone through during the period.

• In most of the research, limitations are often

imposed by time and budget constraints (I disagree)

• If the limitation is not clearly defined and tackled

carefully, the study may end up being invalid.
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 Scope And Limitation
• The questions to consider in the research scope
should be:

I. Does the research cover a particular time period?

II. Does the study cover a specific geographical area?

[Link] the study involves people, what age group,

gender and place of origin are to be included?

[Link] all perspectives to be considered? For example,

philosophical, political, psychological, etc.

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 Scope And Limitation
• The researcher should list the limitations and
describe the extent to which he/she believe it will
degrade the quality of the research.

• This helps the researcher, and the audience

understands the actual situation that the study
encounters.

• The scope of the study means the specific areas

that the researcher wants to cover in his/her
study.
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Zenegnaw Abiy Hailu (PhD)
The differences between limitation
and scope of the research
• The differences between limitation and scope
of the research are:
• The research scope is the specific area that the
researcher want to cover while the research
limitations is the constraint and obstacle that are
encounter during the study within the stated scope

• The researcher will determine what scope to be

cover and what scope to be left.
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 Scope of the Study (E.g.)
• This study was limited to employees who work in
Private commercial banks in Addis Ababa and the
paper was covering an insight to the determinants
that affect employee’s job satisfaction.

• The conceptual boundary is limited to the

variables Nature of Work, recognition, motivation,
work environment and benefit and promotion
towards job satisfaction.
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 Significance of a Study
• The significance of the research study should be
clearly justified by the researcher so that the study
may not be useless or bring no benefits to others.

• The significance of the study is the part where the

researcher tells the study would be beneficial to
specific people or parts of the society and how they
could use it.

• The significance of the study makes the purpose

worth pursuing.
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 Significance of a Study
• For business research, better to start
with the policy implication, if any

• Followed by influence of the study on

managerial practice

• Finally, it is important that the

contributions of the study to the
literature should be highlighted
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END