Research Methodology and Management

Decision
Module 2

Designing and Formulating A Research Problem

Research Problem
• The research process begins
when a management dilemma
triggers the need for a decision.
• A dilemma in the scope of
dilemma management, however,
is more than just one specific
situation.
• A dilemma is a complicated issue Source: [Link]
created when a manager has to
accomplish more than one goal at
a time, and at first glance there is
no right answer.

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Management’s Dilemma
Announcement by
Competitor

NEW Vice-
PRODUCT President
LAUNCH Ryan Source: [Link]

Source: [Link] Management dilemma

• Delay the product
launch
• Product having some • Go on with the product
technical problem launch
• Competitor’s product • Go for small batch
is more reliable and production, etc. Source: [Link]

advance

Source: [Link]

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Management Dilemma (Cont’d)
• The management dilemma is usually a symptom of an actual
problem, such as:
• Rising costs -
• The discovery of an expensive chemical compound that would increase
the usefulness of a drug.
• Increasing tenant move-outs from an apartment complex.
• Declining sales -
• A larger number of product defects during the manufacture of an
automobile.
• An increasing number of letters and phone complaints about post
purchase.

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Management Dilemma (Cont’d)
Subsequent stages of the hierarchy take the decision maker and his/
her research assistant through various brainstorming and exploratory
research exercises to define the following:
• Management question—the management dilemma restated in
question format.
• Research question(s)—the hypothesis that best states the objective
of the research; the question(s) that focuses the researcher’s
attention.
• Investigative questions—questions the researcher must answer to
satisfactorily answer the research question; what the decision
marker feels he/she needs to know to arrive at a conclusion about
the management dilemma.
• Management questions—the questions asked of the participants or
the observations that must be recorded.

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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.

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Provides the interpretation Brings out the dialects of Indicates the current
of existing literature contradictions between research place in the
various thoughts schema of particular field
Purpose of
Literature
Review

Help in calculating the Research gaps scrutinized Provides information for

impact of the latest initially are further explored relevancy and coherency
information

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Importance of Literature Review
Identify the key
Identify the experts
questions about a
on a topic
topic that need
further research

Assess the current Determine

state of research on methodologies used
a topic in previous studies

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Functions of Literature Review
Providing a Providing shape Improving
context to your to your research your research
research problem methodology
1 2 3
A literature A literature
A literature
review helps to review helps you
review helps to
understand the to discover
place your
relationship methodologies
research in the
between your used by other
context of what
research researchers
is already known
problem and previously in
about the topic
research work same topic
done earlier

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Functions of Literature Review (Cont’d)
Helps in
Catering to Ensuring formulating
knowledge novelty in your research
base research hypothesis

4 5 6
A literature A literature
A literature review helps to review helps
review helps understand the you to
you to become relationship discover
expert in your between your methodologies
field of research used by other
research problem and researchers
research work previously in
done earlier same topic

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 Process of Literature Review

First search for what Critically evaluate and

work is already done Search for Review compile all the relevant
in that subject. E.g. existing 1 the articles, books. Find the
Books, Articles, literature literature gaps to the existing body
Digital libraries, etc. of knowledge
4 2
The final step is to compile Set boundary and parameters
and write the literature review. Write the Develop for your research work. Design a
Compare and evaluate literature 3 theoretical theoretical framework from the
findings, acknowledge, cite review information obtained by
and quote sources of framework
literature review
research.

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 How to Write a Literature Review

Find a Focus: Present information:

• Organize literature review • Cover the basic
as per your topic ideas categories- Introduction,
• Consider the themes, body, conclusions
ideas, gaps, etc., which • Organize the body
connect with your study • Consider additional
Sections
Source: [Link]

State the Focus:

• Write a simple statement
in literature review that
tells readers what to
expect

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How to Write a Literature Review
Compose you study:
• Selectively highlight the Revise:
important points in the • Finally revise the review.
source. • Present information in
• Avoid using direct concise manner.
quotes. Source: • Avoid jargon or slang
• Summarize
[Link]
and terminologies.
synthesize sources in a
paragraph.

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Types of Literature Review

Argumentative Review

Integrative Review

Historical Review

Theoretical Review

Methodological Review

Systemic Review

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What is a Research Problem?

A research problem is a statement about an area

of concern, a condition to be improved, a difficulty
to be eliminated, or a troubling question that
exists in scholarly literature, in theory, or in Source: [Link]

practice that points to the need for meaningful

understanding and deliberate investigation.

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What is a Research Problem?
• A research problem does not state how to do something,
offer a vague or broad proposition, or present a value
question.

• The purpose of a problem statement is to:

• Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic
being studied Source: [Link]

• Places the problem into a particular context

• Provides the framework for reporting the results

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 Conditions of Research Problem
For your research problem to be effective, make sure that it has
these basic characteristics:
• Reflecting on important issues or needs.
• Basing on factual evidence (it’s non-hypothetical).
• Being manageable and relevant.
• Suggesting a testable and meaningful hypothesis (avoiding
useless answers).

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Source: [Link] Source: [Link]
Source: [Link]

Personal Interest Availability of

Knowledge and resources
Competence

Identifying
Research Source: [Link]

Source: [Link]
Relative importance
Timeliness of the problem
problem

Source: [Link] Source: [Link]

Data availability Source: [Link]

Usefulness and
Novelty 18
Significance
Formulating a Research Problem

1 2 3 4 5

Specify Review its Explore the Determine Alternative

research context/ nature of variable approaches
objectives environment RP relation

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