Introduction to

Research Methods
for Business Studies

Chapter 1 Part 1 1
Chapter 1 Outline

• Research & advancing knowledge

• What is research?

• Research process

• Researchers traits

• Research Problem & finding research projects

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Research & advancing knowledge

Sir Alexander Fleming Prof Jack Kilby

(Nobel Prize) research (Nobel Prize) Research in
introduced Penicillin, one Integrated circuits introduced
of the most important microchips, One of the greatest
discoveries of all time over discoveries that changed the 3
diseases. Professor, world.
(Imperial College London) (Texas A&M University)
Research & advancing knowledge

Prof William F. Sharpe Prof Herbert A. Simon

(Nobel Prize) research (Nobel Prize) Research in
introduced Capital Asset Corporate decision making and
Pricing Model (CAPM). administrative behavior.
Securities Evaluation & 4
(Carnegie Mellon University)
stock markets analysis.
(Stanford University)
Scientific Body of Knowledge
Induction
Theories
Laws,
rules, principles

Deduction
Concepts

Facts 5
Continuous questioning
about natural phenomena

6
Business Phenomena …
• Jerome McCarthy, 4Ps

Financial Supply Chain • W. Edwards Deming,

Quality Management
Ratio analysis Management
• Benjamin Graham,
Financial Ratio Analysis

• Keith Oliver, Supply

Chain Management

• Abraham Maslow,
Theory of human
motivation
Transactional &
Strategic
Transformational • Theodore Levitt.
Leadership Management
Product life Cycle

• Berbard Bass.
Transactional &
Transformational
Leadership 7

• Igor Ansoff.
Strategic management
Research & advancing
business knowledge
• Responds to businesses challenges.
• Makes a difference to people's work & life
(managers; employees; customers;
suppliers; competitors; public; ….etc.).
• Enhance business decision making & help
finding solutions to business problems
• Delivers growth to businesses.
• Stimulates the economy. 8
What is Research?
• Research: confusing term for students
• Finding an item of information?
• Making notes and writing a documented paper?
• Informing oneself about what one doesn’t know?
• Discovery of a seemingly new product?
• The previous cases could be better called:
information gathering; self enlightenment;
attention gathering sales pitch …etc.
• Research is the systematic process of collecting
and analyzing information; and interpreting
research results in order to increase understanding 9
of a phenomenon about which we are concerned.
 The Research Cycle
(1) (2)
Begins with Define
a problem a goal

(6) (3)
Research is
Interpreting a cyclical Identifying
process sub-problems
results
(4)
(5)
Identifying
Collecting & hypothesis
analyzing data
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Good Researchers Traits
• Curious & creative
• Courageous & persistent
• Critical thinkers and problem-solvers
• Precision & detailed oriented
• Objective & honest
• Communicative & team players
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Questioning Nature
• Ex: Discovering Motion laws
• What was Isaac Newton's question?
• As the ripe apples started falling from the tree.
• Questions began to pop into his mind:
• Why do the apples always fall straight down?

• Why do they not curve or even fall upward?

• Could there be something in the earth that 12

attracts the apples?
Start your research
project
• Read previous studies in a field you prefer

• Find a research problem in that field

• Your problem idea may come from replicating

previous study with different settings.

• State how this replication may advance knowledge

• Review the literature & revise your thoughts

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• Write your proposal - see next slides
The Research Proposal
1. A statement for the problem for research
2. The subproblems
3. Hypotheses or Questions (concerning the

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subproblems
4. Statement of delimitations
5. The assumptions
6. Importance of the study
7. Method (data gathering & analysis)
• These items usually comprises the first chapter
in a research thesis. 14
Research Problems
& Finding Research Projects
• Many problems are there , but the one you
select should:

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• Worth the time & energy,
• addresses an important question.
• Advance the frontiers of knowledge by:
• Leading to new ways of thinking
• Suggesting possible applications
• Paving the way for further research in the field.
• When considering a research problem 15
avoid research projects for merely self-
enlightenment
Three strategies for finding a
legitimate research problem
1. Read the literature – what is known & what is not in
your field, then your research may:
 Address the suggestions for future research that another

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researcher has offered.
 Replicate a research project in a different setting or with a
different population
 Consider how various subproblems might behave differently in
the same situation
 Explore unexpected or contradictory findings in previous studies
 Challenge research findings that fly in the face of what you know
or believe to be true.
2. Attend professional conferences
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3. Seek the advice of experts
Research Goals
• Main Goal = End result you expect to get when finish
your research project.

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• A specific deliverable you expect to get when finish your
research project.

• Have sub-goals to meet your research sub-problems (see

next)

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 Identifying
Subproblems
• Most research problems are too large or too
complex to be solved without subdividing them.
Subdividing gives better idea of how to approach

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the entire research endeavor.
• A subproblem should be a completely researchable
unit.
• Logical subarea, can be stated clearly, usually stated in
the form of a question.
• Clearly tied to the interpretation of the data.
• So when dividing into subproblems make sure that every
subproblem contains a word that indicate the necessity 18
to interpret the data within that particular subproblem
(e.g., analyze, discover, compare).
 Research
Hypotheses
• A hypothesis is a logical supposition, a reasonable
guess, an educated conjecture. Used to guide research.
• It provides a tentative explanation for a phenomenon under

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investigation
• Involves a prediction that may or may not be borne out in the
data.
• It may direct your thinking to possible sources of information
that will aid in resolving one or more sub-problems and, in
process, the principal research problem. It represents natural
working of the mind.
• Never proved or disproved. Either supported or not supported by
the data.
• Over time, as particular hypothesis are supported by a growing 19
body of data, they evolve into theories.
Research Question

• Research Question provide another means for

guiding and directing researcher’s thinking &

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are more common in qualitative research.

• A theory is an organized body of concepts and

principles intended to explain a particular
phenomenon.
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Research Assumptions &
Importance & Delimitations
• Research Assumptions are what a researcher
take for granted. However not stating them

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may cause some misunderstanding.
• In Research Importance we state the reasons
for undertaking the study and show what
practical value the study has.
• Research Delimitations what the researcher is
not going to do, to avoid collecting
information that lies beyond the problem. 21