Business Research
Methods
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH
COURSE INSTRUCTOR: ATAULLAH MUNEEB
What is
Research?
What is Research?
Research Definition:
Gathering information needed to answer a question (problem)
OR
Systematic and organized effort to investigate
Research is organized (well thought out) and
systematic (orderly, methodical) inquiry or
investigation which provides information for
solving a problem or finding answers to a
What is Research?
“…[it] is concerned with solving problems,
investigating relationships and building a body
of knowledge”
Business Research
Scenarios
A. A manager observes that the customers are not
pleased
Are my customers satisfied from my
product/service ?
B. The new product introduced is not doing so well.
Have we selected the right market, features or
Business Research
Scenarios
For all the above scenarios management needs to
find reliable and creditable information to
understand the issue and then take appropriate
decisions in order to achieve performance
Terminology
Methods -
The techniques and procedures used to obtain data
Methodology -
The theory of how research should be undertaken
Saunders et al. (2009)
Types of Business Research
From Different Perspectives
1. Application
Pure Research
Applied Research
Basic Research
Basic research (pure or basic) is a types of research
undertaken for increasing the existing body of knowledge to
verify the existence theory.
“to generate a body of knowledge” (Sekaran, 2002, p. 7)
i.e. Keynes Theory
Examples of Basic Research
What are the issues related to global
warning?
Is
performance only the result of
motivation?
Applied Research
Applied Research focusses on a real-life problem or
situation with a view to helping reach a decision how to deal
with it .
Applied research is when research is done with the intention
of applying the results of it’s findings to solving specific
problem currently being experienced in the organization
e.g. To solve the problem of decline in sales
Examples of Applied Research
Employee performance in Mobilink Company is
not good from the last one year.
Sales of Warid Company is going down day by
day.
Should
Procter & Gamble add a high-priced
home teeth bleaching kit to its product line?
Types of Business Research
2. Type of Information Sought
Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research
Second Type
Qualitative Research
Based on Qualitative and Primary Data
focuses on “obtaining first-hand knowledge of the subject under
investigation” (Burrell and Morgan, 1979, p. 6).
Quantitative Research
focuses on the “quantitative techniques for the
analysis of the secondary data” (Burrell and
Morgan, 1979).
Types of Business Research
3. Source of Research
• Deductive
Research
• Inductive Research
3 Type
There are two approaches to research or -- two broad
methods of reasoning (logic):
Inductive Research Approach (Specific to General)
and
Deductive Research Approach (General to Specific)
3 Type
4. Where do research questions/problems come from?
Inductive research
Questions start with observations/data from which theories
can be generated.
“we observe certain phenomena and on this basis arrive at
conclusions.” (Sekaran, 2002, p. 27)
Deductive research
Questions emerge from a theory and you proceed to
generate specific predictions that can be verified or refuted
“process by which we arrive at a reasoned conclusion by
logical generalization of a known fact”. (Sekaran, 2002, p.
27)
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Inductive Reasoning
Observation
Using inductive reasoning, one
Pattern starts with a specific observation
as the basis for which we develop
a general pattern and tentative
Tentative Hypothesis hypothesis as the foundation
of a theory
Theory
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Deductive Reasoning
Theory Using deductive reasoning, one starts
with a given theory as the basis for
Hypotheses which we develop hypotheses and then
confirm these with specific data
acquired using observation, survey or
Observation experimentation
(Is our theory valid or not?)
Confirmation
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Deductive Approach Inductive
Approach
THEORY Data collection
Hypotheses or questions Analysis
Data collection Questions
Testing THEORY
Conclusions comparing Conclusions comparing
results with theory theory with data
Characteristic of Hallmarks Research
The hallmarks or main characteristics of scientific research
are:
Purposiveness
Rigor
Testability
Replicability
Precision and Confidence
Objectivity
Generalizability
Hallmarks (Attributes) of Research
1. Purposiveness:
There must be a specific purpose of study or research. E.g.
Investigating employees commitment to the organization.
Problem identification and research questions add to purposiveness
2. Rigor:
It means the degree of exactitude (accuracy) in research
investigation. E.g. Sample selection problems.
Good theoretical base and sound methodological design would add
to rigor
Hallmarks (Attributes) of Research…
3. Testability:
Hypothesis developed for study can be tested by applying
certain statistical tests to the data collected for the study.
E.g. Correlation coefficient, Regression, etc.
4. Replicability:
The results of the tests of hypothesis should be supported
again and yet again when the same type of research is
repeated in other similar circumstances.
Hallmarks (Attributes) of Research…
5. Precision and Confidence:
5.1. Precision: Refers to the closeness of the findings to
“reality” based on a sample, or the degree of accuracy or
exactitude of the results on the basis of the sample.
5.2. Confidence: Confidence refers to the probability that
our estimations are correct that is to claim confidently that
95% of the time our results would be true and there is only
5% chance of our findings being not true(confidence
interval).
Precision and confidence are attained through appropriate
sampling design.
Hallmarks (Attributes)of Research…
6. Objectivity: The conclusion drawn through the
interpretation of the results of data analysis should be
objective, that is, they should be based on the facts of the
findings derived from the actual data and not on our own
subjective or emotional values.
For example: if research shows that increased pay is not
going to increase the job satisfaction, then the
researcher should not find ways to justify the influence of
increased pay on job satisfaction.
Hallmarks (Attributes) of
Research…
7. Generalizability: It refers to the scope of applicability of
the research findings in one organizational setting to other
settings. The more generalizable the research, the greater
its usefulness and value.
For wider generalizability, the research sampling design has to be logically
developed and data collection methods have to followed.
8. Parsimony: Economy in research models is achieved
when we can build into our research framework a lesser
number of variables that would explain the variance more
efficiently than a complex set of variables .
The Research Process
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