3-1

Chapter 3

The Business
Research
Process:
An Overview

McGraw-Hill/ © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., All Rights

Irwin Reserved.
 3-2

Learning Objectives

Understand
•that research is decision- and
dilemma-centered
•that the clarified research question is the
result of careful exploration and analysis
and sets the direction for the research project
 3-3

Learning Objectives

• how value assessments and budgeting

influence the process for proposing
research, and ultimately, research design
• what is included in research design, data
collection, and data analysis
• which research process problems to avoid
 3-4

The primary
purpose of
research is to
reduce the level of
risk of a business
decision
 3-5

Exhibit 3-1
The Business Research Process
 3-6

Stage 1 Clarifying the

Research Question

• Management-research question
hierarchy
• Begins with management
dilemma
 3-7

Exhibit 3-2 Management-

Research Question Hierarchy
 3-8

Exhibit 3-5 SalePro’s

Hierarchy
 3-9

Exhibit 3-3 Formulating

the Research Question
 3-10

Types of Management
Questions
 3-11

The Research Question

Break
Break
Examine
Examine questions
questions
variables
variables down
down

Fine-Tuning
Fine-Tuning
Determine
Determine Set
Set
necessary
necessary scope
scope of
of
evidence
evidence study
study

Evaluate
Evaluate
hypotheses
hypotheses
 3-12

Investigative Questions

Performance
Performance Considerations
Considerations

Attitudinal
Attitudinal Issues
Issues

Behavioral
Behavioral Issues
Issues

© 2002 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin

 3-13

• Harris Interactive
answers “Why?”
for its research
clients
 3-14

Stage 2 Proposing
Research
• Exhibit 3-7
• Budget Types
– Rule-of-thumb
– Departmental
– Task
 3-15

Exhibit 3-6 Gantt Chart

MindWriter
Project Plan
 3-16

Evaluating the Value of

Research

Option
Option Analysis
Analysis

Decision
Decision Theory
Theory

Prior
Prior or
or Interim
Interim Evaluation
Evaluation

Ex
Ex Post
Post Facto
Facto Evaluation
Evaluation
 3-17

The Research Proposal

Purpose
Purpose Methods Extent
Extent

Legally-
Legally-
binding
binding Timing
Timing
contract
contract Written
Written
proposals
proposals
establish
establish
Obligations
Obligations Delivery

Budgets
Budgets
 3-18

Stage 3

Research
Research
Design
Design
Designing
Designing
the
the Sampling
Sampling
Research
Research Design
Design
Project
Project
Pilot
Pilot Testing
Testing
 3-19

Stage 4 Data Collection

Data Characteristics
• Abstractness
• Verifiability
• Elusiveness
• Closeness
 3-20

Stage 5 Data Analysis and

Interpretation

Reducing
Reducing data
data to
to manageable
manageable size
size

Developing
Developing summaries
summaries

Looking
Looking for
for patterns
patterns

Applying
Applying statistical
statistical techniques
techniques

© 2002 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin

 3-21

Stage 6 Reporting the

Results

Executive Research
Summary Overview

Research
Research
Report
Report

Technical Implementation
Appendix Strategies
 3-22

The Research Overview

Problem’s
Problem’s background
background

Summary
Summary of
of exploratory
exploratory findings
findings

Research
Research design
design and
and procedures
procedures

Conclusions
Conclusions
 3-23

Research Process Issues

• The Favored-Technique
Syndrome
• Company Database Strip-
Mining
• Unresearchable
Questions
• Ill-Defined Management
Problems
• Politically Motivated
Research
 3-24

Key Terms
• Census • Management dilemma
• Data • Management question
–Primary data • Management-research
–Secondary data question hierarchy
• Data analysis • Measurement questions
• Decision rule • Pilot test
• exploration • Research design
• Investigative • Research process
questions • Research questions
• Sample