ADVANCE BUSINESS

RESEARCH
THE FUNDAMENTALS: Introduction to
Business Research Methods

SESSION 1
LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Understand the basic concepts involved in
the defining research
 Distinguish between business and

management research from other kinds of

research
 Understand the issues relating to identifying

and reformulating problems for research

 Identify the key debates in research methods
WHAT RESEARCH IS NOT
1. Research is not a mere information
gathering
2. Research is not mere transportation
of facts from one location to another
3. Research is not merely rummaging
for information
4. Research in not catch word used to
get attention
WHAT RESEARCH IS…
 Research is the systematic process of
collecting and analysing information
(data) in order to increase our
understanding of the phenomenon
about which are concerned or
interested.
 Scientific investigation of phenomena

which includes collection,

presentation, analysis and
interpretation of facts that links an
individual’s speculation with reality
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
 Advancing knowledge
 Solving problems

 Making informed decisions

 Supporting policy development

 Improving healthcare

 Enhancing education

 Driving innovation
WHAT RESEARCH IS…

CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH
1. Empirical
2. Logical
3. Cyclical
4. Analytical
5. Critical
6. Methodical
7. Replicability
WHAT RESEARCH IS…

QUALITIES OF A GOOD RESEARCHER

 Intellectual curiosity
 Prudence

 Healthy criticism

 Intellectual honesty

 Intellectual creativity
WHAT RESEARCH IS…
 Managers in organizations constantly engage
themselves in studying and analyzing issues
and hence are involved in some form of
research activity as they make decisions at
workplace
BUSINESS RESEARCH
 Described as a systematic and organized
effort to investigate a specific problem
encountered in the work setting, that needs a
solution
 It comprises a series of steps designed and

executed, with goal of finding answers to the

issues that are of concern to the manager in
the work environment
BUSINESS RESEARCH
PROBLEMS IN MANAGEMENT
 Employee attitudes and behaviors
 Human resource management

 Production operations management

 Information systems
BUSINESS RESEARCH
PROBLEMS IN MARKETING
 Advertising
 Sales Promotion

 Product Packaging

 Product Pricing

 Consumer Preferences

 New Product Development

BUSINESS RESEARCH
TYPES OF BUSINESS RESEARCH
 Research can be undertaken for two different
purposes:
 To solve a current problem faced by the

manager in the work setting. Such research

is called applied research
 To generate a body of knowledge about how

to solve problems that could be occurred in

organizations. This is called basic research or
fundamental research. It is also knows as
pure research
BUSINESS RESEARCH
EXAMPLES OF APPLIED RESEARCH
 Packages sales increased by 200% from 2001
to 2008, but sales decreased by 6% in 2009.
What is reason for this decrease?
 The question is: what will packages do about

this problem?
BUSINESS RESEARCH
EXAMPLE OF BASIC RESEARCH
 How to improve the effectiveness of
information systems
 How to integrate technology into the overall

strategic objectives of an organization.

 How to increase the productivity of the

employees
 How to increase the effectiveness of small

business
BUSINESS RESEARCH
MODES OF KNOWLEDGE
 Mode 1 – which is created by academics for an
academic intellectual purpose, to further add to
what is known ( concept of economies of scales)
 Mode 2 – practical applied knowledge and comes
from collaborating with practitioners or policy
makers. ( calculate depreciation on capital
investment with a particular country’s accounting
standard)

 Mode 3 – knowledge which is neither produced

specifically for academic purposes nor for direct
application to practical need, but for understanding
the bigger picture in relation to society's survival
and the common good. ( impact of capitalism on
developing countries0
TYPES OF RESEARCH
 Basic and Applied research
 Basic research is known as
fundamental or pure research, aims to
increase scientific knowledge and
understanding of a particular field or
phenomenon. It is mainly focused on
discovering fundamental laws and
principles that underlie natural
phenomena without any specific
practical application in mind. It is driven
by scientific curiosity and the desire to
expand knowledge
TYPES OF RESEARCH
 Examples includes studies on the behavior of
firms and consumers

 Applied research is directed towards a

specific problem or issue, with the goal of
finding a solution or developing new
technology or product. Examples
development of new marketing
strategy/product/ or design of new packaging
TYPES OF RESEARCH
 Descriptive and Analytical
research
 Descriptive research aims to determine
and identify what is happening or what
exists in a specific situation. Example
consumption of different age group.
 Analytical research involves
investigating the underlying causes and
effects of a phenomena. This type of
research usually involves of developing
hypotheses and testing them using
empirical data. Example Examine the
effect of advertising to consumer
TYPES OF RESEARCH
 Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed
Research
 Qualitative is concerned with collecting
and analyzing non-numerical data, such as
words, images and observations. It may
involve conducting interviews or focus
groups with individuals to gain insights
into their experiences, beliefs and
attitudes towards phenomena. It provide
deeper understanding of the underlying
reasons and motivations behind behavior
and motivation. Example Gaps in
advertising strategies
TYPES OF RESEARCH
 Quantitative research involves
collecting and analyzing numerical data.
This may include survey, experiments or
statistical databases.
 Mixed research combines both
qualitative and quantitative methods. Used
to triangulate findings from different
sources increasing validity and reliability
TYPES OF RESEARCH
 Cross Sectional and Longitudinal
 Involve collecting data from a sample of
individuals, firms and regions at a single point in
time. The purpose of cross-sectional research is
to provide snapshot of a particular population at
a specific time. Example income of individuals in
a particular city in 2023
 Longitudinal involves collecting data from the
same individual, firms and regions over extended
period of time. Examine the changes and
developments over time. Example income and
education in the same city in 2021-2023 and
track changes over time.
BUSINESS RESEARCH
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
1. Define
research
problem

Communicating 2. Review
the results literature

3. Formulate a
Drawing
research
conclusions
question

Interpreting 4. Formulate
Findings hypothesis

Analyzing the 5. Developing a

data research design

Collect data
KEY ISSUES IN RESEARCH METHODS
 Research is a messy activity
 The researcher affects the results of research

 The difference between qualitative and

quantitative research
CLASSIFICATION OF RESEARCH
 Library research
 Field research

 Laboratory research
GENERAL TOOLS OF RESEARCH
1. The library and its resources.
2. The computer and its software.
3. Techniques of measurement.
4. Statistics.
5. The human mind.
6. Facility with language.
THE LIBRARY
 Library catalogs
 Indexes and abstracts

 Reference librarian

 Library shelves
 The Dewey decimal classification system
 The Library of Congress
THE VARIABLE
 Variable
 Quantity susceptible of fluctuation or change in value or
magnitude under different conditions.
 Types
 Independent- stimulus variables which is chosen by the
researcher to determine its relationship to an observed
phenomenon
 Dependent- response variable which is observed and measured
to determine the effect of the independent variable
 Moderator- secondary or special type of independent variable
chosen by the researcher to determine if it changes or modifies
the relationships between the independent and dependent
variable
 Control- variable controlled by the investigator in which the
effects can be neutralized by eliminating and removing the
variable.
 Intervening- variable which interferes with the independent and
dependent but its affects can either strengthen or weaken the
independent and dependent variable.
FACILITY WITH LANGUAGE
1. Reduce the world’s complexity
2. Facilitate generalization and inference
drawing in new situations
3. Allow abstraction of the environment
4. Enhance the power of thought
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING TO
COMMUNICATE
1. Say what you mean to say
2. Keep your primary objective in writing your
paper in mind at all times and focus your
discussion accordingly
3. Provide an overview of what you will be
talking about
4. Organize your ideas into general and more
specific categories and use headings and
subheadings to guide your readers through
your discussion of these categories
5. Provide transitional phrases, sentences or
paragraphs that help your reader follow your
train of though
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING TO
COMMUNICATE

6.Use concrete examples to make abstracts

ideas more understandable
7. Use appropriate punctuation
8.Use figures and tables when such
mechanism can more effectively present or
organize your ideas and findings.
9. At the conclusion of a chapter or major
section, summarize what you’ve said.
10. Anticipate that you will almost certainly
have to write multiple drafts.
QUESTIONS FOR SELF REVIEW
 What do you think the most difficult part of
identifying research chapters for study and
why?
 Do you prefer the idea of conducting

quantitative or qualitative research? Is this

just about statistics versus interview
research methods? Explain based on what
you believe in the context of nature of
knowledge and what you believe about
business
 In your field of specialization, give a major

problem and illustrate the independent,

intervening and dependent variables.