ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
OBSERVATION (IDENTIFICATION (BROAD AREA OF OFRESEARCH BROAD AREA OF INTEREST RESEARCH IDENTIFIED) INTEREST)

FORMULATION OF PLAN

FIELD WORK

PROBLEM DEFINITION

FORMULATION OF THEORATICAL FRAMEWORK IDENTIFICATION OF VARIABLES

GENERATION OF HYPOTHESIS

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DESIGN

DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION

ANALYSIS

PRELIMINARY DATA GATHERING (INTERVIEWS, LITERATURE SURVEY)

NO

DEDUCTIONS: HYPOTHESIS SUBSTANTIATED? RESEARCH QUESTION ANSWERED?

YES

REPORT REPORT BRM 5: ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN WRITING PRESENTATION

MANAGERIAL DECISION MAKING

ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

WHAT IS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DESIGN
IT IS.. A PLAN FOR SELECTING THE SOURCES AND TYPES OF INFORMATION USED TO ANSWER THE RESEARCH QUESTION A FRAMEWOR! FOR SPECIFYING RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE STUDY"S VARIABLES A BLUEPRINT THAT OUTLINES EACH PROCEDURE FROM THE HYPOTHESES TO THE ANALYSIS OF DATA PROVIDES ANSWERS TO ISSUES SUCH AS: # TECHNIQUES TO BE USED TO GATHER DATA # WHAT !IND OF SAMPLING WILL BE USED # HOW WILL TIME $ COST CONSTRAINTS BE DEALT WITH
BRM 5: ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DESIGN AIM TO DESIGN THE RESEARCH IN SUCH A WAY THAT REQUIRED RESEARCH DATA CAN BE GATHERED AND ANALYSED TO ARRIVE AT A SOLUTION

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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH DESIGN

HELPS TAKE DECISIONS RELATED TO:
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY (DESCRIPTIVE OR CAUSAL) TYPES OF INVESTIGATION (OBSERVATIONAL OR SURVEY) E TENT OF RESEARCHER INTERFERENCE APPROPRIATE TO THE RESEARCH (MINIMAL OR MANIPULATIVE) STUDY SETTING (RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT) MEASUREMENT AND !MEASURES" TO BE ADOPTED UNIT OF ANALYSIS TO BE ADOPTED SAMPLE DESIGN (PROBABILITY#NON PROBABILITY, SAMPLE SI$E) TIME HORI$ONS (CROSS SECTIONAL OR LONGITUDINAL) DATA COLLECTION METHODS TO BE ADOPTED
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN IDENTIFICATION OF PURPOSE OF STUDY POSSIBLE TYPES EXPLORATORY DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICAL (HYPOTHESIS TESTING) CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
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E PLORATORY STUDY
UNDERTAKEN WHEN NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT THE SITUATION AT HAND OR NO INFO IS AVAILABLE ON HOW SIMILAR ISSUES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED IN THE PAST INVOLVES EXTENSIVE PRELIMINARY WORK DONE TO GAIN FAMILIARITY WITH PHENOMENA IN THE SITUATION BEFORE DEVELOPING A MODEL AND SETTING UP A DESIGN FOR COMPREHENSIVE INVESTIGATION WHEN COLLECTED DATA REVEALS SOME PATTERN REGARDING PHENOMENA OF INTEREST, THEORIES ARE DEVELOPED AND HYPOTHESES FORMULATED FOR SUBSEQUENT TESTING ALSO NECESSARY WHEN SOME FACTS ARE KNOWN BUT MORE INFO IS NEEDED FOR DEVELOPING A VIABLE THEORATICAL FRAMEWORK SOME QUALITATIVE STUDIES WHERE DATA IS COLLECTED THROUGH OBSERVATIONS ARE EXPLORATORY IN NATURE
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'

ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

E AMPLES OF E PLORATORY STUDIES
ESTABLISHING IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN ORGANI$ATIONS ESTABLISHING IF THE WORK ETHICS OF A SUBSIDIARY FACILITY WOULD BE DIFFERENT TO THOSE AT THE MAIN FACILITY STUDIES RELATED TO !%UALITY OF LIFE" STUDIES RELATED TO ORGANI$ATIONAL BEHAVIOR IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, RACES, COMMUNITIES, ETC STUDIES RELATED TO FEASIBILITY OF INTRODUCTION OF A NEW PRODUCT
BRM 5: ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN (

DESCRIPTIVE STUDY
UNDERTAKEN TO ASCERTAIN AND BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIABLES OF INTEREST IN A SITUATION ie WHEN CERTAIN CHARACTERISTICS ARE KNOWN TO EXIST AND ONE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE THEM BETTER BY OFFERING A PROFILE OF THE DIFFERENT FACTORS INVOLVED SUCH AS AGE, JOB STATUS, EDUCATIONAL LEVEL, ETC USUALLY INVOLVE LEARNING ABOUT AND DESCRIBING CHARACTERISTICS OF A GROUP OR CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT FOLLOW CERTAIN COMMON PRACTICES GOAL IS TO OFFER TO THE RESEARCHER A PROFILE OR TO DESCRIBE RELAVENT ASPECTS OF A PHENOMENA OF INTEREST FROM AN INDIVIDUAL, ORGANIZATIONAL, INDUSTRY ORIENTED OR OTHER PERSPECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY: DEVELOP UNDERSTANDING OF A GROUP S CHARACTERISTICS IN A GIVEN SITUATION THINK SYSTEMATICALLY ABOUT ASPECTS IN A GIVEN SITUATION OFFER IDEAS FOR FURTHER PROBE AND RESEARCH HELP MAKE CERTAIN SIMPLE DECISIONS
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EXAMPLES OF DESCRIPTIVE STUDIES

PROFILING OF CLIENTS IN A BANK WHOSE LOAN PAYMENTS ARE OUTSTANDING TO DECIDE WHICH CATEGORIES OF CLIENTS SHOULD BE MADE INELIGIBLE FOR LOANS IN FUTURE SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT COMPETITORS BEFORE EVOLVING A PRICING, SALES, DISTRIBUTION OR ADVERTISING STRATEGY POSSIBLE INTERNAL REACTION WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION TO INTRODUCTION OF ANY NEW POLICIES OR POLICY CHANGES USUALLY BASED ON QUANTITATIVE DATA
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ANALYTICAL STUDY (HYPOTHESES TESTING)

USUALLY E+PLAIN # # # THE NATURE OF CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS OR ESTABLISH THE DIFFERENCES AMONG GROUPS OR THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF TWO OR MORE FACTORS IN A SITUATION E+PLAIN THE VARIANCE IN THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE OR TO PREDICT ORGANI,ATIONAL OUTCOMES

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EXAMPLES OF ANALYTICAL STUDIES

ESTABLISHING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADVERTISING AND INCREASE OF SALES (BY TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS: -IF ADVERTISING IS INCREASED, THEN SALES WILL ALSO GO UP.)

PREDICTING FACTORS THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY ACCOUNT FOR DECISION TO BUILD A HOUSE IN A PARTICULAR AREA

ESTABLISHING DIFFERENCES IN BEHAVIOR PATTERNS ON THE BASIS OF SE+

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CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

INVOLVE IN-DEPTH CONTE TUAL ANALYSES OF MATTERS RELATED TO SIMILAR SITUATIONS IN OTHER ORGANI$ATIONS NOT FRE%UENTLY RESORTED TO AS A PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNI%UE BECAUSE FINDING THE SAME PROBLEM IN ANOTHER COMPARABLE SETTING IS DIFFICULT IN %UALITATIVE TERMS, ARE USEFUL IN APPLYING SOLUTIONS TO CURRENT PROBLEMS BASED ON PAST PROBLEM SOLVING E PERIENCES ALSO USEFUL IN UNDERSTANDING CERTAIN PHENOMENA AND GENERATING FURTHER THEORIES FOR EMPERICAL TESTING

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TYPE OF INVESTIGATION
CAUSAL
DONE WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH A DEFINITIVE CAUSE & EFFECT RELATIONSHIP UNDERTAKEN WHEN RESEARCHER WANTS TO DELINEATE ONE OR MORE FACTORS THAT ARE CAUSING A PROBLEM TO OCCUR &' DOES SMOKING CAUSE CANCER ? ?

CORELATIONAL
DONE WHEN MERE IDENTIFICATION OF THE IMPORTANT FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROBLEM WILL SUFFICE &' ARE SMOKING AND CANCER RELATED OR ARE SMOKING, DRINKING AND CHEWING TOBACCO ASSOCIATED WITH CANCER ? IF SO, WHICH OF THESE CONTRIBUTES MOST TO THE VARIANCE IN THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE WHETHER A STUDY IS CAUSAL OR CO-RELATIONAL DEPENDS ON TYPE OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS ASKED AND HOW THE PROBLEM IS DEFINED BRM 5: ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN
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E AMPLES OF CAUSAL & CORELATIONAL STUDY %UESTIONS

CAUSAL
FEARS OF AN EARTHQUAKE PREDICTED RECENTLY IN THE MUZAFFARABAD FAULT ZONE WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN AN UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF HOUSE OWNERS IN THE CITY TRYING TO SELL THEIR PROPERTIES

CORELATIONAL
INCREASE IN INTEREST RATES AND PROPERTY TAXES, RECESSION IN THE COUNTRY AND THE PREDICTED EARTH QUAKE CONSIDERABLY SLOWED DOWN THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE AGENTS IN MUZAFFARABAD
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E TENT OF RESEARCHER INTERFERENCE WITH THE STUDY INVOLVES INTERFERENCE BY THE RESEARCHER WITH THE NORMAL FLOW OF WORK AT THE WORKPLACE ALSO HAS A DIRECT BEARING ON WHETHER THE STUDY IS CAUSAL OR CORRELATIONAL CORELATIONAL STUDY IS CONDUCTED IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION WITH MINIMAL INTERFERENCE BY RESEARCHER WITH NORMAL FLOW OF WORK IN STUDIES CONDUCTED TO ESTABLISH CAUSE & EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS, RESEARCHER MANIPULATES CERTAIN VARIABLES TO STUDY THE EFFECTS OF THIS MANIPULATION ON THE DEPENDENT VARIABLE OF INTEREST

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EXTENT OF RESEARCHER INTERFERENCE WITH THE STUDY

MINIMAL INTERFERENCE # LITTLE OR NO INTERFERENCE WITH NORMAL ACTIVITIES

MODERATE INTERFERENCE # MANIPULATION OF NORMAL COURSE OF EVENTS TO STUDY EFFECTS

E+CESSIVE INTERFERENCE # MAY ALSO INTERFERE WITH THE SETTING TO STUDY EFFECTS
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EXTENT OF RESEARCHER INTERFERENCE WITH THE STUDY

TERMS RELATED TO RESEARCHER"S CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS # # E+PERIMENTAL GROUP/ A GROUP FORMULATED BY

THE RESEARCHER ON WHICH EFFECTS UNDER STUDY ARE SPECIFICALLY APPLIED

CONTROL GROUP/ A GROUP WHICH IS NOT

SUB0ECTED TO ANY MANIPULATION AND ALLOWED TO E+PERIENCE ANY EFFECTS UNDER STUDY IN A NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

EFFECTS OF APPLICATION OF PHENOMENA BEING RESEARCHED ARE STUDIED BY COMPARING THE RESULTS OF ITS APPLICATION ON THE E+PERIMENTAL GROUP WITH THOSE DISPLAYED ON THE CONTROLLED GROUP
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN STUDY SETTING

NON CONTRIVED # STUDIES DONE IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS WHERE WORK PROCEEDS NORMALLY # GENERALLY DONE IN CASE OF CORRELATIONAL STUDIES # FIELD STUDIES. CORELATIONAL STUDIES DONE WITHIN ORGANI$ATIONS WITH NO INTERFERENCE TO THE NORMAL ROUTINE OR WORKING ARE CALLED FIELD STUDIES
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

STUDY SETTING
CONCERNS THE ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH THE STUDY IS UNDERTAKEN AND MAY BE CONTRIVED OR NON CONTRIVED

CONTRIVED STUDY SETTING

# # # ENVIRONMENTS ARE ADAPTED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A RESEARCH PRO(ECT SUCH SETTINGS USED IN CAUSAL STUDIES FIELD E PERIMENTS. STUDIES CONDUCTED TO ESTABLISH CAUSE & EFFECT RELATIONSHIP USING THE SAME NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH EMPLOYEES NORMALLY FUNCTION. HOWEVER, RESEARCHER MAY MANIPULATE THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE LAB E PERIMENTS. E PERIMENTS DONE TO ESTABLISH CAUSE & EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE LEAST DOUBT BY CREATION OF ARTIFICIALLY CONTRIVED ENVIRONMENTS IN WHICH ALL E TRANEOUS FACTORS ARE STRICTLY CONTROLLED WITH SIMILAR SUB(ECTS BEING CHOSEN TO RESPOND TO CERTAIN MANIPULATED STIMULI
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

E AMPLES OF STUDY SETTINGS
ISSUE # A BANK MANAGER WANTS TO ANALYSE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTEREST RATES AND BANK DEPOSIT PATTERNS OF CLIENTS FIELD STUDY # THE TWO ISSUES ARE CO-RELATED BY LOOKING AT DEPOSITS INTO DIFFERENT KINDS OF ACCOUNTS AS INTEREST RATES CHANGED. # THIS IS A FIELD STUDY IN A NON CONTRIVED SETTING WITH NO INTERFERENCE TO THE NORMAL WORK ROUTINE
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

E AMPLES OF STUDY SETTINGS
FIELD E PERIMENT # TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTEREST RATE AND THE INDUCEMENTS IT OFFERS TO CLIENTS TO SAVE AND DEPOSIT MONEY, FOUR BANK BRANCHES ARE SELECTED AND FOR ONE WEEK, INTEREST RATES ARE CHANGED TO )*, +* AND ,-* IN THREE OF THE BRANCHES AND REMAIN UNCHANGED AT .* IN THE FOURTH BRANCH. # THIS IS A FIELD EXPERIMENT SINCE ONLY THE INTEREST RATE HAS BEEN MANIPULATED WHILE ALL ACTIVITIES CONTINUE IN NORMAL AND NATURAL WORK ENVIRONMENTS
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

LAB E PERIMENT
# TO ESTABLISH THE CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN INTEREST RATES AND SAVINGS AN ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENT IS CREATED BY RECRUITING /- BUSINESS MANAGEMENT STUDENTS. THEY ARE SPLIT INTO / GROUPS AND EACH GROUP IS GIVEN CHIPS THAT COUNT FOR 0,,--- WHICH THEY CAN USE TO BUY THEIR NEEDS OR INVEST FOR THE FUTURE AS DESIRED BY THEM. # AS INCENTIVE, INTEREST ON SAVINGS IS OFFERED BUT IS MANIPULATED AT DIFFERENT RATES FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS TO ESTABLISH THEIR RESPONSE PATTERN # HERE, A LAB ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN CREATED WITH A CONTRIVED SETTING, MAXIMUM RESEARCHER INTERFERENCE AND MANIPULATION OF THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE WHILE TRYING TO CONTROL OTHER EXTRANEOUS (NUISANCE) FACTORS
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

UNIT OF ANALYSIS
REFERS TO THE LEVEL OF AGGREGATION OF THE DATA COLLECTED DURING THE SUBSE%UENT DATA ANALYSIS STAGE COMMON UNITS OF ANALYSIS INDIVIDUAL DYADS 12 TWO PERSON GROUPS GROUP DIVISION INDUSTRY COUNTRY, ETC
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

TIME HORI$ON
CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES
STUDY IN WHICH DATA IS GATHERED 0UST ONCE PERHAPS OVER A PERIOD OF DAYS OR WEE!S OR MONTHS GENERALLY STUDIES (BUT NOT ALWAYS) RESORTED TO IN FIELD

LONGITUDINAL STUDIES
STUDY IN WHICH DATA IS COLLECTED AT MORE THAN ONE POINT IN TIME LONGITUDINALLY ACROSS A PERIOD OF TIME SUCH STUDIES TA!E MORE TIME, EFFORT AND COST BUT HELP IN IDENTIFICATION OF CAUSE AND EFFECT RELATIONSHIPS USUALLY RESORTED TO IN E+PERIMENTAL DESIGNS WHEN DATA IS REQUIRED BEFORE AND AFTER MANIPULATION OF 25 VARIABLES
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ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH DESIGN

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