RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Course Code: MBA 203 Credit Units: 03

Course Objective:
The aim of this course is of providing the relevant inputs of Business Research Methods to the students so that
they could study systematically various complex management problems and derive solutions for the same.
Besides the course work, the students shall be required to undertake a research project incorporating the research
techniques studied during the semester

Course Contents:

Module I: Nature and Scope of Research Methodology
Research Methodology as input in decision making process. Applications of Research, Planning a research
project: Problem identification and formulation. Research Design: Exploratory, Descriptive and Experimental
research designs, Research methodology and use of Internet.

Module II: Data Collection Methods
Observation Methods and Questionnaire Method, Questionnaire Design: Steps in constructing a questionnaire,
types of questions, Attitude measurement and Scaling techniques: Ratio, interval, ordinal and nominal scales.
Sampling frame, Review of sample selection methods- Probability and non- probability, sample size.

Module III: Data Collection and Field Force
Field work procedure. Common sources of Error in the Field Work. Minimizing Fieldwork Errors, Tabulation of
the Collected Data.

Module IV: Data Analysis
Multivariate Techniques-Factor Analysis, Conjoint Analysis, Cluster Analysis. Discrimental Analysis,
Multidimensional Scaling.

Module V: Report Writing
Pre-Writing Considerations, Format of the Research Report, Common Problems Encountered when Preparing
the Research Report. Presenting the Research Report.

Examination Scheme:

Components CPA TP Q/S A ME EE
Weightage (%) 5 5 5 5 10 70

Text & References:

Cooper, Schindler; Business Research Methods, The McGraw Hill Education
Zikmund William G; Business Research Methods, Thomson South- Western
Bryman and Bell; Business Research Methods, Oxford University Press
Malhotra, Naresh (2007); Market Research,Prentice Hall of India
Churchill, Gilbert A, Lacobucci, Dawn (2008); Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations, South
Western
Luck, David J And Rubin, Ronald S, Marketing Research, Prentice Hall Of India
Beri, Gc., Marketing Research, Tata McGraw Hill
Thomas H. Wancott and R. Wancott, Introductory Statistics for Business and Economics, John Wiley and
Sons, New York.
Burns, Alvin C and Bush, Ronald F: Marketing Research, Pearson Education

Software:
Students can use SPSS 15.0 for analyzing the data for marketing research.
The software is available in the computer lab.