Internal Assignment No.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Paper Code: MBA - 206

Paper Title: Research Methodology For Management Decision

1) Explain quantitative and qualitative research.

Ans Research is the most widely used tool to increase and brush-up the stock of knowledge about
something and someone. In the field of marketing, business, sociology, psychology, science &
technology, economics, etc. there are two standard ways of conducting research, i.e. qualitative
research or quantitative research. While the qualitative research relies on verbal narrative
like spoken or written data, the quantitative research uses logical or statistical observations
to draw conclusions

2) What is probability sampling?

Ans A probability sampling method is any method of sampling that utilizes some form
of random selection. In order to have a random selection method, you must set up some
process or procedure that assures that the different units in your population have equal
probabilities of being chosen. Humans have long practiced various forms of random selection,
such as picking a name out of a hat, or choosing the short straw. These days, we tend to use
computers as the mechanism for generating random numbers as the basis for random
selection.

3) What is a Hypothesis?

Ans Imagine you have a test at school tomorrow. You stay out late and see a movie with friends.
You know that when you study the night before, you get good grades. What do you think will
happen on tomorrow's test?
When you answered this question, you formed a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a specific,
testable prediction. It describes in concrete terms what you expect will happen in a certain
circumstance. Your hypothesis may have been, 'If not studying lowers test performance and I do
not study, then I will get a low grade on the test.'
4) Explain graphic rating scale?
Ans Graphic Rating Scale is a type of performance appraisal method. In this method traits or behaviours
that are important for effective performance are listed out and each employee is rated against these traits.
The rating helps employers to quantify the behaviours displayed by its employees.

5) What is ANOVA?
Ans ANOVA is a statistical technique that assesses potential differences in a scale-level dependent
variable by a nominal-level variable having 2 or more categories. For example, an ANOVA can examine
potential differences in IQ scores by Country (US vs. Canada vs. Italy vs. Spain). The ANOVA,
developed by Ronald Fisher in 1918, extends the t and the z test which have the problem of only allowing
the nominal level variable to have two categories. This test is also called the Fisher analysis of variance.
 Q.3 Explain the research process in detail.

Ans Research Process

Dissertation markers expect the explanation of research process to be included in Methodology chapter. A
typical research process comprises the following stages:

1. Selecting the research area. You are expected to state that you have selected the research area due to
professional and personal interests in the area and this statement must be true. The importance of this first
stage in the research process is often underestimated by many students. 2. Formulating research aim,
objectives and research questions or developing hypotheses. The choice between the formulation of
research questions and the development of hypotheses depends on your research approach as it is
discussed further below in more details. Appropriate research aims and objectives or hypotheses usually
result from several attempts and revisions and these need to be mentioned in Methodology chapter
3. Conducting the literature review. Literature review is usually the longest stage in the research
process. Actually, the literature review starts even before the formulation of research aims and objective;
because you have to check if exactly the same research problem has been addressed before
4. Selecting methods of data collection. Data collection method(s) need to be selected on the basis of
critically analyzing advantages and disadvantages associated with several alternative data collection
methods
5. Collecting the primary data. Primary data collection needs to be preceded by a great level of
preparation and pilot data collection may be required in case of questionnaires. Primary data collection is
not a compulsory stage for all dissertations and you will skip this stage if you are conducting a desk-based
research.

6. Data analysis. Analysis of data plays an important role in the achievement of research aim and
objectives. Data analysis methods vary between secondary and primary studies, as well as, between
qualitative and quantitative studies.

7. Reaching conclusions. Conclusions relate to the level of achievement of research aims and objectives.
In this final part of your dissertation you will have to justify why you think that research aims and
objectives have been achieved
8. Completing the research. Following all of the stages described above, and organizing separate
chapters into one file leads to the completion of the first draft. The first draft of your dissertation needs to
be prepared at least one month before the submission deadline.

Q.4 Explain the significance of a research report and narrate the various steps involved read and writing
such a report.

Ans Steps in Report Writing in Research Methodology

Research reports are the product of slow, painstaking, accurate inductive work. The usual steps involved

in writing report are:

a. logical analysis of the subject-matter;
b. preparation of the final outline;
c. preparation of the rough draft;
d. rewriting and polishing;
e. preparation of the final bibliography; and
f. writing the final draft.

Though all these steps are self explanatory, yet a brief mention of each one of these will be appropriate

for better understanding

Logical analysis of the subject matter: It is the first step which is primarily concerned with the

development of a subject. There are two ways in which to develop a subject

a. logically and
b. chronologically.

The logical development is made on the basis of mental connections and associations between the one

thing and another by means of analysis. Logical treatment often consists in developing the material from

the simple possible to the most complex structures. next step in writing the research report “Outlines are

the framework upon which long written works are constructed. They are an aid to the logical organization

of the material and a reminder of the points to be stressed in the report.”

Preparation of the rough draft: This follows the logical analysis of the subject and the preparation of the

final outline. Such a step is of utmost importance for the researcher now sits to write down what he has

done in the context of his research study. He will write down the procedure adopted by him in collecting

the material for his study along with various limitations faced by him, the technique of analysis adopted

by him, the broad findings and generalizations and the various suggestions he wants to offer regarding the

problem concerned.

Rewriting and polishing of the rough draft: This step happens to be most difficult part of all formal

writing. Usually this step requires more time than the writing of the rough draft. The careful revision

makes the difference between a mediocre and a good piece of writing. While rewriting and polishing, one

should check the report for weaknesses in logical development or presentation. The researcher should also
 “see whether or not the material, as it is presented, has unity and cohesion; does the report stand upright

and firm and exhibit a definite pattern, like a marble arch? Or does it resemble an old wall of moldering

cement and loose brick

Preparation of the final bibliography: Next in order comes the task of the preparation of the final

bibliography. The bibliography, which is generally appended to the research report, is a list of books in

some way pertinent to the research which has been done. It should contain all those works which the

researcher has consulted. The bibliography should be arranged alphabetically and may be divided into

two parts; the first part may contain the names of books and pamphlets, and the second part may contain

the names of magazine and newspaper articles. The entries in bibliography should be made adopting the

following order:

For books and pamphlets the order may be as under:

1. Name of author, last name first.
2. Title, underlined to indicate italics.
3. Place, publisher, and date of publication.
4. Number of volumes.

For magazines and newspapers the order may be as under:

1. Name of the author, last name first.
2. Title of article, in quotation marks.
3. Name of periodical, underlined to indicate italics.
4. The volume or volume and number.
5. The date of the issue.
6. The pagination.

Writing the final draft: This constitutes the last step. The final draft should be written in a concise and

objective style and in simple language, avoiding vague expressions such as “it seems”, “there may be”,

and the like ones. While writing the final draft, the researcher must avoid abstract terminology and

technical jargon. Illustrations and examples based on common experiences must be incorporated in the

final draft as they happen to be most effective in communicating the research findings to others.
 Internal Assignment No. 2
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Paper Code: MBA - 206
Paper Title: Research Methodology For Management Decision

1) What is descriptive research?

Ans Descriptive research can be explained as a statement of affairs as they are at present
with the researcher having no control over variable. Moreover, “descriptive studies may be
characterised as simply the attempt to determine, describe or identify what is, while
analytical research attempts to establish why it is that way or how it came to be

2) Explain non-probability sampling.

Ans Non-probability sampling is a sampling technique where the odds of any member
being selected for a sample cannot be calculated. It’s the opposite of probability sampling,
where you can calculate the odds. In addition, probability sampling involves random
selection, while non-probability sampling does not–it relies on the subjective
judgement of the researcher.

3) What is multivariate techniques?

Ans In order to be meaningful, market survey questions must often be complex and multilayered and answers
can vary depending on a number of conditions and factors. Business people use multivariate techniques to
analyze consumer responses by grouping the different consumer responses into meaningful categories or
clusters of information in order to determine the relevant relationships between the responses and the product
or service being studied.

4) Define Null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis.

Ans A null hypothesis is a hypothesis that says there is no statistical significance between the two
variables in the hypothesis. It is the hypothesis that the researcher is trying to disprove. In the example,
Susie's null hypothesis would be something like this: There is no statistically significant relationship
between the type of water I feed the flowers and growth of the flowers. A researcher is challenged by the
null hypothesis and usually wants to disprove it, to demonstrate that there is a statistically-significant
relationship between the two variables in the hypothesis.

5) What is chi-square test? Write its formula.

Ans There are two types of chi-square tests. Both use the chi-square statistic and distribution for
different purposes:
 A chi-square goodness of fit test determines if a sample data matches a population. For more details
on this type, see: Goodness of Fit Test.
 A chi-square test for independence compares two variables in a contingency table to see if they are
related. In a more general sense, it tests to see whether distributions of categorical variables differ
from each another.
 The formula for the chi-square statistic used in the chi square test is:
Q.3 Discuss the characteristics of hypothesis. Explain type I and type II errors in the context of
testing of hypothesis.

Ans Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing is the formal procedure used by statisticians to test whether a certain hypothesis is true or not. It's a
four-step process that involves writing the hypothesis, creating an analysis plan, analyzing the data, and then interpreting
the data. These tests are useful because you can use these tests to help you prove your hypotheses. If you have a successful
test, then you can publish that information to let people know what you have found.
For example, a cleaning company can publish information that proves that their cleaning product kills 99% of all germs if
they perform a hypothesis test that has data that proves their hypothesis that their cleaning product kills 99% of germs.
While these tests can be very helpful, there is a danger when it comes to interpreting the results. It is possible to make two
different kinds of errors when interpreting the results.

Type I Errors
The first type is called a type I error. This type of error happens when you say that the null hypothesis is false when it is
actually true. Our null hypothesis is the hypothesis for our expected outcome. If our null hypothesis is that dogs live
longer than cats, it would be like saying dogs don't live longer than cats, when in fact, they do. To help you remember this
type I error, think of it as having just one wrong. You are wrongly thinking that the null hypothesis is false. In statistics,
we label the probability of making this kind of error with this symbol:

It is called alpha. This is a value that you decide on. Usually, it is 0.05, which means that you are okay with a 5% chance
of making a type I error. The lower the alpha number, the lower the risk of you making such an error. The tricky part with
setting the alpha number is that if you set it too low, it may mean that you won't catch the really small differences that may
be there.

Type II Errors
The other type of error is called a type II error. This type of error happens when you say that the null hypothesis is true
when it is actually false. For our null hypothesis that dogs live longer than cats, it would be like saying that dogs do live
longer than cats, when in fact, they don't. To help you remember a type II error, think of two wrongs. You are wrongly
thinking that the null hypothesis is wrong. The probability of making a type II error is labeled with a beta symbol like this:

This type of error can be decreased by making sure that your sample size, the number of test subjects you have, is large
enough so that real differences can be spotted. So for the dogs and cats, this would mean that you need to gather data about
enough dogs and cats to see a real difference between them.
Q.4 What do you mean by "Sample Design", What points should be taken into consideration by
research in developing a sample design for the research project.
Ans Sampling is a means of selecting a subset of units from a target population for the purpose
of collecting information. This information is used to draw inferences about the population as a
w hole. The subset of units that are selected is called a sample. The sample design
encompasses all aspects of how to group units on the frame, determine the sample size,
allocate the sample to the various classifications of frame units, and finally, select the sample.
Choices in sample design are influenced by many factors, including the desired level of
precision and detail of the information to be produced, the availability of appropriate sampling
frames, the availability of suitable auxiliary variables for stratification and sample selection, the
estimation methods that w ill be used and the available budget in terms of time and resources.

Basic Design Elements.

Most research designs can be constructed from four basic elements:

1. Time. A causal relationship, by its very nature, implies that some time has elapsed
betweenthe occurrence of the cause and the consequent effect. While f or some phenomena
thee lapsed time might be measured in microseconds and therefore might be unnoticeable to a
casual observer, we normally assume that the causeand effect in social sciencearenas do not
occur simultaneously, In design notation we indicatethis temporal element horizontally -
whatever symbol is used to indicatethe presumed causewould be placed to the left of the
symbol indicating measurement of the effect. Thus, as we read f rom left to right in design
notation we are reading across time. Complex designs might involvea lengthy sequence of
observations and programs or treatments across time.
2. Program(s) or Treatment(s). The presumed cause may be a program or treatment under the
explicit control of the researcher or theoccurrence of some natural event or program not
explicitly controlled. In design notationwe usually depict a presumed cause with the symbol "X".
When multiple programs or treatments are being studied using the same design, we can keep
the programs distinct by using subscripts suchas "X1" or "X2". For a comparison group(i.e., one
which does not receive the program under study) no "X" is used.
3. Observation(s) or Measure(s). Measurements are typically depicted in design notationwith
the symbol "O". If the same measurement or observation is taken at every point in time in a
design, thenthis "O" will be sufficient. Similarly, if the sameset of measures is givenat every
point in time in this study , the "O" can be used to depict the entire set of measures. However, if
different measures are given at different times it is useful to subscript the "O" to indicate which
measurement is being given at whichpoint in time.
4. Groups or Individuals. The final design element consists of the intact groups or theindividuals
who participate in various conditions. Typically, there will be one or more program and
comparison groups. In design notation, each groupis indicated on a separate line. Furthermore,
the manner in which groups are assigned to the conditions can be indicated by an appropriate
symbolat the beginning of eachline. Here, "R" will represent a groupwhich was randomly
assigned, "N" will depict a group which was nonrandomly assigned (i.e., a nonequivalent group
or cohort) and a "C" will indicatethat the group was assigned using a cutoff score on a
measurement