MB0050 Research Methodology

MBA SEMESTER III MB0050 Research Methodology- 4 Credits (Book ID: B1206) Assignment Set- 2 (60 Marks) Note: Each question carries 10 Marks. Answer all the questions

1a. Explain the General characteristics of observation. [Answer] Every moment we are exposed to some kind of events or occurrences. If we try to frame some definite opinion about the events we come across, we have to observe the instances keenly. The random observation of instances won't help for any clear understanding of the phenomena of nature. In the words of Jevon, "To observe is merely to notice events and changes which are produced in the ordinary course of nature, without being able, or at least attempting to control or vary those changes". In this way, observations performed with a definite purpose are different from the casual perceptions. 'Observation' has been derived from the Greek words 'ob' and 'servare'. The above two words stand for the meanings 'to keep' and 'before the mind' respectively. The knowledge derived by placing something before the mind leads to observational knowledge. Usually the perceptual knowledge is considered as the observational knowledge. But in respect of the inductive reasoning 'observation' has been defined as regulated perception with a definite purpose. It shows that three factors are involved in the case of an observation. There must be some object to be observed, the sense organs to observe the object and the mind to become aware of it. This process is repeated for several times in order to arrive at a conclusion. Characteristics: i. Observation is the case of regulated perception of events. Observations are made by help of sense organs. So it is basically perceptual. Perception may be either external or internal. Perception of natural events or occurrences is external perception. To know something directly by introspection without using the sense organs is called internal perception. Feeling of sorrow, joy, happiness etc. is internal perception. A vast nature is present before us. Every moment we come across some event of nature. When similar types of events are observed in repeated manner, one feels to find out an explanation with regard to the functioning of nature. That helps us to distinguish the random or casual perception from regulated perception. ii. Observation should be systematic and selective. Observation excludes the cases of careless and stray perceptions.

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

It should be systematic and selective. When the purpose of observation is decided we select those instances, which have got relevance with the purpose. Suppose we want to observe the colour of the crows. Then out of the different types of birds we select only crows to observe. Hence perception should not be careless or a casual one. The aim of perceptions is to establish some generalized truths. A general truth cannot be derived from stray or casual perception. The perception should be systematic and selective. iii. Observation should be impartial and free from any bias. It means that the observation should be strictly objective. Sometimes in order to establish a definite conclusion we overlook certain instances, which are not favourable to the conclusion. For example, when a sales representative demonstrates the utilities of a particular product he only shows us some of the suitable utilities of it. He overlooks those instances, which are not favourable for the purpose of demonstration. This is an example of biased observation. Such types of biased observation should be avoided. Observations should be objective. iv.Similarly, observation should be neutral. If the neutrality is not maintained it may lead to fallacious observations. For example, while evaluating the answer scripts if the examiner thinks that he is evaluating the scripts of brilliant students then the mistakes present in the answer script may be overlooked. A prejudiced mind cannot make observation neutral. If a person is biased, then his observation will not be true or objective. Joyce has pointed out that very often observations are not free from subjective influences. There can be three types of subjective influences of the observer, namely, intellectual, physical and moral. a) The intellectual condition refers to the interest and sincerity of the observer for knowing. If there is no desire to know something then careful and objective observation may not take place. Because of this condition we make a distinction between intentional observation and baseless observations. A sound mind of the observer helps in satisfying this condition. b) The sense organs of the observer should not be defective. In such cases the observations will lead to fallacious observations. Moreover, our sense organs have limited ability of perceiving the things. The germs are not visible to naked eyes. Many stars and planets are not visible to us. A colour blind man cannot observe colours perfectly. In such cases if the proper instruments are not used erroneous observations take place. Hence the physical condition should be satisfied for true and unbiased observations. c) The third condition is moral one. It is obvious that for impartial observation there should not be any dogma or bias. Thus for impartial observation the observer should be free from impositions or any influences. Unless one is having a free and impartial mind his observation may not be objective, real and accurate. v. Observation is the active process of knowing the truth. Knowledge through observation is always active. The involvement of sense organs makes it active. Of course, the experiments are more active as compared to observations. But observations are not passive.
Reg. No: - 521025965 Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

vi. Observations should be simple and direct observations help in knowing the uncontroversial truths. Since the aim of observation is to obtain right knowledge and to establish the material truth of a general proposition it should be simple and direct.

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

1b. What is the Utility of Observation in Business Research? [Answer] Observation is suitable for a variety of research purposes. It may be used for studying (a) The behaviour of human beings in purchasing goods and services: life style, customs, and manner, interpersonal relations, group dynamics, crowd behaviour, leadership styles, managerial style, other behaviours and actions; (b) The behaviour of other living creatures like birds, animals etc. (c) Physical characteristics of inanimate things like stores, factories, residences etc. (d) Flow of traffic and parking problems (e) Movement of materials and products through a plant.

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

2a. Briefly explain Interviewing techniques in Business Research? [Answer]

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

2b. What are the problems encountered in Interview?

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

3a. What are the various steps in processing of data? [Answer] Data is an integral part of all business processes. It is the invisible backbone that supports all the operations and activities within a business. Without access to relevant data, businesses would get completely paralyzed. This is because quality data helps formulate effective business strategies and fruitful business decisions. Therefore, the quality of data should be maintained in good condition in order to facilitate smooth business proceedings. In order to enhance business proceedings, data should be made available in all possible forms in order to increase the accessibility of the same. Data processing refers to the process of converting data from one format to another. It transforms plain data into valuable information and information into data. Clients can supply data in a variety of forms, be it .xls sheets, audio devices, or plain printed material. Data processing services take the raw data and process it accordingly to produce sensible information. The various applications of data processing can convert raw data into useful information that can be used further for business processes.

Companies and organizations across the world make use of data processing services in order to facilitate their market research interests. Data consists of facts and figures, based on which important conclusions can be drawn. When companies and organizations have access to useful information, they can utilize it for strategizing powerful business moves that would eventually increase the company revenue and decrease the costs, thus expanding the profit margins. Data processing ensures that the data is presented in a clean and systematic manner and is easy to understand and be used for further purposes. Here are the 5 steps that are included in data processing: Editing There is a big difference between data and useful data. While there are huge volumes of data available on the internet, useful data has to be extracted from the huge volumes of the same. Extracting relevant data is one of the core procedures of data processing. When data has been accumulated from various sources, it is edited in order to discard the inappropriate data and retain relevant data. Coding Even after the editing process, the available data is not in any specific order. To make it more sensible and usable for further use, it needs to be aligned into a particular system. The method of coding ensures just that and arranges data in a comprehendible format. The process is also known as netting or bucketing. Data Entry After the data has been properly arranged and coded, it is entered into the software that performs the eventual cross tabulation. Data entry professionals do the task efficiently.

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

Validation After the cleansing phase, comes the validation process. Data validation refers to the process of thoroughly checking the collected data to ensure optimal quality levels. All the accumulated data is double checked in order to ensure that it contains no inconsistencies and is utterly relevant. Tabulation This is the final step in data processing. The final product i.e. the data is tabulated and arranged in a systematic format so that it can be further analyzed. All these processes make up the complete data processing activity which ensures the said data is available for access.

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

3b. How is data editing is done at the Time of Recording of Data?

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

4a. What are the fundamental of frequency Distribution?

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

4b. What are the types and general rules for graphical representation of data?

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

5. Strictly speaking, would case studies be considered as scientific research? Why or why not? [Answer] Case studies are a tool for discussing scientific integrity. Although one of the most frequently used tools for encouraging discussion, cases are only one of many possible tools. Many of the principles discussed below for discussing case studies can be generalized to other approaches to encouraging discussion about research ethics. Cases are designed to confront readers with specific real-life problems that do not lend themselves to easy answers. Case discussion demands critical and analytical skills and, when implemented in small groups, also fosters collaboration (Pimple, 2002). By providing a focus for discussion, cases help trainees to define or refine their own standards, to appreciate alternative approaches to identifying and resolving ethical problems, and to develop skills for analyzing and dealing with hard problems on their own. The effective use of case studies is comprised of many factors, including: Appropriate selection of case(s) (topic, relevance, length, complexity) Method of case presentation (verbal, printed, before or during discussion) Format for case discussion (Email or Internet-based, small group, large group) Leadership of case discussion (choice of discussion leader, roles and responsibilities for discussion leader) Outcomes for case discussion (answers to specific questions, answers to general questions, written or verbal summaries)

Research methods don't seem so intimidating when you're familiar with the terminology. This is important whether you're conducting evaluation or merely reading articles about other studies to incorporate in your program. To help with understanding, here are some basic definitions used. Variable: Characteristics by which people or things can be described. Must have more than one level; in other words, to be able to change over time for the same person/object, or from person to person, or object to object. Some variables, called attributes, cannot be manipulated by the researcher (e.g., socioeconomic status, IQ score, race, gender, etc.). Some variables can be manipulated but are not in a particular study. This occurs when subjects self-select the level of the independent variable, or the level is naturally occurring (as with ex post facto research). Manipulation: Random assignment of subjects to levels of the independent variable (treatment groups). Independent variable: The treatment, factor, or presumed cause that will produce a change in the dependent variable. This is what the experimenter tries to manipulate. It is denoted as "X" on the horizontal axis of a graph. Dependent variable: The presumed effect or consequence resulting from changes in the independent variable. This is the observation made and is denoted by "Y" on the vertical axis of a graph. The score of "Y" depends on the score of "X."
Reg. No: - 521025965 Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

Population: The complete set of subjects that can be studied: people, objects, animals, plants, etc. Sample: A subset of subjects that can be studied to make the research project more manageable. There are a variety of ways samples can be taken. If a large enough random samples are taken, the results can be statistically similar to taking a census of an entire population--with reduced effort and cost. Case Study: A case study is conducted for similar purpose as the above but is usually done with a smaller sample size for more in-depth study. A case study often involves direct observation or interviews with single subjects or single small social units such as a family, club, school classroom, etc. This is typically considered qualitative research. Purpose: Explain or Predict Type of Research to Use: Relational Study In a relational study you start with a research hypothesis, that is, is what you're trying to "prove."

Examples of research hypotheses for a relational study:

The older the person, the more health problems he or she encounters. 4-H members attending 4-H summer camp stay enrolled in 4-H longer. The greater the number of money management classes attended, the greater the amount of annual savings achieved. Types of relational studies include correlation studies and ex post facto studies. Co relational Study: A co relational study compares two or more different characteristics from the same group of people and explains how two characteristics vary together and how well one can be predicted from knowledge of the other. A concurrent co relational study draws a relationship between characteristics at the same point in time. For example, a student's grade point average is related to his or her class rank. A predictive co relational study could predict a later set of data from an earlier set. For example, a student's grade point average might predict the same student's grade point average during senior year. A predictive co relational study could also use one characteristic to predict what another characteristic will be at another time. For example, a student's SAT score is designed to predict college freshman grade point average.

Ex Post Facto (After the Fact) Study: An ex post facto study is used when experimental research is not possible, such as when people have self-selected levels of an independent variable or when a treatment is naturally

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

occurring and the researcher could not "control" the degree of its use. The researcher starts by specifying a dependent variable and then tries to identify possible reasons for its occurrence as well as alternative (rival) explanations such confounding (intervening, contaminating, or extraneous) variables are "controlled" using statistics. This type of study is very common and useful when using human subjects in real-world situations and the investigator comes in "after the fact." For example, it might be observed that students from one town have higher grades than students from a different town attending the same high school. Would just "being from a certain town" explain the differences? In an ex post facto study, specific reasons for the differences would be explored, such as differences in income, ethnicity, parent support, etc. It is important to recognize that, in a relational study, "cause and effect" cannot be claimed. All that can be claimed is that that there is a relationship between the variables. For that matter, variables that are completely unrelated could, in fact, vary together due to nothing more than coincidence. That is why the researcher needs to establish a plausible reason (research hypothesis) for why there might be a relationship between two variables before conducting a study. For instance, it might be found that all football teams with blue uniforms won last week. There is no likely reason why the uniform color had any relationship to the games' outcomes, and it certainly was not the cause for victory. Similarly, you must be careful about claiming that your Extension program was the "cause" of possible results.

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

6a. Analyse the case study and descriptive approach to research. [Answer] Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answers the questions who, what, where, when and how... Although the data description is factual, accurate and systematic, the research cannot describe what caused a situation. Thus, Descriptive research cannot be used to create a causal relationship, where one variable affects another. In other words, descriptive research can be said to have a low requirement for internal validity. The description is used for frequencies, averages and other statistical calculations. Often the best approach, prior to writing descriptive research, is to conduct a survey investigation. Qualitative research often has the aim of description and researchers may follow-up with examinations of why the observations exist and what the implications of the findings are. In short descriptive research deals with everything that can be counted and studied. But there are always restrictions to that. Your research must have an impact to the lives of the people around you e.g. finding the most frequent disease that affects the children of a town. The reader of the research will know what to do to prevent that disease thus; more people will live a healthy life. Descriptive research does not fit neatly into the definition of either quantitative or qualitative research methodologies, but instead it can utilize elements of both, often within the same study. The term descriptive research refers to the type of research question, design, and data analysis that will be applied to a given topic. Descriptive statistics tell what is, while inferential statistics try to determine cause and effect. A case study is a research method common in social science. It is based on an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. They may be prospective, in which criteria are established and cases fitting the criteria are included as they become available, or retrospective, in which criteria are established for selecting cases from historical records for inclusion in the study. Rather than using samples and following a rigid protocol (strict set of rules) to examine limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal (over a long period of time) examination of a single instance or event: a case. They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Case studies lend themselves to both generating and testing hypotheses. Another suggestion is that case study should be defined as a research strategy, an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within its real-life context. Case study research means single and multiple case studies, can include quantitative evidence, relies on multiple sources of evidence and benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions. Case studies should not be confused with qualitative research and they can be based on any mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Single-subject research provides the statistical framework for making inferences from quantitative case-study data

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat

MB0050 Research Methodology

6b. Distinguish between research methods & research Methodology. [Answer] Research Methods: - Research methods are the various procedures, schemes, algorithms, etc. used in research. All the methods used by a researcher during a research study are termed as research methods. They are essentially planned, scientic and value-neutral. They include theoretical procedures, experimental studies, numerical schemes, statistical approaches, etc. Research methods help us collect samples, data and nd a solution to a problem. Particularly, scientic research methods call for explanations based on collected facts, measurements and observations and not on reasoning alone. They accept only those explanations which can be veried by experiments. Research methodology: - Research methodology is a systematic way to solve a problem. It is a science of studying how research is to be carried out. Essentially, the procedures by which researchers go about their work of describing, explaining and predicting phenomena are called research methodology. It is also dened as the study of methods by which knowledge is gained. Its aim is to give the work plan of research.

Importance of Research Methodology in Research Study

It is necessary for a researcher to design a methodology for the problem chosen. One should note that even if the method considered in two problems is same the methodology may be different. It is important for the re- searcher to know not only the research methods necessary for the research under taken but also the methodology. For example, a researcher not only needs to know how to calculate mean, variance and distribution function for a set of data, how to nd a solution of a physical system described by mathematical model, how to determine the roots of algebraic equations and how to apply a particu- lar method but also need to know (i) (ii) (iii) Which is a suitable method for the chosen problem?, What is the order of accuracy of the result of a method? What is the eciency of the method? And so on. Consideration of these aspects constitutes a research methodology.

To understand the difference between research methods and methodology let us consider the problem of nding the roots of the quadratic equation ax2+ bx+ c= 0

Reg. No: - 521025965

Name: - Sudhir Rawat