INTRODUCTION TO

RESEARCH AND ITS

PROCESS

Objectives of Research Activity

Module
To help you to analyze a problem in a
systematic, logical and scientific manner
Provide an opportunity to have a quick
walk through the research process and
Prepare

you

to

conduct

syndicate

research and produce a quality research

paper

Sequence of Presentation

Defining Research
Why Managers Should Know About Research
Dimensions of Research
Applied and Basic Research
Exploratory, Descriptive and Explanatory Research
Determining When to Conduct Research
Steps involved in the Research Process
Art of doing Review of Literature
Stating research problem clearly and precisely.

What is Research and its

Relevance

Research is the process of finding

solutions to a problem after a thorough
study and analysis of the situational
factors.
Research focuses on solving problems and
pursues a step-by-step logical, organized,
and rigorous method to identify the
problem(s), gather data, analyze them,
and draw valid conclusions therefrom.
4

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 the workplace.
5

Sometimes managers make good

decisions and the problem gets
solved.
Sometimes managers make poor
decisions and the problem persists.
The
difference between making
good decisions and poor decisions,
lies in how managers go about the
decision-making process.

To
become
a
successful
manager, it is important for
you to know how to go about
making the right decisions by
being knowledgeable about
the various steps involved in
finding
solutions
to
problematic issues.
7

Decision making is merely a

process of choosing from
among alternative solutions
to resolve a problem and
research helps to generate
viable
alternatives
for
effective decision making.

When managers understand the

research
reports
about
their
organizations handed to them by
professionals, they will be equipped
to
take
intelligent,
educated,
calculated
risks
with
known
probabilities attached to the success
or failure of their decisions.
Research then becomes a useful
decision-making tool.
9

Dimensions of Social Research

The purpose of a study

Exploration (what question)
Description (how and who question)
Explanation (Why question)
The use of research
Basic Research (creates fundamental knowledge)
Applied research (solves specific policy problem)
Time dimension in research
Cross-sectional research
Longitudinal Research

Determining When to Conduct

Research
Availability of
Benefits
Time Constraints
Data
Nature of the Decision vs. Costs
Is sufficient time
Yes
available before
a managerial
decision
?must be made

No

-Is the infor

mation already
on hand
inadequate
for making
?the decision

No

Yes

Is the decision
Yes
of considerable
strategic
or tactical
?importance

No

Do Not Conduct Research

Does the value

of the research Yes
information
exceed the cost
of conducting
?research

No

Conducting
Social
Research

Research Process
Usually treated as sequentially defined
steps. Nevertheless:
Completion of each step before going
to next is not required.
Idea of sequence is useful for
developing a research project.
Variation in the number of steps

Qualitative and Quantitative

Paradigms

The qualitative paradigm concentrates on

investigating subjective data, in particular, the
perceptions of the people involved. The intention
is to illuminate these perceptions and, thus, gain
greater
insight
and
knowledge.
The quantitative paradigm concentrates on what
can be measured. It involves collecting and
analyzing objective (often numerical) data that
can
be
organized
into
statistics.

Quantitative vs Qualitative Paradigms

Quantitative methods

Qualitative methods

Epistemological
positions

Objectivist reality
exists independently of
the researcher

Constructivist sees truth and

meaning as constructed and
interpreted by individuals.

Relationship between
researcher and subject

Distant /outsider

Close/insider

Research focus

Facts

Meanings

Type of reasoning

Deduction

Induction

Scope of findings

Nomothetic: attempts
to establish law-like
findings that hold
irrespective of time.

Ideographic: locates its findings

in specific time periods and
localities and is much more
concerned with the depth and
intensity of findings rather than
breadth

The nature of data

Data based upon

numbers

Data based upon text

Research Process (In Quantitative Tradition)

1

OBSERVATIO
N

Broad area
of research
Interest
identified

7
DATA
COLLECTION
ANALYSIS, AND
INTERPREATION

THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK

GENERATION
OF
HYPOTHESE
S

PROBLEM
DEFINITION

Research
Problem
Delineated

Variables
clearly
Identified and
labeled

RESEARCH
DESIGN

8
DEDUCTION

Research
Question
?answered

2
PRELIMINARY
DATA
GATHERING

Interviewing
,
Literature
survey

Yes

No

REPORT
WRITING

10
REPORT
PRESENTATION

11

Managerial
Decision
Making

Research Process (In Qualitative Tradition)

Literature Survey

Literature survey is the

documentation of a comprehensive
review of the published and
unpublished work from secondary
sources of data in the areas of
specific interest to the researcher.

19

Basic Assumption of
Review of Literature is
:that

Knowledge accumulates
and
we learn from and build
what others haveon
.done

Data Sources

Textbooks
Academic and professional journals
Theses: PhD theses and Master
theses.
Conference proceedings
Unpublished manuscripts
Reports
Newspapers
Govt documents etc.

21

Literature Survey

computerized
databases is now readily
The

available and accessible, which

makes the literature search much
easier, and can be done without
entering the portals of a library
building.
22

Reasons for the Literature

Survey
1.

2.

3.

4.

To demonstrate familiarity with a body of

knowledge and establish credibility.
Helps to find the important variables that
are likely to influence the problem
situation are not left out of the study.
Helps in the development of the
theoretical framework and hypotheses for
testing.
The problem statement can be made with
23
precision and clarity.

Reasons for the Literature

Survey
5.

6.

7.

Making a linkage with the body of

knowledge and continue the line of
thought.
Testability and replicability of the
findings of the current research are
enhanced.
One does not run the risk of wasting
efforts on trying to rediscover
something that is already known.
24

Conducting the Literature

Survey

The literature review needs to be done

on the specific issues of concern to the
researcher and the factors identified
during preliminary data gathering.
The first step in this process involves
identifying the various published and
unpublished materials that are available
on the topic of interest, and gaining
access to these.
25

Conducting the Literature

Survey

The second step is gathering

the relevant information either by
going through the necessary
materials in a library or by getting
access to online sources.

The third step is writing up the

literature review.
26

Searching for literature

There are three forms of
databases:
1.The bibliographic databases,
which display only the bibliographic
citations, that is, the name of the
author, the title of the article (book),
source of publication, year, volume,
and page numbers.
27

Searching for Literature

2.

3.

The abstract databases, which in

addition provide an abstract or
summary of the articles.
The full-text databases, which
provide the full text of the article.

28

Online search provides the

:following advantages
1.
2.

3.

4.

Saving enormous amount of time.

Are comprehensive in their listing and
review of references.
The researcher can focus on materials
most central to the research efforts.
Finding access to references is
relatively inexpensive.

29

Searching for Literature

From the bibliography on the subject, the
researcher should do the followings:
A look at the titles of the articles or books will
indicate which of these may be important.
The abstract of such articles that seem to be
relevant will give an idea of the article that
need to be looked into in depth.
The full text of which can then be printed out.

30

Searching for Literature

While reading these articles, take

notes about the problem that was
researched, the design details of
the study (such as the sample size
and data collection methods), and the
ultimate findings of the study.
These notes will facilitates the
writing up of the literature review
with maximum efficiency.
31

Writing Up the Literature

Review
The written literature review is a clear
and logical presentation of the relevant
research work done thus far in the area
of investigation.
Documenting the literature is important
to Convince the reader that:

1.

2.

The researcher is knowledgeable about the problem

area.
The theoretical framework will be structured on
work already done and will add to the solid
32

Example of Literature Surveys

Organizational effectiveness
Organization theorists have defined
organizational effectiveness (OE) in various
ways. OE has been described in terms of
objectives (Georgopolous and Tannenbaum,
1957), goals (Etzioni, 1960), efficiency (Katz
and Kahn, 1966), resources acquisition
(Yuchtman and Seashore, 1967). As Coutler
(2002) remarked, there is little consensus on
how to conceptualize, measure, or explain OE.33

Example of Literature Surveys

Researchers are now moving away from a
single model and are taking contingency
approaches to conceptualizing OE
(Cameron, 1996; Wernerfelt, 1998; Yetley,
2001). However, they are still limiting
themselves to examining the impact of the
dominant factors in the organizations life
cycle instead of taking a broader, more
. dynamic approach (Dahl, 2001, p.25)
34

What insights can be gained

?from the above example
1.

2.

3.

The literature review introduces the

subject of study.
Highlights the problem (that we do
not have a good conceptual
framework for understanding OE).
Summarizes the work done so far on
the topic (by reporting the citations in the
body of the research by mentioning the family
names and the year of publication only).
35

Defining the Problem

Statement

After the literature review,

the researcher is in position
to narrow down the problem
from its original broad base
and define the issues of
concern more clearly.
36

What makes a good problem

?statement
The problem statement
introduces the key problem that
is addressed in the research
project.
Problem statement is a clear,
precise, and short statement of
the specific issue that a researcher
wishes to investigate.
37

The three key criteria for

problem statement

There are three key criteria to

assess the quality of the
problem statement:
1. It should be relevant
2. It should be feasible
3. It should be interesting
38

From an academic perspective,

:research is relevant if
1.
2.

3.

4.

Nothing is known about the topic.

Much is known about the topic, but
the knowledge is scattered.
Much research on the topic is
available, but the results are
contradictory.
Established relationships do not
hold in certain situations.
39

A problem statement is feasible

If you are able to answer the problem statement

within the restrictions of the research
project.
These restrictions are possibly related to time,
resources and the expertise of the
researcher (a problem statement may be too
difficult to answer).
Thus, it is important that you develop a
narrowly defined question that can be
investigated with a reasonable amount of
time and effort.
40

The problem statement is

interesting

Because research is a time-consuming

process and you will go through many
ups and downs before you present a
final version of your research report.
It is therefore vital that you are
interested in the problem statement
that you are trying to answer, so you
can stay motivated throughout the
entire process.
41

Examples of broad problem areas that

a manager could observe at the
: workplace

Training programs are not as effective as

anticipated.
The motivation level of employees is
declining.
Minority group members are not advancing
in their careers.
The newly installed information system is
not being used by the managers for whom
it was primarily designed.
The introduction of monetization of
transport policy for BS 20 and above
officers has created more problems than it
42
has solved.

Example: Statement of Problem & Research

Questions
The purpose of this study is to describe and
compare the attitudes and performance of male and
female graduate students regarding required
research courses at Punjab University.
Research Questions:

1. What are the attitudes of graduate Students regarding required

research courses?
2. What is the performance of graduate Students in required
research courses?
3. What are the attitudes of male graduate students regarding
required research Courses?
4. What are the attitudes of female graduate students regarding
required research courses?
5. What is the performance of male graduate students in required
research courses?
6. What is the performance of female graduate students in required
research courses?
7. Are there difference between the attitudes of male and female
graduate students regarding required research courses?
8. Are there differences between the performance of male and
female graduate students in required research courses?

Enough for
today

Research Design

.John Wiley & Sons Ltd 2009

45

Types of Data
Primary data. 1
:Sources of primary data include such things as
Questionnaires
Interviews
Observational studies (including Participant Observation)
Content Analysis

Secondary data .2
:Sources of secondary data include such things as
Newspaper articles
Books, magazines, the mass media
The research of other social scientists
46

Types of Data
Quantitative data. 3
This form of data results from an attempt, as the name
suggests, to quantify the relationship between two or more
things. In this respect, an attempt is made to
.represent the relationship statistically / numerically

Qualitative data. 4
This form of data results from an attempt to specify the quality
of the relationship between two or more things. This usually
involves the attempt to say something about the way people
.experience the social world and their social relationships
47

Aims of Research

To explore in order to make further

research possible
To explain by providing reliable, valid and
well documented information
To make predictions
To understand human behavior and action
To offer a basis for a critique of social
reality
To develop and/or test theories

 Methodology refers to the logic that underpins the use of

particular methods of data collection.
Methodology is primarily concerned with questions of
validity in relation to the production of knowledge about
the world.
Methodology refers to the logical principles we adopt
when considering which methods to use in our study of
the social world
The relationship between theory and sociological
methods can be summarized as the relationship between
the concepts of:
a. Ontology (What we believe exists).
b. Epistemology (The proof we will accept to justify this belief).
c. Methodology ( How we go about collecting what we consider to
be valid proof).
d. Methods (The techniques we use to actually collect valid proof).