Business Research process

By Amandeep Kaur Ashish Agnihotri Ashish Gera Nitin Saksena Parul Arora Shalini Jain

1 Introduction to Research
1.1What is research ?

Research is the process of finding

solutions to a problem after a thorough study and analysis of the situational factors.

1.2.What is business research?

Research provides the needed

information that guides managers to make informed decisions to successfully deal with problems. The information provided could be the result of a careful analysis of data gathered firsthand or of data that are already available (in the company).

1.3.Types of Business research.

1.Applied research Is to solve a current problem faced by the

manager in the work setting,demanding a timely solution. 2.Basic research (fundamental, pure)
Is to generate a body of knowledge by trying to

comprehend how certain problems that occur in organizations can be solved.

The findings of such research contribute to the

building of knowledge in the various functional areas of business.

The seven-step process in the Hypothetico-Deductive method

1 Observation 2 Problem identification 3 Theoretical framework 4 Hypothesizing 5 Research design 6 logical analysis 7 Deduction

8 Report writing 9 Report presentation

The seven-step process

Observation is A method of data collection in which

the situation of interest is watched and the relevant facts, actions and behaviors are recorded. And broad area of research interest identified.
Problem statement is a clear, precise, and succinct

statement of the question or issue that is to be investigated with the goal of finding an answer or solution. On the basis of problem identified research can be of Explorative Descriptive Causal

 Theoretical framework is the foundation on which the entire research project is based. It is logically developed ,described, and elaborated network of associations among the variables relevant to the problem situation.

Variables
Independent : manipulated variable in an experiment Dependent (Criterion variable) :The effect in an experiment. Explanatory ( Causal ): Independent variable that influences dependent variable. Extraneous Variable ( non-observable): Independent variable other then one manipulated in the experiment ( not related to the purpose of the study), which affects the result. Unless controlled,

 A hypothesis is a tentative statement that

proposes a possible explanation to some phenomenon or event. A useful hypothesis is a testable statement which may include a prediction. A hypotheses should not be confused with a theory.

A statement containing two or more variables, That are measurable. The relationship between the variable is stated that can be accepted or refuted by empirical data.

 Research Design The research problem having been formulated in clear cut terms, the researcher will be required to prepare a research design, i.e., he will have to state the conceptual structure within which research would be conducted. The preparation of such a design facilitates research to be as efficient as possible yielding maximal information. In other words, the function of research design is to provide for the collection of relevant evidence with minimal expenditure of effort, time and money.

 Data analysis: the data gathered are

statistically analyzed to see if the hypotheses that were generated have been supported.

Editing

Coding Tabulation

Deduction is the process of arriving at

conclusions by interpreting the meaning of the data analysis results.

The Research Report

Research proposal Research report

Research Proposal
Title Page Abstract (on a separate single page) The Body (no page breaks between sections in the body)

Introduction (2-3 pages) Methods (7-10 pages) Sample (1 page) Measures (2-3 pages) Design (2-3 pages) Procedures (2-3 pages) Results (2-3 pages) Conclusions (1-2 pages) References Tables (one to a page) Figures (one to a page) Appendices

Research report articles vary in how they are organized, :

Abstract - Brief summary of the contents of the article Introduction - A explanation of the purpose of the study, a statement

of the research question(s) the study intends to address Literature review - A critical assessment of the work done so far on this topic, to show how the current study relates to what has already been done Methods - How the study was carried out (e.g. instruments or equipment, procedures, methods to gather and analyze data) Results - What was found in the course of the study Discussion - What do the results mean Conclusion - State the conclusions and implications of the results, and discuss how it relates to the work reviewed in the literature review; also, point to directions for further work in the area

Questions?