RESEARCH IN MANAGEMENT TYPES OF RESEARCH

WHY RESEARCH IN MANAGEMENT?

Managers make decisions and solve problems All managers have responsibilities for ensuring utilization of resources and maintenance of their subordinates To make decisions about personnel and solve human issues, managers need data (conclusions are drawn from data) Effective managers will attempt to substitute systematic inquiry and analysis in place of intuitions wherever possible Management decisions can be improved if managers appreciate and use research findings In todays changing world, there is an increased need for more and better information
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WHY RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT IN MANAGEMENT?

The trend toward complexity has increased the risk associated with business decisions, making sound information basis mandatory and important There are more variables to consider in every decision Knowledge explosion prevails in every field of management Companies now focus on competitive gains Theories and models are widely used to explain tactical and strategic results Industry stakeholders demand for participation in decision making as they are better informed

WHY RESEARCH IS IMPORTANT IN MANAGEMENT?

Data warehousing and data mining have become important in new age organizations Computers have given the capability to easily analyze data to deal with todays complex managerial problems Techniques of quantitative analysis take advantage of increasingly powerful computing capabilities The number and power of tools used to conduct research have increased Communication and measurement techniques within research have enhanced

WHAT IS RESEARCH?

The term research frequently carries the connotation of irrelevant findings that have little generalizability to practice Research is not the province of solely of scientists and academicians its a mandatory and ongoing part of every managers job Research is defined as a systematic and goal-oriented investigation of facts that seeks to establish a relationship between two or more phenomena (De Cenzo & Robbins) Business research is a systematic inquiry whose objective is to provide information to solve managerial problems (Cooper & Schindler)

MEANING OF RESEARCH

Research refers to search for knowledge Research is a systematized effort to gain new knowledge Research is a scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic Research is a movement from the known to the unknown Research is a careful investigation or inquiry specially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge Research is a revision of accepted conclusions in the light of newly discovered facts

DEFINITION OF RESEARCH

The manipulation of things, concepts or symbols for the purpose of generalizing to extend, correct or verify knowledge, whether that knowledge aids in construction of theory or in the practice of an art (D. Slesinger & M. Stephenson) Research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions: collecting, organizing and evaluating data, making deduction and reaching conclusions; and at least carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.

RESEARCH SKILLS & MANAGERRESEARCHER RELATIONSHIP

One can profit by having research skills in situations: Manager as research-based decision maker Subordinate employee as researcher Manager as research services buyer or evaluator Manager as evaluator of secondary data services Research specialist The sources of Manager-Researcher conflicts: Knowledge gap between the manager and the researcher Job status and internal politics Researchers isolation from managers

WHAT IS GOOD RESEARCH?

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Purpose clearly defined Research process detailed Research design thoroughly planned High ethical standards applied Limitations frankly revealed Adequate analysis for decision makers needs Findings presented unambiguously Conclusions justified Researchers experience reflected (reputation, integrity, credibility etc)

TYPES OF RESEARCH
Fundamental vs. Applied Research: Fundamental/Pure/Basic Research: Concerned with generalizations and with the formulation of a theory Gathering knowledge for the sake of knowledge It aims to solve perplexing questions (problems) of a theoretical nature that have little direct impact on action, performance or policy decisions Applied/Action Research: It has practical problem-solving emphasis It aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing society/industrial or business organization

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Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research: Quantitative Research: It is based on the measurement of quantity/amount It is applicable to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity e.g.: Market share, Financial health of a firm, Attrition rate Qualitative Research: It is concerned with qualitative phenomena (e.g.: Investigating reasons for human behavior, discussing the underlying motives and desires etc.) This is specifically important in behavioral sciences e.g. A study on customer satisfaction among mobile users

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Reporting Study: The most elementary level of study It provides only an account or summation of some data or to generate some statistics It calls for knowledge and skill with information sources and gatekeepers of information sources It usually requires little inference or conclusion drawing The main criticism is that it does not qualify as research e.g.: Data collection and analysis for company acquisition, details on absenteeism/turn over among employees, data on compensation and benefits or data on job performance of employees

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Descriptive vs. Analytical Research: Descriptive Research: The purpose is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present It tries to discover answers to the questions who, what, where, when and sometimes, how The researcher attempts to describe or define a subject, often by creating a profile of a group of problems, people or events These studies may involve the collection of data and creation of a distribution of the number of times the researcher observes a single event or characteristic (research variable) or may involve relating two or more variables. The researcher has no control over the variables; he can only report what has happened/is happening E.g.: Frequency of shopping, preferences of customers, job performance of employees (across different age groups, departments or organizations)

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Descriptive vs. Analytical Research: Analytical Research: As different from descriptive study here the researcher has to use facts or information already available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material e.g.: An analysis of job performance of employees across different age groups, hierarchical levels, functional departments or its relationship with other variables It can be an explanatory, empirical or diagnostic study

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Conceptual vs. Empirical/Experimental Research: Conceptual Research: It is related to some abstract idea or theory It is used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to interpret existing ones Empirical/Experimental Research: It relies on experience or observation alone, often without due regard for system and theory It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified by observation and experiment This type is appropriate when proof is sought that certain variables affect other variables in some way

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Explanatory Research: This type is grounded in theory and theory is created to answer why and how questions It goes beyond descriptions and attempts to explain the reasons for the phenomena that the descriptive study only observed This type involves the study of relationship between two or more variables (also known as co relational study) Here the researcher uses theories or hypotheses to explain the causal relationship between the phenomena The researcher tests these hypotheses and proves/disproves the relationship between the variables e.g.: A study on the relationship between levels of motivation and job performance of employees

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Predictive Research: This is also rooted in theory It provides plausible explanations for an event after it has occurred It is desirable to be able to predict when and in what situations the event will occur e.g.: Explaining the changes in job performance among employees. The variables might include levels of motivation, compensation practices, management-employee relationship, work environment etc. Here we would be able to control a phenomenon once we explain and predict it

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Clinical or Diagnostic Research: They follow case-study methods or in-depth approaches to reach the basic causal relationships They usually go deep into the causes of things or events using very small samples and very deep probing data gathering devices Exploratory Research: The objective is the development of hypotheses rather than their testing e.g.: There exists a relationship between levels of motivation and job performance of employees

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One-Time Research vs. Longitudinal Research: - From the point of view of time: When research is confined to a single time period one-time research When research is carried on over several time-periods longitudinal research Field Setting or Laboratory Research: - Depending upon the environment in which research is carried out e.g.: Case study research in a single industrial organization

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Historical Research: It utilizes historical sources like documents, remains etc. to study events or ideas of the past, including the philosophy of persons and groups at any remote point of time Conclusion- Oriented Research: Here the researcher is free to pick up a problem, redesign the enquiry as he proceeds and is prepared to conceptualize as he wishes Decision-Oriented Research: It is for the need of a decision maker and here the researcher is not free to embark upon research according to his own inclination e.g.: Operations Research provides quantitative basis for decisions regarding operations

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