ResearchMethodology Week03

RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
(Business Research Methods)
Week 3
29 August 2005 MBA III (Research Methodology) Course Instructor: Dr. Aurangzeb Z. Khan 1
Decision-Making
Decision-Making is the process of resolving a
problem or choosing amongst alternative
opportunities
 What is the problem or opportunity?

 How much Information is available?
 What Information is needed?
Complete Absolute
Decision-Making
Certainty Ambiguity
Situation
Value of Research
Certainty, Uncertainty, Ambiguity
 Certainty – Decision-maker has all the requisite information
concerning the business problem (or opportunity). Research
may be unnecessary. Complete certainty about the future is
rare in practice
 Uncertainty – General nature of the business problem is clear

but information about alternative courses of action is
incomplete as are the events which may occur. Research may
be a potentially valuable tool here
 Ambiguity – Nature of the problem to be solved is unclear.

Objectives are vague and alternatives difficult to define.
Research may be a useful excercise
Types of Research
Exploratory Research:
• undertaken with the aim of clarifying ambiguous problems

• general problems usually known but not sufficiently understood
• the purpose is to get more information, not to uncover specific
courses of action (subsequent research)
Determining a specific course of action to follow is not a

purpose of exploratory research!
Example: Child-Care support programme for employees
Types of Research
Descriptive Research:
• undertaken with the aim of determining the characteristics of a

population or phenomenon
• Previous knowledge of problem exists
• High degree of precision or accuracy required
Examples:
Who are the main consumers of organic foods?
How many students read the prescribed course literature?
Where do most holiday-makers travelling overseas go?
When do petrol stations tend to raise their prices?
Types of Research
Causal Research:
• undertaken with the aim of identifying cause and effect

relationships amongst variables
• are normally preceeded by exploratory and descriptive research
studies
• Often difficult to determine because of the influence of other
variables (concommitant Variation and the presence of other
hidden variables)
Example: Higher ice-cream consumption causes more

people to drown (indicative of a causal relationship (?))
Stages in the Research Process
Define
Problem
Planning a Conclusions
Research Design and Report
Planning Processing and

a Sample Analysing the Data
Gathering
the Data
Forward and Backward Linkages
 Forward Linkage – The earlier stages of a research project
determine the design at a later stage
Example: The goal of the research project will determine the

selection of the sample and the way data is collected
 Backward Linkage – The later stages of a research project

determine how its earlier stages are conducted
Example: The company executives require certain specific

information which the researcher anticipates and for which he
or she plans the data collection and analysis steps
accordingly
Flowcharting the Research Process (1)
Problem Discovery
Selection of Secondary (historical) data

exploratory Pilot Study
research technique Experience Survey
Case Study
Problem Definition
(Statement of research objectives)
Survey (Interview, Questionnaire)

Selection of Experiment (Laboratory, Field)
basic research Secondary Data Study
method Observation
Flowcharting the Research Process (2)
Survey (Interview, Questionnaire)

Experiment (Laboratory, Field) Collection of Data (Fieldwork)
Secondary Data Study
Observation
Editing and Coding Data
Sample Design
Data Processing and Analysis
Probability Non-Probability Interpretation of Findings

Sampling Sampling
Report
Ethical Considerations in Business
Research
• Ethics & Morals
• Societal norms and values
• Divergent perceptions of what is considered
ethical and unethical
• What is “ethical” in business research?
• Ethical Guidelines and professional
associations
Ethical Interfaces in Business Research
Subjects’ Rights Clients’ Rights
Researchers’ Obligation Researchers’ Obligation
Research Research
Researcher
Subject Sponsor
Researchers’ Rights Researchers’ Rights
Subjects’ Obligation Clients’ Obligation
Subjects Rights & Clients Obligation

Ethical Behavior Considerations:
Research Subjects
 Truthfulness in giving information to the researcher if a
research subject or respondent gives his or her consent
to participate in a research study
 Sustained cooperativeness with the researcher

throughout the course of the research study
 Adhere to responsibility if informed consent is given to

the researcher
 State any constraints or limitations in advance
Researchers
 No deception, be forthright and do not conceal the true
purpose of the research
 Maintain objectivity, courtesy and high professional
standards through scientific process
 No falsification, alteration or misrepresentation of data
for political or other purposes
 Protect the confidentiality of the research subjects and
research sponsors
 No faulty conclusions
 No inclusion or use of information or ideas contained in
competing research proposals
Research Sponsors
 No request for submission of competitive bids by
researchers if selection of the researcher has already
been made
 Avoid manipulation and influencing of the researcher
with a view to discrediting individuals or organizations
 The conclusions drawn from research work should be
consistent with the data and not influenced by other
undesirable conditions or motives
 Observe the confidentiality of the research subjects and
researcher
 Avoid Advocacy Research
The Menace of Plagiarism
Please read the CIIT Academic Honesty

Policy compiled by Mr. Laeeq-ur-Rehman
Khan which is distributed in this class as a
separate sheet
ZERO TOLERANCE (and ZERO MARKS)

for cheating and plagiarism at COMSATS
Institute of Information Technology!

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RESEARCH

 What is the problem or opportunity?

 Uncertainty – General nature of the business problem is clear

 Ambiguity – Nature of the problem to be solved is unclear.

• undertaken with the aim of clarifying ambiguous problems

Determining a specific course of action to follow is not a

Example: Child-Care support programme for employees

• undertaken with the aim of determining the characteristics of a

• undertaken with the aim of identifying cause and effect

Example: Higher ice-cream consumption causes more

Planning Processing and

Example: The goal of the research project will determine the

 Backward Linkage – The later stages of a research project

Example: The company executives require certain specific

Selection of Secondary (historical) data

Survey (Interview, Questionnaire)

Survey (Interview, Questionnaire)

Probability Non-Probability Interpretation of Findings

Researchers’ Obligation Researchers’ Obligation

Researchers’ Rights Researchers’ Rights

Subjects’ Obligation Clients’ Obligation

Subjects Rights & Clients Obligation

 Sustained cooperativeness with the researcher

 Adhere to responsibility if informed consent is given to

 State any constraints or limitations in advance

Please read the CIIT Academic Honesty

ZERO TOLERANCE (and ZERO MARKS)

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