The Research Process: The broad

problem area and defining the

problem statement

CHAPTER 3

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Chapter Objectives
1. Discuss how problem areas can be identified.
2. State research problems clearly and precisely.
3. Explain how primary and secondary data help
the researcher to develop a problem
statement.
4. Develop relevant and comprehensive
bibliographies for any research topic.
5. Write a literature review on any given topic.
6. Develop a research proposal.
Broad Problem Area
• The broad problem area refers to the entire situation where
one sees a possible need for research and problem solving.
Such issues might pertain to:
1. Problems currently existing in an organizational setting that
need to be solved. →
Broad Problem Area
2. Areas that a manager believes needs to be improved in the
organization.
3. A conceptual or theoretical issue that needs to be tightened
up for the basic researcher to understand certain
phenomena.
4. Some research questions that a basic researcher wants to
answer empirically.
 Examples of Broad Problem Areas that
Could be Observed at the Work Place
• Training programs are perhaps not as effective as
anticipated.
• The sales volume of a product is not picking up.
• Inventory control is not effective
• Some members in organization are not
advancing in their careers.
• The introduction of flexible work hours has
created more problems than it has solved in
many companies.
Preliminary Data Collection
• The nature of data to be gathered could be
classified under three headings:
1. Background information of the organization
(the contextual factors).
2. Prevailing knowledge on the topic (relevant
findings from previous research).
Preliminary Data Collection
• The background details of the company can be obtained from
available published records, the web site of the company.
• Company policies, procedures, and rules can be obtained from
the organization’s records and documents.
• Data gathered through such existing sources are called
secondary data.
Preliminary Data Collection
• Secondary data,
are data that already exist and do
not have to be collected by the researcher.
• Some secondary sources of data are statistical
bulletins, government publications, information
published or unpublished and available from
either within or outside the organization, library
records, data available from previous research,
online data, web sites, and the Internet.
Preliminary Data Collection
• Other types of information such as the
perceptions and attitudes of employees are best
obtained by talking to them; by observing
events, people, and objects; or by administering
questionnaires to individuals.
• Such data gathered for research from the actual
site of occurrence of events are called primary
data.
Prevailing knowledge on the topic
• A literature review should help the researcher to identify and
highlight the important variables that are related to the
problem.
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.
Literature Survey
• The library is a rich storage base for secondary data
through books, journals, newspapers, magazines, conference
proceedings, doctoral dissertations, master’s theses,
government publications, and financial marketing, and other
reports.
Literature Survey
• The computerized databases is now
readily available and accessible, which makes the literature
search much easier, and can be done without entering the
portals of a library building.
 Reasons for the Literature Survey
1. Helps to find the important variables that are likely to
influence the problem situation are not left out of the study.
2. Helps the development of the theoretical framework and
hypotheses for testing.
3. The problem statement can be made with precision and
clarity.
 Reasons for the Literature Survey
4. Testability and replicability of the findings of the current
research are enhanced.
5. One does not run the risk of wasting efforts on trying to
rediscover something that is already known.
6. The problem investigated is perceived by the scientific
community as relevant and significant.
 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 the interview
process.
• The first step in this process involves identifying
the various published and unpublished materials
that are available on the topics of interest, and
gaining access to these.
 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.

Data Sources
• Textbooks
• Academic and professional journals
• Theses: phD theses and Master theses.
• Conference proceedings
• Unpublished manuscripts
• Reports
• Newspapers
• The internet
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.
Searching for Literature
2. The abstract databases, which in addition
provide an abstract or summary of the articles.
3. The full-text databases, which provide the full
text of the article.
 Databases are also available for obtaining
statistics- marketing, financial, and so on.
Searching for Literature
• Online search provides the following
advantages:
1. Saving enormous amount of time.
2. Are comprehensive in their listing and review
of references.
3. The researcher can focus on materials most
central to the research efforts.
4. Finding access to references is relatively
inexpensive.
 Searching for Literature
• Accessing the online system and getting a printout of all the
published works in the area of interest from the
bibliographical index will provide a comprehensive
bibliography on the subject, which will form the basis for the
next step.
 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.
 Searching for Literature
take notes
• While reading these articles, 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.
 Writing Up the Literature
Review
• The documentation of the relevant studies citing the author
and the year of the study is calledliterature review
or literature survey.
• The literature survey is a clear and logical presentation of the
relevant research work done thus far in the area of
investigation.
 Writing Up the Literature
Review
• The purpose of the literature survey is:
To identify and highlight the important variables.
To document the significant findings from earlier research
that will serve as the foundation on which the theoretical
framework for the current investigation can be built and the
hypotheses developed.
 Writing Up the Literature
Review
 Such documentation is important to convince the reader
that:
1. The researcher is knowledgeable about the problem area.
2. The theoretical framework will be structured on work
already done and will add to the solid foundation of exiting
knowledge.
 Examples 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.
Examples 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 organization’s life
cycle instead of taking a broader, more
dynamic approach (Dahl, 2001, p.25).
What insights can be gained from
the above example?
1. The literature review introduces the subject of study.
2. Highlights the problem (that we do not have a good
conceptual framework for understanding OE).
3. 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).
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.
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.
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
From an academic perspective,
research is relevant if:
1. Nothing is known about the topic.
2. Much is known about the topic, but the knowledge is
scattered.
3. Much research on the topic is available, but the results are
contradictory.
4. Established relationships do not hold in certain situations.
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 and
money 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
reasonably amount of time and efforts.
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.
Examples of broad problem areas that a manager
could observe at the workplace:
• Training programs are not as effective as anticipated.
• The sales volume of a product is not picking up.
• 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 flexible work hours has created
more problems than it has solved in many companies.
Examples of Well-Defined
Problem Statements
• To what extent do the structure of the organization and type of
information systems installed account for the variance in the
perceived effectiveness of managerial decision making?
• To what extent has the new advertising campaign been successful
in creating the high-quality, customer-centered corporate image
that it was intended to produce?
• How has the new packaging affected the sales of the product?
• What are the effects of downsizing on the long-range growth
patterns of companies?
 Examples of Well-Defined Problem
Statements
•


 Format for Referencing
Relevant Articles
At least three modes of referencing are followed in business
research. These are based on the format provided on the
publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (APA) (2001), the Chicago Manual of Style
(1993), and the Turabian Style (1996).
 Format for Referencing
Relevant Articles
• Each of these manuals specifies how books, journals,
newspapers, dissertations, and other materials are to be
referenced in manuscripts.
• In this course, we will follow the APA format for
referencing books, journals, newspaper articles,
dissertations, and so on.
 Specimen Format for Citing
Different Types of References
Book by a single author
• Leshin, C.B. (1997). Management on the World Wide Web.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Book by more than one author
• Cornett, M., Wiley, B.J., and Sankar, S. (1998). The pleasures of
nurturing. London: McMunster Publishing.
 Specimen Format for Citing
Different Types of References
More than one book by the same author in the same year

• Roy, A. (1998a). Trade theory. New York: McMillian

Publishing Enterprises.
• Roy, A. (1998b). Traditional Trade. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey Bamar.
 Specimen Format for Citing
Different Types of References
Journal Article
• Barry, H. (1996). Cross-cultural research with
matched pairs of societies. Journal of Social
Psychology, 79, 25-33.
• Jeanquart, S., & Peluchette, J. (1997). Diversity in
the workforce and management models, Journal
of Social Work Studies, 43, 72-85.
 Specimen Format for Citing
Different Types of References
Conference proceedings Publication
• Yeshwant, M. (1998). Revised thinking on Indian philosophy
and religion. In S. Pennathur (Ed.), Proceedings of the Ninth
International Conference on Religion, (pp. 100-107). Bihar,
India: Bihar University.
 Specimen Format for Citing
Different Types of References
Doctoral/Master Dissertations

• Kiren, R.S. (1997). Medical advances and quality of life.

Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Omaha State University.
 Specimen Format for Citing
Different Types of References
Paper Presentation at Conference

• Bajaj, L. S. (1996, March 13). Practical tips for efficient work

management. Paper presented at the annual meeting of
Enterpreneurs, San Jose, CA.
 Specimen Format for Citing
Different Types of References
Unpublished Manuscript

• Pringle, P. S. (1991). Training and development in the 90s'.

Unpublished manuscript, Southern Illinois University,
Diamondale, IL.
 Specimen Format for Citing
Different Types of References
Newspaper Article
• The new GM pact. ( 1998, July 28). Concord Tribune, p.1.
Referencing Electronic Sources
• Author, I. (1998). Technology and immediacy of information
[On-line] Available http://www.bnet.act.com
 Examples of the Referencing In the
Literature Review Section:
• When a work is authored by two individuals,
always cite both names every time the reference
occurs in the text.
• When a work has more than two authors but
fewer than six authors, cite all authors the first
time the reference occurs, and subsequently
include only the surname of the first author
followed by "et al." as the example in the next
slide:
 Examples of the Referencing In the
Literature Review Section:
• Sekaran, U., Martin, T., Trafton, N., and Osborn, R.N., (1980)
found…….(first citation).

• Sekaran et al. (1980)

found……
….(subsequent citation).
 Examples of the Referencing In the
Literature Review Section:
• When a work is authored by six or more
individuals, cite only the surname of the first
author followed by et al. and the year for the
first and subsequent citations.
• Join the names in a multiple-author citation in
running text by the word and. In parenthetical
material, in tables, and in the reference list, join
the names by an ampersand (&). Examples are in
next slide
 Examples of the Referencing In the
Literature Review Section:
• As Tucker and Snell (1989) pointed out…..
• As has been pointed out (Tucker & Snell,
1989),…….
 Examples of the Referencing In the
Literature Review Section:
• When a work's author is designated as "Anonymous", cite in
text, the word Anonymous followed by a comma and the date:
(Anonymous, 1979). In the reference list, an anonymous work
is alphabetized by the word Anonymous.
 Examples of the Referencing In the
Literature Review Section:
• When the same author has several works
published in the same year, cite them in the
same order as they occur in the reference list,
with the in press citations coming last. For
example:
• Research on the mental health of dual-
career family members (Sekaran, 1985a, 1985b,
1985c, 1999, in press) indicates…
 Examples of the Referencing In the
Literature Review Section:
• When more than one author has to be cited in
the text, these should be in the alphabetical
order of the first author's surname, and the
citations should be separated by semicolons as
the example below:
• In the job design literature (Aldag & Brief,
1976; Alderfer, 1977; Beatty, 1982;
Jeanquart, 1998),…
 Quotations in Text
• Quotations should be given exactly as they appear in the
source. The original wording, punctuation, spelling, and italics
must be preserved.
 Quotations in Text
• The citation of the source of a direct quotation should always
include the page number(s) as well as reference
 Quotations in Text
• Use three ellipsis points (…) to indicate that you have
omitted material from the original source.
 Quotations in the Text
If the quotation is of more than 40 words, set in a free-
standing style starting on a new line and indenting the
left margin a further five spaces.
Example:
• In trying to differentiate dual-earner and dual –career families,
Sekaran (1986) states:

Various terms are used to refer to dual-earner

families: dual-worker families, two-paycheck families,
dual-income families, two-job families, and so on.
Spouses in dual-earner families may both hold jobs, or
one of the partners may hold a job while the other
pursues a career…
 Quotations in the Text
• If you intend publishing an article in which you have quoted
extensively from the copyrighted work, it is important to seek
written permission from the owner of the copyright.
The research proposal contains
the following:
• Key elements:
• Purpose of the study
• Specific problem to be investigated.
• Scope of the study
• Relevance of the study
• Research design:
• Sampling design
• Data collection methods
• Data analysis
• Time frame
• Budget
• Selected Bibliography
Example
• While Chrysler’s minivans, pickups, and sports utilities take a
big share at the truck market, its cars trail behind those of
General Motors, Ford, Honda, and Toyota. Quality problems
include, among other things water leaks and defective parts
( Business Week, No.10, 2007).
Example-cont.
1. Identify the broad problem area.
2. Define the problem?
3. Explain how you would proceed further.
Answers

1. The broad problem is that the Chrysler cars are lagging in

market share.
2. The problem statement: How can the market share of
Chrysler cars be improved?
answers
3. It is best to interview the users of GM, Ford,
Honda, and Toyota car users and obtain from
them their reaction – both positive and
negative- to the cars they use, and why they
prefer them.
• Similar reactions from the users of Chrysler cars
should also be gathered. One should proceed
further based on the analysis of these responses.
•
 Nial Bolger
The Effect of Research on Productivity.
Management Journal
Vol.69 No.5, 2006
-
 Daniel A. Girdano
George S. Everly
Dorothy E. Dusek
Controlling Productivity
Applied Economics
Vol.2, no.1, 2001
-
-

Jordan Investment Board

Investing in Jordan

www.jordaninvestment.com
Bolger, 2006
 Girdano et. al, 2001

Jordan Investment
Board, 2000
•

-
•
1.Bolger, Nial (2006). The Effect of Research on
Productivity. Management Journal, 69(5): 20-35.
2.Girdano, Daniel A.; George S. Everly; and
Dorothy E. Dusek (2001). Controlling
Productivity, Applied Economics, 2(1): 15-30.
3. Jordan Investment Board (2000). Investing in
Jordan. www.jordaninvestment.com.
Practice projects
• Do the project assigned below, following the
step-by-step process outlined:
1. Compile a bibliography on any one of the
following topics, or any other topic of interest
to you:
a. service quality b. product development c.
open-market operations
d. information systems
Practice projects
2. From this bibliography, select 10 references that include
books, periodicals, and newspaper items.
3. Based on these 10 articles, write a literature review using the
citation forms as described in our lectures.
4. Formulate a problem statement.
Visit the following websites
• Intel http://www.intel.com
• Microsoft http://www.microsoft.com

write a paragraph on each of these companies.