PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

NAME- Raj Butani

Roll No.- 177139 TYBBA-A

Ans-1)

Likert scale:
Various kinds of rating scales have been developed to measure attitudes directly (i.e. the person
knows their attitude is being studied).  The most widely used is the Likert scale (1932). In its
final form, the Likert scale is a five (or seven) point scale which is used to allow the individual to
express how much they agree or disagree with a particular statement. For analysis of data,
summarize using a median or a mode (not a mean as it is ordinal scale data); the mode is
probably the most suitable for easy interpretation.

Likert Scales have the advantage that they do not expect a simple yes / no answer from the
respondent, but rather allow for degrees of opinion, and even no opinion at all.

Therefore, quantitative data is obtained, which means that the data can be analysed with relative
ease.

Example:

Given your most recent experience, please rate the following attributes you had experienced on a
scale of 1 to 7 ( 1 being completely dissatisfied and 07 being completely satisfied)

Ite Attribute
Satisfied

Completely
Satisfied

Mostly
Satisfied

Somewhat

Neutral
Dissatisfied

Somewhat
Dissatisfied

Mostly
Dissatisfied

Completely
m

Responsiveness 07 06 05 04 03 02 01

01 Handling of Delayed
•
Flights

02 Check-In/Baggage
•
Handling Service

03 Handling Passengers •

1
04 Vernacular/Foreign
•
Language Skills

Assurance

05 Back Office
•
Operations

06 Error-Free/Fair
•
Transactions

Tangibles

07 In-Flight (Digital)
Services/Entertainme •
nt Facilities

08 Food and
Beverages/Cuisine •
Provided

09 External Appearance
•
of the Airplane

10 Provision of
•
Pillow/Blankets

11 Crew/Staff
Grooming/Appearan •
ce and Attitude

12 Cleanliness of
•
Cabin/Toilets

Empathy

13 Convenient
Operating
•
Hours/Flight
Schedules

14 Personal/Individual
Attention to •
Customers

15 Consideration to
Women/Children/Dif •
ferently Abled

2
 16 Crew/Staff
Behaviour Towards •
Delayed

Reliability

17 Punctual/Providing
Service at the •
Promised Time

18 Insistence on Error
•
Free Records

19 Sincerity of Interest
in Solving •
Customer’s Problem

20 Frequent Flyer
•
Incentive/Program

Semantic differential scale:

Semantic Differential Scale is a survey or questionnaire rating scale that asks people to rate a
product, company, brand or any "entity" within the frames of a multi-point rating options. These
survey answering options are grammatically on opposite adjectives at each end. For example,
love / hate, satisfied / unsatisfied and likely to return / unlikely to return with intermediate
options in between.

Surveys or questionnaires using Semantic Differential Scale is the most reliable way to get
information on people’s emotional attitude towards a topic of interest.

Semantic differential scale questions are used to ask respondents to rate your products,
organization or services with multi-point questions with polar adjectives at the extremes of this
scale like likely/ unlikely, happy/sad, loved the service/ hated the service.

Example:

Given your recent experience with Jet Airways please provide your feedback on scale of satisfied
to dissatisfied.

Satisfied ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ Dissatisfied

ITEM Attribute

3
 Responsiveness

01 Handling of Delayed Flights •

02 Check-In/Baggage Handling
•
Service

03 Handling Passengers •

04 Vernacular/Foreign Language
•
Skills

Assurance

05 Back Office Operations •

06 Error-Free/Fair Transactions •

Tangibles

07 In-Flight (Digital)
Services/Entertainment •
Facilities

08 Food and Beverages/Cuisine

•
Provided

09 External Appearance of the

•
Airplane

10 Provision of Pillow/Blankets •

11 Crew/Staff
Grooming/Appearance and •
Attitude

12 Cleanliness of Cabin/Toilets •

Empathy

13 Convenient Operating
•
Hours/Flight Schedules

14 Personal/Individual Attention
•
to Customers

15 Consideration to •
Women/Children/Differently

4
 Abled

16 Crew/Staff Behaviour
•
Towards Delayed

Reliability

17 Punctual/Providing Service at
•
the Promised Time

18 Insistence on Error Free

•
Records

19 Sincerity of Interest in
•
Solving Customer’s Problem

20 Frequent Flyer
•
Incentive/Program

Ans-2)

Following Measure Scales are used for each characteristics:

(A) Colour of a dishwasher - Interval Scale

Rank the dishwasher color as per your liking.

White, black, grey, green, blue

Because, we can find out the most liked color using this information, and it is easier for the
respondent to answer in this format.

(B) Age of a TV - Ratio scale

After how much time do you normally change your TV after buying it?
5
All mathematical and statistical operations can be carried out using the ratio scale data.
Moreover we can convert it into other forms.

(C) Occupation - Interval Scale

How much do you earn annually

1). Upto ₹5,00,000

2). ₹5,00,001 - ₹15,00,000
3). ₹15,00,001- ₹45,00,000
4). Above ₹45,00,000

(D) Brand Loyalty: Ordinal Scale

In order to determine the brand loyalty, Ordinal Scales are used because by knowing the importance of
various attributes, we can figure out what is more important for Brand Loyalty:

Rank the attributes. The most important attribute should be ranked one and so on:

Attribute Rank

Customer Satisfaction

Repeat Purchases

Purchased more frequently

Customer perceived valueBuilding trust in customers

(E ) Readership of a newspaper: Ratio/Ordinal Scales

Various types of questions may lead to readership of the newspaper. In order to ask the newspaper
reading time in the daytime, which time does they prefer the most and which least. We divide the time
slabs and can get to know how much percent people read during a particular time. We are using Ratio
Scales here because we can compare and do arithmetic computations regarding ratios with percentages.

Newspaper reading time Percentage of people

6 am – 8am
8am – 10am
10am – 2pm
2pm – 6pm
6pm – 10pm
After 10pm

6
We can also ensure the readership and reading habits by asking certain questions to customers. We use
Ordinal Scales to determine their preferences regarding the aspects of readership:

Attribute Rank
Read newspaper for Knowledge and awareness
purpose
Read newspaper because society does so
Read newspaper because it gives topic to talk
about
Read newspaper because you feel your day is
incomplete without newspaper
Read newspaper for Career or Financial Literacy
purpose

Through these questions we can come to know about various newspaper reading patterns of the
customers.

(F) Intension to Purchase a TV: Interval Scale

There are various factors which determine that what strongly leads to purchasing of TV by the
Customer. The customer can mark or grade on a continuum scale so the scale used here is the Interval
Scale.

Factors driving to purchase Stronly Disagree (2) Neither Agree(4) Strongly

Disagree(1) agree nor Agree(5)
disagree(3)
Customer perceived value
Celebrity Endorsements
Customer Knowledge of TV
Specifications
Loyalty regarding particular
brand
Behaviour of Store
representative
Ans-3)

Information gathered during data collection may lack uniformity. A researcher checks for
completeness, accuracy, consistency of data, collection, and arranging the data in a systematic
manner this is known as Editing. For example:- Data collected through questionnaire and
schedules may have answers which may not be ticked at proper places, or some questions may
be left unanswered. The researcher has to take a decision as to how to edit it. Once the validation
process has been completed, the next step is the editing of the raw data obtained. In this stage, all
detectable errors and omissions have been examined and the necessary actions have been taken.

The process to edit a questionnaire starts out by identifying incorrect entries. This is to make sure
all questions are answered in the format they are asked. Any discrepancies in this way could
hinder the results of the study, so it is crucial to make sure that any errors are identified. For
example, in case of a reasoning question, someone put a yes/no answer, it would be difficult to
interpret its true meaning for the study. If you carry out quick frequency check of the response;
this will immediately detect an unexpected value.
7
If there is a case of ‘armchair interviewing’ or a ‘falsified interview’, the researcher has to be
careful to avoid this. One way to handle this is to first scroll the answers to the open-ended
questions. If the investigator is filling in multiple forms, it is difficult to fake different responses,
they generally put in the same answers.

The standard processes available to carry out the editing process are -

·Backtracking: The best and the most efficient way of handling unsatisfactory responses is to
return to the field and go back to the respondents. This technique is best used for industrial
surveys, whereas it is easier to track the respondent, who can be encouraged to give answers to
the non-response or illegible answers. In individual surveys, this becomes a little difficult, as
sometimes the person might have indicated only the locality he lives in and there is no contact
detail. E.g.- a survey is conducted in a factory to know the employee satisfaction with the safety
of workplace. If the employees have filled the survey in an illegible and different language, it is
better to go to the factory yourself and make sure they understood the questions as per your
interpretations and write them down yourself in English. This will ensure correct results and no
discrepancies.

·Allocating missing values: This is a contingency plan that the researcher might need to adopt
in case going back to the field is not possible. Then the option might be to assign a missing value
to the blanks or the unsatisfactory responses. Eg – if most questionnaires have the same question
as empty by most answerers, then it is best to assign 3(neutral value in a 5 point scale). In this
way there will be parity for that question in all responds.

·Plug Value: In this case, when the variable being studied is the key variable, then sometimes
the researcher might insert a plug value. Sometimes one can plug an average or a neutral value in
such cases. Eg- if a survey on the mood of college students is circulated, the researcher can put
the question of age as a neutral value because college students will be 17-23 in age for sure.

·Discarding unsatisfactory responses: If the response sheet has too many blanks/illegible or
multiple responses for a single answer, the form is not worth correcting and editing. Hence it is
much better to completely discard the whole questionnaire. If too many forms are discarded then
the sample for the study might become too small for an analysis or generalization, so hence it is
advisable to carry out another round of field visits. Eg- if an illiterate worker has filled out a
survey and they have not written many answers and the rest are in Gujarati, it is better to scrape
the response.

While carrying out the editing the researcher needs to ensure that:

·The data obtained is complete in all respects. The researcher has to make sure the data compiled
is full and complete in all questions.

·It is accurate in terms of information recorded and responses sought. The questions and
interpretation of them is doing correctly, only then it makes sense to record the response for the
study, or it could hinder the research result.

·Questionnaires are understandable and are correctly translated, especially the open ended
questions. The investigator is supposed to understand each question correctly, as intended by the
8
researcher. Only then they will be able to make the respondent understand and answer in that
manner.

·The response format is in the form that was instructed. Eg – when the question is asked to rate
in a 5 point scale, then a yes/no answer won’t work.

·The data is structured in a manner that entering the information will not be a problem. Eg – it is
not difficult for the respondent to understand that you have to give reason for answering either
yes or no.

Ans-4)

4(A)

Questio Variable Name Coding Instruction Symbol Used for

n No. Variable Name
1 Are you an employee of Max New Yes-1 X1
York Life Insurance? No-0
2 Work period with the current Less than 1 year-1 X2
organization 1-5 years-2
5-10 years-3
10-15 years-4
More than 15 years-5
3 Job Title X3
4 Organisational Cultural Factors Very Unimportant-1 X4
Unimportant-2
Indifferent-3
9
 Important-4
Very Important-5
5 Effect of Organisational Cultural Very Low-1 X5
Factors on performance Low-2
Moderate-3
High-4
Very High-5
6 Motivational Factors Very Unimportant-1 X6
Unimportant-2
Indifferent-3
Important-4
Very Important-5
7 Effect of Motivational Factors on Very Low-1 X7
performance Low-2
Moderate-3
High-4
Very High-5
8 Effective Work Performance X8
Being focused and working with Yes-1 X81
the intention of creating results that No-0
benefit the stakeholders in any
given situation
Accomplishment of a given task Yes-1 X82
measured against present standards No-0
of accuracy, completeness, cost,
and speed
Clearly and consistently Yes-1 X83
performing all duties above No-0
expectations
Attainment of specific results Yes-1 X84
required by the job through No-0
specific actions while maintaining
or being consistent with processes,
procedures and conditions of the
organizational environment
Appropriate execution of processes Yes-1 X85
and procedures No-0
9 Age Below 25 Years-1 X9
25-35 Years-2
35-45 Years-3
45-55 Years-4
Above 55 Years-5
10 Experience in Insurance Sector Less than 1 year-1 X10
1-5 years-2
5-10 years-3
10-15 years-4
More than 15 years-5
11 Educational Qualification BE-1 X11

10
 B. Tech-2
BSc-3
BBA-4
BA-5
MBA-6
MA-7
MS-8
M. Tech-9
MSc-10
B. Com-11
Others-12
12 Other factors that affect X12
performance

4(B)

S.No Job Title Coding Instruction

.
1 Appointed actuary Yes-1
No-0
2 Deputy manager director Yes-1
No-0
3 Quality, service and innovation manager Yes-1
No-0
4 Investment manager Yes-1
No-0
5 Marketing manager Yes-1
No-0
6 E commerce and digital marketing manager Yes-1
No-0
7 HR manager Yes-1
No-0

11
 8 HR executive Yes-1
No-0
9 Legal compliance and regulations manager Yes-1
No-0
10 Finance manager Yes-1
No-0
11 Product manager Yes-1
No-0
12 Bancassurance and partnership manager Yes-1
No-0

We can prepare broad categories in advance for this question of job title as there are a limited
number of posts which are there in a life insurance company and so the respondent will choose
only from this many post.

For Question 12 also, we need post coding but for this question we cannot set broad categories in
advance because the question asked is subjective and the response may vary from person to
person. As well as the number of responses for it could be very high because we may find an
unique answer from every respondent.

Ans-5)

The report selected for the examination of contents is “The effects of stress on business
employees and programs offered by employers to manage employee stress” published on the
website www.wright.edu. The above mentioned report has a title page along with the letter of
transmission, which is basically a formalized version of acknowledging the submission. Then the
report moves on to the table of contents. The letter of authorization, which should come prior to
the table of contents is missing here, but as this report is more of a submission, the letter of
transmission is enough.

Here, an important point to be noticed is that the table of contents is segregated into parts to help
the reader in finding the tables and figures. Then the acknowledgement is not a part of this
report, but again, as this is a report which has been submitted by a group of people, the
acknowledgement can be left out as the contributions of the members has already been
acknowledged. This concludes the Preliminary Section of the report.

In this report the background and the methodology sections of the report are combined. The
introductory part of the reports includes –

12
· Introduction
· Problem Statement
· Significance of the Study
· Scope of the Study
· Literature Review
· Study Methodology
· Limitations of the Study

Although the background and methodology sections of the study are combined here, they cannot
be considered wrong as the order of the contents is still the same as has been mentioned in the
book.

Next, as per the book, comes the finding section, which has been followed by the report as well.
This section also includes the data in the chart and tables form which makes it convenient for the
reader and makes the data reading simpler.

The conclusion section, as per the book, must include the conclusions, recommendations and the
limitations of the study. In the report, the conclusions and recommendations are included in this
part, but the limitations are included in the preliminary stage. There is no much significance of
the limitations being included in the introduction, hence, they could’ve been included here.

The final stage of the report includes the bibliography and also the questionnaire that had been
used in the data collection process. Although the inclusion of the questionnaire in the report has
not been specifically mentioned in the book, but it’s a good idea to include that too for the
convenience of the reader. Also, overall the report is aligned with the points mentioned in the
book, except the limitations part which should be included in the conclusion segment of the
report.

Ans-6)

Research reports are recorded data prepared by researchers or statisticians after analyzing
information gathered by conducting organized research, typically in the form of surveys or
qualitative methods.

Reports usually are spread across a vast horizon of topics but are focused on communicating
information about a particular topic and a very niche target market. The primary motive of
research reports is to convey integral details about a study for marketers to consider while
designing new strategies. Certain events, facts and other information based on incidents need to
be relayed on to the people in charge and creating research reports is the most effective
communication tool. Ideal research reports are extremely accurate in the offered information
with a clear objective and conclusion. There should be a clean and structured format for these
reports to be effective in relaying information.

The various sections of a research report are:

1. Summary
2. Background/Introduction
3. Implemented Methods
13
4. Results based on Analysis
5. Deliberation
6. Conclusion

Components of Research Reports:

Research is imperative for launching a new product/service or a new feature. The markets today
are extremely volatile and competitive due to new entrants every day who may or may not
provide effective products. An organization needs to make the right decisions at the right time to
be relevant in such a market with updated products that suffice customer demands.
The details of a research report may change with the purpose of research but the main
components of a report will remain constant. The research approach of the market researcher
also influences the style of writing reports. Here are seven main components of a productive
research report:

1. Research Report Summary: The entire objective along with the overview of research
are to be included in a summary which is a couple of paragraphs in length. All the
multiple components of the research are explained in brief under the report summary. It
should be interesting enough to capture all the key elements of the report.

2. Research Introduction: There always is a primary goal that the researcher is trying to
achieve through a report. In the introduction section, he/she can cover answers related to
this goal and establish a thesis which will be included to strive and answer it in
detail. This section should answer an integral question: “What is the current situation of
the goal?”.  

3. Research Methodology: This is the most important section of the report where all the
important information lies. The readers can gain data for the topic along with analyzing
the quality of provided content and the research can also be approved by other market
researchers. Thus, this section needs to be highly informative with each aspect of
research discussed in detail. Information needs to be expressed in chronological order
according to its priority and importance. Researchers should include references in case
they gained information from existing techniques.

4. Research Results: A short description of the results along with calculations conducted to
achieve the goal will form this section of results. Usually, the exposition after data
analysis is carried out in the discussion part of the report.

5. Research Discussion: The results are discussed in extreme detail in this section along
with a comparative analysis of reports that could probably exist in the same domain. Any
abnormality uncovered during research will be deliberated in the discussion
section. While writing research reports, the researcher will have to connect the dots on
how the results will be applicable in the real world.

6. Research References and Conclusion: Conclude all the research findings along with
mentioning each and every author, article or any content piece from where references
were taken.

14
The structure followed by the online reports is not completely efficient and effective. The
following points should be followed to make a report efficient and effective.

1. Clear report mandate: While writing the research problem statement and study
background, the writer needs to be focused, precise and very explicit in terms of the
problem under study, the background that provided the impetus to conduct the research
and the study domain. This is prepared on the assumption that the writer at no point in
time needs to be physically present in order to clarify the research mandate.

2. Clearly designed methodology: Any research study has its unique orientation and scope
and thus has a specific and customized research design, sampling and data collection
plan. The writer, thus, needs to be explicit in terms of the logical justification for having
used the study methods and techniques.

3. Clear representation of findings: The sample size for each analysis, any special
conditions or data treatment must be clearly mentioned either as a footnote or as an
endnote, so that the reader takes this into account while interpreting and understanding
the study results. The sample base is very important in justifying a trend or taking a
strategic decision.

4. Representativeness of study finding: A good research report is also explicit in terms of

extent and scope of the results obtained, and in terms of the applicability of findings. This
is also dependent on whether the assumptions and preconditions made for formulating the
conclusions and recommendations of the study have been explicitly stated.

15