Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi

MBA (IB) 2020-22

Course Name: Business Research Methods

Course Coordinator: - Dr. Sonu Verma / Dr. Ankit Kesharwani
Email: sonuverma@iift.edu / ankit@iift.edu

Trimester: II Credits: 3

Course Introduction

The objective of this course is to develop in a participant the approach, skills

and the attitudes required to specify, evaluate, and utilize business
information for taking sound business decisions. The course is not intended to
turn a participant into business researchers but to create enough of familiarity
with the business research procedures to enable one to seek, understand,
evaluate, and use research-based information.

Course Objectives
The course would attempt to help a participant in:
- Translating business decision problems into business research problem.
- Understanding the various steps involved in a typical business research
project.
- Defining research problem when faced with decision situation and
specifying information needed.
- Evaluating the research design for the decision situation.
- Evaluating and interpreting the ‘already available’ and the ‘new
information’ obtained.
- Utilizing the information for making business decisions.
- Becoming familiar with the problems generally associated with the
conduct of business research.

Programme Learning Goals covered through this Course

Learning Goal 3: Managing complex, uncertain business situations

Students will be equipped to manage real-life challenges in complex,

uncertain business situations.

Pedagogy
The pedagogy will be mix of regular online sessions, case discussion,
assignments, and field-based research project to achieve the above
objectives. Each student is required to give a presentation on case/projects a
primary vehicle for reinforcing learning by doing. Besides the readings in the

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course pack, additional reading material will be distributed in the class from
time to time. The sessions in the course have been organized into four modules:

1) Research problem identification, definition, and specification of

information needs;
2) Research design and data collection;
3) Analysis and interpretation; and
4) Using Business Research in specific application areas, through field project
work.

The course would make extensive use of SPSS software.

Linkages with Other Courses

The pre-requisite of the course is a strong foundation of Business Statistics. The

course would build a foundation of research methodology, which would
enable the students to carry out quantitative and qualitative research in
different functional areas of management viz., marketing, finance,
productions and operations, strategy, logistics and supply chain, human
resources and organizational behavior and information technology. Hence,
the course has direct or indirect linkage to all other courses. The knowledge
of research methods and analytic techniques would help students to better
understand the theories of different areas of management. The course would
immensely help the students in their Summer Internship in the first year, and
Dissertation Project work in the second year.

Evaluation Components
#Mid-Term (Case Analysis) : 30%
Quiz : 10%
Project Work : 20%
#End Term Exam : 40%

Text Book / Reference Text

Prescribed Text:
• William G. Zikmund; Business Research Methods: A south Asian
Perspective, latest edition Cengage Learning India Private Limited.
(Henceforth identified as WGZ)

Other Reference Books:

• Bryman & Bell: Business Research Methods, 2E, Oxford University Press.
• Cooper & Schindler: Business Research Methods, 11E, Tata McGraw-Hill
Ltd.
• Naval Bajpai: Business Research Methods, Pearson Education.
• W.G.Zikmund: Exploring Marketing Researchers, 8E, Cengage Learning Pvt.
Ltd.

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• Naresh K Malhotra; Marketing Research- An Applied Orientation, Fifth
Edition, Prentice Hall of India.
• Johnson Richard A. And Wichern, Dean W.; Applied Multivariate Statistical
Analysis, 6th Ed., Prentice Hall 2001.
• Krishnaswamy, Sivakumar:- Management Research Methodology, Pearson
Education.
• David A. Aaker, V Kumar & George S Day, Marketing Research, John Wiley
& Sons, Inc.
• Green, Tull & Albaum; Research for Business Decisions, fifth Edition, Prentice
Hall of India.
• David J Luck & Ronald S Rubin; Marketing Research: Seventh Edition,
Prentice Hall.(henceforth identified as LR)
• Boyd, Westfall and Stasch; Marketing Research: Text and Cases, Richard D
Irwin.

Session Plan:

Reading
Session Topic and Sub topics
Reference/
No. (with brief description of what intends to be achieved)
Cases*
INTRODUCTION WGZ:
* Introduction to the Course Chapter
* Business Research: Overview, Need and Value 1,2,3 & 6
* Definition and Scope of Business Research
* Information Technology and its application to Case:
Business Research Shodh -
* Types of Research Studies Market
1-2
* Research Process Research
* Explanation of the Language used in research for
* Defining Research Problem & Formulation of Economy
Hypothesis Housing
* Research Proposal (A)
* Applications
* Ethical Issues
RESEARCH DESIGN
* Meaning
* Different Types of Research Designs WGZ:
* The Basis of classification of Various Types of Chapter
3-4
Designs 4,7,8,9 &12
* Methods of Conducting Exploratory Research
* Methods of Conducting Descriptive Research
* Casual Research Design-Experimentation
BASIC CONCEPTS OF MEASUREMENT & SCALING
TECHNIQUES WGZ:
5-6 * Different Types of Measurements Chapters
* Scales for Rating & Attitude Measurement 13, 14, &15
* Questionnaire Design
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 SAMPLING & SAMPLINGS DESIGNS
* The sampling process WGZ:
7-8 * Various Sampling Concepts Chapters
* Probability & Non-probability Sampling Design 16, &17
* Determination of Sample Size
WGZ:
Chapter
7,10 &11

METHODS & TECHNIQUES OF DATA COLLECTION

* Types of Information needed for Research Case:
* Sources of Information Microsoft
9-10 * Methods of Collecting Primary & Secondary Office:
Information Gaining
* Qualitative Techniques of Data Collection Insight into
* Evaluation of Data the Life of
a College
Student (A)
and (B)

WGZ:
11 REPORT WRITING AND PRESENTATION
Chapter 25
DATA PREPARATION & BASIC ANALYSIS
* Coding, Editing, Data Processing Facilities & WGZ:
12-13 Methods Chapters
* Business Applications of univariate and bivariate 19 & 20
statistical tests t, z, chi-square, etc.
MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
* Multiple Regression Model
* Assumption, Estimation WGZ:
14-16 * Tests of Significance, R² Chapter
* Partial Correlation Coefficient 24
* Multicollinearity
* Proxy & Dummy Variables
* Factor Analysis
WGZ:
* Cluster Analysis
17-20 Chapter 24
* Discriminant Analysis
&25
* Communicating Research Result
* Cases for class discussion and presentation and other reading material will be
given in advance before the sessions.

Any Other Detailed Instructions / Information

Attendance is mandatory during students’ presentation of case/project.

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Students should come prepared with pre-reading material like
assignments/cases allocated for class discussions and their active
participation is expected to facilitate learning during the course.

Project work will require application of learnings of research methods taught

in course to some business research problem adopting systematically all steps
of Business research process .It will require data collection including some
field work to get hands on experience of questionnaire design and analysis
using SPSS software along with the proper interpretation and how to draw a
logical conclusion in research work. It will give them opportunity to explore
data sources, review of literature and impart skills on building theoretical
frameworks, empirical analysis, and practical exposure to solve business
problems.

Additional Readings/ Journals

Journals:
- Journal of Business Research
- Organizational Research Methods
- Journal of Management
- International Journal of Qualitative Methods
- Marketing Research
- Journal of Development Economics
- International Journal of Production Economics
- Journal of International Economics
- International Journal of Business and Economics
- International Trade Journal

In addition to above mentioned journals, you can refer other journals,

websites, published articles and papers on Qualitative Research Methods,
Quantitative Research Methods, Case Research, Marketing Research,
International Research and Research Methods in general for knowledge
enhancement.

Relevant Websites

- WWW.quirks.com
- http://surveymonkey.com
- http://www.surveysampling.com/
- http://www.surveyanalytics.com/resources/index.html
- http://spss.co.in
- http://www.yourvoice.co.in

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AOL Evaluation
Learning Goal 3: Managing complex, uncertain business situations

Evaluation component to be used for AOL

#At least one component of mid term/end term exam will be considered for AOL

Rubrics to be used for evaluation:

Objective Excellent Good Fair Unsatisfactory

LG 3.1 Demonstrates Demonstrate Demonstrates Unable to identify
Student excellent good ability limited ability to the central issues
should be ability to to identify the identify the in a complex
able to identify the central issues central issue in business situation
clearly central issues in in a complex a complex and focuses on
indentify the a complex business business non-critical issues
central business situation and situation but due to
problem or situation, and distinguish it mixes this with incomplete and
issue in clearly from non- some of the unstructured
complex distinguish critical issues non-critical review of partial
business these from the through a issues as review information.
situations non-critical systematic of available
issues, through review of information is
a most of the partial and not
comprehensive available well structured.
and systematic information.
review of
available
information.
LG 3.2: Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrate very
Student excellent a good ability to define limited ability to
should be ability to define ability to some of the define the
able to the challenges define most challenges and challenges and
define the and risks in an of the risks in an risks in an
challenges uncertain and challenges uncertain and uncertain and
and risks complex and risks in complex complex business
related to an business an uncertain business situation and
uncertain situation, and is and complex situation and recommendations
and able to business recommend are no clearly
complex recommend situation and somewhat spelled out or
business most recommend appropriate justified.
situation and appropriate appropriate strategies to
suggest strategies to strategies to manage them
strategies to manage them manage but without
effectively providing them, proper or
manage detailed providing complete
them. justification for reasonable justification.
the same. justification
for the same.