Management-research question hierarchy begins by
identifying the management dilemma
Managers frequently hear from superiors, “We should use the
information we already have before collecting more.”
Having a massive amount of information is not the same as
having knowledge
Each field in a database wascreated for a specific reason,
which may or may not be compatible with the management
question facing the organization
Ill-defined research questions may have too many interrelate
facets to be measured accuratel
Methods may not presently exist to handle questions of this
type
Even if such methods were invented, they might not produce
the data necessary to solve such problems.
Presence of research may help win approval for pet idea
Authorizing research is a measure of personal protection for
decision maker.
Some researchers are method-bound; they recast the
management question so that it is amenable to their favorite
methodology.
Persons knowledgeable about, and skilled in, some
techniques, but not others, are often blinded by their special
competencies
The manager sponsoring the research is responsible for
spotting an inappropriate technique-driven research proposal.
Since the advent of total quality management (TQM), many
standardized customer satisfaction questionnaires have been
developed.
Managers must not let researchers steamroll them into use of
an instrument, even if it was successful for another client.
Managers may mistakenly believe that a pool of information or
a database reduces (or eliminates) the need for further
research.
Not all management questions are researchable, and not all
research questions are answerable.
Questions of valueand policyoften factor into management
decisions.
Some problems are so complex, value-laden, and bound by
constraints that they are intractable to traditional forms of
analysis.
Ill-Defined Management Problems
Novice researchers should avoid ill-defined problems.
A manager’s motivation for seeking research may not always
be obvious.
Hidden agendas may include
In these situations, it may be harder to win the manager’s
support for an appropriate research design.
The Favored-Technique Syndrome
Company Database Strip-Mining
Unresearchable Questions
Politically Motivated Research
Stage 1: Clarifying the Research Question
Resource Allocation and Budgets
Stage 2: Proposing Research
Valuing Research Information
The Research Proposal
2. Research Process Issues The Research Process: An Overview 1. The Research Process
Stage 3: Designing the Research Project
Stage 4: Data Collection and Preparation
Stage 5: Data Analysis and Interpretation
It is necessary to prepare a report and transmit the fi ndings
and recommendations to the manager for the intended
purpose of decision making.
Stage 6: Reporting the Results
a research report should contain the following
Management question —a restatement of the manager’s
dilemma(s) in question form.
Research questions —the hypothesis that best states the
objective of the research; the question(s) that focuses the
researcher’s attention.
As management–research question hierarchy. Investigative questions —questions the researcher must
answer to satisfactorily answer the research question; what
the manager feels he or she needs to know to arrive at a
conclusion about the management dilemma.
Measurement questions —what participants in research are
asked or what specifically is observed in a research study.
Rule-of-thumb budgeting involves taking a fixed percentage
of some criterion.
Departmental or functional area budgeting allocates a
portion of total expenditures in the unit
Three types of budgets in organizations where research is Without budgetary approval, many research efforts are
to research activities.
purchased and cost containment is crucial terminated for lack of resources
Task budgeting selects specific research projects to support
on an ad hoc basis. This type is the
least proactive but does permit definitive cost-benefit
analysis.
In Ex Post facto Research the investigators decide whether
one or more preexisting conditions have caused subsequent
differences between subjects who experienced different types Measurement of value of research after the research is done
of conditions
Ex Post Facto Evaluation
Ex Post Facto = After the fact
Some research projects are sufficiently unique that
managerial experience provides little aid in evaluating the
Prior or Interim Evaluation research proposa
Managers can conduct a formal analysis with eachalternative
research project judged in terms of estimated costs and
associated benefits and with managerial judgment playing a
major role
Option Analysis Estimates of benefits are crude and largely reflectan orderly
The critical task is to quantify the benefits from the research way to estimate outcomes under uncertain conditions
decision rule is determined by which outcomes may be
compared.
each alternative is explicitly stated
Decision Theory decision variable is defined by an outcome that may be
measured,
A written proposal is often required when a study is being
suggested,the proposal may serve the purpose of a legally
binding contract.
A research proposal also may be oral, wherein all aspects of
the research are discussed but not codified in writing.
Although selecting an appropriate design may be complicated
by this range of options (methods, techniques, procedures,
Research Design: is the blueprint for fulfi lling objectives and protocols, and sampling plans), the creative researcher
answering questions. actually benefits from this confusing array of options.
Identify the target population (those people, events or
records that contain the desired information and can answer
the measurement questions)
Sampling Design Taking a census requires that the researcher examine
The sampling process must then give every person within the
or count all elements in the target population. target population a known nonzero chance of selection if
Determine whether a sample or a census is desired. A sample examines a portion of the target population, and the probability sampling is used. If there is no feasible alternative,
portion must be carefully selected to represent that population. a nonprobability approach may be used.
Pilot Testing is conducted to detect weaknesses in design Draw subjects from the target population and simulate the
and instrumentation and to provide proxy data for selection of procedures and protocols that have been designated for data
a probability sample. collection.
First, data may be further characterized by their
abstractness, verifiability, elusiveness,and closeness to the
phenomenon. As abstractions, data are more metaphorical
than real.
Second, data are processed by our senses—often limited in
comparison to the senses of other living organisms. When
Data - as the facts presented to the researcher from the sensory experiences consistently produce the same result,
study’s our data are said to be trustworthy because they may be
environment. verified.
Third, capturing data is elusive, complicated by the speed at
which events occur and the time-bound nature of observation.
Finally, data reflect their truthfulness by closeness to the
phenomena.
Secondary data have had at least one level of interpretation the process of collecting and measuring the data on targeted
inserted between the event and its recording. variables through a thoroughly established system to evaluate
outcomes by answering relevant questions.
Primary data are sought for their proximity to the truth and
control over error.
Subtopic
a process that involves the molded data to be examined for
interpretation to find out relevant information, propose
conclusions, and aid in decision making of research
problems.
An executive summary consisting of a synopsis of the
problem, findings, and recommendations.
An overview of the research: the problem’s background,
literature summary, methods and procedures, and
conclusions.
A section on implementation strategies for the
recommendations.
A technical appendix with all the materials necessary to
replicate the project.