BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS

23/02
Group discussion: Group discussion refers to a form of communication in which several
individuals come together to exchange ideas and opinions on a particular topic or issue. Group
discussions are commonly used in educational, professional, and social settings to facilitate
learning, decision-making, and problem-solving.
Advantages of group discussion:
 Diverse perspectives: Group discussions bring together people with different
backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. This diversity leads to a wider range of ideas
and perspectives being shared.
 Enhanced learning: Through group discussions, individuals can learn from others’
experiences and knowledge. Participants can share ideas and clarify concepts, leading
to a deeper understanding of the topic at hand.
 Encourages critical thinking: Group discussions require participants to analyze,
evaluate and synthesize information. This helps to develop critical thinking skills.
 Builds teamwork skills: Group discussions require participants to work together
towards a common goal. This helps to develop teamwork skills such as communication,
collaboration, and conflict resolution.
 Increases engagement: Group discussions can be engaging and enjoyable, leading to
increased participation and interest in the topic.
Disadvantages of group discussion:
 Dominance of certain individuals: Some individuals may dominate the discussion,
monopolizing the conversation and preventing others from contributing.
 Groupthink: Group discussions can sometimes lead to groupthink, where the desire
for consensus overrides critical thinking and independent decision-making.
 Time-consuming: Group discussions can take longer than individual work, especially
if the group is large or the topic is complex.
 Lack of preparation: Participants may not come prepared with enough knowledge or
information on the topic, leading to a less productive discussion.
 Ineffective communication: Poor communication skills among group members can
lead to misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and unproductive discussions.

Focus group: A focus group is a qualitative research method in which a group of people is
brought together to participate in a discussion led by a moderator, typically for the purpose of
gathering feedback or opinions about a particular product, service, or idea.
Advantages:
 Diversity of perspectives: Focus groups typically involve a small group of people from
different backgrounds, which can lead to a diverse range of perspectives and opinions.
  Real-time feedback: Focus groups allow researchers to observe participants' reactions
and responses in real-time, which can provide valuable insights into how people think
and feel about a particular topic.
 Flexibility: Focus groups are a flexible research method that can be adapted to different
research objectives and can be used in a variety of settings.
 Cost-effective: Compared to other research methods such as surveys or experiments,
focus groups can be a relatively cost-effective way to gather in-depth insights from
participants.
Disadvantages:
 Limited sample size: Focus groups typically involve only a small number of
participants, which can limit the generalizability of the findings to a larger population.
 Dominant participants: In some cases, one or two participants may dominate the
discussion, leading to a skewed representation of the group's opinions.
 Groupthink: Participants may be influenced by the opinions of others in the group,
which can lead to groupthink and a lack of independent thought.
 Bias: The moderator's behavior and questions can influence participants' responses, and
the sample may not be representative of the target population, leading to potential bias
in the findings.

Projective techniques: Projective techniques are methods used in market research and
psychology to gather data on people's attitudes, feelings, and behaviors by asking them to
respond to ambiguous stimuli. These techniques involve presenting respondents with an
unclear or open-ended stimulus, such as a picture, word, or phrase, and asking them to interpret
it, complete a sentence, or tell a story. Some of the commonly used projective techniques
include the Rorschach inkblot test, the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), and word
association tests.
Advantages of Projective Techniques:
 Access to unconscious thoughts and emotions: Projective techniques are designed to
tap into people's unconscious thoughts and emotions. They can help researchers identify
and understand people's attitudes and motivations that they may not be able to articulate
otherwise.
 Stimulate creativity and imagination: Projective techniques allow respondents to use
their imagination and creativity to provide responses. This approach can be particularly
helpful in uncovering ideas or thoughts that may not have emerged through traditional
research methods.
 Eliminate social desirability bias: Respondents may provide socially desirable
responses in traditional research methods, such as surveys or interviews. Projective
techniques help eliminate this bias by providing an indirect method of data collection.
 Allow for cross-cultural research: Projective techniques can be used across cultures,
as they do not rely on language skills or cultural familiarity.
Disadvantages of Projective Techniques:
  Lack of standardization: Projective techniques are subjective and rely on the
interpretation of the researcher. There is no standardized method for administering or
interpreting these tests, which can result in inconsistent results.
 Time-consuming and costly: Projective techniques can be time-consuming and costly,
as they require a skilled researcher to administer and analyze the results.
 Limited scope: Projective techniques are best used to gather qualitative data, as they
do not provide a quantitative measurement of attitudes or behaviors. Therefore, they
may not be suitable for some research questions.
 Ethical concerns: Some projective techniques, such as the Rorschach inkblot test, have
been criticized for their lack of scientific validity and potential for misuse or
misinterpretation. Therefore, there may be ethical concerns when using these
techniques in research.

Observation: Observation refers to the act of carefully watching or examining something in

order to gain information or insights about it.
Advantages of observation:
 Accuracy: Observation is a very accurate method of data collection because the
researcher directly observes the phenomenon under study.
 Flexibility: Observational methods can be used in many different settings and can be
adapted to suit a variety of research questions.
 Unobtrusiveness: Observational methods are often unobtrusive, meaning that they do
not disrupt the natural behavior of the subjects being studied.
 Real-time data: Observational methods provide real-time data, allowing the researcher
to see events as they happen.
Disadvantages of observation:
 Subjectivity: The observer may bring their own biases and perspectives to the
observation, potentially influencing the data collected.
 Time-consuming: Observational methods can be very time-consuming, as the
researcher may need to spend a lot of time in the field collecting data.
 Limited scope: Observational methods can only be used to study phenomena that are
observable, which may limit the scope of the research.
 Ethical concerns: There may be ethical concerns with observing people without their
knowledge or consent, especially if the observation is intrusive or invasive.

Questionnaire: A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a set of questions that

are intended to elicit responses from a target population.
Advantages:
 Large sample size: Questionnaires can be distributed to a large number of people,
making it possible to collect data from a large sample size.
  Cost-effective: Questionnaires can be administered online or in person, which can be
a cost-effective way to collect data compared to other research methods.
 Standardization: The questions and responses are standardized, which makes it easy
to compare the results across different respondents and to analyze the data.
 Anonymity: Respondents can answer the questions anonymously, which can lead to
more honest responses.
 Efficient: Questionnaires can be completed quickly, which is convenient for both
respondents and researchers.
Disadvantages:
 Limited depth: Questionnaires can only provide information on the questions asked,
limiting the depth of information that can be collected.
 Biased responses: Respondents may not provide honest or accurate responses due to
social desirability bias, leading to biased results.
 Low response rate: Not all respondents may complete the questionnaire, leading to a
low response rate, which can limit the generalizability of the findings.
 Lack of clarification: Respondents may misinterpret questions or not understand them,
leading to inaccurate responses.
 Inflexibility: Once a questionnaire has been distributed, it cannot be changed, limiting
the ability to ask follow-up questions or clarify answers.

02/03
Module 2: Questionnaire Design
Importance of a questionnaire: Questionnaires are important tools in research, market
research, and various other fields where data collection is necessary. They allow researchers to
gather data from a large sample of individuals in a systematic and standardized way.
Some of the key benefits of using questionnaires include:
 Efficient data collection: Questionnaires allow researchers to collect data from a large
number of people quickly and efficiently. This makes it possible to gather a large
amount of data in a relatively short amount of time.
 Standardized data: Questionnaires use standardized questions and response formats,
which makes it easier to analyze and compare data across different individuals or
groups. This also reduces the risk of bias or errors that can occur when using open-
ended data collection methods.
 Cost-effective: Questionnaires are relatively inexpensive compared to other data
collection methods such as interviews or focus groups. They also require fewer
resources and personnel to administer, making them a cost-effective option for many
research projects.
 Anonymity: Questionnaires can be designed to protect the identity of respondents,
which can encourage them to provide honest and accurate answers to sensitive
questions.
  Flexibility: Questionnaires can be administered in a variety of ways, including online,
by mail, or in person. This makes it possible to reach a wide range of individuals and
collect data in a way that is convenient for respondents.

Charachteristics of a good questionnaire: A good questionnaire should have the following

characteristics:
 Clear and concise: Questions should be written in a clear and concise manner so that
respondents can easily understand what is being asked.
 Relevant: Questions should be relevant to the topic being studied, and should focus on
the specific information that is needed to answer the research question.
 Unbiased: Questions should be phrased in a neutral and unbiased way to avoid leading
respondents to a particular answer.
 Valid and reliable: Questions should be valid and reliable to ensure that they measure
what they are intended to measure consistently and accurately.
 Easy to answer: Questions should be easy to answer and not require too much effort
from the respondent. Respondents should not have to guess or struggle to answer
questions.
 Organized: Questions should be organized in a logical and meaningful order, with
related questions grouped together.
 Appropriate format: The format of the questionnaire should be appropriate for the
intended audience and research topic. For example, a web-based survey may be more
appropriate for a younger demographic, while a paper-based survey may be more
suitable for an older demographic.
 Pilot tested: A good questionnaire should be pilot tested to identify and correct any
errors or issues with the questionnaire before it is administered to the full sample.
 Ethical: Questions should not be offensive, discriminatory, or infringe on the rights
and privacy of the respondents.
 Meets research objectives: Finally, a good questionnaire should be designed to meet
the specific research objectives, and should provide the necessary data to answer the
research questions.