Research Methods for

Business
Lecture 1 - Introducing
Business & Management
Research

Dr. Simon Thomas

simon.thomas@southwales.ac.uk

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 Objectives

By the end of this session students should

be able to:
• Defie ‘research’
• List the commoi miscoiceptois associated
with research
• Outliie the characteristcs of ‘research’
• Compare academic aid busiiess research
• List the stages ii the research
process/jouriey

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 Reading

• Saunders et al (2016) Research

Methods for Business Students
Pearson Chp. 1
• Collis, J. & Hussey, R. (2009) Business
Research: A Practical Guide for
Undergraduate and Postgraduate
Students Palgrave Chp. 1

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 Introduction – What is
Research?
Wallimai (2011) poiits out ways ii which the
term research is used wroigly:
1. Just collectig facts or iiformatoi with io
clear purpose
2. Reassembliig aid reorderiig facts or
iiformatoi without iiterpretatoi
3. As ai esoteric actiity with io or litle
releiaice to eieryday life
4. As a term to get your product or idea
iotced aid respected
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 Introduction
Research
Characteristics
There is a geieral agreemeit that research has a
iumber of characteristcs;
1. A process of eiquiry aid iiiestgatoi (data
are collected/iiterpreted systematcally)
2. Systematc aid methodical
3. Iicreases kiowledge – there is a clear
purpose to fid thiigs out
Collis aid Hussey (2009)
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 Introduction
Research
Definitions
The majority of educational research whether it be
undergraduate, postgraduate or doctorate may be
defined in terms of ‘a review of the existing
knowledge in a particular area with a new slant on
this knowledge’ (Clark et al 1998)
‘Research is a systematc and methodical process of
enquiry and investgaton with a view to increasing
knowledge’ (Collis aid Hussey 2009)

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 Key Attributes of
Research
Thus we can summarise the typical objectives of
research as:
1. To review and synthesize existing knowledge
2. To investigate some existing situation or problem
3. To provide solutions to a problem
4. To explore and analyse more general issues
5. To construct or create a new procedure or
system
6. To explain a new phenomenon
7. To generate new knowledge
8. A combination of any of the above
Collis and Hussey (2009)

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 Classifying the
Research
Research can be classified according to:
1. Purpose – the reason why it was
conducted
2. Process – the way in which data were
collected and analysed
3. Logic – whether the research logic
moves from the general to the specific or
vice versa
4. Outcome – whether the expected
outcome is the solution to a particular
problem or a more general contribution
to knowledge © University of South Wales
The Research Process

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 Types of Research
Inductive & Deductive
Compare theory

Theory Deielop theory

Hypothesis Look for pateris

Data collectoi Form Categories

Fiidiigs Ask Questois

Hypotheses coifrmed or rejected Gather

iiformatoi

Reiisioi of theory

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 Business Research

Easterby-Smith et al (2002) argue that three

significant factors combine to make
business a distinctive focus for research:
1. The way in which managers and
researchers draw on knowledge
developed by other disciplines;
2. The fact that managers tend to be
powerful and busy people. Therefore,
they are unlikely to allow research
access unless they can see a personal
or commercial advantage;

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 Business Research

3. The requirement for the research to

have some practical consequence. This
means it either needs to contain the
potential for taking some form of action
or needs to take account of the practical
consequences of the findings
• Do these factors suggest that business
research is only concerned with
addressing business issues and
practical managerial problems?
• Is there a place in business for
knowledge advancement?

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 Business Research /
v. Academic Research
Saunders et al (2016) suggest that all business
research can be placed on a continuum according to
both purpose and context
• At one extreme research is undertaken purely to
understand the process of business. Such
research is undertaken largely in universities - the
key audience is of an academic nature - often
called pure research
• At the other end of the continuum is research that
is of direct and immediate relevance to managers,
addresses issues that they see as important, and
is presented in ways which they can understand
and act on - often called applied research

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 Academic aid Busiiess Research
Basic/Pure
Purpose
• Expaid knowledge of processes of
busiiess
• Results ii universal principles relatig
to the process aid its relatoiship to
outcomes
• Fiidiigs of sigiifcaice aid value to
society ii geieral
Context
• Uidertakei by people ii universites
• Choice of topic aid objecties
determiied by the researcher
• Flexible tmescales
Applied/Busiiess
Purpose
• Improie uiderstaidiig of partcular
business or maiagemeit problem
• Results ii solutoi to problem
• New knowledge limited to problem
• Fiidiigs of practcal relevance aid ialue
to maiager(s) ii orgaiisatoi(s)
Context
• Uidertakei by people based ii a iariety of
setigs iicludiig organisatons aid
uiiiersites
• Objecties iegotated with origiiator
• Tight tmescales
 Conclusions

• Research can be clearly defined as systematic,

methodical and contributing to knowledge
• There are obvious similarities between business
and academic research
• Research has key characteristics which help us to
better understand it’s nature and purpose
• Research can be inductive or deductive

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