Introduction to Business Research

Topic 1

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Learning outcomes
After studying this topic, students should be able to:
a. define business research;
b. understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative
business research and the difference between basic and applied
research;
c. know the kinds of business research;
d. determine the criteria for a good business research; and
e. distinguish the different format of business research

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What is business research?
• Business research
• type of scientific research that tries to address the concerns of the firm
and/or the industry
• offers (recommends) solution/s to the affected functional area or an analysis
of the perception, preference, and behavior of the customers, employees,
and other stakeholders
• processed results becomes the basis for making decisions

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Quantitative vs Qualitative research

Quantitative
• uses survey questionnaire for
collecting primary data
• findings can be generalized
across the population, IF,
sampling method was done
randomly
Qualitative
• uses observation or depth
interview for collecting data
• findings cannot be generalized
across the population

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Mixed methods: combination of quanti and quali
• Results of quantitative and qualitative methods can be used to
validate the other --- triangulation

Problem and
sub-problems

Quantitative Qualitative
results results

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Basic vs Applied business research

Basic Applied
• Dependent on the problematic • Dependent on the problem that
situation identified by the the client would want to be
researcher solved

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Kinds of business research

Business case
Conclusive Exploratory
analysis
• Descriptive • Depth interview
• Correlational • Focus group
• Causal discussion
(FGD)
• Ethnographic or
observation

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Criteria for a good business research
• Grounded on theory and empirically verifiable
• Must contribute to the advancement of knowledge in accounting
• Ethically neutral

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