1 - Introduction To Research Scientific Investigation - Chapters 1,2

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Scientific Research Methodology
Chapter 1 & 2:
Introduction to Research
09/02/23 thaitv@vnuis.edu.vn 1
What is Research?
Q1: Have you ever joined a research team?
Q2: Have you ever read a research paper?
What is Research?
• “Research” is a common term, results of research are
all around us
• The findings of people’s opinions:
➢Data
➢Methods to collect data through time
• Examples:
➢Politicians: often justify their policy decisions on the
basis of research
➢Newspapers: report the findings of academics’ research
➢Advertisers: highlight the results of research to
encourage somebody to buy a particular product
09/02/23 thaitv@isvnu.vn 3
What is Research?
• “Research is the process

of finding solutions to a
problem after a thorough
study and analysis of the
situational factors”
• Wiki: Research is
"creative and systematic
work undertaken to
increase the stock
of knowledge"
Research’s Characteristics
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Research’s Characteristics
Include:
• Data are collected systematically
• Data are interpreted systematically
• Clear purpose: to find out things
➢Systematic: logical relationship / not just beliefs

➢Find out things: multiplicity of possible purposes
➢Clear purposes: describing, explaining, understanding,
criticizing, and analyzing
✓Research as a process that people undertake in a

systematic way in order to find out things =>
Increasing people’s knowledge
Methodology & Research Method
• Methodology: The theory of how research
should be undertaken
• Method: The techniques and procedures
used to obtain data
8 HALLMARKS of scientific research
Purposiveness
Parsimony Rigor
Generalizability Testability
Objectivity Replicability
Precision and
confidence
(1) Purposiveness
• “a purposive focus” - The

manager has started the research
with a definite aim or purpose.
• Example: aim/want to increase the
commitment of employees to the
organization
➢lower turnover
➢less absenteeism
➢increased performance levels
(2) Rigor
• A good theoretical base and a sound methodological
design add rigor to a purposive study
• Rigor contains:
➢Carefulness;
➢Scrupulousness;
➢Degree of exactitude in research investigations
(3) Testability
• Testability is a property that applies to the hypotheses
of a study
• Hypothesis as predicts what you expect to find in your
empirical data, contains:
➢Tentative;
➢Yet testable;
➢Statement.
• Hypotheses are derived from theory, which is based on
the logical beliefs of the researcher and on previous
and scientific research:
➢A scientific hypothesis must be testable
➢Note: not all hypotheses can be tested: “God created the
earth”
(4) Replicability
• Replicability is obtaining consistent
results across studies - aimed at
answering the same scientific
question
• More replications, more valid results
• Replicability of the study using the
same:
➢Instrument; Methods; Procedure
➢But to different subjects and venue
• Replication demonstrates that the hypotheses have

not been supported merely by chance but are
reflective of the true state of affairs in the population
(5) Precision and confidence
• Precision refers to the closeness of the findings to
“reality” based on a sample
• Confidence refers to the probability that the estimations
are correct:
➢Ex: a 95% confidence level – which implies that there is
only a 5% probability that the findings may not be correct
– is accepted as conventional, and usually referred to as
a significance level of 0.05 (p = 0.05) – p value
• The greater the precision and confidence we aim at in
our research, the more scientific the investigation and
the more useful are the results
(6) Objectivity
• Objectivity: The conclusions are drawn through the
facts of the findings that derived from actual data
➢But not on our own subjective / or emotional values
• Much damage can be sustained by organizations that
implement non-data-based or misleading conclusions
drawn from research
• The more objective the interpretation of the data, the
more scientific the research investigation becomes
(7) Generalizability
• Generalizability refers to the scope of applicability of
the research findings in one organizational setting to
other settings
➢However, not many research findings can be
generalized to all other settings, situations, or
organizations.
➢Most applied research is generally confined to research
within the particular organization
✓where the problem arises,
✓and the results are generalizable only to other
identical situations and settings.
(8) Parsimony
• Parsimony can be introduced:
➢with a good understanding of the problem and the
important factors that influence it
➢Simply: when conducting a scientific experiment to
always choose the most simple explanation
• Simplicity in explaining the phenomena or problems that
occur, and in generating solutions for the problems
➢Ex: “If you hear hoofbeats, think horse -- not zebra.”
Note: NOT true “research”
(1) Just collecting the facts or information with no clear
purpose
➢Collecting data is only a part of the research process
➢Ex: collecting information to buy a car
(2) Reassembling and reordering facts or information
without interpretation
➢Just support the data without explanation, analysis, …
(3) As an esoteric activity with no or little relevance to
everyday life
(4) As a term to get your product or idea noticed and
respected
➢People should have confidence in it, do not use the term
“research” to get more attention
Why need to learn the RESEARCH METHOD?
• The problems are raising, The number

of scientists in the labor market is
very low
• Why is it important in the University?
➢Theory;
➢Practice / Application;
➢Discover new theories and new
practices.
• Equal important
➢Research philosophies, approaches, strategies,
techniques, and procedures;
➢Help managers in organizations to make decisions at the
workplace;
➢Utilizing for projects of course and thesis.
Types of research
• Research can be undertaken for two
different purposes:
➢Applied research: to solve a current
problem faced by the manager in the
work setting, demanding a timely
solution
✓Ex: a particular product may not be
selling well and the manager might
want to find the reasons for this in
order to take corrective action.
➢Basic, fundamental, or pure
research: to generate a body of
knowledge by trying to comprehend
how certain problems that occur in
organizations can be solved
Basic and Applied Research
Basic research Applied research
Purpose: Purpose:
- Expand knowledge of the - Improve understanding of the
process problem
- Results in universal principles - Results in solution to the problem
relating to the process and its
relationship to outcomes
- Findings of significance and - Findings of practical relevance
value to society in general and value to manager(s) in the
organization(s)
Context: Context:
- Undertake by people based in - Undertake by people based in a
universities variety of settings including
organizations and universities
- Choice of topic and objectives - Objective negotiated with the
determined by the researcher originator
- Flexible time scale - Tight time scale
Research and Managers
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Why managers need to know about research
Helps professional managers to:
1. Identify and effectively solve minor problems
in the work setting
2. Know how to discriminate good from bad
research
3. Appreciate the multiple influences and effects
of factors impinging on a situation
4. Take calculated risks in decision making,
knowing full well the probabilities associated
with the different possible outcomes
Helps professional managers to:
5. Prevent possible interests from exercising
their influence in a situation
6. Relate to hired researchers and consultants
more effectively
7. Combine experience with scientific
knowledge while making decisions
• An experience common to all

organizations is that the managers
thereof encounter problems, big and
small, on a daily basis, which they have
to solve by making the right decisions.
➢Manager may not be doing any major
research, but have to understand,
predict, and control events within the
organization
➢To identify problem situations before
they get out of control
Why you need???

Internal & External
Consultants & Researchers
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Internal consultants/researchers
• Some organizations have their own consulting or
research department
➢the Management Services Department,
➢the Organization and Methods Department
➢R&D (research and development department)
• This department serves as the internal consultant to
subunits of the organization that face certain problems
and seek help
• The manager often has to decide whether to use internal
or external researchers.
Advantages and Disadvantages
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1) being readily accepted by the 1) less fresh ideas
employees in the subunit of the 2) power politics could
organization prevail
2) requires much less time to 3) possibly not valued as
understand the structure, the “expert” by staff
philosophy and climate, and the
functioning and work systems
of the organization
3) available to implement
recommendations after the
research findings have been
accepted
4) might cost considerably less
than an external team for the
department enlisting help in
problem-solving
External Consultants & Researchers
ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
1) Can draw on a wealth 1) High cost of hiring an
of experience from external research team
having worked with 2) Cooperation in the study
different types of is a little more difficult
organizations and time-consuming
2) Have more knowledge of 3) Charges additional fees
current problem-solving for their assistance in the
models through their implementation and
periodic training evaluation phases
programs
Ethical Issues
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ETHICAL ISSUES
• Ethics in business research refers to a code of conduct
of behavior while conducting research
• Aplication: ethical conduct applies to the organization
and the members that sponsor the research, the
researchers who undertake the research, and the
respondents who provide them with the necessary data
Ethical issues (cont)
• When summarize, add to, or challenge the work
of others, there are two important pitfalls that
have to beware of:
1) Purposely misrepresenting the work of other
authors: viewpoints, ideas, models, findings,
conclusions, interpretations, and so on.
2) Plagiarism: use of another’s original words,

arguments, or ideas as though your own
• Plagiarism dectection tools: Turnitin or Ephorus
• Two other reasons to take
plagiarism very seriously:
➢Plagiarism makes it is difficult
for the reader to verify whether
your claims about other authors
and sources are accurate
➢You are participating in a
scientific debate. You need to
make your position in this
debate clear by designating
the authors whose work you are
building on or whose ideas you
are challenging
Retraction Watch web
Discussion questions
1) Why should a manager know about research when the job
entails managing people, products, events, environments, and
the like?
2) For what specific purposes is basic research important?
3) When is applied research, as distinct from basic research,
useful?
4) Why is it important to be adept in handling the manager-
researcher relationship?
5) Explain, giving reasons, which is more important, applied or
basic research?
6) Give two specific instances where an external research team
would be useful and two other scenarios when an internal
research team will be deployed, with adequate explanations as
to why each scenario is justified for an external or internal
team?
7) Describe a situation where research will help you as a manager
to make a good decision?

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Scientific Research Methodology

• “Research is the process

➢Systematic: logical relationship / not just beliefs

✓Research as a process that people undertake in a

• “a purposive focus” - The

• Replication demonstrates that the hypotheses have

• The problems are raising, The number

• An experience common to all

Why you need???

2) Plagiarism: use of another’s original words,

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