Chapter Two

Defining Research Problem and Hypothesis Formulation

2.1. Research Problem: the heart of research process
 A question or an issues to be examined.
 A gap or a difference between What Is Expected or
Desired to Be and the Actual Condition Exists.

 Arises when three conditions exist:

A. A Perceived Discrepancy exists between what is &
what should be.
B. A question exists about Why There is a Discrepancy.
C. At least two Possible & Plausible Answers exist to the
question.
Example:
Problem: Declining of sales
Objectives: Improving sales of the company
Course of actions:
 Decreasing Price
 Increasing Quality
 Changing Package
 Offering Discount
 Motivating Workers
Good Research Problem must be:
 Clear and Unambiguous
 Logical- induction or deduction
 Systematic- orderly sequence with to a set of
defined rules.
 Empirical- more aspects of real situation, Defined
Objectives
Relation between variables
Verifiable- sensory data is collected
Gaps in the field
Neither too narrow nor too vague
2.2. Components of Research Problem
1) Individual, Institution or Community
 It can be centered towards an individual, institution or
community.
Example: If a researcher is finding new styles of sales, then the
research is limited to the sales of the company.
2) Objectives for pursuing the problem
 A research problem has certain objectives or reasons due to
which the research is carried out. These objectives make a
research Purposeful, Enthusiastic and Attractive.
3) Lines of action
 For overcoming the research problem, the researcher needs to
pursue at least two lines of action.
 Solution and
 Problem
Criteria's for Selecting Research Problem
 Resources of the Research
 Research Ability
 Feasibility
 Usefulness
 Affordability
 Relevance
 Importance and Urgency
 Originality or Novelty
 Researcher’s Interest
 Competency of the Researcher
Steps to formulate a Research Problem/Topic
1. Identify broad fields of study. In which area are
you most interested? Example: MGT, ACC, ECO
OR MKT
2. Dissect or divide the broad area into sub-areas,
branding. HRM, motivation and leadership
3. Select the sub-areas which you are most interested
within the subject by considering your Knowledge,
Time, Budget… etc.
4. Raise research questions in questionnaire or
interview guides.
5. Formulate Research Objectives: research objectives
are driven from research questions.
A. Research objectives and research questions are the same
except the way they are written.
B. Research questions are written in the form questions.
C. Research objectives are written in the form of affirmative
statement by using action-oriented words, such as to
examine, to ascertain, to measure, to investigate etc.
6. Assess objectives: evaluating the objectives in the light of
the Time, Budget, Technical and Professional Expertise
about the subject and other related resources.
7. Double Check: go back and make sure that you have
sufficient interest, time, resource and expertise, then you
jumps to next step.
Identifying Research Problem
 A famous saying that “Problem well defined is half
solved.”
 Research problem should identify from general to
specific:
Global - Region - National - Local
 While formulating the problem, clearly define,
A. Who is the focus?
B. What is the subject matter of research?
C. To which geographical territory / area the problem refers to?
D. To which period the study pertains to?
E. When choosing an area for research?
When choosing an area for research:
 Narrow down the study topic to one.
 Choose a topic we can find some access on the web or
in the literature.
 Identify relevant theory or domains of knowledge.
 Write and re-write the question or working title,
checking thoroughly the implications of each phrase or
word to check assumptions and ensure we really mean
what we write.
 Use the published literature and discussion with others.
 Identify both the possible outcomes from this research
topic, both theoretical and practical.
Techniques involved in defining the problem
 Understanding the nature of the problem
 Surveying the available literature
 Developing the ideas through discussions
 Rephrasing the research problem into a working
proposition.
Evaluation of the problem: criteria’s
a. Is the problem researchable?
 Some problem cannot be effectively solved through
the process of research or don’t show the relationship
exiting between two or more variables.
A problem may be unsolvable due to two reasons:
1. It may concern some Super Natural or Amorphous
Phenomenon.
Example:
 How does mind work?
 Who created this world?
2. It cannot be operationally defined.
Example:
 To measure sex or social class is every easy but to
measure anxiety, creatively is difficult.
b. Is the problem new?
 The research problems need to be new: should not
investigated and conducted by other researchers
previously.
C. Is The Problem Significant?
The question of significance of the problem usually
relates to:
 What a researcher hopes to accomplish in a particular
study?
 What his/her purpose in undertaking to solve the
particular problem selected/chosen?
 What new knowledge does he/she hopes to add to the
sum total of what is known?
 What value is this knowledge likely to have?
 When all questions are answered by the researcher?
D. Is the problem feasible for the particular researcher?
 Research Competency: Qualified and Competent
 Interest and Enthusiasm: Value/Desire to Implement
 Financial Consideration: Affordability
 Time Requirement: Scope of Time
 Administration Consideration:
Sources of Research Problem
 Everyday Life: from your experiences.
 Practical Issue: when you are practitioner and from current
problem facing you.
 Past Research (Literature): from past literatures and previous
studies.
 Theory (Explanations of Phenomenon): inference from the
application of general principles.
 Published Research
 Assistance from Research Organizations
 Professors
 Employees and Competitors
 Cultural and Technological Changes
 Seminars Symposiums
2.3. Develop Research Objective
Research Objective
 Describes what your research is trying to achieve and explain
why you are pursuing it.
 Summarizes the approach and purpose of your project and help
to focus your research.
 They should:
A. Establish the scope and depth of your project
B. Contribute to your research design
C. Indicate how your project will contribute to existing
knowledge
How to write research aims and objectives
1st: Decide on a general aim
2nd: Decide on specific objectives
3rd: Formulate your aims and objectives
Research objective should be SMART:
A. Specific: neither wordy nor vague.
B. Measurable: to be achieved.
C. Achievable: feasible.
D. Relevant: directly address the research problem.
E. Time-based: clear deadlines.
2.4. Writing Research Title
 from two sources:
A. The need to test and refine theory
B. The need to solve a practical problem
 Research topic can come:
A. Review of professional literature
B. Discussions with colleagues
C. Day-to-day observations of real life situations
D. Textbooks
E. Research publications
 Choice of research topic is affected by:
1. Interests and values of the researcher.
2. Current events in the academic world.
3. The context in which the research is to be made.
Guidelines in Writing the Title:
1) Relevance
2) Avoidance of duplication or originality
3) Applicability
4) Urgency
5) Ethical acceptability
6) Political acceptability
7) Feasibility and affordability
8) Answer four Ws (What, Whom, Where and When)
Example
1. An Assessment of Customer’s Perception at Commercial Bank
of Ethiopia. In case of Arat Kilo Branch (Effective)
2. Factors Affecting Transportation (not effective)
Characteristics of Effective Titles
 Indicate accurately the subject and scope of the study.
 Avoid using abbreviations.
 Create a positive impression and stimulate reader
interest.
 Use current nomenclature from the field of study.
 Identify both dependent and independent.
 Reveal how the paper will be organized.
 Suggest a relationship between variables
 10 to 15 substantive words.
 Do not include "study of," "analysis of" or similar
constructions.
 Usually in the form of a phrase or in question.
 Can be in the form of a question.
2.5. Formulation of Research Hypothesis
Hypothesis:
 A tentative proposition to show the Relationship
Between Two Variables.
 Constructed before any applicable research has been
done, apart from a basic background review..
 A tentative Assumption or Suggestion made strictly for
the objective of being tested.
Source of Hypothesis
1. Professional Experience: daily life experience or the
day to day observation of the relationship between
different phenomena.
2. Theory: direct analysis of data or deduction from
existing theory, principles.
3. Past Research or Common Beliefs: past research or by
commonly held beliefs.
4. Analogies: reasoning
5. Observation: from the observation of price behavior
in a market,
6. Technological and Social Changes: directly or
indirectly exerts an influence.
Importance of hypothesis
A well-grounded hypothesis provides the following
advantages:
 Represents specific objective, which determine the nature of
the data needed to test the proposition
 Offer basis for selecting the sample, the research procedure,
and the statistical analysis needed
 Keeps the study restricted in scope thereby preventing it
from becoming too broad
 Sets a framework for reporting the conclusion of the study
Problems in formulating a working hypothesis
 The lack of clear theoretical framework
 The lack of ability to utilize that theoretical framework
logically
 Poor acquainted with available research techniques
Types of Hypotheses
Based on their function
A. Descriptive Hypothesis
B. Rational Hypothesis
A) Descriptive Hypothesis
 Describe the characteristics: size, form or distribution of
a variable.
 The variable can be an object, person, organization,
situation or event.

Examples:
1. “The rate of unemployment among diploma graduates
is higher than that of degree graduates.”
2. “Public enterprises are more amenable for centralized
planning.”
3. “The Educational system is not oriented to human
resource needs of a country.”
B) Relational Hypothesis
 Describe the relationship between Two Variables.
 The relationship can be positive or negative

Examples:
1. “Families with higher incomes spend more for
recreation.”
2. “Participative management promotes motivation among
the executives.”
3. “The lower the rate of job turnover in a work group,
the higher the worker Productivity.”
4. ”Upper-class people have fewer children than the lower-
class people.”
5. “The productivity of labor decreases as the working
duration increases.”
C) Causal Hypothesis
 State that the existence or the change in one
variable causes or leads to an effect on another
variable.
 The first variable is called an independent variable
while the second is a dependent variable.
 In this respect, the direction of the relationship flow
should be noted, i.e.

 Which is cause and which is effect.

 For example,
Factor affecting company annual sales.
Characteristics of a good hypothesis
 Clear, specific and measurable
 Testable: amenable to testing within a reasonable time
 Logical: empirical referents
 Directly related to the research problem
 Represents a single unit or subject of the problem
 Factually or theoretically based
 States relationship between variables
 Sets the limits of the study
 Stated a form it can be accepted or rejected
 Composed of an independent variable (cause) and a
dependent variable (effect)
2.6. Research Process
 There is no unique or clear research process guideline.
 Procedural guideline regarding the research processes:
1st: establish the need for research
 Clear idea of the research question you want to
investigate.
 Narrow down ideas and build up a strong foundation for
research project.
 Conduct an initial literature review to begin gathering
relevant sources.
 Choose our research topic based on literature.
2nd: define the problem
 A specific issue or gap in existing knowledge that you aim
to address in your research.
 Describes who the problem affects, why research is needed,
and how your research project will contribute to solving it.
 What exactly will your research investigate, and why does
it matter
3rd: Establish Research Objectives/Objective
 Based on the problem statement, write one or more
research questions.
 What you want to find out.
 Describing, comparing, evaluating, or explaining the
research problem.
 Develop a conceptual framework and testable
hypotheses.
4th: Determine Research Design
 Framework for answering your research questions.
 The type of data you need, the methods you’ll use to
collect and analyze it, and the location and timescale
of your research.
5th: identify information types and sources
 Primary or secondary data.
 Qualitative or quantitative methods.
 Determine the specific tools, procedures, and materials
will use to collect and analyze data, as well as criteria
for selecting participants or sources.
6th: determine methods of accessing data
 Defines the technique used to store and retrieve data.
 Access methods have their own data set structures to
organize data, system-provided programs (or macros)
to define data sets, and utility programs to process data
sets.
7th: Design Data Collection Forms
 Determine data collection methods: observation,
interview, questionnaire, document analysis, report,
journals,
8th: Determine Sample Plan And Size
 Decides what the sampling unit should be.
 Choosing the category of the population to be
surveyed.
 Defines the specific target population.
 How many objects in the sample the researcher will
survey.
 Method should the researcher use to perform sampling
9th: Collect Data
 Determine how, when and how accurate and relevant
data to be gathered to achieve objective.
10th: Analyze Data
 Determine data analysis techniques: descriptive or
inferential statistic analysis.
 Interpret data’s into meaning or decision.
11th: Prepare and Present the Final Research Report
 Write a detailed outline.
 Introduce the subject.
 Talk about the sources and the method.
 Indicate if there are conflicting views about the subject
(conflicting views trigger discussion).
 Make a statement about your new results (if this is your
research paper). Use visual aids or handouts if
appropriate.
Thank You!!!