Chapter 4

The Business
Research
Process:
An Overview

McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Business Research

Copyright 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All

Rights Reserved.

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Learning Objectives
Understand
That research is decision- and dilemmacentered.
That the clarified research question is the
result of careful exploration and analysis
and sets the direction for the research
project.

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Learning Objectives
Understand . . .
How value assessments and budgeting
influence the process for proposing
research, and ultimately, research design.
What is included in research design, data
collection, and data analysis.
Research process problems to avoid.

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PulsePoint: Research Revelations

69

The percent of U.S. households

paying at least one bill online.

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Curiosity Drives Research

We keep moving forward, opening new
doors, and doing new things, because were
curious and curiosity keeps leading us down
new paths.
Walt Disney

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Purpose of Research

Reduce the
level of risk
of a
business
decision.

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Evaluating the Value of Research

Option
Option Analysis
Analysis
Decision
Decision Theory
Theory
Prior
Prior or
or Interim
Interim Evaluation
Evaluation
Ex
Ex Post
Post Facto
Facto Evaluation
Evaluation

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The Business Research Process

Stage 1: Clarifying the Research

Question

Management-research question hierarchy process

begins by identifying the management dilemma

4-9

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Stage 2: Proposing Research

Budget Types
Rule-of-thumb
Departmental
Task

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The Research Proposal

Purpose
Purpose
LegallyLegallybinding
binding
contract
contract
Obligations
Obligations

Methods

Written
Written
proposals
proposals
establish
establish

Extent
Extent

Timing
Timing

Delivery
Budgets
Budgets

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Stage 3: Research Design

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Stage 3: Designing the Research

Research
Research
Design
Design
The
The
Research
Research
Project
Project

Sampling
Sampling
Design
Design
Pilot
Pilot Testing
Testing

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Stage 4: Data Collection

Collecting Sensitive Data

Demands Safeguards
Scotts used a
healthcare
management
company to collect
sensitive wellness
data during annual
health assessments
to preserve
participant
confidentiality.

4-15

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Data Characteristics

Abstractness
Verifiability
Elusiveness
Closeness

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Stage 5: Data Analysis and Interpretation

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Steps in Data Analysis and Interpretation

Reducing
Reducing data
data to
to manageable
manageable size
size

Developing
Developing summaries
summaries
Looking
Looking for
for patterns
patterns
Applying
Applying statistical
statistical techniques
techniques

2002 McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., McGraw-Hill/Irwin

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Stage 6: Reporting the Results

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Parts of the Research Report

Research
Overview

Executive
Summary

Research
Research
Report
Report
Technical
Appendix

Implementation
Strategies

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The Research Report Overview

Problems
Problems background
background

Summary
Summary of
of exploratory
exploratory findings
findings
Research
Research design
design and
and procedures
procedures

Conclusions
Conclusions

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Research Process Problems to Avoid

Ill-defined management
problem
Unresearchable questions
Politically-motivated
research

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Research Process Problems to Avoid

Company Database
Strip-Mining
The FavoredTechnique Syndrome

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Key Terms
Census
Data
Primary data
Secondary data
Data analysis
Decision rule
exploration
Investigative questions
Management dilemma

Management question
Management-research
question hierarchy
Pilot test
Research design
Research process
Research questions
Sample
Target population