Introduction to

Research
UNIT I
Research
 the systematic investigation into and study of materials
and sources in order to establish facts and reach new
conclusions.
investigation, experimentation, testing,
exploration, analysis, fact-finding,
examination, scrutiny, scrutinization,
probing; groundwork;

Curiosity…Search …Research
Researcher
 a person whose job involves discovering or verifying
information for use in a book, programme
 a person who carries out academic or scientific
research
 A researcher should work towards a goal, whether
immediate or futuristic, else the research loses its
significance in the field of management.
 researcher is to be as objective and neutral as
possible. The temptation to skew the results in the
hypothesized direction has to be avoided at all
costs.
Basic research
 the basic premise is the need to KNOW,
 to investigate some best practices-inventory
management, or
 a new cause and effect relationship,
 work-family conflict and its impact on turnover
intentions
 Is vast and the time period involved is flexible.

 the concern is primarily academic in nature.

Management research
 unbiased and structured and sequential
method of enquiry

 directed towards a clear implicit or explicit

business objective

 validating existing postulates or arriving at new

theories and models
Types of Business Research
BUSINESS RESEARCH

BASIC RESEARCH APPLIED RESEARCH

EXPLORATORY CONCLUSIVE RESEARCH

RESEARCH

DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH CAUSAL RESEARCH

  Solution or action oriented
research, that is contextual and
practical in approach
Applied
research  Ex. Your product which was declared a winner
in the test marketing that you conducted is not
able to take off after the product launch and
you need to identify the reasons for this, in
order to take corrective action. It has
implications for immediate action
  Allows the researcher to gain a better
understanding of the concept and
provides direction in order to initiate a
Exploratory 
more structured research
Is loosely structured and the basic
Research premise is to provide direction to
subsequent, more structured method of
enquiry

 Ex. Informal survey to identify the problem in

the supply chain of a product
Exploratory Research

Not conducted to
More flexible in test or validate any
Are less structured
approach preconceived
propositions

Develop , refine or
Could lead to some Also called as pilot or test the designed
testable hypothesis. feasibility studies. measuring
instrument.
 Is especially carried out to test and
validate formulated hypotheses and
Conclusive specified relationship.

Research - Ex. The hypothesized relationship to be tested

might be spelled out the by the manager as
the problem to be investigated.
Conclusive Research

IS STRUCTURED AND DEFINITE IS USUALLY QUANTITATIVE IN IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE

IN ORIENTATION. NATURE. EXPLORATORY THAT LEADS TO
THE CONCLUSIVE.
Exploratory Vs Conclusive
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
 Loosely structured in design
 Are flexible and investigative in
methodology
 Do not involve testing of hypotheses
 Findings might be topic specific and
might not have much relevance outside
the researcher’s domain
CONCLUSIVE RESEARCH
 Well structured and systematic in
design
 Have a formal and definitive
methodology that needs to be followed
and tested
 Most conclusive researches are carried
out to test the formulated hypotheses
 Findings are significant as they have a
theoretical or applied implication.
  Is undertaken to describe the situation,
community, phenomena, outcome or
programme.
Descriptive
Research  Ex. 1. Distinguish between the characteristics of
customers who buy normal petrol vs premium
petrol.
 Ex. 2. Consumption of organic food more in
one part than other areas.
 to describe the data and characteristics
about what is being studied. Ex. Census,
health survey, etc,.

More structured

Descriptive
Research systematic approach to sampling

testing the data to verify the research

assumptions.
Causal Research

These studies establish the why Explores the effect of one thing on Ex. Consumers attitude towards
and the how phenomenon. another and more specifically the healthy life style(IV) could impact
effect of one variable on another. organic purchase intention (DV).
Research Process Management Dilemma
Basic vs Applied

Defining the Research Problem

Formulating the Research Hypothesis

Developing the Research Proposal

The Research Framework

Research Design

Data Collection Plan Sampling Plan

Instrument Design

Pilot Testing

Data Collection

Data Refining and Preparation

Data Analysis & Interpretation

Research Reporting

Management / Research Decision

Criteria for Research

MUST have: a logical

MUST have: a clearly MUST have: a
and explicitly stated
stated research sequential plan of
justification for the
purpose/ objective execution
selected methods

MUST have: an MUST have: complete

MUST have: provision
unbiased and neutral transparency and
for being reliable &
method of conduct ethical conduction of
replicable
and reporting the research process
FORMULATION OF
THE RESEARCH
PROBLEM
Defining the Research Problem

A GAP OR UNCERTAINTY IN THE DECISION -THE GAP COULD BE ACADEMIC &

MAKERS’ EXISTING BODY OF KNOWLEDGE THEORETICAL (BASIC) OR REAL TIME AND
WHICH INHIBITS EFFICIENT DECISION MAKING. ACTION ORIENTED (APPLIED).
Problem Identification Process

Management decision problem: Discussion with experts: to get the Review of literature: the most Qualitative surveys: primary
the issue/decision that needs to be right perspective on the issue, valuable source of framing the exploratory loosely structured
resolved through research discussion/dialogue is held with research question is to review the surveys to attain the
subject/industry expert. past work done on related topic(s). environmental context.
 Management Decision Problem

Discussions Review of Organization Qualitative

with subject existing Analysis analysis
experts literature

Problem
Management Research Problem / Question
identification
Research framework / Analytical model Process
Statement of Research Objectives

Formulation of Research Hypothesis

DECISION PROBLEM RESEARCH PROBLEM*
1. What should be done to increase the 1.
customer base of organic products in the
domestic market?

2. How to reduce turnover rates in the BPO

sector?

3. How to improve the delivery process of

Widex hearing aids in India?

4. Should the company continue with its

existing security services vendor or look at an
alternative?

5. Can the Housing and real estate growth be

accelerated?

6. Whom should ICICI choose as its next

Managing director- Mr ABC or Mrs. XYZ?
DECISION PROBLEM
1. What should be done to increase the
customer base of organic products in the
domestic market?
2. How to reduce turnover rates in the BPO
sector?
3. How to improve the delivery process of
Widex hearing aids in India?
4. Should the company continue with its
existing security services vendor or look at an
alternative?
5. Can the Housing and real estate growth be
accelerated?
6. Whom should ICICI choose as its next
Managing director- Mr ABC or Mrs. XYZ?
RESEARCH PROBLEM*
1. What is the awareness and purchase
intention of health conscious consumers for
organic products?
2. What is the impact of shift duties on work
exhaustion and turnover intentions of the BPO
employees?
3. How does Widex/ industry leader manage its
supply chain in India/Asia?
4. What is the satisfaction level of the company
with the existing vendor? Are there any gaps?
Can they be effectively handled by the vendor?
5. What is the current investment in Real Estate
and Housing? Can the demand in the sector be
forecasted for the next six months?
6a. what has been the Leadership initiatives
and performance record of ABC viz. XYZ?
6b. Can a leading aggressive private sector
bank accept a woman as its leader?
Research Objectives
Break down of Research questions and spelt out as tasks or
objectives to be met in order to answer the research
question.
ex,. To find out, to determine, to establish, to measure and
to examine.

Ex. In organic food research

To study the existing organic market
1. To estimate the demand pattern of various products for each of
the above categories
2. To understand the marketing strategies adopted by different
players for promoting organic products
The Research Hypotheses
A hypotheses is any assumption/presupposition that the
researcher makes about the probable direction of the results
that might be obtained on the completion of the research
process

-Can also be described as statement in which we assign

variables to cases.

-A case is defined in this sense as the entity or thing the

hypothesis is talks about
 the variable is the characteristic, trait or attribute, that in
the hypothesis is assigned to the case.
Ex. Hypothesis

1. Brand Manager X (case) has a higher –than average

achievement motivation (variable)

If hypothesis based on more than one case, it would be a

generalization.

1. Brand Managers in Company Z (cases) have a higher

than average achievement motivation (variable)
 - States variable occur together in some
specified manner without implying that
one causes the other.

Correlational - Ex. Young women (under 35 years)

hypothesis purchase fewer units of our products
than women who are 35 years of age
or older
- The number of suits sold varies directly
with the level of the business cycle
 This is simply a statement about the
magnitude, trend, or behaviour of a
population under study.
They state the existence, size, form, or
distribution of some variable.
Descriptive
hypotheses Ex.based on past records
.The attrition rate in BPO sector is 30
percent
. The literacy rate in Bangalore city is 90
percent
  These are the typical kind of hypotheses which
state the expected relationship between two
variables.
 Researcher uses words such as increase,

Relational decrease, less than or more than the

directional or one-tailed

hypotheses
 Ex Higher the likeability of the advertisement
the higher the sales
 Ban on smoking has an impact on the cigarette
sales.
 There is an implication that the existence
of or a change in one variable causes
or leads to a change in the other
variable.
Explanatory
(causal) Ex. An increase in family income(IV) leads to an

hypothesis
increase in the in the percentage of income
saved(DV).
-Exposure to the company messages concerning
industry problem(IV) leads to more favourable
attitude(DV) by employees toward the
company
Hypothesis

IT GUIDES THE IT IDENTIFIES FACTS THAT IT SUGGESTS WHICH IT PROVIDES A ADEQUATE FOR ITS TESTABLE
DIRECTION OF THE ARE RELEVANT AND FORM OF RESEARCH FRAMEWORK FOR PURPOSE
STUDY THOSE THAT ARE NOT. DESIGN IS LIKELY TO BE ORGANIZING THE
MOST APPROPRIATE. CONCLUSION THAT
RESULT
Variables
THE UNIT OF ANALYSIS
Variable

 The unit of analysis particular source from which the

required information is obtained. It can be individual,
organization, department or an industry

 A variable is a symbol to which we can assign numerals

or values. It can be dichotomous(two outcomes),
discrete(finite) or continuous(infinite).
Types
 A dependent variable is measurable and quantifiable
variable. A variable that is used to describe or measure
the problem under study.
 Independent variable- any variable that can be stated
as influencing or impacting the dependent variable
 Moderating variable- strong contingent effect on the
relationship between independent and dependent
variable. They have the potential to modify the direction
and magnitude.

 Ex. organic food study, the strength of the relationship

between attitude and intention might be modified by
the education and income level(MV).
 An intervening variable is a temporal occurrence which
follows the independent variable and precedes the
dependent variable.
 for ex. Increase in job satisfaction(IVV) of each individual
worker subsequent to the introduction of a flexi-time
work schedule(IV), which eventually affects the
Individuals productivity(DV).
 Extraneous variables(confounding variable) are
responsible for chance variations
 ex tyrannical boss, family pressure or nature of industry
could impact the flexi-time impact, but since these
would be applicable to individual cases can be
eliminated using experimental and a control group
Types of Variables
 An independent variable explaining the variance in the
dependent variable

 The intervening variable follows the occurrence of the

independent variable and may in turn impact the
dependent variable

 The moderating variable is a contributing variable which

might impact the defined relationship

 The extraneous variable responsible for chance

variation.
The scale of measurement of
Variable
Measurement Scale

 The scale of the variable measured drastically affects

the type of analytical techniques that can be used on
the data, and what conclusions can be drawn from the
data.

 There are four scales of measurement,

 Nominal,
 Ordinal,
 Interval, and
 Ratio.
Nominal
 Nominal scales assign numbers as labels to identify
objects or classes of objects. The
 assigned numbers carry no additional meaning except
as identifiers.
 For example, the use of ID codes A, N and P to represent
aggressive, normal, and passive drivers is a nominal
scale variable.
 Note that the order has no meaning here, and the
difference between identifiers is meaningless.
 In practice it is often useful to assign numbers instead of
letters to represent nominal scale variables,
 but the numbers should not be treated as ordinal,
interval, or ratio scale variables.
Ordinal
 Ordinal scales build upon nominal scales by assigning
numbers to objects to reflect a rank ordering on an
attribute in question.
 For example, assigning ID codes 1, 2 and 3 to represent a
persons response to a question regarding use rate:
 1 = use often;
 2 = use sometimes;
 3 = never use.
 Although order does matter in these variables (unlike
nominal scale variables), the difference between
responses is not consistent across the scale or across
individuals who respond to the question.
Interval
 Interval scales build upon ordinal scale variables.
 Equal interval means that the difference between two successive
categories are the same.
 Temperature (in Celsius or Fahrenheit) represents an interval scale
variable, since the difference between measurements is the same
anywhere along the scale, and is consistent across measurements.
 Ratios of interval scale variables have limited meaning because
there is not an absolute zero for interval scale variables.
 when using a ruler to measure the length of something, the
difference between 2 and 3 inches is 1 inch, and the difference
between 10 and 11 inches is 1 inch -- no matter where on the ruler
that 1 inch lies, it still represents the same amount of distance, so this
indicates equal intervals..
Ratio
 Ratio scales have all the attributes of interval scale
variables and one additional attribute:
 ratio scales include an absolute “zero” point.
 For example, if I measure the time it takes me to read a
passage, and I measure the length of time it takes you to
read the same passage, we can construct a ratio of
these two measures. If it took me 30 seconds and took
you 60 seconds, it took you (60/30 = 2) twice as long to
read it.
Research Proposal
1. Executive summary
2. Background of the problem
3. Problem statement and research objectives
4. Assumption and hypothesis
5. Review of literature(Research work done and progress
in India & abroad)
6. Research design
7. Scheduling the research
8. Duration of Project, Phasing of the work plan , Costing
and budget
CIA-I – Project Proposal (10 marks)
Jan 25
 Title of the Proposal.

 Brief introduction and structure of the proposal.

 Research methodology used

 Budget

 Time Frame
Questions