BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS

LECTURE 2

FRAMING THE RESEARCH TITLE,

FORMULATING RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND
SETTING OBJECTIVES IN BUSINESS RESEARCH

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 FRAMING THE RESEARCH TITLE
HINTS ON FRAMING A FEASIBLE TITLE FOR YOUR STUDY:
• Think about a technology (network, hardware, software, etc.)
• Consider a Social Phenomenon or a Current event, Situation, etc.
• Decide on the Context

 E.g.:
 The role of online banking in enhanced customer relationship management
practices in financial institutions
 In this particular example, ONLINE BANKING is the technology that would
be looked at; CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT exemplifies
a social phenomenon and FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS suggests the context
of the research. 2
 BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS

Research Questions
 Research questions can be grouped into descriptive, evaluative and or
explanatory

 Questions that begin with ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘where’ ‘who’ or ‘how’ will require
an answer that is least, partially be descriptive.

 Questions that look for explanations will either start with ‘why’ or have ‘why’
somewhere within the question.

 It is advisable to keep to one or two research questions 3

 EXAMPLE OF POINTEDLY WRITTEN RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES
Example

The aim of this thesis is to gain insights into how cyberbullying is affecting young adults on Facebook
use in Ghana, with a view to providing thoughts on the way forward. The following research objectives
have been set out to be of significance in helping to arrive at that aim:

• Clarification of what the term cyberbullying stands for.

• Exploration of the vulnerability of young adults to cyberbullying in Ghana.
• Critical evaluation of the effectiveness of current preventative measures.
• Implementation of a case study of cyberbullying in Facebook use by young adults in Ghana.
• Implications to the ministries, government agencies, through a general online
security framework, on how to fight cyberbullying in Ghana.
 HIGHER DOING LEVEL VERBS FOR
RESEACH OBJECTIVES
 Analyse  Create

 Propose  Generate

 Appraise  Design

 Compare  Construct

 Evaluate  Contrast

 Justify  Compile

 Predict

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 BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS
Research Objectives (A journey from topic to questions to objectives)
 The research objectives are derived from the research questions

 Research objectives provide a clear illustration of the researcher’s sense of

purpose and direction
 Research objectives are supposed to be more specific than the research
questions
 Research objectives permit the researcher to operationalize your question
 Stating the necessary steps you intend to take to answer the question(s)
 NOTE:
 Research questions tell WHAT the research is about, and research objectives
describe HOW you want to structure the research process to answer your question 6
 BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS

TYPICAL RESEARCH QUESTION AND OBJECTIVES

 RQ: How effective are Internet and intranet channels as a means of employee
communication?
 RO:

 To explain how Internet and Intranet channels are used by

1.
employees as organizational communication
 2. To describe the company’s objectives for each channel
 3.To ascertain and explore specific examples of how each
channel has been beneficial or influential to employee
communcation 7
 BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS
 TYPICAL RESEARCH QUESTION AND OBJECTIVES CONT’D
 4. To identify and explore specific examples where each
channel has not been beneficial or influential
 5. To determine a measure of effectiveness for each channel that
shows whether and how the channel had met, exceeded or
failed to meet the objectives set for it
 6. To compare measures of effectiveness across channels related
to different organizational objectives

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 DERIVING RESEARCH OBJECTIVES FROM A
RESEARCH QUESTION
RQ: How can we develop an understanding of the effect of e-learning in the
university environment in terms of academic staff training and preparation?
 To evaluate the forces driving e-Learning and the obstacles to the successful
delivery of e-Learning programmes?
 2. To determine the models and frameworks available to support academic
staff in dealing with e-Learning?
 3. To examine stakeholder views and practices connected with e-Learning
preparation.
 4. To predict the implications of e-Learning in staff preparation to both those
in academia and policy makers.
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 REASEARCH IDEA: DEAD CELEBRITY
ENDORSEMENT
 What consumers think of the use of dead celebrities in endorsement?
 Are dead celebrities considered as credible? If yes why?
 Are the products reflecting the characteristics the stars stood for when they
were alive?
 Are the dead celebrities that are used in endorsement, recognisable for young
people and what image in their eyes do they carry?
 Do young people want to follow someone who did not live in the same time
as they do?
 What, in the consumers view, differs between live and dead celebrity
endorsement? 10
 DEAD CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT (2)

These questions lead to the following objectives:

 1. To critically analyse the relevant merits of dead versus alive
celebrity endorsement

 2.To compare consumers’ attitudes towards dead celebrity

endorsement

 3. To establish the unique qualities a dead celebrity should possess

to be relevant and recognisable for today’s consumer
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 RESEARCH IDEA: SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT
IMPROVEMENT IN KUMASI (1)
 RQ:
 1. How can local support for the small business sector in Kumasi be
improved?
 2. What support services for SMEs should be done by public policy? What
are the examples of “good practices”?

 3. What public policy for small businesses support is operated in Kumasi?

 4. How do SMEs in Kumasi evaluate the support options available? How do

Kumasi’s responsible bodies see the situation?

 5. How could the situation for SMEs support be improved? 12

 RESEARCH IDEA: SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT
IMPROVEMENT IN KUMASI (2)
Aim To improve the support to SMEs in Kumasi

Objectives

 1. To critically analyse which support services should be provided by public

policy

 2. To appraise the public policy SME support currently provided in Kumasi.

 3. To propose implications for improvement in the public policy support to

Kumasi SMEs 13
 RESEARCH IDEA: STUDENT
ACCOMMODATION (1)
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 What affects our occupancy rate?

 Why are private developers eating into

our market?

 What marketing methods do they use?

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RESEARCH IDEA: STUDENT ACCOMMODATION
(2)
The main purpose of this research is to increase our
occupancy rate from 80 to 90%. Therefore the objectives
include the following:

 To compile students’ needs in room occupancy

 To critically assess how we could better meet students’ needs

 To contrast the marketing techniques used by private developers

 To propose ways of improving our services and marketing 15

 RESEARCH IDEA: CHILD LABOUR IN
GHANA

 To critically analyse the different core causes of child

labour and how to overcome them.
 To examine the motivation for employers to employ
children in Ghana.
 To assess the Ghana Government’s response towards
child labour.
 To predict or propose possible ways of reducing child
labour in Ghana. 16
SETTING RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND
QUESTIONS

It is a bad academic or research practice to

turn or convert questions into statements as
research objectives or vice versa.

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HOW NOT TO CONSTRUCT RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES CONT’D
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
 How can one examine the assumptions behind the management
technique of student involvement in collaborative research
programmes?
 What are the characteristics of the KSB students culture?
 What are the opinions of KSB students and their lecturers in
collaborative research on campus?
 What conclusions can be drawn about the applicability of
student participation in KSB collaborative research?
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HOW NOT TO CONSTRUCT RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES CONT’D
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

 To examine the assumptions behind the management technique

of student involvement in collaborative research programmes
 To establish the characteristics of the KSB students culture
 To identify the opinions of KSB students and their lecturers in
collaborative research on campus
 To draw conclusions about the applicability of student
participation in KSB collaborative research
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