Reference

Wajib
1. Sekaran, 2016, Research Methods for Business, 7E (Skr)

Tambahan
1. Cooper, 2014, Business Research Methods, 12E (C)
2. Saunders, 2016, Research Methods for Business Students, 7E (Snd)

1
 Topics

1. Research in Business & Research Process (Skr1-2, C1-4, Snd1, 3, 6)

2. Research Question/Problem Definition (Skr3, C5, Snd2)
3. Literature Review, Theoretical Framework & Hypothesis (Skr4-5, C5, Snd4)
4. Research Design (Skr6, C6, Snd5)
5. Data Collection Methods (Skr7-10, C7-10, Snd8-11)
6. Variables: Definition, Measurement, Scales (Skr11-12, C11-13)
7. Presentasi Proposal & Mid Exam
9. Sampling (Skr13, C1, Snd7)
10. Quantitative Data Analysis 1 (Skr14-15, C15-18, Snd12)
11. Quantitative Data Analysis 2 (Skr14-15, C15-18, Snd12)
12. Quantitative Data Analysis 3 (Skr14-15, C15-18, Snd12)
13. Qualitative Data Analysis (Skr16, Snd13)
14. Report (Skr17, C19-20, Snd14)
15. Presentasi Hasil & Final Exam

2
Research in Business
Definition of Business Research

 Business research: an organized, systematic, data-

based, critical, objective, scientific inquiry or
investigation into a specific problem, undertaken
with the purpose of finding answers or solutions to
it.

4
 Applied versus Basic Research

 Basic research: generates a body of knowledge by

trying to comprehend how certain problems that
occur in organizations can be solved.
 Applied research: solves a current problem faced
by the manager in the work setting, demanding a
timely solution.

5
 Examples Applied Research
 Apple’s iPod fueled the company’s success in recent
years, helping to increase sales from $5 billion in
2001 to $32 billion in the fiscal year 2008. Growth
for the music player averaged more than 200% in
2006 and 2007, before falling to 6% in 2008. Some
analysts believe that the number of iPods sold will
drop 12% in 2009. “The reality is there’s a limited
group of people who want an iPod or any other
portable media player,” one analyst says. “So the
question becomes, what will Apple do about it?”
 The existing machinery in the production
department has had so many breakdowns that
production has suffered. Machinery has to be
replaced. Because of heavy investment costs, a
careful recommendation as to whether it is more
beneficial to buy the equipment or to lease it is
needed.
6
 More Examples of Research Areas
in Business
 Absenteeism
 Communication
 Motivation
 Consumer decision making
 Customer satisfaction
 Budget allocations
 Accounting procedures

7
Why managers should know about
research
 Being knowledgeable about research and research methods
helps professional managers to:
 Identify and effectively solve minor problems in the work setting.
 Know how to discriminate good from bad research.
 Appreciate the multiple influences and effects of factors impinging
on a situation.
 Take calculated risks in decision making.
 Prevent possible vested interests from exercising their influence in a
situation.
 Relate to hired researchers and consultants more effectively.
 Combine experience with scientific knowledge while making
decisions.

8
 The Manager–Researcher
Relationship
 Each should know his/her role
 Trust levels
 Value system
 Acceptance of findings and implementation
 Issues of inside versus outside
researchers/consultants

9
 Internal Researchers

 Advantages:
 Better acceptance from staff

 Knowledge about organization

 Would be an integral part of implementation and evaluation of

the research recommendations.
 Disadvantages
 Less fresh ideas

 Power politics could prevail

 Possibly not valued as “expert” by staff

10
 External Researchers

 Advantages
 Divergent and convergent thinking
 Experience from several situations in different organizations
 Better technical training, usually

 Disadvantages
 Takes time to know and understand the organization
 Rapport and cooperation from staff not easy
 Not available for evaluation and implementation
 Costs

11
Research Process
 Hallmarks of Scientific Research:

 Hallmarks or main distinguishing characteristics of

scientific research:
 Purposiveness
 Rigor
 Testability
 Replicability
 Precision and Confidence
 Objectivity
 Generalizability
 Parsimony

13
 Hypothetico-Deductive Research

 The Seven-Step Process in the Hypothetico-

Deductive Method
1. Identify a broad problem area
2. Define the problem statement
3. Develop hypotheses
4. Determine measures
5. Data collection
6. Data analysis
7. Interpretation of data

14
 Identify a broad problem area
“What should be done to increase the useof the newly installed
MIS by our middle managers?”
 Define the problem statement
“To what extent do knowledge‐related factors and openness to
change affect the use of the MIS by middle managers?”
 Develop hypotheses
Knowledge of the usefulness of the MIS would help managers to
put it to greater use

15
 Determine measures
 the extent of knowledge of what the MIS is

 what kinds of information the MIS provides

 how to gain access to the information

 the level of openness to change of managers

 how often managers have used the MIS in the preceding three
months
 Data collection
 Data analysis
 Interpretation of data

16
 Deduction and Induction

 Deductive reasoning: application of a general theory to a

specific case.
 Hypothesis testing
 Inductive reasoning: a process where we observe specific
phenomena and on this basis arrive at general conclusions.
 Counting white swans
 Both inductive and deductive processes are often used in
research.
 Both deductive and inductive processes can be used in
quantitative and qualitative research, however:
 Deductive processes are more often used in causal and quantitative
studies
 Inductive research processes are regularly used in exploratory and
qualitative studies

17
 Approach (Saunders)

 Deductive approach:
research starts with theory, often developed from reading of the
academic literature, and then design a research strategy to test the
theory.
 Inductive approach:
research starts by collecting data to explore a phenomenon and then
generate or build theory (often in the form of a conceptual framework).
 Abductive approach:
collecting data to explore a phenomenon, identify themes and explain
patterns, to generate a new or modify an existing theory which
subsequently test through additional data collection.

18
19
 Research Philosophy

The most important perspectives for contemporary

research in business are:
 Positivism
 Constructionism
 Critical realism
 Pragmatism

20
 Positivism

 Science and scientific research is seen as the way to get at

the truth.
 To understand the world well enough so that we are able to
predict and control it.
 Using deductive reasoning to put forward theories that they
can test by means of a fixed, predetermined research design
and objective measures.
 The key approach of positivist researchers is the
experiment, which allows them to test cause‐and‐effect
relationships through manipulation and observation.

21
 Constructionism

 The world is fundamentally mental or mentally

constructed, do not search for the objective truth
 Aim to understand the rules people use to make sense of
the world by investigating what happens in people’s minds,
how people construct knowledge
 Interested in how people’s views of the world result from
interactions with others and the context in which they take
place.
 The research methods are often qualitative in nature.
 Focus groups and unstructured interviews allow them to
collect rich data, oriented to the contextual uniqueness of
the world that is being studied.
22
 Critical realism

 Combination of the belief in an external reality (an

objective truth) with the rejection of the claim that this
external reality can be objectively measured.
Observations (especially observations on phenomena that we cannot observe and measure directly,
such as satisfaction, motivation, culture) will always be subject to interpretation.

 Critical of ability to understand the world with certainty.

 Measures of phenomena such as emotions, feelings, and
attitudes are often subjective in nature and the collection of
data is imperfect and flawed
Researchers are inherently biased.
 Need to use triangulation across multiple flawed and
erroneous methods, observations, and researchers to get a
better idea of what is happening around us.
23
 Pragmatism

 Both objective, observable phenomena and subjective

meanings can produce useful knowledge, depending on the
research questions of the study.
 The focus is on practical, applied research where different
viewpoints on research and the subject under study are
helpful in solving a (business) problem.
 Research is a process where concepts and meanings
(theory) are generalizations of our past actions and
experiences, and of interactions we have had with our
environment.
 Emphasize the socially constructed nature of research.
Different researchers may have different ideas about, and explanations for,
what is happening around us.
24
Sekaran Saunders
 Positivism  Positivism
 Constructionism  Interpretivism
 Critical realism  Critical realism
 Pragmatism  Pragmatism
 Postmodernism

25
 Research Philosophies (Saunders)

 Positivism relates to the philosophical stance of the natural scientist

and entails working with an observable social reality to produce law-
like generalisations
 Critical realism focuses on explaining what we see and experience, in
terms of the underlying structures of reality that shape the observable
events
 Interpretivism emphasises that humans are different from physical
phenomena because they create meanings
 Postmodernism emphasises the role of language and of power
relations, seeking to question accepted ways of thinking and give voice
to alternative marginalised views
 Pragmatism asserts that concepts are only relevant where they
support action

26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Elements of Research Design

33
Research Onion (Saunders)

34