BRM (Sr.

IM-D)
Business Research Methods
Slot 4: Mon. 10.45-12.15; Fri. 4.00-5.30

Instructor: Dr.S.A.Kelkar
(Guest Faculty)
email: shashikelkar.gf@nitie.ac.in

@@@@@ Session 1: 210702 @@@@@

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 1
 Course Objectives:
¤ To develop understanding of basic concepts
& methodologies used in business research

¤ To develop skills necessary for the conduct

of research projects

¤ To highlight importance of research in

management & in decision making process
in business

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 2
 Evaluation Criteria  

¤ Internal Evaluation (40)

» Continuous Evaluation 30
» Project Evaluation 10

¤ End Term Exam: 60

(Common for all sections)

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 3
 Test Book References

¤ Business Research Methods

» by Zikmund, Babin, Carr, Adhikari and Griffin

¤ Internet References:
» www.wsrn.com
» www.proquest.com
» www.sciencedirect.com
» www.emeraldinsight.com

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 4
 Syllabus (With Chapter References)

Remember: COMMON Final Exam

Additional reading is recommended
¤ Introduction to research process (Ch.1)
Presentation Sequence may vary
Additional topics may be covered
¤ Importance of Business research (Ch.1)
¤ Research Process and its Elements (Ch.4&6)
¤ Research Problem Statement (Ch.4&6)
¤ Concepts and constructs (Ch.3)
¤ Variables & their classification (Ch.3)
¤ Conceptual & Operational definition of variables (Ch.3)
¤ Propositions and Hypothesis (Ch.3)
¤ Types of Research designs (Ch.4)
¤ Measurement scaling : Concept & Importance (Ch.13)
» Nominal; Ordinal; Interval; Ratio
¤ Sampling techniques (Ch.16&17)
¤ Errors associated with sampling design (Ch.16&17)
¤ Sample size (Ch.16&17)
¤ Reliability and Validity : Concept & Types (Ch.13)
¤ Establishing Reliability and Validity (Ch.13)
¤ Descriptive statistics (Ch.20-24)
¤ Application of mean, std. deviation, cross tabulation (Packages)
¤ Application of Regression and correlation (Packages)
¤
¤
¤
¤

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 5
 Communications

¤ Slides covered in class

» Will be sent to your class representative
(for distribution)

¤ Any problems with net connectivity

(particularly tests)
» Contact your class representative
» (Do not communicate this matter to me)

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 6
 ***
(Management Decision making)

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 7
 Productivity Frontier: Comments
Productivity ¤ Improvements
frontier become difficult
Low <= Value => High

near the frontier

¤ Simultaneous
improvements in
both cost and quality
dimensions is not
possible when
organization is near
the productivity
frontier
¤ The frontier keeps
High <= Cost => Low moving outwards
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 Efficiency and Effectiveness

Efficiency measures Effectiveness measures

the relative cost of the usefulness of output
producing outputs against requirements

Input Output
resources Process product

Feedback
> > >

Shift focus from Input monitoring to Output monitoring

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 9
 #Decision Scenario: Schematic

REALITY La
ws
ds an
Nee dS
e r User Needs t an
m
sto da
rds
Cu
Solution space
Possible
Solutions
ints
Selected st ra
Tec Solution con
hn n t
o log me
yR lop
isk ve
s e
> > >

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 10
 Another Hierarchy of Decision Making: Schematic
Intelligence

Increasing need for

(Identify /opportunities problems)

qualifications
formal
Design
(Create alternatives)

Choice
(Compare alternatives)

Practical
insight
Implementation
(Deployment)

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 12
 Decision Classification by Reportees to CEO

CEO

Business Resources Direct

related related reportees

Product Manufa- Audit Quality

design Marketing Security VP
cturing

Finance HR Materials CIO

> > >

VP VP VP (VP)

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 13
 Decision Making by Levels of Management
Programmable decision • Well defined decision rules
• Required data available
Situation Decision • (Decision maker not required)

Simple decision • All decision rules and/or all

required data not available
Situation Decision • Decision maker required

• Decision objectives vague

Complex decision • All decision rules and/or all
required data not available
• Decision maker required and
Situation Decision
QT ==> needs to be supported
• Iterative approach is possible
• Decisions can be held back

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 Transaction Processing, MIS, and DSS: Schematic
UPDATES (Applications) RETRIEVALS
Transactions MIS
MIS (Controls) Database (Reports)
(Enquiries) (Enquiries)
Transactions MIS
MIS (Controls) Database (Reports)
(Enquiries) (Enquiries)

MIS (Reports)
DSS
External data Data Warehouse

Transactions MIS
MIS (Controls) Database (Reports)
(Enquiries) (Enquiries)
Transactions MIS
MIS (Controls) Database (Reports)
(Enquiries) (Enquiries)
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 Decision Making: Managers Need Help
¤ Managerial tasks involve deployment of resources
» In simple situations, managers can visualize the scenario
¤ In complicated situations, managers need “assistance” for
==> conceiving and visualizing the situation
» Demand for services keeps growing
» Customers are becoming more discerning
» All decision situations cannot be controlled
» Resources are scarce (tradeoffs)
» Multiple decision makers are involved
» Systems interacts with other systems
» Systems have subsystems
> > >

» Optimizing a system involves sub-optimizing subsystems

¤ =============================================
¤Dr.S.A.Kelkar
Decision are increasingly becoming “data dependent” BRM 16
 ***
What is Research?

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 “Essence” of Definitions of Research

¤ 'Research' refers to a systematic method consisting of:

==> enunciating the problem,
==> formulating a hypothesis,
==> collecting the facts or data,
==> analysing the facts, and
==> reaching certain conclusions
¤ Research is a way of thinking e.g.
» Critically examining various aspects of professional work
» Understanding and formulating the guiding principles that
govern a particular procedure
» Developing and testing new theories that contribute to
advancement of profession
Note: basically, research clarifies the thought process
Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 18
 Purpose of Research
¤ Purpose of research is to discover answers to questions
==> through the application of scientific procedures
» Main aim of research is to find the truth,
==> which is hidden, and
==> which has not yet been discovered

Problem Shall I send my son to college?

Question(s) How much does it cost?

Research Find cost of education

EXERCISE: to buy enough Jalebis for giving
at least 25 gms to each of the 4000 children
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 Possible Motivation for Undertaking Research
¤ Desire to get a degree along with its consequential benefits
¤ Desire to get respectability
¤ Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work
¤ Curiosity about new things
¤ Desire to understand causal relationships
¤ Desire to face challenges in solving some unsolved
problems
i.e. concern over practical problems initiates research
¤ Desire to understand causal relationships
¤ Desire to be of service to society
» Social thinking and awakening
¤ ===========================================
¤ Directives of government
¤Dr.S.A.Kelkar
Employment conditions BRM 20
 ++Role of Research

¤ Research and Science

¤ Research and Social Scientists

¤ Research and Governmental Decision-making

¤ Research in Professions

» Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

> > >

¤ Importance of Research in Business

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 What is Formal Research?
¤ Formal research implies that:
1) It is designed to be objective and unbiased
2) It uses procedures, methods, and techniques
that have been tested for their validity and
reliability
¤ =====================================
¤ The difference between research and non-
research activity lies in “approach to finding
answers to questions”
¤ A “research” need not be necessarily highly
technical, very complex, statistics oriented, and
use computers
» It can range from a very simple to very intricate
Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 22
 Essentials (or Qualities!) of Good Research
¤ Good research generates dependable data from
professionally conducted practices
¤ Important qualities of good research include:
1) Clearly defined purpose
2) Thoroughly planned research design
3) Application of high ethical standards
4) Frankly revealed limitations
5) Adequately analysed for the needs of decision maker
6) Unambiguous presentation of findings
7) Justified conclusions
8) Clear reflections of researcher's experiences
> > >

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 23
 What is Research Methodology?: Comments
¤ Research methodology is a science of how to do research
» It specifies the steps to be adopted by a researcher
(along with the logic behind those steps) for studying his
research problem
» It is a system of models, procedures and techniques
used to find the results of a research problem
¤ Research methodology provides
» guiding principles for conducting research
» a framework to conducting a research
¤ A discussion on research methodology must address both:
» The method to be used for conducting a research study
» Logic behind the choice of those method
> > >

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 24
 Research & Research Methodology: Schematic (1/2)

Discipline of
Research Methodology
Selected
(Project Specific)
Research Methodology

Logic based selection

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 Research & Research Methodology: Schematic (2/2)
Existing Body of Knowledge
Subject Research Predict
knowledge methodology Future

Identify Possible
Generalize Confirm applications
from what is
repeated known
observation
Existing Current
Related study
Knowledge
opportunities
Suggest for research
Add new knowledge

Dr.S.A.Kelkar BRM 26
 *********

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