Chapter 3

THINKING LIKE A RESEARCHER

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Research Thought Leaders

“Thought leaders, academics, business authors from

the increasingly merging worlds of psychology,
philosophy, economics, trends, semiotics are powerful
forces, that have the ability to capture the imagination
and attention at the highest level of business.
Research needs to define itself more broadly, embrace
the most exciting thinkers into our fold. We need to
infuse our thinking with that of related fields.”
Edward Appleton,
senior European consumer insights manager,
Avery Dennison

3-2
Language of Research

Conceptual
Conceptual
Concepts
Concepts Constructs
schemes
schemes

Operational
Operational
Models
Models definitions
definitions
Terms
Terms used
used
in
in research
research
Theory
Theory Variables

Propositions/
Propositions/
Hypotheses
Hypotheses
3-3
Language of Research

Clear conceptualization
of concepts
Success
of
Research Shared understanding
of concepts

3-4
Job Redesign

Constructs
and Concepts

3-5
Operational Definitions

How can we define the variable

“class level of students”?

 Freshman  < 30 credit hours

 Sophomore  30-50 credit hours
 Junior  60-89 credit hours
 Senior  > 90 credit hours

3-6
A Variable: Property Being Studied

Event Act

Variable
Variable

Characteristic Trait

Attribute

3-7
Types of Variables

Male/Female
Dichotomous
Dichotomous
Male/Female
Employed/
Employed/Unemployed
Unemployed

Ethnic
Ethnicbackground
background
Discrete
Discrete Educational
Educationallevel
level
Religious
Religiousaffiliation
affiliation

Income
Income
Temperature
Continuous
Continuous Temperature
Age
Age

3-8
Independent and Dependent Variable
Synonyms

Independent Dependent
Variable (IV) Variable (DV)
 Predictor  Criterion
 Presumed cause  Presumed effect
 Stimulus  Response
 Predicted from…  Predicted to….
 Antecedent  Consequence
 Manipulated  Measured
outcome 3-9
Relationships Among Variable Types

3-10
Relationships Among Variable Types

3-11
Relationships Among Variable Types

3-12
Moderating Variables (MV)

 The introduction of a four-day week (IV) will lead to

higher productivity (DV), especially among younger
workers (MV)

 The switch to commission from a salary compensation

system (IV) will lead to increased sales (DV) per worker,
especially more experienced workers (MV).

 The loss of mining jobs (IV) leads to acceptance of

higher-risk behaviors to earn a family-supporting income
(DV) – particularly among those with a limited education
(MV).

3-13
Extraneous Variables (EV)

With new customers (EV-control), a switch to

commission from a salary compensation system (IV)
will lead to increased sales productivity (DV) per
worker, especially among younger workers (MV).

Among residents with less than a high school

education (EV-control), the loss of jobs (IV) leads to
high-risk behaviors (DV), especially due to the
proximity of the firing range (MV).

3-14
Intervening Variables (IVV)

 The switch to a commission compensation

system (IV) will lead to higher sales (DV) by
increasing overall compensation (IVV).

 A promotion campaign (IV) will increase savings

activity (DV), especially when free prizes are
offered (MV), but chiefly among smaller savers
(EV-control). The results come from enhancing
the motivation to save (IVV).

3-15
Propositions and Hypotheses

Brand Manager Jones (case) has a higher-than-

average achievement motivation (variable).

Generalization
Brand managers in Company Z (cases) have a
higher-than-average achievement motivation
(variable).

3-16
Descriptive Hypothesis Formats

Descriptive
Research
Hypothesis
Question
 In Detroit, our
 What is the market
potato chip
share for our
market share
potato chips in
stands at
Detroit?
13.7%.
 Are American cities
 American cities are
experiencing budget
experiencing
difficulties?
budget difficulties.
3-17
Relational Hypotheses Formats
 Correlational
 Young women (under
35) purchase fewer units
of our product than women
who are older than 35.
 The number of suits sold
varies directly with the level
of the business cycle.
 Causal
 An increase in family
income leads to an
increase in the
percentage of income
saved.
 Loyalty to a grocery store
increases the probability
of purchasing that store’s
private brand products.
3-18
The Role of Hypotheses

Guide
Guide the
the direction
direction of
of the
the study
study

Identify
Identify relevant
relevant facts
facts

Suggest
Suggest most
most appropriate
appropriate
research
research design
design

Provide
Provide framework
framework for
for organizing
organizing
resulting
resulting conclusions
conclusions

3-19
Characteristics of
Strong Hypotheses

Adequate

A
Strong Testable
Hypothesis
Better
than rivals
3-20
Theory within Research

3-21
The Role of Reasoning

3-22
A Model within Research

3-23
The Scientific Method

Direct
Direct observation
observation

Clearly
Clearly defined
defined variables
variables

Clearly
Clearly defined
defined methods
methods

Empirically
Empirically testable
testable

Elimination
Elimination of
of alternatives
alternatives

Statistical
Statistical justification
justification

Self-correcting
Self-correcting process
process

3-24
Researchers

 Encounter problems
 State problems
 Propose hypotheses
 Deduce outcomes
 Formulate rival
hypotheses
 Devise and conduct
empirical tests
 Draw conclusions

3-25
Why is
curiosity
important?

3-26
Sound Reasoning

Types of Discourse

Exposition Argument

Deduction Induction

3-27
Deductive Reasoning

Inner-city
Inner-city household
household
interviewing
interviewing is is especially
especially
difficult
difficult and
and expensive
expensive

This
This survey
survey involves
involves
substantial
substantial inner-city
inner-city
household
household interviewing
interviewing

The
The interviewing
interviewing in
in this
this
survey
survey will
will be
be especially
especially
difficult
difficult and
and expensive
expensive
3-28
 Deductive Reasoning

Apply deductive
reasoning to this
image.

What will happen

next?

3-29
Inductive Reasoning

Why didn’t sales increase during our

promotional event?
 Regional retailers did not have sufficient stock
to fill customer requests during the
promotional period
 A strike by employees prevented stock from
arriving in time for promotion to be effective
 A hurricane closed retail outlets in the region
for 10 days during the promotion

3-30
Why Didn’t Sales Increase?

3-31
Tracy’s Performance

3-32