POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

Department of Project
Management

BUSINESS
RESEARCH
METHODS
(MAPMC601

1
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1.INTRODUCTION
 DEFINITIONS OF RESEARCH
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Research?

 A careful investigation for new facts in any branch of

knowledge

 Redman and Mory: Research is a systematic effort to

gain new knowledge
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Research?
 Clifford Woody:
 defining and redefining problems, formulating
hypothesis/objectives;
 collecting, organizing and evaluating data;
 making deductions and reaching conclusions;
 testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the
formulating hypothesis/objectives
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1.1 Why do research?

 Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential
benefits
 Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems
 Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work
 Desire to be of service to society
 Desire to get respectability
 Directives of government, employment conditions etc.
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Why do research?...

 Validate intuition

 Improve methods

 Demands of the Job

 For publication/patent
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Choose a subject

 Based on an idea

 Based on your experience

 Based on your reading

 Originality
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1.2 The important features of a research design

 A plan
Specify the sources & types of information relevant
to the research problem
 A strategy
Which approach will be used for gathering and
analyzing the data
 The time and budgets
Most studies are done under these two constraints
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1.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH

 Systematic- All steps must be inter related-

one to another
 Logical- Agreeing with the principles of
logic
 Empirical-Conclusions should be based on
evidences/observations
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…CHARACTERISTICS OF RESEARCH…
 Objectivity- It must answer the research
questions
 Replicable- reproducible/reputable
 Transmittable- outreach to the community
 Quality control- Accurate measurements
 All well designed and conducted research has potential
application
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1.4 Research Methods Vs Methodology

 Research methods can be understood as all those
methods/techniques that are used for conduction of research.
 Research methods can be put in to the following three groups:
a. The methods which are concerned with collection of data
b. These statistical techniques which are used for establishing
relationships between the data and the unknowns;
c. Those methods which are used to evaluate the accuracy of
the results obtained.
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 Research methodology is a way to systematically

solve the research problem.
 It may be understood as a science of studying how
research is done scientifically.
 In it, you find the various steps that are generally developed or
adapted/adopted by a researcher in studying a research problem
along with the logic behind them.
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1.5 Types of Research

 Policy Research

 Descriptive Vs Analytical

 Applied Vs Fundamental

 Quantitative Vs Qualitative

 Conceptual Vs Empirical

 Cross-sectional Vs Longitudinal

 Case studies Vs Surveys

 Experimental Research
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1. Policy Research
 Policy research is basically the research with policy implications.
 They are more of practical utility than of theoretical knowledge.
 Researches which are conducted for the specific purpose of application,
or researches with policy implications, may be treated as policy
researches.
 The results of such studies are used as indices for policy formulations and
implementation.
 Many management researches are policy researches, because they are not
merely of theoretical value.
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2. Descriptive Vs Analytical
 Descriptive research includes surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different
kinds.
 The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of
affairs as it exists at present.
 In social science and business research, we often use the term “Ex-post facto
research” for descriptive research studies.
E.g., frequency of shopping, and preference of people, to discover causes or
similar data.
 In such kind of research, the researcher has no control over variables; he can
only report what has happened or what is happening.
 An Analytical study or statistical method: is a system of procedures and
techniques of analysis applied to quantitative data.
 It may consist of a system of mathematical models or statistical techniques
applicable to numerical data.
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3. Applied Vs Fundamental
 Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a
society or an industrial or business organization.
 But research aimed at certain conclusions or a solution facing a concrete social or
business problem is an example of applied or action research.
 Fundamental/pure research: is mainly concerned with generalizations and with
the formulation of a theory.
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 Fundamental research is original and investigative study of a basic nature.

 The topic or area of investigation would be new and fresh investigation would be carried out
to originate a new theory, making additional contribution to knowledge.
 It may also throw additional light on the existing theory or body of knowledge.
 Its contribution, therefore, can be two folds: developing a new theory and improving upon
the existing theory.
 Examples of fundamental research include research studies concerning some natural
phenomenon, pure mathematics, research studies carried on to make generalizations about
human behavior, etc. ……….
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 Researchers can apply several types of applied researches. Some of these include
evaluation research, social impact assessment research, and action research
 Evaluation research is one type of applied research.
 It is made for assessing the effectiveness of social or economic programs
implemented (eg: family planning program) or for assessing the impact of
development projects (eg: irrigation project) on the development of the project
area.
 Therefore, its purpose is directed to assess or appraise the quality and quantity of
an activity and its performance and to specify its attributes and conditions required
for its success.
 It is also concerned with changes over time.
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The types of evaluation research are three:

a. Concurrent evaluation:- This is a continuous process and
partakes the nature of an inspection or social audit of an on-
going program. It evaluates the quality of implementation and
it serves as a feedback for improving the performance.
b. Period evaluation: - this is made after each distinct phase of a
project is completed. It can be mid-term (in the middle of the
period) evaluation or other form.
c. Terminal evaluation: - This is done after the completion of a
program or a project. ….
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 Social impact assessment: - This is aimed to estimate the likely consequences of a planned change.

 It can be used for planning and making choices among alternative policies. Areas assessed in social impact studies include:

 Community services (E.g. School enrollments, speed of police responses)

 Social conditions (E.g. Crime rates, the ability of elderly to feel that they care for themselves)

 Economic impact (E.g. Changes in income levels)

 Demographic consequences (E.g. Changes in the mix of old and young people)

 Environment (E.g. change in air quality)

 Health outcomes (E.g. changes in the occurrence of disease)

 Psychological well-being (E.g. changes in stress, fear, etc)

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 Action Research: this is a type of concurrent evaluation study of

an action program launched for solving a problem.

 Action programs may include human resource development

programs, rural development programs, social welfare programs,

managerial improvement programs, etc.

 This plethora of development has given motivation to action

research.
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4. Quantitative Vs Qualitative Research

 Quantitative research:- is based on the measurement of quantity or amount.
 It is applied to phenomenon that can be expressed in terms of quantity or number.
 Qualitative research:- is concerned with phenomena relating to or involving quality or kind.
 For instance, when we attempt to investigate the reasons for human behavior, we quite
often talk of “motivation research”, an important type of qualitative research.
 Qualitative research is loosely defined category of research designs or models, all of which
elicit verbal, visual, tactile, and gustatory data in the form of descriptive narratives like field
notes, recordings or other transcriptions from audio and videotapes and other written records
and pictures and films.
 In qualitative research, researchers collect data in the form of words, descriptions or pictures.
 For example, open-ended interviews, naturalistic observations, document analysis, case
studies /life stories, descriptive and self-reflective supplements to experiments and
correlational studies are means of gathering qualitative data.
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5. Conceptual Vs Empirical
 Conceptual research is concerned with some abstracts or theory.
 It is generally used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret the existing ones.
 Empirical research, on the other hand, relies on experience or observation alone, often without due regard for
system and theory.
 It is data-based research, coming up with conclusions which are capable of being verified by observation or
experiment.
 It can also be called experimental type of research in which there are control groups and experimental groups
of variables.
 Empirical research is appropriate when proof is sought that certain variables affect other variables in some
way.
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6. Cross-sectional Vs longitudinal research

These categories are seen from the point of time.
Cross-sectional research is confined to a single time period, whereas
Longitudinal research is carried on over several time-periods. The longitudinal
research can be categorized in to three:

1.Time series research: - the longitudinal study in which the same type of information is
collected on a group of people or other units across multiple time periods. This serves to
observe stability or changes in the features of the units.
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2. The panel study:- the researcher observes exactly the same people, group or organization
across time periods. For example, if you want to study the gender difference on English
language comprehension and plan to examine the gap-across the grades in primary school,
you may give exams while they are in grade 1 and continue to administer the same subject for
the same students when they enter grade 2, and you may continue when they join grade 3, and
etc.

3. Cohort analysis: unlike in the panel study, a category of people who share similar life
experience (but not same people) in a specified time period is studied. Here, the focus is on the
cohort, or category, not on specific individuals.

Example, all people born in the same year (birth cohort), all people hired at the same
time, all people graduated in the same year.
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7. Case studies Vs Surveys

 A case study is an in-depth comprehensive study of a person, a social group, an
episode/incident, a process, a situation, a program, a community, an institution, or
any other social unit.
 Its purpose may be to understand the life cycle of the unit under study or the
interaction between factors that explain the present states or the development over
a period of time.
 The examples include social anthropological study of a rural community, a
causative study of a successful co-operative society; a study of the financial
health of a business undertaking; a study of labor participation in management
in a particular enterprise, a study of juvenile delinquency; a study of life style of
working women; ……

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 Survey is a research method involving collection of

data directly from a population or a sample thereof at
particular time. Data may be collected by observation,
interviewing or mailing questionnaires.
 The analysis of data may be made by using simple or
complex statistical techniques depending up on the
objectives of the study.
 In short, the case study and survey methods are
compared as follows:
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8. Case studies Vs surveys

Case study Survey

Broad-based investigation of a
Intensive investigation phenomenon
Study of a single unit /group Covers large number of units

The
(units of universe or a sample of
findings of a case study cannot be generalized.
them)
Useful for testing hypotheses about structural and The findings of a survey study

procedural characteristics can be generalized based on

sample
e.g. Status relation, interpersonal behavior,
Useful for testing hypotheses
managerial style) of a specified social unit (e.g. an about large social aggregates
organization, a small group or a community)
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Activities
1. What are qualities of a good research?
2. What is a Research Problem? State the main issue which should
receive the attention of the researcher. Give examples to illustrate
your answer.
3. What is hypothesis? Explain characteristics of good hypothesis and
different types of hypotheses.
4. Explain the different components of research process
5. What are common types of research applicable in academic purpose?
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1.6 The Process of Research

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1.7 Motivation in Research

The possible motives may be either one or more of the following

Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits;
Desire to face the challenges in solving the unsolved problems;
Desire to get intellectual joy of doing creative work;
Desire to be of service to the society
Desire to get respectability
Desire to get a research degree along with its consequential benefits;
Desire to face the challenge in solving the unsolved problems, i.e., concern over
practical problems initiates research;
Desire to get intellectual joy of doing some creative work;
Desire to be of service to society;
Desire to get respectability.
The motivation will, however, determine to a considerable extent the nature,
quality, depth and duration of research.
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1.8 Criteria of Good Research

 Good research is systematic: It means that research is structured with specified steps to be
taken in a specified sequence in accordance with the well defined set of rules. Systematic
characteristic of the research does not rule out creative thinking but it certainly does reject the
use of guessing and intuition in arriving at conclusions.
 Good research is logical:

Guided by the rules and logical reasoning and the logical process of induction and deduction are
of great value in carrying out research.
Induction is the process of reasoning from a part to the whole whereas deduction is the process of
reasoning from some premise to a conclusion which follows from that very premise. In fact,
logical reasoning makes research more meaningful in the context of decision making.
 Good research is empirical: Related basically to one or more aspects of a real situation and
deals with concrete data that provides a basis for external validity to research results.
 Good research is replicable/ reputable: Verified by replicating the study and thereby
building a sound basis for decisions.
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1. What is research methodology?

2. How does a researcher go about developing working hypotheses?
3. What are qualitative, quantitative and
mixed-method approaches?
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4. James is a researcher that he is trying to understand the

impact of climate change on the environment. Evaluate
what would be his BEST course of action:

a) Conduct a quantitative overview of all of the research papers and books written on the
topic.
b) Apply it to a scientific model, so that he can simplify and better study the impact of
climate change
c) Conduct a qualitative analysis on how the rise in temperatures impacts the number of
species in the environment.
d) Use a nonscientific method and apply logic so that he comes to the conclusion that
climate change is definitely the only possible cause of the problems.