Business Research Methods

For Business

Dr. Mohammed Torkey Ph.D.

Mohamed_kamel@foc.cu.edu.eg
 Why do we conduct a research?

• We are not Decision Makers.

• We conduct researches to understand and to
explain.
• Because Newton explained why the Apple had fall on the
ground, they were able to release spaceships to space.

• Because we understood what made people sad, we can

make them happy.

• Because we understand how do people buy goods and

services, we can sell our products.
• To develop a framework, so that we can solve a
problem.
 What is a
Research?
 Research
Research

Filling
Solve Problem
Knowledge Gap
 What is the difference between
professional and academic research?
Academic Research Professional Research
To understand a phenomenon or to To solve a problem
build a theory
To fill a knowledge gap To please the company

Literature review is used to assure the No need for Literature Review

KG
Literature Review could be a source of The Same
evidence
Novelty No need for Novelty – Just Application
 Research
Research

Filling
Solve Problem
Knowledge Gap
• Solve a problem but after getting back to the literature to
search for:

1. Whether someone had tried to solve this problem before.

2. If someone tried to solve this problem you have to start

criticizing her/his way of doing so.
Researchers
Researchers
Researchers

Positivism Interpretivism

Quantitative Qualitative
Research Research
 Researchers
• Science is a single
reality There is no single

Researchers
• Science is only about reality, you don’t do
Hypotheses and sub- anything for
hypotheses. humanity and
science by testing
hypotheses

Positivism Interpretivism

Quantitative Qualitative
Research Research
 Research
Filling
Solve Problem
Knowledge Gap

Positivism Interpretivism

Quantitative Qualitative
Research Research
 Interpretivism Approach
Using The Interpretive Approach requires:
1. I have to look by myself
2. I have to talk to people
3. I have to see the machine
4. I have to study:
• one organization,
• two organizations,
• Three organizations

So, it is a case study-

based research
 Interpretivism Approach
Using The Interpretive Approach requires:
1. I have to look by myself
2. I have to talk to people
3. I have to see the machine
4. I have to study:
• one organization,
• two organizations,
• Three organizations

So, it is a case study-

based research
 Positivism Approach
Using The Positivism Approach requires:

1. A researcher not to be involved in dealing deeply with people.

2. S/he just talk about researchers as cases or respondents to survey

3. S/he focuses on what so-called “A conceptual Model”

• A relationship between two concepts (A concept affects another concept) that’s
why we call it “A Causal Research”

Then, we have to operationalize these concepts into questions, and based on the
answers of the people, we try to find whether there is a relationship between these
concepts in the minds of people (respondents)
Example

Adoption of
PU Technology
 Just for filling the gap Doing a research not for Library

Interpretivism Approach
Positivism Approach

(solving Problems)

May not be needed on national Needed on National Level

level

Easily published Not easily published

Results can be generalized Results can’t be generalized as

you study an individual case

Objective (external reality, i.e. I Subjective (No single reality, we

don’t know the reality) have to look for the context)

Do, What, Is? How, Why?

 Researchers
are looking for
Reality or Truth
 Do you think
that we have a
single Reality or
Truth?
 Is Research Always
Problem-Solving Based?
 Applied vs. Basic Business
Research
• Applied Business Research
Conducted to address a specific business decision for a specific firm or
an organization.
conducted to solve a current problem faced by the manager in the
work setting, demanding a timely solution.
Example:
 Should McDonald’s add Italian pasta dinners to its menu?

 Which health insurance plan should a business provide for its employees?
 Applied vs. Basic Business
Research
• Basic Business Research (Pure Research)
Conducted without a specific decision in mind that usually doesn’t
address the need of a specific organization.
 Attempts to expand the limits of knowledge in general.

 Not aimed at solving a pragmatic problem.

Example:
 Do consumers experience cognitive dissonance in low involvement situations?

 Does employee tenure with a company influence productivity?