Research Methodology Master of BA--.pptx

Research Methodology

1. Research Methodology Prepared by: Marwa Abdel Rahman

2. Introduction to Research Methodology Research is simply the process of finding solutions to a problem after a thorough study and analysis of the situational factors. Managers in organizations constantly engage themselves in studying and analyzing issues and hence are involved in some form of research activity as they make decisions at the workplace. Decision making process is the essence of research and to be a successful manager it is important to know how to go about making the right decisions by being knowledgeable about the various steps involved in finding solutions to problematic issues . Business research as 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. In essence, research provides the needed information that guides managers to make informed decisions to successfully deal with problems .

3. Types of Business Research Research can be undertaken for two different purposes: One is to solve a current problem faced by the manager in the work setting, demanding a timely solution. For example, a particular product may not be selling well and the manager might want to find the reasons for this in order to take corrective action. Such research is called applied research. The other is to generate a body of knowledge by trying to comprehend how certain problems that occur in organizations can be solved. This is called basic research.

4. Research Process

5. Types of Research Design 1) Exploratory Study An exploratory study is undertaken when not much is known about the situation at hand, or no information is available on how similar problems or research issues have been solved in the past. In such cases, extensive preliminary work needs to be done to gain familiarity with the phenomena in the situation, and understand what is occurring, before we develop a model and set up a rigorous design for comprehensive investigation. In essence, exploratory studies are undertaken to better comprehend the nature of the problem since very few studies might have been conducted in that area. Extensive interviews with many people might have to be undertaken to get a handle on the situation and understand the phenomena. More rigorous research could then proceed.

6. Types of Research Design Example on Exploratory Study The manager of a multinational corporation is curious to know if the work ethic values of employees working in its subsidiary in Pennathur City would be different from those of Americans. There is very little information about Pennathur (except that it is a small city in southern India), and since there is considerable controversy about what work ethic values mean to people in other cultures, the manager’s curiosity can be satisfied only by an exploratory study, interviewing the employees in organizations in Pennathur . Religion, political, economic, and social conditions, upbringing, cultural values, and so on play a major role in how people view their work in different parts of the world. Here, since very little is known about work ethic values in India (or even if it is a viable concept for study in that country, as per discussions in a later chapter), an exploratory study will have to be undertaken .

7. Types of Research Design 2) Descriptive Study A descriptive study is undertaken in order to ascertain and be able to describe the characteristics of the variables of interest in a situation. For instance, a study of a class in terms of the percentage of members who are in their senior and junior years, sex composition, age groupings, number of semesters left until graduation, and number of business courses taken, can be considered as descriptive in nature. Quite frequently, descriptive studies are undertaken in organizations to learn about and describe the characteristics of a group of employees, as for example, the age, educational level, job status, and length of service of Hispanics or Asians, working in the system. Descriptive studies are also undertaken to understand the characteristics of organizations that follow certain common practices. For example, one might want to know and be able to describe the characteristics of the organizations that implement flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) or that have a certain debt-to-equity ratio.

8. Types of Research Design Example on Descriptive Study A CEO may be interested in having a description of organizations in her industry that follow the LIFO system. In this case, the report might include the age of the organizations, their locations, their production levels, assets, sales, inventory levels, suppliers, and profits. Such information might allow comparison later of the performance levels of specific types of companies .

9. Types of Research Design 3) Causal Study A study in which the major emphasis is on Cause-and-Effect relationships. It involves experiment where an independent variable is changed or manipulated to see how it affects a dependent variable by controlling the effects of extraneous variables . Example on Causal Study How does having a working mother affect a child’s school absenteeism?

10. Type of my research is: Because:

11. Types of Data There are 2 types of data as following; 1) Secondary Data They are the data that already exist and do not have to be collected by the researcher. Data gathered through existing sources such as certain types of information such as the background details of the company that can be obtained from available published records . 2) Primary Data They are the data gathered for research from the actual site of occurrence of events. They are certain other types of information such as the perceptions and attitudes of employees that are best obtained by talking to them; by observing events, people, and objects; or by administering questionnaires to individuals.

12. My research data is: Because:

13. Research Problem Definition: A problem does not necessarily mean that something is seriously wrong with a current situation that needs to be rectified immediately. A “problem” could simply indicate an interest in an issue where finding the right answers might help to improve an existing situation. Thus, it is fruitful to define a problem as any situation where a gap exists between the actual and the desired ideal states. Basic researchers usually define their problems for investigation from this perspective.

14. Research Problem Definition: Problem definition or problem statement, as it is also often referred to, is a clear, precise, and succinct statement of the question or issue that is to be investigated with the goal of finding an answer or solution. As mentioned earlier, problem definitions could pertain to: existing business problems where a manager is looking for a solution, situations that may not pose any current problems but which the manager feels have scope for improvement, areas where some conceptual clarity is needed for better theory building, or situations in which a researcher is trying to answer a research question empirically because of interest in the topic. The first two fall within the realm of applied research, and the latter two under basic research .

15. My research problem is:

16. Variables (Theoretical Framework) Definition: A variable is anything that can take on differing or varying values. The values can differ at various times for the same object or person, or at the same time for different objects or persons. Examples of variables are production units, absenteeism, and motivation. Types of Variables There are four main types of variables as following: The dependent variable (also known as the criterion variable). The independent variable (also known as the predictor variable). The moderating variable. The intervening variable.

17. Variables (Theoretical Framework) 1) Dependent Variable The dependent variable is the variable of primary interest to the researcher. The researcher’s goal is to understand and describe the dependent variable, or to explain its variability, or predict it. In other words, it is the main variable that lends itself for investigation as a viable factor. Through the analysis of the dependent variable (i.e., finding what variables influence it), it is possible to find answers or solutions to the problem. For this purpose, the researcher will be interested in quantifying and measuring the dependent variable, as well as the other variables that influence this variable.

18. Variables (Theoretical Framework) 2) Independent Variable An independent variable is one that influences the dependent variable in either a positive or negative way. That is, when the independent variable is present, the dependent variable is also present, and with each unit of increase in the independent variable, there is an increase or decrease in the dependent variable also. In other words, the variance in the dependent variable is accounted for by the independent variable. To establish causal relationships, the independent variable is manipulated.

19. Variables (Theoretical Framework) Diagram of the relationship between the independent variable ( new product success) and the dependent variable ( stock market price).

20. Variables (Theoretical Framework) 3) Moderating Variable The moderating variable is one that has a strong contingent effect on the independent variable–dependent variable relationship. That is, the presence of a third variable (the moderating variable) modifies the original relationship between the independent and the dependent variables. This becomes clear through the following

21. Variables (Theoretical Framework) The Distinction between an Independent Variable and a Moderating Variable At times, confusion is likely to arise as to when a variable is to be treated as an independent variable and when it would become a moderating variable .

22. Variables (Theoretical Framework) 4) Intervening Variable An intervening variable is one that surfaces between the time the independent variables start operating to influence the dependent variable and the time their impact is felt on it. There is thus a temporal quality or time dimension to the intervening variable. The intervening variable surfaces as a function of the independent variable(s) operating in any situation, and helps to conceptualize and explain the influence of the independent variable(s) on the dependent variable.

23. Variables (Theoretical Framework) Diagram of the relationship among the independent, intervening, and dependent variable.

24. Variables (Theoretical Framework) Diagram of the relationship among the independent, intervening, moderating, and dependent variables.

25. My Research Variables Type of Variable Name of Variable Description                  

26. Research Hypothesis Definition of Hypothesis A hypothesis can be defined as a logically conjectured relationship between two or more variables expressed in the form of a testable statement. Relationships are conjectured on the basis of the network of associations established in the theoretical framework formulated for the research study. By testing the hypotheses and confirming the conjectured relationships, it is expected that solutions can be found to correct the problem encountered. Example If the pilots are given adequate training to handle midair crowded situations, air-safety violations will be reduced .

27. Research Hypothesis The above is a testable statement. By measuring the extent of training given to the various pilots and the number of safety violations committed by them over a period of time, we can statistically examine the relationship between these two variables to see if there is a significant negative correlation between the two. If we do find this to be the case, then the hypotheses is substantiated. That is, giving more training to pilots in handling crowded space in midair will reduce safety violations. If a significant negative correlation is not found, then the hypotheses would not have been substantiated. By convention in the social sciences, to call a relationship “statistically significant,” we should be confident that 95 times out of 100 the observed relationship will hold true. There would be only a 5% chance that the relationship would not be detected.

28. My Research Hypothesis is

29. Research Population Population refers to the entire group of people, events, or things of interest that the researcher wishes to investigate. For instance, if the CEO of a computer firm wants to know the kinds of advertising strategies adopted by computer firms in the Silicon Valley, then all computer firms situated there will be the population. If a banker is interested in investigating the savings habits of blue-collar workers in the mining industry in the United States, then all blue-collar workers in that industry throughout the country will form the population. If an organizational consultant is interested in studying the effects of a 4 day workweek on the white-collar workers in a telephone company in Southern Illinois, then all white-collar workers in that company will make up the population. If regulators want to know how patients in nursing homes run by Beverly Enterprises are cared for, then all the patients in all the nursing homes run by them will form the population. If, however, the regulators are interested only in one particular nursing home in Michigan run by Beverly Enterprises, then only the patients in that specific nursing home will form the population.

30. Research Sample A sample is a subset of the population. It comprises some members selected from it. In other words, some, but not all, elements of the population would form the sample. If 200 members are drawn from a population of 1,000 blue-collar workers, these 200 members form the sample for the study. That is, from a study of these 200 members, the researcher would draw conclusions about the entire population of the 1,000 blue-collar workers. Likewise, if there are 145 in-patients in a hospital and 40 of them are to be surveyed by the hospital administrator to assess their level of satisfaction with the treatment received, then these 40 members will be the sample. A sample is thus a subgroup or subset of the population. By studying the sample, the researcher should be able to draw conclusions that would be generalizable to the population of interest .

31. My Research Population / Sample:

32. Types of Samples There are two major types of sampling designs: probability and nonprobability sampling. In probability sampling, the elements in the population have some known chance or probability of being selected as sample subjects. In nonprobability sampling, the elements do not have a known or predetermined chance of being selected as subjects.

33. Types of Samples 1) PROBABILITY SAMPLING When elements in the population have a known chance of being chosen as subjects in the sample, we resort to a probability sampling design. Probability sampling can be either unrestricted (simple random sampling) or restricted (complex probability sampling) in nature .

34. Types of Samples 2) NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING In nonprobability sampling designs, the elements in the population do not have any probabilities attached to their being chosen as sample subjects. This means that the findings from the study of the sample cannot be confidently generalized to the population. As stated earlier, however, researchers may at times be less concerned about generalizability than obtaining some preliminary information in a quick and inexpensive way. They would then resort to nonprobability sampling. Sometimes nonprobability sampling could be the only way to obtain data.

35. Types of my research samples is: Because:

36. Types of my research samples is: Because:

37. Data Collection Methods Data collection methods are an integral part of research design. There are several data collection methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Problems researched with the use of appropriate methods greatly enhance the value of the research. Data can be collected in a variety of ways, in different settings—field or lab—and from different sources. Data collection methods include interviews —face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, computer-assisted interviews, and interviews through the electronic media; questionnaires that are either personally administered, sent through the mail, or electronically administered; observation of individuals and events with or without videotaping or audio recording; and a variety of other motivational techniques such as projective tests .

38. Data Collection Methods Interviewing, administering questionnaires, and observing people and phenomena are the three main data collection methods in survey research. Projective tests and other motivational techniques are also sometimes used to tap variables. In such cases, respondents are usually asked to write a story, complete a sentence, or offer their reactions to ambiguous cues such as inkblots or unlabeled pictures. It is assumed that the respondents project into the responses their own thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and expectations, all of which can be interpreted by trained psychologists.

39. Data Collection method used in my research is:

40. Data Analysis Process

41. Basic Objectives in Data Analysis In data analysis we have three objectives: getting a feel for the data, testing the goodness of data, and testing the hypotheses developed for the research. The feel for the data will give preliminary ideas of how good the scales are, how well the coding and entering of data have been done, and so on .

42. Methods for Data Analysis Among the methods used, we can use; T-test ANOVA Chi-square Multiple regression analysis

43. Data analysis method used in my research: