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Business Research Methods
Lecture Overview
Course overview Information & the Management Information System (MIS) Business research – what is it? Characteristics of scientific research Types of Business research Philosophical bases of research Key research terms Research process – the main steps Research brief Current issues Research Ethics
Course Overview: Research Methods
Why is information needed?
Market/Environment
Strategic planning
Customers needs
Competition
Business managersneed
information on…
The Management Information SystemThe Management Information System
Marketing Information System
Management Info System
Developing InformationInformation
analysisInternalrecords
ResearchBus/Tourism
Marketintelligence
DistributingInformation
Assessinginformation needs
Business Manager
Business EnvironmentBusiness Environment
Man
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Research & the management process
Research is a fundamental component of the process of management and the management decision process
Research is key element of the management information system
Can be used to analyse and monitor market opportunities
Can be helpful in providing insight into organisational and individual behaviour
Where is the Research function located within an organisation if at all?
Marketing Department (Mkt Info System)
Research Department that undertakes research work for the Mkt dept and other research – on both internal and external customers
Engage an independent Research Company to conduct research
What is business research?
Systematic and organised effort to investigate a specific problem or opportunity with the goal of finding answers to the issues
Marketing/Tourism research and business research should be considered one and the same
Marketing / Tourism research is different in the focus but not in the process or outcomes from developing rigor and balance in the research process.
Business Research
Business research is an organised, systematic, data-based, critical, objective, scientific inquiry or investigation into a specific problem or issue with the purpose of finding solutions to it or clarifying it.
Characteristics of scientific research :Factors to evaluate research
Research must be conducted with:– Clear purpose – Relevance– Timely– Efficiency– Quality – Accurate, Reliable & Valid– Objectivity– Ethical Limitations of scientific research in behavioural areas
Types of Business Research
Applied – done with the intention of applying results to specific problems in the business
Basic/Pure – to enhance the understanding of problems that commonly occur across a range of organisations. Undertaken to extend knowledge
Why study Business research
A tool that can be used in any discipline Foundation of both business and academic best
practice If you are not a researcher in the future chances are
that you will be a user of research – allows use it in more sophisticated and creative ways
Allows you to sift for reliable information Allows you to evaluate other peoples research.
Philosophical bases of research
Paradigm reflects a basic set of philosophical beliefs about the nature of the world.
– Give guidelines and principles in the way research is conducted within a paradigm
– Research methods and techniques should be in sympathy with the paradigm
Research Paradigms – Positivist; Interpretative; Critical; Feminist; Postmodern
Paradigm – a set of beliefs Ontology – the nature of reality Epistemology – relationship between researcher and the
subject/object/respondent Methodology – set of guidelines for conducting research; tools for data
collection & analysis
Key Research Terms
Observations - perceptions of reality– Fact – universal truth; supported by measurable
evidence– Opinion – person’s belief
Concepts – general representations of ideas to be studied ie service value; service quality
Variables – concepts that are operationalised so it can be observed & measured
Quantitative Res; Qualitative Res
Reality is objective & singular; apart from researcher
Researcher is independent of that being researched
Concepts are in the form of distinct variables
Measures are systematically created before data collection & are standardised
Reality is subjective & multiple, as seen by participants
Researcher interacts with that being researched
Concepts are in the form of themes, generalisations
Measures are open ended questions created for the specific research setting
Quantitative Res; Qualitative Res
Data are in the form of numbers from precise measurements
There are many subjects or respondents
Procedures are standard - replication
Analysis – use statistics Methods – Survey, Experiment
Triangulation – mixed method approach; both qual & quant methods are used; will be a predominant use of one method.
Data are in the form of words from documents, transcripts
Generally few subjects or participants
Procedures not easily replicated
Analysis – extract themes from evidence & present a coherent picture
Methods – indepth interviews; focus groups; observations; panels; case studies
Key Research Terms
Secondary research – researcher uses previously collected data
Primary research – collection of original data by researcher
Research Design- framework or blueprint for conducting the research.
– Exploratory– Descriptive– Causal (hypothesis testing)Should note that researchers my use a singular, dual or
multiple research design
Why should management not automatically commission a research
study?
Identify a number of situations when research may be inappropriate.
Possible reasons
Information is already available There is insufficient time for research (tight
deadlines) Resources are not available (insufficient
funding) Costs outweigh the value of the research
Stages in the Research Process
Research process
Step One Problem definition
– Management problem– Research problem (in the form of a question [s])– Research objectives– Estimate the value of the information
Research process
Step two Research design – plan or blueprint for
gathering the data– Linked to next 2 steps in research process– Techniques to be used– Who will be involved - respondents– How the data will be gathered– How it will be analysed
Research process
Step three Sampling / representation
– How will we group people, objects, things– How will we select them– Why will we select them
Note: even for qualitative research we need to identify the participants/respondents and justify
Research process
Step Four Data collection, Data Preparation/Processing
and Analysis– How data is collected – How it is recorded– How data is analysed– Interpretation of findings to arrive at conclusions
Research process
Step five Recommendations and reporting
– Analysing data is not enough, it is important to be able to interpret your finding and include them in a report that the client can understand, interpret and apply to the management problem
– Oral presentation of the research results to client
Report writing and presentation
Permanent record of the entire project Quality of work is usually judged by the final
report and presentation Should influence the action taken by
management Needed if you are doing the course -
Research Project
Research Brief
A document provided by the client to the research agency that describes the business decision problem and the expectations of a research study design to collect information to make the decision.
Includes: purpose, background, any previous research, need for research, research objectives, target audience, level of reporting, budget, timeline, expectations of proposal/selection criteria, professional membership/quality assurance information, contact details
Current issues
Privacy Act was enacted on the 21st December 2001, changed the procedures for conducting primary research
Growth of sugging (selling under the guise of a survey), frugging (fund raising under the guise of a survey), dugging (developing a database under the guise research) and telemarketing
– These practices violate the respondents’ trust and erode willingness to support legitimate surveys
Misuse of research and reporting of findings by the media
Ethical Research
Ethical Research Practices: those practices and procedures that lead to:
protection of human & non-human subjects appropriate methodology inferences, conclusions & recom. based on
actual findings; & complete & accurate research reports
Ethics: Interaction of Rights and Obligations
Subject Researcher Client
Researcher’s Obligation Researcher’s Obligation
Researcher’s Rights Researcher’s Rights
Subject’s Obligation Client’s Obligation
Subject’s Rights
Client’s Obligations
Subject’s Rights Client’s Rights
Ethics
Most research involves three parties1. Researcher
2. Client and
3. Respondent/ subject/ participant
+ the public at large
Rights and responsibilities of the above stakeholders will be explored in the tutorial. Visit the MRSA website; and SR 1.1
Scientific Misconduct
Research fraud - falsifies or distorts the data or the methods of data collection;
Plagiarism - steals the ideas & writings of others without citing the source.
Unethical but Legal - behaviour may be unethical but not break the law
Summary
Research and the MIS What is research? & the main characteristics Applied & Basic/pure research Research paradigm – positivist, interpretative Key research terms – concept; variable; qualitative;
quantitative; research design – exploratory, descriptive, causal; primary & secondary research
Research process – steps Research brief Research ethics – researcher, respondent, client &
public
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