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-. pplied research starts !ith a practical problem/solving focus. particular management decision must

be made and applied research involves collecting

information specific to that manager0s decision. ureresearch is involved !ith collecting information thatmight be used by a variety of managers. #t strives toans!er the broader 2!hat if32 question. ppliedresearch might as4 05hould !e institute a commissioncompensation system for 5afe6o0s sales personnel70)here pure research !ould as48 0#f an aggressive salesapproach is desired !hat percent of compensationshould be based on commission and !hat percent onsalary7 #f a high level of post/sale customer service isdesired !hat percent of compensation should be basedon commission and !hat percent on salary70

Making Research Decisions

9. To choose either option the "R manager must firstdetermine the goals of the motivation program in termsof desired attitudes and behavior. The "R manager needs to 4no! the current motivation level of theemployees and the incentives or penalties that !ouldmotivate them to adopt desired attitudes and behavior.To purchase a motivation program the "R manager must identify programs that match the companysmotivation goals as !ell s build criteria to later evaluate the program. :ach of these tas4s couldinvolve one or more research pro,ects.

;. There may be a conflict bet!een the individuals roleof investigator and manager. The manager is li4ely to

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favor findings that spea4 !ell for the continuation and possible e(pansion of the operation or recommendchanges that conform to the managers preconceived

thoughts !ishes or future goals. #ssues of e(pansionand compression of manufacturing units involvecomple( human problems of the lay/off andredeployment of colleagues. )ith a managers pasthuman associations becoming a factor ob,ectivity can

be sacrificed. #t is advantageous to identify e(ecutives!ho are distanced from a particular situation and as4 them to research it so that a clash of personal andcorporate interests is avoided. This has often been thereason !hy independent corporate planning andresearch divisions are assigned research pro,ectsinstead of managers in the field. s a researcher one iscalled upon to gather and ob,ectively !eigh allinformation and report the results of findings regardlessof the course of action favored by the findings. The

manager can be honest and !ell intentioned !ith adesire to be totally ob,ective but even !ith the best of intentions biases emerge and ob,ectivity is in doubt.

Manager a full service restaurant Reporting Monthly employee turnover percentages for ma,or full service restaurants inthe city

Description Types of ,ob/related interaction for different categories of employees

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Explanatory Reasons for resignations andterminations

Prediction forecast for the ne(t years

turnover based on changes in salaries incentivesand other conditions of employment=-> "ead of an academic department

Reporting ?isting of research methodste(tboo4s used in top t!enty schools

Description @5tudent satisfaction !ith differentte(tboo4s

Explanatory 5tudy to e(amine the relationship bet!een student e(amination performance andte(t boo4 use =the use of particular boo4s may be

positively related to better learning ande(amination performance>

Prediction @5tudent enrollment as predicted by boo4 choice and average course grades a!arded

in the past b. )hen the management decision problem has not yet

been specified8=1> Manager at a restaurant

Reporting n inventory study to determine!hat dishes and flat!are need to be replaced.

Description @an observation study of frequent

diners as to age gender and !hether they dinealone in pairs or in groups.

Explanation 5urvey of people !ho do not buyappeti*ers or desserts as to !hy they do not buy.

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Prediction nalysis of restaurant patronage patterns to determine staffing needs for the ne(tmonth.

=-> lant manager at a shoe factory Reporting @&evelopment of an accident statisticssummary.

Description nalysis of quality control defectsdiscovered at final inspection station by shift andassembly line.

Explanation nalysis of high absentee

employees by demographic and other measures todetermine the cause of absenteeism. Prediction &etermination of the effect onassembly line output of the elimination of !aterproof boots from the product mi(.

=9> &irector of Big BrothersABig 5isers in chargeof sponsor recruiting

Reporting )ee4ly summary of inquiries andapplications to be a sponsor.

Description nalysis of applicants by genderoccupation and ethnicity.

Explanation survey of sponsor applicants !hodecline a child !hen assigned to determine !hythey declined.

Prediction nalysis of quarterly applicationrates for purpose of forecasting total number of children !ho can be provided !ith a big brother or sister.

=;> &ata analyst for a survey research firm.

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Reporting eriodic report survey participationrates among high income households

Description 6omparison of participation rates

relative to topic of study. Explanation nalysis of participation brea4/off pints in survey in an effort to determine causes of participant discontinuation. Prediction :mployee pro,ections for the dataanalyst position for the ne(t calendar year.= "R manager at a university

Reporting report on employee turnover bydepartment.

Description :mployee turnover reportclassified by department seniority marital statusand so on.

Explanation n e(periment to determine theeffect on climate of t!o different styles of

management. Prediction forecast of staffing needs inhouse4eeping and grounds maintenance for thene(t five years.

= > roduct manager of Cord :(plorer Reporting report on monthly sales. Description &emographic profiles of buyers of various models !ithin the :(plorer line.

Explanation Test mar4eting of strategies thatemploy different advertising !eights and pricelevels.

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Prediction ro,ection of test mar4eting resultsto national sales volume estimates.

=D> Camily services officer for a county

Reporting "istorical record of number of service incidents.

Description &emographic profile of serviceusers.

Explanation Reasons for heavy demand shiftsfor some services verses others.

Predictive 5ervice forecasts from population

gro!th and migration data.=E> Fffice manager for a pediatrician

Reporting Record of the number of incoming patients !ith influen*a.

Description study categori*ing patients byailment categories.

Explanatory Relationship bet!een gender andincome and ailment frequency

Predictive Corecast of number of office visitsfor the ne(t one year for every e(isting patient todetermine need to increase number of e(amination rooms.

. Many different studies might be helpful in thissituation. robably the t!o ma,or lines of investigationshould be on =1> the firms operating inefficiencies and=-> its future prospects in the industry. #n the first casethe president might request research to determine!hether the inefficiency is caused by internal

production problems poor organi*ation ineffective cost

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controls !ea4 sales management and so on. #t might be in the form of a company management audit. Thee(amination of the industry and the firms future in it

!ould probably be directed at possible trends inconsumption patterns and distribution systems. )iththis database the president might then consider possiblechanges in company operations that could help themadapt to these trends.D. )hen needed the instructor should elaborate onthese points. #n this question understanding of theconcept of morale is important. "o! is it defined7 #sthe definition consistent !ith the literature7 "o! is itmeasured7 &oes the measurement operationali*e thedefinition7 )hat can !e infer about thedisproportionate sample si*es and their composition7&oes this suggest that there are only clerical ande(ecutive employees in the headquarters7 "o! are thefindings from the separate samples treated7 5hould !e

be concerned about the effects of social desirability onthe secretaries responses7 Fther questions onmethodology data analysis and the consultantscredentials can be raised in con,unction !ith the ninecriteria.E. from the limited e(perience to all situations. Thislimits the scope of the study and any method selectedunless the researcher ma4es a deliberate effort toincorporate other !ays of thin4ing. =-> There is theconstant danger of mi(ing personal motives andresearch. #n this situation particular research results canhave employment implications for the manager/

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researcher. =9> common source of bias in using salesmanagers as researchers is that they prefer to understatedemand. 5ubsequently sales are achieved more easily

and the manager loo4s better. This tendency also leadsmanagers to rely on their subordinates as 4eyinformation sources or to use quantitativemethodologies that give conservative estimates at thecost of ob,ectivity.

Bringing Research to Life

G. The student !ould loo4 for the follo!ing in a

proposed research design8 Purpose clearly defined: Research must provide anestimate of the si*e of the outboard engine mar4et insales and units and an estimate of current mar4et shareof all industry participants.

Research process detailed 8 research proposalincluding budget !ill be approved before the research is

conducted and the researcher !ill report !ee4ly the on progress of the process. Research !ill be completed!ithin 9H days.

Research designed thoroughly planned 8 Research !illinclude internal data mining e(tensive secondary datasearch of industry specific sources as !ell asintervie!s !ith industry e(perts.

Limitations frankly revealed 8 Research !ill focuse(clusively on outboard engines of the si*e currentlymanufactured or in development.

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Highly Ethical standards applied 8 :ach estimator usedin the forecasting !ill be confirmed by t!o or moresources to avoid bias in the calculation.

Ade uate Analysis 8 Cootnotes of e(planation of calculations !ill be presented !ith the findings.

!indings presented unam"iguously 8 Cindings !ill be presented in spreadsheet format !ith pessimistice(pected and optimistic forecasts.#onclusions $ustified 8 Recommendations !ill notinclude strategies or tactics for e(pansion of companysales and mar4et share.

Researcher%s experience reflected 8 Researcher0scredentials !ill appear in the process.1H. Myra revealed her company is interested inassessing the level of customer satisfaction =or dissatisfaction> !ith their post/sale servicing of their Mind)riter laptop computers. This is applied researchof a descriptive nature. Fnce the satisfaction level is4no!n Myra might find that a predictive study !ould

be of value. #n the proposal development stage Iasonshould use his research e(pertise to determine if Myra0scompany !ill be satisfied !ith the li4ely results of adescriptive study.11. Cor management to call a meeting requiring

significant travel they are obviously concerned aboutsomething. Management as4s Myra to attend themeeting !ith her number cruncher !hich !ould implythat there are numbers of some sort to analy*e. #f they

,ust !anted a benchmar4 study to facilitate continuous

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monitoring and subsequent trac4ing of customer satisfaction such a request !ould be unli4ely to requiresuch a management meeting. dditionally Iason

suggests that Myra discern 2!hat facts management hasgathered2. "e obviously believes that facts !ill beshared at the meeting !ithout anticipating !hat thosefacts might be.

1. .6oncepts and constructs are both abstractions theformer from our perceptions of reality and the latter from some invention that !e have made. concept isa bundle of meanings or characteristics associated!ith certain ob,ects events situations and the li4e.6onstructs are images or ideas developed specificallyfor theory building or research purposes. 6onstructstend to be more abstract and comple( than concepts.Both are critical to thin4ing and research processessince one can thin4 only in terms of meanings !e haveadopted. recision in concept and constructs is

particularly important in research since !e usuallyattempt to measure meaning in some !ay.

B.Both deduction and induction are basic forms of reasoning. )hile !e may emphasi*e one over theother from time to time both are necessary for research thin4ing. &eduction is reasoning from

generali*ations to specifics that flo! logically fromthe generali*ations. #f the generali*ations are true andthe deductive form valid the conclusions must also betrue. #nduction is reasoning from specific instances or observations to some generali*ation that is purportedto e(plain the instances. The specific instances are

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evidence and the conclusion is an inference that may be true.

6.&ictionary definitions are those used in most general

discourse to describe the nature of concepts through!ord reference to other familiar concepts preferablyat a lo!er abstraction level. Fperational definitions areestablished for the purposes of precision inmeasurement. )ith them !e attempt to classifyconcepts or conditions unambiguously and use them inmeasurement. Fperational definitions are essential for effective research !hile dictionary definitions aremore useful for general discourse purposes.

&.6oncepts are meanings abstracted from our observationsJ they classify or categori*e ob,ects or events that have common characteristics beyond asingle observation =see >. variable is a concept or construct to !hich numerals or values are assignedJthis operationali*ation permits the construct or concept

to be empirically tested. #n informal usage a variableis often used as a synonym for construct or property being studied.

:. proposition is a statement about concepts that can beevaluated as true or false !hen compared toobservable phenomena. hypothesis is a propositionmade as a tentative statement configured for empiricaltesting. This further distinction permits theclassification of hypotheses for different purposese.g. descriptive relational correlational causal etc.

C. theory is a set of systematically interrelatedconcepts constructs definitions and propositionsadvanced to e(plain and predict phenomena or facts.

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Theories differ from models in that their function ise(planation and prediction !hereas a models purposeis representation. model is a representation of a

system constructed for the purpose of investigating anaspect of that system or the system as a !hole.Models are used !ith equal success in applied or theoretical !or4.

K.The characteristics of the scientific method areconfused in the literature primarily because of thenumerous philosophical perspectives one may ta4e!hen $doing% science. second problem stems fromthe fact that the emotional characteristics of scientistsdo not easily lend themselves to generali*ation. Cor our purposes ho!ever the scientific method is asystematic approach involving hypothesi*ingobserving testing and reasoning processes for the

purpose of problem solving or amelioration. Thescientific method may be summari*ed !ith a set of

steps or stages but these only hold for the simplest problems. #n contrast to the mechanics of the processthe scientific attitude reflects the creative aspects thatenable and sustain the research from preliminarythin4ing to discovery and on to the culmination of the

pro,ect. #magination curiosity intuition and doubt areamong the predispositions involved. Fne +obel

physicist described this aspect of science as doingones utmost !ith no holds barred.

-. The scientific method emphasi*es =1> direct observationof phenomena =-> clearly defined variables methodsand procedures =9> empirically testable hypotheses =;>

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the ability to rule out rival hypotheses =;> statisticalrather than linguistic ,ustification of conclusions and= > the self/correcting process. schematic approach to

the scientific method is found in the section entitledReflective Thin4ing and the 5cientific Method. "ereobservation the processes of induction and deductionand hypotheses testing combine in a systematic !ay as!e proceed from observations to a critical self correcting approach to theory development.

9. Mar4eting management organi*ational behavior andother studies !here the human input is the central focustend to!ard empirical solutions to problems and theory

building. :(amples of such studies are =1> mediaeffectiveness =-> the impact of different incentiveschemes =9> the organi*ational efficiency of different

patterns of organi*ing. Management science operationsresearch production and associated areas tend to!ard

rationalist approaches. :(amples are =1> linear programming transportation studies =-> inventorymodeling and cost forecasting =9> production andmachine time scheduling. quic4 survey of the currentissue of the top t!o or three ,ournals in each field !illreveal much about preferred methodologies. Crom thisyou may !ish to construct a pie chart on the boardsho!ing the range of research approaches for eachdiscipline.

;. . Cirst ?ine 5upervisor =construct>Fperational definitions8

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a. Cor purposes of a given study a first linesupervisor is anyone !ho is on the companyroster !ith a ,ob level of M/1.%

b. n individual !or4ing in a line functionsupervising at least five employees of category$+/1.%

B. :mployee Morale =construct>Fperational definitions8a. &egree of mental satisfaction among employees

as represented by their score on the L N morale

inventory. b. Mental satisfaction measured as an equally

!eighted self/report on seven point scales8Mental satisfaction at home8 :(cellent =1>

verage =;> oor =D>Mental satisfaction at !or48 :(cellent =1>

verage =;> oor =D>

6. ssembly ?ine =concept>Fperational definitions8a. n assembly line is any !or4 arrangement that

meets the follo!ing tests81. The !or4 consists of performing specific tas4s

in a fi(ed sequence of successive !or4stations.-. The !or4 at a given station is repetitive.

9. Materials upon !hich !or4 is performedmoved through the sequence to various!or4stations rather than machines or!or4ers moving to the material.

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b. n assembly line is any process on the production floor of building !here the processleads to a gross value addition to the product.

&. Fverdue account =construct>Fperational definitions8a. ll accounts receivable that remain unpaid by the

Fperational definitions8a. ?ine management consists of all supervisors

listed in 6ompany s organi*ation tables !hoare in the direct chain of command bet!een thecompanys president and the production !or4ersales !or4er or finance !or4er. 5upervisors in

units !hose ma,or functions are to assist other organi*ation units in their performance are notline management.

b. ll personnel =1> assigned annual outcometargets in the &etailed ssignment and

ccountability 5tatement of the nnual lan1GGE/1GGG =-> e(cluding all personnel !hose

employment classification is $Miscellaneoussupport services% in the "uman Resources roster.C. ?eadership =construct>

Fperational definitions8

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a. n act of leadership shall be recorded !hen anymember of the small groups under observation is81. Recogni*ed by group members as their leader

by their submission to hisAher assignments tospecific roles in one of the e(ercises or-. grees to hisAher suggestion as to ho! to

proceed in ma4ing assignments. b. The degree of leadership embodied in a manager

!ould be measured by81. The number of e(ecutives of ran4 O and

above reporting to the e(ecutive directly or indirectly-. The increase in the number of e(ecutives of

ran4 O and above reporting to the manager directly or indirectly over the last three years#n 4eeping !ith management perceptions of !eight to be assigned to various factors =1>

could be assigned a !eight of HP and =->;HP leading to an inde( of leadership.ersonnel may be ran4ed on this basis.

K. rice/:arnings Ratio =construct>Fperational definitions8a. The ratio found by dividing a companys

common stoc4 price =average of the years

closing daily bids or final transaction prices onthe +e! or4 5toc4 :(change> by the companysnet profit after ta(es as reported for the calendar year or fiscal year ending before Iuly of thefollo!ing year.

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b. The earlier operational definition may be altered by redefining the common stoc4 price for instance by using the data of another stoc4

e(change and profit may be redefined as $gross %or before ta(es.". Qnion &emocracy =construct>

Fperational definitions8a. The condition of union governance in !hich the

ran4 and file members e(ercise the po!er in theunion as measured by responses to the follo!ing

three tests81. re there free and open elections of leaders in!hich opposition slates are allo!ed free accessto the members7

-. #s there open and free discussion and vote byran4 and file members on any contractapproval7

9. #s there an effective ran4/and/file committee board or other type of organi*ationalarrangement by !hich !or4ers e(erciseeffective oversight of union officials7

b. The condition of union governance !here81. nnual elections are mandatory.-. :ach member has one vote.

9. motion !ith Fperational definitions8

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a. The ethical standard of the participant ismeasured by his or her score on the 5:5T=5tudents :thical 5tandard Test>.

b. The ethical standard is ,udged by the number of violations by the participant in the last fiveyears.

because of the po!er it gives us to e(plain and

predict the target phenomenon.)e use theory constantly as !e e(plain !hy certainevents occur or !hy one procedure succeeds andanother does not. Theory represents an identificationof 4ey causal relationships !hich e(plain outcomes ina variety of situations. #t is an effort to e(tract theessence of relationships ignoring less importantconte(tual factors. The adequacy of a theory comesfrom its capacity to e(plain phenomenon in a varietyof conte(ts and situations and this is referred to as itscapacity to $travel.% Fften theories are too simplisticand therefore lac4 e(planatory po!er acrosssituations. The solution lies in improving the theory

possibly introducing more variables rather than

re,ecting the central concept.. . Fne scheme for assessing the variables8

6ar 5ales =& > Buyer gender :er 6apita #ncome =# > 6ompetitor advertising /

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M:ase of credit access =: > 6ompetitor dealer

discounts / M

lo! interest rates M #ntroduction ofcompetitor models / M

Buyer age :

6ar 5ales =& > !ill increase as per capita incomeincreases =# > as long as lo! interest =# > increase

ease of access to credit among younger =: > men=: > and competitors do not introduce more attractivemodels =: > increase advertising =: > or increasetheir discounts =: >.B. Kiven that buyer behavior is fic4le !ith respect

to ego/involved purchases =e.g. car> and giventhe number of uncontrollable e(traneous

variables a model based on the above theory isunli4ely to be relevant for any about of time.

Making Research Decisions

D. There are a variety of ans!ers to this question. Fnee(ample might be8. 6oncepts@sales representative male female

6onstructs@customer defection.

B. Cemale sales representatives !ho are moreculturally supported in establishing and maintaining

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relationships e(tend that personal behavior into the!or4 place.

?o!er customer defections S fe!er currentcustomers lost at time of contract rene!al resultingin a smaller customer defection percentage.

6ustomer defection percentage S the number of customers !ho do not rene! their contract duringthe measurement period divided by the total number of customers at the start of the measurement period.

E. "ypothesis 1@Receptionist misdirects calls due to hisinability to correctly hear the problem as stated by thecaller.The above hypothesis is induced from the situationdescribed in the problem. Crom the hypothesis !e must

be able to deduce some other factual conditions implied by this hypothesis. Cor e(ample8

Cacts 1@The complaints of misdirected calls onlyoccur !hen the -H/year employee !or4s thereception des4.Cact -@ fully hearing employee does notgenerate complaints of misdirected calls.Cact 9@:mployee has requested t!o sic4 days inthe last 9 months for ear/related infections.

"ypothesis -@ faulty s!itch causes the misroutedcalls.

Cact 1@5!itch is tested by placing severalsample calls and the calls are correctly routed.

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Cact -@5!itch B is tested by placing severalsample calls and the calls are misdirected.

G. This question should lead to a lively discussion. #T:members !ere primarily concerned by 5tate Carmsfailure to factor in traffic volume measures =as anindication of probability of an accident occurring> and

police incident reports =as an indication of severity> inarriving at their designated dangerous intersections.a. =1> )hat constitutes an accident7 This is the most

fundamental construct. #s an accident only one in!hich the police are involved7 Fr is it one in !hicheither personal or property in,ury occurs7 Fr is itone in !hich medical treatment is delivered7 Fr maybe an accident is only one !here t!o vehiclescollide in an intersection. =-> nother construct is$)hat is an intersection7% 5hould an intersection

have to achieve some base level of traffic to beconsidered part of the pool of intersections that areconsidered7 =9>Traffic volume is another constructas it is based on a statistical pro,ection. #n mostinstances volume is a sample measure based onnumber of cars proceeding through an intersectionduring a specified period of time in each of four directions. The period of time varies based on staff or equipment used to ma4e the counts. The volumeis li4ely to vary depending on time of day day of !ee4 and !ee4 of the year as !ell as based ondirection of movement. Most volume counts are

pro,ections based on an actual traffic count of

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vehicles moving through an intersection for a short period =sample> of time. 5o !hile the count may be a concept proceeding through an intersection is

a construct. =;> ccident severity is yet another construct !hich can be defined !ith any number of additional constructs and concepts. 5hould 5tateCarm use medical recovery cost and propertydamage repair estimates to determine severity or some other measure li4e loss of life or limb7 :venloss of life may become a construct if oneconsiders that a severe accident might place avictim in a coma and thus technically alive inmedical terms !hile not functioning in the laymanseyes.

b. Fne possible hypothesis of #T: is that $a dangerousintersection is one in !hich the largest percentageof vehicles moving through an intersection areinvolved in a collision !ith another vehicle or animmovable ob,ect regardless rather an insuranceclaim is filed.% nother hypothesis might be that$only intersections !ith at least L traffic volumecan be considered dangerous and only then if L

percent of vehicles moving through that intersectionare involved in a collision.% Qltimately #T:members are responsible for solving intersection

problems@!hether or not such intersections are brought to their attention by 5tate Carm. 5o studentsmight also propose hypotheses related tointersection problems8 $#ntersections !ithoutsignals visible for a minimum of

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dangerous than those !ith signals visible for aminimum of

loss of lucrativemining ,obs =: >

pro(imity to firirange =M >

belief in fate=M >

nocturnalscavenging of firing range for copper !ire =& >

resident educatilevel =: /control>

fighter bombing!ith activeartillery=# >

post/fire handling=M >

speed of impact =#

detonationdelay =: >

price of copper !ire =: >

4erosenelanternmar4ing=: >

profit fromscavengedmaterials =# >

1H. rmy0s hypothesis !ithin the te(t discussion8

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n active =non/dud> shell !hen fired from a cannon=# > e(plodes on impact =& >.

2dud2 shell !hen fired from a cannon =# > does

not e(plode on impact =& >.

Myra0s hypotheses !ithin the te(t discussion8

2dud2 shell !hen fired from a cannon =# > doesnot immediately e(plode on impact =& > andcannot subsequently be detonated by any means

human or mechanical =# >. . ?ocal0s conviction that predetermined fate dictatestime and place of death =# > leads them tounderta4e life/threatening behaviors@scavengingon the firing range =& >. #f locals could be !arnedof the danger =# > of their actions they !ouldchange their nocturnal behavior =& >.

The loss of mining ,obs =# > leads to acceptance of higher/ris4 behaviors to earn a family/supportingincome@race/car driving or nocturnal scavenging=& > especially due to the pro(imity of the firingrange =M > and limited education =M > of theresidents.

mong residents !ith less than a high schooleducation =: /control> the loss of high incomemining ,obs =# > leads to acceptance of higher/ris4

behaviors to earn a family/supporting income@ race/car driving or nocturnal scavenging =& >especially due to the pro(imity of the firing range=M >.

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Mar4ing $dud% shells !ith 4erosene lanterns for same/evening detonation =# > !ill reduce nocturnalscavenging =& > among poorly educated local

residents =M > by eliminating the profit motive for such behavior =# >. n increase in the price of salvaged copper !ire

=# > leads to an increase in scavenging =& > on thermy firing range.

From Concept to Practice

11. . 1. #f money supply is the basic economic variablethen economic condition changes !ill parallel it!ith a lag.

-. :conomic condition variations lag money supply by /1- months. &nduction9. Therefore money supply is the basic economicvariable

B. 1. #f smo4ing causes lung cancer heavy smo4ers!ill have a higher lung cancer rate than non/smo4ers.

-. "eavy smo4ers do have a higher lung cancer rate. &nduction9. "eavy smo4ing causes lung cancer.

6. 1. #f a person goes to church regularly this person isa reliable !or4er.-. $Bob% goes to church regularly.

Deduction9. $Bob% is a reliable !or4er.

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+ote8 Three is a valid deduction from the ma,or premise =1>. The truth of the ma,or and minor premises may be challenged8 church

attendance and reliability in the !or4placemust be unequivocally connected and $Bob%must be a person not my dog.

1. )hen !e consider !hether a topic is researchable it is!ise to note that the ans!er is one of degree. Researchcan shed some light on most topics but there are t!osituations !here research can not provide much help. #nthe first case there are questions relating to $value%!here fact gathering can not contribute much. Cor e(ample !e may consider ma4ing a merger offer tocompany L and as4 the question $&o !e really !ant togro! in this !ay7% Fr $)ill !e be happier ma4ing thisoffer rather than an offer to company 7%

second situation !here research is limited concernsthose questions !here data gathering could be helpful

but our techniques or procedures are inadequate. #n themerger case for e(ample !e might as4 the question$)ill the stoc4holders of 6ompany L !elcome our merger offer7% This type of question is ans!ered if there is a !ay to get the data before ma4ing the offer.

"o!ever there may be no method to enable us to ma4ethis assessment short of ma4ing the offer. Fr again thequestion $)ill the Q.5. &epartment of Iustice fight our merger plan7% )hile there are no legitimate techniquesto gain certainty about such information research may

provide probable or at least possible clues as to

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reactions from stoc4holders government agencies andother sta4eholders.

-. This question addresses the issue of shortsightedness in

research planning. The use of e(ploration even under budgetary restraints may ma4e the difference bet!eenterminating the pro,ect early or spending a substantialsum to rediscover !hat is already 4no!n. The use of

published data and e(perience surveys for e(amplemay permit ans!ering the question changing thequestion refining the question or selecting an optimalmethodology// all of !hich are cost saving. )herease(ploration avoids costly mista4es on the front end of the problem pilot testing identifies methodologicalmisapplications and measurement problems before datacollection. Both activities add to the cost of the pro,ect

but !ithout them the information may be completely!ithout value. The failure to do some e(ploration mayresult in studying the !rong problem and the failure to

pretest may threaten the validity of the study.3. #n a study of an inventory management situation the use

of the last years audit as the 4ey database !ould implythat previous data on inventory levels inventorymista4es slo! moving and surplus stoc4 is the basis for decision ma4ing. +ormally such data is used toevaluate the appropriateness of desired inventory levels=minimum ma(imum average>. 5imulations are also

possible based on alternative models. The second proposal uses a study of systems and procedures torecommend changes. The focus here is proceduralefficiency and the results of ne! procedures are

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identify the strategies that can lead to increases in productivity. #n this case the resident is assuming that=1> the cause of lo! productivity in the organi*ation is

,ob satisfaction =-> there is a relationship bet!een ,obsatisfaction and productivity. The latter relationshipeven if partially valid may be largely influenced bymoderating and intervening variables. Cor instance

performance or productivity is an outcome of $!or4 input% or effort and this becomes a 4ey interveningvariableJ a similar variable may be absenteeism.Cocusing on these variables may be important as their salience may be as high as that of ,ob satisfaction.Cinally the cause of lo! productivity may not lie in

personnel issues but in other matters such as the plantequipment materials availability or technology. The

residents approach biases the results and ane(ploratory e(ercise to determine possible causes of lo! productivity is necessary. This may be follo!ed up

by a pilot study to narro! 4ey research questions tofactors that have greater importance !ith respect to productivity.

5. The editor of 'entlemen(s )aga*ine has as4ed you tocarry out a research study. The maga*ine has beenunsuccessful in attracting advertising revenue fromshoe manufacturers. The shoe manufacturers claim that

mens clothing stores are a small and declining segmentof the mens shoe business. 5ince 'entlemen(s )aga*ine sells chiefly to mens clothing storemanagers the manufacturers have reasoned that it is nota good advertising medium for their shoes.

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The editor disagrees about the si*e and importance of shoe mar4eting through mens clothing stores. +either side has much direct evidence on the matter so the

editor as4s you to carry out a study to determine thefacts about these stores as a channel of distribution for mens shoes. ou agree to do so and proceed by firststructuring the problem.1. )anagement +uestion, The problem facing the

maga*ine management is that of e(panding their advertising revenue. There are a number of !aysthat this might be done and research might help inmany of them. #n this case ho!ever themanagement has already decided that themanagements problem is to secure moreadvertising from the shoe industry. The researcher accepted the problem definition as stated.

-. Research +uestion, The research question !asdefined as $ re the actual or potential sales of mens shoes in mens!ear stores large enough torepresent an advertising opportunity to shoemanufacturers7%

9. &nvestigative +uestions, Three ma,or investigativequestions !ere proposed8

. re shoe sales important to mens!ear stores7B."ave shoe sales been gro!ing in importance in

mens!ear stores and are they e(pected to gro!in the future7

6.&oes the situation in mens!ear stores present anadvertising opportunity for shoe manufacturers7

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!hether or not shoes are li4ely to secure thestore managements attention.>

;. "o! do spaceAsales ratios compare bet!een

shoe departments and the total store7 = nother measure of the contribution of shoes to thetotal store volume. lso a measure of ho!secure shoes might be as a part of the store

product mi(.>

-. "ave shoe sales gro!n or declined in absolutedollars in recent years7 s a percentage of totalstore sales7 =Measures of the changes that haveta4en place in mens!ear stores concerningshoes.>)hat are store managers e(pecting in the ne(tfe! years concerning shoes7 dd or drop7

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Reduce or enlarge7 = measure of storeoperator e(pectations concerning shoes.>

C. &oes the situation in mens!ear stores present an

advertising opportunity for shoe manufacturers71. )hat percentage of the mens shoe volume is

sold through mens!ear stores7 = very crudemeasure of the importance of this channel tothe manufacturer. This estimate !ill becarefully hedged since there is little hope thatthe survey can provide an unbiased estimate of total sales of mens shoes.>

-. "o! important are leased departments inmens shoes operations in mens!ear stores7 =measure of the need for shoe manufacturers tocontact individual store managers to securedistribution or !hether the approach of a fe!central buying firms might suffice.>

9. )hat price lines are carried and !hat is therelative importance of each7 = measure of thetype of demand for mens shoes represented inthis channel.>

;. )hat is the importance of casual shoes versusdress shoe sales7 = nother measure of the typeof shoe demand that prevails in this channel.>

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-, )easurement +uestions, The 19 investigativequestions listed under the three ma,or questionstranslated into about -H specific measurement

questions that !ere finally as4ed of the participants.There !ere si( additional classification/typequestions. They differed from the investigativequestions chiefly in !ording and format so as to aidthe participant in replying !ith a minimum of difficulty and a ma(imum of reliability.

6. . 5tudents should be as4ed for their suggestions of !hy sales of beef entrees might be declining. Theyshould generate many plausible reasons. 5ales of

beef could be do!n due to fear =as suggested> butmight also have decreased due to a shift to fishchic4en or vegetarian foods. ny of thesealternative entrees !ould be appropriate choices if customers are e(periencing increasing concern over

high cholesterol as promoted by the areas medicalcommunity. &eclining sales of beef might also bedue to the closing of a primary beef suppliercausing beef deliveries to be interrupted !ith aresulting out/of/stoc4 condition occurring. 5alescould also be do!n due to !aitress suggestions

price incentives on desserts !hich led customers to

reduce the si*e of their entrees or a ne! chef !ho prefers to use non/beef products for the featuredentr e. )e need to 4no! more about the internalsituation to move for!ard. )hen did the salesdecline first start7 6an the sales declines be lin4edto changes in other internal behaviors7 survey of

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entr e sales. Fne of your students should generate the

follo!ing8

Management dilemma8 Beef entr e sales aredeclining7

Management question8 )hat could !e do toincrease beef entr e sales7 or )hat could !e doto return beef entr e sales to their pre/declinelevel7

#nherent in the management question is theneed to e(plore !hy beef entr e sales havedeclined. Both internal and e(ternal causesshould be studied. But plausible ideas for ho!declining beef entr e sales could be reversedshould be the focus of the e(ploratory research.

Research question8 )hat might !e do to reverse

the trend of declining beef entr e sales7 5ome plausible ones might be8 5hould smaller beefentr e portions be offered7 5hould a more highlyseasoned beef entr es be added to the menu75hould a lo!er/fat beef supplier be found75hould a beef entr e be a featured special at leastthree days a !ee47 :tc.

Bringing Research to Life

7. $The #ssue of #ncreasing 6omplaints Regarding osturchase 5ervice%. Management &ilemma8

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possible problem !ith reference to the managementdilemma :(hibit 9/; in the te(tboo4 defines themanagement question as $)hat can be done to improve

the 6omplete6are program for Mind)riter productrepairs and servicing7% #t hereafter developscorresponding e(ploration and research questions. #nthis question !e ma4e an effort to identify alternativemanagement problems that cause the managementdilemma and develop corresponding management andresearch questions. The management dilemma is

provo4ed by increasing complaints and letters about post purchase service. This seems to indicate adeterioration in service quality over time. Fne class of management questions concerns trou"le shooting or control situations and if the management dilemma isvie!ed !ithin this perspective then managementquestions e(tend beyond decision choices to improveservice quality. The focus here is the control process

issues of responsibility and accountability andappropriate procedures to limit the possibility of failureor deterioration in the quality of service.B. Management 'uestions8

)hat is the cause for the increase in post purchase service complaints7

#n terms of systems controls and troubleshooting !hat should be done to decrease thenumber of complaints7

Crom the standpoint of the organi*ation !hich personnel and !hich stages of the process should

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be identified as responsible and accountable for service quality deterioration7

6. Research 'uestions8

#s the increase in complaints merely an outcomeof the increased volumes in the mar4et or is therea real deterioration in service quality7

"o! many complaints have occurred at differentstages of the service process and !hat has beenthe pattern over time7 =Cor instance thecomplaints at the stage of telephone inquiry pic4/up time repeat complaints delivery delaysinitial telephone clarifications after sale etc.>

)hat are the categories of complaints and !hathas been the pattern of complaints over time7=6ategories8 complaints regarding soft!areinstallation hard!are po!er supply delays

because of8 parts availability late pic4 up latedelivery>

)hat are the e(isting controls in the companyand ho! do they compare to industry norms7

)hat are the norms and control systemsrecommended7 =These norms generally relate tooutcome and behavior controls and systems8

6ontrols and norms !ould be norms such as8 percentage of calls !here problems should

be solved on the phone

ma(imum percentage of repeat complaints

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average repair time

average delivery time

ma(imum average brea4age allo!ed average repair cost per laptop

average number of laptops repaired per technician per day

8. $The Qneven 6ourier erformance roblem%

)ith regard to the above problem reference to :(hibit9/9 and 9/; in the te(tboo4 is revealing. :(plorationhas been done at t!o stages stage - and stage ;. tstage - there is no e(ploration of the courier problem atall and the e(ploration is restricted to the productsatisfaction !ith service repair and technical support.The information obtained lac4s specific focus on

courier and delivery systems. ?i4e!ise even thoughthe brainstorming at stage - lists uneven courier performance as a possible problem the onlye(ploration at stage ; is an intervie! !ith $anindependent pac4age company account e(ecutive.%:(ploration of the uneven courier supply issue hastherefore to start more rigorously and !ith the normalstarting point secondary data analysis.

. :(ploration ctivities81. :(plore the cost economics and delivery

advantages of different services both couriersand alternative means of transport =5ource8Brochures and literature from other courier

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companies freight for!arding companiesairlines shipping agenciesJ personal contact may

be made at a later stage>.

-. :(plore the sequence of courier operations8!aiting time product pic4 up and delivery timefeedbac4 on delivery and the condition of the

product at the time of delivery =5ources86omplete 6are records B6 6ourier representatives representatives of other courier companies>.

. ost 5ervicing ac4aging lternatives8 #nvestigative'uestions5tarting from the base issue of brea4age in delivery theinvestigative questions bifurcate since there are t!ooptions81. Retain a courier service or change to another butmodify pac4ing requirements.

-. 6hange to air transport.:ach option generates associated investigativequestions. sample of such questions is given

belo!.

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Retain Co!rier Change to "ir #ransport:fficiency implications of

the choice7:fficiency implications of the choice7

< 6ost implications of =;>7 6ost implications of =;>7; ac4aging modificationsfor satisfactory deliveries7

ny pac4ing changesneeded7

9 )hat are the brea4ageissues !ith courier companies7

)hat are the brea4ageissues !ith air transport7

- 6hoose a courier company.

6hoose air transport.

1 Management 'uestion8 "o! should the companydecrease brea4age in post service deliveries7

From Concept to Practice

$%. a. The production manager of a shoe factoryManagement &ilemma8 There is a decline in plant

productivity.Management 'uestion8 "o! do !e increase plant

productivity to bring it bac4 to its former level7Research 'uestions8 =1> )hat are the factorsimpacting productivity and ho! important is eachfactor7 =-> )hich are the factors to be focused on toincrease productivity7 =9> "o! does productivity in

this factory compare to industry norms consideringlabor and capital productivity7 b. The president of a home healthcare services firm

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Management &ilemma8 The firm is e(periencing anincreasing number of complaints regarding healthcare service quality.

Management roblem8 )hat can be done toimprove service quality7Research 'uestions8 =1> #s there a real problem inthe quality of service or is the perceived quality of the service poor7 =-> )hich categories of healthcare services are generating the ma,or portion of complaints7 =9> )hat specific improvements canimprove these services7 =;> )hat may be e(pectedas an outcome of the improvements7

c. The vice president of labor relations for an automanufacturer Management &ilemma8 ?o! productivity and highabsenteeism at the manufacturing plant.Management 'uestion8 )hat are the causes for lo!

productivity and high absenteeism7Research 'uestions8 =1> )hat are the causes of lo! productivity that relate to personnel issues7 =->)hat are the causes of lo! productivity that relateto technology or the manufacturing plant7 =9> )hatare the causes of absenteeism7 =;> #s there anemployee morale problem in the plant and if so!hat are its ma,or dimensions7

d. The retail advertising manager of a ma,or metropolitan ne!spaper Management &ilemma8 5hould advertising rates berevised7

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Management 'uestion8 5hould the advertising rates be revised by ho! much and !hat gains aree(pected from the revision7

Research 'uestions8 =1> )hat are the rates of competing publications7 =-> )hat should thedifferentials bet!een rates for different positions

be7 =9> )hat impact !ill a rate increase have on thedemand for advertising7 =;> )hat should therevised advertising tariff structure be7

e. The chief of police in a ma,or city

Management &ilemma8 need for more efficientdispatching of police officers7Management 'uestion8 )hich are the systems thathave a more efficient dispatch of officers and !hatare the associated implementation costs7Research 'uestions8 =1> )hich dispatch systems arein use in other places !hat are their costs and ho!

is their efficiency7 =-> )hat are the steps and costsassociated !ith the introduction of the three mostefficient alternatives7

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11. The students0 ans!ers to this question can focus onmany management problems. 5ome students should be

invited to share their ans!ers to this question and formthe hierarchy. Fther students !ith similar managementdilemmas can assist that student to build a completehierarchy. :ach student should start !ith a symptom toreveal the management dilemma. 5ome e(amples of management dilemmas that students might use are8

a. !or4ers not reporting for scheduled shifts3e(plorescheduling

b. high !or4er turnover =losing !or4ers to competitivefirms>3e(plore hiring pay scheduling trainingcustomer service complaints

c. complaints from !or4ers about disproportionateeffort or results not reflected in their pay3e(plore

pay benefits scheduling incentive programs productivity programs

d. high !aste level !ithin production3e(ploremachinery accuracy and maintenance employeetraining pay supervision

e. high level of defect !ithin production3e(ploremachinery accuracy training pay supervision

f. lo! number of customers !ho remember advertising3e(plore message media timing

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1-. The proposal content should include !hat informationthey !ant to collect !ith the 9HH intervie!s to ans!er the management question chosen and ho! they thin4

such research !ill help determine the managementquestion. Cor e(ample the student might chose the police chief study ='uestion 1He> on correctingdispatching problems. They might suggest doingtelephone intervie!s !ith the head dispatching officer in 9HH police precincts around the country collectinginformation on the types of dispatching equipmentused the process that guides the dispatching of officersto crimes or incidents the average response times etc.#f a similar process or machinery is used !ithin themost efficient of the 9HH departments then amanagement question about s!itching to that process or machinery can be raised.

1. solicited proposal is developed in response to arequest for proposals =RC >. The proposal is li4ely tocompete against several others for the contract or grant.

s such it concentrates on a 4no!n problem and proposes an appropriate research design to address the problem. The problem statement is brief and to the point. The research ob,ectives are 4no!n to the clientand are therefore only briefly revie!ed. Most of the

proposal concentrates on the research design and thedistinguishing characteristics of the proposal=qualifications schedule budget and resources>.

n unsolicited proposal has the advantage of notcompeting against others but the disadvantage of

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having to speculate on the ramifications of a problemfacing the firms management. These proposals laygreater emphasis on the problem statement and the

research ob,ectives. #n addition the qualifications of the researchers are emphasi*ed. strongly !ordedresults section can convince the recipient of the !orthof the proposal.

Making Research Decisions

-. Fne possible form !ould include the follo!ing items8#. roblem 5tatement

.&iscussion !ith managementB.&escribe the management problem6.?ist sub problems if any

##. Research ob,ectives.&evelop research questions related to problem

statement above

B.&escribe target population for each researchquestion

###. ?iterature revie!.&escription of related research

B.?isting of relevant statistical sources# . Research &esign

.?isting of possible research designs chec4appropriate designB.&iscuss !hy particular design is appropriate

. Results &escription.&iscuss !ith management the types of results

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B.Return to ## if results do not meet e(pectations#. Budget / include sign/off from financialdepartment

##. 5chedule / revie! !ith management form li4e this simplifies the early stages of research

proposal !riting and provides an easy to understand listfor the sponsoring manager. This facilitatesmanagement / researcher communications. #n additionit ensures that management 4no!s e(actly the type of research that is being commissioned. #n this !ay the

results obtained !ill be beneficial in solving themanagement problem.9. 5tudent imagination can provide many e(amples that

the authors have not included belo!.. Desktop Pu"lishing: &es4top publishing ma4es it

easy to provide professional loo4ing proposals at alo! cost. Kraphic possibilities improve the ability

for proposals to sho! the nature of the results. #naddition !ord processors ma4e it possible for a$boiler/plate% proposal to be developed. "aving allthe standard modules the boiler/plate proposal isused !henever a ne! proposal needs to be !rittenensuring that the proper form and style are used andthat all of the relevant information is included. 5uch

a proposal authoring tool !ould dramatically reducethe amount of time it !ould ta4e to develop proposals.

B. Multimedia computer authoring and display8 These permit development of a brief for the client so that

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actual intervie!ing situations can be e(plored. Thisis generally used for the client !ho has alreadycontracted the researcher and is involved in the

design of the pro,ect. lthough multimediacomputer systems are currently being used primarily in training and education ne! uses suchas traveling displays full graphic presentationtechniques and motion picture reproduction e(ist.Their advantage over traditional video is that

po!erful personal computers can be equipped !ithmultimedia capabilities and still remain portable.

6. ideo taping and display8 This may be used to sho!a potential client the types of speciali*ed facilitiesyou have. #n addition it may be used to demonstratethe proficiency of intervie!ing staff or tographically demonstrate the problem statement or importance of a study.

;. This list of criteria may ta4e many forms. :(amples ofacceptable ans!ers are presented belo!.

.Mar4et Research1. roblem 5tatementAResearch Fb,ectivesABenefits

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a. the design is e(plained adequately and isappropriate

b. the researcher has the proper analysis tools at

hisAher disposalc. results !ill be in a usable form

9. BudgetA5cheduleA5pecial resourcesA'ualification9H pointsa. pro,ect is !ithin budget and on schedule

b. special resources are availablec. researcher qualification is appropriate

B. Advertising effectiveness: 5ame as Mar4et researche(cept more !eight given to design less to problemstatement research ob,ectives and benefits.

6. Employee opinion surveys: n internal study largein scale. :ach of the ma,or modules is included inthe evaluation. typical point scale may range

bet!een < and -H points for each section !ith more

!eight given to the research design results and pro,ect management than to the literature revie!importance and bibliography.

&.#redit card operations: The approach is the same asMar4et Research e(cept no special resources areneeded. &esignA nalysisA Results carry a heavier !eight ;H pointsJ roblem 5tatementA Research

Fb,ectivesABenefits !ould carry a lo!er !eight 9H points. This is because the problems are relatively!ell understood and analytic in nature !hereas thedesign and analysis are important to insure that theresults are usable by the department store.

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:. #omputer service effectiveness at the individual store level: This is probably an e(ternal study of moderate si*e. 6onsiderable attention !ould be

given to the problem statement and the researchob,ectives to ensure that the correct problem is being researched. s in :mployee Fpinion 5urveyseach of the modules !ould be included and the!eights !ould be split bet!een them.

From Concept to Practice

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1. roblem 5tatement re financial andmanpo!er contributions to community not/for/

profits providing any measurable return to the

ban47-. Research Fb,ectives /a. identify ho! perceived value is measured by

various publics b. define benefits =measurable return> to the

ban4 c. determine time period

d. other related items9. Research &esign / descriptive;. Results anticipated

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have to changes the number of courses they ta4e per term numerous administrative offices =registrationadmissions student accounts library etc.> !ill have

their operations disrupted and reconfigured. ndsince students rarely have only one choice of !hereto attend the university cannot ma4e this decisionin a vacuum it must evaluate its proposed calendar in relation to all other colleges in its mar4etsegment and in its physical mar4et.

&. -HH1 mar4ed a year of change in the !orld ofdot.com companies. Many information companiesdiscovered that advertising !as not sustaining theiroperation and that they needed to evaluate ne!

pricing models. 5o a research company thatmonitors !eb banner ad effectiveness already hassome grim !riting on their !all8 their mar4et !asgoing to shrin4. 5o pricing might not be there only

problem. &ue to the fluctuating environment thestudent should approach this study more li4e ane(ploratory e(ternal study possibly to be follo!ed

by a small/scale or larger/scale study once thee(ploratory study is passed.

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D. The 5eagate roposal follo!s the model of the large/scale contract study !ith some e(ceptions. There is no

clearly noted section e(ecutive summary nor is there aliterature revie!. The pro,ect ob,ectives are fairlystraightfor!ard !hich !ould e(plain the absence ofthese sections. The section detailing the qualificationsof the supplier teams provide the information on pro,ectmanagement facilities and special resources. #t is notunusual that the measurement instrument is notincludedJ developing it is part of the proposed pro,ectand the research teams have e(tensive e(perience in thearea of consumer satisfaction research. The level ofdetail in the research design and the data analysis is thestrongest clue at to the type of study. These sections arevery e(tensive as they should be given the proposedcost of the pro,ect =U1;- HHH>. our students mighthave li4ed to find a glossary of terms. They should be

encouraged to discuss !hether such a glossary !asnecessary and !hat might ,ustify its e(clusion orincludsion. The same could be said of the literaturerevie!. )hat !ould it have added7 )hy !as it notincluded7 5ome li4ely reasons for e(clusion are a priorrelationship bet!een the parties an understanding ofthe bac4ground of the deciding manager specifications

!ithin a RC that specifically requested the omission of these sections.

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bbreviated 5tudent roposal !ith 6omments

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Pro&'em

large volume of literaturee(ists concerning feedbac4and its effects. Many of thestudies are laboratorye(periments !hose resultshave been directed to!ard thefields of administration andmanagement. #n a laboratorysetting all variables can be

controlled and therefore theresults of these e(perimentscannot be directly applied tothe daily organi*ationalsituations !ith the same levelof effects demonstrated ine(periments. This research isdesigned to supply someempirical evidence from afield setting.

(ection hea)ing

&ntroduction should contain a"road overvie. of the

pro"lem, /his is an overvie.of the pro"lem .ithout muchcontext,

/he sources and nature of feed"ack could "e informallydefined so that logicallinkages can "e made,

5tatement of the roblemThis research proposes toaddress ho! sources offeedbac4 influence employee

satisfaction and performancein the !or4 setting.Research 'uestions81. )hat are the sources offeedbac4 that influence

/he lack of definition affectsthe clarity of the R+s, 0o &+sare presented, /he third

uestion is an operational pro"lem for the researcher not a uestion,

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employee satisfaction and performance7-. )hat importance do

individuals attach to sourcesof feedbac479. "o! are satisfaction and

performance measured in the!or4 setting !hen varioussources of feedbac4 are used7

*mportance of the (t!)+

This research is important because although !or4 has been done in the fieldadditional attention needs to

be given to the application ofthis information in the !or4setting. )ith an increase in4no!ledge !or4ers shouldfind it advantageous to 4no!ho! to effectively increasemotivation and performancelevels in employees throughthe use of effective feedbac4sources. Both intrinsic and

e(trinsic forms of feedbac4need further investigation. #fmanagers can determine !hattypes of feedbac4 are mosteffective in their !or4 setting

/here is no evidence in this paragraph that the .riter(sassessment of .ork settingapplications of feed"ackresearch is correct, !eed"ackhas "een researched to deathand much is kno.n in "oth

intrinsic and extrinsiccategories, /he rationale forthis study does not have a

sound foundation nor is itlogically argued,

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they can increase performanceand satisfaction levels in theirorgani*ation.

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Proposa' Presentation ,!t'ine

1. Fvervie! of the research problem and !hat you e(pectto accomplish.

-. 5tatement of the problem81. Research question=s>-. #nvestigative questions9. "ypothesis =if appropriate for the design>;. ssumptions =if necessary>

9. #mportanceAbenefits of the research.

;. )hat you discovered from your preliminary loo4 at theliterature... "o! you !ill analy*e the data.

6hapter 8

1. a. :(ploratory versus formali*ed studies8 :(ploratorystudies tend to have loose structures !ith the

purpose of discovering future tas4s or to developfuture hypotheses and questions for further research. The goal of a formal research design isgenerally specific8 to test hypotheses or ans!er research questions.

b. :(perimental and e( post facto designs8 #n ane(perimental design the researcher see4s to studythe effects of variables by controlling andmanipulating them. #n an e( post facto design the

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researcher does not influence the variables butreports on !hat has happened.

c. &escriptive and causal studies8 descriptive study

is concerned !ith description that is the !ho !hat!here !hen or ho! much in observations !hereasin a causal study relationships bet!een variables aresought to be identified verified and established.

-.a. relationship bet!een variables is latent but !hat

is manifest are only the possible effects. relationship itself can only be theoretically

postulated. Cor instance a higher income level mayinduce the purchase of higher priced cars and thiscan be theoretically postulated. et the data focuseson a manifest variable =purchase> rather than thelatent psychological processes.

b. #nductive conclusions unli4e deductiveconclusions have no $necessary% connections

bet!een facts and conclusions. Thus the conclusionof an induction may be simply one e(planation for an observed fact !hereas the conclusion of adeduction is the e(planation if the deductionsrequirements are met. This means that !hen dealing!ith causal relationships !e require other morerigorous devices to assure ourselves that our

probabilistic statements contain the least possiblemargin for error. Methods such as e(perimentationand statistical tests help to improve our confidencein ascribing cause to inductive conclusions.

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c. There may be a correlation in the follo!ing variable pairs found statistically at a point of time ho!ever there is no causal relationship bet!een the

variablesJ such correlations are said to be spurious.#ncreases in productivity 8 #ncreases in stoc4 offerings to the public&ecreases in ,ob satisfaction 8 &ecreases in theconsumer price inde(

classic e(ample of spurious correlation ise(emplified in the fallacious argument8

ll alcoholic beverages contain !aterJ hence ane(cessive consumption of !ater leads to thecirrhosis of the liver.

9.a. 1timulus2response: )hen you are challenged to

,ustify your position during a management meetingyour pulse rate increases rapidly and you spea4 out

strongly in defense of your position. b. Property2disposition: ou are a member of a

minority ethnic group and this ma4es you verysensitive to ethnic type comments by others.

c. Disposition2"ehavior: ou have strong opinionsabout the degradation of our physical environment

by some industriesJ as a result you are highly

selective in choosing the companies !ith !hom youintervie! for career opportunities.d. Property2"ehavior: ou have gro!n up as a

member of the upper/lo!er social class and no!

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follo! the typical consumption practices of thatclass.

;. There are virtually an infinite number of possiblee(traneous variables that may confound a causalrelationship. Many are unanticipated and unidentified.)e also have a limited ability to control more than afe! variables. By randomi*ation !e can !ithinspecific limits of variance e(pect to equali*e out theinfluence or potential influence of these manye(traneous variables. )e can ho!ever control for a

fe! variables that are e(pected to be most important.By so doing !e can assume that they do not confoundour study results.

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variables. )ith e( post facto research !e mustaccept !hat is or !hat has been uncover comparative groups that have been e(posed and

others !ho have not been e(posed to the $causal%factor attempt to learn the time order effect after thefact and attempt to $control% other variables byvarious after/the/event statistical or classification

procedures. Kiven these problems it is easilyapparent !hy e(perimental design is the more

po!erful of the t!o methods for causal analysis.

Making Research Decisions. good first step !ould be some e(ploratory research.

This could be initiated by a study of secondary data8 Iournal and ne!spaper articles on hospital

volunteers. :(tended reference of the references listed in

publications. ublications of ma,or hospitals especially those

targeting volunteers. ublications relating to the sub,ect of volunteer

training. "ospital #nternet sites for pages related to

volunteers. n #nternet search related to volunteers and

training..

:(ploratory e(pert opinions from8

6oordinators of volunteers in hospitals

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olunteers in area hospitals.

Research companies that target hospitals andclinics

Collo! up the secondary data study !ith t!osecondary data based case studies !hich !ould

possibly parallel the hospitals conte(t in si*e scaleand industry.

training agency might then be contracted to conducta study of volunteer training practices !ithin similar medical environments. Fbviously other acceptable

designs are possible.D. a. n e(ploratory investigation to determine !hat 4ind

of research situation e(ists. 5uch a study mightinvolve field observation of8

6omplaint summaries to determine the types of complaints being logged by guests.

:nd/of/year reports citing complaintsummaries from previous years to determinethe magnitude of change in complaints.

"ouse4eeping division reports related toturnover disciplinary citations to employeesetc.

b. longitudinal analysis of various indicators relatedto house4eeping performance may be availablefrom company records. 5uch an observational caseapproach !ould use time longs employee activitychec4lists complaint logs etc.

c. formal cross/sectional survey of guestsregistering complaints gathering descriptive data on

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situation timing guest attitude purpose of guestvisit guest demographic and economiccharacteristics etc.

E. a. The inde( of consumer confidence and the businesscycle8 )hile the relationship bet!een consumer confidence and the business cycle may beinterdependent the most frequent form has theconsumer confidence as the independent variableand the business cycle as the dependent variable. #nfact consumer confidence is usually vie!ed as aleading indicator of the business cycle. )e mighthave as moderating variables the level of employment actions ta4en by the federalgovernment in ta( policy and others. :(traneousvariables might include such things as inflation ratedevelopment of e(citing ne! automobile modelsthe price of gold and changes in the role of the

family in society. +ote that the designation of moderating and e(traneous variables is often amatter of choice.

b. ?evel of !or4er output and closeness of supervisionof the !or4er8 The closeness of supervision of the!or4er implies and is generally accompanied by

behavioral control and guidance on !or4. Both of

these are factors that positively impact the level of output. 5upervised !or4 leads to higher productivityJ hence the level of !or4er output may be regarded as the dependent variable and thecloseness of supervision as the independent or

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e(planatory variable. Kuidance at !or4 may beregarded as the intervening variable.

c. &egree of effort in a class and the students K 8

The student may postulate that the amount of timespent reading class material !or4ing te(t e(ercisesand discussing te(t cases !ill lead to a better understanding of course material regardless of thestudents innate intelligence and assuming a highlevel of interest due to courses being in their ma,orand thus !ill result in a better grade for each classin the ma,or hence a better overall K . #n thistheoretical formulation K is the dependentvariable and effort is the independent variable!hile level of intelligence level of understandingand level of interest are moderating variables.

Bringing Research to Life

G. Mind)riters 6omplete6are 5atisfaction 5tudyThe Mind)riter research effort starts from an appraisalof the management dilemma that in turn stems from anincreasing number of letters and phone complaintsregarding post purchase service. The first effort=:(hibit 9/; 6hapter 9> is an e(ploratory e(ercisescanning secondary data such as 6 Maga*ines nnual5urvey of 5ervice published customer satisfaction

comparisons and brainstorming after scanning thecomplaint letters. The effort is e(ploratory and

primarily descriptive but see4s to identify possible problems =causality> to later study through formalmethods. fter a more precise definition of the

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management problem =5tage 9 :(hibit 9/;> the ne(tstage of e(ploration is intervie!s =communication

based not observational> !ith the service manager call

center manager and courier company accounte(ecutive. Collo!ing this a number of researchquestions are presented each of !hich could lead toinvestigations in specific areas.The Repair rocess 5atisfaction roposal under consideration in this question intends to identify theoverall and component levels of satisfaction !ith6omplete6are. =1> "o! customer tolerance levels for repair performance affect overall satisfaction and =->!hich process components should be immediatelyimproved. The qualitative e(ploration for this is themeetings !ith the service manager call center manager and company account e(ecutive already mentioned.This is follo!ed up by a self/administeredquestionnaire using about 1H questions and a five/pointscale. The methodology is a formal field studycommunication based causal =see4ing to identify ho!consumer satisfaction levels for repair performanceV# W affect total satisfaction V& W and cross sectional=at a point of time.>

From Concept to Practice

1H.- hi&it 6/$ criteria (napshot0 (econ) 1-MResearch questioncrystalli*ed

Cormal study

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Method of data collection #nterrogationAcommunicationo!er of researcher to

produce effects:( post facto

urpose of study &escriptiveTime dimension longitudinalTopical scope 5tatisticalResearch environment Cield settingRespondents perception of research activity

+ot disguised

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1H. =continued>(napshot0 2ohn Deere

Research questioncrystalli*ed

:(ploratory

Method of data collection #nterrogationAcommunicationand monitoring

o!er of researcher to produce effects

:( post facto

urpose of study descriptiveTime dimension 6ross/sectional and

longitudinalTopical scope 6ase and statistical studiesResearch environment Cield and lab settingsRespondents perception of research activity

+ot disguised

(napshot0 (mith Barne+Research questioncrystalli*ed

Cormal

Method of data collection #nterrogationAcommunicationo!er of researcher to

produce effects:( post facto

urpose of study &escriptiveTime dimension 6ross/sectionalTopical scope 5tatistical studyResearch environment CieldRespondents perception of ctual routine

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research activity

(napshot0 oo'/"i)Research questioncrystalli*ed

Cormal

Method of data collection #nterrogationAcommunicationo!er of researcher to

produce effects:( post facto

urpose of study &escriptive

Time dimension 6ross/sectionalTopical scope 5tatisticalResearch environment CieldRespondents perception of research activity

ctual routine

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- hi&it 6/$ (amp'e Design Criti !e *nstr!ctions

CRFM8 rofessor XXXXXXXX TF8 5tudents in Research Methodology 6ourse5QBI:6T8 ro,ect XXXXXXXX Cor your second research e(ercise please select one of the

,ournals listed belo! for an article of interest to you.

The purpose of your paper is to critique the design of thechosen article using criteria established in 6hapter .6onsider the follo!ing characteristics in !riting your

paper.Basic - pectations for ork0

5tate the purpose of the critique?ist the criteria to be used in the critique&efine the characteristics of the criteria used&evelop reasonable arguments for decisions on eachcriterion6ite specific instances from the article to supportconclusions5ummari*e the findings of the critique

- pectations for a))itiona' ork0

rovide sufficient conte(tual information about thearticle =in abstract form overvie! or by incorporationinto critique>

rovide additional criteria to ,udge the design&escribe !ea4nessesAstrengths of the design

5ome ,ournals are listed belo!. 5elect a recent issue=during the last year>8

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cademy of Management Revie!dministrative 5cience 'uarterly

Business and 5ociety Revie!

&ecision 5ciencesCinancial Management"arvard Business Revie!#ndustrial and ?abor Relations Revie!Iournal of ccountancyIournal of pplied Behavior 5cienceIournal of pplied sychologyIournal of Ban4ing and CinanceIournal of Cinance

ersonnel IournalTraining and &evelopment IournalYFther ,ournals may be considered.

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- hi&it 6/ (amp'e (t!)ent Design Criti !e &+ (!sanR. (ea&er 9

The article /he #ommitment of 1ocial 3orkers to Affirmative Action4 from the Iournal of 5ociology and5ocial )elfare is an attempt to study the relationship of several variables concerned !ith affirmative action. TheTe(as chapter of the +ational ssociation of 5ocial!or4ers =+ 5)ATe(as> !as selected as the populationfor the study. 5urveys !ere mailed to ;D; members and1G9 responded creating a response rate of ; .9 percent.Three general study variables !ere selected from !hichthe authors analy*ed the data collected from the study

participants. The first variable concerns the participantscommit to affirmative action. The participants4no!ledge of affirmative action is another variable.Cinally the participants !ere as4ed if their e(periences!ith affirmative action !ere negative or positive. By

dividing the participants into certain groups =se( ageethnic bac4ground political party ,ob level public or

private institution and community si*e> the researchers!ere able to determine !hich of these factors had aneffect on the participants e(perience !ith affirmativeaction.The purpose of this critique is to determine !hich

criteria for proper research design are utili*ed in this particular study on affirmative action e(periences. Thecriteria are outlined in Business Research Methods by:mory and 6ooper =1GG1>. The basic elements of design

* Used by permission of Ms. Seaber.

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criteria and the use of them in this article are described belo!.Cirst the degree of problem crystalli*ation must be

addressed. The study may be e(ploratory or formal. ne(ploratory study loosely structures the research !ith theob,ective of learning !hat ma,or research tas4s arerequired. The purpose is to develop hypotheses andquestions to aid in subsequent research efforts. Cormalresearch begins !ith a hypothesis or question and thegoal is to test the hypotheses or ans!er the researchquestions. This study is a formal study although thestatement of the goal is rather vague. Fn page 1-; of thearticle a central question is stated !hich reads8 $to !hatdegree and under !hat circumstances do social !or4ersin Te(as support the concept and implementation of affirmative action policies7%The method of data collection can be monitoring or interrogation. Monitoring is observational and theresearcher only vie!s the activity or material to bestudied. #nterrogatory studies occur !hen the researcher actually questions the sub,ects and collects data about theresponses. This article is an e(ample of interrogation8;D; questionnaires !ere mailed to randomly selectedmembers of + 5)ATe(as and the researchers gathereddata concerning certain characteristics of the participantsand certain attitudes to!ard affirmative action.The third criterion for research design concerns theresearcher control of the variablesJ this can bee(perimental !here the researcher attempts tomanipulate the variables or it can be e( post facto

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!here the researcher has no control over the variablesand cannot manipulate them. This particular study is ane(ample of an e(perimental design since the researchers

are attempting to determine certain characteristics thatmay create certain attitudes and certain variables areused to determine an effect on other variables. n e(

post facto study !ould merely report that a particular condition e(isted not a potential reason for thecondition.The ne(t criterion involves the purpose of the study.&escriptive studies are used to determine !ho !hat!here !hen or ho! much. 6ausal studies are used todetermine !hy and to e(plain relationships. This articleis summari*ing a causal study@again the characteristicsof the individuals responding to the questions aree(pected to determine the response indicated. nindividual possessing these characteristics !ould bee(pected to reply to the questionnaire in a certainmanner.Time dimension can be cross sectional !hen a snapshotis ta4en from one point in time and the study is onlyconducted once or it can be longitudinal !hen the studyis repeated over a period of time. The affirmative actionstudy is a one/time occurrence ta4en from a randomlyselected group of people and is therefore a cross/sectional study.The ne(t criterion is the topical scope. This can be either statistical !hich is an attempt to determinecharacteristics of a population by analy*ing data that iscollected from a representative sample resulting in

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The previous criteria are directly from the te(tboo4 Business Research Methods but obviously there areother criteria that may serve to describe a research

design. #n this particular case the question can be as4ed8$6an this study be generali*ed to other locations or is itli4ely to be specific only to Te(as7% #n my opinion thisstudy cannot be generali*ed to a population in other states. Cor instance the minority population in Te(asmay differ greatly from other states resulting from thestates pro(imity to Me(ico. lso affirmative action may

be approached in a different manner in other states for various reasons.

nother criterion that may be useful !ould be todetermine !hether the study focuses upon factual non/negotiable responses by participants or by opinions of the participants. This study is a combination of the t!o8the factual characteristics are described and are thenused to determine the effect on other variables. #n somecases though it may be important to use only factualdata !hile the ma,ority of studies !ill rely on

participants opinions.This critique has so far determined the specificcharacteristics of the study conducted using social!or4ers and their attitudes to!ard affirmative action.The article indicates that this study !as designed !iththe purpose of describing certain characteristics of individuals in the Te(as social !or4ers population and todetermine !hether or not they =1> have 4no!ledge of affirmative action =-> have a commitment to affirmative

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action and =9> have been negatively or positivelyimpacted by affirmative action.The results indicate that surprisingly having 4no!ledge

of affirmative action is not significantly associated !ithcommitment to affirmative action. #n other !ordseducational efforts to improve commitment toaffirmative action !ould not be effective according tothis survey. lso a negative commitment usuallycorresponded !ith negative e(periences and positivecommitment usually corresponded !ith positivee(periences. Curthermore those participants !ithnegative or positive e(periences are more li4ely to havehigher scores in the area of 4no!ledge of affirmativeaction.6ommitment to affirmative action !as described asfollo!s8 !omen scored higher than menJ and racial or ethnic minorities scored higher than non/minorities.6ommitment !as also affected by political partyaffiliation and ,ob position. ariables that did not affectcommitment included public or private employmentcommunity si*e or level of education.Fne !ea4ness of this article !as the limited response of the selected population. ccording to Rubin and Babbiein Research Methods for 5ocial )or4 =1GEG> a

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resulting in some confusion concerning the actual reasonfor the study. nother possible !ea4ness is that !hilethe + 5)ATe(as membership consists of D;.< percent

females and -. Theyac4no!ledge that possible !ea4nesses e(ist andencourage other researchers to e(pand on the study inorder to develop more information that may be helpful indetermining the problem and solving it.

References

:mory 6. )illiam and &onald R. 6ooper =1GG1>. BusinessResearch Methods. 6hicago8 #r!in.Rubin and Babbie =1GEG>. Research Methods for 5ocial

)or48 Belmont 6 8 )ads!orth.5tout Oaren &. and )illiam :. Buffum =1GG9>. /he

#ommitment of 1ocial 3orkers to Affirmative Action,Iournal of 5ociology and 5ocial )elfare 1-9/19;.

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- hi&it 6/3 Research Design Paper0 -:a'!ation Form1ra)!ate (t!)ents9

5tudent8 XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX #n the research design critique the student8

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Level o Attainment ?o!

"igh

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Expectations 5"ased on class example6:

5tated the purpose of the critique 1 - 9 ;