BRM Outline

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Business Research Methods

Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management, 2013-14

Term-IV, Jan-Mar 2014

Revised 6.1.14 from 9.12.13

Dr. Ajay Kumar Chauhan

Dr. Bikramjit Rishi

Dr. Dhiraj Sharma

Prof. Soma Arora

Dr. Suryatapa Kar

Dr. Tripti Ghosh Sharma

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Course Background and Objectives:

Managers in business use information to make managerial decisions; they are the person in the

organization responsible for knowing what information must be obtained, how to get it, and how

to draw conclusions from it. For most businesses, available information is frequently inadequate,

and must be supplemented with systematic business research. Therefore the focus of this course

is on primary research than either on secondary research or using existing data available through

automated devices.

This course quips you with a broad understanding of research methods, techniques and issues

and their application to business problems. The course aims to develop a critical understanding

of the value of the research endeavour and thereby help the management to build business

knowledge and theory that generates new questions as well as help in providing answers to

existing problems.

The course shall also immensely help you in completing your summer internship project by

equipping you with the mindset that calls for scientific research based answers to problems posed

before business, than using decisions based on gut feel.

After successful completion of the course, you should be able to develop a project using the

research methods learnt in the course.

Student Learning Outcome

i. Appreciate the role of research in the business activities ii. Identify the real problem, and develop research questions iii. Identify the information needed to reach to expected decision iv. Decide on the appropriate data collection method v. Perform a variety of practical skills that are needed to carry out business research vi. Critically evaluate data sets, and employ appropriate statistical analysis vii. Present key research findings

The last three outcomes are not intended to be developed from scratch in the course but it is

expected that you shall use your learning from courses like Business Statistics and Business Communication etc. that shall get refined in the process of critical evaluation and feedback by instructors and peers in the way of your coming out with project submission and final

presentation.

To conclude, the intended learning outcome is: to make students intelligent consumer and

producer of the business research. The learning outcome can be mapped to AACSB AOL as:

demonstrate technical and analytical capabilities (Outcome #1.1)

Teaching Pedagogy

The pedagogy will be a mix of lectures, critique of readings/articles, case discussion,

assignments and field/library based research projects. The course uses cases as the means to

drive the contextual suitability of research methods; and assignments/ projects as primary

vehicle for reinforcing learning by doing. Besides the readings in the course pack, additional

reading material will be distributed in the class from time to time.

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Course Pre-requisites

i. Prerequisite to this course is the learning derived from Business Statistics and Business Communication courses.

ii. Since much of the course material requires class discussion, it is important that you are prepared for the class and present and defend your ideas. Preparation for class includes

having read the assigned material.

iii. We will use a number of cases in this course. Cases are a great educational experience but they absolutely require that you be ready for the class. When cases are assigned,

you should come to class ready to discuss the issues of the case.

For each case, you should:

a. Identify the major problem, b. Give your recommendation to resolve this problem (both short and long term), and

when appropriate

c. Provide supporting analysis (both qualitative and quantitative) for your recommendations.

d. Answer other questions provided for each case

iv. The class will be divided into a number of groups and each group will have 4-5 students. For all cases, each group will submit case analysis report and power point presentation

one day before scheduled class.

v. There will be several home assignments assigned throughout the Term along with a number of unannounced quizzes. Late homework will not be accepted and there will be

no make-up quizzes.

vi. Each group is expected to take up a live problem related to business. This business problem can be from any functional area like HR, Marketing, Operations, and Finance

etc. You are expected to solve the problem based on tools and techniques discussed in

the class and submit your report. Each group will be required to give a presentation.

vii. Evaluation for this assignment will be done based on individual as well as group performance.

viii. Class participation will be based on the value you add to the class through your creating learning environment in class by raising intelligent questions, relevant statements on

questions raised by others, and maintaining class decorum.

ix. Throughout the course, consistency would be given credit over quality alone, and quality would be given credit over quantity. Therefore, a student who makes quality

contribution many times would score higher than one who contributes only occasionally.

And the one who either does not practice class decorum, or whose numerous

contributions are of no quality, would fetch negative marks in class participation.

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Assessment method in alignment with learning outcomes

Students will be evaluated on the basis of case analysis, project, assignments, class participation,

mid-term and end-term exam. The weightages given to each of these units is listed below:

Course Evaluation

Quizzes (2/3) 10%

Class Participation 10%

End Term Exam 40%

Individual AOL assignment 05%

Group Assignments 10%

Group Project Report submission 20%

Group Project presentation & participation 05%

Specific Assessment Method Weightage

Intended subject learning

outcome to be assessed

(Outcome #1.1)

Group Assessment Methods

Group Project Presentation 05%

Group Project Report Submission 20%

Group Assignments 10%

Individual Assessment Methods

Individual AOL assignment* 05% Class Participation 10%

Quizzes 10% End-term Exam 40%

*Scheduled in session-12

Tentative Deadlines (subject to term-IV schedule)

In order to ensure a quality output, the following deadlines shall be adhered to:

Freezing of group leader On 1st session

Identification of topic for project work (deliverable!) before 6th session

Formal Proposal & Questionnaire (max. 10 pages) before 13th session

Process Study and Data Collection before 16th session

Project Presentations on/before 18th session

Submission of Final Report on/before 23rd Mar.

Course Outline: Module/Session/Topic/Reading Materials/Cases

Session 1: Business Research: Overview, Need, and Value

Readings:

John S. Hammond, Ralph L. Keeney, and Howard Raiffa, Hidden Traps in Decision Making,

Harvard Business Review, 1998.

Chapters 1 and 2 of text

Learning objectives: To make the students aware of the need, role and importance of Business

Research.

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Session 2 & 3: Research Process

Readings:

Chapters 3, and 4 of text

Alan R Andreasen, Backward Market Research, Harvard Business Review, May-June 1985.

Think Like a Researcher, Chapter 3, Business Research Methods, Cooper and Shindler.

Session 4: Problem Definition

Readings:

Chapters 6 of text

Group Case Assignment-1: Tulsas Central Business District (A): Developing a Research Project

Learning objectives: To make the students understand the process of Research, while

emphasizing on formulation of the problem and objective.

Session 5: Research Designs: Overview; Exploratory Research Dessign: Secondary research

Readings:

Chapters 6 and 8 of text.

Learning objectives: To enable the students to identify the type of Research, and to develop

their skills of framing Research Designs.

Session 6 & 7: Exploratory Research Design: Qualitative research methods and Observations

Readings:

Chapters 7 of text.

Reading (Optional, not mandatory):

Notes on Case Study Research, Action Research, Netnography etc.

Note on Qualitative Data Analysis (or Chapter-11 of Essentials of MR by Tony Proctor, Prentice

Hall)

Discussion: In class discussion on Delphi method, FGD, and DI

In Class Exercise: FGD on a given situation

Learning objectives: Students would learn to conduct a research using Exploratory Research

Design.

Session 8: Descriptive Research Design: Survey research

Readings:

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Learning objectives: Students would learn to conduct a research using Descriptive Research

Design.

Session 9: Measurement: concept and issues

Readings:


Learning objectives: Students would learn to use different kind of scales for research.

Session 10 & 11: Questionnaire Designing

Chapter 15 of text


Malhotra, N. K., Agarwal, J. and Peterson, M. (1996), "Methodological issues in cross-cultural

marketing research", International Marketing Review, Vol. 13, Issue 5, pp. 7-43.

Sample of a research proposal as handout

Group Case Assignment-2: Cantbury Travels

Learning objectives: To equip the students with the skills of designing a professional

questionnaire.

Session 12: Sampling issues in business research

Chapter 16, 17 and 18 of text


Timothy Bock, and John Sergeant, Small sample market research, International Journal of

Market Research Vol. 44 Quarter 2, pp. 235-244.

Discussion:

In class discussion on suitability of different sampling method in given situation.

In class discussion on formulation of hypothesis based on small caselets/ newspaper clips.

In-class individual assignment-1: Tulsas Central Business District (B)

Learning objectives: To acquaint students with various intricacies in sampling methods, and

formulation of hypothesis.

Session 13: Basic Analysis-I: Business Applications of t, z, chi-square etc. tests

Chapter 19, and 20, 12 and 22 (except pages 576-581) of text

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Discussion:

In class discussion on Tests for normality, tabulation of data, data exploration, z, t, chi-square

tests based on Newspaper Clips/ caselets.

Learning objectives: To acquaint students with Preliminary Data preparation and Univariate data

analysis techniques.

Session 14 & 15: Causal Research Design: Experiments; and ANOVA

Chapter 12, and Chapter 22 of text


Thomas H. Davenport, How to Design Smart Business Experiments, Harvard Business Review,

Feb. 2009.

In Class Exercises on ANOVA, and its application in experiments.

Learning objectives: To help students understand and apply different experimental designs, in

real life business problems.

Session 16 and 17: Basic Analysis-II: Business Applications of Correlation and Regression

Readings:

Chapter 23 and 24 (up to page no. 633 only) of text

In Class Discussion: Caselets - TBA.

Learning objectives: To analyse the Regression analysis and report the results which are error-

free. (Introduction to concepts of multicollinearity, heteroscedasity, and auto-correlation etc.)

Session 18: Communicating Research Results: Report Writing and Presentation

Readings:

Chapter 25 of text

Learning objectives: To make the students understand the formal way of report writing and

presenting the findings.

Session 19 & 20:

Group Project Presentations

Learning objectives: To make the students appreciate the soft skills of presenting the research

effectively.

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Student study Effort Expected:

Class Contact

Lectures 25 Hrs

Proposal &Project presentation 5 Hrs

Other Student Study Effort

Assignments 20 Hrs

Cases 20 Hrs

Projects 60 Hrs

Fieldwork 50 Hrs

Total Student Study Effort 180 Hrs

Required Text Book 1. Business Research Methods: A South Asian perspective

William G. Zikmund et al., 1st edition,

Cengage Learning

Reference Books 2. Business Research Methods

Allan Bryman and Emma Bell, Second Edition,

Oxford University Press.

3. The Least You Should Know about English. Wilson, Paige & Glazier, Teresa Ferster, 8th edition, 2003.

(This book is very helpful for any who does not have a very strong mastery of written

English)

4. Mastering APA Style, Students Workbook and Training Guide. Gelfand, Harold; and Walker, Charles J.,

The American Psychological Association, 2001.

5. Asking The Right Questions. Brown, M. Neil & Keeley, Stuart, 6th edition, 2001.

6. Management Consulting: A Guide for Students David Biggs, University of Gloucestershire; Cengage Learning, 2010. 409 pp.

7. Business Research Methods, Cooper and Schindler, 9th edition,

Tata McGraw Hill

8. Research Methods for Business Students, 3e, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis, and Adrian Thornhill,

Pearson Education Indian Edition, 2009

9. Research methods and statistics: a critical thinking approach. Sherry. L. Jackson,

Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.

10. Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach Uma Sekran, and Roger Bougie (2010).

NY: Wiley.

Journals

Journal of Business Research

Organizational Research Methods

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Journal of Management

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research

Marketing Research

In addition to above mentioned journals, please keep track of other journals, websites, published

a ticles and papers on Qualitative Research Methods, Quantitative Research Methods, Case

Research, Marketing Research, and Research Methods in general.

Websites www.quirks.com

http://zoomrang.com

http://surveymonkey.com

http://www.surveysampling.com/

http://www.surveyanalytics.com/resources/index.html

http://spss.co.in

http://www.yourvoice.co.in

http://www.indiaspeaks.net

Softwares: SPSS, and MS-Excel

Documents

BRM Outline