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Research Methods

Spring 2013

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Todays agenda

Classification of Research

Research Process

Research Philosophy

Research Approaches

Research Strategies

Time horizons of Research

Research Methods

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Types of Business Research

Research can be classified into 4 types with respect to

the objectives it serves:

Exploratory Research

Descriptive Research

Explanatory Research

Evaluative Research

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Types of Business Research

1. Exploratory Research Initial research conducted to clarify and define the nature of a

problem to gain better understanding of the nature of the

problem.

Initially focus is broad and becomes narrow as the researchprogresses.

Subsequent research expected.

E.g. How families adjust to a member having autism?

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Exploratory Research

Search of literature

Experience survey

Pilot studies

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Types of Business Research

2. Descriptive Research has no other purpose then to describe an event or characteristic

may be through distributions.

Does not attempt to understand or explain the situation or to

predict what it might be in the future or how it might be changed.

Descriptive studies have a broad appeal to the administrator and

policy analysts for planning.

Asks Who, what, When, Where questions.

E.g. Census study

E.g. Do Pakistanis support cricket more than hockey?

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Types of Business Research

3. Explanatory Research Goes beyond description and attempts to explain the reasons for

the phenomenon that the descriptive study only observed.

Tries to explain why things are as they are.

Searches for explanations.

Asks Why or How questions

E.g. (How) Is the popularity of a sport influenced by the amount of

TV coverage it gets?

Explanatory research can be correlational orCausal/Predictive.

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Types of Business Research

Explanatory Research

Correlation Research Implies relationship between variables

Causal Research

Sequence of events: when we do one thing another follows(temporal sequence)

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Types of Business Research

4. Evaluative Research Done to make judgments on the success or effectiveness of

policies, strategies, practices or programs.

E.g. whether the recently introduced compensation policy has

helped in increasing motivational levels of employees.

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Who Does Research?

Academics

Students

Government and Business Organizations

Consultants

Managers

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The Research Process

Research Philosophy

Research Approaches

Research Strategies

Time Horizons

Data CollectionMethods

Positivism

Realism

Interpretivism

Deductive

Inductive

Experiment

Survey

Case Study

Grounded Theory

Ethnography

Action Research

Cross sectional

Longitudinal

Sampling Secondary Data

Observation

Interviews Questionnaires

The Research Process OnionMark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill

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Research Philosophy Layer 1

What is Philosophy?

Philosophy can be defined as a set of beliefs orfundamental views or understanding of a particular

discipline.

Research Philosophy is basically a researchers belief

or view point about the development of knowledge. Also known as research paradigm set of principles or

beliefs that guide the way research is conducted within thediscipline

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Research Philosophy Layer 1

Types of Research Philosophy/paradigms:

Positivism

Interpretivism

Realism