UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

2018 May/June Examinations

MBA574 : BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS

Faculty: COMMERCE

Department: GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Duration: 3 HOURS

Examiner: PROF. M. SANDADA

Authorized Materials: Non Programmable Calculator

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. This paper contains Six (6) Questions
2. Answer Question One (40 marks); and any other Three Questions (20 marks each)
3. Start each question on a new page
4. This question paper comprises Three (3) printed pages

NB: DO NOT TURN OVER THE QUESTION PAPER OR COMMENCE WRITING

UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY THE CHIEF INVIGILATOR.

Page 1 of 3
QUESTION 1 (Compulsory – 40 Marks)

Mukanya Pvt. Ltd. faced a difficulty of retaining new employees. Employees would join
the organisation, get trained, work for a while, become valuable employees, then leave
the company. Management asked the line-supervisors why the employees were leaving.
The line managers were not very sure, however they provided possible and varied
reasons (salaries were not competitive, housing in the area was expensive and difficult
to find, poor working conditions, lack of management support and limited career
prospects. Given your expertise as a researcher, you are requested by management of
Mukanya Pvt. Ltd. to assist in establishing the causes of employee turnover.

Required:

Prepare a business research proposal to help management of Mukanya Pvt Ltd better
understand the underlying causes of employee turnover. (40 marks)

QUESTION 2

(a) You intend to carry out a qualitative study to investigate the role of the Export
Incentive Scheme in re-industrialising the manufacturing firms operating in
Harare. Describe four research strategies you would use to achieve the objective
of the study. (15 marks)

(b) With justifications, make recommendations on what you consider to be the

appropriate research strategy. (5 marks)

QUESTION 3

Explain how data analysis in a qualitative research differs from data analysis in a
quantitative research. (20 marks)

QUESTION 4

(a) ‘An employee’s innovation influences organisational competitiveness after

triggering productivity. However, the effect of the employee’s innovativeness on
productivity also depends on the support provided by management to the
employee’s innovativeness’. From the above, develop an appropriate conceptual
framework and explain each of the dimensions and how they relate with each
other. (10 marks)

(b) Discuss the criticism that is usually levelled against qualitative research. (10 marks)

Page 2 of 3
QUESTION 5

A colleague of yours wishes to generate a research topic in the area of corporate

finance. Although he has read several journal articles, he is not sure about the criteria to
use in formulating the topic. He comes and asks you for advice.

(a) Suggest the criteria that your colleague could use to formulate a research topic.
(10 marks)

(b) ‘A clever bird builds its nest with feathers of other birds’. Explain how this notion
applies to research, paying particular focus on literature review. (10 marks)

QUESTION 6

The University of Zimbabwe wants to determine the attitude of their clients towards
various aspects of the university. The institution is a state-owned university with
approximately 17000 students and has 10 faculties. The Council has asked you to come
up with a sampling plan.

(a) Develop a probability sampling plan, paying particular attention to the key
aspects of the sampling process. Justify your choices. (10 marks)

(b) Analyse any five key ethical issues that can be anticipated and explain how these
could be dealt with during the data collection stage. (10 marks)

END OF EXAMINATION PAPER

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