Research Methodology

KNOWLEDGE
} Non-Empirical:  

Authority, Logic

} Empirical: 

Scientific: Techniques or procedures used to analyse empirical evidence in an attempt to confirm or disprove prior conceptions.

Business Research
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The systematic & objective process of gathering, recording & analysing data for aid in making business decisions. Scope: The purpose of business research is to fulfil the need for knowledge of the organization, market, economy or any other area of uncertainty. Limitations: ?????

} Basic

research: Research that is intended to expand the boundaries of knowledge itself or to verify the acceptability of given theory e.g. hope as buying behaviour

} Applied

research: Research undertaken to answer questions about specific problems or to make decisions about a particular course of action or policy decisions.

Ladder of Abstraction
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Concept: A generalized idea about a class of objects, attributes, occurrences or processes. (An abstraction of reality).

Reality (Empirical level) } Concepts (Abstract level)

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Propositions & Hypothesis

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Proposition: A statement which gives a relationship between concepts. Hypothesis: An unproven proposition or supposition that tentatively explains certain facts or phenomena (A proposition that is empirically testable).

Proposition: Trained employees give better productivity. Hypothesis: The employees who attended XYZ sales training program have increased their conversion rate.

Types of business research

Exploratory: Initial research conducted to clarify & define the nature of a problem. Descriptive: Research designed to describe the characteristics of a population or a phenomenon. Causal: Research conducted to identify cause and effect relationships when the research problem has already been narrowly defined.

Terminology used in business research

Variables (Dependent/Independent) Data/Information Sampling Pilot study Survey Forward/Backward linkage Unit of analysis

EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
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Experience survey Secondary data analysis Case studies Pilot Studies Projective techniques Focus group interview Depth interview

Projective Techniques

Word association test Sentence completion Third Person & Role playing TAT (THEMATIC APPERCEPTION TEST)

RESEARCH PROCESS

RESEARCH DESIGN: A master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analysing the needed information. The four methods for collecting data for descriptive & casual research are:
Surveys Observation Secondary data studies Experiments

Surveys

Cross-sectional research design Longitudinal design Panel studies

Survey Methods
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Personal interviews Door to Door Mall intercept Telephonic interviews Self administrative questionnaires Mail Internet

Survey errors

Random sampling error Systematic error

Systematic errors
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Administrative errors Data processing Sample selection Interviewer error Interviewer cheating

Systematic errors
Respondent error } Non response } Response error: 1. Extremity bias 2. Acquiescence bias 3. Interviewer bias 4. Auspices bias 5. Social desirability bias

Experimental research

A research method in which conditions are controlled so that one or more variables can be manipulated in order to test the hypothesis. Experimental research method allows the evaluation of casual relationship among variables. It can be done in laboratory or on field.

Basic elements of experimental research

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Manipulation of the independent variable Independent variables Experimental & control group Multiple experimental treatment Selection & measurement of dependent variables

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Selection & assignment of test units Test units Randomization Matching Sampling errors Control over extraneous variables Constant error Experimenter bias Extraneous variables

Establishing control

Constancy Presentation order Counterbalancing Blinding/double blind

Validity

Internal: It indicates whether the independent variable was the sole cause of the change in the dependent variable. External: It indicates the extent to which the results of the experiment are applicable in the real world.

Extraneous variables that effect the internal validity of the experiment

History effect Maturation Testing Instrumentation Selection Mortality

Experimental designs
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X exposure of a group to an experiment. O Observation or measurement of dependent variable. O, O2, O3, O4.....if more than 1 observation is taken. R Random assignment of the subjects to experiment groups.

Quasi-experimental design
On-shot design (After-only design) X O1

Quasi-experimental design
One-group Pretest - posttest design or Before-and-after without control design O1 X O2 Result/effect = O2 - O1

Quasi-experimental design
Static group design Experimental group: Control group: X O1 O2

Result/effect = O1-O2

True experimental design

Before-after with contol group or Pretest-posttest control group

Experimental group: Control group:

R O1 X O2 R O3 O4

Result/effect=(O2-O1)-(O4-O3)

True experimental design

Posttest-only control group design or After-only with control design Experimental group: Control group: R R X O1 O2

Result/effect = O2-O1

True experimental design

Solomon four group design Experimental group 1: Control group 1: Experimental group 2: Control group 2: R R R R O1 X O3 X O2 O4 O5 O6

Other designs
Compromise design } Time series design O1 O2 O3 X O4 O5 O6
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Complex/statistical research designs

} Complete

Randomized Design } Randomized Block Design } Latin Square Design } Factorial Design

Complete Randomized Design

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An experimental design that uses a random process to assign experimental units to treatment in order to investigate the effects of a single independent variable. } Example: Incentives for mail survey.

Measurement scales
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Nominal } Ordinal } Interval } Ratio

Attitude Rating Scales

Simple } Category } Likert } Constant Sum } Numerical } Semantic Differential } Stapel } Graphic rating
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