Business Research

Ethical issues that a Researcher should consider

Informed Consent Respect for privacy Confidentiality and anonymity of data What is permissible to ask? No harm to researcher's subjects No dishonesty or lying in the course of research Consequences of publication Carefulness Legality Non‐discrimination Respect for intellectual property

Purpose of Research--Exploration

It is initial issue of research Usually qualitative research Goal is to generate many ideas. Become familiar with the basic facts, people and concerns involved. Formulate questions and refine issues for future research.

Properties of Variables

Objective - where precise measurement is possible. Subjective - where precise measurement is not possible

Purpose of Research--Descreption

Presents a profile of a group or describes a process, mechanism or relationship or presents basic background information or a context. E.g.: General Household survey - describes demographic characteristics, economic factors and social trends. Can be used to monitor changes in family structure and household composition. Can also be used to gain an insight into the changing social and economic circumstances of population groups. Often survey research.

Need of literature

TO avoid the needless duplication of work(reinventing the wheel) To explain the historical background of a topic To describe and compare the schools of thought on an issue To synthesize (combine) the available research To highlight and critique research methods To note areas of disagreement To highlight gaps in the existing research To justify the topic you plan to investigate

Objectives of Business Research

To improve the quality of business decision. To innovate new product or find out new market. To impart the knowledge of manager to lead the organization in the right direction. To save cost, time and resources. To achieve the goal of the business. To solve technical and managerial problems. To reduce uncertainty of business and increase the productivity. To facilitate the managerial decision making process for all aspects of a business :finance, production, marketing, personnel etc.

Potential research situation

-- A perceived discrepancy between what is and what should be. -- A question about why the discrepancy exists. -- At least two possible answers to the question.

Problems and precautions in the use of secondary data

-- Availability and adequacy -- Relevancy -- Unit of measurement -- Definition of classes -- Time -- Accuracy

specific objectives

-- Describes the expected contribution and outcomes arising from the study and the variable that will be measure -- Specific objectives related directly to the research problem situation -- They indicates the variable that will be examined and measure

Types of Hypothesis

-- Descriptive -- Relational (Co-relational) -- Explanatory (Causal) -- Directional -- Non-directional -- Null -- Alternative

Importance of research problem

-- Helps to identify/ find the variables. -- Raise questions about the relationship of variables. -- Clarify the purpose and motives of research question. -- Helpful for proper structuring of a research. -- Suggest a method of researching a question. -- Helpful to builds a foundation for research ( Variables and hypothesis defined)

Steps in Literature Review

-- Locating Materials. -- Obtaining. -- Reading and Reviewing. -- Evaluating the Literature.

Major Objectives

-- Major objective states the reasonable and expected contributions of the study. -- It contributes to the justification of why research on the problem situation is required. -- The major objectives are expected and hoped for contributions but researcher doesn't promise contribution occur.

Characteristics of Scientific Research

-- Purposiveness -- Testability -- Replicability -- Rigour -- objectivity -- Generalizability

characteristics of well formulated problem

-- Raise a question about the relationship between variables. -- Relationship between the variables should be clearly explained. -- Problem should suggest a method of researching the question. -- An insight into the area that has not been studies properly. -- Find out if there exist any kind of gap in research. -- The topic should be of good interest. -- Useful for the concerned people in a particular field. -- Does not carry ethical or moral impediments. -- There should be no ambiguity in the variables or the relationship proposed.

Element of Research Design

-- The Research Problem -- Methodology -- Data Gathering -- Data Analysis -- Report Writing

Factors affecting Research design

-- Types of information required -- Feasibility of research -- Degree of reliability of information -- Ethical aspects of the study -- Economic aspects of the design

the research process

-- sensing a realising a problem -- problem identification -- theoretical framework -- Hypothesis formulation -- Research design -- data collection -- data analysis -- interpretation and generalization

criteria for choosing research problems

--significance of the problems -- feasibility to conduct the study -- problem is interesting and timely -- researcher's interest -- the ability to complete the study

Sampling Process

1. Define the population 2. Specify the sampling frame ( a listing of element) 3. Specify sampling unit. 4. Selection of sampling method 5. Determine the sample size 6. Specify sampling plan 7. Select the sample 8. Review the sampling process

Features of Good Sampling

1. Representativeness: Sample should represent the whole population. 2. Adequacy: The size of sample should be sufficient. 3. Independence: All items of the universe should have the same chance of being selected. 4. Homogeneity: The characteristics of population should be similar to the sample drawn from the population.

Steps in the Questionnaire Design

1. define information need 2. determine the type of survey 3. determine the content of individual questions 4. determine the type of response format 5. select wording for the questions 6. select the questions sequence 7. pre code the questionnaire 8. design layout 9. pre-test 10. finalization and reproduction

Types of Research Design

A . Exploratory research design B. Descriptive research design 1. Historical research 2. Descriptive research 3. Case Study research 4. Developmental research 5. Survey research C. Comparative research design 1. Co‐relational research 2. Causal‐comparative research D. Interventional research design 1. True experimental research 2. Quasi‐experimental research E. Qualitative research design

Literature review

A literature review is the process of locating, obtaining, reading and evaluating the research literature in the area of your interest.

Scales

A scale is a tool or mechanism to give value or number to a variable.

Theoretical Framework

A theoretical framework is a logically structured representation of the concepts, variables and relationship involved in a scientific study with the purpose of clearly identifying what will be explored, examined, measured or described.

Applied Research

Applied research is conducted in response to a specific problem, which requires a solution. The major purpose of applied research is to answer practical and useful questions about policies, programs, projects, procedures or organizations. Business executives, therefore, take interest in applied research. As applied research is concerned with knowledge that has immediate applications, It is also called decision research

Book Reference

Author(s) name & surname, year of publication, title and subtitle of book, edition, place of publication, publisher Gujarati, D. N. (1995). Basic Econometrics. Singapore; McGraw Hill Inc.

Journal Reference

Author(s) name & surname, year of publication, title of article, title of journal, volume, issue, page numbers Baral, K. J. and Shrestha, S. K. (2006). Daily Stock Price Behavior of Commercial Banks in Nepal. The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies, 3(1), 100-110.

Business Research

Business research can be described as a systematic and organized effort to investigate a specific problem encountered in the work setting, that needs a solution. It comprises a series of steps designed and executed, with the goal of finding answers to the issues that are of concern to the manager in the work environment .

Basic Research

Fundamental research is undertaken to improve our understanding of certain problems that commonly occurs in organizational setting and how to solve them. It is undertaken for the sole purpose of adding to our knowledge that is fundamental and generalizable. It is also known as pure or basic research. The research work of professors, scholars, and other researchers devoted to generate new knowledge in particular areas of their interest can be called fundamental research.

Purpose of Research--Generalization and Prediction

Generalization implies the ability to apply findings from a sample to a larger population. Predictive process in research depends very much upon establishing accurate causal connection.

Purpose of Research--Analysis

Goes beyond simple description of empirical model to analyse the social phenomena under investigation. It involves theory testing or elaboration of a theory. Used mostly in basic research.

The Importance of Research Design

It is a plan that specifies the sources and the types of information relevant to the research problem. It is a strategy specifying which approach will be used for gathering and analyzing the data. It also includes time and cost budget since most studies are done under these two constraints.

Non- Probability Samples (Types)

Non‐Probability Samples 1. Convenience 2. Quota 3. Judgmental 4. Snowball

Why Plagiarism so bad

Plagiarism is a form of theft. Plagiarism amounts to cheating. Qualificaons earned through cheating are unfair and fraud It takes away from another's original work. Students who plagiarize hurt themselves because they do not learn theprocess of academic achievement. It undermines academic and moral values. Consequences can be severe and can result in expulsion.

Probability Samples (Type)

Probability Samples 1. Simple Random 2. Stratified Random 3. Cluster 4. Systematic

Reaearch Design

Research design is a framework of the study that provides the overall strategy and approach for conducting research including what kind of data to be used, how to collect them, and how to analyze them to reach conclusions systematically.

sources of error in measurement

Respondent. The respondent is reluctant to express strongly negative feelings. Situation. If a third person is present, the respondent may not express properly. Measurer. The interviewer may distort responses by reordering or rewording questions. Instrument. Defective measuring

Scientific Research

Scientific Research focusing on solving problems and pursues a step by step logical, organized and rigorous method to identify the problems, gather data, analyze them and draw valid conclusions there from

Likert Scale Items

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neither Agree nor Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF MEASUREMENTS

Validity: Accuracy Reliability: Consistency

Problem

a problem is perceived difficulty a feeling of discomfort with the way things are discrepancy between what someone believes should be and what what it is. problem simply indicates and interest in an issue where finding the right answer might help in improving an existing situation.

difficulties in applying scientific research

i)Complexity of Subject matter ii)Difficulty of obtaining accurate measurement iii) Influence of measurement process in results iv)Difficult in using experiments to test hypothesis v) Difficult of making accurate prediction vi) Problematic objectives of the investigator: unconscious bias and sense of contribution.

Research

the process of finding solution to a problem after a thorough study and analysis of the situational factors. Research is an organized, systematic, data-based, critical, objective, scientific enquiry/investigation into a specific problem, undertaken with the purpose of finding answers or solutions to it. Research is a systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical proposition about the presumed relations among natural phenomena.

objectives of sampling

to obtain maximum possible information about the universe though selected samples. to obtain the limits of accuracy of the estimates of the population parameters and to test the significance of population parameters on the basis of sample statistics.

Types of Scales

• Nominal--Subjects are assigned to a certain category or group. • Ordinal--The subjects are ordered in some meaningful way. eg; We can rank-order the subjects. • Interval-- categorizes and orders subjects in ranks and measures the magnitude of the difference among the subjects. • Ratio-- Give meaningful value of the variables.