RMB final part 2, RMB final part 1, RMB part 3
1. In academic research, at University level, a verb best avoided in the research question is: a. to describe. b. to identify. c. to establish. d. to determine.
a
1. Literature review is not usually concerned with helping in: a. literary appreciation. b. research instrument design. c. subsequent data collection. d. objective setting.
a
1. The process of gaining access to data from intended participants. This involves participants agreeing to be interviewed, within agreed limits. This is the definition for: a. cognitive access. b. continuing access. c. informed consent. d. physical access.
a
10. Before searching you should define the timeframe of your search. Why? a. So you work when you are most efficient. b. So you find the most articles. c. So you do not incur unnecessary costs. d. So you don't find the library busy.
a
10. Consider this research aim: To help solve problems of absenteeism. Which management function is the closest match? a. HRM. b. All functions. c. Production. d. Marketing.
a
10. Projects do go wrong. In one case a student was indecisive and collected anything, just in case it came in useful: web sites, photocopies, brochures. The questionnaire even included irrelevant questions, just in case the information could be useful. Which ONE of the following would have been realistic and would have helped the most with this problem? a. Setting a clear objective. b. Being less ambitious. c. Using a Gantt chart. d. Regular progress reports to the supervisor. e. Using SPSS.
a
10. Which research strategy is described here? The collection of data using questionnaires, but it also includes other techniques (e.g. structured observation and structured interviews). a. Survey. b. Ethnography. c. Grounded theory. d. Action research.
a
11. Which is the major disadvantage of using peer-reviewed journals in literature reviews? a. Information could be as old as four years. b. Subscription fees are high. c. Humans control the quality. d. The information is too recent
a
12. Research goes through distinct phases. Which one is in the WRONG position? a. Report. b. Critically review literature. c. Formulate your research question. d. Determine information gathering techniques
a
12. Which of these should be most valuable to show a gradual change in behaviour over time? a. Longitudinal studies. b. Extrapolations. c. Snapshot surveys. d. Experimental studies.
a
13. A student plans a research project; it is called A description of IBM. On the limited information we have (the title), which ONE of these best applies to the idea? a. It is wide. b. It is narrow. c. It has an acceptable method. d. It has an acceptable purpose
a
13. Which of these is the most efficient way to locate relevant journals? a. Searching using tertiary sources. b. Browsing in a newsagents. c. Browsing the shelves in the library. d. Following up references in articles.
a
13. Which research strategy is described here? Theory is developed from data generated by a series of observations or interviews principally involving an inductive approach. a. Grounded theory. b. Experiment. c. Ethnography. d. Action research.
a
14. Carefully study the stages below. Do they refer to Induction or Deduction? Theory developed Hypothesis worded Observations made Hypothesis tested on data Theory revised a. Deduction. b. Induction.
a
14. What is 'a possible explanation that we may or may not agree with'? a. The hypothesis. b. The research question. c. The objective. d. Grounded theory.
a
14. What is described here? The reasons for corporate failure in the UK and France. a. Mode I knowledge creation. b. Mode II knowledge creation. c. Both. d. Neither.
a
14. Which one of these is not normally used by researchers to store references? a. Panels. b. Spreadsheets. c. Handwritten index cards. d. Word processing software.
a
15. A study interviews a representative sample of the nation's population every week to detect how many people read a particular newspaper. A prize draw is introduced for participants as an incentive to do the interview. What impact will the incentive have on the readership results for the newspaper in question? a. There may be an increase or decrease in readership figures, or they may stay the same. b. Readership will decrease. c. Readership will increase. d. No impact: there will be no difference in readership figures.
a
15. When you cite Internet resources, you do not need to find: a. date of birth of the author. b. date created. c. date of access. d. date last updated.
a
4. The Data Protection Act has eight principles to make sure that personal information is handled properly. Which of these is not one of the eight? a. Data must be kept for five years. b. Data must be processed for limited purposes. c. Data must be fairly processed. d. Data must be adequate.
a
5. Which of the following is NOT true of probability sampling? a. The results will always be more accurate than non-probability sampling. b. Estimates are statistically projectable to the population. c. It is possible to specify the probability of selecting any particular sample of a given size. d. Sampling units are selected by chance as opposed to the judgement of the researcher. e. The number of elements to be included in the sample set can be pre-specified
a
6. Symbolic interactionism is: a. a continual process of interpreting the social world around us b. a way of looking at the stars. c. a famous research methods book. d. a branch of research philosophy which refers to the study of material artifacts
a
8. Citation means that a particular paper has been: a. quoted in another paper by another author. b. sold to another publisher. c. discussed orally by another author. d. reproduced elsewhere.
a
8. Recognizing our own values in the pursuit of research is essential because: a. it allows us to be honest with ourselves about what may influence our research. b. it allows us to eliminate them. c. it enables us to persuade others of our values. d. at least we know what we can ignore.
a
8. Which research strategy is described here? The introduction of planned change on one or more of the variables; measurement on a small number of variables and control of other variables. a. Experiment. b. Survey. c. Case study. d. Ethnography.
a
9. Select all of the following statements which you believe to be true.A truly random sample of the general population would be obtained by: a. Allocating each individual a unique number and using a computer to randomly generate numbers for selection. b. selecting every 20th individual from a list of patients registered with a GP. c. selecting an individual from every fourth house on a street. d. selecting every individual with a surname beginning with the letter S. e. Closing your eyes and sticking a pin into a telephone directory.
a
9. Which word fills all the blanks in this extract: We talk about generating __________, testing_______, rejecting ________. a. hypotheses b. aims c. objectives d. questions
a
1. Epistemology refers to: a. a form of interviewing. b. acceptable knowledge in a field of study. c. a statistical test. d. a software package.
b
10. Defining hypotheses is a useful way of approaching research because: a. it looks suitably scientific. b. it allows the development of testable propositions. c. it will impress the reader. d. it allows for the development of indisputable proof to be established in research findings
b
11. Projects do go wrong. In one case a student's conclusion was not acceptable. She jumped to that conclusion because it seemed to her to be the right answer. Which ONE of the following would have been realistic and would have helped the most with this problem? a. Being less ambitious. b. Working closely with the information collected. c. Regular progress reports to the supervisor. d. Using SPSS. e. Asking for the deadline to be changed
b
12. Why is it important for a researcher to review the literature? a. Because it is traditional. b. Because it will find if anyone has done the work before. c. Because it shows time has been spent on the subject. d. Because it identifies like-minded researchers
b
13. Telephone contact will be improved if: a. you link to your privacy policy. b. you offer to call back. c. you enclose a SAE. d. you give a link to a web page with more explanation of the project
b
13. What is described here? To investigate two possible radio adverts for the new movie. a. Mode I knowledge creation. b. Mode II knowledge creation. c. Both. d. Neither.
b
14. Email contact will be improved if: a. you enclose a SAE. b. you give a link to a web page with more explanation of the project. c. you offer to call back. d. you use coloured paper.
b
15. Carefully study the stages below. Do they refer to Induction or Deduction? Observations made Theory developed Hypothesis worded Hypothesis tested on data Theory revised a. Deduction. b. Induction.
b
15. Postal contact will be improved if: a. you charge the respondent money. b. you enclose a SAE. c. you give a link to a web page with more explanation of the project. d. you link to your privacy policy.
b
15. The timing section of a report will NOT include: a. progress report dates. b. guidelines on ethics. c. deadlines for submitting the final report. d. deadlines for ending data collection.
b
2. If your research philosophy reflects the principles of positivism, then you will probably: a. want to be sure that all your answers are beyond dispute. b. adopt the philosophical stance of the natural scientist. c. reject the possibility of working with numbers. d. not accept any argument about your research conclusions
b
2. The literature review will examine: a. only opinions. b. all aspects of a topic. c. only facts. d. only one side of the main argument
b
2. Which one of the following is a data collection method? a. The case study. b. The interview. c. The onion. d. Positivism.
b
3. Idea generation by two or more people thinking as freely as possible is formally known as: a. clap-trapping. b. brainstorming. c. gap analysis. d. the learning curve. e. forced relationships.
b
3. Position achieved when intended participants are fully informed about the nature, purpose and use of research to be undertaken and their role within it, and where their agreement is given. This is the definition for: a. cognitive access. b. informed consent. c. physical access. d. continuing access.
b
3. The starting point for a literature search is: a. secondary data. b. tertiary data. c. primary data. d. some other data
b
3. Which one of these is NOT normally associated with quantitative data? a. Numbers. b. Researchers views of high importance. c. Analysis begins as data are collected. d. Analysis guided by standardised rules.
b
4. A supermarket manager wants to know whether employees feel comfortable working in the cold food department. This is an example of: a. marketing research. b. employee research. c. management consultancy. d. none of these.
b
4. A symmetry of potential outcomes means that the project: a. starts with a quantitative stage and ends with a quantitative stage. b. will be valuable whatever the outcome. c. starts with a qualitative stage and ends with a qualitative stage. d. will be reliable whatever the outcome.
b
4. Which of these is a philosophical concern for fact or reality and a rejection of the impractical? a. Stealthism. b. Realism. c. Prism. d. Unrealism.
b
5. A research study was carried out to see whether people notice web addresses on television adverts. This is an example of: a. applied research. b. pure research. c. neither. d. both.
b
5. A study is based on 30 people (across three focus groups). What type of study is this? a. Structured study. b. Qualitative study. c. Questionnaire study. d. Quantitative study.
b
5. The initial level of gaining access to an organisation to conduct research. This is the definition for: a. cognitive access. b. physical access. c. continuing access. d. informed consent.
b
5. What is the difference between research questions and research objectives? a. The question is worded by the researcher, the objective is not. b. The wording of one is likely to be more specific than the other. c. No difference, they are the same. d. One of these is proposed by a supervisor.
b
6. A research study was carried out to see how many people bought a product using the freephone number and how many using a paid-for phone call. This is an example of: a. pure research. b. applied research. c. neither. d. Both
b
6. Here is an extract from a letter requesting participation in a research study."We are a group of second year undergraduate students at the University of Northminster conducting research into communication between staff and students within the Business School. We are seeking your support in our research." What is wrong? a. It does not state who wants access. b. It does not explain what will happen to information collected. c. It does not explain why you want to gain access. d. It is badly written.
b
6. These research tasks are slightly out of order. Which one should be moved? The study asked 2000 people about Christmas shopping. a. The costs of research were calculated. b. Tables produced. c. A timetable was created. d. Secondary sources consulted. e. The questionnaire was written. f. People interviewed.
b
7. In which of these studies is validity in question? a. Quantitative. b. Qualitative. c. Positivist.
b
7. Pragmatism argues: a. the art of the possible. b. that the most important determinant of the research philosophy adopted is the research question c. that you make it up as you go along. d. that you adopt the research philosophy that you want.
b
7. Respondent selection is also known as: a. weighting. b. sampling. c. coding. d. grossing. e. sifting.
b
8. All of these may appear in a research proposal, but which one will ALWAYS appear? a. Marketing objective. b. Research objective. c. Creative objective. d. Business objective.
b
8. An employee has been asked to act as a researcher and talk to customers about a new product which is being tested and may be launched next year. At one office one respondent introduces the researcher to a representative from a trade magazine. In casual conversation our employee mentions the new product. Is this: a. not a problem. b. bad practice. c. a good idea to get early press coverage. d. good practice.
b
8. When a study has been conducted and is available for others to see, it becomes: a. ordinal data. b. secondary data. c. primary data.
b
8. Which of the following are NOT criteria for the selection of stratification variables in stratified sampling? a. Across the strata, the elements should be as heterogeneous as possible. b. Stratifications variables should not be closely related to the characteristic of interest. c. Elements within a stratum should be as homogeneous as possible. d. The strata should be mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive so that every population element should be assigned to one and only one stratum. e. Stratification variables should be easy to measure and apply
b
9. Consider this research question: Should a new factory procedure be used? Which management function is the closest match? a. Marketing. b. Production. c. All functions. d. HRM.
b
10. Below is a list of populations and samples. Select the sample that is most likely to be representative (rather than biased) of the population from which it is drawn. a. Population: Online shoppers. Sample: List of individuals who have web-based email. b. Population: Owners of luxury cars. Sample: BMW owners. c. Population: The general population in an inner London borough. Sample: All patients registered at local GP surgeries in the same area. d. Population: Adults from a single geographic area. Sample: Employees at a local factory. e. Population: Owners of luxury cars. Sample: subscribers to What Car magazine
c
10. The participant lacks knowledge and the researcher uses deception to collect data. What is this? a. Informed consent. b. Implied consent. c. Lack of consent. d. Something else.
c
11. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of quota sampling? a. The researcher chooses who to approach and so might bias the sample. b. Those who are available to be surveyed in public places are unlikely to be a representative sample. c. The random selection of units makes it possible to calculate the standard error. d. The sample is subdivided into groups from which the researcher must obtain a certain number of responses. e. It is a relatively fast and cheap way of finding out about public opinions.
c
12. Buchanan et al. (1988:59) argue that 'needs, interests and preferences (of the researcher) . . . are typically overlooked but are central to the progress of fieldwork'. Is this: a. a legitimization of the opportunity to exhibit your prejudices? b. a possible justification for research approach decisions which are not reflective of the research question and objectives? c. a realization that we are likely to sustain or interest longer if we're conducting or research in a way that we prefer? d. a license to do what you like?
c
12. The participant consent given freely and based on full information. What is this? a. Lack of consent. b. Implied consent. c. Informed consent. d. Something else.
c
13. The word paradigm means: a. being forced to do something. b. a branch of physics. c. a theoretical framework. d. a type of sampling
c
2. Which is the odd one out? a. The European Convention on Human Rights. b. The Data Protection Law. c. Codes of Conduct (the MRS, BPS, CIM, CMI). d. The Freedom of Information Acts.
c
3. A top manager of a chocolate bar manufacturer asks for a report on how a new competing chocolate bar is being advertised. This is an example of: a. management consultancy. b. employee research. c. marketing research. d. none of these.
c
3. What is a sampling unit? a. The population. b. The method used to collect the sample. c. The basic unit containing the elements of the population to be sampled. d. All the individual elements of the final sample, drawn together. e. The sampling frame. f. None of the above.
c
4. Which of the following is NOT a qualitative factor that should be considered in determining the sample size? a. The number of variables. b. The importance of the decision. c. The precision needed for the results. d. Sample sizes used in similar studies. e. The nature of the analysis.
c
4. Which one of these is NOT normally associated with qualititative data? a. Images. b. Narrative. c. Pie charts. d. Words.
c
5. Interpretivism refers to: a. an epistemology that advocates that it is advisable for the researcher to understand differences between humans in our role as social actors. b. the purely subjective. c. an epistemology that advocates that it is necessary for the researcher to understand differences between humans in our role as social actors. d. looking at phenomena and making up your own mind about what you are seeing.
c
5. Which one of these is likely to be peer-reviewed? a. The Guardian. b. Woman's Own. c. The European Journal of Management. d. The Economist
c
6. A study is based on 1000 people interviewed face to face in shopping centres. What type of study is this? a. Qualitative study. b. Ethnographic study. c. Questionnaire study. d. Self-completion study.
c
7. Questionnaires are delivered through the letterboxes of 100 homes. What is wrong with this research design? a. It is against the law to deliver unsolicited questionnaires. b. The researcher must knock on the door. c. There is no cover letter. d. Some people may not reply.
c
7. What helps to agree timing, agree resource allocation and also draws boundaries? a. The questionnaire. b. The final report. c. The proposal. d. The observation form.
c
9. A student is investigating supermarket use of shelf space. This means talking to different store managers. Our student tells each of his respondents the details of what two of the other managers have said. This is: a. a good idea to secure cooperation and interest. b. good practice. c. bad practice. d. not a problem.
c
9. When you discover that an author has, (1) cited another author (2) it is good practice to: a. use the work and attribute it to author 1. b. use the work and attribute it to author 2. c. locate and read the original, then attribute it to author 2. d. not to use the work.
c
1. Leading, controlling and allocating resources describes which ONE of these? a. Graphics. b. Research. c. Banking. d. Management.
d
1. Read the following definition by Gill and Johnson (1997): "A formulation regarding the cause and effect relationships between two or more variables, which may or may not have been tested." Which one of these does it define? a. Sampling. b. Secondary data. c. Observation. d. Theory.
d
1. Which of the following is NOT part of the sampling design process? a. Determining the relevant sample frame. b. Selection of the sampling technique. c. Defining of the population of the study. d. Refining the research question. e. Specifying the sampling unit.
d
11. Being able to talk to the people you need in a situation that is best suited to providing results.What is this? a. Implied consent. b. Informed consent. c. Lack of consent. d. Something else.
d
11. Combining deductive and inductive approaches to research will: a. allows us to sit on the fence. b. ignore the question of which research approach to adopt. c. avoid making any difficult decisions. d. develop a research approach which fits the research question and objectives
d
11. Consider this research aim: To investigate new markets. Which management function is the closest match? a. All functions. b. HRM. c. Production. d. Marketing.
d
11. Which research strategy is described here? The researcher is involved in the acts under study; s/he causes changes and monitors the outcomes. a. Case study. b. Survey. c. Grounded theory. d. Action research.
d
14. For any study you should question the validity and reliability of: a. the sampling procedure. b. the interviewing process. c. the questionnaire. d. all of the above.
d
2. Management research is simply systematic research to find out things about business and management" (Saunders et al 2006). Which of these does it concern? a. Human resources. b. Marketing planning. c. Production planning. d. All of the above. e. None of these.
d
2. What is the main advantage of producing a written research proposal? a. Helps the institution. b. Helps with credibility. c. Helps keep people employed. d. Informs all interested parties
d
3. Which one of the following is a data collection method? a. The case study. b. Positivism. c. The onion. d. The interview.
d
4. Researchers need to be cautious of some material, particularly material found online. Why? a. It has been used before. b. The authors name often does not appear. c. It is too recent. d. The quality is unknown.
d
6. Which of these will NOT help you to decide whether a publication is reputable? a. Citation rate. b. Importance to peers. c. Audience. d. Advertising inside.
d
7. The likely readers (or audiences) for a journal is a useful guide to the importance of that journal to your research. Why? a. It indicates the likely number of pages. b. It indicates the likely publisher. c. It indicates the likely editor. d. It indicates the likely content.
d
9. The radical change paradigm is: a. only the concern of sociologists. b. only for those who wish to find fault with organizational life. c. of little use in management and business research. d. a valuable way of adopting a critical stance on organizational life
d
9. Triangulation can come about from which one of the following? a. Checking results three times. b. Doing a survey with at least three respondents. c. Using one of three sampling methods. d. Using more than one approach.
d
12. Projects do go wrong. In one case a student could not analyse the data collected; he was not capable. Which ONE of the following would have been realistic and would have helped the most with this problem? a. Using a Gantt chart. b. Using SPSS. c. Being less ambitious. d. Asking for the deadline to be changed. e. Regular meetings with the supervisor
e
2. The target population be defined in terms of: a. extent - the geographical boundaries. b. elements - the object about which information is desired. c. time - the time period under consideration. d. sampling units - the set of elements available for selection during the sampling process. e. all of the above.
e
6. What is the least expensive and least time-consuming of all sampling techniques? a. Snowball sampling. b. Stratified sampling. c. Simple random sampling. d. Judgmental sampling. e. Convenience sampling
e
7. What are the distinguishing features of simple random sampling? a. A sampling frame must be compiled in which each element has a unique identification number. b. Each element in the population has a known and equal probability of selection. c. Random numbers determine which elements are included in the sample. d. Each possible sample of a given size has a known and equal probability of being the sample actually selected. e. All of the above.
e
