REVIEWER IN BUSINESS RESEARCH

DEFINE BUSINESS RESEARCH.

In every organization, management faces problems that can affect the organization as a whole both
financial and non-financial. Managers, in addressing problems has a systematic process. In aiding decision in
providing solution, managers gather information relevant to the problem, analyze and interpret it for them to provide
solution and decision. What they’re doing is called business research.

Business research according to William Zikmund, business research is systematic and objective process of
gathering, recording, and analyzing data for aid in making business decision.

From the definition, business research is systematic. In research, there series of interrelated steps and
design that aid in providing solutions. Objective process of gathering, recording and analyzing data means that the
things you do in making business research must be relevant and properly address the problem. In providing solution
to the problem, there must be an objective reasoning and interpretation of the data in order for the decision to be
more effective, factual and properly address the problem.

ENUMERATE AND DISCUSS RESEARCH PROCESS

As defined, business research is systematic. It means that there are series of interrelated steps and design
that aids the management in making effective solutions.

There are eight (8) steps in making effective business research. First, is identification and definition of the
problem or opportunity. Of course, in every research, there must always be a problem or if not, an opportunity. What
problem and opportunity that arises in every organization must be identified and define. The research problem is
somewhat information oriented, means it focuses on the causes and not on the symptoms. Likewise, setting
objectives in addressing the problem are also infused in this step. Second step is to provide a related literature in
your problem. This involves a lot of reading, evaluating and organizing the related literature to assess the state of
knowledge in the area. Objective assessment starts in this step. Researchers in this step becomes an expert in this
field of study. Moreover, theory and concept shall be anchored in your research, which leads us to the third step of
developing theoretical and conceptual framework. Theoretical framework refers to the underlying theoretical
approach that you adopt to underpin your study. Likewise, conceptual framework defines and organizes the concepts
important in your study. Fourth step is the development of hypothesis, since researchers already identified and
assess the problem/opportunity, there must be a tentative answer to that particular problem/opportunity. In this step,
researchers are provided with directions of the outcome of their research. It can be a researcher’s motivation to
continue the research since it needs to test whether his/her tentative assessment is true and correct or it falsifies its
initial assessment. Fifth step, is the development of research design. Research design is the method of conducting
research. There are various design researchers used and it depends on the problem you want to address. It can be an
experimental research, observatory research or a descriptive research. Moreover, in this step, researchers identifies
means and ways in gathering data. Sixth step is data collection. Now the researcher is done in designing methods,
means and ways in collecting data. In this step involves the actual collection of data. Researchers carefully consider
the methodology to choose from the design, and what methods to utilize. From the data you collected, now it’s time
for the researchers to analyze data to provide conclusion, which leads to the seventh step. Seventh step involved
analysis of data collected. From the data collected, researchers analyzes the relationships of the data, the effect of the
gathered data from the problem and the developed hypothesis. Results of the data analysis provides researchers an
information that can lead to its conclusion. Last step of the research process is drawing and finding conclusion on
the research. the conclusions that the researchers derive will now be the basis for the management in making
decisions since it integrates all the research process.
THE IMRAD format in Business Research

IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. IMRaD is a format in research which is
commonly used in published journal and scientific journal articles. IMRAD is the structure used to easily help
readers in navigating what research is all about. Research paper using IMRAD has 4 sections namely; Introduction,
Method, Results and Discussion. Introduction involves the context of your research, the background of the study, the
motivations and the goals. Methods includes the methodology and design of your research. In a standard format,
methods includes the research design process, instruments, and data gathering procedures. Next is the result. Result
section involves the analysis part of the research. the data researchers gathered will be then analyzed to provide
information as to the results of the research conducted. It also involves finding conclusions. Then, the results and
conclusion will be reported and discussed which is the last section of research.

BUSINESS ANALYTICS

Business analytics (BA) is the iterative, methodical exploration of an organization's data, with an emphasis on
statistical analysis. Business analytics is used by companies that are committed to making data-driven decisions.
Data-driven companies treat their data as a corporate asset and actively look for ways to turn it into a competitive
advantage. Successful business analytics depends on data quality, skilled analysts who understand the technologies
and the business, and an organizational commitment to using data to gain insights that inform business decisions.

Specific types of business analytics include:

 Descriptive analytics, which tracks key performance indicators (KPIs) to understand the present state of a

business; Involves gathering, tabulating, depicting data and describing or analyzing data.

 Predictive analytics, which analyzes trend data to assess the likelihood of future outcomes; Uses data from

the past to predict the future.

 Prescriptive analytics, which uses past performance to generate recommendations about how to handle

similar situations in the future. Cause and Effect relationship.

DEFINE OBJECTIVE AND PROBLEM.

Research is all about gathering answers an/or solutions to the problem that organization identifies and seek
solutions. Of course, how can you do research without basis? How can the researchers identifies objective in his
research if it failed to identifies problem?

A problem, in research, is the starting point of researcher. Problem is something that the organization fear
that may cause its failure. Problem, in research, is the thing that you research on. That is why in a research process,
formulating problem is the first step to proceed to the research. On the other hand, objectives are the researchers
basis on how to seek a solution to a problem. Objective are the framework or the foundation of the researcher in
carrying out its research.
DISCUSS THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE FOLLOWING

A. Problem and Conceptual Framework

A problem, in research, is the starting point of researcher. Problem is something that the researchers
research on, or seeking answers. It is a motivation for researcher to conduct investigation. This first step is
the starting process of the research in finding or exploring the area of its interest. For example, the
researchers want to seek answers on why the satisfaction level of their clients is suddenly decreasing
resulting to a loss on organization and what could be the solution to that circumstance. What researchers is
going to do first is to identify the cause of the decrease in satisfaction and with that, he is trying to
formulate a problem. On the other hand, conceptual framework defines and organizes concepts that are
important in the study. It is an analytical tool to get the a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon
or the problem. This framework aids researchers to see the big picture in research and the relationship of
variables being studied. Problem and conceptual framework works hand in hand since, the researchers
cannot start its research without formulation of problem or the area of interest. Likewise, the formulated
problem needs to be fully understand, through analytical tool like the conceptual framework , in order for
the researchers to know what he is trying to do.

B. Hypothesis and Assumption

Hypothesis is the tentative answer in research. hypothesis is also a motivational factor for research in
pursuing the research. In the entire research process, researchers will test the correctness and accuracy of
the hypothesis developed. For example, based on the problem mentioned above, researchers developed a
null hypothesis in which, clients are satisfied with the service of organization. The researchers will try to
test whether his tentative answer is correct or not. Hypothesis in research is being tested explicitly.
Assumption on the other hand, is similar to hypothesis. Researchers also guessing the result of the
experiment or research. The only difference of assumptions is that, it is being implicitly tested in research.
Assumptions are only taken for granted by the researchers. He is making an assumptions and conclude with
it without actually testing it if it is true or not.

C. Hypothesis and Data Gathering Techniques

Hypothesis is the tentative answer to the research and these are being tested throughout research. In testing
the hypothesis formulated, researchers gather data and information to support it. It may be in a form of
interviews, surveys, group discussions and giving questionnaires. Here, researchers are testing if the
hypothesis is true or it falsifies it.

D. Hypothesis and Data Analysis Techniques

Hypothesis is the tentative answer to the research and these are being tested throughout research. In testing
the hypothesis formulated, researchers gather data and information to support it. It may be in a form of
interviews, surveys, group discussions and giving questionnaires. Here, researchers are testing if the
hypothesis is true or it falsifies it. After data gathering, it is time now for the researchers to analyze the
gathered data to come up to a conclusion.

Data Analysis is the process of collecting, organizing and analyzing data to obtain an information enough
to come up to a conclusion. Two methods of data analysis are; Quantitative and Qualitative research.
Quantitative research involves gathering data and analyzing is with the use of numbers. It can be a
mathematical or statistical method. Researchers are using numbers to come up with the conclusion. On the
 other hand, Qualitative research involves gathering data and analysis with the aid of non-numeric data and
information.

E. Population and Sample

Population is the entire number of data in a group, whereas sample is the subset of the population. Both of
them are useful in research. example, to know the degree of confidence in your research of level of
satisfaction of client in eating in a fastfood chain, researchers shall know first the entire population, like the
daily foot traffic. After the researcher identify the number of people entering and eating in a fast food
chain, researchers will now get the percentage of that number of people wherein, his test will increase the
confidence level that his research is factual. The percentage of number researchers arrive will be its sample
in which he will gather data on it.

F. Findings and Conclusion

Findings is the result of your research. It is an empirical fact, based on data collected that does not rely on
opinion. Conclusion on the other hand are the judgement made, based on the findings noted, in order to
arrive at possible solutions and can be used in decision making. For example, from the data gathered,
findings showed that the level of satisfaction of client eating in a fast food chain is 20% only. This sample
is a finding. Researchers then conclude that majority of the clients are completely satisfied with the service
the fast food chain offered.

G. Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion are the judgement made by the researchers, based on the result of the findings noted. The
researchers to formulate recommendations that can be useful in decision-making can use conclusions he
made. Recommendations on the other hand are set of possible actions that the researchers formulate to
solve the problem or the phenomenon being investigated. From the example in F, researcher conclude that
majority of the clients are completely satisfied with the service the fast food chain offered. Researchers
Furthermore, for the 48% of unsatisfied customers, findings showed that majority of them complain about
the queueing line. To shift the majority of unsatisfied customers to a happy customers, researchers
recommends to install a fast lane queuing and a digital ordering system where they don’t need to queue for
orders for the cashier to punch on the ordering machine, where they are the one to place the order on
cashiers behalf.

H. Significance of the study and Recommendations

Significance of the study is the beneficiary of the research. In this part, researchers mentioned/listed who
will benefit the research. Actually, most of the research significance of the study mentioned all the
stakeholders in the organization. Recommendations on the other hand, are the course of action to be taken
to address the problem or the phenomena being investigated throughout research. The main beneficiary of
the recommendations researcher developed are the top management or the decision makers since they will
based their decision on the result and recommendations of the researcher.