RCH201:Business Research Methods

Dr. Ram Nath Neupane

Asst. Campus Chief
Tribhuvan M. Campus, Palpa
• What is research?
• Have you ever done any research?
• Why is research an important discipline?
• What is its importance in business
administration?
 Meaning of research
• Research is a systematic investigation to find
solution to a problem.
• It is a process of collecting, analyzing and
interpreting information to answer the
questions.
• Research is often considered a systematic,
controlled, empirical and critical investigation
of hypothetical proposition about presumed
relations among natural phenomena
(Kerlinger, 1986).
• Morphologically, the word 'research' is
composed of two syllables,'re' and 'search'.
Dictionary defines the former as a prefix
meaning 'again'; anew, or over again and the
latter as a verb meaning to examine closely
and carefully, to test and try, or to probe.
• Together they form a noun describing a
careful, systematic, patient study and
investigation in some field of knowledge,
undertaken to establish facts and principles
(Grinnell, 1993).
• It is a systematic process of formulating
questions, collecting relevant data relating to
such questions, analysis and interpreting the
data and making the results publicly
assessable (Hatch & Faraday, 1982, Nunan,
2010).
• Research is a structured inquiry that utilized
acceptable scientific methodology to solve
problems and create knowledge that is
generally applicable.
• Research questions and data play very
important role in research.
• Research involves gathering data from both
primary and secondary sources.
• Also, sampling plays vital role in research.
There are three types of sampling: random,
non-random and mixed.
 In nutshell
• Research is the search of what is already
searched.
• Research is the search of what is ever
unsearched.
• Research is the study of what is not studied.
• Research should answer what is unanswered.
• Research should solve what is said to be
unsolved.
• Research should discover what is not
discovered yet.
• Research should know what is said to be
unknown.
• Research should question what is believed not
to be questioned.
• Research should falsify what is said the
established truth.
• Research should prove something true what is
said untrue.
 Scientific Research Features

1. Controlled activity
• The term'controlled'refers to the act of
restricting, limiting or managing something
which is used for checking working methods.
• A research is controlled activity in the sense
that the researcher needs to control many
variables that influence the results.
2. Research is rigorous study: The term
'rigorous' refers to sincerity, seriousness, or
carefulness.
• Research is a rigorous study in which the
researcher must be sincere, careful and
serious about the procedures and activities of
research works.
• Each and every activity of research work
should be carried out meticulously.
3. Systematic study
• Research is not haphazard activity. It is a
systematic investigation to find the solution of
a problem.
• It follows various steps such as identifying
problems, listing objectives, doing literature
review, collecting and analyzing data, and
findings results and all these steps are
interlinked to accomplish research.
4. Valid, verifiable/Replicable
• Research is valid and verifiable in nature. The
data collected by the researcher should be
exact and accurate.
• Similarly, the findings of research should be
verifiable. It means that the results should be
similar if other researchers carry out the
research on the same topic following the same
procedures.
5. Empirical study
• The term empirical is verification by
observation or experience.
• Research conclusion should be drawn from
hard evidences gathered from observations,
experiments and real-life experiences.
6. Consistent and uniform
• Research is characterized by the features such
as being consistent, uniform and formal
• The language style, the mechanics (e.g., font,
size, citation, and reference) should be
uniform throughout the paper.
7 objective - must answer research questions
8. free from personal bias- not based on
personal perception
9. reproduciable- the results will be the same if
another researcher used the identical
methodology
10. logical- the researcher not only presents the
results based on interpretation but also proves it
based on various logics.
 Research types: Basic/ Fundamental
Research
• Also called pure or scientific research.
• Basic research is completely theoretical that focuses on basic principles
and theories
• Pure research involves developing and testing theories and hypotheses
that are intellectually challenging to the researcher but may or may not
have practical application at the present time or in the future ( Bailey,
1978)
• Ideals with generalization and formulation of theory about human
behavior.
• helps in adding new knowledge to the already existing knowledge.
• Basic or pure research is the type of research which is being concerned
with the acquisition of new knowledge with an intention of developing in
the field or in science (Hagan, 2014).
• Pure research is concerned with the development,
examination, verification and refinement of research
methods, procedures, techniques, and tools that form
the body of research methodology (Kumar, 2011).
• theoretical research is less concerned about its
application in its practical field.
• For Best and Khan (1993), fundamental research is
usually carried out in a laboratory or other sterile
environment, sometimes with animals.
• The main purpose of theoretical research is to develop
the theories by the discovery of broad generalizations.
 ctd.
• we can make the following generalizations
about the basic/fundamental research.
• Intellectually challenging to the researcher.
• Knowledge for knowledge's sake.
• Less concerned about practical application
but may result it.
• Develop and test theories and hypothesis of
the pure discipline(e.g: theoretical linguistics)
 Applied Research

• Applied research can be defined as research that

encompasses real life application .
• It is directed towards providing a solution to the specific
practical problems and develops innovative technology.
• In finer terms, it is the research that can be applied to
real-life situations.
• Applied research is the type practical research which is
being concerned with the solving of immediate policy
problems (Hagan, 2014).
 applied...
• Applied research is less concerned with
expanding the existing body of knowledge or
the formulation of new principle.
• It focuses on the solution of the specific
problems of local importance.
• It does not discover the knowledge but
emphasizes the discovery of solution of an
immediate practical problem.
• Most educational research works are applied
research studies.
 Basic vs. Applied research
Basic research Applied research

1. Expands current knowledge. 1. Solves particular life problems.

2. Theoretical and exploratory in nature 2. Practical and descriptive in nature.

3. Wider scope: universally applicable 3. More specific scope / problem

4. Less associated to technology 4. More associated to advancement of technology.

5. Predicts future phenomena 5. Creates solutions or preventions for future phenomena

Curiosity driven. 6 Client driven

7. Does not have direct commercial objectives. 7 Has a direct commercial objective.

8. Less connected to economy 8. Highly connected to economical pursuit.

9. Less often appear in academic publications. 9. More often appear in academic publications.

1 Takes place in sterile environment. 10. Takes place in real world setting.
0.
 Scientific Research Process
• Realizing/Identification of problem:
Researcher should identify the problem and
its causes -by reading, feeling, experience,
observation
• Review of literature: study of previous
research works- problem, method, results
• Hypothesis formulation: tentative results
based on previous study, helps to systematize
the results and do conclusion
• Research design: A roadmap/framework of a
research, based on the objectives of the
study,deals with the collection of data,
sampling and analysis procedure, etc.
• Collection of data: collection of information,
no data no conclusion, based on observation
checklist, questionnaire, interview schedule,
test
• Data analysis: collected data are codified,
tabulated and presented in charts, and graphs.
They are also analysed using mathematical
tools like percentage, mean, median, mode,
standard deviation, etc.
• Interpretation and generalization: after
analysing the results, certain conclusion is
drawn, i.e. theory . such conclusion is applied
in all the similar organization which is termed
as generalization.
 Approaches to Research
Quantitative
• Quantitative researchis defined as a systematic
investigation of phenomena by gathering
quantifiable data and performing statistical,
mathematical or computational techniques.
• It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions,
behaviors, and other defined variables and
generalize results from a larger sample population.
• The data can be taken from experiments, closed
questionnaires and controlled observations.
 quantitative
• We use statistics to summarize our data,
describing patterns, relationship and
connections.
• The statistics can be descriptive or inferential.
• Descriptive statistics helps us summarize our
data whereas inferential statistics are used to
identify significant differences between
groups of data.
• survey, experimental, quasi-experimental, etc.
 Qualitative approach
• The aim of qualitative researches often involve the
provision of careful and detailed descriptions as
opposed to the quantification of data through
measurements, frequencies, scores and findings
(Mackay & Gass, 2005).
• Qualitative research assumes that all knowledge is
relative i.e. subjective (Nunan, 2010).
• It is a scientific method of observation to gather
non-numerical data.
• Inductive reasoning is most closely associated with
qualitative approaches to research, which collect
and summarize the data using primarily narrative
or verbal methods: observation, interview,
questionnaires, documents, texts, researchers'
impressions, reactions, records and films.
• Qualitative researchers are often said to take
inductive approaches to data collection because
they formulate hypothesis only after they begin to
make observations, interview people and analyze
documents.
• The main focus in qualitative research is to
understand, explain, explore, discover, and classify
the situations, feelings, perceptions, intention,
social movements, attitudes, values, cultural
phenomenon, beliefs and experiences of a group of
people (Kumar, 2011, Strauss &Cordin, 1998)
• Case study, grounded theory, ethnography,
phenomenology, discourse analysis, conversational
analyis, content analysis, etc. are the examples of
qualitative research.
 Paradigm Shift of Research
• Paradigm refers to a perspective of something.
• Patterns of belief and practices that regulate
inquiry in a discipline
• Knowledge in research is generated by two
parallel paradigm: positivist and interpretivist
 Positivist Paradigm

• Positivism is an epistemological position, focuses on the

importance of objectivity and evidence in searching for truth
and the world is unaffected by the researcher.
• In positivism, the facts and values are distinct, thus making it
possible to conduct objective and value free inquiry (Snape &
Spencer, 2003).
• According to this view, truth is always static and objective.
• The essence of objectivism derives from the acceptance of
natural science as a paradigm to study human knowledge and
necessarily employs means and methods for data collections and
data interpretations similar to those in natural science including
hypothesis testing, causal explanations and modeling (Al-Saadi,
2014).
• This ‘scientific’ research paradigm strives to investigate,
confirm and predict law-like patterns of behaviour, and is
commonly used in graduate research to test theories or
hypotheses.
• This is particularly useful in natural science, physical science
and, to some extent, in the social sciences, especially where
very large sample sizes are involved.
• Generally its focus is on the objectivity of the research
process (Creswell, 2008).
• Here, the researchers should distance from any impact on
their research findings.
• based on quantitative research approach
• Research is value free
• The social world exists externally and is
viewed externally.
• Unity of scientific methods
 Interpretivist paradigm
• This humanistic paradigm arrived in educational research
during the late 1970s, influenced strongly by anthropology
which aims to understand other cultures, from the inside.
• That is, to understand the culturally different ‘other’ by
learning to ‘stand in their shoes’, ‘look through their eyes’ and
‘feel their pleasure or pain’.
• The epistemology of this paradigm is inter-subjective
knowledge construction.
• Interpretive knowledge of the other is produced through a
prolonged process of interaction undertaken by
ethnographers who immerse themselves within the culture
they are studying.
• According to these views, there are other ways of knowing about
the world rather than direct observation, namely our perceptions
and interpretations of the world around us.
• People use their perceptions to interpret what their senses tell
them (Al- Saadi, 2014).
• The knowledge of the world is based on our understanding which
arises from our reflections on events rather than only on lived
experiences (Ormston, Spencer, Bernard & Snape, 2014).
• Knowledge is produced by exploring and understanding the social
world of the people being study as it is seen as personal, subjective,
and unique.
• Value laden
 Management Research
• Management research studies minutely, objectively and
scientifically on the particular problems and suggest the
management to improve managerial procedures to overcome
those problems.
• Management research is the systematic and objective process
of gathering, recording and analysing data for aid in making
business decision. (Zimkund)
• Research in management is a systematic activity directed
towards investigating managerial or business peoblems, which
may result in or discovery of management tools for problem
solving and decision making. (Michael)
 To sum up

• Management research is conducted to identify

and analyse the problems and develop
managerial tools in order to take decision for
overcoming such problems.
 Nature of Management Research
• Transdisciplinary- information is brought from
varied disciplines- strategy, structure,
environment
• Commercial advantage- focus in commercial
advantage of business organization
• Practical- aims to solve the problems of
business organization
• Double hurdle: theory and practice
 Value of management research in
business decision making
• Identify the problem- scan the environment and identify
the problem
• Diagnosing and assessing problems and opportunities-
diagnose and assess the problem from multiple angels
and provide alternative solutions
• Selecting course of action- after assessing alternative
solutions- take a course of action
• Implementing course of action- if the first action does
not work, manager takes alternative action
• Evaluating course of action- provide feedback
 Applying scientific thinking in
management problems
• scientific thinking - goal focused problem
solving, logical, organized, and rigorous
method which aims to identify problems,
gather data, analyse the data and draw the
conclusion
• social science are always dynamic and are
related to human behaviour- different from
situation to situation
• every events and problems cannot be proved
through research.
 Difficulties in applying scientific
method to social science research
• Complexity of subject matter - need, interest,
values and norms of people differ to each
other
• Difficult to obtain accurate measurement:
hard to measure social phenomenon, feelings,
perceptions, attitudes, etc people cannot be
measured exactly
• Misconceived impression of society: Because
of varied feelings, some people do not want to
give right information, eg opinion about using
contra septic or sanitary pad
• subjectivity of social events: There are various
social events and programs which are
different in their nature
• emotional tendences: difficult to measure
emotional activities
• vested interest of the researcher: social
research and use different method to draw
intended conclusion
• qualitativeness of social events: social events
and human behaviour can be described
qualitatively, however, they are not quantified.
• Lack of universality of social events: the
findings of one social science research can not
be generalized in another context.