BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD

The Series of Essay

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ESSAY ONE

Basic research would basically refer to systematic study which is aimed at fuller knowledge

or a deeper understanding of the essential aspects of phenomena as well as of observable

facts. This would be done with no precise applications towards any processes or products in

mind. At the same time basic research could possibly comprise activities with maybe broad

applications in mind.

On the other hand, applied research identifies a systematic study undertaken to obtain

knowledge or understanding which is necessary in order to establish the possible means by

which a known and exact need may be met.

The terms fundamental or pure research have also been applied to basic research. It refers

to research motivated by a scientist's or person's curiosity or keen interest in a scientific

question. Applied research may be thought of as intended to solve practical problems.

Basic research whether in business research or any other field has as its basic goal, to

expand one's knowledge. Basic questions such as, “How can we increase production and

save money at the same time”, might be a question for business. If, we increase production,

we also increase the cost of payroll by hiring additional production employees. “How can this

save money?” Curiosity lies at the heart of all business and it is this curiosity, which causes

business to constantly ask questions that require research. Today modern business uses

research techniques and the latest technology to achieve these goals.

Basic research aims to enhance the understanding of problems that commonly occur across

a range of organisations while an applied research is done with the intention of applying

results to specific problems in the especially in business. One person has at any given time

can defines his or her research goal, as an idea to investigate, and a question to answer. It

is the type of question which determines the nature of the research.

Applied research is solutions designed from basic research information, aimed at the

solution of business problems within the company. The goal of applied research is change

for the better, improvements in business management and practice aimed at improving the

human condition. Regardless of the type of business, applied research has as its goal in

business to improve production, increase sales, control losses, restore efficiency and

establish solid financial investment in the future.

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Basic research has understanding as only goal. Basic research does only promise a

contribution to question, not to anything else, but it can give the most unexpected

applications. Therefore as researcher, we can draw a borderline between basic and applied

research by sorting questions into those with or without knowledge as to be achieved.

As any business theory is based upon an idea or mental plan for creating a successful

business, investigation into what others are doing and using what is known to discover new

and better ways to solve the unknown answers in business is an ongoing process. Using

innovative technology and modern developmental processes paved the way for industry

development in today's modern world.

As conclusion, historically basic research has led to the application of basic research to

improve and develop our modern world of business industries world wide. Good concepts of

basic or applied research in the context of business policy must be inspiring for the individual

in any research group.

REFERENCE

C.C Beri (2000) Marketing Research. (3rd ed.). New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill

Sekaran, U. (2000). Research Methods for Business. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Tuckman, B. (1999). Conducting Educational Research (5th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt

Brace College Publishers.

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ESSAY 2

The research process should be understood as one of ongoing planning, searching,

discovery, reflection, synthesis, revision, and learning. According to Sekaran. U (2001),

research is a process of thoroughly studying and analyzing the situational factors

surrounding a problem in order to seek out solutions to it. Therefore research process is a

systematic, careful inquiry or examination to discover new information or relationships and to

expand or verify existing knowledge for some specified purpose.

In the business world, research process includes the systematic identification, collection,

analysis and distribution of information for the purpose of knowledge development and

decision making. It can be in the form of marketing research, product research or SWOT

analysis. The reasons and times at which the company or organization might consider

performing research varies, but the general purpose of gaining intelligence for decision

making remains constant throughout.

There are plenty of little steps along the way of research process. Each of those steps fits

into one of the six major steps of the research process. They are:

1. Identifying the Problem

This step is always the first of the research process. At this point, the problem will have

been recognized by at least one level of management, and internal discussions will have

taken place. Sometimes, further definition of the issue or problem is needed. The most

common tools are internal and external secondary research. Secondary research

intelligence consists of information that was collected for another purpose, but can be

useful for other purposes.

Examples of internal secondary research for a marketing research consist of sales

revenues, sales forecasts, customer demographics, purchase patterns, and other

information that has been collected about the customer. Often referred to as data mining,

this information can be critical in diagnosing the problem for further exploration and

should be leveraged when available and appropriate. The amount of internal secondary

information that can be applied is typically limited.

External secondary research is typically far more available. Most external secondary

information is produced via research conducted for other purposes, financial

performance data, expert opinions and analysis, corporate executive interviews, legal

proceedings, and competitive intelligence firms.

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2. Research Approach

Once the problem is better defined, researcher can move onto developing the research

approach, which will generally be around a defined set of objectives.

Any clear objectives will lend researcher to better marketing research approach

development. Developing the approach should consist of honestly assessing the

research skills, understanding the environment and its influencing factors, developing an

analysis model, and formulating hypotheses.

3. Research Design and Strategy

Research design and strategy is the most encompassing of all steps in the research

process, requiring the greatest amount of thought, time and expertise. Since the

intelligence eventually gained from the research is so closely related to the selected

research design, this is the single most import step in the research process and the step

most vulnerable to common marketing research errors.

Research design and strategy includes secondary information analysis, qualitative

research, methodology selection, question measurement and scale selection,

questionnaire design, sample design & size and determining data analysis to be used.

4. Research Data Collection

The research data collection (often called survey fielding) is the point at which the

finalized survey instrument is used in gathering information among the chosen sample

segments. There are a variety of data collection methodologies to consider.

Any research data collection typically begins with field testing the final questionnaire with

a small portion of the sample taken to make sure it is gathering information correctly.

Then data collection can be fairly automatic throughout the remainder of the research

data collection process. When quota groups and/or sample subgroups are being

screened for, data collection will require more oversight, maintenance time and cost.

Regardless of the data collection methodology chosen, the data collection process often

takes half of the total time needed to complete a research project.

5. Survey Data Analysis

Any survey data analysis will depend on how the survey questionnaire was constructed.

Less complex survey data analysis can be handled with any of a number of office suite

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tools, while more complex questionnaire data analysis requires dedicated research

analysis programs.

Types of statistical survey data analysis that might be performed are simple frequency

distributions, cross tab analysis, multiple regression (driver analysis), cluster analysis,

factor analysis, perceptual mapping (multidimensional scaling), structural equation

modeling and data mining. The more complex the needed level of statistical data

analysis is, the more time and cost it will take to execute.

6. Research Reports

Any critical information and knowledge that comes from the research findings will be

limited by how the research reports are presented to decision makers. Once research

information is collected and analyzed, present it in an organized manner to the decision

makers of the business. The data gathered was created to help guide the business

decisions, so it needs to be readily accessible and understandable to the decision

makers.

As conclusion, building a framework process for a research is very important. Equally

important is to establish links between research type of approach, theoretical framework,

and process involve during research and results of a research finding. In addition, the

proposed sequence or step in research process helps answer the question, whether the

findings answer and justify the rationale or base for conducting the research which benefiting

the company and the organization.

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REFERENCE

C.C Beri (2000) Marketing Research. (3rd ed.). New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill

Hudson, W. & Nurius, P. (1994). Controversial Issues in Social Work Research. Boston,

MA:Allyn and Bacon.

Sekaran, U. (2000). Research Methods for Business. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Tuckman, B. (1999). Conducting Educational Research (5th ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt

Brace College Publishers.

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ESSAY 3Literature survey is the documentation of a comprehensive review of the published and

unpublished work from secondary sources data in the areas of specific interest to the

researcher. For example, the library is a rich storage base for secondary data and

researchers used to spend several weeks and sometimes months going through books,

journals, newspapers, magazines, conference proceedings, doctoral dissertations, master's

theses, government publications and financial reports to find information on their research

topic. With computerized databases now readily available and accessible the literature

search is much speedier and easier.

The researcher could start the literature survey even as the information from the

unstructured and structured interviews is being gathered. Reviewing the literature on the

topic area at this time helps the researcher to focus further interviews more meaningfully on

certain aspects found to be important is the published studies even if these had not surfaced

during the earlier questioning. So the literature survey is important for gathering the

secondary data for the research which might be proved very helpful in the research. The

literature survey can be conducted for several reasons. The literature survey can be in any

area of the business.

An in-depth interview is a qualitative research technique that allows person to person

discussion. It can lead to increased insight into people's thoughts, feelings, and behavior on

important issues. This type of interview is often unstructured and therefore permits the

interviewer to encourage an informant (or respondent) to talk at length about the topic of

interest.

The in-depth interview uses a flexible interview approach. It aims to ask questions to explain

the reasons underlying a problem or practice in a target group. It is the technique to gather

ideas and to gather information.

Actually, both the literature survey and in-depth interview methods are contributing one

another in term of developing a theoretical framework. Theoretical framework visually tells

the big picture (research) of the study identifies literature review categories and directs

research objectives. A typical theoretical framework with the help of both literature survey

and in-depth interview approach provides a schematic description of relationships between

and among independent, dependent, moderator, control, and extraneous variables so that a

researcher can easily comprehend the theorized relationships. Therefore, a theoretical

framework is the conceptual model of how one theorizes or makes logical sense of the

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relationships among the several factors that have been identified as important to the

problem. In depth interview should suffice to develop a theoretical framework but literature

survey does completed the flows from the documentation of previous research in the

problem by integrating logical beliefs with published research, taking into consideration the

boundaries and constraints governing both the situation.

The purpose of both in depth interview and literature survey is to ensure that no important

variable that has in the past been found repeatedly to have had an impact on the problem is

ignored. The variables considered relevant to the study should be clearly identified and

labelled. It is possible that some of the critical variables are never brought out in the

interviews, because the employees cannot articulate them or are unaware of their impact or

because the variables seem so obvious to interviews that they are not specifically stated. If

there are variables that are not identified during the interviews, but influence the problem

critically then research done without considering them would be an exercise in futility.

Theoretical framework is the foundation on which the entire research project is based on.

As conclusion, the relationship between the literature survey and the in depth interview

provides a solid foundation for developing the theoretical framework. It is done through

interrelationships among the variables that are deemed to be integral to the dynamics of the

situation being investigated.

REFERENCE

Creswell, J.W. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five

Traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Hart, C. (1998). Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research

Imagination. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Hudson, W. & Nurius, P. (1994). Controversial Issues in Social Work Research. Boston, MA:

Allyn and Bacon.

Reichardt, C. & Rallis, S. (1994). The Qualitative-Quantitative Debate: New Perspectives.

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Singleton, R.A. & Straits, B.C. (1999). Approaches to Social Research. New York, NY:

Oxford University Press.

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QUESTION 4

Basic method and research design issues mainly consist of

1. Purpose

The research design issues answers these two main questions:

a) How was the data collected or generated?

b) How was the data analyzed?

In research, it is vital to know how the data was obtained because the method affects the

results. For instance, if the researchers are investigating peoples' perceptions of the

efficiency of public administration in Malaysia, they will need to obtain different results if they

use a multiple choice questionnaire than through conducting series of interviews. Knowing

how the data was collected helps the researcher to evaluate the validity and reliability of the

results, and the conclusions that can be drawn from it. In other words, it shows how the

researchers obtained their results and explain how the result is obtained.

Often there are different methods that the researcher can use to investigate a research

problem. The research methodology should make clear the reasons why the researcher

chose a particular method or procedure.

The researcher must be able and know that the data was collected or generated in a way

that is consistent with accepted practice in the field of study. For example, if the researchers

are using a questionnaire for example to investigating peoples' perceptions the standard of

public administration in Malaysia, they need to know that it offered the respondents a

reasonable range of answers to choose from such as (a) excellent, (b) very good or (c)

good, it would obviously not be acceptable as it does not allow respondents to give negative

answers.

The basic research design must be appropriate to the objectives of the study. If the

researcher performs a case study of one respondent in order to investigate users'

perceptions of the efficiency of public administration in Malaysia, the method is obviously

unsuited to the objectives. Therefore the methodology should also discuss the problems that

were anticipated and explain the steps taken to prevent them from occurring, and the

problems that did occur and the ways their impact was minimized.

2. Common Problems

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There are commons problems or issues with a basic research design. They are

a) Irrelevant detail

b) Unnecessary explanation of basic procedures

c) Problem blindness

Most of the researchers encounter some problems when collecting or generating the data

from the context of study. It is advisable to do not ignore significant problems or pretend they

did not occur. A study context can be in the form of physical setting, pretest sensitization,

treatment conditions and subjects thoughts about the study. Some time it can be some issue

on how it is handled for example question on how the quality of instrument, question and

data matching, independence of observations or person or people responsible of collecting

the data.

Often sometime through recording on how the researchers overcame obstacles can form an

interesting part of the methodology. It also means that the researchers can also give a

rationale for certain decisions, plus a realistic view of using the methods of research chosen.

3. Different Types of Research Design

There are different types of basic research designs. A good researcher must be able to

choose the suitable research design to achieve the purpose of researching. It shows how the

results were achieved through explanation of how data was collected or generated and

explanation of how data was analyzed explanation of methodological problems and their

solutions or effects The basic research designs consist of:

a) Analysis

Analysis is classes of data are collected and studies conducted to discern patterns

and formulate principles that might guide future action

b) Case Study

Case study provides the background, development, current conditions and

environmental interactions of one or more individuals, groups, communities,

businesses or institutions is observed, recorded and analyzed for stages of patterns

in relation to internal and external influences.

c) Comparison

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Comparison happens when two or more existing situations are studied to determine

their similarities and differences.

d) Correlation-prediction

Correlation-prediction is a situation when statistically significant correlation

coefficients between and among a number of factors are sought and interpreted.

e) Evaluation

Evaluation is an act of research to determine whether a program or project followed

the prescribed procedures and achieved the stated outcomes.

f) Design-demonstration

Design-demonstration is a new system or programs are constructed, tested and

evaluated

g) Experiment

An experiment is conducted when one or more variables are manipulated and the

results analyzed.

h) Survey-questionnaire

Survey-questionnaire is a tool to discover behaviors, beliefs and observations of

specific groups are identified, reported and interpreted.

i) Status

Status is a representative or selected sample of one or more phenomena is

examined to determine its special characteristics.

j) Theory construction

Theory construction is an attempt to find or describe principles that explain how

things work the way they do.

k) Trend analysis

Trend analysis is a tool to predict or forecasting the future direction of events.

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4. The Authenticity of Variables

In a well-designed research, the researcher varies at least one independent variable to

assess its effects on respondents' behavior, assigns participants to the experimental

conditions in a way that assures their initial equivalence, and controls extraneous variables

that may influence the behavior of research. Researchers may vary an independent variable

through environmental, instructional, or invasive manipulations.

To assure that their independent variables are strong enough to produce the hypothesized

effects, researcher’s often pilot test their independent variables and use manipulation checks

in the experiment itself. In addition to independent variables manipulated by the researcher,

experiments sometimes include subject variables that reflect characteristics of the

respondents. The logic of the experimental method requires that the various experimental

and control groups be equivalent before the levels of the independent variable are

introduced.

Initial equivalence of the various conditions is accomplished in one of three ways. In

between-subjects designs, researchers use simple or matched randomly assignment. In

within-subjects or repeated measures designs, all respondents serve in all experimental

conditions, thereby ensuring their equivalence. Within-subjects designs are more powerful

and economical than between-subjects designs, but order effects and carryover effects are

sometimes a problem.

Nothing other than the independent variable may differ systematically among conditions.

When something other than the independent variable differs among conditions, confounding

occurs, destroys the internal validity of the experiment and making it difficult, if not

impossible, to draw conclusions about the effects of the independent variable.

Good researchers will try to minimize error variance. Error variance is produced by

unsystematic differences among participants within experimental conditions. Although error

variance does not undermine the validity of an experiment, it makes detecting effects of the

independent variable more difficult. Attempts to minimize the error variance in an experiment

may lower the study's external validity the degree to which the results can be generalized.

However, most experiments are designed to test hypotheses about the causes of behavior.

If the hypotheses are supported, then they are not the particular results of the study are

generalized. Any good researchers must be able to look for the purpose of each part of the

methodology before deciding its usage or function. It can be rationale or reasons for doing

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something, description or equipment used, purpose, application on how something is used,

structure of the research or the order in which information will be given, assumption, and

parameters or variables that are measured. A good research must be able to differentiate

series of question such as where did subjects come from?, what kinds of samples?, how

many of intended subjects actually supplied data?, were in final analysis? and how

motivated were subjects?. Through this then the researchers are be able to serve the basic

issues of research design and the role of statistics in research with clear classification of

variables, quantification of variables or scales of measurement and finally the validity of

interpretations of research studies.

As conclusion, a basic research design is a tool which assists the researcher in defining a

research topic, by which describing the method by which the research topic will be explored

and analyzing the sources which will be utilized.

REFERENCE

Bridget Somek and Cathy Lewin. (2006) Research Methods in the Social Sciences. London:

Sage Publications

David S. Moore and George P. McCabe. (2006) Introduction to the Practice of Statistics.

New York: W.H. Freeman and Company

Gall, M. D., Borg, W. R., Gall, J. P. (2003). Educational Research: An introduction. (7th

Edition). White Plains, New York: Longman.

Gilbert, N. ed. (1996) Researching Social Life. New York: Sage Publications

John W. Creswell. (2003) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods

Approaches. London: Sage Publications

Miles, M. B. and A. M. Huberman (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded

Sourcebook, New York: Sage Publications

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