BRM Unit 1 Introduction to Research 4th

Notes 17 Pages

Bengaluru Central University

Bachelor of Business Administration

Contributed by

Kanika Sura

BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
1

UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH
Meaning – Objectives – Types of Research – Scope of Research – Research Approaches –
Research Process – Research Design – Research Methods Vs Research Methodology - Steps
in Research – Problem Formulation – Statement of Research Objective – Exploratory –
Descriptive – Experimental Research.
MEANING OF RESEARCH
Research may be very broadly defined as systematic gathering of data and information and its
analysis for advancement of knowledge in any subject. Research attempts to find answer
intellectual and practical questions through application of systematic methods. Some people
consider research as a movement, a movement from the known to the unknown.
According to Clifford Woody research comprises defining and redefining problems,
formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting, organizing and evaluating data;
making deductions and reaching conclusions; and at last carefully testing the conclusions to
determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.
Research is, thus, an original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge making for its
advancement. It is the per suit of truth with the help of study, observation, comparison and
experiment. In short, the search for knowledge through objective and systematic method of
finding solution to a problem is research.
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH
The purpose of research is to discover answers to questions through the application of scientific
procedures. The main aim of research is to find out the truth which is hidden and which has not
been discovered as yet. Though each research study has its own specific purpose, we may think
of research objectives as falling into a number of following broad groupings:
1. To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into it (studies with this
object in view are termed as exploratory or formulative research studies);
2. To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group
(studies with this object in view are known as descriptive research studies);
3. To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with
something else (studies with this object in view are known as diagnostic research studies);
4. To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables (such studies are known as
hypothesis-testing research studies)

TYPES OF RESEARCH
Research is a logical and systematic search for new and useful information on a particular topic.
Research is important both in scientific and non-scientific fields.
1. Fundamental or Basic Research: Basic research is an investigation on basic
principles and reasons for occurrence of a particular event or process or phenomenon.
Page 1
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
2

It is also called theoretical research. Study or investigation of some natural phenomenon
or relating to pure science are termed as basic research. Basic researches sometimes
may not lead to immediate use or application. It is not concerned with solving any
practical problems of immediate interest. But it is original or basic in character. It
provides a systematic and deep insight into a problem and facilitates extraction of
scientific and logical explanation and conclusion on it. It helps build new frontiers of
knowledge. The outcomes of basic research form the basis for many applied researches.
• Seeks generalization
• Aims at basic processes
• Attempts to explain why things happen
• Tries to get all the facts
• Reports in technical language of the topic
2. Applied Research: In an applied research one solves certain problems employing well
known and accepted theories and principles. Most of the experimental research, case
studies and inter-disciplinary research are essentially applied research. Applied
research is helpful for basic research. A research, the outcome of which has immediate
application is also termed as applied research. Such a research is of practical use to
current activity.
• Studies individual or specific cases without the objective to generalize
• Aims at any variable which makes the desired difference
• Tries to say how things can be changed
• Tries to correct the facts which are problematic
• Reports in common language
Basic and applied research, further divided into three types of research bearing some
characteristics feature as follows:
Quantitative research
• It is numerical, non-descriptive, applies statistics or mathematics and uses numbers.
• It is an iterative process whereby evidence is evaluated.
• The results are often presented in tables and graphs.
• It is conclusive.
• It investigates the what, where and when of decision making.
Qualitative research
• It is non-numerical, descriptive, applies reasoning and uses words.
• Its aim is to get the meaning, feeling and describe the situation.
• Qualitative data cannot be graphed.
• It is exploratory.
• It investigates the why and how of decision making.
Page 2
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
3

• Mixed research: Mixed research- research that involves the mixing of quantitative and
qualitative methods or paradigm characteristics. Nature of data is mixture of variables,
words and images.

Exploratory Research: It is a type of research conducted for a problem that has not been
clearly defined. It helps determine the best research design, data collection method and
selection of subjects. The result of exploratory research is not usually useful for decision-
making by themselves, but they can provide significant insight into a given situation.
Exploratory research might involve a literature search or conducting focus group interviews.
The exploration of new phenomena in this way may help the researcher’s need for better
understanding, may test the feasibility of a more extensive study, or determine the best methods
to be used in a subsequent study. For these reasons, exploratory research is broad in focus and
rarely provides definite answers to specific research issues.
The objective of exploratory research is to identify key issues and key variables.
Descriptive research: It refers to research that provides an accurate portrayal of characteristics
of a particular individual, situation or group. These studies are a means of discovering new
meaning, describing what exists, determining the frequency with which something occurs, and
categorising information.
In short descriptive research deals with everything that can be counted an studied, which has
an impact of the lives of the people it deals with.
Explanatory research
• Its primary goal is to understand or to explain relationships.
• It uses correlations to study relationships between dimensions or characteristics off
individuals, groups, situations, or events.
• Explanatory research explains (How the parts of a phenomenon are related to each
other).
• Explanatory research asks the “Why” question.
Longitudinal Research: Research carried out longitudinally involves data collection at
multiple points in time. Longitudinal studies may take the form of:
• Trend study- looks at population characteristics over time, e.g. organizational
absenteeism rates during the course of a year
• Cohort study- traces a sub-population over time, e.g. absenteeism rates for the sales
department;
• Panel study- traces the same sample over time, e.g. graduate career tracks over the
period 1990 – 2000 for the same starting cohort.
While longitudinal studies will often be more time consuming and expensive than cross-
sectional studies, they are more likely to identify causal relationships between variables.
Page 3
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
4

Cross-sectional Research: One-shot or cross-sectional studies are those in which data is
gathered once, during a period of days, weeks or months. Many cross-sectional studies are
exploratory or descriptive in purpose. They are designed to look at how things are now, without
any sense of whether there is a history or trend at work.
RESEARCH APPROACHES
The above description of the types of research brings to light the fact that there are two basic
approaches to research, viz., quantitative approach and the qualitative approach. The former
involves the generation of data in quantitative form which can be subjected to rigorous
quantitative analysis in a formal and rigid fashion. This approach can be further sub-classified
into inferential, experimental and simulation approaches to research.
Inferential research means survey research where a sample of population is studied (questioned
or observed) to determine its characteristics, and it is then inferred that the *population has the
same characteristics.
Experimental approach is characterized by much greater control over the research environment
and in this case some variables are manipulated to observe their effect on other variables.
Simulation approach involves the construction of an artificial environment within which
relevant information and data can be generated. This permits an observation of the dynamic
behaviour of a system (or its sub-system) under controlled conditions.
RESEARCH METHOD v/s RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methods may be understood as all those methods/ techniques that are used for
conduction of research. Research methods or techniques*, thus, refer to the methods the
researchers use in performing research operations. In other words, all those methods which are
used by the researcher during the course of studying his research problem are termed as
research methods. research methods can be put into the following three groups:
1. In the first group we include those methods which are concerned with the collection of data.
These methods will be used where the data already available are not sufficient to arrive at
the required solution;
2. The second group consists of those statistical techniques which are used for establishing
relationships between the data and the unknowns;
3. The third group consists of those methods which are used to evaluate the accuracy of the
results obtained.

Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be
understood as a science of studying how research is done scientifically. In it we study the
various steps that are generally adopted by a researcher in studying his research problem
along with the logic behind them.
It is necessary for the researcher to know not only the research methods/techniques but also the
methodology. Researchers not only need to know how to develop certain indices or tests, how
to calculate the mean, the mode, the median or the standard deviation or chi-square, how to
Page 4
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
5

apply particular research techniques, but they also need to know which of these methods or
techniques are relevant and which are not, and what would they mean and indicate and why.
The scope of research methodology is wider than that of research methods. Thus, when we talk
of research methodology we not only talk of the research methods but also consider the logic
behind the methods we use in the context of our research study and explain why we are using
a particular method or technique and why we are not using others so that research results are
capable of being evaluated either by the researcher himself or by others.
Why a research study has been undertaken, how the research problem has been defined, in what
way and why the hypothesis has been formulated, what data have been collected and what
particular method has been adopted, why particular technique of analyzing data has been used
and a host of similar other questions are usually answered when we talk of research
methodology concerning a research problem or study.
STEPS IN RESEARCH
Research process consists of series of actions or steps necessary to effectively carry out research
and the desired sequencing of these steps. The chart shown in Figure well illustrates a research
process.

1. Formulating the research problem;
2. Extensive literature survey;
3. Developing the hypothesis;
4. Preparing the research design;
5. Determining sample design;
6. Collecting the data;
7. Execution of the project;
8. Analysis of data;
9. Hypothesis testing;
10. Generalizations and interpretation, and
Page 5
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
6

11. Preparation of the report or presentation of the results, i.e., formal write-up of conclusions
reached.
1. FORMULATING THE RESEARCH PROBLEM:
The researcher must single out the problem he wants to study, i.e., he must decide the general
area of interest or aspect of a subject-matter that he would like to inquire into. Initially the
problem may be stated in a broad general way and then the ambiguities, if any, relating to the
problem be resolved. Then, the feasibility of a particular solution has to be considered before a
working formulation of the problem can be set up. The formulation of a general topic into a
specific research problem, thus, constitutes the first step in a scientific enquiry. Essentially two
steps are involved in formulating the research problem, vi., understanding the problem
thoroughly, and rephrasing the same into meaningful terms from an analytical point of view.

The best way of understanding the problem is to discuss it with one’s own colleagues or with
those having some expertise in the matter. In an academic institution the researcher can seek
the help from a guide who is usually an experienced man and has several research problems in
mind. In private business units or in governmental, the problem is usually earmarked by the
administrative agencies with whom the researcher can discuss as to how the problem originally
came about and what considerations are involved in its possible solutions.

The researcher must at the same time examine all available literature to get himself acquainted
with the selected problem. He may review two types of literature—the conceptual literature
concerning the concepts and theories, and the empirical literature consisting of studies made
earlier which are similar to the one proposed. The basic outcome of this review will be the
knowledge as to what data and other materials are available for operational purposes which will
enable the researcher to specify his own research problem in a meaningful context.

After this the researcher rephrases the problem into analytical or operational terms i.e., to put
the problem in as specific terms as possible. This task of formulating, or defining, a research
problem is a step of greatest importance in the entire research process. The problem to be
investigated must be defined unambiguously for that will help discriminating relevant data from
irrelevant ones.

In fact, formulation of the problem often follows a sequential pattern where a number of
formulations are set up, each formulation more specific than the preceding one, each one
phrased in more analytical terms, and each more realistic in terms of the available data and
resources.

2. EXTENSIVE LITERATURE SURVEY:
Once the problem is formulated, a brief summary of it should be written down. It is compulsory
for a research worker writing a thesis for a Ph.D. degree to write synopsis of the topic and
submit it to the necessary Committee or the Research Board for approval. At this juncture the
researcher should undertake extensive literature survey connected with the problem.
For this purpose, the abstracting and indexing journals and published or unpublished
Page 6
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
7

bibliographies are the first place to go to. Academic journals, conference proceedings,
government reports, books etc., must be tapped depending on the nature of the problem. In this
process, it should be remembered that one source will lead to another. The earlier studies, if
any, which are similar to the study in and should be carefully studied. A good library will be a
great help to the researcher at this stage.

3. DEVELOPMENT OF WORKING HYPOTHESES:
After extensive literature survey, researcher should state in clear terms the working hypothesis
or hypotheses. Working hypothesis is tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test
its logical or empirical consequences. In most types of research, the development of working
hypothesis plays an important role. Hypothesis should be very specific and limited to the piece
of research in hand because it has to be tested.
The role of the hypothesis is to guide the researcher by delimiting the area of research and to
keep him on the right track. It sharpens his thinking and focuses attention on the more important
facets of the problem. It also indicates the type of data required and the type of methods of data
analysis to be used.

How does one go about developing working hypotheses? The answer is by using the following
approach:
a. Discussions with colleagues and experts about the problem, its origin and the objectives
in seeking a solution;
b. Examination of data and records, if available, concerning the problem for possible trends,
peculiarities and other clues;
c. Review of similar studies in the area or of the studies on similar problems; and
d. Exploratory personal investigation which involves original field interviews on a limited
scale with interested parties and individuals with a view to secure greater insight into the
practical aspects of the problem.

Thus, working hypotheses arise as a result of a-prior thinking about the subject, examination
of the available data and material including related studies and the counsel of experts and
interested parties. It may as well be remembered that occasionally we may encounter a
problem where we do not need working hypotheses, especially in the case of exploratory or
formularies researches which do not aim at testing the hypothesis. But as a general rule,
specification of working hypotheses in another basic step of the research process in most
research problems.

4. PREPARING THE RESEARCH DESIGN:
The research problem having been formulated in clear cut terms, the researcher will be required
to prepare a research design, i.e., he will have to state the conceptual structure within which
research would be conducted. The preparation of such a design facilitates research to be as
efficient as possible yielding maximal information.

In other words, the function of research design is to provide for the collection of relevant
Page 7
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
8

evidence with minimal expenditure of effort, time and money. But how all these can be achieved
depends mainly on the research purpose. Research purposes may be grouped into four
categories, vi.,
• Exploration,
• Description,
• Diagnosis, and
• Experimentation.

A flexible research design which provides opportunity for considering many different
aspects of a problem is considered appropriate if the purpose of the research study is that of
exploration. But when the purpose happens to be an accurate description sofa situation or
of an association between variables, the suitable design will be one that minimizes bias and
maximizes the reliability of the data collected and analyses.
There are several research designs, such as, experimental and non-experimental hypothesis
testing. Experimental designs can be either informal designs (such as before-and-after without
control, after-only with control, before-and-after with control) or formal designs (such as
completely randomized design, randomized block design, Latin square design, simple and
complex factorial designs), out of which the researcher must select one for his own project.
The preparation of the research design, appropriate for a particular research problem, involves
usually the consideration of the following:
• the means of obtaining the information;
• the availability and skills of the researcher and his staff (if any);
• explanation of the way in which selected means of obtaining information will be
organized and the reasoning leading to the selection;
• the time available for research; and
• the cost factor relating to research, i.e., the finance available for the purpose.

5. DETERMINING SAMPLE DESIGN:
All the items under consideration in any field of inquiry constitute ‘universe’ or ‘population’.
A complete enumeration of all the items in the ‘population’ is known as a census inquiry. It
can be presumed that in such an inquiry when all the items are covered no element of chance is
left and highest accuracy is obtained. But in practice this may not be true.
Even the slightest element of bias in such an inquiry will get larger and larger as the number of
observations increases. Moreover, there is no way of checking the element of bias or its extent
except through are survey or use of sample checks. Besides, this type of inquiry involves a great
deal of time, money and energy. Not only this, census inquiry is not possible in practice under many
circumstances. For instance, blood testing is done only on sample basis.

Hence, quite often we select only a few items from the universe for our study purposes. The items
so selected constitute what is technically called sample. The researcher must decide the way of
selecting a sample or what is popularly known as the sample design. In other words, a sample
design is a definite plan determined before any data are actually collected for obtaining a sample
Page 8
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
9

from a given population. Thus, the plan to select 12 of a city’s 200 drugstores in a certain way
constitutes a sample design.

Samples can be either probability samples or non-probability samples. With probability samples
each element has a known probability of being included in the sample but the non-probability
samples do not allow the researcher to determine this probability.

Probability samples are those based on simple random sampling, systematic sampling, stratified
sampling, cluster/area sampling whereas non-probability samples are those based on convenience
sampling, judgment sampling and quota sampling techniques. A brief mention of the important
sample designs is as follows:

i. Deliberate sampling: Deliberate sampling is also known as purposive or non-
probability sampling. This sampling method involves purposive or deliberate selection
of particular units of the universe for constituting a sample which represents the
universe. When population elements are selected for inclusion in the sample based on
the ease of access, it can be called convenience sampling. If a researcher wishes to secure
data from, say, gasoline buyers, he may select a fixed number of petrol stations and may
conduct interviews at these stations. This would be an example of convenience sample
of gasoline buyers. At times such a procedure may give very biased results particularly
when the population is not homogeneous. On the other hand, in judgment sampling the
researcher’s judgment disused for selecting items which he considers as representative
of the population. For example, a judgment sample of college students might be taken
to secure reactions to a new method of teaching. Judgment sampling is used quite
frequently in qualitative research where the desire happens to be to develop hypotheses
rather than to generalize to larger populations.
ii. Simple random sampling: This type of sampling is also known as chance sampling or
probability sampling where each and every item in the population has an equal chance
of inclusion in the sample and each one of the possible samples, in case of finite
universe, has the same probability of being selected. For example, if we have to select a
sample of 300items from a universe of 15,000 items, then we can put the names or
numbers of all the15,000 items on slips of paper and conduct a lottery. Using the random
number tables is another method of random sampling. To select the sample, each item
is assigned a number from 1 to 15,000. Then, 300 five-digit random numbers are
selected from the table. To do this we select some random starting point and then a
systematic pattern is used in proceeding through the table. We might start in the 4th row,
second column and proceed down the column to the bottom of the table and then move
to the top of the next column to the right. When a number exceeds the limit of the
numbers in the frame, in our case over 15,000, it is simply passed over and the next
number selected that does fall within the relevant range. In the numbers were placed in
the table in a completely random fashion, the resulting sample is random. This procedure
gives each item an equal probability of being selected. In case of infinite population, the
selection of each item in a random sample is controlled by the same probability and that
successive selections are independent of one another.
Page 9
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 4TH SEMESTER BBA, BANGALORE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY

Vinutha T.N, Assistant Professor, MES Institute of Management
10

iii. Systematic sampling: In some instances, the most practical way of sampling is to select
every 15th name on a list, every 10th house on one side of a street and so on. Sampling
of this type is known as systematic sampling. An element of randomness is usually
introduced into this kind of sampling by using random numbers to pick up the unit with
which to start. This procedure is useful when sampling frame is available in the form of
a list. In such design the selection process starts by picking some random point in the
list and then every nth element is selected until the desired number is secured.
iv. Stratified sampling: If the population from which a sample is to be drawn does not
constitute homogeneous group, then stratified sampling technique is applied so as to
obtain representative sample. In this technique, the population is stratified into a number
of non-overlapping subpopulations or strata and sample items are selected from each
stratum. If the items selected from each stratum is based on simple random sampling the
entire procedure, first stratification and then simple random sampling, is known as
stratified random sampling.
v. Quota sampling: In stratified sampling the cost of taking random samples from
individual strata is often so expensive that interviewers are simply given quota to be
filled from different strata, the actual selection of items for sample being left to the
interviewer’ judgment. This is called quota sampling. The size of the quota for each
stratum is generally proportionate to the size of that stratum in the population. Quota
sampling is thus an important form of non-probability sampling. Quota samples
generally happen to be judgment samples rather than random samples.
vi. Cluster sampling and area sampling: Cluster sampling involves grouping the
population and then selecting the groups or the clusters rather than individual elements
for inclusion in the sample. Suppose some departmental store wishes to sample its credit
card holders. It has issued its cards to 15,000 customers. The sample size is to be kept
say 450. For cluster sampling this list of 15,000 card holders could be formed into 100
clusters of 150 cardholders each. Three clusters might then be selected for the sample
randomly. The sample size must often be larger than the simple random sample to ensure
the same level of accuracy because is cluster sampling procedural potential for order
bias and other sources of error is usually accentuated. The clustering approach can,
however, make the sampling procedure relatively easier and increase the efficiency of
field work, especially in the case of personal interviews. Area sampling is quite close to
cluster sampling and is often talked about when the total geographical area of interest
happens to be big one. Under area sampling we first divide the total area into a number
of smaller non-overlapping areas, generally called geographical clusters, then a number
of these smaller areas are randomly selected, and all units in these small areas are
included in the sample. Area sampling is especially helpful where we do not have the
list of the population concerned. It also makes the field interviewing more efficient since
interviewer can do many interviews at each location.
vii. Multi-stage sampling: This is a further development of the idea of cluster sampling.
This technique is meant for big inquiries extending to a considerably large geographical
area like an entire country. Under multi-stage sampling the first stage may be to select
large primary sampling units such as states, then districts, then towns and finally certain
Page 10

BRM Unit 1 Introduction to Research 4th

BRM Unit 1 Introduction to Research 4th

Download this file to view remaining 7 pages