Business Research Methods PDF

Business Research Methods Planning your research  Research Report and Academic Writing What is involved? ❑ Probably the most important of all your courses. Why? ❑ Potentially, you will achieve 9 credit points as a result of this course ❑ 3 credit points for level 300, and ❑ 6 cre...

Business Research Methods Planning your research  Research Report and Academic Writing What is involved? ❑ Probably the most important of all your courses. Why? ❑ Potentially, you will achieve 9 credit points as a result of this course ❑ 3 credit points for level 300, and ❑ 6 credit point from your project work at level 400  Level 300 ❑ You will produce and submit a research proposal by the end of the semester (Week 10) which will replace your IA ❑ In addition to the IA, you will undertake one assignment and one quiz ❑ Your research proposal submitted for this course may be used at level 400 to request agreement from your project supervisor N/B This is different from the research report that you will complete at level 400 What is ‘Re-search’?  What is research? Discuss with a partner and write down your understanding of the key words highlighted in the above definition: ❑ ORGANIZED ❑ SYSTEMATIC ❑ FINDING ANSWERS ❑ QUESTION OR PROBLEM What is Research? What is Research? What is Research? What is Research? The Research Process  Research Design Two key questions 1. What is going on? (Descriptive Research) eg. Population census, Crime statistics, Level of Inflation 2. Why is it going on? (Explanatory/Exploration Research) eg. Why is the crime rate increasing? Why is a particular age group increasing within a given population? What is the reasons behind the increasing levels of food prices in Ghana?  Descriptive Research There are three ways a researcher can go about doing a descriptive research project, and they are: ❑ Observational - a method of viewing and recording the participants ❑ Case study - an in-depth study of an individual or group of individuals ❑ Survey - a brief interview or discussion with an individual about a specific topic  Explanatory Research Methods ❑ Explores why something occurs when limited information is available. ❑ It can help you increase your understanding of a given topic, or situation ❑ Explanatory research can also be explained as a “cause and effect” model.  Explanatory Research Methods There are several methods that are used in explanatory research. Researchers may use primary or secondary research, or a combination of both types of research.  Explanatory Research Methods ❑ Primary research is data that someone collects personally, usually from a group of people gathered specifically for the study. ❑ Primary research data is collected through the use of interviews, focus groups, customer surveys, or any way that organizations are able to obtain feedback.  Explanatory Research Methods ❑ Secondary research is the analysis and synthesis of primary research that was compiled at a previous date. ❑ Secondary research can be gathered from marketing research data, magazines, old reports, or any other source where relevant information has been stored.  Dependent v. Independent Variables What’s the difference? What is a Variable? ❑ Simply, something that varies or changes. ❑ Specifically, variables represent persons or objects that can be manipulated, controlled, or merely measured for the sake of research. ❑ Variation: How much a variable varies. Those with little variation are called constants. Independent Variables ⚫ These variables are ones that are more or less controlled. ⚫ You might manipulate these variables as needed. ⚫ They still vary, but the variation is relatively known (like seasons, or days) ⚫ It is easy to figure the next independent variable. Dependent Variables ⚫ Dependent variables are not controlled or manipulated, but instead are simply measured. ⚫ Dependent Variables depend on what the independent variable is.  Variable – Something that is changed Independent Variable (IV) Dependent Variable (DV) The Cause The Effect The one thing that is changed The result of the experiment – in an experiment What is measured This variable makes one test This depends on what you ‘independent’ of another test. change  Worked Examples In the following statements, identify the independent and dependent variables. 1.The temperature of the water was measured at different depths of the lake. Two things were changed in this statement. The first was the depths and the second was the temperature  Worked Examples Plug these into the bolded statement: The different depths cause the temperature to change. This is correct, because we know that the water temperature gets colder the deeper you go. IV: depths DV: temperature  Worked Examples The amount of time you study will make a positive difference on your test score. ❑ Two things are changed: 1. Time spent studying 2. Score on next test. ❑ The time studying causes the score on the next test to change. ❑ This is correct, because we know the longer you study for a test, the higher your grade will be IV: time studying DV: score on next test  Class Activity Identify the independent and dependent variables in each sentence 1. The higher the temperature of water, the faster the egg will cook 2. An investigation was done to see if keeping the lights on for different amount of time each day affected the number of eggs the chicken lay. 3. The time it takes to run a mile depends of the amount of exercise a person get  Class Activity 4. Grass will grow taller if it is watered and fertilized more. 5. An investigation was performed to see if corn seeds would sprout at different times depending on the temperature of the air in which they were placed. 6. The score on the final test depended on the number of study questions the student completed. 7. Five groups of rats are fed identical diets except for the amount of vitamin A that they receive. Each group gets a different amount. After 3 weeks on the diet, the rats are weighed to see if the amount of vitamin A received has affected their weight.  Class Activity 7. Additional financial incentives were given to the staff at GRA for the collection of taxes from independent sole traders at Chantan. The amount of taxes collected by each staff was measured.  Choose your research topic ❑ Think about an issue in your programme area that is of a concern to an organisation, eg. Stock control, Technology, Labour Turnover, Leadership style, Customer Service, Internet banking, Accounting standards, etc. ❑ It must be an issue that is of interest to you ❑ It must be based in a specific business organisation  Examples of Research Titles ▪ THE IMPACT OF SERVICE CONDITION ON EMPLOYEES’ MORALE. A CASE AT GHANA POLICE SERVICE (NUNGUA) ▪ A CASE STUDY OF POWER, INFLUENCE AND NEGOTIATION AS A TOOL FOR DECISION MAKING OR POLICY IMPLENTATION IN PENTECOST UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ▪ AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE EFFECTS OF MOTIVATION ON EMPLOYEES PERFORMANCE. (A CASE AT AGATE ENTERPRISE AND TRANSPORT SERVICES)  Examples of Research Titles ▪ THE IMPACT OF SERVICE QUALITY OF BANKS ON CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND RETENTION IN THE GHANAIAN BANKING INDUSTRY. A CASE AT BARCALYS BANK GHANA LIMITED, LEGON BRANCH ▪ THE USEFULNESS OF FINANCIAL STATEMENT IN ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF CORPORATIONS AND IN AIDING INVESTMENT DECISION (A CASE AT THE CAL BANK)  Homework Write two titles that you would want to work on ❑ Check with a friend to make sure that there is a dependent and independent variable within your title ❑ Do a bit of literature review on your area of interest and write brief notes (1 page summary) ❑ Submit your review next week  WEEK 2 Allocate time to see students for next week. Each person must come and see me at their allocated time  Research Titles ❑ Submit Research titles and the brief literature review report based on your allocated slot. If your title is not acceptable, check with a friend to find out why this is so. ❑ Rephrase your title and go to the bottom of the queue and wait for your next turn for resubmission  WEEK 3 Causal Relationships  Causal Relationships A causal relationship means that change in one variable causes change in another. Ex: Studies have shown there is a causal relationship between watching violence on television and acting violently.  Be Careful!!! However, if two things are correlated, that does not automatically mean they have a causal relationship.  CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS Correlation: correlation is the relationship between two sets of variables used to describe or predict information. There is an emphasis here on a direct relationship. Causation: Causation, also known as cause and effect, is when an observed event or action appears to have caused a second event or action. Prediction: Determining the future through observed events. Correlation is used to predict relationship. The stronger the correlation the more reliable is the prediction.  Causation vs Correlation ❑ Causation is different from correlation. ❑ Just because one event follows another, or two factors co- vary, does not mean that one causes the other. ❑ The link between two events may be coincidental rather than causal.  EXAMPLE ❑ Lucy collected data on the sales of ice cream cones and air conditioners in Accra. She found that when ice cream sales were low, air conditioner sales tended to be low and that when ice cream sales were high, air conditioner sales tended to be high. ❑ Lucy can conclude that sales of ice cream cones and air conditioner are positively correlated. ❑ However, Lucy cannot conclude that selling more ice cream cones causes more air conditioners to be sold. ❑ It is likely that the increases in the sales of both ice cream cones and air conditioners are caused by a third factor, an increase in temperature! Examples Which situations describe correlation that is not a causal relationship? (1) The cock crows, and the Sun rises. (2) The more miles driven, the more petrol needed. (3) The more powerful the microwave, the faster the food cooks. (4) The higher the price of fuel, the higher the level of inflation. (4) The faster the pace of a runner, the quicker the runner finishes. Types of Causal Relationship Causal explanations argue that phenomenon Y (e.g. income level) is affected by factor X (e.g. gender)  RESEARCH ETHICS ❑ Ethics is the behaviour and conduct of a researcher during the planning, conduct, and reporting of research. ❑ It is clear that research ethics should include: Protections of human and animal subjects. ❑ However, not all researchers use human or animal subjects, nor are the ethical dimensions of research confined solely to protections for research subjects.  Other ethical challenges ❑Collection, use, and interpretation of research data ❑Methods for reporting and reviewing research plans or findings ❑Relationships among researchers with one another ❑Relationships between researchers and those that will be affected by their research  Why is Research Ethics Important? ❑ It is a reflection of respect for those who ‘take part’ in research ❑ It ensures no unreasonable, unsafe or thoughtless demands are made by researchers ❑ It ensures sufficient knowledge is shared by all concerned ❑ It imposes a common standard in all the above respects  Issues in Research Ethics 1. Voluntary participation and Informed Consent this means that prospective research participants must be fully informed about the procedures and risks involved in research and must give their consent to participate.  Confidentiality and Anonymity 2. Confidentiality - identifying information will not be made available to anyone who is not directly involved in the study 3. Anonymity – Where possible the participant will remain anonymous throughout the study -- even to the researchers themselves.  Plagiarism 4. What is plagiarism? ❑ Plagiarism is the act of presenting the words, ideas, images, sounds, or the creative expression of others as your own.  Forms of Plagiarism Direct Quote Paraphrasing Wording Use of Someone’s Original Thinking You probably have plagiarized… IF... you have included the words and ideas of others in your work that you neglected to cite you have had help you wouldn’t want your teacher to know about  Excuses Everyone does it! It’s okay if I don’t get caught! This assignment I was too busy to was BORING! write that paper! (Sports…blah, blah… too much homework!) It was too hard!! I can’t do it! My teachers expect My parents too much! expect “A”s!  1. Problem UNIVERSITY A+Solving PU Academics TRANSFORMATION AND SERVICE