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WEEK 3 TARGET POPULATION OR SAMPLE: This refers to the specific THEORY BUILDING group of individuals or entities that the research DEDUCTIVE REASONING - The logical proc...

WEEK 3 TARGET POPULATION OR SAMPLE: This refers to the specific THEORY BUILDING group of individuals or entities that the research DEDUCTIVE REASONING - The logical process of deriving a focuses on. conclusion about a specific instance based on a LOCATION: This refers to the geographical area or context known general premise or something known to be where the study is conducted. true. “ Effects of MPOX on the Business Operations of Selected Spa GENERAL→ SPECIFIC Operators in Quezon City ” EXAMPLE: We all know that all successful business focus on customer satisfaction, and since Amazon is a WEEK 4 successful business, we can deduce that Amazon PROBLEM DEFINITION: THE FOUNDATION OF BUSINESS RESEARCH focuses on customer satisfaction INDUCTIVE REASONING – The logical process establishing a IMPORTANCE OF STARTING WITH A GOOD PROBLEM general proposition on the basis of observation of DEFINITION particular facts The first stage of the research process introduced in the early SPECIFIC → GENERAL chapters and highlighted in translating the business decision situation into specific research objectives. EXAMPLE: After observing that companies like Amazon and While it is tempting to skip this step and go directly to Apple consistently rank high in customer satisfaction designing a research project, the chances that a surveys and have strong customer loyalty, we can research project will prove useful are directly related conclude that focusing on customer satisfaction is a to how well the research objectives correspond to the key factor in the success of a business. true business “problem. Business Research can be: A DECISION STATEMENT is a written expression of the key EXPLORATORY - Conducted to clarify ambiguous situations or question(s) that a research user wishes to answer. It discover ideas that may be potential business is the reason that research is being considered. It must opportunities. be well stated and relevant. PROBLEM DEFINITION - DESCRIPTIVE – Describes characteristics of objects, people, The process of defining and developing a decision groups, organizations, or environments; tries to statement and the steps involved in translating it into “paint a picture” of a given situation. more precise research terminology, including a set of research CAUSAL - Allows causal inferences to be made; seeks to identify cause-and-effect relationship. PROBLEM COMPLEXITY Ultimately, the quality of business research in improving business decisions is limited by the quality of the problem definition stage. This is far from the easiest stage of the research process. Indeed, it can be the most complex. THE PROBLEM-DEFINITION PROCESS A problem occurs when there is a difference between the RESEARCH TITLE - It is a concise and descriptive statement current conditions and a more preferable set of that encapsulates the main topic or focus of a conditions. In other words, a gap exists between the research study. way things are now and a way that things could be A good research title typically contains: better. SIGNAL WORDS: These are terms or phrases that indicate the 1. Business performance is worse than expected business relationship between ideas, concepts, or variables in performance. the study. ( Influence, Impact, Effects, Factors) 2. Actual business performance is less than possible business VARIABLE(S): These are the elements, characteristics, or performance. conditions that can vary or change in a research study. 3. Expected business performance is greater than possible says in what “ways” a problem can be solved is better business performance. than one that says in what “way” a problem can be solved. Ultimately, research may provide evidence The Problem-Definition Process Steps showing results of several ways a problem can be The problem-definition process involves several interrelated attacked. steps. Sometimes, the boundaries between each step aren’t exactly clear. But generally, completing one step leads to the other and by the time the problem is Translating Decision Statements defined, each of these steps has been addressed in some way. The steps are: 1. Understand the business situation—identify key symptoms 2. Identify key problem(s) from symptoms 3. Write managerial decision statement and corresponding research objectives 4. Determine the unit of analysis 5. Determine the relevant variables 6. Write research questions and/or research hypotheses Write Research Objectives and Questions IDENTIFYING SYMPTOMS PROBING is an interview technique that tries to draw deeper and more elaborate explanations from the discussion. This discussion may involve potential problem causes. This probing process will likely be very helpful in identifying key variables that are prime candidates for study. Often, multiple interviews are necessary to identify all the key symptoms and gain a better understanding of the actual business situation. Identifying the Relevant Issues from the Symptoms RESEARCH QUESTIONS express the research objectives in terms of questions that can be addressed by research. Anticipating the many influences and dimensions of a problem For example, one of the key research questions is impossible for any researcher or executive. The involved in the opening vignette is “Are wages and preceding interview is extremely useful in translating long- haul distance related to driver loyalty and the decision situation into a working problem retention?” Hypotheses are more specific than definition by focusing on symptoms. The probing research questions. One key distinction between process discussed on pages 115–116 begins this research questions and hypotheses is that process. However, the researcher needs to be doubly hypotheses can generally specify the direction of a certain that the research attacks real problems and relationship. In other words, when an independent not superficial symptoms. variable goes up, we have sufficient knowledge to Writing Managerial Decision Statements and Corresponding predict that the dependent variable should also go up Research Objectives (or down as the case may be). The situation analysis ends once researchers have a clear idea Clarity in Research Questions and Hypotheses of the managerial objectives from the research effort. Research questions make it easier to understand what is Decision statements capture these objectives in a way perplexing managers and to indicate what issues have that invites multiple solutions. Multiple solutions are to be resolved. A research question is the researcher’s encouraged by using plural nouns to describe translation of the marketing problem into a specific solutions. In other words, a decision statement that inquiry. The Research Proposal QUALITATIVE BUSINESS research is research that addresses business objectives through techniques that allow The RESEARCH PROPOSAL is a written statement of the the researcher to provide elaborate interpretations of research design. It always includes a statement market phenomena without depending on explaining the purpose of the study (in the form of numerical measurement. Its focus is on discovering research objectives or deliverables) and a definition of true inner meanings and new insights. Qualitative the problem, often in the form of a decision research is very widely applied in practice. There are statement. A good proposal systematically outlines many research firms that specialize in qualitative the particular research methodology and details research. Qualitative research is less structured than procedures that will be used during each stage of the most quantitative approaches. It does not rely on research process. Normally a schedule of costs and self-response questionnaires containing structured deadlines is included in the research proposal. The response formats. Instead, it is more researcher- research proposal becomes the primary dependent in that the researcher must extract communication document between the researcher meaning from unstructured responses, such as text and the research user. from a recorded interview or a collage representing Translate research objectives into research questions and/or the meaning of some experience, such as research hypotheses. skateboarding. The researcher interprets the data to extract its meaning and converts it to information. Research questions simply restate the research objectives in the form of a question. When the researcher has QUANTITATIVE BUSINESS RESEARCH can be defined as sufficient theoretical reasoning to make a more business research that addresses research objectives specific prediction that includes the direction of any through empirical assessments that involve predicted relationship, the research question can be numerical measurement and analysis approaches. translated into one or more research hypotheses. Qualitative research is more apt to stand on its own in the sense that it requires less interpretation. Outline the components of a research proposal. Qualitative “versus” Quantitative Research The research proposal is a written statement of the research design that will be followed in addressing a specific One can find many debates about the superiority of qualitative problem. The research proposal allows managers to research over quantitative research or vice versa. evaluate the details of the proposed research and We’ll begin by saying that this is largely a superfluous determine if alterations are needed. Most research argument in either direction. The truth is that proposals include the following sections: decision qualitative research can accomplish research description, purpose of the research including the objectives that quantitative research cannot. research objectives, research design, sample design, Similarly, truthful, but no more so, quantitative data gathering and/ or fieldwork techniques, data research can accomplish objectives that qualitative processing and analysis, budget, and time schedule. research cannot. The key to successfully using either is to match the right approach to the right research Construct dummy tables as part of a research proposal. context. Dummy tables are included in research proposals and look exactly like the real tables that will be included in the final research report. However, they cannot actually contain results since the study has not yet been done. So, they include hypothetical results that look as much as possible like the actual results. These tables are a very good tool for communicating the value of a research project to management because they provide a real sense for implications that may result from the research. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TOOLS What Is Qualitative Research? Orientations to Qualitative Research Qualitative research can be performed in many ways using Videoconferencing and online chat rooms are more many techniques. Orientations to qualitative research economical ways of trying to do much the same as are very much influenced by the different fields of traditional focus group interviews. Some companies study involved in research. These orientations are have even established a focus blog that is a source for each associated with a category of qualitative continuous commentary on a company. While they research. are certainly cost advantageous, there is less control over who participates. The major categories of qualitative research include: Recognize common qualitative research tools and know the 1. PHENOMENOLOGY—originating in philosophy and advantages and limitations of their use. psychology The most common qualitative research tools include the focus 2. ETHNOGRAPHY—originating in anthropology group interview and the depth interview. The focus 3. GROUNDED THEORY—originating in sociology group has some cost advantage per respondent because it would take ten times as long to conduct the 4. CASE STUDIES—originating in psychology and in business interview portion(s) of a series of depth interviews research compared to one focus group. However, the depth Phenomenology. A philosophical approach to studying human interview is more appropriate for discussing sensitive experiences based on the idea that human experience topics. itself is inherently subjective and determined by the context in which people live. WEEK 5 Ethnography represents ways of studying cultures through SECONDARY DATA methods that involve becoming highly active within that culture. Participant-observation typifies an ethnographic research approach. Participant SECONDARY DATA - also known as second-party data observation means the researcher becomes - refers to any dataset collected by any person other immersed within the culture that he or she is than the one using it. studying and draws data from his or her observations. - is the data that has already been collected through Grounded theory Represents an inductive investigation in primary sources and made readily available for which the researcher poses questions about researchers to use for their own research. information provided by respondents or taken from historical records; the researcher asks the questions SOURCES OF SECONDARY DATA: to him or herself and repeatedly questions the 1. INTERNAL - (data that originate inside the organization) responses to derive deeper explanations. 2. EXTERNAL - Data created, recorded, or generated by an Case studies simply refer to the documented history of a entity other than the researcher’s organization. particular person, group, organization, or event. Typically, a case study may describe the events of a WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGEN OF specific company as it faces an important decision or SECONDARY DATA? situation, such as introducing a new product or ADVANTAGE: dealing with some management crisis. Textbook cases typify this kind of case study. Clinical interviews of The primary advantage of secondary data is their availability. managers, employees, or customers can represent a Obtaining secondary data is almost always faster and case study. The case studies can then be analyzed for less expensive than acquiring primary data. important themes. Themes are identified by the DISADVANTAGE: frequency with which the same term (or a synonym) An inherent disadvantage of secondary data is that they were arises in the narrative description. The themes may be not designed specifically to meet the researchers’ useful in discovering variables that are relevant to needs. potential explanations. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY VARIABLES IN BUSINESS Recognize technological advances in the application of RESEARCH? qualitative research approaches. A variable is any characteristic, factor, or attribute that can take WEEK 6 on different values. COLLECTING PRIMARY DATA - are essential in research because they represent the elements or conditions being studied, and their SURVEY RESEARCH - The purpose of survey research is to variations help researchers understand relationships collect primary data—data gathered from the and draw conclusions. respondents and assembled specifically for the project at hand. - some aspect of an experiment that can be subject to change, which a researcher typically manipulates and/or RESPONDENTS - People who verbally answer an interviewer’s measures. questions or provide answers to written questions. TYPES OF VARIABLES SAMPLE SURVEY – a more formal term, which emphasizes that the purpose of contacting respondents is to obtain a INDEPENDENT VARIABLES - These are the variables that representative sample, or subset, of the target researchers manipulate or control to observe their population. effect on other variables. These are considered the "cause" in a cause-and-effect relationship. USING SURVEYS DEPENDENT VARIABLES - These are the variables that Typically, surveys attempt to describe what is researchers measure or observe to see the effect of happening or to learn the reasons for a particular business the independent variables. These are considered the activity. "effect" in the relationship. Because most survey research is descriptive research, EXAMPLES OF INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES the term survey is most often associated with quantitative findings. Although most surveys are conducted to quantify certain factual information, some aspects of surveys may also be qualitative. ADVANTAGES OF SURVEYS Surveys provide a quick, inexpensive, efficient, and accurate means of assessing information about a population. The examples given earlier illustrate that surveys are quite flexible and, when properly conducted, extremely valuable to the manager. The growth of survey research is related to the simple idea that to find out what someone thinks, you need to ask them. DISADVANTAGES OF SURVEYS However, they can also be used poorly when researchers do not follow research principles, such as careful survey and sample design. Sometimes even a well-designed and carefully executed survey is not helpful because the results are delivered too late to inform decisions.  ERRORS IN SURVEY RESEARCH conceal personal information, avoid embarrassment, and so on. UNCONSCIOUS MISREPRESENTATION - Even when a respondent is consciously trying to be truthful and cooperative, response bias can arise from the question format, the question content, or some other stimulus. TYPE OF RESPONSE BIAS A manager who is evaluating the quality of a survey must ACQUIESCENCE BIAS - A tendency for respondents to agree estimate its accuracy. They have two major sources: random with all or most questions asked of them in a survey. sampling error and systematic error (as shown in the figure below). EXTREMITY BIAS - A category of response bias that results because some individuals tend to use extremes when RANDOM SAMPLING ERROR - A statistical fluctuation that responding to questions. occurs because of chance variation in the elements selected for a sample. INTERVIEWER BIAS - A response bias that occurs because the presence of the interviewer influences respondents’ SYSTEMATIC ERROR - Error resulting from some imperfect answers. aspect of the research design that causes respondent error or from a mistake in the execution of the SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS - Bias in responses caused by research. respondents’ desire, either conscious or unconscious, to gain prestige or appear in a different SAMPLE BIAS - A persistent tendency for the results of a social role. sample to deviate in one direction from the true value of the population parameter. ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR - An error caused by the improper administration or execution of the research task. The many sources of error that in some way systematically influence answers can be divided into two DATA-PROCESSING ERROR - A category of general categories: respondent error and administrative error. administrative error that occurs because of incorrect data entry, incorrect computer RESPONDENT ERROR - A category of sample bias resulting programming, or other procedural errors from some respondent action or inaction such as during data analysis. nonresponse or response bias. SAMPLE SELECTION ERROR - An administrative error NON-RESPONDENTS - People who are not contacted or who caused by improper sample design or refuse to cooperate in the research. sampling procedure execution. NO CONTACTS - People who are not at home or who are INTERVIEWER ERROR - Mistakes made by otherwise inaccessible on the first and second interviewers failing to record survey contact. responses correctly REFUSALS - People who are unwilling to participate in a INTERVIEWER CHEATING - The practice of filling in research project. fake answers or falsifying questionnaires SELF-SELECTION BIAS - A bias that occurs because people who while working as an interviewer. feel strongly about a subject are more likely to RULE-OF-THUMB ESTIMATES FOR SYSTEMATIC ERROR respond to survey questions than people who feel indifferent about it. It is a general principle that gives practical instructions for accomplishing or approaching a certain task. Typically, rules RESPONSE BIAS - A bias that occurs when respondents either of thumb develop as a result of practice and experience rather consciously or unconsciously tend to answer than through scientific research or a theoretical foundation. questions with a certain slant that misrepresents the truth. Researchers have established conservative rules of thumb based on experience to estimate systematic error. DELIBERATE FALSIFICATION - A response bias may occur when people misrepresent answers to appear intelligent, CLASSIFYING SURVEY RESEARCH METHODS  Surveys may be classified based on the method of The traditional questionnaire received by mail and communication, the degrees of structure and disguise in the completed by the respondent does not allow a dialogue or an questionnaire, and the time frame in which the data are exchange of information providing immediate feedback. So, gathered (temporal classification). from our perspective, self-administered questionnaires printed on paper are non-interactive. This fact does not mean STRUCTURED QUESTION - A question that imposes a limit on that they are without merit, just that this type of survey is less the number of allowable responses. flexible than surveys using interactive communication media. UNSTRUCTURED QUESTION - A question that does not restrict PERSONAL INTERVIEWS the respondents’ answers. Face-to-face communication in which an interviewer UNDISGUISED QUESTIONS - Straightforward questions that asks a respondent to answer questions. assume the respondent is willing to answer. ADVANTAGES OF PERSONAL INTERVIEWS DISGUISED QUESTIONS - Indirect questions that assume the purpose of the study must be hidden from the ✓ Opportunity for Feedback respondent. ✓ Probing Complex Answers TEMPORAL CLASSIFICATION ✓ Length of Interview CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY - A study in which various segments of a population are sampled and data are collected at ✓ Completeness of Questionnaire a single moment in time. ✓ Props and Visual Aids LONGITUDINAL STUDY - A survey of respondents at different ✓ High Participation times, thus allowing analysis of response continuity and changes over time. DISADVANTAGES OF PERSONAL INTERVIEWS TRACKING STUDY - A type of longitudinal study that ✓ Interviewer Influence uses successive samples to compare trends ✓ Lack of Anonymity of Respondent and identify changes in variables such as consumer satisfaction, brand image, or ✓ Cost advertising awareness. DOOR-TO-DOOR INTERVIEWS - Personal interviews conducted CONSUMER PANEL - A longitudinal survey of the at respondents’ doorsteps in an effort to increase the same sample of individuals or households participation rate in the survey. to record their attitudes, behavior, or CALLBACKS - Attempts to recontact individuals selected for a purchasing habits over time. sample who were not available initially. SURVEY RESEARCH: COMMUNICATING WITH RESPONDENTS MALL INTERCEPT INTERVIEWS - Personal interviews Interviews as Interactive Communication conducted in a shopping mall. When two people engage in a conversation, human TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS - Personal interviews conducted by interaction takes place. telephone, the mainstay of commercial survey research. HUMAN INTERACTIVE MEDIA are a personal form of communication. One human being directs a message to and MOBILE PHONE INTERVIEWS - Mobile phone interviews differ interacts with another individual (or a small group). When from landline phones most obviously because they most people think of interviewing, they envision two people are directed toward a mobile (i.e., cell) phone engaged in a face-to-face dialogue or a conversation on the number. However, there are other less obvious telephone. distinctions. ELECTRONIC INTERACTIVE media allow researchers to reach a PHONE INTERVIEW CHARACTERISTICS large audience, personalize individual messages, and interact ✓ Speed using digital technology. ✓ Cost NON-INTERACTIVE MEDIA ✓ Absence of Face-to-Face Contact ✓ Cooperation INTERNET SURVEYS - A self-administered questionnaire posted on a Web site. ✓ Incentives to Respond RESPONSE RATE - The number of questionnaires returned or ✓ Representative Samples completed divided by the number of eligible people who were ✓ Callbacks asked to participate in the survey. PRETESTING - Screening procedure that involves a trial run ✓ Limited Duration with a group of respondents to iron out fundamental ✓ Lack of Visual Medium problems in the survey design. CENTRAL LOCATION INTERVIEWING - Telephone interviews conducted from a central location allowing firms to hire a staff of professional interviewers and to supervise and control the quality of interviewing more effectively. COMPUTER-ASSISTED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING (CATI) - Technology that allows answers to telephone interviews to be entered directly into a computer for processing. COMPUTERIZED VOICE-ACTIVATED TELEPHONE INTERVIEW - Technological advances have combined computerized telephone dialing and voice-activated computer messages to allow researchers to conduct telephone interviews without human interviewers. However, researchers have found that computerized voice-activated telephone interviewing works best with very short, simple questionnaires. SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES - Surveys in which the respondent takes the responsibility for reading and answering the questions. A SELF-ADMINISTERED SURVEY is a questionnaire that is designed explicitly to be completed by a respondent without an interviewer's assistance (or bias) MAIL SURVEY - A self-administered questionnaire sent to respondents through the mail. DROP-OFF METHOD - A survey method that requires the interviewer to travel to the respondent’s location to drop off questionnaires that will be picked up later. FAX SURVEY - A survey that uses fax machines as a way for respondents to receive and return questionnaires. E-MAIL SURVEYS - Surveys distributed through electronic mail.