Transcript Research Problem

Research in business studies
Department of Business Administration
SPRING 2009-10
The Research Process and Problems
by
Assoc. Prof. Sami Fethi
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
The Research Process and Problems
 The process perspective
 Levels of research
 Research and knowledge
 What Comes First, Theory or Researh?
 Some important concept
 Research Ideas
 Wrestling with research problems
 Model in research
 The role of reviewing past literature
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Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
The process perspective
 The process perspective
 Research is often thought of as a process that is a set of
activities unfolding over time. A main reason for considering it so
is that research takes time and consideration. Insights may be
gained gradually as well as modified or changed over time. It is
also useful to look at it as a process with distinct stages, as
different stages entail (require) different task.
 Different stages can help researchers to perform these tasks
systematically and to understand what is to be done at a
particular stage.
 e.g. we have to first clearly define our research problem and
objectives before starting to collect information or data and state
which type of data is needed and how best it can be collected
before actually doing it.
 A research process or cycle is usually illustrated simple,
however, the process is not so orderly and sequential and is
rather messy (Morgan, 1983; Pettigrew, 1985; Bryman, 1988;
Watson, 1994).
 Researchers should therefore not be suprised or worried if their
research process is not as systematic as presented in the
following figure.
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
The process perspective
 In reality or practice, researchers or students have to go
back and forth while a research in progress.
 At one stage, such as when doing observations,
something unexpected may be discovered resulting in a
return to an earlier stage such as modifying the research
problem. Thus research process is like feedback loops.
 Starting point in the following figure is the research topic
that is the phenomenon to be studied. Here, topic should
be worthy and practicable.
 A research topic is not a research problem so it is
usually broader and more general than a research
problem.
 It can be said that a research problem is a question or is
the point of departure for further research activities
 e.g. When we really established what we want to know,
and how this relates to present insights, we have clear 4
research problem.
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
The Research Process –
a Process Perspective
Research in business studies
Figure 1 The research process
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
From Research Topic to Research Problem
From Research Topic to Research Problem
 When moving from the more general research
topic to a research problem, a more specific
question is addressed.
e.g. Having reviewed the literature, you may ask
Are firms organized in a bureaucratic way less
innovative than firms organized in an organic
way? (Burns and Stalker; 1961).
 This example shows the relationship between
research topic and research problem and the
relationship is illustrated in the following figure.
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Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
From Research Topic to Research Problem
Figure 2 From research topic to research problem
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
The International Dimension
Cross-cultural research
 In cases of international or cross-cultural research, we
need to take extra care in each and every stage of the
process because unfamiliar environment and cultural
differences may complicate the understanding of the
research problem.
 In a such environment, the researchers often fail to
anticipate the impact of local cultures on the question
asked. This also has to do with deciding the scope and
the limits of the problem so In some cultures a broader
scope is necessary to cover crucial variables.
 e.g. ‘’Supermarket concept’’ may varies from country to
country. In Japan, a supermarket may have different
stores at the same building as such groceries, clothing
furniture, electronics, stationery, sporting goods etc..
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Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
The International Dimension
Concept of data
 The availability of data or statistical information on export
or import on a particular product may be different. Even if
it is available, in some countries it might not be up to date
or reliable. Many countries do not have government
agencies and private firms collect and sell data.
 Comparability of data is, however, the main issues in
international or cross-cultural research. It is not just due
to the availability but also due to the manner in which
data are collected and analyzed.
 The researchers have to be extra careful in
categorization and measurement of cross-cultural data.
Here, it is most appropriate to eliminate items or
concepts that are found to be biased in one or more
countries involved in the research so that a meaningful
comparison between the countries can be made (see
also craig and douglas, 2000 and the following figure). 9
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
The International Dimension
Figure 3 Managing the international dimension in the research process
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Source: Based on Cateora and Ghauri (2000: 149).
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
The International Dimension
(continued)
Figure 3 continued
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Two Levels of Research
Research in business studies
 Levels of Research
 There are two levels of research, namely theoretical
(conceptual) and measurement (empirical).
 Choice of the research design can be observed as the
‘bridge’ between activities at conceptual and empirical
levels.
 e.g. Studies in mathematics and pure economics
primarily relate to specific problems without seeking
empirical evidence.
 In business studies, Thompson (1967), March and
Simon (1958) have made important contributions that
are primarily theoretical rather than empirical.
 However, an empirical study requires effort at
conceptual level. The following figure illustrates that
empirical level can be used first theory then empirical
data to complete a study.
 Empirical level is a kind of intersection
measurement and conceptual levels.
Research Methods in Business Studies
area
between 12
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
Two Levels of Research
Figure 4 Two levels of research
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research and knowledge
Research in business studies
 Insights
 The main purpose of doing research is to produce
insights or knowledge. Knowledge implies that we
know something and what we know ‘hold true’ and the
produced knowledge is valid.
 Doing research also implies that we add to present
knowledge that exists- creating new insights.
 e.g. Why does a firm need to conduct a research about
its new product-new insights to improve its marketing
strategy.
 Knowledge can be classified in the following ways,
(Naegel,1961):theories/models;concepts;methods/tech
niques;facts.
 The bottom line is that any research should have an
intended contribution that is to bring or add something
new.
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
What comes first: theory or research
Research in business studies
 Theory before research
 In this case, present knowledge allows for structuring
the research problem so that the researcher knows
what to look for, what factors are relevant and what
hypothesis should be tested empirically.
 In the other case-research before theory, The
researcher tries to utilize available knowledge whilst
strugguling with problems.
 In the first case (context of justification), important tasks
are to identify relevant concepts, theories and adjust the
concepts or theory to the problem under scrutiny (or
examination) (see figure 5). In the second case (context
of discovery), the prime task is to identify relevant
factors and construct explanations (theory) (see figure
5) (Popper, 1961).
 Broken link in the figure indicating that when applying
present insights to specific problems, new observations
and new questions may give rise to a search for new 15
explanations, methods or techniques.
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
Use of Theory
Figure 5 Production and use of theory
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Important Concepts
Research in business studies
 Concept
 Concept are the building blocks of any theory or model,
actually a concept, can be defined that it is an
abstraction representing an object, a property of an
object, or certain phenomenon
 e.g. Cost, income, market share, business strategy are all
example of common concepts in business administration disiplines.
 Concepts are crucial in the researcher’s tool bag and
they serve a number of important functions:
• are the foundation of communication
• introduce a perspective
• are means of classification
• are components of theories or model, explanations and
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predictions.
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
 Definitions
Important Concepts
Research in business studies
Clarification and precision of concepts are achieved through
definitions. There are two type of definition as such
conceptual & operational.
Conceptual definition: definitions that describe concepts by
using other concepts
 e.g. Concept of market-All potential customers sharing a
need or want who might be willing- customers and need or
want are among the concepts used to define the concept of
market (kotler, 1997).
 A useful definition is that concept should:
• Point out unique attributes, not be circular, be
stated positively and use clear terms.
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
 Definitions
Important Concepts
Research in business studies
Operational definition: definitions that describe activities or
are crucial in measurement concepts. Actually, is a set of
procedures that describes the activities to be performed to
establish empirically of what is described by a concept.
 e.g. Concept of market share- A company’s sales of
products in category X in area A during time T....requires
specification of sales, product category of X, area and time
period- Sales during a specific time interval is often defined
operational definition.
 It is important to note that When we move from the
conceptual to the empirical level in research, concepts are
converted into variables by mapping them into a set of
values.
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Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
 Theory
Important Concepts
Research in business studies
 Zaltman (1977) point out that theory may be view as a
system for ordering concepts in a way that produces
understanding or insights.
 A theory is a set of interrelated concepts, definitions and
propositions that presents systematic view of specifying
relations among variables with the purpose of explaining
and predicting phenomena.
 e.g. A researcher holds a theory of how ‘advertising works’ and uses
this theory to allocate the firm’s advertising budget based on a
prediction of an outcome resulting from the spending of the advertising
money. Here, assumption is a relationship between two concepts such
as ‘performance’ and ‘satisfaction’.
 It is important to note that theories focus on specific
aspects of phenomena or problem studied, however on the
other hand, some aspects are left out. This is because
human beings have limited cognitive capacity making it
almost impossible to take everything into account at the
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same time.
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
 Methods
Important Concepts
Research in business studies
 Research methods are rules and procedures,
and can be seen as ‘tools of ways of proceeding
to solve problems’.
• Logic or ways of reasoning to arrive at solutions
• Rules for communication
• Rules of intersubjectivity
 figure 6 illustrates the role of methods for
arriving at solutions.
 An important aspect is that there must be a valid
reason or theory underlying the actual method so
that it will results in the ‘correct’ solution.
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Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
Important Concepts - Methods
Figure 6 Use of methods
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research Problem
Research in business studies
 Problem or question
 Problems that is questions drive research so without
research questions there would hardly be any research at
all. Research problem are not given, they are just
detected and constructed.
 In the normal research situtation, we are first select a
topic and then construct a research problem within that
topic.
The process of constructing a research is not quite
straightforward and often involves a lot of back and forth
adjustment (see figure 7).
 Research ideas
 Ideas are the starting point of any research effort that23
initiates studies.
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
Developing a Research
Problem
Figure 7 Problem, methods and research practice
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
Research Problem
 Research ideas
 The researcher might have a particular interest
in a certain topic, however to make the topic
researchable, it must be turned into a research
question.
 A key purpose of research is to create new
insights, there must be something new that we
do not already know.
An other important source for research ideas is to
read the past literature.
 To improve our research idea, we need to get
feedback by looking for ‘missing holes’ in the
literature and by discussing with our friends,
colleagues and supervisor who are interested.
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Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
Wrestling with Research Problem
 Solving a research problem
 The first step in research is wrestling with problems. To
answer or solve a research problem, the researcher must
be able to answer the following two questions:
o What is the actual problem?
o What is the best way to solve the problem?
 Answering the first question implies that the researcher
really knows what s/he wants to know.
Answering the second question implies that the
researcher really knows which way is more appropriate.
 e.g. Such as knowing the specific research problem
before collecting data.
 A useful strategy to get hold of the research problem is to
ask logical questions.
 e.g. We have to express the relationship between the
variables whether they can be tested or not.
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Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
 Model
Model in Research
 Models play a dominant role in resaerch and they are
closely related to the notion of theory, implying a systematic
organization of, and relationships between, concepts. Key
characteristics of a model are:
o Representation i.e. The object is represented by the model
o Simplification i.e. By reducing number of factors within the
model
o Relationship i.e. Between the factors existed within the
model
 e.g. Smiling manager’s model: smiling→customer feel well
→Willingness to buy
 e.g. Firm’s advertise model: educational background→age
→experience →performance. Firms seek employees to
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perform.
Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research Purposes
Research in business studies
 Purposes
 Models may be used for a variety of purposes at
the general level.
• description i.e. tells us how things are.
• explanation
• prediction/ forecasting
• guidance of activity
 figure 8 is an example of a description model
which represents an organizational chart.
 The direction of the lines indicates authorityresponsibility relationships. A has formal authority
over B, B is responsible to A, and B and C are at
the same authority level.
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Research Methods in Business Studies
© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
Organizational Chart (a Model)
Figure 8 Organizational chart (a model)
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research Purposes
Research in business studies
 explanation
 Many studies are conducted to explain phenomena.
 e.g. Profit model can be used for explanation purposes.
P=TR-TC, in this model profit is explained by the
difference between revenue and cost.
 e.g. if a researcher wants to explain why some firms
succeed whilst others fail in an industry. This requires a
definition of what is meant by success (lave and March,
1993).
 prediction/ forecasting
 Many business studies are preoccupied with
prediction/forecasting.
 e.g. Sales, prices, population are good example for
prediction/forecasting.
 guidance of activity
is a rule of choice that business decisions are guided
when models are used.
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.
Research in business studies
The Role of Literature
 Past Literature
 When a research project is conducted as a
part of degree, the relevant theory is supposed
to use. This means that relevant part of the
knowledge must be applied.
 prime purpose of the literature
o frame the problem under scrutiny
o İdentify
relevant
concepts,
methods,
techniques and facts
o Position the study (any study should add
something new
o A literature review should include evaluation
and critique of the literature.
Research Methods in Business Studies
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© 2009/10, Sami Fethi, EMU, All Right Reserved, Pearson Education, 2005, 3. Ed.