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HANOI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY Faculty of Economics and Management
Research Process Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung
The Research Process Business Research Methods
1.
Exploration
2.
Discover the Management Dilemma Define the Management Question Define the Research Question(s) Refine the Research Question(s)
Research Proposal
Research Design:
Questionnaire:
3. 4. 5.
Data Collection Design Sampling Design Question and Instrument Pilot Testing Instrument Revision
Data Collection and Preparation Data Analysis and Interpretation Research Reporting
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
2
1
Business Research Methods
Alber Einstein:
“The formulation of a problem is more often essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
3
Business Research Methods
The Management-Research Question Hierarchy 6 5 4 3 2 1
Management Decision
Measurement Questions
Investigative Questions
Research Questions
Management Questions
Management Dilemma
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
4
2
Business Research Methods
Step 1: Discover Management Dilemma (cont.)
Dilemma: a difficult situation facing a manager The research starts with:
What symptoms cause management concern? What environmental stimuli raise management interest?
This is usually a symptom of an actual problem:
Rising costs Falling sales Increasing employee turnover Increasing complaints about postpurchase service Worse financial efficiency
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
5
Business Research Methods
Management Dilemma: Exploration
At this stage you review published sources and interview gatekeepers to understand the true management dilemma, not just a symptom E.g.: “Why are our sales declining in the south and northeast, while sales are booming in the southwest, west and midwest region?”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
6
3
Business Research Methods
Step 2: Define Management Question
The purpose of this stage is to clarify the possible management actions that might be taken to solve the management dilemma. This stage usually involves interviews with managers, information gatekeepers, brainstorming with experts, and other qualitative research techniques. Using collected information in exploration, you form the management question, usually with: “How can the managers/organization …”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
7
Business Research Methods
Types of Management Question
Choice of purposes or objectives
Generation and evaluation of solutions
“What do we want to achieve: cutting costs or increasing customer satisfaction?” “How can we reduce postpurchase service complaints?”
Troubleshooting or control situation “Why does our department incur the highest?” “How well is our program meeting its goals?”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
8
4
Step 3: Define the Research Question(s) Business Research Methods
Fine tune the research question
Examine concepts and constructs Break research questions into specific second-and-third-level questions Verify hypotheses with quality tests Determine what evidence answers the various questions and hypothesis Set the scope of your study
E.g:
“Should we introduce a 2% incentive commission-based compensation system on all sales over quota for salespeople in the south and northeast?” “Should we increase the level of advertising via trade publications in the south and northeast?”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
9
Step 4: Define Investigative Questions Business Research Methods
Investigative Questions: the questions the researcher must answer to satisfactorily arrive at a conclusion about the research question E.g.:
What is likelihood that we will lose excellent salespeople in the south and northeast if we implement the compensation change? What is the likelihood that current customer satisfaction in these regions will decrease? What is the likelihood that future sales to existing customers will be lost?
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
10
5
Step 5: Measurement Questions Business Research Methods
The questions we actually ask or extract from respondents E.g.:
Please rate your level of concern for each of the following outcomes if management were to change your compensation to a commission-based system compared to the current salary system. For each outcome, indicate a number between 1 and 7, where 1 = no concern at all, 4 = neither concerned nor unconcerned, and 7 = extreme concern: ___ Lack of predictability of monthly income ___ Increased internal competition for sales prospects ___ Reduced time for post-sale servicing of customer needs
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
11
Research Process Problems Business Research Methods
The Favored Technique Syndrome:
Company Database Strip-Mining
Too big management questions are not achievable
Ill-Defined Management Problems:
A pool of information or a database may distract a manager. Data mining is often a starting point, but it rarely answers management questions
Unresearchable Questions:
Some researchers are method-bound
Management problems or research questions are not clearly defined.
Politically Motivated Research
Management have their own purposes.
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
12
6
Business Research Methods
Designing the Study
Research design is the blueprint for fulfilling objectives and answering questions. Select a research design from the large variety of methods, techniques, procedures, protocols, and sampling plans
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
13
Resource Allocation & Budgets Business Research Methods
Guides to plan a budget
Project planning Data gathering Analysis, interpretation, and reporting
Types of budgeting
Rule-of-thumb budgeting: taking a fixed percentage of some criterion.
For example, a percentage of the prior year’s sales revenues may the basis for determining the marketing research budget for a manufacturer Departmental or functional area budgeting: allocates a portion of total expenditures in the unit to research activities. Units such as HR, marketing, or engineering then have the authority to approve their own projects. Task budgeting: select specific research projects to support on an ad hoc basis
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
14
7
Valuing Research Information: Evaluation Methods Business Research Methods
Ex Post Facto Evaluation
Prior or Interim Evaluation:
The manager reviews costs and benefits at the end of each stage and give or withhold further authorization
Option Analysis
The cost-benefit analysis: after and before the research
Analyze the estimated costs and associated benefits of each option, if the manager has a choice
Decision Theory
Analyze the alternatives by a decision rule and decision variable
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
15
Business Research Methods
Contents of a Research Proposal
Statement of the research question Brief description of research methodology Pilot Testing Data collection Data preparation Data analysis and interpretation Research reporting
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
16
8
Business Research Methods
Research Proposal Process Research Questions
Do values exceed costs? Yes
Revise questions
No
Revise proposal
Develop Research Proposal
Is the budget and design proposal approved?
Rejected
Management decision without research
Approved Execute Research Design Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
17
9
Research Process Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung
The Research Process Business Research Methods
1.
Exploration
2.
Discover the Management Dilemma Define the Management Question Define the Research Question(s) Refine the Research Question(s)
Research Proposal
Research Design:
Questionnaire:
3. 4. 5.
Data Collection Design Sampling Design Question and Instrument Pilot Testing Instrument Revision
Data Collection and Preparation Data Analysis and Interpretation Research Reporting
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
2
1
Business Research Methods
Alber Einstein:
“The formulation of a problem is more often essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
3
Business Research Methods
The Management-Research Question Hierarchy 6 5 4 3 2 1
Management Decision
Measurement Questions
Investigative Questions
Research Questions
Management Questions
Management Dilemma
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
4
2
Business Research Methods
Step 1: Discover Management Dilemma (cont.)
Dilemma: a difficult situation facing a manager The research starts with:
What symptoms cause management concern? What environmental stimuli raise management interest?
This is usually a symptom of an actual problem:
Rising costs Falling sales Increasing employee turnover Increasing complaints about postpurchase service Worse financial efficiency
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
5
Business Research Methods
Management Dilemma: Exploration
At this stage you review published sources and interview gatekeepers to understand the true management dilemma, not just a symptom E.g.: “Why are our sales declining in the south and northeast, while sales are booming in the southwest, west and midwest region?”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
6
3
Business Research Methods
Step 2: Define Management Question
The purpose of this stage is to clarify the possible management actions that might be taken to solve the management dilemma. This stage usually involves interviews with managers, information gatekeepers, brainstorming with experts, and other qualitative research techniques. Using collected information in exploration, you form the management question, usually with: “How can the managers/organization …”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
7
Business Research Methods
Types of Management Question
Choice of purposes or objectives
Generation and evaluation of solutions
“What do we want to achieve: cutting costs or increasing customer satisfaction?” “How can we reduce postpurchase service complaints?”
Troubleshooting or control situation “Why does our department incur the highest?” “How well is our program meeting its goals?”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
8
4
Step 3: Define the Research Question(s) Business Research Methods
Fine tune the research question
Examine concepts and constructs Break research questions into specific second-and-third-level questions Verify hypotheses with quality tests Determine what evidence answers the various questions and hypothesis Set the scope of your study
E.g:
“Should we introduce a 2% incentive commission-based compensation system on all sales over quota for salespeople in the south and northeast?” “Should we increase the level of advertising via trade publications in the south and northeast?”
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
9
Step 4: Define Investigative Questions Business Research Methods
Investigative Questions: the questions the researcher must answer to satisfactorily arrive at a conclusion about the research question E.g.:
What is likelihood that we will lose excellent salespeople in the south and northeast if we implement the compensation change? What is the likelihood that current customer satisfaction in these regions will decrease? What is the likelihood that future sales to existing customers will be lost?
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
10
5
Step 5: Measurement Questions Business Research Methods
The questions we actually ask or extract from respondents E.g.:
Please rate your level of concern for each of the following outcomes if management were to change your compensation to a commission-based system compared to the current salary system. For each outcome, indicate a number between 1 and 7, where 1 = no concern at all, 4 = neither concerned nor unconcerned, and 7 = extreme concern: ___ Lack of predictability of monthly income ___ Increased internal competition for sales prospects ___ Reduced time for post-sale servicing of customer needs
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
11
Research Process Problems Business Research Methods
The Favored Technique Syndrome:
Company Database Strip-Mining
Too big management questions are not achievable
Ill-Defined Management Problems:
A pool of information or a database may distract a manager. Data mining is often a starting point, but it rarely answers management questions
Unresearchable Questions:
Some researchers are method-bound
Management problems or research questions are not clearly defined.
Politically Motivated Research
Management have their own purposes.
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
12
6
Business Research Methods
Designing the Study
Research design is the blueprint for fulfilling objectives and answering questions. Select a research design from the large variety of methods, techniques, procedures, protocols, and sampling plans
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
13
Resource Allocation & Budgets Business Research Methods
Guides to plan a budget
Project planning Data gathering Analysis, interpretation, and reporting
Types of budgeting
Rule-of-thumb budgeting: taking a fixed percentage of some criterion.
For example, a percentage of the prior year’s sales revenues may the basis for determining the marketing research budget for a manufacturer Departmental or functional area budgeting: allocates a portion of total expenditures in the unit to research activities. Units such as HR, marketing, or engineering then have the authority to approve their own projects. Task budgeting: select specific research projects to support on an ad hoc basis
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
14
7
Valuing Research Information: Evaluation Methods Business Research Methods
Ex Post Facto Evaluation
Prior or Interim Evaluation:
The manager reviews costs and benefits at the end of each stage and give or withhold further authorization
Option Analysis
The cost-benefit analysis: after and before the research
Analyze the estimated costs and associated benefits of each option, if the manager has a choice
Decision Theory
Analyze the alternatives by a decision rule and decision variable
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
15
Business Research Methods
Contents of a Research Proposal
Statement of the research question Brief description of research methodology Pilot Testing Data collection Data preparation Data analysis and interpretation Research reporting
Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
16
8
Business Research Methods
Research Proposal Process Research Questions
Do values exceed costs? Yes
Revise questions
No
Revise proposal
Develop Research Proposal
Is the budget and design proposal approved?
Rejected
Management decision without research
Approved Execute Research Design Nguyen Tien Dung © 2006
Research Process
17
9
