Research In Management

Statement of Research Objectives and Research in Management Sasmita Mishra

What is research Objective? The objective of a research is like a torch bearer for the researcher. Formulation of objectives is of basic importance because it determines the data which are to be collected, the characteristics of data which are relevant, relations which are to be explored, the choice of techniques to be used in these explorations and the form of final report….. W.A.Neiswanger.

Problem vs. Objectives Problem is the difficulty faced by the researcher or a gap in the literature.  Objective is the mission statement to sole that difficulty or fill the gap in the literature. Ex. – Prob: Why apple is falling from the tree? Objective: To examine why apple is falling from the tree. Or to find out the possible cause (s) of this phenomena. 

Types of Objectives pg.1 Quantitative: It aims to optimize certain measures of performances of the system of study. Ex. _ A study on advertising budget aims to plan allocation of advertising fund in relation to other expenditure so that the incremental sales revenue is maximized. 

Types of Objectives pg.2 Qualitative:It aims to test the significance of hypotheses of a study of importance Ex. – A study on testing the effect of the level of education of sales force of a company on its sales revenue. 

Identifying the Objectives In the process of identifying the objectives of the research, the researcher must finalize the following..  Research questions  Hypotheses  Boundary of the study

Research Questions Research questions are the problems not solved till date. One should ask question relating to the  Purpose: What is the purpose of the study  Place: Where does the study take place?  Present state: What is the present state of the research issue?  Means: How is the purpose achieved? Why that particular method? These questions helps in crystallizing the 

Hypothesis Hypothesis are intelligent or educated guess which can be put to test to determine its validity.  It is a tentative supposition about the outcomes of a research. Ex. Age has no influence over achieving sales target of a sales person. 

Boundary of the study 

Studying the whole universe is beneficial but it may become infeasible because of its size, complexities and constraints. Hence the boundary of the study is should be properly defined.

Research in management Business executives in each of the functional areas of management, viz., marketing, production, finance and personnel are confronted with several interactions decision-making problems in their day-to-day operation. Many of these problems demand a systematic research which will aid the executives to take optimal and effective decision.

Research Problems in Marketing          

Product identification Demand estimation Demand supply analysis Product development Marketing segmentation Media mix Sales promotion programme Product launching design and distribution channel Pricing Marketing strategy formulation Buying behaviour, etc.

Research Problems in Production       

Plant location Plant layout Materials equipments planning Single machine scheduling Quality control Work design Modern production system design, like JIT, CAM, TQM, etc.

Research Problems in Finance  

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Economic evaluation of alternatives Study of financial parameters of organisations Portfolio management Secondary market study Balance of payment Inflation Deflation Economic growth models.

Research Problems in Personnel          

Manpower planning Performance appraisal system Conflict management Study of organizational climate Design of incentive plans Leadership styles Training methods Change management Negotiation and wage settlement Labour welfare study