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Research Methods for Business


The Nature of Research in Organisations
Managers in organisations constantly engage themselves in studying and analysing issues and
they are in a way involved in research activity in order to make decisions. Sometimes they
make good decisions and the problems are solved and on occasions they make poor decisions
and the problems persist. The difference between making good decisions and committing
blunders lies in how managers go about the decision-making process.
Do they correctly identify the problem and recognise the relevant factors in the situation
requiring investigation?
Do they know what types of information are to be gathered and how to make use of the
information so collected and draw appropriate conclusions to make the right decisions?
Do they know how to implement the results of this process to solve the problem?
Therefore the essence of research is to enable the managers to go about making the right
decisions. In order to be able to do that, managers must be knowledgeable about the various
steps involved in solving problematic issues.

Definition of Research
Literally the word research means to search again. It implies patient study and scientific
investigation. The researcher is taking a more careful look at the data to discover all that is
known about the subject.

Business Research
Business research involves the use of scientific method to search for the truth about business
phenomena. The activities involve defining business opportunities and problems, generating
and evaluating alternate courses of action, monitoring employee and organisational
performance.
The whole process include idea and theory development, problem definition, searching for
and collecting information, analysing data and communicating the findings and their
implications. As a scientific method it means that any information generated must be accurate
and objective (real and measureable). It also implies that research is done to support
preconceived ideas but to test them. Further in finding the truth there must not be any
biasness or else the value of the research will be low.
The idea of business research is to help the managers to make the right decisions and to
reduce the risk of making wrong decisions.

The Research Process


Wish to do research
Formulate and clarify your
research topic
Critically review the literature
Choose your research approach and
strategy
Negotiate access and address
ethical issues
Plan your data collection and collect the data using one or more of:
Sampling

Secondary
data

Observation

Semistructured
and in-depth
interviews

Questionnaires

Analyse your data using one or both of:


Quantitative methods

Qualitative methods

Write your project report


and prepare your presentation
Submit your report and
give your presentation
Types of Business Research
1. Applied Research
This is research done with the intention of applying the results of the findings to solve
specific problems currently being experienced in the organisation. E.g. a particular product is
not selling well and the manager wants to find the reasons for this in order to take corrective
action.

2. Basic/Fundamental/Pure Research
Basic research is done chiefly to enhance the understanding of certain problems that
commonly occur in organisational settings and seek methods of solving them. The findings of
such research contribute to the building of knowledge in the various functional areas of
business. Such knowledge generated is usually later applied in organisational settings for
problem solving. E.g. A university professor is interested to find out the factors that
contribute to absenteeism as a matter of academic interest. After gathering information on
this topic from several institutions and analysing the data, the professor may identify factors
such as inflexible work hours, inadequate training of employees and low morale as primarily
influences absenteeism. Later on, a manager who encounters employee absenteeism in his or
her organisation may use this information to determine if these factors are relevant to that
particular work setting.
The main difference between applied and basic research is that the applied research is
undertaken specifically to solve a current problem whereas the basic research is primarily
resorted to because of the importance of the subject to the researcher.
Both applied and basic researches have to be done in a scientific manner so that the findings
or results generated by the research can be relied upon to solve the problem investigated.
However, applied research may take a shorter time than the basic research.
Basic Research
Purpose:
expand knowledge of processes of
business and management
results in universal principles relating to
the process and its relationship to
outcomes.
findings of significance and value to
society in general.
Context:
undertaken by people based in
universities.
choice of topic and objectives determined
by the researcher.
flexible timescales.

Applied Research
Purpose:
improve understanding of particular
business or organisational problem.
results in solution to problem.
new knowledge limited to problem.
findings of practical relevance and value
to manager(s) in organisation(s).
Context:
undertaken by people based in a variety
of settings including organisations and
universities.
objectives negotiated with originator
tight timescales.

Ethics and Business Research


Ethics in business research refers to a code of conduct or expected societal norm of behaviour
while conducting research. Ethical conduct applies to the organisation and the members that
sponsor the research, the researchers who undertake the research, and the respondents who
provide them with the necessary data. Ethical behaviour must prevail in each step of the
research process - in data collection, data analysis, reporting and dissemination of
information. How the subjects are treated and how confidential information is safeguarded,
are all guided by business ethics.

Discussion Questions
1. Define research and explain the difference between applied and basic research.
2. Why is it important for mangers to know about research?
3. Explain why handling the manager-researcher relationship effectively is important.
4. Because basic research is not applied immediately to a problem, it is less valuable and
useful than applied research. Comment on this statement.

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