For limited circulation only

Course Handout

(Semester II, Class of 2015)

SLRM 502 Business Research Methods

Course Faculty: r !i"in #hurana

IBS Business School, $ur%aon

SLRM 502 Business Research Methods (&'0'0) Semester II, Class of 2015 (IM
To introduce students to the process of conducting Business Research. The course would act as a foundation towards an effective summer internship program in the short run and for conceptualizing overall business research problem in the long run. The practical purpose of such a course would be to aid through the understanding of research process for conducting research projects meant for making business decisions. The course would also provide grounding in research techniques using appropriate software for scientific analysis of data. Students in the process will equip themselves to formulate problems, design the process, collect the information, analyse, interpret and apply research to arrive at solutions.

Faculty: Dr Vipin Khurana

Learnin% )utcomes* On completion of this course, students should be able to

!. "ritically e#amine the business problem, formulate and conceptuali$e into a research problem. %. &ave a general understanding of Business research and its usefulness for management. '. (#amine different research designs their usefulness and applications and the ethical issues in research ). *escribe the role of e#perimentation in Business research and provide an understanding of how the e#periments are conducted. +. ,nderstand as to how to generate information through primary sources conducting surveys and make observations. -. (#amine the types of sampling techniques and choose the right technique given the research problem. .. /rrive at right sample si$e and sampling frames. 0. ,nderstand the meaning of measurement, validity, reliability, generalisability and scaling and their application to data. 1. ,nderstand different statistical techniques, its conte#t of usage, application of softwares and interpret the results. !2. *evelop skills in writing research reports with good flow of content, clarity in e#pression, styles of references, etc. 2

Course )+,ecti-e
3anagers play an important role in organi$ational decision making. To be effective in this role, 3anagers need to be enabled to conceive and e#ecute business research using theoretical inputs on research methodology. 4nowledge of business research methods is all the more important for interacting with "onsultants, should their help be needed for the organi$ation. 5t is also necessary to enable managers on software like 6766 to facilitate statistical analysis of data to support the research. 8ith this capability, managers would be able to handle many routine business research problems at their levels. "ases 9ink "ases are available at http://27.251.26.4/casestudies/Sem2_2013/mainpage_2013.html#

Lecture Schedule* Week No. Cha"ter Introduction to Research etailed S.lla+us 3eaning : definition of Research ; Relevance and significance of Research in business ; Types of Research. (thics in research, consequences of 7lagiarism. 5ntroduction to critical review of literature< identification of research problem, formulation of constructs, statement of objectives, statement of hypothesis, identification of variables, data collection, data analysis, report writing. !ploratory research< (#ploratory research with secondary data ;types of secondary data, sources of secondary data, advantages and disadvantages of secondary data< testing the validity of secondary data, (#plorative research through critical review of literature< (#ploratory research with qualitative data< focus groups, depth interviews, observation techniques, projective techniques< Descriptive "esearch< survey and observation< longitudinal, cross sectional
1. =all of 3ayur

Cases

Research /rocess

&ypermarket 6ignificance of Business Research %. The initial hiccups of a start up brand

"

Research esi%ns

*iscussion mode : te#t book cases

Research Proposal Submission (Problem Objectives, Expected

# 01"erimental Research esi%ns

Statement, Methodology & Outcomes,

'. 666>s (#periment "hoosing an /ppropriate research design

Re erences! & Presentation

#ausal "esearch< concept of causality, concomitant variation, internal and e#ternal validity, causal studies with (#perimentation, threats through validity, (#perimental designs, causal studies through inferential statistics. 3easurements ; Types of 3easurements ; *ifferent 6cales ; "omparison between different scales ; "haracteristics ; ?alidity ; *ifferent 3ethods of 3easurement ; *eveloping 6cales ; "lassification of scales ; Rating 6cales ; /ttitude 6cales ;; 9ikert 6cale ; 6emantic *ifferential 6cale ; Types of (rrors in 3easurement ; Test of Reliability ; 3easures of 6tability ; Threats to Reliability

Scales and Measurement

). 4rupa 3edical stores<(valuating its brand image +. @lobal 6tance on 3alaria ,sing Thurstone 6caling -. 6aturn "lothing "ompany measuring customer satisfaction

ata Collection Methods 2 Sur-e. Research

5ntroduction; 7urpose ; 3ethods of data .. 6ampling the collection < 5nterviews, observation 7opulation =avourite schedule, Auestionnaire < Other methods of data collection < 7anel research, warranty cards, 7antry audit and consumer panel< 3echanical *evices ; 7rojective Techniques ; 6ociometry 6ampling process< identification of 0. (#ploring primary sampling frame, sampling techniques, and secondary data sample si$e determination. 9essons to learn *ata "oding, *ata "leaning, 5dentification 1. 6urvey in trade Outlier, &andling 3issing ?alues show 7articipant "ommunication
4

&

Sam"lin%

'

ata /re"aration

Project Progress submission & Presentation

instruments !2. 6tream /ccomplishing success through *ata /nalysis

MI 30RM 30S3 ( Introduction to Multi-ariate (nal.sis Bature and techniques of 3ultivariate *iscussion mode : /nalysis< 5ntroduction to dependency and te#t book cases interdependency techniques, criteria on the choice of technique, assumptions behind the techniques, criteria on the scales of data for the usage of techniques< suitability of technique to the research problem< 3ultiple regression. Multi"le Re%ression ; /ssumptions : Basics, 6766 Output 5nterpretation, Transforming *ependent : 5ndependent ?ariables Multi"le Re%ression ; dealing with 3ulti< collinearity, idea of /utocorrelation, Regression with *ummy ?ariables 4actor (nal.sis 4actor (nal.sis ' Basics, 01"lorator. 4actor (nal.sis !%. "onsumer>s 7erception on 5nverters in 5ndia / =actor /nalysis "ase Refer Research Reports of 8orld Bank, /" Beilson, 473@ etc. !!. *emand =orecasting of 3agic =oods using 3ultiple Regression.

Multi"le Re%ression

Re"ort 5ritin%

7lanning and organi$ing a research project, &arvard system of referencing ; Bibliography ; footnotes ; checklist < evaluation of report.

"inal

Project

Report

Submission

"* #

/ro,ect /resentation

"inal

Project

Report

Presentation & Revision

0!(L6(3I)7 SCH0M0 Com"onents Aui$CTest 3idterm Test "lass 7articipationC/ttendance D"ase 7resentation, Reading, RefresherE Term 7roject D@roup basedE D8ritten Report F 6eminarsE !+ Throughout Mar8s + %2 !2 5ee8 1 Throughout

$a%or !am 3otal 3e1t Boo8s

&' 100

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!. Research 3ethodology "oncepts and "ases Deepa+ #hawla , -eena Sondhi, ?ikas 7ublications, %2!%. ./rescribed te!t boo+0 .D# , -S0 %. Business Research 3ethods .e, *illiam 1. 2i+mund, Thomson 6outh ; 8estern, 5ndia (dition, %22-. '. 3arketing Research / 6outh /sian 7erspective 1.3. #hurchill 4r., D. 5acobucci, D. 5srael, "engage 9earning, %221. ). Business Research 3ethods Donald ". #ooper and "amela S. Schnider, Tata 3c@raw &ill 7ublishing "o. 9td., %222. +. 3arketing Research -aresh $alhotra, 7earson (ducation. D5ndian (dition availableE. -. 3arketing Research "oncepts : "ases "a%endra -argund+ar . .. Business 6tatistics in 7ractice 6owerman et. al., &th Tata 3c@raw &ill (dition, %221.