Business Research

Methods

Course Title:
Business Research Methods

Text Book:
Research Methodology: A step-By-Step Guide For
Beginners by Ranjit Kumar

Must Read Books:

Business Research Methods by William G.
Zikmund 7. ed

Reference Books:
Greener, S. (2008) Business Research Methods,
Ventus Publishing. FREE download:
http://bookboon.com/uk/student/management/int
roduction-to-research-methods
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2007).
Research Methods for Business Students, (4th
ed.), Prentice Hall - Financial Times.

What is Research?

 The systematic investigation into and study of

materials, sources, etc., in order to establish facts
and reach new conclusions Oxford English dictionary
A

process

of

finding

out

information

and

investigating the unknown to solve a problem Maylor

and Blackmon (2005)
Something that people undertake in order to find
out

things

in

systematic

way,

thereby

increasing their knowledge Saunders et al (2007,

p.5)

Business
Research

Business Research
Defined
Business
systematic

research
and

is

defined

objective

as

process

the
of

generating information for aid in making

business decisions.

So what's not
Research?

 Research isnt information gathering:

Gathering information from resources such as
books or magazines isnt research.
No contribution to new knowledge.
Research isnt the transportation of facts:
Merely transporting facts from one resource to
another doesnt constitute research.
No contribution to new knowledge although this
might make existing knowledge more accessible.

Research Characteristics

Originates with a question or problem.

Requires clear articulation of a goal.

Follows a specific plan or procedure.

Often divides main problem into sub problems.

Guided by specific problem, question, or hypothesis.

Accepts certain critical assumptions.

Requires collection and interpretation of data.

Types of Business
Research

Application View Point

Basic Research
Attempts to expand the limits of knowledge.
Not

directly

involved

in

the

solution

to

pragmatic problem.
To test theory or to discover more about a
concept.

Basic Research Example

Is executive success correlated with high need for
achievement?
Are members of highly cohesive work groups
more satisfied than members of less cohesive
work groups?
Do consumers experience cognitive dissonance in
low-involvement situations?

Applied Research
Conducted when a decision must be made
about a specific real-life problem.

Applied Research
Examples
Should McDonalds add Italian pasta dinners to its
menu?
Business research told McDonalds it should not?
Should Procter & Gamble add a high-priced home
teeth bleaching kit to its product line?

Summarizing Applied
And Basic Research

Applied research is research undertaken

to solve practical problems rather than to
acquire knowledge for knowledge sake.
Basic

research

is

experimental

and

theoretical work undertaken to acquire

new knowledge without looking for longterm benefits other than the advancement
of knowledge.

Kind of Research

Key Characteristics

Basic research

Focuses on generating
fundamental knowledge

Applied research

Focuses on real-world
questions and
applications