Introduction to

Research

2009 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1

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 Definition of Business Research
Business research is an organized, systematic, data-based,
critical, objective, scientific inquiry or investigation into a specific
problem, undertaken with the purpose of finding answers or
solutions to it.
This definition suggests that business research information
is:
not intuitive or unsystematically gathered
accurate and objective
relevant to all aspects of the business
Why business research is important?
need for information in making informed business
decisions.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu3Mk-
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PClZiL28gJnJMIWVi7EVDWmCTXSAsnkbimb_rNZ3HvSu4S46iLG
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV-4phC2rvU

Introduction/Background of study
Problem statement
Research questions
Research objectives
Significance of the study
Summary
 Business Research
The process includes:
idea and theory development
problem definition
searching for and collecting information
analyzing data
communicating the findings and their implications
 Applied versus Basic Research
Basic research:
pure research
is driven purely by curiosity and a desire to expand our knowledge.
Basic research is empirical research in which the goal is
to contribute to our theoretical knowledge in a field.
Applied research:
solves a current problem faced by the manager in the work setting,
demanding a timely solution.
Applied research is empirical research in which the goal
is to apply the research findings to solve a problem.

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 Applied versus Basic Research
Basic research
Research that addresses a theory of memory.
Research that addresses a theory of how people make
important decisions.
https://www.verywell.com/what-is-memory-2795006
Applied research
Research that addresses the effectiveness of a technique
to improve memory.
Research that addresses the effectiveness of a strategy to
help people make better decisions.
 Discussion
What are the problems in your organizations?
 Why managers should know about research
Being knowledgeable about research and research methods
helps professional managers to:
Identify and effectively solve minor problems in the work
setting.
Know how to discriminate good from bad research.
Take calculated risks in decision making.
Prevent possible vested interests from exercising their
influence in a situation.
Relate to hired researchers and consultants more effectively.
Combine experience with scientific knowledge while making
decisions.

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 Induction and Deduction
Deductive
works from the more general to the more specific.
begin with thinking up a theory about our topic of interest.
narrow that down into more specific hypotheses that we can
test.
narrow down even further when we collect observations to
address the hypotheses.
This ultimately leads us to be able to test the hypotheses
with specific data -- a confirmation (or not) of our original
theories.
 Induction and Deduction
Inductive
Inductive moving from specific observations to broader
generalizations and theories.
begin with specific observations and measures
detect patterns and regularities
formulate some tentative hypotheses that we can
explore
finally end up developing some general conclusions or
theories.
 Deductive and inductive
Deductive

Inductive