This material is prepared by compiling the resources of other scholars with the intention to facilitate the learners.

1. Kasturi College
BBA –V Semester
Subject : Research Methodology and Report Writing
Code No. : MGT 151
Instructor : Arjun Rai
Unit: Introduction to Research

2. Outlines
1. Meaning and definition of research;
2. Scientific method; Relationship between research and scientific
method;
3. Characteristics and purpose of research;
4. Types of research
1. Pure vs. Applied,
2. Exploratory,
3. Descriptive,
4. Evaluation;
5. Significance of research in social sciences and business studies

3. Icebreaker
• How many students are present in today’s class?
• Out of those present students, how many of them are boys, and girls?
• How many of them had completed their schooling from private and public
schools?
• What is their parents’ occupation ?
• Is there any association between parents’ occupation and the students’
schooling background?
• What is the trend of girls’ participation to education?
• How did Covid-19 affect business ?
• Were all types of businesses equally and similarly hit by Covid-19?
• Why SRK gets paid high?
• Are BBA students satisfied with what, and how they are taught?

4. Meaning and definition of research
• Research is the method of enquiry that uses systematic scientific techniques such as experimental,
quasi-experimental and non-experimental.
• Research is a systematic and objective analysis and recording of observation that may lead to the
development of a theory. John. W. Best (1992)
• Systematic – There are certain rules, standard procedures
• Objective – The research must be free from biasness (the researchers’ personal opinion, values,
belief)
• Research is an organized, systematic, data –based, critical, scientific enquiry or investigation into a
specific problem, undertaken with the objective of finding answers or solution, (Uma Sekaran 2007).
• The process of searching again and again to come closer and closer to the truth is known as research,
(Pant 2014, p. 4)

5. Scientific method; Relationship between research and scientific method;
• Research either generates new knowledge or questions existing knowledge.
• Research is scientific in nature, IF it is not, it is not a research.
• What is scientific method ?
• principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge
involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of
data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and
testing of hypotheses
• emphasis on the process of research because it is the rigorous with which
this is carried out (the scientific method) that distinguishes scientific
research from other forms of enquiry, and scientific knowledge from other
kinds of knowledge.
• What is the process of Scientific Research?

6. Process of Scientific Research
1.Sensing or Realizing a Problem
1.Observation
2.Library Search, Journals, Books,
2.Problem Identification : Problem is anything issue
which requires a systematic investigation
3.Theoretical Framework: Reviewing major underpinning
theories in the field of your study, and Conceptual
Review: explaining the major concepts, terms, etc

7. 4. Research Design
1. Research Method
2. Population
3. Sample size
4. Sampling technique
5. Data
1. Primary vs. Secondary
2. Data collection Technique
3. Data collection instrument

8. 4. Research Design
5. Data
4. Data analysis tools (Mean, Median, Mode, Standard
Deviation, Correlation, Regression, Factor
5. Data Analysis and Presentation
6.Findings
4.Refinement of theory – Basic Research
5.Implementation – Applied research

9. Characteristics of Scientific Research
1.Purposive: Must have a focus, purpose of doing
research.
2.Testability: Research tests hypotheses, or tests the
relationship between variables so that either new theory
is built or an existing theory is tested.
3.Replicability: if the research methods are similar, the
findings of different researches ought to be similar.

10. 4. Objectivity: The interpretation or the entire research activity must be
free from personal judgment, values, belief of the researcher.
5. Rigour: carefully designed methodology, using good theories, so
that right information is collected from the right source. The right
tools are used.
6. Parsimony: do not do less or more. Do exactly what is supposed to
be done.
7. Generalizability: the findings of the study must be inferred to the
population.
1. Good Research design leads to higher generalizability of the
findings.

11. Social Science
• First Lets understand what is social science.
• Sciences are broadly divided into natural (physical; Physics,
Chemistry, Biology) sciences and social sciences.
• Social sciences are not exact science like physical sciences.
• It deals with human beings. Human nature and man’s environment
are so complex that it is more difficult to comprehend and predict
human behaviour than the physical phenomena.
• According to P.V. Young, we may define social research as ‘the
systematic method of discovering new facts and verifying old facts.
Their sequences interrelationship, causal explanations and the natural
laws govern them’.

12. • Social science is involved everywhere starting from healthcare
sector to business world.
• It also contributes to social welfare, formulation of theories,
development of methodology, social planning, prediction, and
control.

13. Significance of research in social sciences and business studies
• Social science deals with the study of society and the relationship among
individuals within society.
• It includes business, sociology, commerce, demography, etc.
• Social science research provides authentic information to the people that are
scientifically proven so that end users can rely upon it.
• It also helps us in finding the solutions to different social problems.
• It focuses on the fact that if we are able to find the root cause of any
problem, we can find the more effective solution to it.

14. Significance of research in social sciences and business studies
1. Problems solving is the thrust of most researches. Social problems are felt directly
by people working in the organization. Such as conflict, communication, team
work, etc are social issues faced by the organization. Thus, the research ameliorates
by offering solutions to such problems.
2. Social research thrusts on societal behavior which is studied, analysed and steps
needed to modify the same to achieve certain broad goals. All our social problems
could be attributed to certain societal behavior. So, by modifying the same in the
right lines, social good is achieved.
3. Development of methodology to deal with social issues is one of the contributions
of social research. Executive stress, worker ethics, leadership style,
child labor women illiteracy, drug addiction, labor absenteeism, etc are social
issues related to organisations, labor units, and, such other social groups. To deal
with these issues appropriate methodology is needed. Social research provides the
same.

15. 1. Social research contributes to societal development. The research develops
scientific temper. Creativity and innovation are developed Basic and applied
new knowledge is developed. All this adds to up-gradation of society.
2. Formulation of new theories and reevaluation of already accepted theories are
attempted by social research. There are several theories on leadership,
motivation, human attitude and behavior and so on. All these theories help
designing suitable packages for societal behavioral upliftment.
3. Social research is a tool for social planning, prediction and control. Any
constructive action need to be planned, outcome predicted and deviation of
actual from the desirable predicted outcome need to be controlled. Social
research aids in designing appropriate models of social planning, prediction and
control.

16. 1. Social research contributes to social welfare. Social research is generally
normative emphasizing what is good for the society (organization). By
stating, what is and what is not good for the economy, for the industry, for
the consumers, for the students, for the stock-market and the like, social
research helps to contribute to social welfare.
2. Social research catches the dynamics of social institutions and
phenomena. Social institutions and phenomena are never static. These
keep changing. To gauge the change research is needed and such research
helps in dynamically responding to social institutions and phenomena.

17. Types of Research
1. Pure Research: Research conducted to add knowledge, test theory or build
theory
2. Applied: Research conducted to find solution to a problem faced by orgn.
3. Exploratory: Its focus is on the discovery of ideas and insights as opposed
to collecting statistically accurate data.
4. Descriptive: It takes up the bulk of online surveying and is considered
conclusive in nature due to its quantitative nature. It simply describes the
phenomenon as it is happening.
5. Evaluation: To examine whether an intervention is effective or not. E.g.
You trained employees. You will be interested to know if the training was
effective. Research will help you to know.
6. Causal research: It is quantitative in nature as well as pre-planned and
structured in design. Causal research differs in its attempt to explain the
cause and effect relationship between variables.

18. Types of Research based on Time Dimension of Research
1. Cross-sectional research: One-shot or cross-sectional studies are those in
which data are gathered once, during a period of days, weeks or months. Many
cross-sectional studies are exploratory or descriptive in purpose. They are
designed to look at how things are now, without any sense of whether there is a
history or trend at work.
Examples
• Comparing Private bank employees’ level of satisfaction.
• Examining the employees’ organizational commitment
• Customer satisfaction
These studies are conducted at a specific period of time.

19. 2. Longitudinal research: Research carried out longitudinally involves data collection at
multiple points in time. In a longitudinal study, researchers repeatedly examine the same
individuals to detect any changes that might occur over a period of time. Longitudinal
studies are a type of correlational research in which researchers observe and collect data on
a number of variables without trying to influence those variables.
Example. Comparing the Production of wheat in Morang in 2000, 2010, 2020.
Longitudinal studies may take the following forms of:
1. Trend study: It looks at population characteristics over time, for example, organizational
absenteeism rates during the course of a year.
2. Cohort study: It traces on sub-population over time, for example, absenteeism rates for the
sales department.
3. Panel study: It traces on the same sample over time, for example, graduate career tracks
over the period 1990–2000 for the same starting cohort. Panel studies are a particular design
of longitudinal study in which the unit of analysis is followed at specified intervals over a
long period, often many years. The key feature of panel studies is that they collect repeated
measures from the same sample at different points in time