The document outlines the stages of the research process, including problem discovery, research design, sampling, data gathering, processing, analysis, and reporting. It emphasizes the significance of defining research problems and objectives, distinguishing between management decision problems and research problems, and formulating research questions and hypotheses. Examples are provided to illustrate how to compare demographic profiles and test statistical relationships.

1. Business Research Methods
MGT 524
Abu Bashar

2. Stages of the Research Process
Problem Discovery
and Definition
Research
Design
Sampling
Data
Gathering
Data Processing
and Analysis
Conclusions and
Report
Discovery and
Definition
and so on

3. Problem
discovery
Problem definition
(statement of
research objectives)
Secondary
(historical)
data
Experience
survey
Pilot
study
Case
study
Selection of
exploratory research
technique
Selection of
basic research
method
Experiment Survey
Observation
Secondary
Data StudyLaboratory Field Interview Questionnaire
Selection of
Sample Design
Sampling
Probability Nonprobability
Collection of
data
(fieldwork)
Editing and
coding
data
Data
processing
Interpretation
of
findings
Report
Data
Gathering
Data
Processing
and
Analysis
Conclusions
and Report
Research Design
Problem Discovery
and Definition

4. Problem Definition, Objectives,
and Research Questions
If you do not know
where you are
going,
any road will take
you there.

5. “The formulation of the problem
is often more essential than its
solution”
-Albert Einstein

6. Two Types of Problems
Management Decision Problem
What decision makers need to do
Sales are on the decline
Customer base is aging and younger consumers
prefer competitor’s brands
Research Problem
Specifies information needed to address
managerial problems & how it can be obtained

7. MDP
Action Oriented
Focus on symptoms
Should new product be
introduced
Should advertisement be
changed
Should price be
increased
Research Problem
Information oriented
Focus on underlying
causes
Determine consumer
preferences
Determine effectiveness
of current ad.
Price elasticity of
demand

8. Research Objectives
Research objectives address information
gaps that must be closed so the manager
solves the marketing management problem
Each research objective must be precise,
detailed, clear, and operational
Example: “Compare the demographic
profiles of AT&T buyers to nonbuyers using
age, sex, education, and annual family
income.”

9. Research Questions
A research question is the researchers’
paraphrase of the research objective(s) in the
form of a question.
Example:
“Are AT&T’s non-buyers different
demographically from AT&T’s buyers?
Or better yet:
“Are AT&T’s non-buyers younger than
AT&T’s buyers?”
Specific questions are better

10. Research Hypotheses
A hypothesis is an unproven proposition
or supposition that tentatively explains
certain facts or phenomena; a probable
answer to a research question.
Hypotheses are statements about the
nature of the world. They are guesses.
Example: “AT&T’s non-buyers are
younger than AT&T’s buyers”

11. Research Hypotheses
Null Hypothesis: Conservative statement
about the status quo. It is what our research
is set out to disprove.
H0: AT&T non-buyers do not differ in age
from AT&T buyers
Alternative Hypothesis: A statement that
states the opposite of the null hypothesis.
HA: AT&T non-buyers are younger than
AT&T buyers

12. THANK YOU