4. What is Business Research?
• A systematic Inquiry whose objective is
to provide information to solve
managerial problems.
1-4
5. Why Study Research?
• Research provides you with the
knowledge and skills needed for the
fast-paced decision-making
environment
1-5
6. Why Managers need Better Information
• Global and domestic competition is
more vigorous
• Organizations are increasingly
practicing data mining and data
warehousing
1-6
7. The Value of Acquiring Research Skills
• To gather more information before
selecting a course of action
• To do a high-level research study
• To understand research design
• To evaluate and resolve a current
management dilemma
• To establish a career as a research
specialist
1-7
8. Types of Studies Used to do Research
• Reporting
• Descriptive
• Explanatory
• Predictive
1-8
9. Different Styles of Research
• Applied Research
• Pure Research/Basic Research
1-9
10. What is Good Research?
• Following the standards of the scientific
method
– Purpose clearly defined
– Research process detailed
– Research design thoroughly planned
– Limitations frankly revealed
– High ethical standards applied
1-10
11. What is Good Research? (cont.)
• Following the standards of the scientific
method (cont.)
– Adequate analysis for decision-
maker’s needs
– Findings presented unambiguously
– Conclusions justified
– Researcher’s experience reflected
1-11
12. The Manager-Researcher Relationship
• Manager’s obligations
– Specify problems
– Provide adequate background information
– Access to company information gatekeepers
• Researcher’s obligations
– Develop a creative research design
– Provide answers to important business
questions
1-12
13. Manager-Researcher Conflicts
• Management’s limited exposure to
research
• Manager sees researcher as threat to
personal status
• Researcher has to consider corporate
culture and political situations
• Researcher’s isolation from managers
1-13
14. When Research Should be Avoided
• When information cannot be applied to
a critical managerial decision
• When managerial decision involves little
risk
• When management has insufficient
resources to conduct a study
• When the cost of the study outweighs
the level of risk of the decision
1-14
