The document outlines a comprehensive business research design plan, detailing various types of research designs including exploratory, descriptive, and causal research. It emphasizes the importance of conducting literature reviews to identify research gaps, with a structured five-step process for effective execution. Additionally, it covers experimental research designs, hypothesis development, and statistical methods for analyzing research data.

1. Business Research
Design
Plan for a study
Blue print to carry out the study

2. Types of Research design
•Exploratory
•Descriptive
•Causal research

3. Exploratory Research
• Converting broad, vague problem statements into
small, precise problem statements
• Early stages of research
• To formulate hypothesis

4. Characteristics of Exploratory Research
• It is flexible and versatile
• Data collection structured forms are not used
• Experimentation is not a requirement
• Cost is low
• Possibility of exploration of views

5. What circumstances is exploratory study ideal?
• To gain insight into the problem
• To generate new product ideas
• To assess the various alternatives
• To develop hypothesis
• To clarify concepts and formulating precise problems
• To pretest a draft questionnaire

6. Exploratory Research Methods
•Literature search
•Experience survey
•Focus group
•Analysis of selected cases

7. Literature Review
• It is a comprehensive survey of a previous research
• The literature review surveys scholarly articles, books,
Journals and other sources relevant to your study
• The main aim is to find out problems that are already
investigated and those that need further investigation
• It gives us knowledge about what others have found out in
the related field of study and how they have done so

8. Literature Review – Why it is needed
• Provide background information
• Identify the focus of research
• Introduce the topic to readers
• Address the trend
• Provide a framework of method
• Analyze the published
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 8

9. Literature Review – Where to start
• Where are the major databases/ sources that have been
recommended by your supervisor/mentor?
• Focus on the central research problem and bring out the key
words
• Prepare a list of journals in your area of research
• Give it a title focused towards your objectives
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 9

10. Literature review: Key points
• Read relevant(up-to-date) literature
• Refer original works
• Read with comprehension
• Index the literature
• State what others have said/done, and what not
• Discuss what others have said/done towards developing a theme out
of other studies, to end up with identifying research gaps.
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 10

11. Literature review in 5 steps
1. Search for a literature relevant for your study
• Develop a list of keywords
• Develop a list of synonyms for these key words
• Open a scholarly database(Google scholar, EBSCO, Science direct, Scopus etc)
• Use Boolean Operators(AND, OR, NOT etc.)
Boolean Operators are simple words (AND, OR, NOT etc.) used as conjunctions to
combine or exclude keywords in a search, resulting in more focused and productive
results. This should save time and effort by eliminating inappropriate hits that must be
scanned before discarding.
• Identify the most important publication
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 11

12. Literature review in 5 steps
2. Evaluate and select source
• Do not read the full research , read the abstract
• Look at the bibliography of the publication for other relevant
sources
• Observe the number of high citation count
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 12

13. Example…
Impact of Intrinsic Motivation and Institutional
Support on Faculty Research Productivity
RV Institute of
Management
Go, change the world
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 13

14. Literature review in 5 steps
3. Identify themes, debates and gaps
• Take not of the connections of different sources to easily
organise your literature review
• Observe for the trends, patterns and themes
• Debates and contradictions
• Influential studies
• Gaps
RV Institute of
Management
Go, change the world
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 14

15. Literature review in 5 steps
4. Organise by outlining
• Chronological
• From older to new publication
• Thematic
• Organised around several key themes
• Methodological
• Compare the different research methods being used across studies
• Theoretical
• Used to discuss opposing theories or models
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 15

16. Literature
Author, Year &
Area
Title Methodology Sampling Variables Findings
Sohail Khan
(1996)
KURDISTAN,
IRAQ*
The impact of
staff training
and
development on
teachers’
research
productivity
Structured
Questionnaire 58 teachers
Expertise, Morale, Skill,
competency of
supervisors, trust
T&D to have profound
influence on teachers’
productivity, therefore
teachers need to be regularly
motivated for training
programs in to enhance their
productivity.
Morgan, Clauset
(1999)
USA*
Research
Productivity,
prominence,
and the effects
of academic
environment
Matched-pairs
experimental design
using a Survey
2,453 early-
career faculty at
all 205 PhD-
granting CSE
departments.
Work environment,
training, scholarly
impact,
Characteristics of a work
environment are more
predictive of faculty
productivity than preferential
selection or retention
Shaker, Plater
(GEORGIA
UNIVERSITY*
(2001)
The Public
Good,
Productivity
and Faculty
Work:
Individual
Effort and
Social Value
Delphi technique Secondary data
analysis
Rubrics, Service, ISR,
Societal Impact,
community service,
positive attitude.
Credentials without quality
and teaching without public
purpose lead inevitably to
the decline of American
higher education
Michael M.
Rawls (2002)
TEXAS* PUBLIC
INSTITUTES
Assessing
Research
Productivity
from an
Institutional
Effectiveness
Perspective.
Quantitative &
Qualitative Designs
–Questionnaire
62 Institutions
Priority for research,
research assistants,
collective research
goals of department,
peer productivity
Core facilities appear to be
insufficient in terms of
capacity to meet demand
and are operated without an
adequate staffing model to
provide the expertise
needed
Mariom,
McMorther
(2012)
VIRGINIA*
Understanding
the productivity
of faculty
members in
higher
education
Descriptive case
study design
293 full time
employees
[department of
biomedical
engineering]
Time, self
advancement,
reporting, workloads,
financial inducements
Administrators must look at
workload expectations for
faculty and create policies to
help manage their time
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 16

17. Literature review in 5 steps
5. Start writing the literature review
• Introduction
• Cite and present the study
• Main body
• Summarises and synthesis the sources to your study
• Conclusion
• The function of your paper’s conclusion is to restate the main argument.
It reminds the reader of the strengths of your main arguments and
reiterates the most important evidence supporting those arguments.
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 17

18. Literature review - Funnel approach – 80:20 rule
So you start with the broader aspects of your topic (the contextual background, for instance)
and then gradually narrow your focus until you reach the specific aspect of the topic that you
will be addressing.
Ex: Marketing strategies of two wheelers manufacturers with special reference to Karnataka
• Review of research studies on Marketing strategies in general
• Review of research studies on Marketing strategies in manufacturing
• Review of research studies on Marketing strategies in Automobile manufacturing
• Review of closely related research studies on MS -TWM in India
6/25/2024
RVIM, Bangalore 18

19. Experience survey
• It is desirable to talk to persons who are well informed in the
areas being investigated
• No questionnaire is required
• The approach adopted should be highly unstructured
• Non probability sampling can be used
Ex: Group of housewives may be approached for their choice for a
“ready to cook product”

20. Focus group
• A small number of individuals are brought together to study and
talk about some topic of interest
• The discussion is coordinated by a moderator
• The group usually consists of 8 – 12 persons and they should
have a common background and experience.
• The typical focus group lasts for one to two hours
Ex: Reva car

21. Analysis of selected cases
• Gives an insight into the problem which is being researched
• The result of investigation of case histories are always considered
suggestive, rather than conclusive
Ex: Ready to eat food

22. Conclusive Research
•Descriptive Research
•Experimental Research or causal research

23. Descriptive research
• Describe the characteristics of the population
• Provides association between two variables
• Clear specification on Who, What, When, Where,
Why and How.

24. When to use Descriptive research?
• Size of the market
• Buying power of the consumer
• Product usage pattern
• To track the performance of the brand
• To determine the association of the two variables such as
Advertisement and sales
• To make prediction

25. Descriptive research methods
Longitudinal
study
Cross –
sectional
study

26. Descriptive research methods

27. Longitudinal study
• An event or occurrence measured again and again over a period
of time
• This is also known as “Time series study”
• Can determine how the market changes over time
• It involve panels
• The panel or sample remains constant throughout the period

28. Longitudinal study
Brands At T1 At T2
Brand X 500(20%) 600(30%)
Brand Y 700(35%) 650(32.5%)
Brand Z 400(20%) 300(15%)
Brand M 200(10%) 250(12.5%)
All others 200(10%) 250(12.5%)
2000 2000

29. Types of panel
True panel
Repeat
measurement of
the same
variables
Omnibus
panel
The information
collected from
the member
varies

30. Cross – sectional study
Field
study
In – depth
study of a
problem
Ex: Test
marketing
Field
survey
Large
samples are
selected
Cost and
time are the
biggest
limitation
Ex: Exit
poll

31. National Food Survey
• Duration: 1940 to 2000 (60 years)
• The National Food Survey was a British study that ran from 1940 to
2000. It attempted to study food consumption, dietary patterns, and
household expenditures on food by British citizens.
• Initially commenced to measure the effects of wartime rationing on the
health of British citizens in 1940, the survey was extended and expanded
after the end of the war to become a comprehensive study of British
dietary consumption and expenditure patterns.
• After 2000, the survey was replaced by the Expenditure and Food
Survey, which lasted till 2008. It was further replaced by the Living Costs
and Food Survey post-2008.

32. Difference between exploratory and descriptive Study
Basis for
comparison
Exploratory Research Descriptive Research
Meaning Exploratory research means
a research conducted for
formulating a problem for
more clear investigation.
Descriptive research is a research
that explore and explain an
individual, group or a situation.
Objective Discovery of ideas and
thoughts.
Describe characteristics and
functions.
Overall Design Flexible Rigid
Research process Unstructured Structured
Sampling Non-probability sampling Probability sampling
Statistical Design No pre-planned design for
analysis.
Pre-planned design for analysis.

33. Causal Research - Experimental research design
• Experimental research is a scientific approach to research, where one or more
independent variables are manipulated and applied to one or more dependent
variables to measure their effect on the latter.
• The effect of the independent variables on the dependent variables is usually
observed and recorded over some time, to aid researchers in drawing a reasonable
conclusion regarding the relationship between these 2 variable types.
• Administering Exams After The End of Semester
• Employee Skill Evaluation
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwtKM02UPUM

34. Elements of experimentation
Independent
variable
Test units
Dependent
variable

35. Formal/Informal experimental designs
Informal experimental designs are those designs that
normally use a less sophisticated form of analysis
based on differences in magnitudes, whereas formal
experimental designs offer relatively more control and
use precise statistical procedures for analysis.

36. Important experiment designs
Informal experimental
designs:
• Before-and-after without control
design.
• After-only with control design.
• Before-and-after with control
design.
Formal experimental designs:
• Completely randomized design
(C.R. Design).
• Randomized block design (R.B.
Design).
• Latin square design (L.S. Design).
• Factorial designs.

37. Before-and-after without control design
Ex: Anxiety level before and after Yoga

38. After-only with control design

39. Before-and-after with control design

40. Before-and-after with control design

41. FORMAL DESIGN
Formal
Completely
Randomized
Design
Randomized
Block Design
Latin square
design
Factorial Design
Two Group
Simple
Randomized
Design
Random
Replication
Design
Simple
Factorial
Design
Complex
Factorial
Design

42. Formal experimental design - Completely
randomized design (C.R. Design)
• It involves two principles (i) the principle of replication and (ii) the principle of randomization
• Uses one way ANOVA
• Used in case of homogenous experimental area.
• example of whether to provide remedial class to all student or not on the basis of
experiments done on two groups.
• Randomization Procedure
• -Treatments are assigned to experimental units completely at random.
• -Every experimental unit has the same probability of receiving any treatment.
• -Randomization is performed using a random number table, computer program, etc.

43. Population Sample
Experimental
group
Control
group
Treatment A
Treatment B
Randomly
selected
Randomly
assigned
Independent
variable
(i)Two-group simple randomized design
Ex: Behavioural sciences. To identify the differences in usual training and specialised training

44. (ii) Random replications design

45. Randomized block design (R.B. design)
Addition of local control principle
Subjects are divided into blocks of homogenous and measurable.
Each treatment given to be appears the same number of times in
each block.
Example:

46. Seeds difference
Latin square design
Used in agricultural research
When there are different major extraneous factors present.
Ex: Application of fertilisers on crop yield

47. Factorial design
• A factorial design allows the effect of several factors and even interactions
between them to be determined with the same number of trials as are
necessary to determine any one of the effects by itself with the same
degree of accuracy.

48. Factorial design

49. Factorial design
(ii) complex factorial designs
experiments with more than two factors at a time involve the
use of complex factorial design.

50. Hypothesis Development
• A Proposition that is empirically testable. It is an
empirical statement concerned with the relationship
among variables.
• Is a logical relationship between two or more variables
expressed in the form of a testable statement.

51. Hypothesis
• A hypothesis helps to translate the research problem and objective
into a clear explanation or prediction of the expected results or
outcomes of the study.
• Hypothesis is derived from the research problems, literature review
and conceptual framework.
• Hypothesis in a research project logically follow literature review and
conceptual framework.

52. Hypothesis Development
• Good hypothesis:
• Must be adequate for its purpose
• Must be testable
• Can be:
• Directional
• Non-directional

53. Purpose of hypothesis
• To explain the relationship
• If advertising is increased, then sales will also go up.
• To establish the differences among groups
• More men than women are whistleblowers,
• To find the interdependence of two or more factors
• Working the night shift (as opposed to the day shift) is related to whether or not
one is married.

54. Directional and Non directional Hypotheses
• Directional hypotheses: the direction of the relationship between the variables
(positive/negative) is indicated.
• The greater the stress experienced in the job, the lower the job
satisfaction of employees. Or
• Women are more motivated than men are.
• Nondirectional hypotheses: there are no indication of the direction of the
relationships between variables.
• There is a relationship between age and Job satisfaction.

55. Null and Alternate Hypotheses
• The null hypothesis is a proposition that states a definitive, exact
relationship between two variables.
• That is, it states that the population correlation between two variables is
equal to zero or that the difference in the means of two groups in the
population is equal to zero (or some definite number).
• In general, the null statement is expressed as no (significant)
relationship between two variables or no (significant) difference
between two groups.

56. Null and Alternate Hypotheses
• The alternate hypotheses is the opposite of the null hypotheses, is
a statement expressing a relationship between two variables or
indicating differences between groups.
• The alternative statement is expressed as a (significant) relationship
between two variables or a (significant) difference between two
groups.

57. Difference between groups or means
• Independent sample T test
• Paired sample T test
• One way ANOVA
• Two way ANOVA

58. Difference between groups or means
Independent sample T test
• Compares the means between two unrelated groups on the
dependent variable(continuous)
• Your independent variable should consist of two categorical, independent
groups.
• Ex: Gender (2 groups: male or female), employment status (2 groups: employed
or unemployed)
• Ex: Salaries based on gender

59. Difference between groups or means
• Paired sample T test
• Compares the means between two related means
• Ex: Performance before and after training
• Alternate test: Wilcoxon signed rank test and McNemar’s test

60. One way - ANOVA
• To determine whether there are any significant differences between
the means of three or more independent (unrelated) groups on a
continuous dependent variable.
• Ex: Course(Beginner, Intermediate and advance) and Time
• Dependent variable should be measured at the interval(Continuous)
• Independent variable should consist of two or more categorical
• The population variances in each group should be equal.
• Levene's Test for Homogeneity of Variances
• If the data is non-mormal - Kruskal-Wallis H Test or Welsh test can be
used

61. Two – way ANOVA
• To understand the interaction between two independent variable and
on the dependent variable
• Ex: Gender, Education - Independent
Salaries - Dependent
• Independent variable should be categorical
• Dependent variable should be measured at the interval(Continuous)

62. To find associations between variables
• Pearson's correlation: Direction of relationship that exists
between two variables
• Ex: Stock return and Index return
• Spearman's correlation: Direction of association exists between
two ordinal variables
• Ex: A teacher is interested in whether those who do better at risk management also
do better in IFM
• Chi-square
• It is a test for independence, the chi-square test of association, is used
to discover if there is a relationship between two independent
categorical variables.
• Ex: Gender and preferred learning medium(online/offline)

63. Predicting scores
• Linear regression
• To predict the value of a variable based on the value of another variable
• The variable we want to predict is called the dependent variable or outcome variable
• The variable we are using to predict the other variable's value is called the independent variable
or the predictor variable)
• There needs to be a linear relationship between two variables
• Ex: Exam performance and revision time
Stock return and index return
• Multiple regression
• Two or more independent variables, rather than just one, you need to use multiple regression.
• Ex:Exam performance can be predicted based on revision time, attendance, lecture, and gender