Business

1. Research Methodology
Chapter - 4
The Broad Problem Area and Defining the
Problem Statement
S.Thowfeek Ahamed
Senior Lecturer
Hardy- Advanced Technological Institute (SLIATE)
Ampara

2. Chapter 4
The Broad Problem Area and
Defining the Problem Statement
Slide 3-2

3. A problem
A problem is a condition that arises from a
difference between desired status and the
status at present
Org. effectiveness at
present
Desired org.
effectiveness in the
future
problem
Researchable problem ; it could be studied and
solved

4. The Research Process
Research
Idea
Data
Analysis
Answering the
empirical research
question
Theoretical
interpretation of the
results
Theoretical
Formulation of the
research Problem
Comparison with
earlier(research)
Literature
Review
Conclusions
Data
Collection
Research Design
(planning)
Empirical research
questions
(operationalization)

5. RESEARCH QUESTION
What is I am going to study?
THEORY
What existing ideas are
there about my research
problem?
EMPIRICAL
STUDIES
Who has done research
in this area before?
EVIDENCE
What data do I need to
answer my question?
MY THODS
How I am going to generate
and analyze this data
Problem/ concept
Definition
Areas for further
research
Frameworks for
Understanding/
Explaining patterns and
relationships
Problem/concept
definitions
Data generated and
Relevance to research
question
Methods / techniques
Used
Problems experienced

6. Identification of a Problem
Sources of a problem
 Problems derived from theories
 Researcher’s personal experiences
 Literature on the current research issues
 Next steps coming as suggestions of
researches- implications
 Any other problem known for the interest of
other parties - expert opinion, others
experience

7. Characteristics of a good problem
 It is researchable and data are available
 Its solution should contribute to any
development
 Has a theatrical background and practical
significant
 Is a good problem for meeting your interest,
resource, skills and time

8. Developing the Problem Statement
 Recognize the problem as it is visible and
perceive in the broad sense
 Review of literature and collect the
underpinning information search/preliminary
study to make it sound
 Refine the problem with variables and their
attributes
 Develop the problem statement

9. The Broad Problem Area
 Examples of broad problem areas that a manager
could observe at the workplace:
 Training programs are not as effective as
anticipated.
 The sales volume of a product is not picking up.
 Minority group members are not advancing in their
careers.
 The newly installed information system is not
being used by the managers for whom it was
primarily designed.
 The introduction of flexible work hours has
created more problems than it has solved in many
companies.
9

10. The Problem Statement
 Examples of Well-Defined Problem Statements
 To what extent do the structure of the organization and type of
information systems installed account for the variance in the perceived
effectiveness of managerial decision making?
 To what extent has the new advertising campaign been successful in
creating the high-quality, customer-centered corporate image that it was
intended to produce?
 How has the new packaging affected the sales of the product?
 What are the effects of downsizing on the long-range growth patterns
of companies?
10

11. First Steps Research Process
FIGURE 3.1
Three important first steps in the research process:
Step 1 Step 2
Step 3
Identification of
the Broad
Management
Problem
Preliminary
Research
Definition of the
Research Problem
Slide 3-11

12. Problem
 Problem: any situation where a gap exists
between an actual and a desired ideal state.
Slide 3-12

13. The Broad Problem Area
 Examples of broad problem areas that a
manager could observe at the workplace:
 Training programs are not as effective as
anticipated.
 The sales volume of a product is not picking up.
 Minority group members are not advancing in their
careers.
 The newly installed information system is not
being used by the managers for whom it was
primarily designed.
 The introduction of flexible work hours has
created more problems than it has solved in many
companies.
Slide 3-13

14. Slide 14-14

15. Symptoms versus Problems
 It is important that symptoms of problems
are not defined as the real problem.
 One way of determining that the problem,
rather than the symptom, is being
addressed is a technique called ‘5 Whys’
or ‘5 times why’.
 This approach will help you to get to the
root cause (the most basic cause) of a
problem.
Slide 3-15

16. Symptoms versus Problems
 Keep asking “Why?” until the most basic cause is
arrived at.
 Example: My best employees are leaving the
organization.
 Why? They are not satisfied with their jobs.
 Why? They don’t find a challenge in their jobs.
 Why? They don’t have control over their work.
 Why? They don’t have enough influence over
planning, executing, and evaluating their
work.
 Why? We have been reluctant to delegate.
Slide 3-16

17. From Problem to Feasible Research Topic
 We need to transform the broad problem into
a feasible topic for research by:
a) making it more specific and precise;
b) setting clear boundaries;
c) selecting a perspective from which we
investigate the subject (Machi and McEvoy,
2012).
 Preliminary research will help us to make
these transformations.
Slide 3-17

18. Preliminary Information Gathering
 Nature of information to be gathered:
 Background information of the organization.
 Prevailing knowledge on the topic.
18

19. Preliminary Information Gathering
 Nature of information to be gathered:
1. Information on the organization and its
environment – that is, the contextual
factors.
2. Information on the topic of interest.
Slide 3-19

20. First Review of the Literature
 Helps the researcher to:
 Structure research on work already done
 Develop problem statement with precision
and clarity
 Is beneficial in both basic and applied
research projects
Slide 3-20

21. PROBLEM STATEMENT
Problem
Statement
Practical
Academic
What is the central problem?
Why this research
Who is/are encountering
this problem? Individuals?
Organization? Industry?
Sector?
What are the existing scop
and limitations related to
the problem?
Why this research is
important from academic
perspective? Explain the
current limitations (lack,
limited, dearth, scarcity)
Research
Gap
International
Local
Contextual
Arising from the background,
problem statement is proclamation
of the exact gap in the existing
phenomenon. A gap in the
knowledge is the primary
justification for the study. State this
specifically and exactly. Use the
phrase “gap in the knowledge” .
The problem statement must
contain all related definitions of the
general need for the study and the
specific problem that will be
addressed.

22. CRITERIA FOR SELECTING A
GOOD RESEARCH PROBLEM
1. Significance of the discipline.
2. Originality.
3. Feasibility.
4. Administrative support.
5. Peer Support.
6. Available for subjects.
7. Researcher’s competency
8.Ethical considerations.
9. Solvable/Researchable.
10.Current.
11.Interesting.
12.Clear & unambiguous.
13.Empirical & Verifiable.
14.Relevant.
15.Systematic.

23. What Makes a Good Problem Statement?
 Good problem statement includes both:
 The research objective
 Research questions
Slide 3-23

24. A Good Problem Statement
 Research objective: why of the research
 Research objective applied research:
 to solve a specific problem in a work setting;
 to change something.
 Example:
 To determine factors that increase employee
commitment to the organization;
 Allows manager to increase commitment and hence to
decrease turnover, absenteeism and increase
performance levels.
Slide 3-24

25. Example
The purpose of this study is twofold:
1. to identify the factors that influence the
passenger’s waiting experience and
2. to investigate the possible impact of waiting
on customer satisfaction and service
evaluations.
Slide 3-25

26. A Good Problem Statement
 Research questions:
 what of the research (what do you want to learn?)
 Translates problem into a specific need for information
 Research questions:
 Are related to the objective
 If objective is unclear we will not be able to formulate research questions
 Example:
 What are the factors that affect the perceived waiting experience of airline
passengers
 To what extent do these factors affect the perception of waiting times?
 What are the affective consequences of waiting
 How does affect mediate the relationship between waiting and service
evaluations?
 How do situational variables (such as filled time) influence customer
reactions to the waiting experience?
Slide 3-26

27. Good Problem Statement
 Relevant
 for the organization
 Feasible
 you are able to answer the research
questions within the restrictions of the
research project.
 Interesting
 to you!
Slide 3-27

28. Example of a Problem
 Context (what is already known)
Voter turnout in region X has been decreasing over the past ten
years, in contrast to other areas of the country. According to
surveys conducted by organization Y, turnout is lowest among
under-25s and people on low incomes [cite specific numbers].
The literature on voting patterns in country Z suggests that this
reflects broader trends, but the demographics of this region
make it a more significant problem [expand and explain with
sources]. There have been some successful attempts to improve
turnout in other regions, but similar interventions have yet to
have any significant effect in region X [cite sources].
Slide 14-28

29. Example of a Problem
 Relevance (why it is important)
Low voter turnout has been shown to have negative associations with social
cohesion and civic engagement and is becoming an area of increasing concern
for political parties and civil society organizations in many European
democracies [give examples and cite sources]. When specific groups of
citizens lack political representation, they are likely to become more excluded
over time, leading to an erosion of trust in democratic institutions and
ensuing difficulties in governance [expand and explain with sources].
Addressing this problem will give political parties the insight to adjust their
policy and campaigning strategies, improving democratic inclusion for the
residents of region X, as well as contributing to a more nuanced
understanding of current trends in voter behavior.
Slide 14-29

30. Example of a Problem
 Aims and objectives (what you are going to do)
The aim of this research is to investigate effective
engagement strategies to increase voter turnout in
region X. It will identify the most significant factors in
non-voting through surveys and interviews, and
conduct experiments to measure the impact of
different strategies on voting intention.
Slide 14-30

31. Basic Types of Questions
 Exploratory
 Descriptive
 Causal
Slide 3-31

32. Basic Types of Questions
 Exploratory questions:
 not much is known about the situation at
hand, or no information is available on how
similar problems or research issues have
been solved in the past.
 Example:
 A service provider wants to know why his
customers are switching to other service
providers?
Slide 3-32

33. Basic Types of Questions
 Descriptive questions:
 Enable the researcher to describe the characteristics
of the variables of interest in a situation.
 Example:
 What is the profile of the individuals who have loan
payments outstanding for 6 months and more?
 The profile would include details of their average age,
earnings, nature of occupation, full-time/part-time
employment status, and the like. This might help him
to elicit further information or decide right away on the
types of individuals who should be made ineligible for
loans in the future.
Slide 3-33

34. Basic Types of Questions
 Causal questions:
 Delineating one or more factors that are
causing a problem.
 Example:
 Will the sales of product X increase if we
increase the advertising budget?
Slide 3-34