The document discusses identifying research problems and questions. It begins by explaining that a research problem arises from a need to scientifically answer "how", "why", or "when" questions faced by managers. Good research problems address gaps or inconsistencies in existing knowledge. The document then provides examples of research problems and questions and discusses various approaches to identifying research problems, including through a literature review or observation. It emphasizes identifying concepts that have been studied but still have unanswered questions or avenues for further research.
This presentation includes academic material on what constitutes a contribution in academic research. It is the result of inputs from several researchers - see presentation sources for more details and follow-up reading.
Action research is a philosophy and methodology of research generally applied in the social sciences. It seeks trasformative change through the simultaneous process of taking action and doing research which are linked together by critical reflection
This document provides guidance on building the foundations of a research proposal by outlining seven key steps: 1) deciding on a research focus area, 2) accumulating relevant literature, 3) becoming an expert in the topic area, 4) identifying potential project titles and a long-term research program, 5) selecting the most viable project for a thesis/dissertation proposal, 6) pursuing additional projects after completing the thesis/dissertation, and 7) publishing research findings in refereed journals. It emphasizes the importance of thoroughly reviewing existing literature to identify gaps and formulating a clear problem statement to guide quality research. The problem statement should address what the problem is, its impact, and its conceptual basis while being supported by current peer-reviewed
This document discusses guidelines for developing a good research question and refining existing questions. It provides principles for scientific research such as posing a significant empirical question, linking to theory, using appropriate methods, and generalizing findings. Well-crafted questions guide systematic planning and allow design of a study likely to answer the questions. A good research question should be linked to goals, identify populations and variables, determine needed study type, and influence data collection and number of participants. Writing good questions involves determining what to learn, drafting and revising with specificity and feedback, and building on prior work.
The document discusses research problem statements and their components. It provides definitions of a research problem and notes that a good problem statement clearly describes the issue to be addressed, generates the research questions, and identifies gaps in previous literature. It emphasizes that a problem statement should synthesize past related studies and identify what is yet to be investigated to justify the study. It also lists criteria for evaluating problem statements and their key parts such as describing the problem significance, discussing previous research, and stating the study purpose and scope.
The document discusses defining research problems and developing problem statements. It covers identifying broad problem areas in organizations, gathering preliminary information through primary and secondary data, reviewing existing literature, and clearly stating the research problem. The problem statement should be relevant, feasible, and interesting. It establishes importance, creates reader interest, and shows how the study adds to literature. Examples are provided of properly structured problem statements that introduce the general research area, specify the research gap, and investigate a clear problem or research question.
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATUREBesides selecting a quantitaEstelaJeffery653
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Besides selecting a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approach, the proposal or study designer also needs to review the literature about a topic. This literature review helps to determine whether the topic is worth studying, and it provides insight into ways in which the researcher can limit the scope to a needed area of inquiry.
This chapter continues the discussion about preliminary considerations before launching into a proposal or project. It begins with a discussion about selecting a topic and writing this topic down so that the researcher can continually reflect on it. At this point, researchers also need to consider whether the topic can and should be researched. Then the discussion moves into the actual process of reviewing the literature; addressing the general purpose for using literature in a study; and then turning to principles helpful in designing literature into qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies.
THE RESEARCH TOPIC
Before considering what literature to use in a project, first identify a topic to study and reflect on whether it is practical and useful to undertake the study. The topic is the subject or subject matter of a proposed study, such as “faculty teaching,” “organizational creativity,” or “psychological stress.” Describe the topic in a few words or in a short phrase. The topic becomes the central idea to learn about or to explore.
There are several ways that researchers gain some insight into their topics when they are initially planning their research (our assumption is that the topic is chosen by the researcher and not by an adviser or committee member). One way is to draft a brief working title to the study. We are surprised at how often researchers fail to draft a title early in the development of their projects. In our opinion, the working or draft title becomes a major road sign in research—a tangible idea that the researcher can keep refocusing on and changing as the project goes on (see Glesne, 2015; Glesne & Peshkin, 1992). It becomes an orienting device. We find that, in our research, this topic grounds us and provides a sign of what we are studying, as well as a sign useful for conveying to others the central notion of the study. When students first provide their research project ideas to us, we often ask them to supply a working title if they do not already have one written down on paper.
How would this working title be written? Try completing this sentence: “My study is about . . .” A response might be, “My study is about at-risk children in the junior high,” or “My study is about helping college faculty become better researchers.” At this stage in the design, frame the answer to the question so that another scholar might easily grasp the meaning of the project. A common shortcoming of beginning researchers is that they frame their study in complex and erudite language. This perspective may result from reading published articles that have ...
The document discusses various theoretical frameworks that can be applied in research. It defines a theoretical framework as the blueprint that guides a study based on existing theories in the literature. A conceptual framework is the researcher's own model for explaining relationships between main variables. Key aspects of developing a theoretical or conceptual framework are identifying relevant theories and concepts from literature and ensuring good fit with the research problem, questions and methodology. Several examples of theoretical frameworks are provided, including stakeholder theory, signaling theory, attribution theory, and diffusion of innovation theory.
This presentation includes academic material on what constitutes a contribution in academic research. It is the result of inputs from several researchers - see presentation sources for more details and follow-up reading.
Action research is a philosophy and methodology of research generally applied in the social sciences. It seeks trasformative change through the simultaneous process of taking action and doing research which are linked together by critical reflection
This document provides guidance on building the foundations of a research proposal by outlining seven key steps: 1) deciding on a research focus area, 2) accumulating relevant literature, 3) becoming an expert in the topic area, 4) identifying potential project titles and a long-term research program, 5) selecting the most viable project for a thesis/dissertation proposal, 6) pursuing additional projects after completing the thesis/dissertation, and 7) publishing research findings in refereed journals. It emphasizes the importance of thoroughly reviewing existing literature to identify gaps and formulating a clear problem statement to guide quality research. The problem statement should address what the problem is, its impact, and its conceptual basis while being supported by current peer-reviewed
This document discusses guidelines for developing a good research question and refining existing questions. It provides principles for scientific research such as posing a significant empirical question, linking to theory, using appropriate methods, and generalizing findings. Well-crafted questions guide systematic planning and allow design of a study likely to answer the questions. A good research question should be linked to goals, identify populations and variables, determine needed study type, and influence data collection and number of participants. Writing good questions involves determining what to learn, drafting and revising with specificity and feedback, and building on prior work.
The document discusses research problem statements and their components. It provides definitions of a research problem and notes that a good problem statement clearly describes the issue to be addressed, generates the research questions, and identifies gaps in previous literature. It emphasizes that a problem statement should synthesize past related studies and identify what is yet to be investigated to justify the study. It also lists criteria for evaluating problem statements and their key parts such as describing the problem significance, discussing previous research, and stating the study purpose and scope.
The document discusses defining research problems and developing problem statements. It covers identifying broad problem areas in organizations, gathering preliminary information through primary and secondary data, reviewing existing literature, and clearly stating the research problem. The problem statement should be relevant, feasible, and interesting. It establishes importance, creates reader interest, and shows how the study adds to literature. Examples are provided of properly structured problem statements that introduce the general research area, specify the research gap, and investigate a clear problem or research question.
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATUREBesides selecting a quantitaEstelaJeffery653
CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Besides selecting a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods approach, the proposal or study designer also needs to review the literature about a topic. This literature review helps to determine whether the topic is worth studying, and it provides insight into ways in which the researcher can limit the scope to a needed area of inquiry.
This chapter continues the discussion about preliminary considerations before launching into a proposal or project. It begins with a discussion about selecting a topic and writing this topic down so that the researcher can continually reflect on it. At this point, researchers also need to consider whether the topic can and should be researched. Then the discussion moves into the actual process of reviewing the literature; addressing the general purpose for using literature in a study; and then turning to principles helpful in designing literature into qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies.
THE RESEARCH TOPIC
Before considering what literature to use in a project, first identify a topic to study and reflect on whether it is practical and useful to undertake the study. The topic is the subject or subject matter of a proposed study, such as “faculty teaching,” “organizational creativity,” or “psychological stress.” Describe the topic in a few words or in a short phrase. The topic becomes the central idea to learn about or to explore.
There are several ways that researchers gain some insight into their topics when they are initially planning their research (our assumption is that the topic is chosen by the researcher and not by an adviser or committee member). One way is to draft a brief working title to the study. We are surprised at how often researchers fail to draft a title early in the development of their projects. In our opinion, the working or draft title becomes a major road sign in research—a tangible idea that the researcher can keep refocusing on and changing as the project goes on (see Glesne, 2015; Glesne & Peshkin, 1992). It becomes an orienting device. We find that, in our research, this topic grounds us and provides a sign of what we are studying, as well as a sign useful for conveying to others the central notion of the study. When students first provide their research project ideas to us, we often ask them to supply a working title if they do not already have one written down on paper.
How would this working title be written? Try completing this sentence: “My study is about . . .” A response might be, “My study is about at-risk children in the junior high,” or “My study is about helping college faculty become better researchers.” At this stage in the design, frame the answer to the question so that another scholar might easily grasp the meaning of the project. A common shortcoming of beginning researchers is that they frame their study in complex and erudite language. This perspective may result from reading published articles that have ...
The document discusses various theoretical frameworks that can be applied in research. It defines a theoretical framework as the blueprint that guides a study based on existing theories in the literature. A conceptual framework is the researcher's own model for explaining relationships between main variables. Key aspects of developing a theoretical or conceptual framework are identifying relevant theories and concepts from literature and ensuring good fit with the research problem, questions and methodology. Several examples of theoretical frameworks are provided, including stakeholder theory, signaling theory, attribution theory, and diffusion of innovation theory.
This document discusses key aspects of research design and methodology. It covers determining a research problem, conducting a literature review, and selecting an appropriate research design such as exploratory, descriptive, or causal research. Exploratory research aims to gain background information and clarify problems, descriptive research describes phenomena, and causal research identifies cause-and-effect relationships. The document also discusses experimental design, stages of the research process including defining a problem, planning, data collection and analysis, and reporting conclusions.
This document provides an overview of the research process. It defines research as the systematic search for knowledge to increase understanding. There are different types of research including qualitative, quantitative, mixed, and action research. Qualitative research aims to understand behaviors while quantitative determines relationships between variables. Mixed research combines both approaches. Action research identifies actions and outcomes to improve processes. Choosing a research topic requires considering interest areas that can be narrowed and have available sources to research. The literature review informs the study by analyzing previous work. Developing a good research question is also important to address a relevant issue that can be answered through research methodology.
This document discusses the steps involved in conducting research. It begins by defining research and outlining its purposes such as building knowledge and increasing public awareness. It then describes the basic structure of a research paper as introduction, methods, results and discussion. The next sections explain each step of conducting research in detail, including identifying the research problem, literature review, specifying the research purpose and questions, developing hypotheses, choosing an appropriate methodology, collecting and verifying data, analyzing and interpreting results. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are discussed. The importance of verification strategies in ensuring the reliability and validity of research findings is also highlighted.
The document discusses key elements of research including search vs. research, variables to consider, and elements of a research plan such as objectives, questions, methodology and participants. It also discusses how to develop good research questions and objectives, ensuring they are SMART. The background section should review previous literature and identify gaps to contextualize the problem. Developing questions comes from identifying knowledge gaps in a topic and determining what uncertainties need further study.
This document provides guidance on developing a mixed methods research study. It outlines key steps such as drafting a working title, identifying an underlying problem, specifying data collection and analysis methods, and generating research questions. Research questions in mixed methods include at least one quantitative and one qualitative question. They should match the chosen mixed methods design. Developing objectives and considering theories is also recommended during the conceptualization phase of research.
Educational Research Quantitative Methods (basic and applied) Anum Butt
This document discusses applied research. It defines applied research as research conducted to apply or test theories and evaluate their usefulness in solving educational problems. The key objectives of applied research are to understand applied research and its purpose, define applied research with examples, and describe the design and steps of applied research. Applied research aims to solve immediate problems, test theories in practical situations, and provide data to support and revise theories. It is conducted in real-world settings and focuses on applying solutions to practical issues.
The document outlines the key steps in the research process, including identifying a broad problem area, preliminary data gathering through literature reviews and interviews, clearly defining the research problem, developing a research proposal, considering managerial implications, and addressing ethical issues. It discusses gathering background information on the organization and relevant existing research to narrow down the problem. A good problem statement presents a clear, precise, and concise research question or issue to investigate. The research proposal allows the researcher and sponsor to agree upon the methodology, timeline, resources, and goals of the study prior to beginning research.
This document provides an overview of research methodology. It begins with definitions of research and discusses the objectives and characteristics of good business research. It then explains the scientific method and key aspects of the research process such as identifying a problem, developing a hypothesis, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting conclusions. Finally, it outlines the typical structure of a research proposal, including sections on the problem statement, objectives, literature review, research design, and data analysis. The overall purpose is to guide the reader through the steps of conducting systematic research.
This document provides guidance on conducting and writing up a case study for a research methods course. It discusses selecting an appropriate subject for analysis and research strategy. It provides a sample that describes using thematic analysis to identify key themes in existing literature on social movements in Thailand related to LGBT rights, military service, and capital punishment. The document also offers tips for writing the research method section, including introducing the method, search terms, databases, and the writing process.
This document provides guidance on how to write a quality paper for publication. It outlines several essential points to consider, including having original research that advances knowledge and presenting findings in a high-quality manuscript. The document recommends developing awareness of topical issues by finding an exciting topic within popular areas of research. It also provides tips for structuring a manuscript, such as including an introduction, literature review, methodology, and conclusion. Key aspects of each section are highlighted, such as writing an abstract that solicits interest and concisely describes findings. The document emphasizes writing in a clear style and structure and critically analyzing prior works in the literature review.
This document provides guidance on formulating research problems and questions. It discusses identifying a research problem, developing research questions, and selecting a topic. Key points include:
- Research starts by addressing a question or problem and requires unbiased data collection and analysis.
- Good research questions are clear, specific, answerable, and interconnected to be substantially relevant.
- Steps for identifying a research problem include drawing from experience, reviewing literature, and identifying paradoxes or areas for improvement.
- Factors to consider when selecting a topic include relevance, current knowledge, emerging areas, and feasibility of conducting the research.
This document discusses developing a statement of problem for research. It provides examples of how to identify a research opportunity from issues in the workplace, literature or personal experience. A good problem statement should be clear, concise and include all relevant variables without expressing researcher bias. Characteristics of a strong problem include having significance and being manageable within the researcher's scope. The problem statement sets the focus for the research objectives and hypotheses.
This document provides an overview of case study research. It defines a case study as an in-depth inquiry into a contemporary phenomenon in its real-world context. Key features of case studies are that they focus on a single bounded system, use multiple data sources to provide an in-depth picture, and investigate within the system's natural context. The document discusses benefits and limitations of case studies, as well as challenges of conducting insider research. It emphasizes planning methodological triangulation and considering ethics when designing a case study for this course assignment.
Week 4 and 5 design and writing a research proposaldsanjose
This document provides guidance on designing a research proposal for a business research project. It discusses choosing an appropriate research methodology and methods based on one's research paradigm and questions. Key points covered include identifying qualitative or quantitative approaches, selecting sampling and data collection techniques, and justifying choices based on strengths and weaknesses. The document also outlines common sections of a research proposal, such as reviewing relevant literature, developing a theoretical framework, stating the research question, and demonstrating a cohesive design. Tips are provided on ensuring ethical standards and feasibility are addressed.
This document provides an overview of how to conduct a systematic literature review. It explains that a systematic review aims to identify, evaluate and synthesize all relevant studies on a topic to clarify findings and address inconsistencies. The key stages include scoping the topic, planning search terms and criteria, systematically searching literature databases, screening studies for eligibility, and conducting either a quantitative or qualitative synthesis of included studies. The review should be objective, systematic, transparent and replicable to minimize bias.
The document provides an overview of the research process. It begins by defining research as the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data to answer a question or solve a problem. It then discusses key aspects of developing a research proposal, including selecting a topic, reviewing existing literature, developing objectives and hypotheses, and outlining the methodology. The document presents examples of components to include in a research proposal, such as an introduction with the research problem, a theoretical framework, proposed hypotheses, and descriptions of variables and data collection methods. Overall, the document serves as a guide for planning and structuring a research study from selecting a topic to developing a proposal.
Here are the answers to the questions about the research paper:
1. Research gap: The paper notes that little research has examined how institutional environments in emerging economies influence entrepreneurship. Specifically, it aims to address gaps in understanding how factors like property rights, corruption, and access to finance impact new business creation in Eastern Europe.
2. Research objectives: The objectives are to examine how institutional factors like those above influence entrepreneurship outcomes like the rate of new business registrations and self-employment levels.
3. Research questions: The questions guiding the study are: a) How do property rights, corruption, and access to finance impact entrepreneurship rates in Eastern Europe? b) Which institutional factors have the strongest influence on new business creation
This document discusses key issues in planning three specific types of Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) study designs: cross-sectional designs, case studies, and participatory action research. It provides examples of each design and discusses important considerations for their use including defining research questions, choosing appropriate sampling strategies and data collection methods, developing analytical approaches, and ensuring meaningful participation particularly for participatory action research.
This document discusses key issues to consider when designing different types of Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) studies. It covers three specific study designs: cross-sectional, case study, and participatory action research (PAR).
For cross-sectional designs, the document discusses their frequent use in HPSR to explore or describe phenomena at a particular time point. For case studies, it emphasizes the importance of purposefully selecting cases to allow theories to be tested. And for PAR, it highlights the emphasis on collaboration between researchers and subjects as equal partners through participatory cycles of observation, reflection and action.
Sales managers have four main functions: planning, staffing, training, and leadership. Planning involves setting goals and determining how to achieve them. Staffing requires attracting and hiring effective salespeople. Managers spend much of their time training salespeople to improve their job performance. Leadership means motivating salespeople and communicating goals to influence them towards objectives. Controlling monitors performance to ensure the organization is on track to meet its goals.
The document discusses various aspects of the recruitment and selection process for sales personnel. It begins by outlining the key steps in recruitment, including evaluating potential recruiting sources, tapping into identified sources, and selecting candidates with the highest probability of success. It then discusses developing job descriptions and person specifications to identify the ideal candidate. Important considerations for recruitment sources, selection methods, and components of the selection process like interviews, references checks, and testing are explained. The goal of the selection process is to identify the candidate that best fits the job specifications and organizational needs through a structured evaluation.
This document discusses key aspects of research design and methodology. It covers determining a research problem, conducting a literature review, and selecting an appropriate research design such as exploratory, descriptive, or causal research. Exploratory research aims to gain background information and clarify problems, descriptive research describes phenomena, and causal research identifies cause-and-effect relationships. The document also discusses experimental design, stages of the research process including defining a problem, planning, data collection and analysis, and reporting conclusions.
This document provides an overview of the research process. It defines research as the systematic search for knowledge to increase understanding. There are different types of research including qualitative, quantitative, mixed, and action research. Qualitative research aims to understand behaviors while quantitative determines relationships between variables. Mixed research combines both approaches. Action research identifies actions and outcomes to improve processes. Choosing a research topic requires considering interest areas that can be narrowed and have available sources to research. The literature review informs the study by analyzing previous work. Developing a good research question is also important to address a relevant issue that can be answered through research methodology.
This document discusses the steps involved in conducting research. It begins by defining research and outlining its purposes such as building knowledge and increasing public awareness. It then describes the basic structure of a research paper as introduction, methods, results and discussion. The next sections explain each step of conducting research in detail, including identifying the research problem, literature review, specifying the research purpose and questions, developing hypotheses, choosing an appropriate methodology, collecting and verifying data, analyzing and interpreting results. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are discussed. The importance of verification strategies in ensuring the reliability and validity of research findings is also highlighted.
The document discusses key elements of research including search vs. research, variables to consider, and elements of a research plan such as objectives, questions, methodology and participants. It also discusses how to develop good research questions and objectives, ensuring they are SMART. The background section should review previous literature and identify gaps to contextualize the problem. Developing questions comes from identifying knowledge gaps in a topic and determining what uncertainties need further study.
This document provides guidance on developing a mixed methods research study. It outlines key steps such as drafting a working title, identifying an underlying problem, specifying data collection and analysis methods, and generating research questions. Research questions in mixed methods include at least one quantitative and one qualitative question. They should match the chosen mixed methods design. Developing objectives and considering theories is also recommended during the conceptualization phase of research.
Educational Research Quantitative Methods (basic and applied) Anum Butt
This document discusses applied research. It defines applied research as research conducted to apply or test theories and evaluate their usefulness in solving educational problems. The key objectives of applied research are to understand applied research and its purpose, define applied research with examples, and describe the design and steps of applied research. Applied research aims to solve immediate problems, test theories in practical situations, and provide data to support and revise theories. It is conducted in real-world settings and focuses on applying solutions to practical issues.
The document outlines the key steps in the research process, including identifying a broad problem area, preliminary data gathering through literature reviews and interviews, clearly defining the research problem, developing a research proposal, considering managerial implications, and addressing ethical issues. It discusses gathering background information on the organization and relevant existing research to narrow down the problem. A good problem statement presents a clear, precise, and concise research question or issue to investigate. The research proposal allows the researcher and sponsor to agree upon the methodology, timeline, resources, and goals of the study prior to beginning research.
This document provides an overview of research methodology. It begins with definitions of research and discusses the objectives and characteristics of good business research. It then explains the scientific method and key aspects of the research process such as identifying a problem, developing a hypothesis, collecting and analyzing data, and reporting conclusions. Finally, it outlines the typical structure of a research proposal, including sections on the problem statement, objectives, literature review, research design, and data analysis. The overall purpose is to guide the reader through the steps of conducting systematic research.
This document provides guidance on conducting and writing up a case study for a research methods course. It discusses selecting an appropriate subject for analysis and research strategy. It provides a sample that describes using thematic analysis to identify key themes in existing literature on social movements in Thailand related to LGBT rights, military service, and capital punishment. The document also offers tips for writing the research method section, including introducing the method, search terms, databases, and the writing process.
This document provides guidance on how to write a quality paper for publication. It outlines several essential points to consider, including having original research that advances knowledge and presenting findings in a high-quality manuscript. The document recommends developing awareness of topical issues by finding an exciting topic within popular areas of research. It also provides tips for structuring a manuscript, such as including an introduction, literature review, methodology, and conclusion. Key aspects of each section are highlighted, such as writing an abstract that solicits interest and concisely describes findings. The document emphasizes writing in a clear style and structure and critically analyzing prior works in the literature review.
This document provides guidance on formulating research problems and questions. It discusses identifying a research problem, developing research questions, and selecting a topic. Key points include:
- Research starts by addressing a question or problem and requires unbiased data collection and analysis.
- Good research questions are clear, specific, answerable, and interconnected to be substantially relevant.
- Steps for identifying a research problem include drawing from experience, reviewing literature, and identifying paradoxes or areas for improvement.
- Factors to consider when selecting a topic include relevance, current knowledge, emerging areas, and feasibility of conducting the research.
This document discusses developing a statement of problem for research. It provides examples of how to identify a research opportunity from issues in the workplace, literature or personal experience. A good problem statement should be clear, concise and include all relevant variables without expressing researcher bias. Characteristics of a strong problem include having significance and being manageable within the researcher's scope. The problem statement sets the focus for the research objectives and hypotheses.
This document provides an overview of case study research. It defines a case study as an in-depth inquiry into a contemporary phenomenon in its real-world context. Key features of case studies are that they focus on a single bounded system, use multiple data sources to provide an in-depth picture, and investigate within the system's natural context. The document discusses benefits and limitations of case studies, as well as challenges of conducting insider research. It emphasizes planning methodological triangulation and considering ethics when designing a case study for this course assignment.
Week 4 and 5 design and writing a research proposaldsanjose
This document provides guidance on designing a research proposal for a business research project. It discusses choosing an appropriate research methodology and methods based on one's research paradigm and questions. Key points covered include identifying qualitative or quantitative approaches, selecting sampling and data collection techniques, and justifying choices based on strengths and weaknesses. The document also outlines common sections of a research proposal, such as reviewing relevant literature, developing a theoretical framework, stating the research question, and demonstrating a cohesive design. Tips are provided on ensuring ethical standards and feasibility are addressed.
This document provides an overview of how to conduct a systematic literature review. It explains that a systematic review aims to identify, evaluate and synthesize all relevant studies on a topic to clarify findings and address inconsistencies. The key stages include scoping the topic, planning search terms and criteria, systematically searching literature databases, screening studies for eligibility, and conducting either a quantitative or qualitative synthesis of included studies. The review should be objective, systematic, transparent and replicable to minimize bias.
The document provides an overview of the research process. It begins by defining research as the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data to answer a question or solve a problem. It then discusses key aspects of developing a research proposal, including selecting a topic, reviewing existing literature, developing objectives and hypotheses, and outlining the methodology. The document presents examples of components to include in a research proposal, such as an introduction with the research problem, a theoretical framework, proposed hypotheses, and descriptions of variables and data collection methods. Overall, the document serves as a guide for planning and structuring a research study from selecting a topic to developing a proposal.
Here are the answers to the questions about the research paper:
1. Research gap: The paper notes that little research has examined how institutional environments in emerging economies influence entrepreneurship. Specifically, it aims to address gaps in understanding how factors like property rights, corruption, and access to finance impact new business creation in Eastern Europe.
2. Research objectives: The objectives are to examine how institutional factors like those above influence entrepreneurship outcomes like the rate of new business registrations and self-employment levels.
3. Research questions: The questions guiding the study are: a) How do property rights, corruption, and access to finance impact entrepreneurship rates in Eastern Europe? b) Which institutional factors have the strongest influence on new business creation
This document discusses key issues in planning three specific types of Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) study designs: cross-sectional designs, case studies, and participatory action research. It provides examples of each design and discusses important considerations for their use including defining research questions, choosing appropriate sampling strategies and data collection methods, developing analytical approaches, and ensuring meaningful participation particularly for participatory action research.
This document discusses key issues to consider when designing different types of Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) studies. It covers three specific study designs: cross-sectional, case study, and participatory action research (PAR).
For cross-sectional designs, the document discusses their frequent use in HPSR to explore or describe phenomena at a particular time point. For case studies, it emphasizes the importance of purposefully selecting cases to allow theories to be tested. And for PAR, it highlights the emphasis on collaboration between researchers and subjects as equal partners through participatory cycles of observation, reflection and action.
Sales managers have four main functions: planning, staffing, training, and leadership. Planning involves setting goals and determining how to achieve them. Staffing requires attracting and hiring effective salespeople. Managers spend much of their time training salespeople to improve their job performance. Leadership means motivating salespeople and communicating goals to influence them towards objectives. Controlling monitors performance to ensure the organization is on track to meet its goals.
The document discusses various aspects of the recruitment and selection process for sales personnel. It begins by outlining the key steps in recruitment, including evaluating potential recruiting sources, tapping into identified sources, and selecting candidates with the highest probability of success. It then discusses developing job descriptions and person specifications to identify the ideal candidate. Important considerations for recruitment sources, selection methods, and components of the selection process like interviews, references checks, and testing are explained. The goal of the selection process is to identify the candidate that best fits the job specifications and organizational needs through a structured evaluation.
Effective communication is vital for sales management and closing deals. Communication refers to the exchange of information between two or more people, and is effective when the message is clearly received and understood. Good communication skills in sales include making eye contact, active listening, and speaking clearly, while bad skills are looking away, interrupting, and mumbling. Communication improves client relationships and sales effectiveness, boosts employee confidence, and increases goodwill. To improve communication, salespeople should keep their pitch simple, be aware of their tone, listen without interrupting, be transparent, stay calm, and include warm greetings. Mastering communication skills can increase sales success tenfold.
This document discusses motivating a sales force. It explains that financial compensation alone is not sufficient for motivation according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Trust between salespeople and management, as well as a sense of belonging and esteem from peers and management, are also important for motivation. To effectively motivate salesforces, companies must understand basic human motivation and recognize that non-financial factors like trust, recognition, and personal growth opportunities are key to high performance.
This chapter provides context on international trade issues before introducing economic models. It discusses the growth of international trade and investment over time. It also distinguishes between international trade, which involves the exchange of goods and services across borders, and international finance, which involves the exchange of financial assets and capital across borders. Understanding this real-world context is important for appreciating why economists develop theories and models to explain phenomena related to international trade.
This document provides an overview of international trade theory. It defines international trade as the exchange of goods and services between countries. The key theories discussed include absolute advantage, comparative advantage, and the Heckscher-Ohlin theory. The document explains that trade theory aims to understand why nations trade and the benefits they gain from specialization and trade. It argues that restrictions on trade are generally harmful to economies.
This document discusses various data collection methods used in research. It explains the difference between primary and secondary data, and lists common sources for each. Methods of collecting primary data include surveys, interviews, observations, and focus groups. It then provides details on personal interviews, telephone interviews, questionnaires, and maximizing response rates. Limitations of using secondary data and survey research are also covered. The document provides a comprehensive overview of quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques.
This document provides guidance on writing a research proposal. It explains that a research proposal outlines the key components of a research project from beginning to end. The proposal serves to provide direction for the researcher and must convince supervisors of the study's significance. Key components that should be included are an introduction with the background, problem statement and research objectives/questions, a literature review, and methodology. The proposal describes the scope and limitations of the study and provides a structure for presenting and reporting the results of the research.
This document discusses measurement in research and provides definitions and examples of various measurement scales and statistical concepts. It defines measurement as assigning numerical values to variables according to specified rules. There are four main types of measurement scales: nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scales. The document also discusses validity, reliability, and descriptive statistics such as frequency distributions, histograms, and measures of central tendency including the mean, median, and mode.
The document provides an introduction to business research. It defines business research as a systematic inquiry into solving a specific problem. Research is required to address existing or anticipated problems in an organization. There are two main types of business research: basic/fundamental research that builds knowledge and applied/action research that solves current practical problems. Research plays an important role in business decision making by helping identify issues and solutions. Key hallmarks of scientific research discussed include purposiveness, rigor, testability, replicability, objectivity and generalizability. Basic ethical principles in research involve maintaining privacy, avoiding coercion, obtaining informed consent, and sharing findings.
This chapter discusses cultural variables that affect communication. It identifies three main learning goals: 1) recognize cultural factors that can cause noise in the communication process, 2) appreciate how culture affects communication for senders and receivers, and 3) learn to manage cross-cultural business communications successfully. Key topics covered include verbal and non-verbal communication differences across cultures, developing cultural sensitivity, and building trust and relationships to facilitate intercultural communication. Terminologies for concepts like monochronic/polychronic time, ethnocentric/polycentric/geocentric orientations, and high/low context cultures are also defined.
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Lesson 2.pptx
1. Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science & Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Instructor: Dominic Essuman (PhD)
Dept. Supply Chain & Information Systems
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Kumasi
Email: dominic.essuman@knust.edu.gh
@2021
ISD 353: Business Research Methods
Class: SCM, BIT, Marketing, IB & Hospitality
Lecture 2:
Research Problem, Question, & Proposal
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By the end of this lecture you should
• be able to explain and identify a ‘good’ research problem/question
• know how to generate research problem/question
• know the sources of research problem/question
• appreciate the techniques for identifying research problem/question
• know how to generate a research proposal
Learning Outcomes
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• The research process begins with the recognition of a problem or an
opportunity to be investigated.
• Managers may be faced with such questions as:
• Do we have to change our supply chain partners?
• Do we need to alter our operational routines, and How?
• Essentially, managers need scientific answers to “how”, “Why” and
“When” problems.
• If we already have scientifically based robust answers to such
questions, we don’t have a research problem.
Research problem/question (1/4)
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Research problem/question (2/4)
Motivation for business
decision problem &
research problem
Business decision
problem
Business research
problem/question
Customer needs and
competitor actions are
changing rapidly
Sales volume for product
X keeps declining
Should a new product
be introduced?
Should product X be
repacked?/ Should
we increase
promotion for product
X?
What can be done to
improve our
competitiveness and
sales?
Would customer prefer and
purchase the proposed new
product?
When would customer develop
strong intention to purchase the
new product?
What are the significant
determinants of sales for product
X?
• Note: In the context of academic research, managerial/policy problem
is not the same as a research problem. Nonetheless, they are
connected.
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• Research problem: A statement, consisting of a series of arguments,
that raises concern(s) about existing knowledge, practice, or policy
and explains why addressing such concern(s) through research
would improve knowledge, practice, or policy.
• Research question is a question emanating from, or informing a
research problem. It essentially drives any piece of research.
• Research problem and research question are directly connected.
• In some cases, a research problem may be posed in a form of a
question.
• Research objectives, what the research wants to achieve, are derived
from research problem/question.
Research problem/question (3/4)
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Broader statements:
• How can an interplay between supply chain collaboration and
customer orientated behavior help enhance operational efficiency?
Specific underlying questions to examine are:
• How does customer oriented behavior impact supply chain
collaboration ?
• How does customer oriented behavior influence operational efficiency?
• How does supply chain collaboration influence operational efficiency?
• How does supply chain collaboration intervene in the relationship
between a company’s customer orientated behavior and operational
efficiency?
Illustrative example of research problem
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1. Problem facing an individual, group of individuals, an organisation, an
industry, a society, a country, the world, etc. that we already have enough
understanding (particularly, empirical) of
What is NOT a research problem
2. Arguments about limited research on an issue within a particular
context without corresponding arguments on what makes the context in
question different and why knowledge on the issue at hand from other
contexts may not apply
In sum, set of statements or arguments that do not communicate or
articulate gap(s)/missing link(s) in a specific body of knowledge does not
suffice for research problem, particularly, in academic context
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1. Phenomena whose nature are not well-understood generally or within
certain settings:
• Conceptual/theoretical studies may be undertaken with the goal of
clarifying the nature of the phenomenon (see e.g. Davidson et al.
2016; Teece 2007; Ocasio 1997)
• Empirical research (usually, qualitative) may also be undertaken to
explore the nature of the phenomenon (see e.g. Blackhurst et al.
2011; Chandra et al 2009; Saw and Carter 2007; Haq et al. 2016;
Marques et al. 2015)
Common ways in which research problem can take (1/7)
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2. Little or concentrated knowledge of the antecedents of a
particular concept:
• New theoretical perspectives can be utilized to identify new
antecedents of a particular concept and explain why/how
they can be connected to it (see e.g. Buyl et al. 207;
Hockerts 2017; Ip et al. 2017; Bacq et al. 2014; Pal et al.
2014)
Common ways in which research problem can take (2/7)
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3. Little or concentrated knowledge of the outcomes of a
particular concept:
• New theoretical perspectives can be utilised to identify new
outcomes of a particular concept and explain why/how
they can be connected to it (see e.g. Kwak et al. 2018; Li
et al. 2017)
• Multiple but conceptually different outcomes (requiring
different logics) can be linked to the concept in question
(Wong et al. 2011)
Common ways in which research problem can take (3/7)
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4. Mixed/inconsistent prior research findings or competing explanations (either
about the link a particular concept and its antecedent or outcome)
• New research is needed to help explain what may account for the
mixed/inconsistent findings or to minimize competing explanations
• New research can address the problem by introducing contingency/moderator
variables in the relationship (see e.g. Ju and Zhao 2009; Rosenbusch et al.
2011)
• By logically explaining and empirically analyzing how different levels of the
predictor variable relate differently to the outcome variable (see e.g. Huang et
al. 2014; Nohria and Gulati 1996)
• By logically explaining and empirically analyzing the mechanisms that might be
characterizing the relationships between the variables in question (see e.g.
Boso et al. 2017)
Common ways in which research problem can take (4/7)
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5. Little empirical knowledge of HOW (or the PROCESSES via which) a particular
variable (say, X) affects another variable (say, Y):
• This usually occurs when prior research has focused on examining the direct
relationship between X and Y, which sometimes leads to inconclusive findings
(see Boso et al. 2017)
• This is solved by introducing (a) unique causal mechanism(s) (i.e. other
variable[s]) that connect(s) X to Y in a particular way (see Wu 2008; Lu et al.
2010)
Common ways in which research problem can take (5/7)
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6. Questioning the causal direction of existing relationships between variables
Consider the relationship between innovation and financial performance among
firms
• Is it the case that the innovation drives financial performance or it’s rather
financial performance that drives innovation?
7. Weaknesses in methods used to investigate the relationship between X and Y.
• E.g. If prior studies have focused using cross-sectional survey method to
examine the causal relationship between X and Y, you can adopt a ‘better’
method (say, longitudinal-survey design, or panel data, or experiment), if
possible, to re-examine the same relationship.
Common ways in which research problem can take (6/7)
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8. Lack of research testing existing theories/models, or replicating/verifying prior
research findings, in new and different or similar contexts
• See Tan (2003); Kuada and Buatsi (2005); Acquaah (2007)
Common ways in which research problem can take (7/7)
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• A literature search-first approach
• Observation-first approach
• Other approaches
Identifying/Searching for Research Problem (1/7)
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A literature search-first approach:
Steps
1. Focus on a particular concept in your field of study
A concept whose empirical literature is not matured is usually ideal. However, as novice, you
want to work with concepts that have enough academic literature on it. The concept should
be clearly defined/conceptualized in the literature, and if possible, it should have been
measured.
2. Review recent literature (particularly, empirical) on the concept
• Does any aspect of the body of knowledge about the concept have some important
questions that have been ignored in prior research?
• Quick Sources:
Conceptual papers. Do they have any proposition that interest you? (e.g. Siguaw et
al. 2006; Ocasio 1997).
Qualitative studies. Do they have any proposition that interest you? What are the
limitations of the study? What avenues for further studies have been discussed?
(see Blackhurst et al. 2011; Conroy and Collings 2016)
Identifying/Searching for Research Problem (2/7)
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A literature search-first approach:
Steps
2. Review recent literature (particularly, empirical) on the concept (continued)
• Does any aspect of the body of knowledge about the concept have some important
questions that have been ignored in prior research?
• Quick Sources:
Quantitative/hypothesis-testing studies. Can you critique, extend or build on their
model? Is there any better methodology that could have been utilised? See the
limitation and avenues for further research for guidelines (e.g. Buyl et al. 2017; Boso
et al. 2017; Wu 2008)
Empirical literature review studies (conceptual). What important questions have
been asked? What testable propositions have been made? Look at their
recommendations for further studies section (see e.g. Linnenluecke 2015; Tseng et
al. 2019; Nabi et al. 2017)
Empirical literature review studies (Meta-analysis) studies. Look at their
recommendations for further studies section (e.g. Martin et al. 2013).
Identifying/Searching for Research Problem (3/7)
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A literature search-first approach:
Steps
2. Review recent literature (particularly, empirical) on the concept (continued)
• Does any aspect of the body of knowledge about the concept have some important
questions that have been ignored in prior research?
• Quick Sources:
Quantitative/hypothesis-testing studies. Can you critique, extend or build on their
model? Is there any better methodology that could have been utilised? See the
limitation and avenues for further research for guidelines (e.g. Buyl et al. 2017; Boso
et al. 2017; Wu 2008)
Empirical literature review studies (conceptual). What important questions have
been asked? What testable propositions have been made? Look at their
recommendations for further studies section (see e.g. Linnenluecke 2015; Tseng et
al. 2019; Nabi et al. 2017)
Empirical literature review studies (Meta-analysis) studies. Look at their
recommendations for further studies section (e.g. Martin et al. 2013).
Identifying/Searching for Research Problem (4/7)
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A literature search-first approach:
Note!
The literature or articles for the review should come from
recognized journals first (e.g. ABS or ABDC journals)
Identifying/Searching for Research Problem (5/7)
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‘Real’ world-first approach
• What do you hear, see, feel, etc. that puzzles or interest you?
• Is there any trending/emerging issue that attracts your interest?
• Go back to the literature to know what has been said or investigated
about
Identifying/Searching for Research Problem (6/7)
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Other approaches
• Look for “Call for papers: Special issues”
• Visit the websites of concept/domain-specific journals
Identifying/Searching for Research Problem (7/7)
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Irrespective of the form it may take, research problem usually contain
the following parts:
• Background to the problem (what makes the concepts (particularly,
the focal one) and perhaps, the nature of their relationship,
important concern for managers/ businesses or policy managers/the
society?
• Discussion of what prior research (either conceptual or empirical) has
done
• Discussion of important gaps (missing links) that the present research
is interested in
Formulating Research Problem (1/4)
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Irrespective of the form it may take, research problem usually contain
the following parts:
• Background to the problem (what makes the concepts (particularly,
the focal one) and perhaps, the nature of their relationship,
important concern for managers/ businesses or policy managers/the
society?
• Discussion of what prior research (either conceptual or empirical) has
done
• Discussion of important gaps (missing links) that the present research
is interested in
Formulating Research Problem (2/4)
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Formulating a research problem can be difficult. An easier way to
overcome this is to:
• Know the form of research problem that your study has (as discussed
earlier)
• Look for 3 to 5 good papers that have investigated the same/similar
form of research problem (the concepts may be different though)
• Model yours according to these papers
• You can also discuss the problem with ‘senior’ researchers or other
who have investigated a similar problem.
Formulating Research Problem (3/4)
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Additional considerations:
The exploratory tasks (mentioned in previous slide) can help you
understand the environmental context of the research problem.
This includes:
• past information (e.g. previous research findings) and forecasts,
• resources and constraints,
• buyer behavior,
• legal environment,
• economic environment,
• technological changes, and
• Industry dynamics
Formulating Research Problem (4/4)
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• Research questions come in varied forms. The ff. are a few examples:
Types of Research Question
TYPE OF
RESEARCH
TYPE OF QUESTION
Descriptive
research
What is the nature of CREATIVITY? How does LOVE look like? What are the
characteristics of resilient entrepreneurs?
Comparative
research
What are the differences and similarities between CREATIVITY and
INNOVATION? Are woman different from men in terms of their responses to
challenging, life-threatening issues?
Correlational
research
What is the relationship between INCOME and HAPPINESS? Is INCOME related
to LONGEVITY?
Exploratory
research
What are the main factors in RESILIENCE? What is the role of CREATIVITY in
INNOVATION?
Explanatory
research
Does HOPE have an effect on RESILIENCE? What is the impact of HOPE on
HAPPINESS? What are the causes or determinants of HAPPINESS?
Evaluation
research
What are the advantages and disadvantages of RELIGION? How well does
RELIGION work? How desirable is RELIGION at the workplace?
Action research How can RURAL COMMUNITY RESILIENCE be enhanced? What are the most
effective strategies for boosting URBAN COMMUNITY RESILIENCE to the Covid-
19 pandemic?
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Criteria for evaluating research questions:
• Appropriateness: is the question necessary in the first
place?
• Capability: can you do it?
• Fulfilment: are you personally excited about the
question?
Research question: Good ones? (1/2)
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Alt. criteria for evaluating research questions:
• Questions should be researchable.
• Questions should be clear.
• Questions should not be too narrow or too broad.
• Questions should connect with established theory and
research/literature.
• Questions should be logically and conceptually link to each other.
• Questions should offer you the potential to contribute to knowledge.
Research question: Good ones? (2/2)
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A document the highlights the research motivation, problem/question,
objective (where necessary), potential contributions, and tentative
methodology, as well as the research timelines, resources necessary for
completing the research, and the ethical issues that have to be
considered.
Research proposal (1/5)
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What question should a research proposal answer?
1. What is your research topic? OR what body of knowledge is your
research connected to?
2. Why is your research topic important?
3. What is your research question or questions?
4. What does the literature have to say about your research topic and
research question(s)?
5. What theory(ies) will you need to investigate the research quesition(s)?
6. How are you going to go about collecting data relevant to your
research question(s)? In other words, what research methods are you
intending to use?
7. Why are the research methods you have selected the appropriate
ones for your research question?
Research proposal (2/5)
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What question should a research proposal answer? (continued)
8. Who will your research participants be and how will they be selected
(or if the research will use documents, what kinds of documents will
you use and how will they be selected)?
9. If your research requires you to negotiate access to organizations,
have you done so, and if not, how will you do this?
10.What resources will you need to conduct your research (for example,
travel costs, recording equipment, printing, software) and how will
those resources be obtained?
11.What is your timetable for the different stages of the project?
12.What are the ethical issues associated with your research and what
steps will you take to address them?
13.How will you analyze your data?
Research proposal (3/5)
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The template below can help you organize your thoughts well:
Research proposal (4/5)
An Excel version is available for download here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GcPaQx_XBqTUiYXMQUhhloP0f_9Dpzkc
/view?usp=sharing
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Bell, E., Bryman, A. & Harley, B. (2019). Business Research Methods (5
ed), Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Boso, N. (2019). Business Research Methods: Lecture Slide 1 (available
here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10tddIjeRJYGYgRa45FqG91SgDIft11zn/vi
ew?usp=sharing )
Saunders, M.N.K, Lewis, P., Thornhill, A (2019). Research Methods For
Business Students (8 ed), Pearson, Harlow.
Key References