1. Research Problem
Definition & Research
Proposal
William G. Zikmund
Chapter 6

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

3. Why define the Research Problem?
• Defining your destination before beginning
a journey.
• It determines,
– what you will do,
– will it withstand scientific scrutiny,
– how you will do it, and
– what you may achieve!

4. How is a research problem selected?
• Researchers interest in a topic
• National or agency priorities
• Urgency of an issue
• Availability of research funds
• Availability of supervision

5. COMPLETELY
CERTAIN
ABSOLUTE
AMBIGUITY
CAUSAL OR
DESCRIPTIVE
EXPLORATORY
Uncertainty Influences the Type
of Research

6. The Nature of Business Problem
• Remember than managers may be completely certain
about situations they face.
• At the other extreme, a manager or researcher may
describe a decision-making situation as absolute
ambiguity.
• Most decision-making situations fall somewhere
between these two extremes.

7. Problem Discovery and Definition
• First step
• Problem, opportunity, or monitor operations
• Discovery before definition
• Problem means management problem

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

9. Importance of Proper Problem Definition
• The right answer to the wrong question may
be absolutely worthless.
• Problem definition is the indication of a
specific business decision area that will be
clarified by answering some research
questions.

10. Problem Definition
• The indication of a specific business
decision area that will be clarified by
answering some research questions.

11. Statement of
Research Objectives
Problem Definition
Defining Problem Results in
Clear Cut Research Objectives
Exploratory
Research
(Optional)
Analysis of
the Situation
Symptom Detection

12. The Process of
Problem Definition
Ascertain the
decision maker’s
objectives
Understand
background of
the problem
Isolate/identify
the problem, not
the symptoms
Determine unit of
analysis
Determine
relevant
variables
State research
questions and
objectives

13. 13
Ascertain the Decision Maker’s
Objectives
• Decision makers’ objectives
• Managerial goals expressed in measurable
terms.
The 1st
Process of Problem Definition

14. The Iceberg Principle
• The principle indicating that the dangerous
part of many business problems is neither
visible to nor understood by managers.
The 1st
Process of Problem Definition

15. 15
Understand the Background of
the Problem
• Exercising judgment
• Situation analysis - The informal gathering
of background information to familiarize
researchers or managers with the decision
area.
The 2nd
Process of Problem Definition

16. 16
Isolate and Identify the Problems,
Not the Symptoms
• Symptoms can be confusing
The 3rd
Process of Problem Definition

17. Symptoms Can Be Confusing
Twenty-year-old neighborhood swimming
association:
• Membership has been declining for years.
• New water park -residents prefer the
expensive water park????
• Demographic changes: Children have
grown up
The 3rd
Process of Problem Definition

18. Problem Definition
Organization Symptoms Based on Symptom True Problem
Twenty-year-old
neighborhood
swimming
association in a
major city.
Membership has been
declining for years.
New water park with
wave pool and water
slides moved into
town a few years ago.
Neighborhood
residents prefer the
expensive water
park and have
negative image of
swimming pool.
Demographic changes:
Children in this 20-
year-old neighborhood
have grown up. Older
residents no longer
swim anywhere.
Example
The 3rd
Process of Problem Definition

19. TOTI
EMUL
ESTO
What Language Is Written on This Stone
Found by Archaeologists?
The 3rd
Process of Problem Definition

20. TOTI
EMUL
ESTO
The Language Is English:
To Tie Mules To
The 3rd
Process of Problem Definition

21. 21
Determine the Unit of Analysis
• Individuals, households, organizations, etc.
• In many studies, the family rather than the
individual is the appropriate unit of
analysis.
The 4th
Process of Problem Definition

22. 22
Determine the Relevant Variable
–Anything that may assume different
numerical values
• Types of variables can be:
– Categorical variable is any variable that has a
limited number of distinct values.
– Continuous variable is any variable that has an
infinite number of values.
– Dependent variable is a criterion or a variable that is
to be predicted or explained.
– Independent variable is a variable that is expected
to influence the dependent variable. Its value may
be changed or altered independently of any other
variable.
The 5th
Process of Problem Definition

23. 23
State the research questions and
research objectives
The 6th
Process of Problem Definition

24. If you do not know where you are going,
any road will take you there.
The 6th
Process of Problem Definition

25. • Hypothesis
– An unproven proposition or supposition that
tentatively explains certain facts or
phenomena
– a proposition that is empirically testable
– A possible solution to a problem
– Guess
– A research objective is the purpose of the
research in measurable terms; the definition
of what the research should accomplish. It
should be decision-oriented.
The 6th
Process of Problem Definition

26. • Objective
– A research objective is the purpose of the
research in measurable terms; the definition
of what the research should accomplish. It
should be decision-oriented.
The 6th
Process of Problem Definition

27. Statement of
business problem
Specific
Objective
1
Specific
Objective
2
Results
Specific
Objective
3
Exploratory
research
(optional)
Broad research objectives
Research Design

28. How Much Time Should be Spent Defining
the Problem?
• Budget constraints
• Complexity of business situations
• Importance of the problems

29. Business Problem Translated into Research Objectives
Problem/Questio
ns
Research
Questions
Research
Objectives
Should the organization offer
outplacement?
Are managers aware of
outplacement services?
How concerned are managers about
outplacement services?
To determine managers’ awareness
using aided recall
To measure managers’ satisfaction
with existing personnel policies
Which of the services should be
offered?
How do managers evaluate the
need for severance pay?
To obtain ratings and ranking of the
various outplacement services
Severance pay?
New employment assistance?
Personal counseling?
Job contracts?
New-employment assistance?
Personal counseling?
Job contracts?
What are the benefits of each
outplacement service?
To identify perceived benefits and
perceived disadvantages of each
outplacement service
To measure managers’ perceived
benefits and disadvantages of in-
house versus outside consultants
Should the services be provided by
in-house personnel or outside
consultants?
Would managers prefer in-house
personnel or outside consultants?
How much would each alternative
cost?
To measure managers’ preference
of alternative if discharge occurred
To identify costs associated with
each alternative
Do employees with ten or more
years of service have different
awareness levels, etc. than
employees with less than ten years
of service?
Do the answers to the above
questions differ by employee’s
years of service?
To compare, using cross-
tabulations, levels of awareness,
evaluations, etc., managers with
ten or more years of service with
managers with less than ten years
of service.

30. Research Proposal

31. What is a research proposal?
• Various terminologies are used to mean a research proposal
depending on why the research is carried out?
 Research outline
 Synopsis of research
 Plan of research
 Research/project proposal
 Thesis plan
 Etc
 .. ..a blue print of future activities of a research project
 …..some sort of preconceived framework for starting the activities
 …..deals with ideas of researcher about what research he/she wants to
do, what objectives and methodology he/she has set, how much time
and resources are required to complete it, how the research finding are
to be reported, and so on.

32. What is a research proposal?
• …..deals with ideas of researcher about
 what research he/she wants to do
 what objectives and methodology he/she has set
 how much time and resources are required to complete it
 how the research finding are to be reported
 and so on.
 ..is an individual’s or a research institute's formal offer to produce a
product or render service to a client in response to a request from the
client
 ….a work plan, prospectus, outline, and statement of intent ahead.
 In short, he/she is proposing a work frame for completing the research

33. Research Proposal
• It is a written statement of the research design
that includes a statement explaining
– the purpose of the study and
– a detailed, systematic outline of a particular
research methodology.

34. Research Proposal
• Components of research proposal:
– Purpose of the Research
– Research Design
– Sample Design
– Data Gathering
– Data Processing and Analysis
– Report Preparation
– Budget and Time Schedule

35. Anticipating Outcomes
• Dummy tables are representations of actual tables that
will be in the findings section of the final report; used
to gain a better understanding of what the actual
outcome of the research will be.
• Representations of the actual tables that will be in the
findings section of the final report; used to gain a
better understanding of what the actual outcomes of
the research will be.

36. 06/27/13 Research Proposal Development 36
Sections
• Title
• Introduction
– additional sub sections if necessary
• Objectives
• Materials & Methods
– additional sub sections if necessary
• A tentative time table
• A budget .

37. Basic Questions -
Problem Definition
• What is the purpose of the study?
• How much is already known?
• Is additional background information necessary?
• What is to be measured? How?
• Can the data be made available?
• Should research be conducted?
• Can a hypothesis be formulated?
Copyright © 2000 Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

38. Basic Questions -
Basic Research Design
• What types of questions need to be
answered?
• Are descriptive or causal findings required?
• What is the source of the data?
Copyright © 2000 Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

39. Basic Questions -
Basic Research Design
• Can objective answers be obtained by
asking people?
• How quickly is the information needed?
• How should survey questions be worded?
• How should experimental manipulations be
made?
Copyright © 2000 Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

40. Basic Questions -
Selection of Sample
• Who or what is the source of the data?
• Can the target population be identified?
• Is a sample necessary?
• How accurate must the sample be?
• Is a probability sample necessary?
• Is a national sample necessary?
• How large a sample is necessary?
• How will the sample be selected?
Copyright © 2000 Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

41. Basic Questions -
Data Gathering
• Who will gather the data?
• How long will data gathering take?
• How much supervision is needed?
• What operational procedures need to be
followed?
Copyright © 2000 Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

42. Basic Questions -
Data Analysis
• Will standardized editing and coding
procedures be used?
• How will the data be categorized?
• What statistical software will be used?
• What is the nature of the data?
• What questions need to be answered?
• How many variables are to be investigated
simultaneously?
• Performance criteria for evaluation?Copyright © 2000 Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

43. Basic Questions -
Type of Report
• Who will read the report?
• Are managerial recommendations
requested?
• How many presentations are required?
• What will be the format of the written
report?
Copyright © 2000 Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

44. Basic Questions -
Overall Evaluation
• How much will the study cost?
• Is the time frame acceptable?
• Is outside help needed?
• Will this research design attain the stated
research objectives?
• When should the research be scheduled to
begin?
Copyright © 2000 Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

45. Steps in identifying research problems
1. Identify a broad topic
2. Identify a narrow topic within the broad topic
3. Raise questions
4. Formulate objectives
• Use action-oriented words - To demonstrate; To
evaluate; To measure…

46. Identifying Broad Topics
• Think of the BIG PICTURE
– What is the problem you are trying to solve?
– Think of something you like to learn more about
– Consult text books, journal or your supervisor
• Pick one based on:
– Interest and relevance
– Magnitude of work involved
– Level of expertise
• yours and your advisors

47. Examples of Broad Topics
– Optimizing productivity of land and water
resources
– Ensuring Food Safety & Security
– Sustaining Agricultural & Marine
Environments

48. From Broad Topic to Narrow
Topic
• Examples of a narrow topic:
– Liver disease in Goat
– Greenhouse Agriculture
– Milk Quality
– Greywater reuse potential in Oman
• When selecting a narrow topic think how it
can contribute towards solving the BIG
PROBLEM!

49. Problem Tree – Keep asking Why?
Food Insecurity
Low Labor
Productivity
Low Land
Productivity
Unskilled Labor
Water Scarcity
Unsuitable Crops
Poor Soil
Inefficient Irrigation
Lack of crop varieties
adapted to climate
Inefficient Water harvestingUnsuitable Climate
Farming Patterns do not
Return nutrients
Farmers can’t afford fertilizers
Farmers unaware of
best practices