This document discusses the research process. It describes research as a systematic set of activities that involves identifying a problem, building a hypothesis, designing a study, collecting and analyzing data, testing the hypothesis, reporting results, and making management decisions. The key steps are outlined, including defining the research problem and questions, developing a research proposal, gathering primary and secondary data, organizing and interpreting the data, and suggesting recommendations. Challenges that can occur in the research process are also mentioned, such as bias, confidentiality issues, limitations in scope, and resource constraints.

1. Dr Raju Indukoori

2. How do you see research activity
It is a
• one time activity
• single or same activity repeated again and
again
• set of activities in a systematic process
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3. Yes you are right
Research is a set of activities in a systematic
process. It is loaded with questions and well
defined structure in a time schedule.
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4. Research question hierarchy
1. Management Problem / issue/ crisis
2. Research question/s
3. Management question/s
4. Investigative question/s
5. Measurement question/s
6. Management decision
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5. Research Proposal
1. Statement of the research question
2. Brief description of research methodology
3. Pilot Testing
4. Data collection
5. Data preparation
6. Data analysis and interpretation
7. Research reporting
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6. Research Process
1. Identifying the problem / need / issue
2. Clear and well defined as research problem
3. Build a hypothesis
4. Research design
5. Data Collection
6. Data organization
7. Data Analysis
8. Hypothesis testing
9. Research Reporting with Findings / conclusions / suggestions
10. Management Decision
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7. 1. Identifying the problem / need / issue
• Business problems are seen with the symptoms as
management dilemma.
• Need to identify the problem
• Assess the scope and need to arrive at a solution to the
identified problem.
• Management problem should be well understood and cross
checked by the researcher.
• Example : Company’s sales are slowing down
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8. 2. Clear and well defined as research
problem
• Once the dilemma or the issue is addressed the cause or the problem
should be well defined.
• In this activity, the researcher should have good understanding of the
product, policies, pricing, market, management, ownership and other
related areas about the problem. According state the following
• State the nature and scope of research problem
• Review research context or environment
• Specify research objectives
• Example : Fall in growth rate of sales for the past 5 financial years is evenly
distributed across the country.
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9. 3. Build Hypothesis
• It is an assumption which may or may not be true. It is of true
types
• Null Hypothesis (H0)
• Alternate Hypothesis (H1)
• Management is the base or source for this step.
• The researcher takes the clues for the causes or reasons for
the given problem.
Example:
• H0 lack of market demand is the reason.
• H1 The reasons could be internal (company) and external (market)
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10. 4.Research Design
• Definition of research method and methodology framework consisting
various components.
• Select a research design from the large variety of methods, techniques,
procedures, protocols, and sampling plans
• Conditions or limitations or constants should be stated.
• Define dependent and independent variables and their relationship.
• The nature of research like observation, study, experimental, sampling, etc
is stated.
• Example: Sales is the dependent variable on market demand which will be
evaluated based on market data and consumer survey across India. A
regression model will state the relationship between the variables.
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11. 5. Data Collection
• It is a systematic process of collecting information related to
well defined variables in an established and controlled
environment enabling to address research problem/s
• Types of data
• Primary data: Questionnaire through a paper, interview, mails, online
applications
• Secondary data : published or openly available data which is historic in nature.
• The data should have
• abstractness
• closeness to the phenomenon
• elusiveness
• verifiability
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12. 6. Data Organization
• Data is collected for the sake of arriving at solutions for
research problems. In this process the respondent or source
of data may or may not be aware of the research problem as
the questions in survey or sampling is desired.
• Once the data is collected, the whole information is organized
to suit the research problem.
• Further the data is classified or segregated as per the
variables and their relationship
• The data is quantified / labeled / numbered / ranked.
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13. 7. Data Analysis
• It consists of various processes as follows depending on the research objectives
and its rigor.
• Interpretation
• Evaluation
• Mapping and charting
• Transformation
• Modeling using mathematical and statistical models.
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14. 8. Hypothesis Testing
• It tells the researcher whether stated or primary hypothesis is true or not
• Analyze the sample data with the test statistic like t test, f test, z score
apply the decision rule as described in research design.
• If the value of the test statistic as analyzed is unlikely, based on the null
hypothesis, reject the null hypothesis.
• In hypothesis testing there are two types of errors
• Type 1 error: Rejects null hypothesis when it is true.
• Type 2 error : Fails to reject null hypothesis when it is false
• Example : Poor sales promotion was the major reason.
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15. 9.Research Reporting
Comprehensive report of the research results are submitted to
the management in a concise and precise manner and language
understandable by the management in a structured format as
follows
1. Executive summary
2. Overview of the research
3. Recommendations or suggestions
4. Implementation strategies for the recommendations
5. Appendix
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16. 10.Management Decision
• If the management is convinced with the research findings, the
suggestions will be accepted and executed
• In case they are not convinced,
1. they may take some more time to cross check the realities
2. May suggest the researcher to do it again with suggested changes.
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17. Problems in Research Process
• Researcher bias to methodology or data source or collection
• Company’s confidentiality
• Partial disclosure of management problem or dilemma
• Legal or political constraints
• Non availability of public or market information
• Low scope to do research
• Manager- researcher conflicts
• Budget limitations
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18. What is a good research?

19. QUESTIONS?
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