Business Research Methods

1. BRM
Dr. Sarah Wali Qazi

2. “A research proposal is a document that describes the
essential features of a study to be conducted in
the future, as well as the strategy whereby the
inquiry may be logically and successfully
accomplished.”
Busha & Harter, Research Methods in
Librarianship, p. 343.
 Chapter 1: Introduction
 Chapter 2: Research Methodology
 References

3. 1. Background of the study
2. The problem statement (Mention Purpose)
3. Research Objectives
4. Justification
5. Limitation
6. Scope
7. Assumptions
8. Definition of terms

5.  The background study for a project includes:
 a review of the area being researched,
 current information surrounding the issue,
 previous studies on the issue, and
 relevant history on the issue.
 Opening about the topic
 The overview of the area under study
 Significance or any gap
 Major Findings related to the core issues.

7.  A problem statement is the description of an issue
currently existing which needs to be addressed. It
provides the context for the research study and generates
the questions which the research aims to answer. The
statement of the problem is the focal point of any
research. A good problem statement is just one sentence
(with several paragraphs of elaboration). For example it
could be:
 “Is the frequency of job layoffs creating fear, anxiety, and a
loss of productivity in middle management workers."

8. Topic: Corporate Social Responsibility in Local
Organizations: Western Mimicry or Indigenous
Initiatives?
“Are organizations implementing the true concept of
Corporate Social Responsibility and practicing
indigenous practices of or not?
As corporate social responsibility practices may vary
country to country, Pakistan is a developing nation and
has been facing different societal problems then the
western nations, if Pakistani organizations are engaged
in doing CSR activities so are they designed them
according to own social and ethical issues means doing
indigenous practices or just executing the replicated
western CSR conducts”

9.  Descriptive Research Problem -- typically asks the
question, "what is...?" with the underlying purpose to
describe a situation, state, or existence of a specific
phenomenon.
 Exploratory Research Problem– about extracting the
insights of particular concept from the perspective of
experts. The aim is to explore the perception, feelings and
experiences that are realized for the phenomena.
 Relational Research Problem -- suggests a relationship
of some sort between two or more variables to be
investigated. The underlying purpose is to investigate
qualities/characteristics that are connected in some way.

10. PROBLEM STATEMENT PARAGRAPH 4 required parts
1. Start with a general problem identifying the need for the study.
E.g. The problem of this study is ______
2. State the specific problem proposed for research. (use citation &
usually a number to make it clear to the reader, e.g. 30% of the
farms have been affected by the Napier grass disease
3. Introductory words describing Methodological approach (i.e.
Research Design) are given and are appropriate to the specific
proposal problem, e.g. this qualitative study will need to explore...
or this quantitative study will examine ...
4. General population group of proposed study is identified. Small
scale farmers in affected locations will be surveyed to determine ...

12.  Provides Objective
 Use action Oriented words like To determine, To
explore, To identify
 Written in Paragraphs or Bullets for different
objectives
 This will basically answer what this study would be
rather why

13. Research Objectives
 To identify the organization’s motives behind
doing corporate social responsibility practices?
 To explore the modern understanding of CSR in
Pakistan with emphasis on the waves, issues, and
modes of CSR among indigenous organization.
 To recognize the role of government in
encouraging CSR practices and how the
government framework or regulations regarding
CSR, if exist, influence the organization’s
indigenous CSR practices.

15.  Specify the Reasons of your Study
 Identify Stakeholders (direct and related) and their
benefits

16.  What this study will not accomplish
 Under what circumstances/conditions/settings the
results will be applicable.
 Reasons of these limitations

17.  To what extent this study will be conducted
 To what conditions/setting the results can be
generalized/applicable

18.  State all the assumptions you have taken to conduct
this study

19.  Define Key Terms/special terms/specific terms
 Explain acronyms used in your study