Business research is a systematic process of inquiry that provides information to guide business decisions. It involves planning, collecting data, analyzing data, and reporting findings. The goal is to answer a research question, test a hypothesis, and reduce risk or predict outcomes for business decisions. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods can be used.

1. Research is defined as human
activity based on intellectual
application in the investigation
of matter.
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH

2. Research is an exploration process…
WHAT IS BUSINESS RESEARCH?
 Business Research is a systematic process of inquiry that
provides information to guide business decisions.

3. WHY STUDY BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS?
New Research Information Technological
Perspectives Overload Connectivity
Computing Shifting
Power & Global
Speed Economics
Factors
Battle for Critical
Analytical Scrutiny of
Talent Business
Government
Intervention

4. PURPOSE OF RESEARCH
Reduce the
level of risk of
a business
decision.

5. TYPES OF RESEARCH
Qualitative research Quantitative research
 The aim is a complete, detailed  The aim is to classify features,
description. count them, and construct models
in an attempt to explain what is
observed.
 Researcher may only know roughly  Researcher knows clearly in
in advance what he/she is looking advance what he/she is looking for.
for.
 Data is in the form of numbers and
 Data is in the form of words, statistics.
pictures or objects.
 Quantitative data is more efficient,
 Qualitative data is more 'rich', time
consuming, and less able to be able to test hypotheses, but may
generalized. miss contextual detail.

6. FOUR TYPES OF STUDIES
Provides a summation Seeks to depict what
of data…often to achieve a already exists in a group or
deeper understanding population…answers the
or to generate comparative who, what, when,
statistics where, how
Reporting Descriptive
Explanatory Predictive
Attempts to evaluate
A study that investigates
specific courses of action
the connection between
or to forecast current
two or more variables.
and future values

7. Provides a summation of data… Answers the who, what, when,
•Skilled Player Salaries in the NFL where, how
•Marketing of Online Programs •Who are Burger King Customers?
•Health & Exercise •Generation Y Savings
•College Recruiting •Smokefree Workplace Policies
•Obesity in Children •Online Shopping Preferences
•International Student Spending •Green Consumers
Reporting Descriptive
Explanatory Predictive
Investigates a connection Evaluate specific courses
•Bottled vs. Draft Beers of action
•Alcohol vs. Freshman 15 •Classroom Assessments
•Bad Economy vs. Increased Drinking •Customer Service
•Does Social Networking Affect the •MBA Recruiting
Way We Work? •Cramming Doesn’t Pay!
•Impact of Economy on Vacation (or does it?)
Spending

8. Business Research is a systematic process of inquiry…
THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning  Develop an investigative question
 Develop a concise statement of
your position
Reporting Data
Analysis

9. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
 Using the research question(s),
determine what data is needed
 Collect the data
Reporting Data
 Provide appropriate summaries of
the data
 Who did you talk to?
Analysis  What did they say?

10. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
III. Analysis & Interpretation
 Establish the significance of the
research statements
Reporting Data  How does the significance (or lack
thereof) impact the overall
hypothesis?
Analysis

11. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
III. Analysis & Interpretation
IV. Reporting
 Communicate the results of your
Reporting Data
findings
Analysis

12. Rising costs,
Declining sales,
I. RESEARCH PLANNING (EXPLORATION) Increased health concerns,
Decreased productivity,
Decreasing job security,
What is the problem or opportunity? technological changes, etc.
…where do ideas come from?

13. Rising costs,
Declining sales,
Increased complaints,
WHERE DO IDEAS COME FROM? Decreased productivity,
Decreasing job security,
technological changes,
 Publications Web-based etc.
 Conversations News-based
 News Outlets Scholarly
Take time to understand
what the status quo is
regarding that particular
topic…
What is the impact of each source?
Need to illustrate the topic’s relevance

14. Rising costs,
Declining sales,
Increased complaints,
I. RESEARCH PLANNING (EXPLORATION) Decreased productivity,
Decreasing job security,
technological changes,
What is the problem or opportunity? etc.
…where do ideas come from?
Restate as a question
WHY?
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF…?
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IF…?
HOW CAN WE …?
Take time to understand
what the status quo is
regarding that particular
topic…

15. WHERE DO IDEAS COME FROM?
 Publications Web-based
 Conversations News-based
 News Outlets Scholarly
This means you will need to perform a review of available
literature in search of studies relating to your topic.
What have others found to be true?

17. I. RESEARCH PLANNING (EXPLORATION)
What is the problem or opportunity?
…where do ideas come from?
Restate as a question
Use the information
and facts gathered to
develop your… research question
How do I answer the
research question? Important factors

18. WHERE DO IDEAS COME FROM?
 Publications Web-based
 Conversations News-based
 News Outlets Scholarly
This means you will need to perform a review of available
literature in search of studies relating to your topic.
What demographic and behavioral factors
are relevant your topic?
Have similar studies been done?

19. A hypothesis is a specific,
testable prediction about
I. RESEARCH PLANNING (E )
XPLORATION you expect to
what
happen in your study.
What is the problem or opportunity?
…where do ideas come from?
Restate as a question
Use the information
and facts gathered to
develop your… research question
How do I answer the
research question? Important factors
The end of the planning
phase is a formal statement
of the research hypothesis

21. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
 Using the research question(s),
determine what data is needed
Reporting Data
Analysis

22. II. DATA COLLECTION & PREPARATION
 What is data?
Data is set of related raw facts or observations
Individuals are the objects described by a set of data
Variables are the characteristics of those individuals
EXAMPLE: In the Census, the individuals are US Citizens, the
variables are age, race, address, gender, etc.

23. II. DATA COLLECTION & PREPARATION
 What is data? What kind of data is there?
Quantitative vs. Qualitative data
Numeric vs. non-numeric
categorical

24. II. DATA COLLECTION & PREPARATION
 Qualitative or Categorical Variables
Ordinal vs. Nominal variables
Ordered vs. non-ordered
Teacher evaluations, Yes or No,
Doneness of meat Male or Female
 Characteristics of nominal scale plus an indication of order
 Implies statement of greater than and less than

25. II. DATA COLLECTION & PREPARATION
 Qualitative or Categorical Variables
 Quantitative or Numerical Variables
Discrete vs. Continuous variables
Finite vs. infinite possibilities
Arise from a counting Arise from a measurement
process: process:
# of cars, # of children Height, weight, salary

26. II. DATA COLLECTION & PREPARATION
 Qualitative or Categorical Variables
 Quantitative or Numerical Variables
Discrete vs. Continuous variables
Time Series vs. Cross Sectional variables
One variable collected at Many variables collected at one
many times time
(evenly spaced intervals)

27. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
 Using the research question(s),
determine what data is needed
 Collect the data
Reporting Data
Analysis

28. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
 Using the research question(s),
determine what data is needed
 Collect the data
Reporting Data
 Provide appropriate summaries of
the data
 Who did you talk to?
Analysis  What did they say?

29. II. DATA COLLECTION & PREPARATION
 What data is needed? What kind of data is there?
 What methods are there for collecting data?
 How do we determine who to get measurements from?
 What do we do with the data?

30. II. DATA COLLECTION & PREPARATION
 What data is needed? What kind of data is there?
 What methods are there for collecting data?
 How do we determine who to get measurements from?
 What do we do with the data?
Statistics is the process of learning from the data
(statistics affects the way we collect, organize, and interpret data)

31. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
III. Analysis & Interpretation
 Establish the significance of the
research statements
Reporting Data  How does the significance (or lack
thereof) impact the overall
hypothesis?
Analysis

32. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
III. Analysis & Interpretation
IV. Reporting
 Communicate the results of your
Reporting Data
findings
Analysis

33. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
III. Analysis & Interpretation
 Establish the significance of the
research statements
Reporting Data  How does the significance (or lack
thereof) impact the overall
hypothesis?
Analysis

34. III. ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION
 Use hypothesis testing to examine the significance of each
hypothesis statement
 One-sample
 Two-sample
 More-than-two sample
 Relationship analysis

35. III. ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION
 Use hypothesis testing to examine the significance of each
hypothesis statement
 Does group A study more than ___ hours per day?
 Does this type of employee earn more than ___ dollars per year?
 Is there really more than ___% of women who feel that way?
 Is the average salary of group A really different from group B?
 Is there really a higher percentage of teens than senior citizens who exhibit
that behavior?
 Does ________ have a significant impact on ___?

36. III. ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION
 Establish the significance of each hypothesis statement
 How does the significance (or lack thereof) impact the overall
research hypothesis?

37. THE RESEARCH PROCESS
I. Research Planning (Exploration)
Planning II. Data Collection & Preparation
III. Analysis & Interpretation
IV. Reporting
 Communicate the results of your
Reporting Data
findings
Analysis

38. THE RESEARCH REPORT OVERVIEW
Problem’s background
Summary of exploratory findings
Research design and procedures
Conclusions

39. 4-39
RESEARCH PROCESS PROBLEMS TO AVOID
Ill-defined
management
Problem’s background problem
Summary of exploratory findings
Un-researchable
questions
Research design and procedures
Conclusions

40. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD RESEARCH
Clearly defined purpose
Detailed research process
Thoroughly planned design
High ethical standards
Limitations addressed
Adequate analysis
Unambiguous presentation
Conclusions justified
Credentials