How to understand what is research and their types

1. Dr. ( Mrs.) R.L.S. Fernando
Professor
Department of Public Administration,
University of Sri Jayewardenepura,
5th
January 2013
MMS 6102 - Research methods
MBA/MPM/M.Sc. In Management Program 2012
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Faculty of Graduate Studies

2. Aims of this topic are;
 To Provide an introduction to Research
Methodology
 To discuss Basic Issues in Research
Methodology
 To Provide an Introduction to Research
 To discuss the importance of Knowledge
Management and Information Systems in
Business Research

3. • What is research?
• Advancing knowledge/and understanding.
• Solve our problems.
• Search for knowledge.
• An art of scientific investigation.
• A movement from unknown to known.
• An academic activity.

4.  Defining of Research
Research is an original contribution to the
existing stock of knowledge making for its
advancement.
 Research can be described as a systematic and
organized effort to investigate a specific
problem that needs a solution (Sekara, U:
1992).

5.  It is a series of steps designed and followed with
the goal of finding answers to the issues that are
of concern to us in the work environment.
 The 1st
step in research is to know where the
problem areas are in the organization, and
identify as clearly as possible the problem, that
needs to be studied then gather information,
analyze the data and describe factors that are
associated with the problem.
 This entire process by which we attempt to
solve problem is called research.

6. Science and Research
• Science is an enterprise dedicated to “find out “
• An effort to find out the truth.
• Science is a social institution and a way of
produce knowledge.
• A human invention
• The knowledge of science is organized in term of
theories.
Scientists
• Scientists gather data using specialized
techniques and use data to support Or reject
theories.

7. Scientific Method
 It refers to the ideas, rules, techniques,
approaches that the scientific community
uses.
 Techniques or procedures used to analyze
empirical evidence in an attempt to
confirm or disprove prior conception.

8.  Purpose
It must start with a purpose.
 Rigor –
It involves good theory base and carefully
thoughts out methodology.
Collect right information
Appropriate sample
Appropriate data analysis

9. • Testability
– S. R. leads to test logically developed
hypothesis.
– See whether or not the data support the
hypothesis
• Replicability
– results are repeated
– Findings should be supported again and again
whether the research is repeated in other
similar circumstances.
• Precision and confidence
– How close the finding based on a sample is to
reality. Refers to probability that our
estimations are correct. (Significance)

10.  Objectivity
should based on the facts resulting from the
actual.
 Generalizability
 the scope of applicability of the research
findings in one organizational setting to other
settings.
 Parsimony
A less number of variables would explain the
variance for more efficiently. (Economical)
E.g. 3 variables explain 85% of the variance of
the dependant variable.

11. Mainly to discover, answer to questions
through the application of scientific
procedures.
• There are three main purposes;
– Exploration- to explore
– Description-to describe
– Explanation- to explain
 The nature of the problem or the purpose
will determine whether the research is
Exploratory,
Descriptive or
Causal.

12. Exploration
– To explore a topic, to provide a beginning
familiarity with that topic.
Explorative Research
Conducted to clarify ambiguous problems.
An initial research conducted to define the
nature of a problem.
Helps to crystallize a problem and identify
information needs for future research.

13. This purpose is typical when a researcher is
examining a new interests or when the subject
of study is itself relatively new and unstudied.
 (What, How happened?)
 More appropriate in the case of more persistent
phenomena.
E.g. problems of the university students-
To study what problems would be discovered.

14.  Exploratory studies are more typical for 3
purposes.
 To satisfy the researcher’s curiosity and describe
for better understanding.
 To test the feasibility of undertaking more
careful study.
 To develop the methods to be employed in a
more careful study.
Therefore exploratory studies are more
valuable in social sciences research.
But it answers only a given research problem.

15.  Description
To describe a situation and events.
The researcher describes what was
observed.
 E.g. social statistics. Census and
statistic department undertakes an
excellent descriptive research projects
to describe accurately and precisely a
wide variety of characteristics of the
population.

16.  Descriptive research seeks to determine
the answers to who, what, when, where,
and how questions.
 Ex: A market researcher undertakes a descriptive
research to understand the characteristics of
customers who purchase organic food products.
 Unlike exploratory research, descriptive
studies are based on some previous
understanding of the nature of the
research problem.
 Descriptive research do not provide
evidence of a causal nature .

17.  Explanation
To explain things. To answer Why?
E.g. why people vote for the candidate
A?
And others for the candidate B?
Why are officials self interested?
Why are the staff highly dissatisfied?
Why does the company “ X” make
losses?
To explain, causal research is needed.

18. Causal Research
 The main goal of causal research is to
identify cause and effect relationships
among variable.
 Researcher must be knowledgeable about
the research subject.
 Causal research attempts to establish that
when we do one thing, another thing will
follow.

19.  Ex; Training productivity
 Relationship can be explained, thus
prediction can be made.
 When there is no association between
variables, then no causal relation exits.
 However, the existence of the relationship
between the two variables is not sufficient
evidence for causality.
 There should be a spurious association, that is a
very salient factor (third factor) identified as
the more likely influence on the change.

20. Research can be undertaken
– To solve a current /existing problems.
– To add/to contribute to the general
body or knowledge.
 On that basis Research can be mainly
classified as,
Applied research
Pure research/ Basic research

21.  Applied research
Research is undertaken to answer
questions about specific problems
or to make decisions about a particular
course of actions or policy decisions.
To solve a current existing problem in
the work setting.
 Ex: How to implement the strategic plan
more efficient and effective manner?

22. Main purpose of this research is to generate
more knowledge and understanding the
phenomena and to build theories based on the
research results.
The procedures and techniques utilized by
basic and applied researcher do not differ
substantially.
Ex: Why are human being resistant to change?
Both types of research employ the scientific
method to answer the question at hand.

23.  Business, the term has a broader
meaning. Ex: Research in production,
marketing, financial, human resources.
 Business Research covers a wide range of
phenomena
Includes both profit and not profit
organizations.

24.  For a manager, the purpose of research is
to fulfill the need for knowledge of the
organization, the market, the economy
or another area of uncertainty.
 The task of business research is to
generate accurate information to use in
decision making.
 All Research techniques are applicable to
Business Research,
 They use social sciences research
methods.

25. Research facilitates effective
management.
Reduce uncertainty by providing
information
Improve the decision making process.

26.  The decision making process associated
with the development and
implementation of a strategy that
involves four interrelated stages:
 Identify problems and opportunities
 Diagnosing and assessing problems or
opportunities
 Selecting and implementing a course of action
 Evaluating the course of action.

27. • Manager may use evaluation research to
provide feedback for evaluation and control
of strategies and tactics.
• Evaluation Research
– The formal, objective measurement and
appraisal of the extent to which a given
activity, project or program has achieved
its objectives.
– Provide information about the major
factors influencing the observed
performance level.

28. • Performance Monitoring Research (PMR) as
an Evaluative Research
– A specific type of evaluation research that
regularly, perhaps routinely provides feedbacks
for the evaluation and control of recurring
business activity.
– Regularly provides feedback for evaluation and
control of business activity.
– Ex; sales research may use computerized cash register
and electronic scanner at checkout counters to
provide valuable market information to know real
sales volume of specific products.

29.  Total Quality Management as an
Evaluative Research
PMR is an integral aspect of Total
Quality Management (TQM) programs.
TQM stresses continuous improvement of
product quality and services.

30. Research methods help managers to
understand, predict and control their
environment.
Identify the problems and to find out
more about the situation before the
problems get out of control.
 Because outsiders’ recommendations/
solutions may not be appropriated

31. Managers need to know about the
research process.
Manager can use journals/scientific
articles and research and can apply
them to their organizations to reduce
cost and save money.
Such knowledge helps to avoid problems
Research then becomes an useful
decision making tool.

32.  The determination of the need for
research centers on:
Time constraints
Availability of data
Nature of the decision
Benefits vs costs

33.  Business research has become increasingly global
(ex:MNCs)
 It has been strongly influenced by two major trends:
 Increased globalization
 Rapid growth of the internet and other information
technologies.
 These trends will continue, and likely accelerated
as the 21st
century progress.
 The internet and other information technologies are
dramatically changing the face of business research
 The internet is a worldwide network of computers
that allows users access to information and
documents from distant sources.

34.  Effective organizations create knowledge
 Knowledge is different from the data and
information
 Data: may be Quantitative or Qualitative, are
empirical evidence (information) that are
gathered carefully according to rules and
procedures
 Information is a body of facts that are in a
formal and suitable for decision making

35.  Knowledge Management is a process of
creativity an inclusive, comprehensive,
easily accessible organizational memory
which is often called as “Organizational
Intellectual Capital”.
 Effective organizations create knowledge
by taking efforts to capture, organize and
share what their employees know
 The purpose of KM is to organize the
Intellectual capital of an organization in
a formally structured way for easy to use.

36.  Effective organizations systematically
manage activities from information
acquisition to the distribution of
knowledge
 Tools for preserving and sharing data,
information, and knowledge involve;
 Global Information systems
 Decision support systems,
 Customer relations management
systems

37. Data Base Systems
 Statistical Data Bases
 Video Data Bases
 Financial Data Bases
Computerized Data Archives
The internet and the World Wide Web
(www)
Intranet