For this week’s assignment you are asked to create a hypothetical research project related to a business topic. This can be anything related to an organizational performance discrepancy and you may use an example from your work experience.
Follow Figure 5, page 55 (only Analyze and Design), in your textbook “An Introduction to Business Research”.
Provide some background on the business and then describe the performance discrepancy. For example, Sales never reach expectations/forecasts, or the company experiences high and costly employee turnover. Next describe how you would conduct a front-end analysis, and then state the problem and the question(s) your research will address.
For the next part of this assignment, identify, based on the problem you stated, what design is most appropriate for the research. Explain in detail! Use sources!
Please find the attached file for the book
An introduction to Business Research Methods 2 DR. SUE GREENER & DR. JOE MARTELLI AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS 3 An Introduction to Business Research Methods 3rd edition © 2018 Dr. Sue Greener, Dr. Joe Martelli & bookboon.com ISBN 978-87-403-2045-9 Peer review by Kiefer Lee, Principal Lecturer, Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University http://bookboon.com AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS Contents 44 CONTENTS Preface 8 1 Research problems and questions and how they relate to debates in Research Methods 9 1.1 Chapter Overview 9 1.2 Introduction 9 1.3 The nature of business research 10 1.4 What kind of business problems might need a research study? 14 1.5 What are the key issues in research methods we need to understand? 16 1.6 Questions for self review 24 1.7 References 24 2 Putting the problem into context: identifying and critically reviewing relevant literature 26 2.1 Chapter Overview 26 2.2 How does literature relate to research? 26 2.3 What kind of literature should we search for? 28 © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. 360° thinking. Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. 360° thinking. Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. 360° thinking. Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers © Deloitte & Touche LLP and affiliated entities. 360° thinking. Discover the truth at www.deloitte.ca/careers http://www.deloitte.ca/careers AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS Contents 5 2.4 Effective literature searching 31 2.5 Critical analysis of literature 35 2.6 Using Harvard referencing style 41 2.7 Questions for self review 42 2.8 References 43 3 Choosing research approaches and strategies 44 3.1 Chapter overview 44 3.2 Different perspectives of knowledge and research which underpin research design 44 3.3 Identify differing research paradigms for business 46 3.4 Key differences between qualitative and quantitative research methods and how and why they may be mixed 47 3.5 Criteria of validity and reliability in the context of business research 49 3.6 Your choice of research strategy or design 51 3.7 Classification of research 52 3.8 The Business Research Process 54 3.9 The Academic business research process 55 3.10 Questions for self review 56 3.11 References 56 4 Ethics in business research 58 4.1 Chapter Overview 58 4.2 Understand how ethical issues arise in business research at every stage 58 4.3 Ethical criteria used in Higher Education business research studies 62 4.4 Strategies to ensure ethical issues in business research are addressed appropriately 62 4.5 Plagiarism 66 4.6 Questions for self review 67 4.7 References 67 5 Choosing samples from populations 68 5.1 Chapter Overview 68 5.2 Understand how and why sampling relates to business research 68 5.3 Identify and use a range of probability and non-probability sampling techniques 69 5.4 Selecting the size of your sample 72 5.5 Understand and assess representativeness of samples and generalisability from samples 75 5.6 Sampling simulation exercise 77 5.7 Questions for self review 77 5.8 References 77 AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS Contents 6 6 Quantitative research methods: collecting and analysing data 78 6.1 Chapter Overview 78 6.2 Anticipating how the research design is affected by data collection and analysis tools 79 6.3 Recognising different levels of data for analysis 80 6.4 Coding and entering data for computerized statistical analysis 82 6.5 Choosing appropriate ways to present data through charts, tables and descriptive statistics 85 6.6 Selecting appropriate statistical tools for the research variables 88 6.7 Families of Statistics 89 6.8 Measures of Correlation – the correlation coefficient 91 6.9 Regression analysis 92 6.10 Statistical significance 93 6.11 Questions for self review 95 6.12 References 96 7 Questionnaire design and testing 97 7.1 Chapter overview 97 7.2 Appreciate and overcome the difficulties associated with questionnaire design 97 7.3 Choosing from a range of question formats 99 7.4 How to design, pilot and administer questionnaires 101 7.5 Questions for self review 105 7.6 References 106 8 Using secondary data 107 8.1 Chapter Overview 107 8.2 The value of secondary data to business research 107 8.3 What to look for as secondary data and where to find it 110 8.4 The disadvantages of using secondary data in business research 112 8.5 Big Data 114 8.6 Questions for self review 115 8.7 References 115 9 Qualitative research methods: collecting and analysing qualitative data 116 9.1 Chapter overview 116 9.2 Key issues in qualitative data analysis 116 9.3 The range of qualitative research methods applicable to research topics 118 9.4 How qualitative data can be prepared for analysis 123 AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS Contents 7 9.5 Computer based methods for qualitative data analysis 124 9.6 Questions for self review 125 9.7 References 125 10 Practical issues in conducting interviews, focus groups, participant observation 127 10.1 Chapter overview 127 10.2 Practical considerations relating to participant observation 127 10.3 Practical issues relating to interviews 130 10.4 Practical issues relating to focus groups 134 10.5 Questions for self review 136 10.6 References 136 11 Forecasting trends 138 11.1 Chapter overview 138 11.2 Why forecasting is not widely covered in the business research methods literature 138 11.3 Existing methodologies for forecasting 140 11.4 Basic forecasting tools 144 11.5 Regression and discriminant analysis 145 11.6 Measures commonly used to evaluate forecasts & predictions 148 11.7 Exploring the value of forecasting methods in business practice 150 11.8 Questions for self review 151 11.9 References 151 12 Reporting research results 152 12.1 Chapter overview 152 12.2 Your personal approach to writing a research report 153 12.3 The differences between writing a report for a business audience and for academic purposes 155 12.4 Producing an oral presentation of key findings 161 12.5 Questions for self review 163 12.6 References 163 Comments from peer reviewer 164 AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS PrefaCe 8 PREFACE Welcome to this research methods guide which aims to introduce students to the main ideas and issues to consider in conducting rigorous and effective business research. We offer many links and references to standard works in the field. This book is not a substitute for those standard works, but a starting point which should help you to understand the terminology and find what you might need to know. In this third edition, we have included some updating and improved explanations of families of statistics, regression analysis, big data, mixed methods, social media and presentation. We have also tried to improve sections by changing formats to make them easier to read. If you are new to academic research, keep one thing in mind: there is no one right way to research and no one right way to write a research methodology chapter. The point is to look at the alternatives and build a rational case for the path that your research takes. Sue Greener & Joe Martelli 2018 AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO DEBATES IN RESEARCH METHODS 9 1 RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO DEBATES IN RESEARCH METHODS 1.1 CHAPTER OVERVIEW 1.1.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this chapter successful students will be able to: 1. Distinguish business and management research from other kinds of research 2. Understand the issues relating to identifying and reformulating problems for research 3. Identify the key debates in research methods References, Links and Further Reading Bryman and Bell (2015) or look for other web resources relating to “problematisation”, business research and debates in research methods in social sciences. 1.2 INTRODUCTION 1.2.1 RESEARCH METHODS AS AN AREA TO STUDY As a student of Business Research Methods, you will be wearing two hats. One hat or role is that of a student who wishes to pass exams in this area, so you will need to learn enough about research methods to write an assignment of appropriate standard and/or to pass the examination. This is your academic role, and this means we must look at research methods from an academic point of view. All academic work, as you already know, must take account of published literature (textbooks, journal articles, professional articles, relevant website information, company literature etc.). So we will be looking at research methods literature, in order that you can use it to help you understand the chapters, and use the literature in your assessment. You may continue your studies and do further academic work at a higher level; again you will need to use research methods ideas and theories from the literature directly in that study. AN INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS RESEARCH PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO DEBATES IN RESEARCH METHODS 10 But there is another hat, that of manager, research consultant or practitioner, for which this short book aims to prepare you. Sometimes, your academic assignments may require you to step into the role of consultant. So sometimes in this book, you will need to imagine yourself in the role of manager or consultant, needing to answer questions in real-time, carry out research to answer vital questions for the business you are in. Most of you reading this book may not wind up as researchers in an organization or ever have the title of “researcher”, but in fact, as a manager or a professional in an organization, you will be expected to operate in a logical and scientific manner. Most of the research that is being done in an organization is not in the Research and Development department. In fact, it’s done throughout the organization. As an accredited professional in an organization, particularly one with a university or graduate education, you will be expected to work with sound research-oriented skills. In most organizations, the responsibility for thinking in a systematic and logical manner is everyone’s responsibility, rather than being concentrated in just one function of the business or just being “management’s responsibility”. Take a moment to think through the differences between these research roles, between your academic hat and your business hat. 1.2.2 RESEARCH METHODS VERSUS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Many authors use these terms interchangeably, but there is a correct way of using them. As students of “Research Methods”, we must know the difference. What is it? Textbooks treat this in varying ways but