Summer 2015

Masters of Business Administration

Semester 3
MB0050 Research Methodology
Assignments

Q.1 What do you mean by Focus Group Discussion? Explain the key elements of a focus
group.
Answer:
Explanation of Focus group discussion:
Focus group discussion (FGD) is a highly versatile and dynamic method of collecting primary
data from a representative group of respondents. The process generally involves a moderator
who steers the discussion on the topic under study. There are a group of carefully selected
respondents who are specifically invited and gathered at a neutral setting.
Key elements:
Size: Ideal recommended size for a group discussion is 8 to 12 members. Less than eight
would not generate all the possible perspectives on the topic and the group dynamics
required for a meaningful session. And more than 12 would make it difficult to get any
meaningful insight.
Nature: Individuals who are from a similar backgroundin terms of demographic and
psychographic traitsmust be included; otherwise disagreement might emerge as a result
of other factors rather than the one under study.

 Acquaintance: It has been found that knowing each other in a group discussion is
disruptive and hampers the free flow of the discussion. It is recommended that the group
should consist of strangers rather than subjects who know each other.
Setting: The space or setting in which the discussion takes place should be as neutral,
informal and comfortable as possible. In case one-way mirrors or cameras are installed,
there is a need to ensure that these gadgets are not directly visible.
Time period: The discussion should be held in a single setting unless there is a before
and after design, which requires group perceptions, initially before the study variable is
introduced; and later in order to gauge the groups reactions. The ideal duration of
conduction should not exceed an hour and a half.
The moderator: The moderator is the one who manages the discussion. He might be a
participant in the group discussion or he might be a non-participant. He must be a good
listener and unbiased in his conduct of the discussions.
Q2. Discuss the concepts involved in Testing of Hypothesis. Also discuss the steps involved
in testing the hypothesis.
Answer:
Concepts in testing the hypothesis:
A hypothesis is a tentative statement about the relationship between two or more variables. A
hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in your study. For
example, a study designed to look at the relationship between sleep deprivation and test
performance might have a hypothesis that states, "This study is designed to assess the hypothesis
that sleep deprived people will perform worse on a test than individuals who are not sleep
deprived."
Steps for procedure of testing hypothesis:
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Five Steps in Hypothesis Testing:

1

Specify the Null Hypothesis

Specify the Alternative Hypothesis

Set the Significance Level (a)

Calculate the Test Statistic and Corresponding P-Value

Drawing a Conclusion

Step 1: Specify the Null Hypothesis:

The null hypothesis (H0) is a statement of no effect, relationship, or difference between two or
more groups or factors. In research studies, a researcher is usually interested in disproving the
null hypothesis.
Examples:

There is no difference in intubation rates across ages 0 to 5 years.

The intervention and control groups have the same survival rate (or, the intervention does
not improve survival rate).

There is no association between injury type and whether or not the patient received an IV
in the pre hospital setting

Step 2: Specify the Alternative Hypothesis:

The alternative hypothesis (H1) is the statement that there is an effect or difference. This is
usually the hypothesis the researcher is interested in proving.
Examples:

The intubation success rate differs with the age of the patient being treated (two-sided).

The time to resuscitation from cardiac arrest is lower for the intervention group than for
the control (one-sided).

There is an association between injury type and whether or not the patient received an IV
in the pre hospital setting (two sided).

Step 3: Set the Significance Level (a):

The significance level (denoted by the Greek letter alpha a) is generally set at 0.05. This
means that there is a 5% chance that you will accept your alternative hypothesis when your null
hypothesis is actually true. The smaller the significance level, the greater the burden of proof
needed to reject the null hypothesis, or in other words, to support the alternative hypothesis.

Step 4: Calculate the Test Statistic and Corresponding P-Value:

In another section we present some basic test statistics to evaluate a hypothesis. Hypothesis
testing generally uses a test statistic that compares groups or examines associations between
variables. When describing a single sample without establishing relationships between
variables, a confidence interval is commonly used.

Step 5: Drawing a Conclusion:

1

P-value <= significance level (a) => Reject your null hypothesis in favor of your
alternative hypothesis. Your result is statistically significant.

P-value > significance level (a) => Fail to reject your null hypothesis. Your result is not
statistically significant.

Hypothesis testing is not set up so that you can absolutely prove a null hypothesis.

Q.3 What do you mean by Exploratory research design? Explain the types of exploratory
research design.
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Q 4. Explain the Structure of the Research Report. What are the guidelines for effective
report writing?
Q 5. Explain the any three types of comparative and non-comparative scales of each in
detail.
Q.6 What do you mean by Research Problem? Explain the steps involved in research
problem identification process.
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