TOPIC 1- FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS RESEARCH

Definition of research:
Research is a process of steps used to collect and analyze information to
increase our understanding of a topic or issue. At a general level,
research consists of three core steps:
1. Pose a question.
2. Collect data to answer the question.
3. Present an answer to the question. (Pallant, 2015)
THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH

• Research is important for three reasons:

1- Research Adds to Our Knowledge
2- Research Improves Practice
3- Research Informs Policy Debates/Makers
SCOPE OF RESEARCH
• Scope of Business Research. Business research is described as the
systematic and objective procedure for producing information for
help in making business decisions. Business research should be
objective, which means that the information found needs to be
detached and impersonal instead of biased.
TYPE OF RESEARCH
• APPLIED RESEARCH
• Applied research is a methodology used to solve a specific, practical problem
of an individual or group. The research is used in business, medicine and
education in order to find solutions that may cure diseases, solve scientific
problems or develop technology. (Applied research is research that seeks to
answer a question in the real world and to solve a problem)
• BASIC RESEARCH
• Basic research, also called pure research or fundamental research, has the
scientific research aim to improve scientific theories for improved
understanding or prediction of natural or other phenomena.
TECHNICAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS RESEARCH
• Sometimes the results show contradictory or vague fi ndings.
• the issue of questionable data.
• The survey used in a study may contain questions that are ambiguous
and vague.
• researcher may have chosen an inappropriate statistic for analyzing
the data.
BUSINESS RESEARCH PROCESS

• Qualitative research
• Qualitative research-is primarily exploratory research. It
helps researchers gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and
motivations. It provides insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or
hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Qualitative data collection
methods vary using unstructured or semi-structured techniques.

• Qualitative data collection methods vary using unstructured or semi-

structured techniques. Some common methods include focus groups (group
discussions), individual interviews, and participation/observations. The
sample size is typically small, and respondents are selected to fulfil a given
quota.
• Quantitative research

• Quantitative Research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating

numerical data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is
used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables –
and generalize results from a larger sample population.

• Quantitative data collection methods are much more structured; they include
various forms of surveys – online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys and
kiosk surveys, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, longitudinal
studies, website interceptors, online polls, and systematic observations.
QUALITATIVE
data is not countable. It’s chunks of text, photos, videos. data
is usually unstructured, which means it’s not ordered or
grouped logically. data will be collected from a smaller
sample size.
quite rich, and can give you directional insights about
people’s thoughts, feelings, emotions,
Methods include focus groups, in-depth interviews, and
reviews of documents for types of themes
More subjective: describes a problem or condition from the
point of view of those experiencing it
Text-based
No statistical tests
QUANTITATIVE
data can be counted as it’s numerical
data can help to give you more confidence about a trend, and
allow you to derive numerical facts.
Surveys, structured interviews & observations, and reviews of
records or documents for numeric information
More objective: provides observed effects (interpreted by
researchers) of a program on a problem or condition
Number-based
Statistical tests are used for analysis
• the different scientific stages of business research