BPMN6073 RESEARCH METHOD

BPMN6073
RESEARCH METHOD

ASSIGNMENT

INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL

GUIDE FOR STUDENT

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GENERAL GUIDE

1. Students are required to prepare a research proposal in ENGLISH.

2. The report should not be more than 35 pages.
3. The report should be typed on one side of answer sheets only, using Arial font size
11, and double-spaced.
4. References in APA style must be included and taken from reliable sources such as
books or journals.
Refer to: http://www.emich.edu/halle/style_guides.html to view the details
and samples of APA style.
5. Plagiarism, copying and cheating will NOT be awarded any mark, and
disciplinary actions will be taken instead.
6. The cover of the assignment should include details as in Appendix 1.
7. The marking assessments are as shown in Appendix 2
8. Develop your full research proposal based on the guideline given in Appendix 3
9. The research proposal assignment (i.e chapters 1, 2 and 3 of the research report)
has to be submitted on or before 10 December 2016.

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Appendix 1

UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

BPMN6073
RESEARCH METHOD

Name

Matric No

Date of Submission

Lecturer’s name

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 Appendix 2

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3.4 Data Collection Procedures 1 2 3 4 5

3.5 Data Analysis Techniques 1 2 3 4 5

Total: _________

MECHANICS & STYLE: 20%

References 1 2 3 4 5
Grammar 1 2 3 4 5
Adequacy 1 2 3 4 5
Style of Presentation 1 2 3 4 5

Total: ________

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 Appendix 3

THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL & THE RESEARCH REPORT

RESEARCH OUTLINE

Title
Preliminaries

Title Page
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Abstract
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures

Chapter 1
Introduction

1.1 Introduction to the Study

1.2 Background of the problem
1.3 Problem Statement
1.4 Research Objectives
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Definition of Key Terms
1.8 Organization of Remaining Chapters

Chapter 2
Literature Review

2.1 Review of Related Literature

2.2 Research Model/Framework
2.3 Definition of Variables
2.4 Hypotheses Development

Chapter 3
Methodology

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Measurement

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3.4 Data Collection Procedures

3.5 Data Analysis Techniques

Chapter 4
Findings

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Overview of Data Collected
4.2.1 Response Rate
4.3 Profile of Respondents
4.4 Goodness of Measures
4.4.1 Construct Validity
4.4.2 Results of Exploratory Factor Analysis
4.4.3 Reliability Test
4.5 Descriptive Analyses
4.5.1 Major Variables (Mean, Standard Deviation)

4.6 Major Findings (Null Hypotheses Testing)

4.7 Summary of Findings

Chapter 5
Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations

5.1 Discussion (Total Research)

5.1 Conclusions (Must provide answers to the research questions)
5.2 Recommendations (Must aligned with the significance of the
study)

References
Appendices

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 Proposal Research Report

Substantive Chapter 1 to 3 Include all chapters

Chapter 1 is a what chapter
(Describe what you are going to research)
Chapter 2 is the foundation chapter
(Review the literature that relates to and
Supports the research)
Chapter 3 is a how chapter
(Describe how you are going to conduct
The research)

Describes: Reports:

Procedure of data Procedure undertaken

collection and data Report results
analysis techniques Analyzes data collected

Mechanics Tense : Present or future Past (except direct

reading
Table/data reading)

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EXAMPLE:

Title/Topic
Should accurately reflect the scope and content of the study in not more than 20 words.

TOPIC Example : Determinants of Decision to Insure (DTI)

Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Introduction to the Study
Purpose – to provide a general introduction to the problem area, but not necessarily to the
specific problem to be addressed. After reading this section,supervisor should have a general
ides of what you are planning to investigate. This section usually contains:

 A presentation of the problem to be investigated in broad terms and

 A presentation of some supporting literature.

(This section is typically 2-4 pages)

1.2 Background of the Problem

Purpose – to indicate why the problem is a problem and why it should be addressed (you may
have put a bit of this in the problem statement section and that is okay, because here you will
expand that thinking).

Here you explicate the problem further with information from the literature. By referring to
the literature, you demonstrate that you have a good understanding of the stated problem and
some idea of what other research has been conducted. You will also advance your readers’
knowledge of the problem.

You may want to provide some idea of the breadth and depth of the problem. Perhaps the
problem has never been researched or never been researched in the way you want to do it –
perhaps you want to address the problem in a different context than it has previously been
addressed. The problem may relate to a social condition that needs rectified. It may also
relate to a situation in your workplace that needs to be addressed. Whatever, your rationale
for why the problem needs to be studied, you need to defend it as worthy of study.

(Typically 2-3 pages)

1.3 Statement of the Problem

-It is important that the problem be stated clearly. The essence of the problem can be stated
in a sentence or two, but it should stand alone in the section. Statements that describe the
area of the problem, conditions that relate to it or a bit of background can be included t
support the problem statement. After reading the problem statement, supervisor should know
clearly what you are studying and can examine that in terms of the proposed methodology. A
properly stated problem should:

a. State possible relationships between two or more variables.

b. Identify a question to be addressed even f implied;
c. Have the possibility of being measured in some acceptable manner.

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 (Should be concise and brief not more than 1 page)

1.4 Research Objectives

 The objective is the purpose of the research and not the purpose of the researcher.
 The research objective explicitly states what the study wants to accomplish.
 Example: This study attempts to investigate the correlates of decision to buy
insurance.

1.5 Research Questions

 This constitutes the crucial part of research
What basic question would you like the research to provide?
 The research question/s constitutes the basic area of interest in the study. This
provides the direction for the study.
 The question/s must correspond with the objective.
 Example:
o Is decision to buy insurance influenced by personal characteristics,
projected economic benefits, past experiences, significant others and
environmental pressures?

1.6 Significance of the Study

In this section, you indicate why the study is important in terms of who might benefit from
the results. How might the results be used to improve something? How might the results add
information to an existing data base? The relevance of the study in terms of academic
contributions and practical contribution.

(Typically 1-3 pages)

1.7 Definition of Key Terms

-Define terms that are technical that readers may not understand. Define professional jargon.
Define terms that you are using in a way they are not normally used and terms that have
multiple meanings. Sometime there is a tendency to define too many terms. When you are
trying to decide if a term should be defined, ask yourself if the people who are likely to read
the dissertation are likely to know the term.

The length of the definitions section can vary considerable if a number of terms
need to be defined. (Typically, the section is no more than 2 pages)

1.8 Organization of Remaining Chapters

-In final report

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Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Review of Related Literature
 The term “related” indicates that the theories, principles, and concepts including
findings of studies cited must be related with the major variables under investigation
and the relationships expected from such investigation

 Example of review of literature for the topic : Correlates of decision to insure

(DTI)
2.1.1 Insurance decision studies in general
2.1.2 Decision to insure and personal characteristics
2.1.3 Decision to insure and projected economic benefits
2.1.4 Decision to insure and the influence of significant others
2.1.5 Decision to insure and pressures from external environment
2.1.6 Synthesis of the Literature Reviewed
o Commonalities
o Points of Differences
o Implications to present study
(Depends on the complexity of the research and the amount of literature on the
topic. If the topic is limited properly, it is likely that a 10-15 pages review will be
sufficient)

2.2 Research Framework/Theoretical Framework

-Is there existing theory, construct or considered opinion on which the study can be
theoretically or conceptually based? Is there a logic that supports the study?
Sometimes it is necessary to use more than one theoretical construct to support the
study. For example, if you were studying job satisfaction, you may want to partially
support with Herzberg’s theory and you may want to support with Maslow’s theory.

This may be presented by

a. Schematic Diagram or
b. A statistical Model

-The model must be explained

-The expected relationships must be stated

Example:
Independent Variables Dependent Variable

Personal characteristics
Age
Gender
Occupation Decision to Insure (DTI)
Income
Economic Benefits
Significant Others
Environmental Pressures

Figure 2.1 Research Framework

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2.3 Definition of Terms

2.3.1 Conceptual Definitions

2.3.2 Operational Definitions – these define each variable as reflected in the
instrument used to collect the data (questionnaire)

2.4 Hypotheses

- State what will be measured or the questions to be answered.

You are more likely to use hypotheses in a quantitative study when you are
going to statistically analyze the data to determine if there is a statistical
relationship between variables. Generally, researchers address tow types of
hypotheses. The first is the researcher’s hypothesis (sometimes called the
alternative hypothesis) which is a statement of the relationship between two or
more variables and is stated in positive form. The null or the statistical
hypothesis states that there will not be a relationship. The test of statistical
significance are conducted to attempt to refute the null hypothesis.

- hypotheses can be stated as difference statements, if-then statements,

continuous statements or mathematical statements. Probably the most
common way of stating hypotheses is the difference statement. In both if-then
statements and continuous statements, a direction is stated. When using a
difference statement, you are not specifying a direction.

(Typicaly 1 page or less)

Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design

3.2.1 Type of Study - state what type of research is being undertaken

- Possibilities : a. According to approach –descriptive, exploratory
or survey
b.According to data analysis – Quantitative or
Qualitative
c.According to statistical base
Correlational , causal
-Whatever the specific design used, you need to address why it
is appropriate design for the way you are doing the study.

(Typically about 1 page)

3.2.2 Sources of Data

3.2.3 Unit of Analysis 1. basic source of information

(individual, group, organization)
3.2.4 Population Frame
- Includes all the possible sources of data

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3.2.5 Sample & Sampling Technique

-Explains how the samples were chosen
-Identifies the sample

3.3 Measurement

Detailed description of the instrument/s

Table of item distribution by variable
Includes the various items used as measures
Scales of measurements used
Example:

Table 3.—
Distribution of Variables

Variables Dimensions Total number of items Scales Sources

Supportive work Involvement of co-workers 10 Likert Scale 1-5 Moos (1981)

Environment Supervisors support and
3.3.4 Validation
facilitate employees of Instruments –possibilities : Construct Validity

3.2.1 Validation of Instruments

1. A pilot test is necessary to determine the validity and the

reliability of the instrument for the following.
a. Self-constructed items/instruments
b. Translated versions of the instrument
2. Possibilities - Content & construct validity; Reliability of
instrument

3.3 Data Collection and Administration

1. Describe step by step procedure in the collection of the data

2. Include stages from requests to conduct study until the actual
collection of data
3. Indicate response rate
4. Include period of time covered for data collection.

3.4 Data Analysis Techniques

1. Here identify the various statistical tools used to analyze the data (both
descriptive & inferential)
2. Includes decision criteria:
a. Level of significance
b. Description of relationships:
(when is a correlation strong, moderate or weak)

(For 3.2, 3.3 & 3.4, typically about 3-4 pages)

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Chapter Four FINDINGS

4.1 Introductory Statement

States the purpose of the research and what are expected to be investigated
4,2 Overview of Data Collected
4.2.1 Response Rate
4.3 Profile of Respondents
4.4 Goodness of Measures
4.4.1 Construct validity
4.4.2 Results of Exploratory Factor Analysis
4.2.3 Reliability Test
4.5 Descriptive Analyses
4.5.1 Major Variables (Mean, Standard Deviation)

4.6 Major Findings (Test of Null Hypothesis/es)

1. This section presents the major findings based on the tests of hypothesis.
Meanings of the findings are stated in terms of directions, strengths, and level
of significance observed.
2. Generally starts with decisions regarding the null hypotheses (acceptance or
rejection).
3. Describes direction, strength and level of significance as inferred from the
empirical data generated,
4. Example:
The study found that
Decision to insure is positively and significantly related with age,
income, and the perceived economic benefits but was found to be
negatively and not significantly related to with pressures from the
external environment and the influence of significant others.
Decision to insure increases with age, income and the need to save for
the education of children in the family
Older respondents generally expressed stronger needs to buy insurance
than their younger counterparts. In the same manner, higher income
groups expressed greater needs to buy insurance than those from lower
income groups.
Other major findings reflective of the test of hypotheses.

Table 4.---
Regression of DTI
(N = ____)

Independent Variables

Personal characteristics B Beta F-Value F Significance

Age
Gender
Etc

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Econ. Benefits

Sig. Others

Environmental Factors

R Square df =
Adjusted R Square F=
F Sig =

**p<0.05 *p<0.01

4.7 Summary of Findings

Chapter Five DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Discussion of Findings

1. It is usually useful to list the research questions or hypotheses one by
one and present the data after each one.
2. Support with literature review for justification of findings

5.2 Conclusions (Must provide answers to the research questions)

5.3 Recommendations (Must aligned with the significance of the study)

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