Business

Research Methods
Chapter 1: Introduction
1. Business Research Defined

A systematic and objective process of generating

information for aid in making business decisions.

2. Types of research

• basic and applied research

• qualitative and quantitative research
• exploratory, descriptive, and casual research
• experimental, quasi – experimental , and non –
experimental research
• etc...
 3. Determining When to Conduct Business Research

Availability of Data Benefits

Time Constraints Nature of Decision vs. Costs
Is the infor- Does the value
Is sufficient time
Yes mation already Yes
Is the decision
Yes of the research Yes Conducting
available before of considerable
a managerial
on hand
strategic
information Business
inadequate exceed the cost
decision
for making
or tactical
of conducting Research
must be made? importance?
the decision? research?

No No No No

Do Not Conduct Business Research

 4. Research Process
• Cyclical, and iterative process with stages
overlapping and interrelated
Problem Discovery Discovery and
and Definition Definition

Research and so on
Design Conclusions and
Report

Sampling
Data Processing
and Analysis
Data
Gathering
The Research Process(schematic representation)
5. Research Ethics
• Ethical responsibility - to do the work honestly
and with integrity.
• Fraud must be avoided that comes in the form of
– Being selective in sampling
– Deliberately biasing data collection
– Not reporting survey responses rates
– Making up data
– Falsifying results
– Biased or inappropriate analysis , and the like