Research Methods of Business 8ed: A Skill-Building Approach, An Indian Adaptation

1. 1 Introduction to Research

• Introduction
• Business Research
• Research and the Manager
• Types of Business Research: Applied and Basic
• Applied Research
• Basic or Fundamental Research
• Managers and Research
• Why Managers Need to Know about Research
• The Manager and the Consultant–Researcher
• Internal Consultants/Researchers
• Advantages of Internal Consultants/Researchers
• Disadvantages of Internal Consultants/Researchers
• Knowledge about Research and Managerial Effectiveness
• Ethics and Business Research

2 The Scientific Approach and Alternative Approaches to Investigation

• Introduction
• The Hallmarks of Scientific Research
• Purposiveness
• Rigour
• Testability
• Replicability
• Precision and Confidence
• Objectivity
• Generalizability
• Parsimony
• The Hypothetico-Deductive
• Method
• The Seven-Step Process in the Hypothetico-Deductive Method
• Review of the Hypothetico-Deductive Method
• Alternative Approaches to Research
• Positivism
• Constructionism
• Critical Realism
• Pragmatism
• A Pragmatic Approach to Research
• Research in Organizations
• ‘Fixing Situations That Are Broken’; Organizational Change
• Creating New Business Opportunities
• The Initial Stages: The Manager Starts Exploring
• The Initial Stages: Briefing the Researcher
• The Preliminary Stages of the Research Process: Exploration and (in Some Cases) Diagnoses
• The Preliminary Stages of the Research Process: A First Review of the Literature
• The Start of the Research Process: Developing a Research Proposal
• Finding Solutions to the Problem: The Planning, Collection and Analyses of Data
• Providing Feedback to the Client Organization
• The Final Stages: The Manager Makes a Decision and Acts
• Looking for Decision Opportunities or Areas for Improvement
• The First Step of the Research Process: Exploration
• Fixing Situations That Are Broken
• The First Step of the Research Process: Exploration
• The Second Step of the Research Process: Diagnosis
• The Constraints or Preconditions That Should Be Taken into Account
• Different Types of Problems and Solutions to These Problems
• Providing Feedback to the Client Organization
• Managerial Implications
• The Management Problem
• Defining the Research Problem
• What Makes a Good Problem Statement?
• Basic Types of Questions: Exploratory Descriptive and Causal Questions
• The Research Proposal
• Managerial Consequences
• Ethical Issues in the Preliminary Stages of Investigation

3 The Theory Building

• Introduction
• How to Approach the Literature Review
• Data Sources
• Searching for Literature
• Evaluating the Literature
• Documenting the Literature Review
• Ethical Issues
• Appendix: Some Online Resources Useful for Business Research
• Online Databases
• On the Web
• APA Format for Referencing Relevant Articles
• Specimen Format for Citing Different Types of References (APA Format)
• Referencing Non-print Media
• Referencing and Quotation in the Literature Review Section
• Quotations in Text

4 Theoretical Framework and Hypothesis Development

• Introduction
• The Need for a Theoretical Framework
• Variables
• Dependent Variable
• Independent Variable
• Moderating Variable
• Mediating Variable
• How Theory Is Generated
• The Components of the Theoretical Framework
• Hypothesis Development
• Definition of a Hypothesis
• Statement of Hypotheses: Formats
• Directional and Nondirectional Hypotheses
• Null and Alternate Hypotheses
• Managerial Implications

5 Research Design

• Introduction
• The Research Design
• Elements of Research Design
• Research Strategies
• Extent of Researcher Interference with the Study
• Study Setting: Contrived and Non contrived
• Unit of Analysis: Individuals, Dyads, Groups, Organizations, Cultures
• Time Horizon: Cross-Sectional versus Longitudinal Studies
• Mixed Methods
• Trade-offs and Compromises
• Managerial Implications
• Summary
• Discussion Questions

6 Data Collection: Interviews and Observations

• Introduction
• Primary Data Collection Methods
• Interviews

• Unstructured and Structured Interviews
• Training Interviewers
• Some Tips to Follow When Interviewing
• Face-to-Face and Telephone Interviews
• Additional Sources of Bias in Interview Data
• Computer-assisted Interviewing
• CATI and CAPI
• Group Interviews
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Interviews
• Definition and Purpose of Observation
• Four Key Dimensions That Characterize the Type of Observation
• Controlled versus Uncontrolled Observational Studies
• Participant versus Non-Participant Observation
• Structured versus Unstructured Observational Studies
• Concealed versus Unconcealed Observation
• Two Important Approaches to Observation

7 Questionnaire Design and Implementation

• Introduction
• Types of Questionnaires
• Guidelines for Questionnaire Design
• Principles of Wording
• General Appearance or ‘Getup’ of the Questionnaire
• Review of Questionnaire Design
• Pre-testing of Structured Questions
• Electronic Questionnaire and Survey Design
• International Dimensions of Surveys
• Review of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Data Collection Methods and When to Use Each
• Multimethod of Data Collection
• Managerial Implications

8 Measurement

• Introduction
• How Variables Are Measured
• Operational Definition (Operationalization)
• Operationalization: Dimensions and Elements
• Operationalizing the (Multidimensional) Construct of Achievement Motivation
• What Operationalization Is Not
• Review of Operationalization
• International Dimensions of Operationalization
• Four Types of Scales
• Rating Scales
• Ranking Scales
• International Dimensions of Scaling
• Goodness of Measures
• Reflective versus Formative Measurement Scales
• What Is a Reflective Scale?
• What Is a Formative Scale and Why Do the Items of a Formative Scale Not Necessarily Hang Together?
• Measures from Management Accounting Research
• Measures from Management Research
• Measures from Marketing Research

9 Experimental Designs

• Introduction
• The Lab Experiment
• Controlling the Contaminating Exogenous or ‘Nuisance’ Variables
• The Field Experiment
• External and Internal Validity in Experiments
• Identifying Threats to Validity
• Review of Factors Affecting Internal and External Validity
• Types of Experimental Design and Validity
• Ex Post Facto Designs
• Simulation
• Ethical Issues in Experimental Design Research
• Managerial Implications

10 Sampling

• Introduction
• Population, Element, Sample, Sampling Unit and Subject
• Sample Data and Population Values
• Normality of Distributions
• The Sampling Process
• Probability Sampling
• Unrestricted or Simple Random Sampling
• Restricted or Complex Probability Sampling
• Review of Probability Sampling Designs
• Nonprobability Sampling
• Convenience Sampling
• Purposive Sampling
• Review of Nonprobability Sampling Designs
• Intermezzo: Examples of When Certain Sampling Designs Would Be Appropriate
• Issues of Precision and Confidence in Determining Sample Size
• Sample Data and Hypothesis Testing
• The Sample Size
• Sampling as Related to Qualitative Studies

11 Qualitative Data Analysis

• Introduction
• Three Important Steps in Qualitative Data Analysis
• Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research
• Some Other Methods of Gathering and Analysing Qualitative Data

12 Quantitative Data Analysis: Hypothesis Testing

• Introduction
• Getting the Data Ready for Analysis
• Getting a Feel for the Data
• Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion
• Relationships Between Variables
• Type I Errors, Type II Errors and Statistical Power
• Choosing the Appropriate Statistical Technique

13 Quantitative Data Analysis: Bivariate Analysis

• Introduction
• Correlation
• Validity

14 Quantitative Data Analysis: Multivariate Analysis I

• Introduction
• Multiple Regression
• Logistic Regression
• Discriminant Analysis
• Conjoint Analysis
• Two-Way ANOVA
• MANOVA
• Canonical Correlation
• Mediation Analysis
• Big Data Mining and Operations Research
• Some Software
• Packages Useful for Data Analysis

15 Quantitative Data Analysis: Multivariate Analysis II

• Introduction
• Partitioning the Variance in Factor Analysis
• Extracting Factor Approach 2: Common Factor Analysis
• Cluster Analysis
• Multidimensional Scaling

16 The Research Report

• Introduction
• The Written Report
• Contents of the Research Report
• Oral Presentation

Summary

Discussion Questions

Appendix: Examples

Report 1: Sample of a Report Involving a Descriptive Study

Report 2: Sample of a Report Offering Alternative Solutions and Explaining the Pros and Cons of Each Alternative

Report 3: Example of an Abridged Basic Research Report

17 Conclusions

Case Studies

A Final Note to Students

Statistical Tables

Glossary

Bibliography

Index