Business and Management Research WELCOME

Lecture 5

Learning Objectives By the end of this lecture you should be: able to understand the different types of research methodology able to aware of the the different data collection tools. able to understand sampling design able to learn how to structure a questionnaire

Research Methodology Methods: present tense to describe a method that can replicated he research method is chosen based on: the objectives of the study the costs involved in conducting the study the availability of the data

Research Methodology There are four basic methods of conducting a research study: Surveys Experiments Secondary data studies Observation. Interviews.

Survey A survey is a research technique, which is used to gather information from a sample of respondents by employing a questionnaire. Surveys are normally carried out to obtain primary data. Primary data are the data that are gathered first hand to answer the research question being investigated.

Survey Surveys are conducted by: Meeting the respondents in person Contacting the respondents through the telephone Conducting surveys through email Conducting online surveys through the Internet Researchers adopt any of these methods depending on their requirement.

Experiments In business research, experiments can be conducted for studying cause-and-effect relationships.

Secondary Data A secondary data study is concerned with the analysis of already existing data that is related to the research topic in question. Secondary data studies help in projecting future sales trends using some mathematical models.

Observation Observation technique is a process where the respondents are observed without any interruption by the observers. Example: The shopping patterns of customers in supermarkets assessed by the researcher or by counting the number of vehicles can qualify as observation research.

Interview An interview is a purposeful discussion between two or more people (Kahn and Cannell 1957). Help to gather valid and reliable data that are relevant to research question(s) and objectives.

Sampling Design In sampling, we gather data on an entire “population” by measuring only a subset of that population, known as the sample. A population consists of all of the individual elements in a defined area.

Sampling Design Are there too many people in the group that you are studying? Are you limited in time and resources? If you answered yes to one or both questions, you might want to select a sampling design to carry out your study.

Sampling Design A simple random sample is a selection of individuals chosen so that each point in the population has an equal chance of being selected. Each item in a “population” can be assigned a number. Then the simple random sample can be selected by using a random number table or a random number generator (using a computer).

Sampling Design A well-defined sample has the same characteristics as the population as a whole It is very important to: define the population before selecting the sample decide the size of the sample. How big should a sample be? The bigger the sample size the greater will be its accuracy. Once a researcher decides on a sample, he needs to obtain data from this sample.

Example The data were collected using an internet questionnaire survey. Six hundred Saudi engineering companies were selected from 2,002 companies obtained from the Chamber of commerce database. Determine the used research method, sample and population in the above statment?

Questionnaire structure Well designed questionnaires are highly structured so that the data can be analyzed quantitatively and systematically. Proper questionnaire design is essential to ensure that you obtain valid responses to the questions asked. In order to obtain accurate relevant information: give some thought to what questions we ask how we ask questions , the order we ask questions, and the general layout of the questionnaire.

How do I organize a survey? Plan Ahead Set aside time to prepare questions Identify Goals Clearly identify the information that you want to obtain from the survey Provide Instruction Explain why you are conducting the survey and provide any additional instructions that they will need to complete the questionnaire. Length of Survey/Questionnaire short (1-2 pages) and simple questionnaires usually attract higher response rates than long (4 + pages) and complex ones.

Types of Questions: Closed Format Respondents are forced to choose between several given options. multiple choice, yes/no and ranking Advantages of closed format: Easy and quick to fill in Easy to code, record, and analyze results quantitatively Easy to report results

Types of Questions: Open Format: the respondents can formulate their own answers. use the open format if you are looking for respondents to provide specific comments or feedback. Advantages of open format: Allows exploration of the range of possible themes arising from an issue

How do I ask the questions? Use short and simple sentences. Ask for only one piece of information at a time. Example: Please rate the Global Environment Class in terms of its content and presentation Should be divided into two parts: question one: “Please rate the class in terms of its content” question two: “Please rate the class in terms of its presentation. Avoid negatives if possible.

How should I arrange the questions? Some general rules are: Go from general to specific. Go from easy to difficult. Start with closed format questions. Start with questions relevant to the main subject. Do not start with demographic and personal question Questionnaires must first be piloted and evaluated before the actual survey

How should I begin? It is good to have a personalized cover letter or an introductory statement that: explains the purpose of the survey, the importance of the respondent’s participation, the person who is responsible for the survey. A good way to start is: “Hello. My name is ___(your name)___ and I am student at _(your school or institution). I’m working on a research project looking at __(title of your research project)_ for a course called ‘ ( your course name).’ I was wondering if you have a few minutes to answer some questions dealing with my research.” At the end always thank the respondent for participating in your questionnaire.

Online resources Online surveys can be developed for little or no cost through services such as Survey Monkey (http://www.surveymonkey.com/). This site and similar services may help you to set up your questions, administer your response, and analyze your responses.