BUSINESS RESEARCH SKILLS BUS-141- Dr Tamas Lestar tomlestar@gmail.com

In teams WE DISCUSS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LEARN in this module Learning outcomes STUDENTS’ expectations (write on blackboard) Lecturer’s expectations

Introduction to Social Scientific Research, Business Research Why study business research? The researcher and their assumptions! Scientific paradigms. Positivist and Interpretivist. Ontology, Epistemology and Methodology. Research aims and questions. Research ethics.

INTERPRETIVISM

Ontology is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of existence. Belief/Assumption: What is out there (reality)?

Epistemology is the study or a theory of the nature and grounds of knowledge especially with reference to its limits and validity Brief aim: What is the source of knowledge? How can we obtain knowledge.

WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS OCCUR IN A BUSINESS AND ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT? EXAMPLES Return on Investment Restaurant (why waiters leave? Atmosphere changes…) Trends. Should a company follow trends? (for example in supplying certain types of foods) Or NOT FINANCIAL REASONS, E.G. EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION… Etc.

Technological connectivity WHAT MAKES RESEARCH AN IMPORTANT PATH TO PURSUE? Information overload Technological connectivity Increasingly critical scrutiny of big business Continiued….

WHAT MAKES RESEARCH AN IMPORTANT PATH TO PURSUE? Shifting global centres of economic activity and competition More government intervention Battle for analytical talent Greater computing power and speed New perspectives on established research methodologies. To do well in such an environment, you will need to understand how to identify quality information and to recognize the solid, reliable research on which your high-risk managerial decisions can be based.

Recently a group of research clients participated in a Green Book Client Perspective of Consultancy Skills Needed to Be an Effective Researcher Recently a group of research clients participated in a Green Book blog about researchers consultancy skill needs. Here is what they shared. • Researchers need to think strategically. Insights are ultimately about strategy—spelling out implications and recommendations, highlighting opportunities, and describing how business decision makers might use them. • Researchers need to be insights- and action specialists. Researchers need to think like business decision makers, delivering concrete, call-to-action insights. The insights and recommendations need to reflect an understanding of the rapidly changing contexts and landscapes that the business faces—nimble, flexible, proactive, and forward thinking. Continued….

Client Perspective of Consultancy Skills Needed to Be an Effective Researcher • Researchers need to challenge decision makers. Insights need to be bold, provocative. Business decision makers are looking for solutions, direction. • Researchers need to advocate. Researchers need to tell a story, engage an audience, inspire and impassion business decision makers to action. They should learn to become as comfortable using the word should as the word could. Advocacy is fact-supported beliefs, not ambivalence

Hierarchy of Information-Based Decision Makers Successful organisations increasingly use business research

Two types of Business Research 1. Action research Responds to problems and seeks solutions. Immediate. For example: A specific company loses its managerial workers. Why? 2. Pure research (Basic research) No direct relevance to immediate practical problems, performance or solutions. To obtain new knowledge. For example: The emotional aspects of company mergers and acquisitions.

What is good research? GOOD RESEARCH generates dependable data that are derived by professionally conducted practices can be used reliably for decision making follows the standards of scientific method: systematic, empirically based procedures for generating replicable research.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD Purpose clearly defined Research process detailed Research design thoroughly planned. High ethical standards applied Limitations frankly revealed Adequate analysis for decision maker’s needs Findings presented unambiguously Conclusions justified Researcher’s experience reflected

TYPES OF RESEARCH STUDIES (P. 18) REPORTING DESCRIPTIVE EXPLANATORY PREDICTIVE (In class we read four different management dilemmas to represent the above cases. Page 16-18. Or plan other case study activities, e.g. VIDEO case studies)

IN TEAMS WE DISCUSS WHAT THESE 7 Steps mAY INCLUDE EACH TEAM REPORTS ON ONE of the STEPS