1. RESEARCH – Module 1 Introduction

2. The Aim of This Course
This course is designed to help you understand a research project whether you are a postgraduate student of Business and Management or you are a manager.
It provides a clear guide on how to undertake research as well as highlighting realities of undertaking research including the more common pitfalls.

3. Defining Research Research can be defined as:
“Seeking through methodical processes to add to one’s own body of knowledge and, hopefully, to others, by the discovery of non-trivial facts and insights.”
(Howard & Sharp, 1983:7)

4. “Research involves undertaking systematic research to find out things about business and management (Saunders et al.,1997)
‘Systematic’ suggests that research is based on logical relationship and not just beliefs (Ghauri et al., 1995).
As part of this your research will involve an explanation of the methods used to collect data, argue why results are the way they are, argue why the results obtained are meaningful and explain any limitation associated with them.

5. ‘Finding out’ suggests a multiplicity of possible purposes of your research eg describing, explaining, criticising, analysing, understanding, etc (ibid)

6. Purposes of Research To satisfy curiosity To review existing knowledge
To describe some situation or problem
To construct something novel/ new
To explain why things are the way they are
To discover new knowledge
To solve problems
To explore things
To verify or check facts.

7. The Research Path or Process
1. Identify a broad area of study
2. Select/ develop the research topic
3. Decide the Approach
4. Develop the Plan
5. Collect the data or information
6. Analyse & interpret the Data
7. Present the Findings

8. The research process is a walk through framework or guideline to research (Saunders et al., 1997).
The process given above shows the orderly process with one stage leading logically on to the next.
However, in practise, research is rarely like that.

9. Identifying a broad Area of Study
You may find a research topic of your course from your job, work, experience, or problems.
For example you may have an interest in terms of Training and Development and Retention of Employees in your Organisation More specifically GDPs

10. Develop a Research Topic
This is a narrowed down research problem which is small enough to be investigated.
This leads to setting research questions.
The classic way in academic research to identify a research problem is to consider the literature and identify any gaps.

11. Examples of Topic from broad area of study
Factors that can be considered to retain GDPs at OK Zimbabwe/DELTA ( ) .
Challenges faced in Motivating and Retaining GDPs in OK Zimbabwe/DELTA

12. Decide the approach
Your general approach to the research is known as your research paradigm.
The term paradigm refers to the progress of scientific practice based on people’s philosophies and assumptions about the world and the nature of knowledge; in this context about how research should be conducted

13. Your approach to the entire process of the research study is known as your research methodology.
The assumptions you use in your research and the way you define your research problems will influence the way you conduct the study.

14. Develop the Plan This is a detail course of action.
This specify the activities to be done and their specified time periods of undertaking the activities.
Failure to develop a proper plan of action will result in the research not being accomplished.

15. Collecting The Research Data
Data can be collected by using:
Interviews
Questionnaires
Experiments
Observation
Focus groups

16. However, data can also be collected from secondary sources such as:
Financial statements
Magazines
RBZ
ZIMSTATS
E.t.c

17. If you have quantitative methodology you will be attempting to measure variables or count occurrences of a phenomenon.
On the other hand, if you have a qualitative methodology, you will emphasise meanings and experiences related to the phenomena.

18. Analysing and Interpreting the research data
The analysis and interpretation of your research forms the major part of your research project.
The tools of analysis depends on whether you have collected quantitative or qualitative data.
Several descriptive statistics can be applied:

19. Measures of central tendency
Measures of Variation
Certain graphs/Tables can also be applied:
Pie charts
Bar graphs
Simple to complicated tables
E.t.c

20. Writing The Report
It is important to write up your research in stages other that waiting for the final write up
You can communicate with your supervisor (lecturer/tutor) for the stages of the write up.
Remember your score is based on the final write up.

21. Thank You For For Listening!