1. Business and Management Research
WELCOME

2. Lecture 5

3. 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

4. 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

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

6. 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.

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

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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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).

15. 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.

16. 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?

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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.

22. 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

23. 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.

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