Research Method for Business - Assignment Example

Research method for business Research methodology Research Methodology is the framework within the confines of which a study is conducted It lays down approach to a problem to be applied in a research programme. This paper will examine different research methods in practice. There is no single best method for research. Rather an approach most effective for the solving of the problem under study will have to be selected. And “Research methodology is always a compromise between options in the light of tacit philosophical assumptions, and choices are frequently influenced by availability of resources” (Gill J, Johnson P 2002) The end result of a study should go a long way in helping solve the problem under study by means of research methods adopted. . Through out the exercise aim and objectives of the study should be kept in mind to apply appropriate research methods. A research paper will have to state the research design and justification of the methods selected and will narrate how the research has been conducted to achieve the object of the study on question. This paper will mainly deal with Qualitative Research Methods. Many firms besides specific problems confronting their business, invariably conduct marketing research for forecasting their sales employing qualitative research methods and quantitative techniques short of hypothesis testing. Data requirement Studies are conducted by either the quantitative or qualitative research approaches. . Saunders et al (2003) quotes Carl Gustav Jung as saying that science which relies on the concept of averages is not suitable for subjective studies. If a study is subjective, statistical science which works on averages is considered unsuitable for achieving the aim of a study. Studies of social science subjects are mostly found to be feasible by way of adopting qualitative research methods. On the other hand for a perspective study, quantitative approach which calls for validity and reliability and requires a lot of theoretical persuasiveness will be adopted. To achieve the objectives of a study, many ways ( research methods) gathering information are available through literature reviews, talking with people, focus groups, personal interviews, telephone surveys, mail surveys, email surveys and internet surveys. Research design and justification In research terminology, the research objectives are theories to be developed. Saunders et al endorse the proposition of Engelen and Zwaan (1994) that theory development trajectory involves using of existing theory and practices and construction of a new theory reflecting reality with a high predictability. Testing of the same is done to determine its confirmation or rejection in other words answering the research questions as correct or not. In theory application, a problem is diagnosed, defined and theories (suggestions) to improve the unwanted situation (deficiency) are determined (arrived at) see figure 1 below. (Saunders et al 2003) Figure.1 Figure 1 The literature review will throw open several aspects of subject under study citing several case studies and sources of research giving rise to new theories. Figure 1confirms this. Saunders et al (2003) state that Engleen and Zwaan differentiate two main research cycles for management studies. They are 1) Empirical cycle with five steps of Research goal, Research design, Data Collection, Data Analysis and Reporting. And 2) Design cycle also the five steps of Design Goal, Design specifications, generation of different designs, selection from different designs and Reporting. Research philosophy Saunders et al agree with the suggestion of Remenyi et al (2000) Research philosophy is of three kinds. They are positivistic philosophy, realistic philosophy and interpretivistic philosophy. This study falling largely under the interpretivistic philosophy as study of a given subject will involve facts that are real. For instance to evaluate cost overruns in software development, in an attempt to understand the subject under research , the author/researcher will collect following secondary information through foregoing literature review which discusses current situation of the phenomena under investigation different software methodologies in use, and why certain industries are able to survive in chaos characteristics of the soft ware industry at present. A review of the current situation of cost overruns Identification of current studies on principles of project management Justification of the study of culture by different authors: by studying different project management in software industry set up. Research strategy The secondary data collected are subject to the above qualitative assumptions. Secondary information and data will the support bases for a study. In the literature review, for instance in the case of cost overruns, a near-exhaustive discovery will have to be as to different types of cost models being used under the different approaches such as waterfall, spiral approaches. What the study mentioned should aim to achieve is to think out of the box and to arrive at altogether a different and radical or novel approach for cost and time containment. The secondary data through literature review would only serve as a beacon for seemingly never ending search and not in itself would answer the problems sought to be solved by a study. Therefore the objects of a research are to be achieved by primary research method adopted in any study that is surveys by means of questionnaire. Before moving on to the questionnaire aspects further, the broad outline underlying a study will have to be mentioned for justification of the method selection. Even if a research is mainly of qualitative character, quantitative surveys are used to collect opinion. Opinions indicate how respondents feel, for instance, about cost overruns and what they think or believe about the cost models while behaviour shed light on the choice made by software developers. (Saunders et al. 2003). These data so collected will generalize the relevant organizational behaviour. Meanwhile study of the subject will give insights to draw in-depth conclusions. This is the inductive approach to enable researchers to use qualitative data in order to confirm different aspects of phenomena quoted in Saunders et al. 2003. By collecting more qualitative information regarding the phenomenon being studied, convenience and quota sampling research approach will be applied to interviewing respondents. Moreover in qualitative research especially literature review, the qualitative stage will make it possible to formulate a survey questionnaire. Qualitative research techniques are widely accepted as a means to gain information (Krueger, 1994; Malhotra and Birks, 2000). Saunders et al (2003) label the research process as ‘onion’ having five different layers. This research design will follow the onion strategy. See Table.1 below. Table .1 Author/researcher as one of the methods, adopts top down development of the research i.e. starting with the outside layer of Research philosophy, and by peeling one layer after another until the fifth layer of defining of data collection methods. Similar approach is also suggested by Remenyi et al. (2000) Justification of survey The questionnaire must be designed keeping in mind the following principles. (Hannan 2006, Fray B, 2001) Questions should be straightforward and considered a very efficient way of fact gathering. Questionnaire answering evokes data amenable to quantification by simple counting of boxes or content analysis of written responses as the case may be. It must be the rule rather than exception to ask only few essential questions so that respondents are not annoyed which will result either in non-return of the questionnaire or inaccurate or incomplete answers. Avoid open-ended questions The question requiring personal or confidential information must be at the end of the questionnaire so that the responders are not forced to discontinue and fail to return the questionnaire. It is necessary to have the identity of the responders who can be promised confidentiality but not anonymity. If questionnaires are mailed, it should be stamped or post paid. There must be a brief piloting of the questionnaire as it is always important to begin field work by conducting a pilot study. “It is a trial run to test the research design with a sub-sample of respondents having the characteristics similar to those identifiable in the mini sample to be surveyed. Piloting is necessary as it is very difficult to predict how respondents will interpret and react to questions” (. Jill J and Johnson P 2002) The author/researcher must send as a pilot study the questionnaire to a reasonable number of his co-students or fellow researchers who had interests the same field of study. Their feed back on the questionnaire along with their answers will help the researcher a great deal in making a few corrections and modifications in the questionnaire. Method of data collection Secondary data collection Literature Review of this study will cover a variety of information and statistics necessary for the generalisation and complementing the conclusions derived from primary data. Primary data collection Population and sample The population in the research as responders to the questionnaire will be those who are connected or operating or decision makers in the field of study. The selection of responders will have to be based on the experience and qualifications they possess so as to ensure receiving correct answers There are mainly two ways of sampling known as probability sampling and purposive sampling under which there are four broad categories as in figure 2 below. (see Journal of Mixed Methods Research 78) Figure.2 below While probability sampling is employed in quantitative studies which involves selection of large number of units from a population in a random manner by which probability of including every member of the population is ensured, purposive sampling are used in qualitative research by selecting units of individuals, groups of individuals, institutions for obtaining answers for specific purposes of the research. “Convenience sampling involves drawing samples that are both easily accessible and willing to participate in a study. Two types of convenience samples are captive samples and volunteer samples. MM sampling strategies involve 1) the selection of units or cases for a research study using both probability sampling (to increase external validity) and purposive sampling strategies (to increase transferability).2 This fourth general sampling category has been discussed infrequently in the research literature (e.g., Collins, Onwuegbuzie, & Jiao, 2006; Kemper, Stringfield, & Teddlie, 2003), although numerous examples of it exist throughout the behavioural and social sciences..” (Teddlie, Yu 2006) For example, if the fourth category of mixed sampling is adopted by the researcher for the study, this technique will ensure elimination of dichotomy between probability and purposive sampling. See figure 3. below and explanation. (Teddile, Yu 2006) (Teddlie, Yu 2006 /Mixed Method Sampling) see figure above Data collection First, questionnaires will be mailed to the prospective responders who will also telephonically inform wherever possible. For example in the case of cost overruns, software project Managers and CEOs will be targeted for answering the questionnaire. Adequate time will be given to the responders to deliberate on the issues and give responsible answers and they will be impressed upon that their answers would be decisive on the issues of importance to the growth soft ware industry. METHODS FOR DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Answers to the questionnaire form the database. Data analysis will be started immediately on receipt of answers. A non-linear approach will be adopted as a qualitative analysis, which will focus on understanding and analysis of data as opposed to statistical techniques (Bryman & Cramer, 1990:) A qualitative analysis puts forth the findings not through statistical procedures but through “illumination, understanding, and extrapolation to similar situations” (Preece 1994). It is inductive and less standardised. The researchers in qualitative analysis deal with limited samples of population “nested in their context and studied in depth”. (Miles & Huberman, 1994) A qualitative approach is “more intrusive and less structured than quantitative techniques” (Michael 2003) and it is the most appropriate method of research when is exploratory in nature (Darlington and Scot, 2003). Patton (1987) is of the view that qualitative research results in realistic study of processes taking place by default and therefore not stage-managed as is possible in an experiment. The interviews in person or in questionnaire form enable the assessor to enter into another person’s exclusive domain to see from his perspective. The following procedure will be employed in analysing the data. (leedy & Ormrod 2001) The data will be seen in its entirety. It will be organised in a computer database. The data will be categorised Finally data will be integrated and synthesised. “Theory is not superimposed on data, but emerges from data that are collected” (Gouws, A.R 2005) VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY The validity of research depends up on the internal and external validity of the research. Whereas the internal validity is “the extent to which its design and the data that it yields allow the researcher to draw accurate conclusions about cause and effect and other relationship within data” (Leedy & Ormrod, 2001:103), the external validity is “the extent to which its results apply to situations beyond the study itself” (Leedy & Ormrod, 2001:105) Internal validity The internal validity will be vouched by seeking respondents’ opinions on the conclusions arrived in the research to ensure they align with reality and ‘to guard against shortcomings of perceptual inaccuracies, halo effects, memory recall biases and reflexivity’. (Saunders et al 2003) Perceptual inaccuracies are meant by past events judged not being accurate, Halo effects, preconditioning of the informant to answer, memory recall biases, such as forgetting and distortion and reflexivity is the situations of the informants giving answers to the researcher’s liking all quoted in Saunders et al.(2003) In a post-mortem research as described by Saunders et al, a researcher will take care to avoid all the above by himself and by sending a copy of this research findings to the respondents for their comments. Peer review will be resorted to double check validity of the findings. EXTERNAL VALIDITY. Saunders et al (2003) say external validity is the endorsement that findings in a study could be applied in a wider context beyond the realms of the study itself as an answer to the question raised by Remenyi et al (2000) External validity findings in order to be generalised, the sample should be representative of the population. For example, in our imaginary research, the population samples will have to be deliberate and not representative, as it has to be cogent and plausible. Yet there can be no doubt about the external validity of the imaginary study on cost overruns already glorified by the many reports and individual case studies from the secondary data of this study. More over deliberate sampling stated as attempted by a researcher is not to mean it will be aimed to receive some pre-determined answers nor answers to suit his convenience but to from the point of view of generating responsible answers from responsible persons in reputed organisations. Reliability of the study This deals with the trustworthiness of the data collected for the qualitative research. Saunders et al (2003) adopts the view of Scale that “the trustworthiness of a research report lies at the heart of issues conventionally discussed as validity and reliability” (Saunders et al 2003) It must be ensured that questionnaires for case studies in the secondary data as well as for the primary data have undergone peer review before commencement of the actual case studies as suggested by Saunders et al (2003 )The researcher will also follow the advice on the writing up of a thesis given by Wolcott’s (1990) as quoted by Myers D (1997). As per the advice the researcher will start writing the thesis at the earliest possible opportunity instead of collecting every thing upfront required for the thesis. For example, Wolcott points out that “many qualitative researchers make the mistake of leaving the writing up until the end i.e. until they have got “the story” figured out. However, Wolcott makes the point that ‘writing is thinking’. Writing actually helps a researcher to think straight and to figure out what the story should be. The motto of every qualitative researcher should be to start writing as soon as possible.” (Wolcott) Conclusion This paper deals with the variety of qualitative research methodologies. The quantitative approach short of statistical methods has all also been explained. The hypothetical approach is needed when there are unclear phenomenons not visible to naked eyes. If the problem statement clearly within the qualitative approach for the study is within the context of the topic under study, quantitative study is not necessary. Mostly the researcher will find the research more problematic than presented in the text books as described by Pettigrew (1985a page 222) that research process is “best characterised in the language of muddling through incrementalism and political process than as rational, foresightful, goal-directed activity” The researcher will also find the observation of Becker (1965 pp602-03) very realistic as he says that “every researcher knows that there is more to doing research than is dreamt of in philosophies of science, and texts in methodology offers answers only to a fraction of the problem one encounters. The best laid research plans runs up against unforeseen contingencies in the collection and analysis of data; the data one collects may prove to have little to do with the hypothesis one sets out to test; unexpected findings inspires new ideas; Now how carefully one plans in advance, the research is designed in the course of its execution. The finished monograph is the result of hundreds of decisions, large and small, made while the research is under way and our standard texts do not give us procedures and techniques for making those decisions…. It is possible, after all, to reflect on one’s difficulties and inspirations and see how they could be handled more rationally the next time around. In short one can be methodological about matters that earlier had been left to chance and improvisation and thus cut down the area of guesswork” (Becker 1965) References Becker, H.S. (1965) review of P.E.Hammond’s Sociologists at work, American Sociological Review, volume 30, pp 602-3 Bryman, A. and D. Cramer. Quantitative Data Analysis for Social Scientists. London: Routledge, 1990. Darlington Y., and Scott D., 2003, Qualitative Research in Practice - Stories from the Field, Allen and Unwin, St Leonards. Engelen and Zwaan 1994 Theory Development and Theory Application Force Field Analysis, http://www.improvementnetwork.gov.uk Fray B.Robert 2001, A brief guide to questionnaire development. Gill John and Johnson Phil 2002 Research Methods for Managers Third edition Sage Publications London Gouws, A.R. 2005 Chapter 7 A qualitative analysis of South African Enterprises, University of Pretoria etd Hannan Andrew 2006 Questionnaire in education research Journal of Mixed Methods Research 1978 Krueger, R.A. (1994), Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research, London: Sage Publications. Leedy, P.D. and Ormrod, J.E. (2001. Practical Research: Planning and Design. NewJersey: Meryl Prentice Hall Michael I., 2003, “Online Consumer Behaviour in a Computer Mediated Environment”,Unpublished Doctor of Business Administration thesis, Victorian Graduate School of Business, Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. Miles, M.B. and Huberman, A.M.1994. Qualitative Data Analysis: An expanded source book. London. Sage Meyer, C. 1993. Fast Cycle Time, How to Align Purpose, Strategy, and Structure for Speed. The Free Press. New York. Malhotra, N.K. and Birks, D.F. (2000) Marketing Research: An Applied Approach, European ed., Harlow: Pearson Education. Patton, M. Q. (1987). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications Petitgrew, A.M. (1985a) Contextualist research: a natural way to link theory and practice. Preece, J. Human-computer interaction. Addison Wesley. 1994.p131 Pressman, R.S. (1997). Software Engineering A Practitioner’s Approach. McGraw-Hill. Public Management Dec 2001 Volume 83 Issue 11 ‘IT Project management for the non-it executive’ Remenyi, D., Money, A., Sherwood-Smith, M., and Irani, Z. The Effective Measurement and Management of IT Costs and Benefits (2nd ed.), Butterworth Heinemann, London, 2000. Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2003). 3rd. Research Methods for Business Students, Prentice Hall Teddlie Charles, Yu Fen 2006 Mixed Methods Sampling A typology with samples Wolcott, H.F. Writing Up Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Newbury Park, California, 1990. Read More