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Uma Sekaran+Chapter+2
Uma Sekaran+Chapter+2
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Scientificresearch is not based on hunches,
experience, and intuition but is purposive and
rigorous.
Helps researchers to state their findings with
accuracy and confidence.
Helps managers to highlight the most critical
factors - so as to avoid, minimize, or solve
problems.
Scientific investigation - more objective
Scientific research - both basic and applied
research.
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Characteristics of Scientific Research
1. Purposiveness.
“A manager who is interested in
2. Rigor. investigating how employees’
3. Testability. commitment to the organization
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
The Hypothetico - Deductive Method
The hypothetico‐deductive method provides a useful,
systematic approach for generating knowledge to
solve basic and managerial problems.
The seven-step process;
1. Identify a broad problem area.
2. Define the problem statement.
3. Develop hypotheses.
4. Determine measures.
5. Data collection.
6. Data analysis.
7. Interpretation of data.
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
The Hypothetico - Deductive Method
DEDUCTIVE Reasoning to test a theory about a topic
of interest.
From the more general to the more specific.
INDUCTIVE Reasoning works in the opposite direction
where specific phenomena is observed first and on
this basis general conclusions are derived.
From the more specific to the more general.
It
is not possible to “Prove” a hypothesis by
means of induction (swans famous example)
Theory Generation
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
EXAMPLE: Inductive-Deductive Methods
A manager may notice that frequent price promotions of a
product have a negative effect on product sales. Based on this
observation, the manager may wonder why price promotions
have a negative – instead of a positive – effect on sales.
Interviews with customers indicate that frequent price
promotions have a negative effect on sales because frequent
price promotions negatively affect the reputation or image of
the product.
Based on these interviews, the manager develops a new theory
about why price promotions have a negative effect on sales –
because frequent price promotions have a negative effect on
the reputation of the product! Accordingly, the manager
hypothesizes that frequent price promotions negatively affect
the reputation of the product and hence product sales. The
manager may verify this hypothesis by means of deduction.
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Alternative Approaches to Research
Positivism
Key approach of positivist researchers is the experiment, which
allows them to test cause‐and‐effect relationships –
Quantitative/use deductive reasoning
Constructionism
Constructionists are often more concerned with understanding a
specific case than with the generalization of their findings –
Qualitative
Critical realism
Need to use Triangulation across multiple flawed and erroneous
methods, observations, and researchers to get a better idea of
what is happening around us -
Pragmatism
Theory is derived from practice and then applied back to practice
to achieve intelligent practice.
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Quantitative
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Alternative Approaches to Research
Constructionism
The world as we know it is fundamentally mental
Qualitative
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Alternative Approaches to Research
Pragmatism
Do not take a particular position on what makes
good research
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