BRM 9e PPT CH 04 Instructor
BRM 9e PPT CH 04 Instructor
BRM 9e PPT CH 04 Instructor
The Business
Research Process:
An Overview
LEARNIN
G
OUTCOM
ES
2013 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website,
4-2in
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4-3in
Introduction
Key ways in which researchers
contribute to decision making:
1. Helping to better define the current situation
2. Defining the firmdetermining how consumers,
competitors, and employees view the firm
3. Providing ideas for enhancing current business
practices
4. Identifying new strategic directions
5. Testing ideas that will assist in implementing
business strategies for the firm
6. Examining how correct a certain business theory
is in a given situation
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44in
Business problem
A situation that makes some significant
negative consequence more likely.
Symptoms
Observable cues that serve as a signal
of a problem because they are caused
by that problem.
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45in
Decision Making
Decision making defined
The process of developing and deciding
among alternative ways of resolving a
problem or choosing from among alternative
opportunities.
Certainty
Uncertainty
The manager grasps the general nature of
desired objectives, but the information
about alternatives is incomplete.
Ambiguity
The nature of the problem itself is unclear
such that objectives are vague and
decision alternatives are difficult to define.
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47in
EXHIBIT 4.1
Decision-Making Situations
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48in
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49in
Exploratory Research
Exploratory Research
Conducted to clarify ambiguous
situations or discover ideas that may
be potential business opportunities.
Initial research conducted to clarify
and define the nature of a problem.
Does not provide conclusive evidence
Subsequent research expected
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410in
Descriptive Research
Describes characteristics of objects,
people, groups, organizations, or
environments.
Addresses who, what, when, where, why,
and how questions.
Considerable understanding of the nature
of the problem exists.
Does not provide direct evidence of
causality.
Diagnostic analysis
Causal Research
Research conducted to identify
cause and effect relationships
(inferences).
Evidence of causality:
Temporal sequencethe appropriate
causal order of events.
Concomitant variationtwo phenomena
vary together.
Nonspurious associationan absence of
alternative plausible explanations.
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414in
EXHIBIT 4.2
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415in
Degrees of Causality
Absolute Causality
The cause is necessary and sufficient
to bring about the effect.
Conditional Causality
A cause is necessary but not
sufficient to bring about an effect.
Contributory Causality
A cause need be neither necessary
nor sufficient to bring about an effect.
Weakest form of causality.
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416in
Experiments
Experiment
A carefully controlled study in which the researcher
manipulates a proposed cause and observes any
corresponding change in the proposed effect.
Experimental variable
Represents the proposed cause and is controlled by
the researcher by manipulating it.
Manipulation
The researcher alters the level of the variable in
specific increments.
Test-market
An experiment that is conducted within actual
market conditions.
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417in
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418in
EXHIBIT 4.5
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419in
EXHIBIT 4.6
Flowchart of the
Business Research Process
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420in
Deliverables
The consulting term used to describe
research objectives to a research
client.
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421in
Exploratory Research
Techniques
Previous Research
Literature review
A directed search of published works, including
periodicals and books, that discusses theory and
presents empirical results that are relevant to the topic at
hand.
Pilot Studies
A small-scale research project that collects data from
respondents similar to those to be used in the full study.
Pretest
A small-scale study in which the results are only preliminary
Focus Group
A small group discussion about some research topic led by a
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422in
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423in
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424in
Rolling Rock
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4-25in
Sampling
Sampling
Involves any procedure that draws
conclusions based on measurements
of a portion of the population.
Sampling decisions
Who to sample?target population
What size should the sample be?
How to select the sampling units?
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426in
Gathering Data
Unobtrusive Methods
Methods in which research
respondents do not have to be
disturbed for data to be gathered.
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427in
Codes
Rules for interpreting, categorizing,
recording, and transferring the data to the
data storage media.
Data analysis
The application of reasoning to understand
the data that have been gathered.
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428in
Reporting requirements
Conclusions fulfill the deliverables promised in the
research proposal
Consider the varying abilities of people to
understand the research results
A clearly-written, understandable summary of the
research findings
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429in
Research program
Numerous related studies that come together
to address multiple, related research
objectives.
Because research is a continuous process,
management should view business research at
a strategic planning level.
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430in