2nd Class

What is research?
• How passionate am I about research?
• How ready am I being open to new ideas?
• Have I developed „I can do‟ attitude?
• Am I ready to examine my deep-seated values about management and research?

According to Advanced Learners Dictionary research is defined as “a carful investigation or

inquiry especially through research for new facts in any branch of knowledge.”
Dominowski (1980) defined as “research is a fact finding activity.”
Kerlinger (2000) – “research is a systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation
of natural phenomenon guided by theory and hypothesis about the presumed relations
among such phenomenon.”
Sekaran (2000) – “research is an organized, systematic, data-based, critical, scientific
enquiry or investigation into a specific problem, undertaken with the objective of
finding answers or solutions to it.”
Kothari (2006)- “research is the pursuit of truth with the help of study, observation,
comparison and experiment; the search for knowledge through objective and
systematic method of finding solutions to a problem.”

To Sum Up: Research is the systematic process of collecting and analysing information (data)
in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon with which we are
concerned or interested.
 Research involves three main stages:
planning data collection analysis

Nature and Features of Research

1. Objective 2. Generalizability 3. Free from personal biases
4. Systematic 5. Reproducible 6. Systematic
7. Directed towards solution of a problem 8. Logical 9. Replicable
 5th Class
Scientific Research
- Systematic investigation on the basis of specified method and logics is known as science.
Kerlinger (1983) stated that “scientific research is a systematic, empirical, and critical
investigation of propositions about the presumed relationship among the variables.”
Ostle and Mensing (1975) focused that “scientific research is an investigation followed by
experiment, observation and logical arguments from accepted postulates (claim) and a
combination of these three in varying propositions.”
Sekaran (2012) defined as “scientific research focuses on solving problems and pursues a step
by step logical, organized, and rigorous method to identify the problems, gather data,
analyze them and draw valid conclusion from them.”

From the above discussion, we can conclude that scientific research:

- is comprehensively sequential and rigorous
- is depended on empirical evidences
- consists commonality in process, method and technique
- adheres with objectivity and specificity
- aims to formulate theory or improving existing theory
- is characterized systematic, objective and logical procedures

Features of Scientific Research

1. Rigorous 2. Purposive (aim) 3. Replicable (same result)
4. Objective 5. Testability (hypothesis) 6. Precision(Degree of exactness)
7. Operational definitions (variable can be measured) 8. Generalizability
(tension reduces performance / gander matters for education and invome)

Process of Scientific Research

1. Realizing the Problem 7. Data Analysis
2. Identification of the Problem 8. Interpretation and Generalization
3. Review of Literature
4. Hypothesis Formulation
5. Research Design
6. Collection of Data
 Types of Research
- Basic/Pure/Fundamental Research
- Applied/Action Research
- Qualitative and quantitative research
- Descriptive VS Analytical Research
- Conceptual VS Empirical Research

Basic/Pure/Fundamental Research
“ Gathering knowledge for knowledge sake is termed as pure or basic
research” (Young, 1998)
“A research that is primarily interested to findout certain basic problems
not the solution of the problems is basic research” (Bhattacharya, n.d.)
Key Characteristics
- Develop fundamental principles
- Principles developed by basic research can be generalized
- Find major factors of practical problems
- Help to understand the problems in-depth
- Develop various alternative solutions of various problems
Applied/Action Research
“Generating knowledge that could aid in the betterment of human
benefit is termed as applied research” (Young, 1998)
“ A research method that is used in social science research which helps
to contradict, alter, or modify any existing theory or theories and helps
to formulate policy is applied research” (Bhattacharya, n.d.)
Key Characteristics
- Related with solving the real life problems
- Conclusion of Applied research can be implemented immediately
- Help to prove concepts
- Help to formulate new policies and programs improve previous
procedures and practices
Differences between Basic and Applied Research
Bases of Basic Research Applied Research
Differences
Objective To develop theory Find out the solution of
and enhance the immediate problems faced
existing by the concerned
knowledge organization
Focus Interested area, Focusing on the problems
knowledge & faced by the society or
experience organization
Time Limit No time limit Fixed time is given
Generalization Can be Generalization is not
generalized in all possible and necessary
the similar nature
of organization
Practical Can‟t be Can be implemented
implemented immediately in real life and
 immediately in practice
practice
Analysis Based on Based on individual
technical analysis perception and situation
analysis
Assumptions Variable used in To some extent dynamic
this research are
constant

Approaches to Research
Qualitative & Quantitative Research
Area of Study
- Focus of Research
- Purpose of Research
- Sample Size
- Involvement of researcher
- Data Collection
- Data Analysis
 Descriptive VS Analytical Research

Conceptual VS Empirical Research

Approach/Paradigm of Research
- Set of thoughts / way of thinking / philosophy to observe and view the
natural world and real life phenomenon.
- In research, paradigm means guiding principles or set of rules or set of
assumptions to be followed while conducting research
Positivism
- Truth is absolute
- Considers only the quantitative data
- Entire research process is free from subjective bias and value judgment
- Facts can be tested empirically by employing quantitative instrument
- Uses only precise and objective facts
- No manipulation is possible
- Based on structured hypothesis
- Doesn’t consider moral ethics, norms and culture
Interpretivism
- Social science phenomenon are studied from the subjective point of view
- Considers only the qualitative data
- Research process is influenced from subjective bias and value judgment
- Facts can’t be tested empirically by employing quantitative instruments
- Consider ethics, norms and culture
- Mayn’t have an absolute truth
- Based on value judgment and ethical concerns
Differences between Positivism and Interpretivism
Positivism Interpretivism
An objective world with universal Subjective World (Experience)
laws and causality
Objective Measure – Quantitative A socially constructed reality with
subjective evaluation and
meaningfulness
Separate from subjectivity Involved with individual
experience
Rigorous, linear and rigid based Flexible research process
on hypothesis
Structured questionnaires Unstructured/thematic guidelines
Scientific research method with Inductive reasoning
deductive reasoning
Survey/Structured Qualitative methods –
interview/Observation checklist ethnography, observation, in-depth
interview, focus group discussion
 Management Research

Zimkund (n.d.) defined as ‘management research is the systematic and

objective process of gathering, recording and analyzing data for making
business decisions.’

Michael (n.d.) stated that ‘research in management is a systematic activity

directed towards investigating managerial or business problems, which
may result in or discovery of management tools for problem solving and
decision making.”

To sum up, management research is conducted to identify and analyze the

problem and develop managerial tools to take decisions for solving
managerial problems.

Nature of Management Research

- Transdisciplinary : Knowledge combining the information of various
subject – strategy, structure and environment

- Commercial advantages : to solve particular problems of individual

organization

- Practical : respond to the issue or problems of the business organization

 - Double hurdle: problem of theory and practice. Knowledge creation is done
by academia and research is governed by the world of practice.

Values of Management Research in Business Decision Making

- Identify the Problems : determine the nature of situations or identify the
existence of problem in the organization

- Diagnosing and Assessing problems and opportunities: To clarify the

situation. If multiple opportunities are seen then research should be
conducted to set the priorities

- Selecting course of action : to obtain specific information that will aid in

evaluating the alternatives and in selecting the best course of action. Market
potential, cost factors, sales, advertisement, etc.

- Implementing a course of action : The best plan may also fail if it is not
properly implemented. New tactics, subsidiary plan for course of action.

- Evaluating the course of action : formal and objective measurement and

appraisal of the extent to which a given activity, project or program has
achieved its objectives.
Suggested subject/topics for BBS Project Work
• Traffic Management
• Vegetables market
• Operation management in hospitals
• Cold Drink acquisition behavior
• Street vending business
• Women entrepreneurs
• Cooperatives societies
• Agri- business in Kailali
• Micro finance and women entrepreneurs
• Retail business in Dhangadi
• Fast food restaurants at Bajura
• Online marketing in Mahendranagar
• Trade finance pattern of banks
• Changing technology in commercial banks
• Home stay business in Shurkhet
• Cost control system in ABC Company
• Budgetary control system in XYZ Control
• Distribution channels of Wai-Wai Noodles
• Acquisition behavior of plastic money
• Analysis of financial statement of ABC bank
• Retail business
• Tourism in Kailai
• E-business transactions in ABC Company
• Financial literacy among households
• Mineral water market
 • Material management
• Credit and debt recovery
• Risk management and profitability
• Operation of customer accounts in commercial banks
• Training practices in commercial banks
• Credit management in commercial banks
• Automated Tailor Machine (ATM) on customer satisfaction
• Organizational structure of ABC Company
• Customer retention on hospitality management
• Credit policy in commercial bank
• Corporate social responsibility
• Capital structure of ABC Company
• Digital marketing in departmental stores

Methodology for Management Research

Objectives Data Requirements and Research Output
Analysis
Policy Research
- To Formulate major - Macro level data - Identification of policy
policy proposal - Environmental forces options
- To establish their - Overall organizational - Identification of policy
priorities situation priorities for the
- To identify their - Time series data organization
implication - Prediction
- Projections
Management Research
- To study ongoing - Specific and detailed - Identification of the
operations or data about the problems situation
projects operations or projects - Identification of decision
- To help in - Collection of qualitative options
improving data - Precise recommendation for
managerial - Exploring the situation actions taken
effectiveness for in-depth
- To help in decision understanding
making - Survey research
methods
- Observational research
methods
- Experimental research
methods for testing of
alternatives
Action Research
- To feed the - Continuous gathering - Recommendation of actions
information into the and analysis of data to be taken with regard to
organization to - Problem specific data - Organizational structures
improve the - Opinion survey - Rules
functioning - Observation - Reward and punishment
- To improve the - Satisfaction level system
managerial actions - Morale surveys - Performance evaluation
- To suggest future - Frustration index criteria
 course of action - Focus group - Work environment
- Interviews
- Questionnaires
Evaluation Research
- To measure - Micro level data - Identification of program
achievements against - Program utilization strengthens and weaknesses
the objectives level - Recommendations for
- To identify gaps and - Comparative problem improvements
problems performance
- To suggest - Internal surveys
- Documentary studies
- Focus group
- Interviews
- Questionnaires
 Applying Scientific Thinking in Management Problems
 Management Problems refer to those all problems that managers often
encounter in day to day managerial course of actions.
 Managers frequently face problems related to managerial functions.
 Managerial problems are setting business objectives, designing strategies,
formulate business policies and plans, setting up organizational structure,
mobilization of resources etc.
 Management research can’t be as rigid as pure science research
methodology.
 To increase managerial performance the managerial problems should be
identified and addressed in systematic manner.
 Process of Applying Scientific Thinking in Managerial Research:
- Realizing the Managerial Problems
- Managerial Problem Definition
- Searching Managerial Literatures
- Setting Managerial Objectives
- Theoretical Framework
- Hypothesis Formulation
- Research Design
- Data Collection Procedure
- Data Processing and Interpretation
- Generalization
Difficulties in applying scientific methods to social science
research
- Complexity to subject matter
- Difficult to obtain accurate measurement
 - Misconceived impression of society
- Subjectivity of social events
- Emotional tendencies
- Vested interest of the researcher
- Quality of social events
- Lack of universality of social events
Research Problem
Research problem is a gap between actual and desired state. A problem
could simply indicate an interest in an issue where finding the right
answers might help to improve an existing situation.
Problem definition refers to:
a) Existing business problems where a manager is looking for a
solution
b) Situation that is not putting any problems at present but manager
thinks that things should be improved,
c) Areas where some conceptual clarity is needed for better theory
building,
d) Situations for which researcher is trying to answer?

Examples of Research Problems

1. What is/are the effects of training effectiveness on organization
performance?
2. What are the components of brand equity?
 3. Is the effect of participative budgeting on performance is
moderated by qualification of employees?
Selkaran () stated that “research problem is any situation where a gap
exists before and the actual and the desired ideal estate.”
Kelinger (1973) defined that “a good problem is defined as interrogative
sentence or statement that shows what relations exist between two or
more variables.”
Kothari (2009) mentioned that “a research problem in general refers to
some difficulties which a researcher experiences in the context of either
a theoretical or practical situation and wants to obtain a solution for the
same.”
Research questions should have the following features:
- It should be stated in interrogative form
- It should state relationship between two or more variables
- It should be empirically answerable
- It should be stated clearly and unambiguously
- Research problem should be such as to imply possibilities of
empirical testing
- Research problem should be socially useful, operationally viable
and economically worthy

Some examples of Research Questions:

 - To what extent the promotion expenses increases the sales
revenue?
- To what extent the non-monetary incentives motivate employees?
- Is there relationship between organization culture and employee
satisfaction?
- What is the impact of board size and financial performance in the
organization?
- Is the age mediates in the extent of leadership success?
- Is the inclusion policy responsible for employee disputes in
government organization?
- To what extent the workforce diversity is responsible for work
place harmony?
- Is the poor work life balance of personal responsible in increasing
number of patients in clinic?
Ethical Concern in Research

Developing Theoretical Framework

A theoretical framework is a collection of interrelated concepts
like a theory but not necessary so well worked out. Theoretical
framework is a proposed relationship among logically connected
set of variables in a research work.
Purposes of Theoretical Framework
 - To make research findings more meaningful and
generalizable
- To test the theories in the area of the study in different
work setting
- To predict and control situation
- To establish orderly connections between observations and
facts
- To guide the research
Variables
Young (1998) stated that “a variable is any quantity or
characteristics which may possess different numerical values or
categories.”
Variable can vary observation of observation qualitatively as
well as quantitatively. Height, weight, gender, productivity,
motivation etc. are some variables which can differ individual to
individual within certain limit.
Types of variable
- Independent variable
- Dependent variable
- Intervening variable
 Characteristics of Good Measurement
Two Primary Criteria of Evaluation
1. Whether we are measuring what we intend to measure.
2. Whether the same measurement process yields the same
results.
Validity
- Related with the rationality of measuring tools
- Refers to the ability of a measuring tool to measure what it
intends to measure if not there will be problem
- The questions should get intended responses from the
participants otherwise couldn‟t work
- Validity refers to the truthfulness of findings, actually
measures what it claims to measures. Goode & Hatt
- The validity of measuring instrument is defined as the
property of a measure that allows the researcher to say that
the instrument measures what he says it measures
 - To sum up, validity of an instrument depends on the ability
of instrument to measure what was expected.

Classification of Validity
Content Validity (it is also known as face validity)
- Refers to the adequate coverage of concept
- It ensures that the measuring tools include an adequate and
representative set of items that would tap the concept
- The more the scale item represents the concept of the
research topic; the instrument has the greater content
validity.
- The instrument which scores rational value, such
instrument is considered as valid instrument.
Criterion-related validity
- Refers to the success of measures used for prediction or
estimation
- This validity is used when measures and differentiates
individual on a criterion (dependent variable) it is expected
to predict.
 - It helps to establish correlation between actual and standard
work. The criterion should be
Relevance
Freedom from biasness
Reliability
Availability
Construct Validity
- Construct validity is known as internal validity
- If a measure confirms the predicted correlation with other
theoretical proposition then such measures possesses
construct validity
- It presents the agreement between a theoretical concept and
a specified measuring instrument.
Types What is measured? Methods
Content Degree to which the - Judgment
content of the issue under - Panel
study is adequately evaluation
represented by the with content
instrument validity ratio
Criterion Degree to which the Correlation
 Related predicator is adequate in
Validity capturing the relevant
aspect of criteria
Concurrent Description of the Correlation
present; criterion data are
available at the same time
as predicator scores
Predictive Prediction of the future; Correlation
criterion data are
measured after the
passage of time
Construct Finding out the - individual
differences in measures, judgment
segregating the ideas that - correlation
are measured and - factor
observed how analysis
appropriately the
measures represents

Reliability
- It is related with the result of the research
 - It refers to the act of generating the stable and consistent
results when the instrument are used in different sample
and situation
- Result of the research depends on nature of the data,
validity and reliability instrument and results
- Highly reliable data provides more accurate results
- Stable and consistent result is possible with the help of
reliable data
- The main duty of researcher is to find out the correct
results.
- Qualities of Measurement
Stability Equivalence
Internal consistency
- Reliability can be measured
Test-retest method
Alternative or parallel method
Split half method
Inter-rater method
Practicability
- Measuring instrument that are developed to measure the
attitude of the people must be applicable in practice
 Economy Convenience Interpretability

Attitude Measurement
- Researcher can review the literature in depth and select the
measuring scales which are used by the previous researcher
while conducting research in similar subject.
- Researcher may use the scale as it is used by the previous
researchers or modify in the existing scale
- Researcher can develop new measurement scale. New scale
must be valid. Thus, a researcher should perform the
following work to develop new measurement scale:
a. Specify the domain of the construct
b. Creating sample
c. Collecting data and information
d. Purifying measures
e. Assessing the reliability
f. Assessing the validity
 g. Developing the basic norms of measurement tool and
developing new tool

Techniques of developing Attitude scale

- Choice
- Ranking
- Rating
- Sorting
Scale Commonly Used in Business Research/ Social Science
Research
1. Likert Scale
2. Graphic Rating Scale
3. Itemized rating scale
4. Rank order rating scale
5. Semantic differential scale
6. Other simple scale
7. Simple category questions
8. Multiple choice questions
9. Open-ended questions
Sampling
 - Sampling is some elements of population which helps to
draw conclusions about the entire population
- Sampling is a process of selecting sub-set of the population
by the study of which a researcher would be able to draw
conclusions that would be generalizable to the populations.
- A statistical sample miniature picture or cross section of the
entire group aggregates from which sample is taken the
entire group from which sample is chosen is known as the
population or universe
Reasons for selecting sample
- Lower cost
- Provide greater accuracy
- Helps to greater speed of data collection
- Inaccessible population
Factors affecting the size of sample
- Number of classes proposed
- Nature of study
- Practical consideration
- Standard accuracy
- Nature of cases to be contracted
- Types of sampling used
 - Homogeneity/heterogeneity of universe
Sampling Process
- Defining population
- Specifying the sampling frame
- Specifying sampling unit
- Determining of sample size
- Preparing the plan for sampling
- Selecting appropriate sample
Factors to be Considered While Sample Design
- Study of Universe
- Sampling Unit
- Sampling Frame
- Size of Sample
- Parameters of Interest
- Budgetary Constraint
- Sampling
Sampling Process
- Define the Population
- Specify the Sample Frame
- Specify Sampling Unit
- Selection of Sampling Method
 - Determination of Sample Size
- Specify Sampling Plan
- Select Sample
Facts about Sample Size
- The Larger the size of population, the larger the size of the
sample
- The greater the