CHAPTER TWO

PROBLEM FORMULATION:

THE HEART OF RESEARCH PROCESS

By:- Wondwossen J. (PhD)

1
 The Research Process
 It is the approach of capturing relevant information to tackle a
problem of interest through accomplishing an appropriate
research.
 A research process encompasses a number of stages/steps.
 However, research may not essentially pass through all the stages
sequentially.
 It all depends on the nature and purpose of the research being
conducted.
 The major steps in conducting business related research.
 Identification of research topic
 Defining the research problem
 Establish Research Objective
 Planning a research design
 Planning a sample
 Collecting the data
 Analyzing the data
 Formulating the conclusions and preparing the report
2
 1) Identification of a Research Topic
 A topic is an area within a given field of study that you
would like to explore in your research.
 It is the subject discussed or to be discussed.
 To do a research, a topic must be identified.
 In identifying topics for research, you may rely on:
 Personal experience/From your mind
 From reading
 Curiosity based on situation in the media: Ex: watching TV
program
 The state of knowledge in the field: your knowledge of the
field suggests a topic.
 Solving a problem: appropriate topics are those that often
begin with a problem that needs a solution
 Personal values: some people are highly committed to a set of
religious, political or social values.
3
Title
 The title page is the “main gate” of the research proposal,
which invites the reader to enter the research proposal.
 An effective title:
 attracts the reader's interest,
 influences him/her favorably towards the proposal.
 reflects the research under consideration, must be chosen
based on the criteria:
 the relevance it has,
 the feasibility of undertaking the study,
 the applicability of the research result, and
 the cost-effectiveness of the research.
 Title or topic tells what the research proposal is all about.
 It should be catchy, concise and descriptive.
4
 Title selection presumes extensive literature review
related to the area of research interest.
 It is good b/c it is concise and at the same time contains
the three basic elements of a topic:
 the thing that is going to be explained ( or explanandum),
 the thing that explains the explanandum (or explanan) and a
 geographical scope.
 Example: the research topic on:
 “Determinants of Private Investment in SNNP Regional
State”
 The explanandum of the topic is private investment b/c:
expected to draw conclusions pertaining to
 your research is
private investment.

5
 The explanans: are captured by the word determinants.
 The actual factors that determine private investment are not
stated in the topic b/c it has to be very concise.
 Hence, the key word “determinants” is used.
 Geographical delimitation is : the phrase “SNNP Regional State”
 Therefore, whenever you design your topic it is better to think in
terms of the most important:
 explanandum and
 explanan and
 delimitation of the proposed research.

 The title is the most widely read part of your proposal by many people.
 It should not be too long so that it is tedious – usually b/n 12 and 15
words but no common hard rule
 It should contain the key words – the important words that indicate
the subject.
6 Titles should almost never contain abbreviations.
 Choosing a Topic
• Research starts by the selection of a topic, a „domain phenomenon‟ to
be studied.
 You may be curious about an interesting phenomenon, a problem
to be solved or a concern to be addressed.
 you may want to test some existing theory or you may want to
generate new models or hypothesis, for e.g., to come up with new
ideas.
Some points about topics for research:
• Topics should not have yes/no answers.
• Topics should not have obvious answers.

• When choosing a topic, it should not matter to you what you find
out:
 you must be unbiased and

 not expect a particular finding – you may be wrong and will need to
explain your results.
7
• Your topic should be do‐able in the time available, so the scope

needs to be carefully defined – not too big and not too small.
• Your topic should add at least some value / new knowledge to

what is already known.

• It should have a basis in business or management theory.

• Your topic should be something you can get excited about, or at

least are interested in.

 Note: The research should be related to area of specialization as

much as possible(Accounting, Finance, Leadership, Business or

Management Science ).
8
 Identifying Broad Topics
 Think of the BIG PICTURE
 What is the problem you are trying to solve?
 Think of something you like to learn more about
 Consult text books, journal or your supervisor
 Pick one based on:
 Interest and relevance
 Magnitude of work involved
 Level of expertise
 yours and your advisors

9
  Examples of Broad Topics
 Optimizing productivity of employee and water resources
 Ensuring Food Safety & Security
 SustainingAgricultural & Marine Environments

 From Broad Topic to Narrow Topic

 Examples of a narrow topic:
 Employee turnover at bankingsector
 Training and development effects on performance
 The effect of advertisement on sales
 Brand and Organizational Performance
 When selecting a narrow topic think how it can contribute towards
solving the BIG PROBLEM!

10
 The Sources of research topics include(but not limited to):
• Existing Research Reports –e.g. Recommendations for future research.

• Application of an existing theory in a different setting or a different

context.

• An investigation into whether aparticular early theory regarding

say,strategy, leadership, customer relations, diversity management,

the financial markets, globalization, economic theory etc still
applies today.

11
 PROBLEM FORMULATION

12
 Defining the statement of the problem
 What is a problem?
 I t i s any ssituation where a gap exists b/n the actual and the desired
state.
 Research problem refers to some difficulty, w/c a
researcher experiences in the context of either a
theoretical or a practical situation and wants to obtain a
solution for the problem.
A problem does not necessarily mean that something is seriously wrong. .
 It could simply indicate the desire to improve an existing
situation.
 Thus, problem definitions can include both existing problems in
the current situation as well as goals to improve the situation in the
future.
13
 A problem is an academic question, that we don‟t know the
answer to it.
 An academic question is aquestion that is so complex that we need
social science/business administration theories and
methodologies to answerit.
 An academic question relates to a lack or gap of something in
the theories and/or a complexed issue in reality
 A research problem is an issue or concern that an
investigator presents and justifies in a research study.

14
 Research usually starts with a feeling of difficulty.
 It takes place when there is a problematic situation and a
need to solve the problem.
 The identification of a research problem is a difficult phase
of the entire research process.
 If the problem is well defined it helps the researcher to:
 Discriminate relevant data from irrelevant ones
 To lay boundaries within which to study
 To be on the right track

15
 It forces the researcher to answer question “Why do I
conduct the research?”
 Broadly speaking, any question that you want answer and
any assumptions or assertion that you want to challenge and
investigate can become a research problem or a research topic for
your study.
 Potential research questions may occur to us on a regular
basis, but the process of formulating them in a meaningful
way is not at all an easy task.
 Because it requires a considerable knowledge of both the
subject area and research methodology.

16
 Determining Whether a Problem Should Be Researched
 Not all questions are researchable, and not all RQ answerable.

 To be researchable, a question must be one for which observation or

other data collection in the real world can provide the answer.

 You need to ask the following questions:

 Can you study the problem?

 Do you have access to the research site?
 Do you have the time, resources, and skills to carry out the
research?

 Should you study the problem?

 Does it advance knowledge?
 Does it contribute to practice?
17
  Will your study fill a gap or void in the existing
literature?

 Will your study replicate a past study but examine

different participants and different research sites?

 Will your study extend past research or examine the

topic more thoroughly?

 Will your study give voice to people not heard,

silenced, or rejected in society?

18
 Why define the Research Problem?
 Define your destination before beginning a journey.
 It determines,
 what you will do,
 will it withstand scientific scrutiny,
 howyou will do it, and
 what you may achieve!

19
 Steps in formulation of a research problem
 Working through these steps presupposes a reasonable level of
knowledge in the broad subject area within which the study is to be
undertaken.
 Without such knowledge it is difficult to clearly and adequately
„dissect‟ asubject area.
 Step 1- Identify abroad field or subject areaof interest to you.
 Step 2- Dissect the broad area into sub areas.
 Step 3- Select what is of most interest to you.
 Step 4-Raise research questions.
 Step 5- Formulate objectives.
 Step 6- Assess your objectives.
 Step 7- Double check.
20
 Where do research idea(problem) come from?
 Research originates with a question or problem.
 Theworld is filled with unanswered questions, unresolved
problems.
 Everywhere we look, we observe things that cause us to wonder, to
speculate, to askquestions.
 An inquisitive mind is the beginning of research.
 There is so much that we do not know,that we do not understand!
 Look around you.
 Consider the unresolved situations that evoke these questions:
 Why?What's the cause of that?
 What does it all mean?
 These are everyday questions. With questions like these, research
begins.
21
22
 Some potential source of research problem:
a) Own professional and personal experience is the most
important source.
 In addition:
 contacts and discussions with research oriented people,
 attending conferences & seminars and
 listening to the learned speakers
 curiosity aboutsomethingtopical;
 the stateof knowledge in the field;
 solving aproblem;
 personalvalues; everydaylife.
 intellectual puzzles and contradictions
 Replication; opposition
 Burning questions
 Yours
 Others
23
b) Inferences from theory and professional literature:
 Research reports,
 bibliographies of books and articles,
 periodicals,
 research abstracts and research guides suggest areas that need
research.
 In general, a preliminary literature search is important to
find out:
 What other researchers have to say about the topic
 Ensure that no one else has already exhausted the questions
that you aim to examine
 See how the topic has been discussed within the computing
theoretical framework.
 Make sure there is enough material available for you to work
with productively.
24
 c) Technological and social change
New developments bring forth new development
challenges for research.
New innovations and changes need to be carefully
evaluated through the research process.

25
 Some points to be observed when selecting a problem:
 Understand the nature of the problem more clearly:
 by discussing it with others more acquainted or
experienced people.
 Subject which is overdone and should be avoided
 Vague problems should be avoided
 The subject selected should be familiar and feasible
 The importance of the subjects
 The qualifications and training of the researcher
 The cost involved and the time factor
 Survey of the available literature:
 Find out what data are available for operational purpose
 Find out if there is gaps in theories
 Find out whether the existing theory is applicable to the
problem under study.
26
 Problem Statement and Research Questions
Problem statement
 What problem are you trying to solve? Address the basic issue to be addressed.

 problem statement is a clear, precise, and succinct/brief statement of the question

or issue that is to be investigated with the goal of finding an answer or solution.

 It is Statement of the discrepancy between what is KNOWN and what NEEDS

TO BE KNOWN.

27
 From Topic to Research Question
 3 typical situations:
1. There is published so much about my topic that I can‟t find a new
perspective.
 Solution: Read the literature for what it doesn‟t say:
• Which methods arenotused?
• Which of the theories‟ boundaries are not explored?
• Which types of cases arenot researched into?
• What other theoretical areas have not been combined with the topic
before?

28
 2. There are nothing published about my topic
 Solution: Combine theories from different academic areas that are
related to the topic.
 Then write a literature review and apply the theories together and apart in
different parts of the analysis, or develop your own model for analysis where the
theories supplement eachother.

3. I have a concrete topic in a specific company

 Solution: Identify issues at the principle level within the topic. Search
for empirical studies done bysocial scientists.
 Ask which theories that could be relevant.
o Which theoretical fields could contribute with new perspectives.
o How can your case study add to your academic field?

 Todevelop a research question is a job to be done!

29
 The Research Question:
 Usually the topics chosen are broad at first.
 It lacks focus for conducting research.
 Therefore, it should be narrowed properly and focused into
specific question
 Techniques that help us to narrow a research topic into
research question:
 Examining of the past and present literature

 Discussing the idea with other people

 Applying the topic to specific context (specific time period,

society or geographical unit, etc)

 Defining the aim of the outcome.
30
 Defining research questions or hypotheses
What is Research Question?
 Divide the problem statement into a manageable topics to be
researched.
 What do you need to know to do so?
 More about the company
 More about the topic (theoretical background)
 More about the specific situation (primary data) – which specific questions
do you need to answer?
 Do you expect any relationships?

 There are two popular ways of stating a research problem:

 as a question and
 as a hypothesis.
• A hypothesis is a statement you believe is true.
31
 Turning ideas into research projects
Examples of research ideas and their derived focus questions

32
Criteria for developing a good research question: FINER
 Feasibility
 Interesting
 Novel
 Ethical
 Relevant(Cummingset al. 2001)

33
 .

FINER
 Feasible (capability )  Ethical
 Subjects  Social or scientificvalue
 Resources  Safe
 Manageable  Relevant(worthwhile)
 Data available?  Advance scientific
 Interesting knowledge?
 Influence HRM PRACTICE?
 Novel
 Impact HRM policy?
 In relation to previous
findings  Guide future research?
 Confirm or refute?
 New setting, new population

34
 In conclusion
 When you‟re thinking about your research, askyourself the five
„Ws‟ and H:
 What is myresearch?
 Why do I want to do the research?
 Who are my research participants?
 Where amI going to do the research?
 When amI going to do the research?
 How amI going to doit?

35
 Objectives of the study:
 It is the most important task in conducting research.
 Research can exactly determine what data is to be
collected.
 Thus:

 Set an overall objective of the research

 Split the overall objectives in to smaller segments known as

sub-objectives
 State the sub-objectives clearly and precisely/concisely

36
 Objectives are:
 the goals you set out to attain in your study.
 They inform areader what you want to attain through the study.
 It is extremely important to word them clearly and specifically.

Objectives should be listed under two headings:

a) Main Objectives ( aims);
b) sub-objectives.
 The main objective is an overall statement of the thrust of your study.
 It is also a statement of the main associations and relationships that you seek to
discover or establish.
 The sub-objectives are the specific aspects of the topic that you want to
investigate within the main framework of your study.
1. They should be numerically listed.
2. Wording should clearly, completely and specifically
3. Communicate to your readers your intention.
4. Each objective should contain only one aspect of the Study.
5.
38 Use action oriented words or verbs when writing objectives.
 6. Closely related to the research question
7. Covering all aspects of the problem
8. Very specific( check SMART)
9. Ordered in a logical sequence
 The objectives should start with words such as:
 ‘to determine’
 ‘to find out’,
 ‘to ascertain’,
 ‘to measure’,
 ‘to explore’
 to describe,
 to identify,
 to measure,
 to compare, etc. etc.
39
 Correlational studies:
 -To ascertain the impact of training on employee retention.
 -To compare the effectiveness of different loyalty programmes on
repeat clientele.

 Hypothesis –testing studies:

 -To ascertain if an increase in working hours will increase the

incidence of drug/alchohol abuse.
 -To demonstrate that the provision of company accommodation
to employees in Addis Ababa hotels will reduce staff to answer.

41
 Research Hypothesis

42
 Research Hypothesis
 Once the objectives and the RQs are identified, a researcher may
develop a hypothesis statement that reflects these research objectives.
 “ Research hypothesis is a statement of the RQ in a measurable form”
 It is a prediction or explanation of the r/p b/n one or more
independent variables (PREDISPOSING/RISK FACTORS) and one
dependent variable (OUTCOME/CONDITION/DISEASE)).
Hypothesis is:
 a tentative intelligent guess postulating for the purpose of
directing the researcher towards the solution of problem.
 a statement which predicts the relationship b/n two or more
variables.
 necessary link b/n theory and investigation, usually stated
after an extensive survey of the literature.
43
 Hypothesis is a testable statements derived from theories
 Observations used to test hypotheses
 Hypotheses “supported” or “not supported”
 Not “proven” or “disproven”

 When hypotheses are not supported:

 Theory is considered falsified (not useful)

Null versus Alternative Hypothesis

 ACFN researches are accustomed to relational hypotheses
that are subject to statistical tests.
 In relational hypothesis, two competing hypotheses are
formulated namely:
 Null hypothesis and

 Alternative hypothesis.

45
 Importance of Hypothesis
 It provides direction to research.
 It defines what is relevant and what is irrelevant.
 Thus, it prevents irrelevant literature and the collection
useless or excess data.
 It sensitizes/informs the investigator to certain aspects of
situations w/c are relevant from the stand point of the problem
in hand.
 It spells the difference b/n precision and haphazardness,
b/n fruitful and fruitless research.
 It is a guide to thinking process and the process of discovery.
 It is the investigators‟ eye i.e. it is guiding light in the world
of darkness.
 It places clear and specific goals before us.
 w/c provide the investigator with a basis for selecting
samples and research procedures to meet these goals.
48
 Characteristics of Good Hypothesis
 A good hypothesis:

 should be empirically testable

 is in agreement with the observed facts.

 does not conflict with any law of nature w/c is known to be true.

 is expert.

 must be conceptually clear.

 must be specific

 should be related to a body of theory or some theoretical

orientation.

 However, a hypothesis cannot be developed for every RQ.

50
 Activity 2
 1. Write background of your title
 Before writing you have to review at least 10 relevant and reputable
articles, which are written recently.
 Here you have to define the key term/research subject/ and the urgency and
importance of the topic as well as the recent findings.
 Finally, you have to show the unique focus of your study.
 2. Write the statement of the problem
 Start with the role of your research issue (the ideal importance of the issue)-
here you can raise the global scenario of the issue.
 What is/are the current situation/s of the issue in Ethiopia?/show the
practical problems
 What did previous researchers reported about the findings in the area?
What are the gaps of those studies?
 How your study going to fill the gap of previous studies?
 3. Write Research Questions/ Hypotheses
 4. Write Research Objectives

52
 Thank You!!!

53