Business Research

Methods – Unit 2
DR. S. MEENA
Research Problem - Meaning
A research problem is a statement that addresses a gap in knowledge, challenge or contradiction
in your field.
Scientists use research problems to identify and define the aim of their study and analysis.
You may decide to conduct research based on a problem if you're interested in contributing to
social or scientific change or adding additional knowledge to an existing topic.
A research problem may also help identify key concepts and terms, overarching questions and
variables
Charcteristics
Research problems have various characteristics that are important during the experimental
process. Understanding these aspects of a research problem can help as you identify and create
your own. Some characteristics include:

Reflecting on issues or required knowledge in a particular field

Relying on evidence and data
Being practical and manageable for the researchers involved in data collection and analysis
Identifying a research problem
Identification of research problem refers to the sense of awareness of a prevalent social
problem, a social phenomenon or a concept that is worth study – as it requires to be
investigated to understand it. The researcher identifies such a research problem through his
observation, knowledge, wisdom and skills
Types of research Problem
1. Casuist Research Problem -- this type of problem relates to the determination of right and wrong in
questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing moral dilemmas through the application of general
rules and the careful distinction of special cases.
2. Difference Research Problem -- typically asks the question, “Is there a difference between two or
more groups or treatments?” This type of problem statement is used when the researcher compares
or contrasts two or more phenomena. This a common approach to defining a problem in the clinical
social sciences or behavioral sciences.
3. Descriptive Research Problem -- typically asks the question, "what is...?" with the underlying
purpose to describe the significance of a situation, state, or existence of a specific phenomenon. This
problem is often associated with revealing hidden or understudied issues.
4. Relational Research Problem -- suggests a relationship of some sort between two or more variables
to be investigated. The underlying purpose is to investigate specific qualities or characteristics that
may be connected in some way.
Sources of Research Problems
Deductions from Theory
This relates to deductions made from social philosophy or generalizations embodied in life and
in society that the researcher is familiar with. These deductions from human behavior are then
placed within an empirical frame of reference through research. From a theory, the researcher
can formulate a research problem or hypothesis stating the expected findings in certain
empirical situations. The research asks the question: “What relationship between variables will
be observed if theory aptly summarizes the state of affairs?”
Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Identifying a problem that forms the basis for a research study can come from academic
movements and scholarship originating in disciplines outside of your primary area of study. This
can be an intellectually stimulating exercise.
Interviewing Practitioners
The identification of research problems about particular topics can arise from formal interviews or
informal discussions with practitioners who provide insight into new directions for future research
and how to make research findings more relevant to practice. Discussions with experts in the field,
such as, teachers, social workers, health care providers, lawyers, business leaders, etc., offers the
chance to identify practical, “real world” problems
Personal Experience
Don't undervalue your everyday experiences or encounters as worthwhile problems for investigation.
Think critically about your own experiences and/or frustrations with an issue facing society, your
community, your neighborhood, your family, or your personal life. This can be derived, for example,
from deliberate observations of certain relationships for which there is no clear explanation or
witnessing an event that appears harmful to a person or group or that is out of the ordinary.
Techniques of identifying research
problem
The techniques Involved in defining a Research Problem is a crucial part of a research study and
must in no case be accomplished hurriedly. However, in practice this a frequently overlooked which
causes a lot of problems later on. Hence, the research problem should be defined in a systematic
manner, giving due weightage to all relating points. The technique for the purpose involves the
undertaking of the following steps generally one after the other:

statement of the problem in a general way;

understanding the nature of the problem;
surveying the available literature
developing the ideas through discussions; and
rephrasing the research problem into a working proposition.
Research Design
The research design is the blueprint for fulfilling objectives and answering questions.
The formidable problem that follows the task of defining the research problem is the preparation of the design of the
research project, popularly known as the “research design”. Decisions regarding what, where, when, how much, by what
means concerning an inquiry or a research study constitute a research design.
Features of a good design
A good design is often characterized by adjectives like flexible, appropriate, efficient, and economical and so on. Generally,
the design which minimizes bias and maximizes the reliability of the data collected and analyzed is considered a good
design.
The means of obtaining information;
The availability and skills of the researcher and his staff, if any;
The objective of the problem to be studied;
The nature of the problem to be studied; and
The availability of time and money for the research work.
Need for research design
 It facilitates the smooth sailing of the various research operations to yield maximal information with
minimal expenditure of effort, time and money.
 Research design stands for advance planning of the methods to be adopted for collecting the relevant
data and the techniques to be used in the analysis, keeping in view the objective of the research and the
availability of staff, time and money.
 Preparation of the research design should be done with great care as any error in it may upset the
entire project.
 Research design has a great bearing on the reliability of the results arrived at and as such constitutes
the firm foundation of the entire edifice of the research work.
 Thoughtlessness in designing the research project may result in rendering the research exercise futile.
 The design helps the researcher to organize his ideas in a form whereby it will be possible for him to
look for flaws and inadequacies.
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS RELATING
TO RESEARCH DESIGN
Dependent and independent variables
Extraneous variable
Independent variables that are not related to the purpose of the study, but may affect the dependent variable are termed
as extraneous variables.
Control
The technical term ‘control’ is used when we design the study minimizing the effects of extraneous independent variables.
Confounded relationship
When the dependent variable is not free from the influence of extraneous variable(s), the relationship between the
dependent and independent variables is said to be confounded by an extraneous variable(s).
Research hypothesis
When a prediction or a hypothesized relationship is to be tested by scientific methods, it is termed as research hypothesis.
The research hypothesis is a predictive statement that relates an independent variable to a dependent variable
Experimental and non-experimental hypothesis-testing research
When the purpose of research is to test a research hypothesis, it is termed as hypothesis-testing research.

Experimental and control groups

In an experimental hypothesis-testing research when a group is exposed to usual conditions, it is termed a ‘control
group’, but when the group is exposed to some novel or special condition, it is termed an ‘experimental group’.
Treatments
The different conditions under which experimental and control groups are put are usually referred to as
‘treatments’.
Experiment
The process of examining the truth of a statistical hypothesis, relating to some research problem, is known as an
experiment.
Experimental unit(s)
The pre-determined plots or the blocks, where different treatments are used, are known as experimental units
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Lab experiment-
Experiments done in an artificial or contrived environment
Terms:
Control – control the contaminating variables
Manipulation of the independent variable-create different levels of the independent variable to assess the impact on the dependent variable.
Basic principles of experimental designs
The Principle of Replication
The experiment should be repeated more than once
The Principle of Randomization
This principle indicates that we should design or plan the experiment in such a way that the variations caused by extraneous factors can all be
combined under the general heading of “chance.
The Principle of Local Control; Under it the extraneous factor, the known source of variability, is made to vary deliberately over as wide a range
as necessary and these needs to be done in such a way that the variability it causes can be measured and hence eliminated from the
experimental error.
TYPES OF EXPERIMENTAL
DESIGNS
. Informal experimental designs
I. Quasi experimental designs
1. Pretest and posttest experimental group
An experimental group (without a control group) may be given a pretest, exposed to a treatment and then given a posttest to measure the
effects of the treatment
2. Posttest only with experimental group and control group
This experimental design is set up with an experimental and control group, the former alone expose to a treatment and not the latter.
3. True experimental group
a. Pretest and posttest experimental and control group designs
Two groups are exposed to the pretest and posttest, the experimental group are exposed to a treatment and the latter (control group) is not
b. Solomon four group design
 Two experimental groups and two control groups for the experiment
 One experimental group and one control group can be exposed to both pretest and posttest
B. Formal experimental designs:
I. Completely randomized design (C.R. Design).
The essential characteristic of the design is that subjects are randomly assigned to experimental treatments (or vice-
versa).
a. Two-group simple randomized design
In a two-group simple randomized design, first of all the population is defined and then from the population a
sample is selected randomly.
b. Random replications design
The effect of such differences are minimized (or reduced) by providing a number of repetitions for each treatment.
Each repetition is technically called a ‘replication’
II. Randomized block design (R.B. Design).
Design the principle of local control can be applied along with the other two principles of experimental designs.
III. Latin square design (L.S. Design)
An experimental design very frequently used in agricultural research.
The conditions under which agricultural investigations are carried out are different from those in
other studies for nature plays an important role in agriculture
IV. Factorial designs
a. Simple factorial design
The effects of varying two factors on the dependent variable
b. Complex factorial design
A design which considers three or more independent variables simultaneously
Categories of Research Design
Qualitative research
It determines relationships between collected data and observations based on mathematical
calculations. Statistical methods can prove or disprove theories related to a naturally existing
phenomenon. Researchers rely on qualitative research methods that conclude “why” a particular
theory exists and “what” respondents have to say about it.

Quantitative research
It is for cases where statistical conclusions to collect actionable insights are essential. Numbers
provide a better perspective for making critical business decisions. Quantitative research methods
are necessary for the growth of any organization. Insights drawn from complex numerical data and
analysis prove to be highly effective when making decisions about the business’s future.
Descriptive: In a descriptive composition, a researcher is solely interested in describing the situation or case
under their research study. It is a theory-based design method created by gathering, analyzing, and presenting
collected data. This allows a researcher to provide insights into the why and how of research. Descriptive design
helps others better understand the need for the research. If the problem statement is not clear, you can conduct
exploratory research.

Experimental: Experimental research establishes a relationship between the cause and effect of a situation. It is a
causal design where one observes the impact caused by the independent variable on the dependent variable. For
example, one monitors the influence of an independent variable such as a price on a dependent variable such as
customer satisfaction or brand loyalty. It is an efficient research method as it contributes to solving a problem.

The independent variables are manipulated to monitor the change it has on the dependent variable. Social
sciences often use it to observe human behavior by analyzing two groups. Researchers can have participants
change their actions and study how the people around them react to understand social psychology better.
Factors affecting research design
There are many factors that affect a study design. Some of them are examined below:
Aim and objective affecting research design
The aim and the objective of a study affects the selection of research design. The researchers
should adopt a design that helps them achieve their aims and objectives. If the aim is to study
human behaviour, then selecting qualitative research method will be more appropriate.
Time and budget affecting research design
The time and budget available for conducting the research are two important considerations
that affect research design. While these factors are important for any type of research, they are
especially critical for a quantitative one since analysing data and running statistical tests requires
a lot of time.
Target audience affecting research design
Researchers must also consider the target audience for the study when choosing a research design. Depending on
the target audience, it may be necessary to use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in order to
ensure that the findings are applicable to a broader group of people.
Researcher’s own preference affecting research design
One of the key factors affecting research design is the researcher’s familiarity with various research methods and
approaches. Since researchers have different backgrounds and training, they may be more comfortable using certain
research designs over others. This can affect the choice of research design and can be a critical consideration in
multi-disciplinary studies where they must jointly agree on the choice of methods or research design.
Sample size affecting research design
Another factor affecting research design is the sample size. The size of the sample must be large enough to allow for
statistical significance, meaning that the findings can be generalised to the rest of the target population. The larger
the sample size, the more accurate the findings of the study are likely to be