Lecture 2 – Formulation of

Research Problems
What is research problem?
• A research problem, refers to some difficulty which a
researcher identifies in the context of either a theoretical
or practical situation and wants to obtain a
solution/explanation for the same.

• It is the demarcation/boundary of a problem within a

certain context involving the WHO or WHAT, the WHERE,
the WHEN and the WHY of a problem situation.
What is research problem?
• Identifying a problem is an important but difficult
aspect of the research process.
• The formulating and clarifying process is time
consuming but time well spent in order to conduct
successful research.
• A clear problem enables you to choose the most
appropriate research strategy, data collection and
analysis techniques.
Finding a research problem
1. Current events
2. Suggestions from past studies
3. Suggestions from research by authorities in your
field
4. Theories and concepts with little empirical
research in your field
5. Testing important results
Steps in problem formulation
1. Identify a broad area of study e.g. ICT,
Marketing.
2. Dissect the broad area into sub-areas
3. Select a research topic within the sub-area
4. Formulate the research objectives
5. Write research questions
RESEARCH TOPICS
Research area and topic:
• A research topic falls within an area (subject) of
study. Example:
– Research Area: E-Commerce
– Research Topic:
• Internet marketing behavior of global companies
• Factors determining adoption of e-commerce among the
domestic companies in Vietnam
• Cost Benefit Analysis of e-commerce with reference to flight
ticketing sales for Vietnam Airline.
RESEARCH TOPICS
Choosing a research topic:
RESEARCH TOPICS
Choosing a research topic:
• Too big: assess the impact of Public Procurement
processes since inception.
• Too small: analyse critical success factors for an
organization.
• Too hot: politically sensitive or involving ethical
dilemmas e.g. corruption in govt.
• Just right: your ticket to graduation!
RESEARCH TOPICS
Choosing a research topic:
READ AROUND THE AREA (SUBJECT) to know
the background and to identify unanswered
questions or controversies, and/or to identify
the most significant issues for further exploration.
Developing your research problem
Keep the following in mind:
• Outline the general context of the problem
• Highlight key theories, concepts and ideas current
in this area.
• What appear to be some of the underlying
assumptions of this area?
• Why are the issues identified important?
• What needs to be solved?
Components of the Problem
1. There must be an individual or a group (who)
which is facing the difficulty/problem. It could be a
person, organization, sector etc.

2. There must be some objective(s) to be attained

(e.g., to identify, to examine, to critique, to
compare).
Components of the Problem
3. There must be alternative options for obtaining
the objective(s) one wishes to attain. At least 2
options should be available to the researcher.

Example: To examine why people pay taxes is not a

problem because the people have no choice.
However, one can examine tax compliance.
Components of the Problem
4. There must remain some doubt in the mind of the
researcher with regard to the selection of
alternatives. The research question must address the
relative efficiency of the possible alternatives, i.e. if
the answer is known, there is no problem.

5. There must be some environment(s)/context to

which the difficulty pertains.
Context of the Problem
• Several factors need to be considered:
(i)The environment may change affecting the efficiency or
value of the outcome, e.g. Change in regulation.
(ii) The number of alternative options may be very large,
e.g., in finding out why firms are successful, many reasons
exist.
(iii) Demographic factors (age, gender, education or
income levels) may affect the outcomes of the research
problem.
Context of the Problem
(iv) Some phenomena may be “moving targets”
making them hard to measure.

All such elements need to be considered in finding

the optimal solution to the research problem.
A good business research problem
A good one should be:
• Explicit – distinct and testable.
• Clear – relationships between concepts should be
clearly explained.
• Original – say something new, innovative,
interesting.
• Have managerial relevance and/or theoretical
significance.
A good business research problem
Research problems should be SMART:
• Specific – clear and explicit on what is to be done,
also mentions what the study is not about.
• Measurable – concepts/variables are clearly defined
and can be measured.
• Achievable – within the constraints of time, funding
and availability of data.
• Realistic – within your range of competence.
• Time-bound – timeframe clearly defined.
Research sub-problems
• The sub-problems are stated as research objectives.
• Each sub-problem should be a completely
researchable unit.
• Each sub-problem must be clearly tied to the
interpretation of the data.
• The sub-problems must add up to the totality of the
problem.
• Sub-problems should be small in number (3 – 5).
Research sub-problems
• Since the sub-problems are the research
objectives, they should be stated using verbs, e.g.,
to analyse, to compare, to examine, to assess, to
identify.
• The verbs also make your research measurable
and easier to assess. The research output is assessed
in the ability to address each of the research
objectives.
Research sub-problems
Criteria for research objectives:
• Are they clear and unambiguous?
• Do they outline the steps required to achieve the
overall objective?
• Are they interconnected? Do they form a coherent
whole?
• Are they achievable?
• Are the intended outcomes evident?
Stating research questions
• Research hypotheses or questions originate from
sub-problems. Each sub-problem may have one or
more research questions or hypothesis.

• They act as the basis against which data are

collected and analysed, as the analysis must lead to
answering the questions or testing the hypothesis.
Scope of the research
• The scope of the study refers to the physical
limitations of the study: where will your study be
conducted?
• The basis for such delimitations should be stated.
– E.g. This study will only focus on listed companies
because….
– This study is limited to SMEs in Mekong Delta …
Stating Assumptions
• Assumptions that have material bearing to the
problem should be openly presented (however,
this is not applicable to all studies).
• To discover your assumptions, ask yourself: What
am I taking for granted with respect to the
problem?
– E.g. that all the data collected by KRA used for this
research is accurate.
Significance of the research
• The significance of the study is different from the
rationale of the study. It highlights why the study is
important and for whom. It answers the SO WHAT?
Question.
• Questions to ask yourself:
– Of what use is your research?
– What practical/managerial value does it have?
– Who will benefit from the findings of your study and
how?
Structure of Chapter 1
1. Background to the study: setting the stage –
what is known about the subject of study?
Citing sources of literature is required.
2. Problem statement – what research gaps
exist from literature? Are they relevant (do
they address a practical/managerial
problem?
Structure of Chapter 1
3. Research objectives: 3 – 5 objectives that
together address the research problem
identified.
4. Research questions/hypothesis – each
objective must have corresponding
question(s) or hypothesis.
5. Scope of the study – what your study is
about and what it is not about.
Structure of Chapter 1
6. Assumptions of the Study (if relevant)

7. Significance of the study – why is the study

important and for whom.
Guiding questions
1. What is your proposed research topic?
2. What research objectives & questions are suggested by
your research topic?
3. To what literature does your research topic relate?
4. What are the key dependent and independent
variables in your proposed study?
5. What possible relationships may exist between
these variables and why would these be important
to explore?
Homework
• Formulate your own research problem?
• Write down your group’s research problem: topic,
problem, question, hypothesis, limitations.