DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

BAHRIA UNIVERSITY, KARACHI CAMPUS

GENERAL INFORMATION
Course Title: Methods in Business Research
Course ID: RMT620 MBA Semester: Fall Year: 2019

Course Pre-requisite: Statistical Inference

Course Schedule: Sunday 03:00 to 6:00 pm

INSTRUCTOR’s INFORMATION

Name Dr. Mubashir Ali Khan Phone: 03337195742 [email protected]

Office Address: Faculty 05 First Floor Department of Management Sciences

Consultation Timing: 10 am to 12 noon (Tuesday & Wednesday)

UNIVERSITY POLICY OF FAIRNESS

Bahria University follows strict policy of fairness in examinations, assignments, other academic activities
and conduct. The University appreciates decent behavior, acceptable moral norms and respectful display
of attitude towards others in the campus. Details of expected behavior and conduct are covered in
students’ handbook which is available on university website. It also covers in detail plagiarism and its
consequent disadvantages to the students as per HEC policies / rules.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Students learn to identify and formulate a research question, select and apply appropriate quantitative
and qualitative research methods, and present research findings. A strong focus is placed on ethical
issues relevant for research in the business and economics disciplines. Topics include an introduction to
research methodology; defining the problem statement; critical literature review; theoretical framework
and hypothesis development; elements of research design; data collection methods; experimental
designs; experimental designs; measurement of variables; sampling; research reports; research ethics;
and a review of quantitative data analysis.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1. 1. Explain the hallmarks of scientific research.
2. 2. Describe research problems clearly and precisely.
3. 3. Conduct critical analysis of research in the various fields of business.
4. 4. Develop a theoretical framework for a research project.
5. 5. Design a study to address a research question.
6. 6. Demonstrate familiarity with various data collection methods.
7. 7. Distinguish between different types of experimental designs.
8. 8. Operationally define variables.
9. 9. Identify appropriate sampling design for different research questions.
10. 10. Write a research report.
11. 11. Demonstrate an appreciation for research ethics.
12. 12. Choose appropriate statistical technique for data analysis.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After having completed this course successfully, participants will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate research paper.
2. Conduct research independently.
3. Analyze the data and interpret it.
4. Write a coherent research report.

Wee Topics Activities

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1 Chapter 1: Introduction to Research Class Activities:
Methodology 1. Expectations of Students, Learning Targets, Instructor’s
 What is research? expectations
 Types of business research: applied 2. Discussions and examples of business
and basic 3. Scenario based examples
1. Post Class Assignments:
1. Bring a problem from your organization which needs to be
investigated

2 Chapter 2 The scientific approach and Think of an issue which needs research and propose how
alternative approaches to investigation you will conduct it.
The hallmarks of scientific research
The hypothetico–deductive method
The seven–step process in the hypothetico–
deductive method
Identify a broad problem area
3 Chapter 4. Critical Literature Class Activities:
Review Present your research topic
 Critical literature review Post Class Assignments:
 Functions literature review 1. Read theoretical framework Ch-5 from Uma Sekaran and
 Data sources write its summary.
 Searching for literature 2. Write the literature review of your research topic and submit
 Evaluating the literature it by 6th session.
 Documenting the literature review
 1.
4 Referencing through Zotero Quiz-1
5 Chapter 5: Research Process: Class Activities:
Theoretical Framework and Discuss about your job whether you are satisfied with it or not
Hypothesis Development and what cause you to be so.
 Components of the theoretical Post Class Assignments:
framework 1. Read Conceptualization, operationalization and
 Hypothesis development measurement from Earl Babbie and write its summary.
 Statement of hypotheses: formats 2. Read one research paper to evaluate its hypotheses.
 Hypothesis testing with qualitative
research: negative case analysis
 Managerial implications
1.
6 Chapter 5: Research Process: Exercise 5.1-5.14 discussed and solved in class
Theoretical Framework and
Hypothesis Development
 Practice Exercises solved in
class for this chapter
7 6. Research Process: Elements of Class Activities:
Research Design Take some conceptual terms conceptually define them,
 Research design operationalize them and then develop multi item Likert scale.
 Purpose of the study: exploratory, Post Class Assignments:
descriptive, hypothesis testing Take one research paper go through its measurement part and
(analytical and relate it with the questionnaire of this research.
predictive), case study analysis
 Extent of researcher interference
 Research strategies
 Unit of analysis: individuals,
dyads, groups, organizations, cultures
 Time horizon: cross-sectional
versus longitudinal studies
 Managerial implications
1.
8 6. Research Process: Elements of Quiz-2
Research Design-Continued
Misterm course revision
Midterm
9 Chapter 9 Data collection methods: Class Activities:
Questionnaires Come up with some hypotheses and then develop a
questionnaire for it.
Post Class Assignments:
1. Read data collection methods from any research book and
summarize it.
Develop the questionnaire for your research and present it in the
next class.
10 Chapter 9 Data collection methods: Coding Data through SPSS in Lab
Questionnaires
13 12 Measurement: Scaling, reliability, 2.
validity
 Measurement
 Types of Variables
 Operationalizing Concepts
 Scale
 Goodness of Measure
1.
14 Chapter 13. Sampling Class Activities:
 Population, element, sample, Present your questionnaire.
sampling unit, and subject Post Class Assignments:
  Sampling process 1. Read sampling design and summarize it.
 Sampling Techniques: Probability 2. Write the research methodology and design chapter for your
Sampling and Nonprobability Sampling research and present it in the next class.
 Examples of when certain
sampling designs would be appropriate
 Issues of precision and confidence
in determining sample size
 Sample size guidelines
 Sampling as related to qualitative
studies
 Managerial implications
1.
15 1. 14 Quantitative data analysis 274 Class Activities:
2. Post Class Assignments:
Read about descriptive statistics and inferential statistics and
summarize it.
16 1. 15 Quantitative data analysis: Hypothesis Class Activities:
testing Take a sample of 20 students and calculate their mean age and
2. show through table their gender distribution.
Post Class Assignments:
Develop the code book for your questionnaire and punch in the
collected data in SPSS.
17 1. Chapter 16: Class Activities:
2. Qualitative data analysis Lab Session
Post Class Assignments:
Bring your collected data so you can be guided in data analysis.

LEARNING METHODOLOGY

Mixed methodologies shall be put in practice for comprehensive learning. It includes pedagogy and
andragogy. For this purpose students shall be involved in discussions, presentations, group activities
and reference studies. Student shall be distributed into groups for mutual discussions; learn how to
share works, prepare team based solution to problems and develop arguments for presentation cum
thesis. Developing arguments shall be taken as core activities of the course on multiple topics for
COURSE REFERENCE MATERIAL
conclusive literature reviews.

Text Book:
Uma Sekaran and Roger Bougie, Research Methods for Business: A Skill-Building Approach,
6th Edition, Wiley, 2012.
Reference Books:
 Business Research Methods Cooper and Schindler; 12th Edition
 Marketing Research an applied approach; Naresh K. Malhotra, David F. Birks
 The Basics of Social Research; Earl Babbie 6th Edition
 Research Design; Creswell 4th Edition
 Social Research Methods: Qualitative & Quantitative Approaches; Neuman 7th Edition

ASSESSMENT PLAN

Research paper: 20
Quiz: 15
Mid Term Exams 25
Final Exams 40
Total: 100