CMM 325 BUSINESS

RESEARCH METHODS
(FOR ACCOUNTING, BANKING, AND FINANCE STUDENTS)
TOPIC 1
HOW TO WRITE CHAPTER OF THE PROJECT
WHAT IS CHAPTER 1?
TOPIC OBJECTIVES

By the end of this topic, you should be able to:

• Understand the structure of chapter 1.
• Explain the statement of the problem.
• Draw a correct conceptual framework.
• Write objectives and questions related to the research topic.
• Explain the significance and limitations of the research
• Write a good chapter 1
• Avoid plagiarism.
WHAT IS CHAPTER 1?
• Chapter 1 is sometimes “Introduction” or “background”
• It is written after a research problem has been identified,
the research topic developed and narrowed down to an
appropriate (manageable/researchable) level.
• The final research topic must be agreed between the
student and the supervisor.
• This is true even if the topic had been discussed between
the student and other lecturers.
WHAT IS CHAPTER 1?
The following questions are answered in chapter 1
(1) What is my research topic (moving from broad to
focused)?
(2) What is the nature of my research problem?
(3) Why is my research topic important (significance)?
(4) What are my research objectives and research questions?
(5) What are my expected limitations?
(6) What will be the scope (and delimitations) of my research
work?
Research Topic
• Research topic must be in your area of specialization
• However, it is possible to include aspects from other areas of study related to the
topic.
• Example – Executive Risk-taking behaviour and Capital Structure
• Example – Financing options in higher education
• The topic is embodied by the title to your research project.
• A title is the first element your reader will see. Creating a title page as a separate
cover page is considered a preliminary feature, as it is included at the beginning of
your project.
• See details of the cover page in the guidelines.
• A title can change in the course of the project (in consultation with the supervisor)
• Title should reflect the research topic, be easy to understand and be free from any
grammatical or typographical errors – no abbreviations
Research Title
• A title is the first element your reader will see.
• Creating a title page as a separate cover page is considered a preliminary
feature, as it is included at the beginning of your project.
• See details of the cover page in the guidelines.
• A title can change in the course of the project (in consultation with the
supervisor).
• Title should reflect the research topic.
• The title be short, (maximum 12 words) easy to understand.
• A concise, sharp title works best.
• Title should be free from any grammatical or typographical errors.
Research Title
• A title provides the reader with an insight into the nature
of the research project.
• Reading examples of titles from leading academic journal
articles can help as you develop yours.
• Breaking up your title by using a colon helps avoid a
wordy title.
Example:
Training Small Business Managers: A Reflective Approach
Research Introduction
• Introduction is a key element of the research
project.
• It should include the background to your study, the
research objectives and research questions.
• Start with writing the background and the research
problem.
• Make sure to clarify the statement of the problem
or the focus of your research.
Research Problem Statement
• Problem statement (or statement of the problem) defines the
problem and identifies the issues to be investigated in the study.
• It should be clear and expressed in no more than two sentences.
• A clearly defined research problem helps to set a clear research
direction.
• An introduction should also include brief reference to existing
studies that are relevant to your own work.
• These studies justification the existence of the problem and
provide a motivation of the study.
Research Problem
• To clearly state your problem you need to answer the following
questions:
a. Can the problem be researched?
b. Do you have access to the resources (literature, data,
software), time, support (supervisor, structure),
c. Do you have the required research skills necessary to
address the research problem?
d. Does researching the problem contribute to the current body
of literature on the subject? Similarly, does it contribute to
practice? Will your study inform practice? Will your research
extend past research or examine the topic in greater depth?
Research Problem
Examples of “bad” topics that do not focus on problems.
a. Challenges of using M-PESA in SMEs
b. Credit access to SME financial performance
c. Budgeting in NGOs
d. Effects of mobile banking on financial performance of
listed commercial banks
Researchable Problem
1. Stated clearly and concisely.
Research problem needs to be cogent (clear, convincing).
2. Significant, that is, not a trivial subject or simply repetition of previous work. It
should be based on an interesting subject and not repeat of an earlier piece of
research.
3. Delineated, to limit its scope to practical investigation.
The research problem must be explained to limit its scope of practical investigation.
4. Possible to obtain the information required to explore the problem.
It is important to be able to obtain the information required to explore the research
problem (data availability).
5. Possible to draw conclusions related to the problem, as the point of research is to
find some answers.
The researcher must be able to generate answers to the problem.
Researchable Problem
• A clear definition and statement of the research problem forms the basis for
developing your research questions.
• It also provides the motivation and clarity for you to complete your research
project.
• Why is the research problem important?
• It establishes the importance of the topic, creates interest for the readers,
and explains how the research will add to the current body of literature.
• It is worth spending time on formulating your research problem as this will
influence your choice of research questions, which in turn will influence later
stages in your research journey.
Research Problem or Symptom?
• In selecting a research problem you must distinguish between a
symptom and a problem.
• A symptom indicates the presence of a problem or opportunity.
Example:
The problem may be defined as ‘poor employee retention’
when the problem is:
an ineffective reward system or a poor working environment.
Poor retention (high turnover) is a symptom to the underlying
problem.
Identifying a Research Problem
• The research problem can come from:
(1) A gap in the literature,
(2) Conflict in research in the literature,
(3) Topics that have been neglected in the literature,
(4) Real-life problems found in the workplace or life,
(5) Emerging issues in business press,
(6) Emerging issue in popular press.
Sources of Research Problems
• The sources for business research problems may arise from the
following:
• (1) Your own business experience,
• (2) Literature review,
• (3) Theories (predictions or testing),
• (4) Research issues identified by prior researchers,
• (5) Research issues identified by project stakeholders.
Research Topic
• A research topic is the subject matter being addressed in
your research to find a solution to the problem.
• Remember a problem may have many aspects to it and
one research project cannot be expected to address all of
them.
• Your research must focus on an aspect of the identified
problem.
• You begin with a broad topic, before narrowing it to a
more manageable area of research interest.
Purpose Statement
• There is no universal way of writing the purpose
statement. Examples are:
• The purpose of this study will be to investigate
consumers’ perceptions towards the customer service at
Absa Plc and evaluate which branches have a better
reputation than others.
• This study will compare the organizational performance
for company A and B and identify which variables of
performance differ significantly between the two firms.
Purpose Statement
• A purpose statement can be categorized based on quantitative and
qualitative research.
• A quantitative purpose statement identifies variables and their
relationships.
• The terminology used in quantitative purpose statements includes
‘relationship’, ‘variable’, ‘association’, and ‘compare’.
• If you are using a particular theory, state the theory that you plan to
test.
• A qualitative purpose statement uses words such as ‘explore’,
‘investigate’ and ‘understand’.
• When writing your purpose statement, be concise and make explicit
reference to the topic of the study.
Example of Research Introduction
• Source: ampersand instead of ‘and’
• Erhardt, N., L., Werbel, J., D. & Shrader, C., B. (2003).
Board of director diversity and firm financial performance.
Corporate Governance: An International Review,
11(2),102-111.
• Research Topic:
Board of director diversity and firm financial
performance
Example of Research Introduction

.
Example of Background
Topic: Board of director diversity and firm financial
performance
Example of Problem Statement
Topic: Board of director diversity and firm financial
performance
Example of Significance of the Problem
Topic: Board of director diversity and firm financial
performance
Example of Purpose Statement
Topic: Board of director diversity and firm financial
performance
Research Aim or Purpose
• The aim of a research project is the main goal of
that project.
• It is a short, lucid (simple and clear) sentence.
• It is the purpose of the study. Examples:
a. To investigate factors relating to customer loyalty.
b. To investigate the impact of diversity with boards of directors on firm
performance.
c. To determine the relationship between executives attitude to risk and
dividend decisions
Research Objectives and Questions
• The aim of research is broad and difficult to
achieve without greater focus and clarity.
• To develop a more focused approach to achieving
the aim of our research, we need to develop a set of
research objectives and research questions.
Examples of Research Objectives
Research objectives tend to be broader statements like:

• To understand the importance of brand identity among

Kenyan consumers.
• To understand the impact of board of directors’ diversity
on firm financial performance
• To determine the association between board of directors’
diversity and firm financial performance
Research Objectives
How many research objectives do I need to generate?
• The number of objectives should be sufficient to address your
research problem.
• The larger the number, the wider the literature review, the more
data analysis, and discussion will be required.
• Keep in mind that all your research objectives need to be
achieved prior to your project deadline.
• For your research project, three (maximum four) is okay.
• You can also have one research objective.
Formulating Research Objectives
• To formulate your research objectives, you can use the
acronym SMART as a guide.
• SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and
Timed).
‘Specific’
• Your objectives are not too broad and can be broken down into
explicit steps.
‘Measurable’
Refers to an objective that features quantifiable items.
Formulating Research Objectives
• Example (measurable vs not measurable)
• Instead of simply stating
‘To determine the increase in production’,
• We can introduce a quantifiable measure and restate the
objective as follows:
‘To determine the percentage increase in production over a
5-year period’.
Formulating Research Objectives
‘Achievable’
• refers to the ability to complete your research within the allocated
time.
• Your research requires a high level of commitment and purpose,
however, it should not result in something that demands your
attention 24 hours a day!
• You should also consider factors like: access to data, support
from your research supervisor, and other stakeholders, and your
research skills.
Formulating Research Objectives
‘Relevant’
Relates to the appropriateness of your research topic. It is
important not to go ‘off-topic’.
‘Timed’
Is something that can help to motivate you on your
research journey by setting yourself clear writing goals.
The ability to manage your time and set clear targets is
essential to meeting your research deadline.
 Turning Research Objectives into
Research Questions
Turning these objectives into a research questions become:
Objective: To understand the importance of brand identity among Kenyan
consumers.
Question: ‘How important is brand identity to Kenyan consumers?
Objective: To understand the impact of board of directors’ diversity on firm
financial performance
Question: What is the impact of board diversity on firm financial performance?
• Research questions are narrower and more focused than objectives.
• To make research questions from research objectives, we turn the research
objective into a What? Why? Where? or Which? Question.
The Nexus: Topic, Purpose, Objectives,
and Questions
• Research purpose statement, research objectives,
and research questions are all linked to the title of
the research project.
• They must all be clearly linked so that the project
has a good flow of thought.
• This makes the reader to understand what the
research project is about.
The Nexus: Topic, Purpose, Objectives,
and Questions
• The purpose is the aim of the research; it is the
means of studying the identified topic.
• Research objectives address the purpose of the
research.
• Each research objective should have a corresponding
research question.
• When framing research objectives and research
questions, be sure to state them coherently.
Examples
 Assessing Your Questions
• The ‘Goldilocks test’ is a useful means to choosing appropriate research
questions.
• This test was developed by Clough and Nutbrown (2007). The authors
refer to questions as ‘too big’, ‘too small’, ‘too hot’ and ‘just right’.
• A ‘too big’ scenario means that the research will be too broad and require
too many resources during the research.
• Questions that are ‘too small’ result in the research being too narrow and
insignificant,
• Questions that are ‘too hot’ may result in the researcher having to deal
with challenging ethical issues.
• Choose a question that is ‘just right’, thus increasing the likelihood of
answering the research question.
 Quantitative and Qualitative Questions
• Quantitative research questions may compare two or more groups or relate two or more
variables.
Example: ‘What is the relationship between newspaper sales and advertising spend?’
This question is seeking to determine the correlation between two variables (newspaper
sales and advertising spend).
• Begin quantitative questions with words such as ‘How’, ‘What’ and ‘Why’ to specify the
independent and dependent variables.
• Qualitative questions are more open and exploratory.
• The words used include ‘How’ and ‘Why’ are associated with an in-depth understanding of
a particular subject. Examples:
• How did the M-PESA financial solutions get customer acceptance?
• Why do some companies pay dividends while others do not pay?
Ideas, Objectives, and Questions
 Research Limitations
• A limitation is a weakness associated with your research. They refer to such
constraints like access to certain resources; selection of respondents or sample,
external issues like culture, security, government ban, or restrictions, etc.
• Limitations will usually influence the methods, data, and designs used to carry out
the research, and the way the findings are interpreted, and conclusions drawn.
• Limitations in this context do not refer to logistical constraints or challenges like
time and financial constraints (these are obvious and common to everyone).
• Research limitations are sometimes referred to as ‘research constraints’.
• By clearly stating the limitations of your research, you demonstrate an
understanding of the issues and how they impact your research.
• Limitations are outside the control of the researcher.
 Research Scope
• The scope outlines the boundaries (or
parameters) within which your study will take
place.
• The scope clarifies what will be included within
your study and what will not be included.
• Scope can be geographical, social, etc.
 Research Delimitations
• These are boundaries imposed by the researcher for justifiable
reasons (researchers’ discretion).
• A delimitation can be choice of participants, the time to consider, etc.
• Delimitations (as opposed to limitations) are within the control of the
researcher.
• Delimitations may relate to the aspect of problem focused on among
the many possible ones; the methodology adopted; the type of data
used in the study, etc.

• Examples are
Study will only focus on female CFOs.
Study will focus on fourth year students.
The study will use a case study method.