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Chapter 3 Ume Sekaran Problem Area and The Problem Statement - Updated

The document discusses the research process for identifying a broad problem area and defining a problem statement, including collecting preliminary primary and secondary data, conducting a literature review to understand previous research, and using this information to narrowly define a clear research problem that is relevant, feasible, and interesting to investigate. Key aspects of developing a research proposal like purpose, methodology, timeline and bibliography are also outlined.

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saad bin sadaqat
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184 views24 pages

Chapter 3 Ume Sekaran Problem Area and The Problem Statement - Updated

The document discusses the research process for identifying a broad problem area and defining a problem statement, including collecting preliminary primary and secondary data, conducting a literature review to understand previous research, and using this information to narrowly define a clear research problem that is relevant, feasible, and interesting to investigate. Key aspects of developing a research proposal like purpose, methodology, timeline and bibliography are also outlined.

Uploaded by

saad bin sadaqat
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Research Process: The

broad problem area and


defining the problem statement

CHAPTER
3
Chapter
Objectives
1. Discuss how problem areas can be
identified.
2. State research problems clearly and
precisely.
3. Explain how primary and secondary data
help the researcher to develop a problem
statement.
4. Develop relevant and
comprehensive bibliographies for
any research topic.
5. Write a literature review on any
given topic.
6. Develop a research proposal.
Broad Problem
Area
• The broad problem area refers to the entire situation
where one sees a possible need for research and problem
solving. Such issues might pertain to:
• Problems currently existing in an organizational setting
that need to be solved.
• Areas that a manager believes needs to be improved
in the organization.
• A conceptual or theoretical issue that needs to be
tightened up for the basic researcher to understand
certain phenomena.
• Some research questions that a basic researcher
wants to answer empirically.
Examples of Broad Problem Areas
that Could be Observed at the Work
Place programs are perhaps not as effective
• Training
as anticipated.
• The sales volume of a product is not picking up.
• Inventory control is not effective
• Some members in organization are
not advancing in their careers.
• The introduction of flexible work hours has
created more problems than it has solved
in many companies.
Preliminary Data
Collection
• The nature of data to be gathered could
be classified under two headings:
1. Background information of the
organization (the contextual factors).
2. Prevailing knowledge on the topic
(relevant findings from previous
research).
Preliminary Data
Collection
• The background details of the company can be obtained
from
available published records, the web site of the company.
• Company policies, procedures, and rules can be obtained
from the organization’s records and documents.
• Data gathered through such existing sources are called
secondary data.
Preliminary Data
Collection
• Secondary data, are data that already exist and
do not have to be collected by the
researcher.
• Some secondary sources of data are statistical
bulletins, government publications, information
published or unpublished and available from
either within or outside the organization,
library records, data available from previous
research, online data, web sites, and the
Internet.
Preliminary Data
Collection
• Other types of information such as the
perceptions and attitudes of employees are
best obtained by talking to them; by observing
events, people, and objects; or by
administering questionnaires to individuals.
• Such data gathered for research from the actual
site of occurrence of events are called
primary data.
Prevailing knowledge on the
topic
• A literature review should help the researcher to identify
and highlight the important variables that are related to
the problem.
• Literature survey is the documentation of a
comprehensive review of the published and unpublished
work from secondary sources of data in the areas of specific
interest to the researcher.
• The library is a rich storage base for secondary
data
through books, journals, newspapers, magazines,
conference proceedings, doctoral dissertations, master’s
theses, government publications, and financial marketing,
The computerized
• and other reports. databases is now
readily available and accessible, which makes the literature search
much easier, and can be done without entering the portals of a library
Reasons for the Literature
1.
Survey
Helps to find the important variables that are likely to
influence the problem situation are not left out of the
study.
2. Helps the development of the theoretical framework
and hypotheses for testing.
3. The problem statement can be made with precision and
clarity.
4. Testability and replicability of the findings of the current
research are enhanced.
5. One does not run the risk of wasting efforts on trying to
rediscover something that is already known.
6. The problem investigated is perceived by the scientific
community as relevant and significant.
Conducting the
Literature Survey
• The literature review needs to be done on the
specific issues of concern to the researcher
and the factors identified during the interview
process.
• The first step in this process involves identifying
the various published and unpublished
materials that are available on the topics of
interest, and gaining access to these.
Conducting the
Literature Survey
• The second step is gathering the relevant
information either by going through the necessary materials
in a library or by getting access to online sources.
• The third step is writing up the literature review.
Data
Sources
• Textbooks
• Academic and professional journals
• Theses: phD theses and Master
theses.
• Conference proceedings
• Unpublished manuscripts
• Reports
• Newspapers
• The internet
Defining the Problem
Statement
• After the literature review, the researcher is in position to
narrow down the problem from its original broad base
and define the issues of concern more clearly.
 The problem statement introduces the key problem that is
addressed in the research project.
 Problem statement is a clear, precise, and short statement
of the specific issue that a researcher wishes to investigate.
• There are three key criteria to assess the quality of
the
problem statement:
1. It should be relevant
2. It should be feasible
3. It should be interesting
From an academic
perspective,
research is relevant
1. Nothing is known if:
about the topic.
2. Much is known about the topic, but the knowledge is
scattered.
3. Much research on the topic is available, but the results
are contradictory.
4. Established relationships do not hold in certain
situations.
A problem statement is
feasible
• If you are able to answer the problem statement
within the restrictions of the research project.
• These restrictions are possibly related to time and
money and the expertise of the researcher (a
problem statement may be too difficult to answer).

• Thus, it is important that you develop a


narrowly defined question that can be
investigated with a reasonably amount of time
and efforts.
The problem statement is
interesting
• Because research is a time-consuming process and you will
go through many ups and downs before you present a final
version of your research report. It is therefore vital that you
are interested in the problem statement that you are trying
to answer, so you can stay motivated throughout the entire
process.
Examples of broad problem areas that a
manager could observe at the workplace:
• Training programs are not as effective as
anticipated.
• The sales volume of a product is not picking up.
• Minority group members are not advancing in
their careers.
• The newly installed information system is not
being used by the managers for whom it was
primarily designed.
• The introduction of flexible work hours has created
more problems than it has solved in many
companies.
Examples of Well-Defined
Problem Statements
• To what extent do the structure of the organization and type
of information systems installed account for the variance in
the perceived effectiveness of managerial decision making?
• To what extent has the new advertising campaign been
successful in creating the high-quality, customer-centered
corporate image that it was intended to produce?
• How has the new packaging affected the sales of the product?
• What are the effects of downsizing on the long-range
growth patterns of companies?
The research proposal
contains the following:
• Key elements:
• Purpose of the study
• Specific problem to be
investigated.
• Scope of the study
• Relevance of the study
• Research design:
• Sampling design
• Data collection methods
• Data analysis
• Time frame
• Budget
• Selected Bibliography
Examp
le
While Chrysler’s minivans, pickups, and sports utilities take
•
a big share at the truck market, its cars trail behind those
of General Motors, Ford, Honda, and Toyota. Quality
problems include, among other things water leaks and
defective parts
( Business Week, No.10, 2007).
Example-
cont.
1. Identify the broad problem area.
2. Define the problem?
3. Explain how you would proceed
further.
Answe
rs
1.The broad problem is that the Chrysler cars are lagging
in
market share.
2.The problem statement: How can the market share
of Chrysler cars be improved?
answers
3. It is best to interview the users of GM,
Ford, Honda, and Toyota car users and
obtain from them their reaction – both
positive and negative- to the cars they use,
and why they prefer them.
• Similar reactions from the users of Chrysler cars
should also be gathered. One should proceed
further based on the analysis of these
responses.

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