LECTURE 2

RESEARCH PROCESS
 BROAD PROBLEM AREA
Preliminary information gathering
•gather initial information about the factors that are
possibly related to the problem (e.g., talking to
several people in the work setting).
Literature review search
•Purpose: to get an idea or “feel” for what is
transpiring in the situation.
 PROBLEM?
 Does not necessarily mean something is
seriously wrong with a current situation that
need to be rectified immediately.
 It could indicate an interest in an issue where
finding the answers might help to improve an
existing situation.

 Thus, a problem is any situation where a gap

exists between the actual and the desired ideal
state.
 Problem statement
 From the broad problem area, narrow down to a
specific problem statement through preliminary
information gathering (interviews and literature
research).
 Nature of information
 Background information on the organization
(contextual factors)
Could be obtained from secondary data such as
website, published records, archives, company policies,
procedures and rules, and primary data such as by
observing events, people and objects
 Relevant findings from previous research
 Background information on the
organization
Contextual factors such as:
 Origin and history of the company.
 Size in terms of employees, assets or both.
 Charter-purpose and ideology.
 Location-regional, national or other.
 Resources-human and others.
 Independent relationships with other institution and
the external environment.
 Financial position during the previous five to ten years.
 Information of structural factors (role and positions).
 Information on the management philosophy.
Understanding this factors might be helpful in
arriving at a precise problem formulation.
 LITERATURE REVIEW
•Help the researcher to identify and highlight the
important variables that are related to the
problem.
•Important to ensure that the research is structured

on the work already done and build on the

foundation of prevailing knowledge.
•To ensure that important variables are not left out.

•To provide foundation for developing a

comprehensive theoretical framework from which
hypotheses can be developed for testing.
 CONDUCTING THE LITERATURE
REVIEW
Sources-books, academic journals, reports, theses,
conference proceedings, unpublished manuscripts.
•Textbook-useful sources of theory in a specific area.

•Journal-important sources of up-to-date information

•Theses-exhaustive review of the literature in a specific area

•Conference proceedings-provide the latest research

•Reports- useful source of specific market, industry, or

company information
•Newspapers-provide up-to-date business information

•Internet-amount of information is enormous but it provide

exceptional in determining the usefulness and reliability

information.
 EVALUATING THE
LITERATURE
1. A glance at the title will indicate which of
them may be pertinent to your research.
2. Read abstract, it provides an overview of the
study purpose, general research strategy,
findings and conclusion.
3. Introduction-provides overview of problem
addressed by the research and its objectives
 Evaluating the Literature Cont…
 Is research question is presented in a clear and
analytical way?
 Does this study build directly upon previous
research?
 Will the study make a contribution to the field?
 Is the theory that guides the research?
 Is the theory described relevant and is it
explained in an understandable, structured and
convincing manner?
 Are the methods used in the study explained in
a clear manner?
 Evaluating the Literature Cont…
 Are the research design or questionnaire
appropriate for the study?
 Are the measures of the variables valid and reliable?
 Have the author used the appropriate
quantitative/or qualitative techniques?
 Do the conclusions result from the findings of the
study?
 Do the conclusions give a clear answer to the main
research question?
 Has the author considered and presented the
limitations of the study?
 Documenting the Literature
 Several accepted methods of citing references
in the literature survey:
 The Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (2001)
 The Chicago Manual of Style (2003)
 Turabian’s Manual of Writers (2007)
 APA Manual (2001)
 Problem Statement
 A clear, precise, and succinct statement of the
specific issue that a researcher wishes to
investigate.
 Three key criteria to assess the quality of the
problem statement:
 Relevant
 Feasible
 Interesting
 Problem Statement Cont…
 Relevant
 nothing is known about the topic
 Much is known about the topic but the knowledge is
scattered and not integrated
 Much research on the topic is available, but the result are
(partly) contradictory
 Established relationships do not hold in certain situations.
 Feasible
 Able to answer the problem statement within the restrictions
of the research project such as time, money, availability of
respondents, expertise of the researcher.
 Interesting
 Is vital the you are genuinely interested in the problem
statement you are trying to answer to stay motivated
throughout the entire process.
 Research Proposal
1. The purpose of the study
2. The specific problem to be investigated
3. The scope of the study
4. The relevance of the study
5. The research design offering details on the
sampling design, data collection methods and
data analysis
6. Time frame of the study
7. Budget
8. Selected bibliography
 Theoretical and empirical research
 Empirical research has as the object of study some aspect (problem)
of reality
Research data is obtained by some systematic method of empirical
observation
 Theoretical research studies problems related to concepts,
perspectives or theories of a given field (discipline)
Research data consists of previous research (analysis and synthesis)

 Sometimes empirical and theoretical research are pitted against

each other: more fruitful to see them as complementing each other.

 Scientific research as a dialogue between theory and empiricism

 Most research involves both theoretical and empirical elements.
 Research As Dialogue Between Theory
And Empirical Observations
•Some kind of implicit theories about the nature of reality always
directs our observation and interpretation of reality!
• Since we cannot ”get away” from theory in scientific research it

should be made explicit! (transparency of research)

• Theory provides us with a framework for the research

• Outlining and conceptualization of research problems

• Guides observation & helps in interpretation
• Locates the research in scientific discussion
• Empirical data analysis as such is not scientific research.

• Data analysis should always be based on and discuss with theory

and earlier research (theoretical framework).

• Theoretical formulation of research results enables generalization

and enhances the “explanatory power” of the result.

 PLANNING RESEARCH
1. Selection of the theme / topic
• personal interest
• social significance
• theoretical interest
• “researchability”
• ethical questions: who’s interests does the research
serve?
2. Getting acquainted with previous research on the same
theme
• What do we know about the theme of research? What we don’t
know?
• How has the theme been theoretically tackled (conseptualized)?
• Is there pre-existing data available?
 Planning research cont…
3. Selection of the theoretical approach
4. Specification of the research problem
 into questions that can be answered by research
 conseptualization
5. Planning the empirical research process
 research design
 most suitable methods for the research problems
and the design
 how to obtain data? (sampling)
 operationalization: measures and indicators
 Research design
 Logical structure of the reseach (data).
 “The function of a research design is to ensure that the
evidence obtained enables us to answer the initial
question as unambiguously as possible.”
(David de Vaus: Research Design in Social Research,
2001)
 Empirical support for practically any hypothesis can
usually be obtained by manipulating data.
 Good research design prevents this kind of
manipulative use of data by taking into account
possible alternative explanations and enabling
comparisons and judgements between them.
 Research problems

Data Methods

 Research questions ”dominate” the design.

 Data and methods are to be selected so that the research
questions can be answered.
 Adopt a ”sceptical mindset”!
 Research designs
1. Experimental design
2. Longitudinal design
3. Cross-sectional design
4. Case study design
 Design ≠ method of data collection
 Design ≠ quantitative / qualitative
 Elements of research design
 Description, comparison, classification, explanation?
 Time dimension: longitudinal or cross sectional?
Number of measurements? Prospective or
retrospective?
 Interventions?
 Target population and research units?
 Need for generalizations?
 Method of data collection
 Comparisons: good research design enables
explanations that contradict theory/hypotheses
 Logical structure of research and data