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Ltd
Unit -2

Business Research Process Design

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Introduction

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• Research is all about finding something, the absence of which may
distort our ability to take informed decisions (Nwokah et al.,
2009).
• The ability to take an informed decision is generated through a
systematic study that is conducted through various interrelated
stages.
• All the steps in a research are interrelated and no independent
activity is launched without considering the decisions on the
previous stages.
• One has to really understand that, from problem identification to
presentation of findings, every step is interlinked and interrelated.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Business Research Process Design
• A research design is the detailed blueprint used to guide a research study towards

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its objective.
• A good research is conducted using 10 steps:
1. Problem or opportunity identification
2. Decision maker and business researcher meeting to discuss the problem and
opportunity dimensions
3. Defining the management problem and subsequently the research problem
4. Formal research proposal and introducing the dimensions of the problem
5. approaches to research
6. Field work and data collection
7. Data preparation and data entry
8. Performing data analysis
9. Interpretation of result and presentation of findings
10.Management decision and its implementation.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 1: Problem or Opportunity Identification

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 The process of business research starts with the problem or
opportunity identification.
 Actually, the management of the company identifies the problem or
opportunity in the organization or in the environment. The
management can identify the symptoms or the effects of the
problem, but to understand the reasons of the problems, a
systematic research has to be adopted.
 This required research should either be executed by a business
research firm or a business researcher.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 2: Decision Maker and Business Researcher Meeting to
Discuss the Problem or Opportunity Dimensions

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• The decision maker contacts the business research firm and then
discusses the problem or opportunity with the business researcher.
• The researcher can only suggest solution to a problem, but the
actual decision is taken by the decision maker.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 3: Defining the Management Problem and Subsequently
the Research Problem

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• The management problem is concerned with the decision maker
and is action oriented in nature. For example, the management
problem offers a psychological pricing to enhance the quantum of
sales. This management problem focuses on the symptoms.
• Research problem is somewhat information oriented and focuses
mainly on the causes and not on the symptoms. This is to
determine the consumer’s opinion on psychological pricing and to
estimate their purchase behaviour for the psychological price being
offered.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 4: Formal Research Proposal and Introducing the
Dimensions to the Problem

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• Now, the researcher prepares a formal proposal of the research and
develops the approaches to the research problem. The first part is
to develop a theoretical model to quantify an attitude.
• For example, to estimate the “buying intentions” for a particular
product, first, the researcher has to prepare a theoretical model to
measure an attitude like buying intentions.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 FIGURE 2.2 : Theoretical model to measure the buying intention

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Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai
 Framing Hypotheses

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• Hypothesis 1: “Brand image” has a significant impact on the buying
intention.
• Hypothesis 2: “Brand awareness” has a significant impact on the buying
intention.
• Hypothesis 3: “Price” has a significant impact on the buying intention.
• Hypothesis 4: “Availability” has a significant impact on the buying
intention.
• Hypothesis 5: “After-sales services” has a significant impact on the
buying intention.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

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• The researcher can also test the combined impact of these five
variables on the buying intention. The proposed multiple regression
model will be

Hypothesis 6: All the five factors in combination have a significant impact on

the buying intention.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 5: Approaches to Research

• The research approach is formulated is the next step.

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• In the light of the “type of data,” and objective/ questions are
framed and scientifically placed in the questionnaire.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 6: Field Work and Data Collection
• Fieldwork refers to the physical process of gathering raw data

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from primary sources. This may involve surveys, interviews,
observations, or experiments, depending on the nature of the
study.
• Types of Data Collection:
• Primary Data: Data collected directly from original sources,
such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, and observations.
• Secondary Data: Data gathered from existing sources like
reports, databases, articles, and online resources.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 7: Data Preparation and Data Entry

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• Data Editing: Identifying and correcting errors or inconsistencies in the
raw data. This may involve checking for missing data, ensuring accuracy,
and correcting mistakes (e.g., typos or illogical responses).
• Data Coding: Converting qualitative data or open-ended responses into a
numerical format for easier analysis. For example, assigning codes to
responses such as "1 = Yes" and "0 = No".

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 8: Data Analysis

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• Data analysis refers to the process of systematically applying statistical or
logical techniques to describe, summarize, and evaluate data. The goal is to
uncover useful insights, patterns, trends, and relationships in the collected
data.
• Types of Data Analysis:
• Qualitative Data Analysis: Analyzing non-numerical data like interview,
open-ended survey responses, or observation. Techniques include content
analysis, thematic analysis, and narrative analysis.
• Quantitative Data Analysis: Analyzing numerical data using statistical
techniques. This includes correlation, regression, and other statistical
models to test hypotheses and make predictions.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 9: Interpretation of Result and Presentation of Findings

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• It has been already discussed that after applying data analysis
techniques, a statistical result is obtained.
• There is need to interpret the result and present the non-statistical
findings derived from the statistical result. A meaningful
interpretation of the result is a skilful activity and is an important
aspect of research.
• The researcher has to determine whether the result of the study is
in line with the existing literature.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Step 10: Management Decision and Its Implementation

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• As the last step of conducting a research programme, the
findings are conveyed to the decision maker after consultation
with the research programmer.
• The decision maker analyses the findings and takes an
appropriate decision in the light of the statistical findings
presented by the researcher.
• This is not a formal part of the research process. Here, it is
included as a step of the research process, because it is the
decision maker who will ultimately take the decision and is the
managerial implication of the research programme.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Types of Research

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• Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate
problem facing a society or an industrial/business organization.
• Fundamental research is mainly concerned with generalizations
and with the formulation of a theory. Research
concerning some natural phenomenon or relating to any field
are examples of fundamental research. Similarly, concerning
human behaviour carried on with a view to make
generalisations about human behaviour, are also examples of
fundamental research.

Business Research Methods

Business Research Methods, 2e Author:
Naval Naval Bajpai
Bajpai
 Cont.

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• Quantitative Research is a structured way of collecting and
analyzing data that can be quantified. This research method
emphasizes the measurement of variables and the use of
statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques to
analyze data. It’s often used to test hypotheses, determine
relationships between variables, or make generalizations from
a sample to a population.
• Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative
phenomenon, i.e., phenomena relating to or involving quality
or kind. For e.g. investigating the reasons for human behaviour
(i.e., why people think or do certain things).

Business Research Methods

Business Research Methods, 2e Author:
Naval Naval Bajpai
Bajpai
 Exploratory Research

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• As the name indicates, exploratory research is mainly used to
explore the insight of the general research problem. This is used for
the following purposes:
A. Obtaining Background Information
B. Research Problem Formulation or Defining it More Precisely
C. Identifying and Defining the Key Research Variables
D. Developing Hypotheses

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 FIGURE 2.4: The refined theoretical model to measure the buying
intentions (obtaining inputs from exploratory research)

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Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai
 Descriptive Research
• As evident from the name, descriptive research is conducted to

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describe the business or market characteristics.
• The descriptive research mainly answers who, what, when, where,
and how kind of questions.
• It attempts to address who should be surveyed, what, at what time
(pre- and post-type of study), from where (household, shopping
mall, market, and so on), and how this information should be
obtained (method of data collection).
• It can be further classified into cross-sectional study and
longitudinal study.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Cross-Sectional Study

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• Cross sectional research design involves the collection of
information from a sample of a population at only one point of
time.
• In this study, various segments of the population are sampled so
that the relationship among the variables may be investigated
(Zikmund, 2007).
• Sample surveys are cross-sectional studies in which the samples
happen to be a representative of the population.
• The cross-sectional study generally involves large samples from the
population; hence, they are sometimes referred as “sample
surveys.”

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Longitudinal study

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• Longitudinal study involves survey of the same population
over a period of time.
• There is a well-defined difference between a cross-sectional
study and a longitudinal study.
• In a longitudinal study, the sample remains the same over a
period of time. In a cross-sectional design, a representative
sample taken from the population is studied at only one point
of time.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai

 Causal research
• Causal research is conducted to identify the cause-and-effect

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relationship between two or more business (or decision) variables.
Many business decisions are based on the causal relationship
between the variables of interest.
• As discussed, the descriptive research is able to answer who, what,
when, where, and how kind of questions but not the “why” part of
the question. The causal research is designed to address the why
part of the question.

Business Research Methods, 2e Author: Naval Bajpai