Jessa Joseph

BPA-3A

CHAPTER 1 – BUSINESS RESEARCH

SUMMARY

Business Research is a systematic Inquiry whose objective is to provide information to

solve managerial problems. Research provides you with the knowledge and skills needed for
the fast-paced decision-making environment.

Why Managers need Better Information

• Global and domestic competition is more dynamic
• Organizations are increasingly practicing data mining and data warehousing

Employers value research skills because they help a company develop new products
or services, identify the needs and wants of their customers, improve what they do, keep up
with changes in the industry and compete in their market.

The Value of Acquiring Research Skills

• To gather more information before selecting a course of action

• To do a high-level research study
• To understand research design
• To evaluate and resolve a current management dilemma
• To establish a career as a research specialist

Types of Studies Used to do Research

• Reporting - gives the summation of information, regularly recasting information to

accomplish a more profound comprehension or to create insights for correlation.
• Descriptive - refers to research which describes a phenomenon or else a group
under study.
• Explanatory - aims to identify risk (or protective) factors that are causally related
to an outcome.
• Predictive - aims to find the combination of factors that best predicts a current
diagnosis or future event. This distinction affects every aspect of model building
and evaluation.

Different Styles of Research

• Applied Research - focuses on the use of information to create useful materials.

• Pure Research/Basic Research - focuses on understanding basic properties and
processes.
 Good research involves systematic planning and setting time-based, realistic
objectives. It entails feasible research methods based upon a research methodology that best
suits the nature of your research question. It is built upon sufficient relevant data and is
reproducible and replicable

Following the standards of the scientific method

• Purpose clearly defined

• Research process detailed
• Research design thoroughly planned
• Limitations frankly revealed
• High ethical standards applied
• Adequate analysis for
• decision-makers needs
• Findings presented unambiguously
• Conclusions justified
• Researcher’s experience reflected

The Manager-Researcher Relationship

Manager’s obligations

• Specify problems
• Provide adequate background information
• Access to company information gatekeepers

Researcher’s obligations

• Develop a creative research design

• Provide answers to important business questions

Manager-Researcher Conflicts

• Management’s limited exposure to research

• Manager sees researcher as threat to personal status
• Researcher has to consider corporate culture and political situations
• Researcher’s isolation from managers

When Research Should be Avoided

• When information cannot be applied to a critical managerial decision

• When managerial decision involves little risk
• When management has insufficient resources to conduct a study
• When the cost of the study outweighs the level of risk of the decision.
 Jessa Joseph

BPA-3A

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT NO. 1

TERMS IN REVIEW

1. What is business research? Why should there be any question about the definition of
research?

Business research is a process of acquiring detailed information of all the areas of

business and using such information in maximizing the sales and profit of the business.
Research must always be of high quality in order to produce knowledge that is applicable
outside of the research setting. There should be any question about the definition of
research because others think a Google search is research but that two have different
meanings.

Searching for something does not equal Research. Just because Google's quick answer
tells us something does not mean it's true. However, Research connotes more than search.
It includes strategies that go considerably beyond identifying relevant records.

2. What is the difference between applied research and basic or pure research? Use a
decision about how a salesperson is to be paid, by commission or salary, and describe the
question that would guide applied research versus the question that would guide pure
research.

The difference between applied research and basic or pure research is that applied
research means to solve something, usually within the business context, such as solving a
problem, helping guide business in areas such as performance, or used to help influence
business decisions, while pure research may answer a question or provide knowledge, but
not concerning a company’s specific business dilemma.

Given the situation of how a salesperson will be compensated, whether by commission

or salary, pure research will reveal quantitative data such as how much a salesperson can
make based on being paid a percentage of sales against what their pay would cost.
Applied research will also look at the industry and its compensation models, how other
competitors pay their employees, and which compensation model will result in both the
highest sales and the ability to retain the prime sales force, resulting in future retention of
the best salespersons while increasing sales.
3. Distinguish between an explanatory and predictive research study.

Explanatory research aims to identify risk (or protective) factors that are causally related
to an outcome. Predictive research aims to find the combination of factors that best
predicts a current diagnosis or future event. This distinction affects every aspect of model
building and evaluation.

4. Distinguish between a reporting study and a descriptive study.

Descriptive research refers to research which describes a phenomenon or else a group

under study. On the other hand, a reporting study gives the summation of information,
regularly recasting information to accomplish a more profound comprehension or to
create insights for correlation.

MAKING RESEARCH DECISIONS

5. A sales force manager needs to have information in order to decide whether to create a
custom motivation program or purchase one offered by a consulting firm. What are the
dilemmas the manager faces in selecting either of these alternatives?

The sales manager is likely to meet problems or dilemmas regularly. A dilemma is a

complex issue created when a manager must meet more than one goal at a time. In the
above scenario, the manager is in a dilemma to either create a custom program or buy
one offered by a consulting firm. Cooper and Schindler (2014) define a management
dilemma as “the problem or opportunity that requires a management decision”.

When determining which methods work best to increase employee motivation, the sales
manager must evaluate all factors. Employee behaviors and attitudes are a part of the
motivation program. Factors that cause employees to generate low sales could be low
wages, long work hours, poor management, etc. The sales manager must investigate the
associated cause of employee behavior and develop a suitable program that works best.
The sales manager must consider all factors when deciding which works best to boost
employee motivation.
6. 6.Toyota had a major problem with unexplained acceleration in several of its top models
in 2010. It closed down production and stopped sales of multiple models. What types of
research might Toyota have conducted to make these decisions?

As Toyota is facing a major problem with unexplained acceleration, it loses its customers
and makes them doubtful. To research this type of acceleration problem, Toyota should
have chosen a descriptive research study to get answers to questions of who, what, and
where. This study will help Toyota find out who started Toyota, when and where, and so on.
After this, Toyota should do reporting study. This study allows Toyota to compare the
statistics and help to understand the data. It provides a summary of the research data. It
will help to understand the mistake and make changes regarding them. The third study is
the predictive study, which allows for problem-solving benefits and finds the relationship
between two variables. With those studies, Toyota can determine why the
problem happened and what needs to be done.

7. You have received a business research report done by a consultant for your firm, a life
insurance company. The study is a survey of customer satisfaction based on a sample of
600. You are asked to comment on its quality. What will you look for?

To find out the quality of the survey, I will go through every aspect of the report. I will find
out whether the purpose of the research has been clearly defined. Another aspect that
needs to be taken care of while reading the information is the research process. The
researcher must give a detailed description of the research process at the beginning of the
research report. Every research has some limitations, and the researcher must reveal all the
study's limits. I will go through all the limitations of the research and then will analyze its
impact on the report's conclusion.
In addition to this, the finding should be straightforward (unambiguous). The most
aspect, which will study in detail, is the sampling method. There are various ways to collect
the samples. The researcher should collect the sample randomly. Samples should be
collected from different geographical regions. The demographics of the 600 also need to
be analyzed. It has been found that the researcher often collects samples from a specific
area. As a result, we will know the public's general perception of the insurance sector.

8. As area sales manager for a company manufacturing and marketing outboard engines,
you have been assigned the responsibility of conducting a research study to estimate the
sales potential of your products in the domestic (U.S. or Canadian) market. Discuss key
issues and concerns arising from the fact that you, the manager, are also the researcher.

I will conduct predictive research as the area sales manager. The company's objective
is to assess our product's sales potential, outboard engines, in the domestic market.
Furthermore, to perform quality research, I must be familiar with market research and be
able to analyze the data. A lack of information about market research might lead to poor
 planning and interpretation of the study findings (Marketing Research, 2012). It might be
an issue when a company's management is in charge of doing research.

BRINGING RESEARCH TO LIFE

9. What evidence is presented in the Bringing Research to Life vignette of efforts to understand
the management dilemma?

The evidence presented in the Bringing Research to Life vignette in Chapter 1 of efforts
to better understand the management dilemma includes making an initial quick trip to the
CompleteCare facility. The CompleteCare facility is to understand the details and
concerns of the CompleteCare program (Cooper & Schindler, 2014). Alternatively, using
inquisitive questions while meeting with managers and paying attention to the actualities
of information already collected by management helps to seek a further understanding of
the manager’s anxieties. Therefore, understanding management’s anxieties at various
levels of the company will help to understand the efforts of the company’s management
dilemma.

FROM CONCEPT TO PRACTICE

10. Apply the principles in Exhibit 1-4 to the research scenario in question 8.

Research refers to the outcome of the human desire to investigate and deeper
understanding of existing phenomena or find out the possibility of the occurrence of a new
phenomenon. Research is the starting point in any discipline.

The principles are applied in the research scenario as follows:

1. Determine the research problem: The first phase of information search is determining
the research problem. To determine the research problem following steps are
followed:

I. Identify and clarify information need. In this step, the researcher first
understands the problem and then has to answer the following questions:
what is the purpose of the research? What is the situation with the problem?
What are the measurable symptoms
 II. Define the research problem. In the second step, the researcher redefines the
problem to study to get the background information for the other firms that
faced a similar problem.
III. Specify research objectives and confirm the information value. In this step,
the objectives of the research are specified

2. Select the research design: In this phase, the researcher selects the most appropriate
research design to achieve the objectives of the research. The steps included in this phase
are as follows:

IV. Determine the research design and data sources: In this step, the researcher
identifies the best research design, the sources of data collection
V. Develop the sample design and sample size: In this step, the researcher
determines the sample design and size. It includes the target population, the
size of the target population etc.
VI. Examine measurement issues and scales: In this step, the researcher identifies
the issues in the measurement of data and scales for measuring the data.
VII. Design and pretest the questionnaire: After solving the problems of
measurement, the researcher prepares the questionnaire and pretest it to
check the relevancy

3. Execute the research design: In this phase, the researcher executes the research by
using the information collected in the first two phases.

VIII. Collect and prepare data: In this step, the researcher collects the data on the
basis of a questionnaire prepared
IX. Analyze data: In this step, the data is analyzed on the various measurement
scales and tests.
X. Interpret data to create knowledge: In this step, the data is interpreted in the
useful information which creates knowledge.

4. Communicate the result: In this phase, the result is communicated to the

management of the company or stakeholders.

XI. Prepare and present the final report. In this step, the researcher prepares the
report into a presentable form. It includes PowerPoint presentations, tabular
form etc.
 FROM THE HEADLINES

11. Kathy Lee Berggren, a professor of oral communication at Cornell University, indicates “a
lot of my students re- ally [only] scratch the surface with the type of research they’re doing.”
According to Andy Guess, at Inside Higher Ed, “Just because students walk in the door as
‘digital natives’, doesn’t mean they’re equipped to handle the heavy lifting of digital
databases and proprietary search engines that comprise the bulk of modern, online re-
search techniques.” Students erroneously think a Google search is research.

As you read through the reasons that should stimulate your interest in studying research
methods or evaluate the nine factors that guarantee good research, what actions do you
propose to narrow the gap between students’ research competence and what’s required
of a modern college graduate about to become a manager?

I propose to conduct a training in developing competencies and values in narrowing

the gap between student’s research competence and what’s required of a modern
college graduate about to become a manager.

In working life, completing tasks often require a multidisciplinary approach. Some ways
to develop competence include on-the-job learning and training ways of developing
competence, participating in new projects /working groups in your workplace, attending
training courses/seminars/conferences in and outside your company, writing articles in
magazines, scientific periodicals, or on the web to make yourself known as a professional
and lastly, reflect on what you have done and learned. That will deepen your knowledge
and help you look at things from new angles. Share and communicate your knowledge
and expertise in professional groups and engineering associations by giving lectures,
coaching, or training.

CASES

Case Study on Data for Development: Development Co-operation Report 2017.

Research was applied to measure and monitor progress against the Sustainable
Development Goals. The value of data in enabling development is uncontested. Yet, there
continue to be worrying gaps in primary data about people and the planet and weak
capacity in developing countries to produce the data that policymakers need to deliver
reforms and policies that achieve actual, visible, and long-lasting development results.

With the unfolding data revolution, developing countries and donors have a unique
chance to act now to boost data production and use it for the benefit of citizens. This report
sets out priority actions and good practices to help policymakers and providers of
development assistance bridge the global data divide, notably by strengthening statistical
systems in developing countries to produce better data for better policies and lives.

SEARCH ANY VIDEO ON YOUTUBE RELATING TO THE TOPIC DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER 1 AND
GIVE CRITIQUE ON THE VIDEO

This video emphasizes the steps in doing effective business research. It states that we
need to know how to prepare surveys and analyze the results. Organize information into clear
reports and wholly and carefully document such sources. To ensure research meets the
employee’s expectations, it must be: relevant, current, accurate, thorough, realistic, and
ethical. It also explains Primary Research, which means consulting sources of information not
found in printed documents or on the web. On the contrary, Secondary Research is found in
a printed document or on the web and used to gather information to support
recommendations and make decisions. It also tackles the importance of taking notes. Well-
organized and detailed notes enable us to communicate more effectively and make
decisions in the business environment.

Video Reference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy8jU7aD9YI