Business and Management Research

WELCOME
Lecture 5
 Learning Objectives
• By the end of this lecture you should be:
• able to understand the different types of
research methodology
• able to aware of the the different data collection
tools.
• able to understand sampling design
• able to learn how to structure a questionnaire
 Research Methodology
• Methods: present tense to describe a method that can
replicated
• he research method is chosen based on:
– the objectives of the study
– the costs involved in conducting the study
– the availability of the data
 Research Methodology
• There are four basic methods of conducting a
research study:
– Surveys
– Experiments
– Secondary data studies
– Observation.
– Interviews.
 Survey
• A survey is a research technique, which is used to
gather information from a sample of respondents by
employing a questionnaire.
•

• Surveys are normally carried out to obtain primary

data.
• Primary data are the data that are gathered first hand
to answer the research question being investigated.
 Survey
• Surveys are conducted by:
– Meeting the respondents in person
– Contacting the respondents through the telephone
– Conducting surveys through email
– Conducting online surveys through the Internet

• Researchers adopt any of these methods depending

on their requirement.
 Experiments

• In business research, experiments can be conducted

for studying cause-and-effect relationships.
 Secondary Data
• A secondary data study is concerned with the analysis
of already existing data that is related to the research
topic in question.
• Secondary data studies help in projecting future sales
trends using some mathematical models.
 Observation
• Observation technique is a process where the
respondents are observed without any interruption by
the observers.

• Example:
– The shopping patterns of customers in supermarkets
assessed by the researcher or by counting the number of
vehicles can qualify as observation research.
 Interview
• An interview is a purposeful discussion between two
or more people (Kahn and Cannell 1957).
• Help to gather valid and reliable data that are relevant
to research question(s) and objectives.
 Sampling Design
• In sampling, we gather data on an entire “population” by
measuring only a subset of that population, known as the
sample.
• A population consists of all of the individual elements in a
defined area.
 Sampling Design
• Are there too many people in the group that you are
studying?

• Are you limited in time and resources?

• If you answered yes to one or both questions, you

might want to select a sampling design to carry out
your study.
 Sampling Design

• A simple random sample is a selection of individuals chosen

so that each point in the population has an equal chance of
being selected.

• Each item in a “population” can be assigned a number. Then

the simple random sample can be selected by using a random
number table or a random number generator (using a
computer).
 Sampling Design
• A well-defined sample has the same characteristics as
the population as a whole
• It is very important to:
– define the population before selecting the sample
– decide the size of the sample.
• How big should a sample be?
– The bigger the sample size the greater will be its accuracy.

• Once a researcher decides on a sample, he needs to

obtain data from this sample.
 Example
– The data were collected using an internet questionnaire
survey. Six hundred Saudi engineering companies were
selected from 2,002 companies obtained from the
Chamber of commerce database.
• Determine the used research method, sample
and population in the above statment?
 Questionnaire structure
• Well designed questionnaires are highly structured so
that the data can be analyzed quantitatively and
systematically.
• Proper questionnaire design is essential to ensure that
you obtain valid responses to the questions asked.
• In order to obtain accurate relevant information:
– give some thought to what questions we ask
– how we ask questions ,
– the order we ask questions, and the general layout of the
questionnaire.
 How do I organize a survey?
• Plan Ahead
– Set aside time to prepare questions
• Identify Goals
– Clearly identify the information that you want to obtain from
the survey
• Provide Instruction
– Explain why you are conducting the survey and provide any
additional instructions that they will need to complete the
questionnaire.
• Length of Survey/Questionnaire
– short (1-2 pages) and simple questionnaires usually attract
higher response rates than long (4 + pages) and complex
ones.
 Types of Questions:
• Closed Format
– Respondents are forced to choose between several
given options.
– multiple choice, yes/no and ranking
• Advantages of closed format:
– Easy and quick to fill in
– Easy to code, record, and analyze results
quantitatively
– Easy to report results
 Types of Questions:
• Open Format: the respondents can formulate their own
answers.
– use the open format if you are looking for respondents to
provide specific comments or feedback.

• Advantages of open format:

• Allows exploration of the range of possible themes arising from
an issue
 How do I ask the questions?
• Use short and simple sentences.
• Ask for only one piece of information at a time.
– Example: Please rate the Global Environment Class in terms
of its content and presentation
– Should be divided into two parts:
– question one: “Please rate the class in terms of its
content”
– question two: “Please rate the class in terms of its
presentation.
– Avoid negatives if possible.
 How should I arrange the questions?
• Some general rules are:
– Go from general to specific.
– Go from easy to difficult.
– Start with closed format questions.
– Start with questions relevant to the main subject.
– Do not start with demographic and personal question

• Questionnaires must first be piloted and evaluated before the

actual survey
 How should I begin?
• It is good to have a personalized cover letter or an introductory
statement that:
– explains the purpose of the survey, the importance of the
respondent’s participation, the person who is responsible for
the survey.
• A good way to start is:
– “Hello. My name is ___(your name)___ and I am student at _(your
school or institution). I’m working on a research project looking
at __(title of your research project)_ for a course called ‘ (
your course name).’ I was wondering if you have a few minutes
to answer some questions dealing with my research.”
• At the end always thank the respondent for
participating in your questionnaire.
 Online resources
• Online surveys can be developed for little or no cost
through services such as Survey Monkey
(http://www.surveymonkey.com/).
•
• This site and similar services may help you to set up
your questions, administer your response, and analyze
your responses.