Summary Business Research Techniques for pre-master (BRT)
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Course
Business Research Techniques
Institution
Tilburg University (UVT)
This summary is written for the course “Business Research Techniques” during the semester Fall-2021 of the Pre-Master Marketing Analytics and Marketing Management. The input for this summary consists of all the information given in the Grasple Modules provided by the tutors of this course.
Demi van de Pol || Pre-master Marketing Analytics || Tilburg University || 2021
, Demi van de Pol | Summary | Business Research Techniques | TISEM | Tilburg University | 2021-2022
CONTENT
This summary is written for the course “Business Research Techniques” during the semester Fall-
2021 of the Pre-Master Marketing Analytics and Marketing Management. The input for this summary
consists of all the information given in the Grasple Modules provided by the tutors of this course.
GRASPLE MODULE 1: Business research
INTRODUCTION BUSINESS RESEARCH
Business research can be defined as: “a series of well-thought-out activities and carefully executed
data analyses that are aimed to help a manager avoid, solve, or minimize a problem”.
1. Business research is well-thought-out.
Business research needs to pinpoint exactly what the problem is, which factors are associated with
the problem, and which knowledge is already available to address the problem.
2. Business research entails gathering and analyzing data.
There are many ways to collect data. For example by means of surveys, experimentation, extraction
from companies’ internal databases, extraction of government databases (e.g. CBS.nl), web scraping,
interviews, observations, etc.
3. Business research is meant to help managers make better decisions (= evidence-based decisions:
decisions that rely on data and facts (the result of sound research)).
On average, managerial decisions based on sound business research tend to be way more effective
than those based solely on intuition and/or experience. Experience should never be a substitute for
evidence-based decision-making. Intuition and experience without research may go wrong. For
example: Foreign market entry failures.
WHY SHOULD FUTURE MANAGERS KNOW ABOUT BUSINESS RESEARCH?
● To be able to perform business research
→ To understand research studies yourself to solve smaller problems you may encounter.
● To be able to steer business research
→ To interact effectively with internal research departments/ external research agencies.
● To be able to evaluate business research
→ To discriminate between good and bad research proposals and finalized research reports.
THE SIX HALLMARKS OF SOUND RESEARCH
An evidence-based approach to decision-making = Making decisions supported by sound research.
The following six hallmarks can be used to evaluate whether business research is sound:
HALLMARK 1. Purposiveness
= Knowing “the why” of your research.
HALLMARK 2. Rigor
= Strict precision / exactness
● Ensuring a sound theoretical base:
Theoretical base is important to include because you may miss important drivers from previously
done research. Those important drivers will have a majority in solving your problems as well.
● Ensuring a sound methodological design:
You can only draw correct conclusions of a business research study if the sample is representative.
Moreover, no biased questions should asked.
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, Demi van de Pol | Summary | Business Research Techniques | TISEM | Tilburg University | 2021-2022
HALLMARK 3. Objectivity
= Drawing conclusions based on facts (rather than on subjective ideas).
HALLMARK 4. Parsimony
= ‘Shaving away’ unnecessary details
= Explaining a lot with little
To avoid a really complicated research. Need to be able to select the factors that are the most
important (simplifying without oversimplifying).
HALLMARK 5. Replicability
= Finding the same results if the research is repeated in similar circumstances.
In business research this means you should describe the study design in greater detail: provide
information about the sample which is used, how data is collected, which analyses were performed,
etc.
HALLMARK 6. Generalizability
= Being able to apply the research findings in a wide variety of different settings.
This should hold for fundamental research, but much less for applied research.
FUNDAMENTAL VS. APPLIED RESEARCH
Applied research Fundamental research
● To solve a current problem faced by a ● To generate new knowledge about how
manager. problems that occur in several firms can be
● Applies to a specific company. solved.
● Mainly performed within firms or research ● Applies to several organizational settings.
agencies. ● Mainly performed within universities (and
knowledge institutes).
Fundamental research forms the base for applied research.
THE 7-STEP RESEARCH PROCESS
The 7-step deductive research process: Theory → Data: To confirm theory with data.
1. Define the business problem
2. Formulate the problem statement
3. Develop a theoretical framework (incl. hypotheses)
4. Choose research design
5. Collect data
6. Analyze data
7. Write up
NOTE: Formulating the problem statement is always based on the business problem but makes it
more specific. The research design needs to fit the theoretical framework. While writing up the
results you confirm existing theory, or not.
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, Demi van de Pol | Summary | Business Research Techniques | TISEM | Tilburg University | 2021-2022
DEDUCTIVE RESEARCH VS. INDUCTIVE RESEARCH
Deductive and indictive research are two research approaches. The main difference:
● Inductive research aims at developing a theory.
● Deductive research aims at testing a theory.
When using an inductive research approach:
1. Make observations/ collect data.
2. Find a pattern in the observations.
3. Develop a theoretical framework on the basis of this pattern.
When using a deductive research approach:
1. Hypothesize relationships between variables based on theory.
2. Test is hypotheses by using data.
Deductive research approach is theoretically driven: First theory is used to formulate hypotheses and
then data is used to test these hypotheses.
Inductive research approach is data driven: It uses data as a starting point, seeks explanations for
these, and will end with developing a theory.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH VS. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
Quantitative researchers emphasize the importance of formulating hypotheses based on previous
work and well-supported theories. The reasoning behind this type of research is largely deductive.
Qualitative researchers use observations as a starting point and then seek explanations for their
observations. The reasoning behind this type of research is largely inductive.
These research approaches are not mutually competing, but can be used in combination within a
single research study.
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