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Summary Business research techniques for premaster
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Door: svenmeulenbroek • 10 maanden geleden
Voorbeeld van de inhoud
Chapter 1Research: the process of finding solutions to a problem after a thorough study and analysis of the
situational factors.
Research helps managers in the decision making process. Decision making is a process of choosing
from alternative solutions to solve a problem. Managers should know about research:
- To be able to perform business research for smaller problems
- To be able to steer business research
- To be able to evaluate business research
Business research: a systematic and organized effort to investigate a specific problem encountered
in the work setting, which needs a solution.
- A series of steps designed with the goal of finding answers to the issues that are of concern
to the manager in the work environment.
- Step 1: know where the problem areas exist in organization, and to identify as clearly and
specifically as possible the problems.
- Step 2: are clearly defining steps can be taken to determine the factors that are associated
with the problem, gather information, analyse the data, develop an explanation for the
problem and then solve it by taking the necessary measures (maatregelen)
Research involves a series of well thought-out activities that enables managers to know how
organizational problems can be solved or minimized.
Business research: Business research can be defined as: organized, systematic, data-based, critical,
objective, inquiry or investigation into a specific problem, undertaken with the purpose of finding
answers or solutions to it. Research provides the necessary information to make informed decisions.
Primary data: gathered first hand
Secondary data: already available data
Quantitative: numbers gathered through structured questions.
Qualitative: data in the form of words.
Theory: explains a certain phenomenon, and this explanation will hold in a wide range of settings.
2 types of business research
1. Applied research: solve a currently experienced problem faced by the manager in the work
setting, demanding a timely (tijdig) solution within a specific organization. Research done
with the intention of applying the results of the findings to solve specific problems currently
experienced in an organization. Solving a currently experienced problem in a specific
organization. Within firms or research agencies.
2. Basic, fundamental, pure research: generate a body of knowledge by trying to comprehend
how certain problems that occur in organizations can be solved. Research done mainly to
make a contribution to existing knowledge. The finding contribute to the building of
knowledge in the various functional areas of business. Teach something we did not know
before. Usually later applied in organizational settings for problem solving. Building theories
based on the research results. Broader objective of generating knowledge and understanding
of phenomena and problems that occur in various organizational settings. Generate
, knowledge that is relevant for multiple organisations. The basis of applied research. You
want to be able to generalize the results to solve problems that occur in several settings.
Managers and research
Being knowledgeable about research and research methods helps managers to±
1. Identify and effectively solve minor problems in the work setting. ´
2. Know how to discriminate good from bad research.
3. Appreciate and be constantly aware of the multiple influences and multiple effects of factors
impinging (stoten) on a situation.
4. Take calculated risks in decision making, knowing full well the probabilities associated with
the different possible outcomes.
5. Prevent possible vested interests from exercising their influence in a situation.
6. Relate to hired researchers and consultants more effectively
7. Combine experience with scientific knowledge while making decisions.
While hiring researchers or consultants the manager should make sure that:
- The roles and expectations of both parties are made explicit.
- Relevant philosophies and value systems of the organization are clearly stated and
constraints, if any, are communicated.
- A good rapport is established with the researchers, and between the researchers and the
employees in the organization, enabling the full cooperation of the latter.
Internal vs. external consultants
Internal consultant: research department within an organization
Advantages:
- The internal team stands a better chance of being readily (gemakkelijk) accepted by the
employees in the subunit of the organization where research needs to be done
- The team requires less time to understand the structure, philosophy, climate and work
systems of the organizations
- They are available to implement their recommendations after the research findings have
been accepted. Bugs may be removed with their help. The are also available to evaluate the
effectiveness of the change and consider further changes if necessary.
- The internal team might cost less, because they will need less time to understand the system.
For problems with low complexity, the internal team would be ideal.
Disadvantages:
- The internal team may fall into a stereotyped way of looking at the organization and its
problems. This inhibits (remt) fresh ideas and perspectives needed to solve the problem.
Definitely the problem for weighty (belangrijke) issues and complex problems.
- There is a chance that the internal team is influenced by strong coalitions to conceal, distort
or misrepresent certain facts,
- The internal research team is not perceived (waargenomen) as experts, and their
recommendations may not get the consideration and attention they deserve.
- The findings might be less objective and consequently less scientific.
External consultant:
,Advantages:
- Experienced from working with different types of organizations that have had the same or
similar types of problems. They can think divergently (afwijkend): looking from several
possible angles and perspectives. The can look at the alternatives and focus on specific
feasible solutions: think convergently
- They might have more knowledge of current sophisticated problem solving models through
training programs that internal teams do not have access to. External teams are scared of
obsolescence (veroudering) and therefore have a lot of trainings.
Disadvantages:
- The costs are high
- External teams take more time to understand the organization and it takes more time before
they are accepted within a organization
- They charge additional fees for their assistance in the implementation and evaluation
phases.
If the problem is complex, if there are vested interests (groepsbelangen), or if the existence of the
organization is at stake > external researchers.
Fairly simple problems, the time is important for moderately (matig) complex problems, system-wide
need to establish procedures and policies of a routine nature > internal team
Ethics and Business Research
Ethics: a code of conduct or expected societal norms of behaviour while conducting research.
Ethical conduct applies to everyone that gets in touch with the research.
Chapter 2
Scientific research: focuses on solving problems and pursues a step-by-step logical, organized and
rigorous method to identify the problem, gather data, analyse them and draw valid conclusions from
them. Scientific research is not based on hunches (ingeving/gevoel), experience and intuition (may
play a part in final decision making). It is purposive (doelgericht) and rigorous (strikt). Because it is
rigorous all those who are interested in researching come up with the same finding when analysing
the data
Scientific investigation tends to be more objective than subjective, and helps managers to highlight
the most critical factors that need attention to minimize or solve problems. Scientific research
applies to both applied and basic research. Mangerial decisions based on the results of good research
tend to be more effective. Hunches, intuition and experience (same product different country) are
likely to be wrong.
The Hallmarks of Scientific research
- Purposiveness
- Rigor
- Testability
- Replicability
- Precision and confidence
- Objectivity
, - Generalizability
- Parsimony
Each hallmark is explained using the example of a manager who is interested in investigating how
employees’ commitment to the organization can be increased:
Purposiveness: the research starts with a definite (duidelijk omschreven) aim or purpose. In this
example the focus is on increasing commitment of employees to the organization, thus there is a
purposive focus. Why are you doing research and what is the problem?
Rigor: (strengheid) rigor is added by a theoretical base and methodological design. It connotes
(impliceert) carefulness, scrupulousness (zorgvuldigheid) and the degree of exactitude
(nauwkeurigheid) in research. If the managers asks 10 people what would increase their level of
commitment and draws conclusions from this, the approach is unscientific:
- Not enough employees, they are not representative of the entire workforce
- The manner of (wijze van) framing could have introduced bias (vooroordeel) or incorrectness
in the response.
- There might be many other important influences on organizational commitment that this
small sample of respondents did not or could not verbalize during the interviews, and the
researchers has therefore failed to include them.
So, conclusions drawn from an investigation that lacks a good theoretical foundation and
methodological sophistication (1 and 2) are unscientific. Rigorous research involves a good
theoretical base and a carefully thought-out methodology and it makes the achievement of the other
6 hallmarks possible. Theory: what factors are you interested in? Methodological: what kind of
questions do you ask?
Testability: is a property that applies to the hypotheses of a study. A hypothesis must be testable.
Hypothesise: a tentative (voorlopig) testable statement which predict what you expect to find in
empirical data. They are derived from theory and the results of previous scientific research.
Replicability: if the same findings emerge when the data is collected by others employing the same
method. Replication demonstrated that hypotheses have not been supported by chance. The extent
to which the results are replicated increases the confidence in the scientific nature of the research.
It is made possible by a detailed description of the design details of the study. Replicability is the
extent to which a re-study is made possible by the provision of the design details of the study in the
research report. Find the same results if the research is repeated.
Precision and confidence: you have to base your conclusion on a sample as you cannot study the
population.
- Precision: the closeness of the findings to reality based on a sample, the degree of accuracy
of the results. The confidence interval is referred to as precision.
- Confidence: the probability that the estimations are correct. It is not enough to be precise,
you have to be able to claim that 95% of the time the results are correct. This is known as the
confidence level.
- The greater precision and confidence, the more scientific the findings. A 95% confidence
level is acceptable.
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