6711 4249 Operationalisation I(PGDM)Session I

7/27/2019 6711 4249 Operationalisation I(PGDM)Session I

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Operationalisation - I

Conceptualization and operationalization

Conceptualization is the refinement of abstract ideas

(variables, their behavior and relationships) while

operationalization is the development of specific

research procedures (operations) that will result in

empirical observation representing behavior and their

relationships in the realistic situations.

It starts with a problem identification and preparation of a

Research Design.


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Problem Identification

Research Problem:

A Research Problem is an interrogative sentence

or statement that asks:

a) about the behavior of aphenomenon/variable/event

b) about the relationship between two or more

phenomena/variables/ events.

A researcher identifies a research problem or aresearchable topic with a certain procedure.


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Procedure to Indentify a Research

Problem

1.Read the Literature in the area of

Research : Reflect and Identify gaps.(Concept & Methodology

2.Generarate a list of potential Research

Questions.

3. Check the Literature again & examine

as to whether the questions have beenanswered. yes/ No


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Problem Identification (Contd)

4.If Yes, Go to 1 and reexamine.

If No, Test the feasibility of answering the

questions and eliminate impractical

questions 5. The questions can focus or indicate the

research Problem.

6. State the Research Problem(s) clearly.

7.Research Objectives could be set with

respect to the Research Problem(s)


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Problem statement Leads to the formulation of

Hypothesis.

Hypothesis is a conjectural statement on the

behavior of a variable or relationship or

interrelationship between variables.

Hypothesis are in declarative sentence form(usually in the null form i.e. H0)

A Priori Reasoning precedes the formulation of

Hypothesis.

With the help of data we a) support or not

support a hypothesis or b) Reject or accept a

Hypothesis (with some significance levels)


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Problem Identification-Hypothesis and

Research Design

Research Activity starts with the researchproblem and the hypotheses.

The researcher needs to prepare a Research

Design to address the research problem andexamine the hypotheases.

What is a Research Design?

Authors have defined 'Research Design' in

various ways. However they try to answer the

following questions in the process of formulating

a research design..


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The questions which are asked by the

researcher .

What is the study about ?

Why is the study being made?

Where will the study be carried out?

What type of data are required?

Where the data could be found out?

What is the time period of the study?

What will be the experiment/sample design?

What techniques of data collection will be used?


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Contd.

What is the rationaleof using the technique?

How will the data be analyzed?

Inwhat style the report be prepared?

These questions help in formulation of a

research design.

And form part of the Design itself.


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Definition of a Research Design-With

special reference to Social Research

'Research Design' has been defined in

several ways by different authors.

The definitions are different in approach,

but for social science the following may be

more relevant.

Research Design is a Plan, Structure and

Strategy of investigation conceived so asto obtain answers to research questions

and to control variance.- by Kerlinger


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Plan, Structure and strategy in Research

Design.

Plan: The plan refers to the overall scheme or

program of research.

Structure refers to the out line of the operation of

variables where as strategy refers to the logicinherent in gathering and analyzing the data.

For Example:

The logic and necessity of a sampling procedureand types of statistical techniques to be used in

analyzing the data.


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The Purpose of a Research Design.

The Research Design has two basic

purposes.

a) To provide answers to the Research

Questions/Problems

Since research problems can be and are

stated in the form of hypotheses, research

designs are carefully worked out to yield

dependable and valid answers to the

questions epitomized by the Hypotheses.


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b)Control of variance

By constructing an efficient research design the

researcher attempts to

Maximize experimental variance

Control variance due to extraneous variables.

Minimize error variance.

The above three variances are interrelated.

E.g. Maximization of experimental variance willlead to Minimization of error variance.


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Types of Research and Research Design

The foregoing discussion on research design may

suggest that the research design may differ with respect

to the type of research such as disciplinary, subject

matter and problem solving on the one hand and the

specific activities with respect of the type of study and

modus operandi on the other.

A few aspects relating to the above have been explained.


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a)The Purpose of the study

The purpose of the study may be

descriptive orcausal.

If the research is concerned with finding

out who, what, where, when or how - then

the study is descriptive.

But along with the above in addition to

'why' the study becomes causal where we

try to explain why there is a relationship

between variables.


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b) Research Environment

Research design differs with respect to the

research environment such as field

condition and laboratory condition.

In the field condition the research is done

in the holistic approach. No control or little

control on extraneous variables is there.

In the laboratory condition explicability is

possible with utmost control over all the

variables.


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c)Researchers' Control of

Variables In the experimental design the researcher

can control/ manipulate the variables

under study keeping the objectives in

view.

In the Ex Post Facto design the researcher

has no control over the variables in the

sense of being able to manipulate them.

The researcher can only report the

existing facts.


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d)Time Dimension.

With respect to the time dimension the study

could be Cross-sectional(including bench

mark), Time- series or Longitudinal and

Panel type ( mix of time series and crosssection data)

Cross sectional studies are carried out once

for one point of time.

Time-series studies are done to check the

changes/relationships overtime.

Panel study is a mix of both.


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e) Method of Data collection

Monitoring and communicative study.

In monitoring study the researcher

inspects activities of a subject with out

attempting to eliciting response from any

one.

It record the activities.

In communicative study the researcher

questions the subjects and collects their

responses with the help of a tool.


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g) Participants Perception

Participants perception influences the

outcome of research through his/her

thought process on the study being made.

This is more so in the survey type of

research relating to marketing or any other

aspects.

Therefore, the research design has to be

so framed as to minimize the error when

perceptions are involved.


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A concluding remark

The research design is not unique.

It may differ with respect to the type of research,

objectives and modus operandi.

However, in social research a common procedure/format

is adopted.

Theory/Literature -Research problem & Hypotheses-Test

to validate the theory or recast the theory-conclusion,

policy implication and recommendation.

6711 4249 Operationalisation I(PGDM)Session I

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