Research Process the Broad Problem Area 1

The Research Process - The Broad Problem Area and Defining theProblem Area and Defining the

Problem Statement

ObjectivesObjectives1 Discuss how problem areas can be1. Discuss how problem areas can be

identified. 2 State research problems clearly and2. State research problems clearly and

precisely.3. Explain how primary and secondary data3. Explain how primary and secondary data

help the researcher to develop a problem statement.

4. Develop relevant and comprehensive bibliographies for any research topic.

5 W it lit t i i t i5. Write a literature review on any given topic.6. Develop a research proposal.

Broad Problem AreaBroad Problem Area

The broad problem area refers to the entire situation where one sees a possible need for research and problem solving. Such issues might pertain to:

1. Problems currently existing in an organizational setting that need to be solved.

2 Areas that a manager believes needs to be improved in the2. Areas that a manager believes needs to be improved in the organization.

3. A conceptual or theoretical issue that needs to be tightened up f h b i h d d i hfor the basic researcher to understand certain phenomena.

4. Some research questions that a basic researcher wants to answer empirically.p y

Broad Problem AreaBroad Problem AreaE l f b d bl th t ld Examples of broad problem areas that a manager could observe at the workplace: Training programs are not as effective as anticipatedTraining programs are not as effective as anticipated. The sales volume of a product is not picking up. Minority group members are not advancing in their careers. The newly installed information system is not being used by the

managers for whom it was primarily designed. The introduction of flexible work hours has created more The introduction of flexible work hours has created more problems than it has solved in many companies.

Preliminary Information GatheringPreliminary Information Gathering

Nature of information to be gathered: Background information of the organization. g g

the contextual factors Prevailing knowledge on the topicPrevailing knowledge on the topic.

relevant findings from previous research


The background details of the company can be obtained from available published records, the pweb site of the company.

Company policies procedures and rules can Company policies, procedures, and rules can be obtained from the organizations records and documents.

Data gathered through such existing sourcesData gathered through such existing sources are called secondary data.


S d d t d t th t l d i t Secondary data, are data that already exist and do not have to be collected by the researcherresearcher.

Some secondary sources of data are statistical bulletins government publicationsbulletins, government publications, information published or unpublished and available from either within or outside theavailable from either within or outside the organization, library records, data available from previous research, online data, web sites,from previous research, online data, web sites, and the Internet.


Other types of information such as the perceptions and attitudes of employees are p p p ybest obtained by talking to them; by observing events people and objects; or byevents, people, and objects; or by administering questionnaires to individuals.

h h f h f h Such data gathered for research from the actual site of occurrence of events are called primary data.

Prevailing knowledge on the topicPrevailing knowledge on the topic

A literature review should help the researcher to identify and highlight the important y g g pvariables that are related to the problem.

Literature ReviewLiterature Review

Literature survey is the documentation of a comprehensive review of the published andcomprehensive review of the published and unpublished work in the areas of specific interest to the researcherinterest to the researcher.

Literature ReviewLiterature ReviewA d lit t A good literature survey: Ensures that important variables are not left out of the study.

H l th d l t f th th ti l f k d Helps the development of the theoretical framework and hypotheses for testing.

Ensures that the problem statement is precise and clear Ensures that the problem statement is precise and clear. Enhances testability and replicability of the findings. Reduces the risk of reinventing the wheel.Reduces the risk of reinventing the wheel . Confirms that the problem is perceived as relevant and

significant.

Literature SurveyLiterature Survey

The library is a rich storage base for secondary data through books journalssecondary data through books, journals, newspapers, magazines, conference proceedings doctoral dissertations mastersproceedings, doctoral dissertations, master s theses, government publications, and financial marketing, and other reports.

Literature SurveyLiterature Survey

The computerized databases is now readily available and accessible which makesreadily available and accessible, which makes the literature search much easier, and can be done without entering the portals of a librarydone without entering the portals of a library building.

Conducting the Literature SurveyConducting the Literature Survey

h li i d b d h The literature review needs to be done on the specific issues of concern to the researcher and the factors identified during the interview process.

The first step in this process involves identifying the various published and y g punpublished materials that are available on the topics of interest, and gaining access tothe topics of interest, and gaining access to these.

Conducting the Literature SurveyConducting the Literature Survey

The second step is gathering the relevant information either by going through theinformation either by going through the necessary materials in a library or by getting access to online sourcesaccess to online sources.

The third step is writing up the literature review

Data SourcesData Sources

b k Textbooks Academic and professional journalsp j Theses: Ph.D theses and Master theses. Conference proceedings Conference proceedings Unpublished manuscripts Reports NewspapersNewspapers The internet

Searching for LiteratureSearching for Literature

There are three forms of databases:1. The bibliographic databases, which display only g p , p y y

the bibliographic citations, that is, the name of the author, the title of the article (book), source , ( ),of publication, year, volume, and page numbers.

2 The abstract databases which in addition2. The abstract databases, which in addition provide an abstract or summary of the articles.

3 The full text databases which provide the full3. The full-text databases, which provide the full text of the article.


Online search provides the following advantages:g

1. Saving enormous amount of time.2 Are comprehensive in their listing and review of2. Are comprehensive in their listing and review of

references.3 Th h f t i l t3. The researcher can focus on materials most

central to the research efforts.4. Finding access to references is relatively

inexpensive.


Accessing the online system and getting a printout of all the published works in the area p pof interest from the bibliographical index will provide a comprehensive bibliography on theprovide a comprehensive bibliography on the subject, which will form the basis for the next stepstep.


k While reading these articles, take notesabout the problem that was researched, the design details of the study (such as the sample size and data collection methods), and the ultimate findings of the study.

These notes will facilitates the writing up ofThese notes will facilitates the writing up of the literature review with maximum efficiencyefficiency.

Writing Up the Literature ReviewWriting Up the Literature Review

The documentation of the relevant studies citing the author and the year of the study is g y ycalled literature review or literature survey.Th lit t i l d l i l The literature survey is a clear and logical presentation of the relevant research work done thus far in the area of investigation.


h f h l The purpose of the literature survey is: To identify and highlight the important o de t y a d g g t t e po ta t

variables. To document the significant findings from To document the significant findings from

earlier research that will serve as the foundation on which the theoreticalfoundation on which the theoretical framework for the current investigation can be built and the hypotheses developedbe built and the hypotheses developed.


Such documentation is important to convince the reader that:1. The researcher is knowledgeable about the

problem area.problem area.2. The theoretical framework will be structured on

work already done and will add to the solidwork already done and will add to the solid foundation of exiting knowledge

Examples of Literature SurveysExamples of Literature Surveys

O i ti l ff tiOrganizational effectivenessOrganization theorists have defined organizationalg geffectiveness (OE) in various ways. OE has beendescribed in terms of objectives (Georgopolous andj ( g pTannenbaum, 1957), goals (Etzioni, 1960), efficiency(Katz and Kahn, 1966), resources acquisition( ) q(Yuchtman and Seashore, 1967). As Coutler (2002)remarked, there is little consensus on how toconceptualize, measure, or explain OE.

Examples of Literature Surveys Cont..

Researchers are now moving away from a single model and are taking contingency approaches to conceptualizing OE (Cameron, 1996; Wernerfelt, 1998; Yetley, 2001). However, they are still limiting themselves to examining the impact of the dominant factors in the organizations life cycle instead of taking a broader, more dynamic approach (Dahl, 2001, p.25).

What insights can be gained from the above example?

1. The literature review introduces the subject of study.j y

2. Highlights the problem (that we do not have a good conceptual framework forhave a good conceptual framework for understanding OE).

3. Summarizes the work done so far on the topic (by reporting the citations in the body of thetopic (by reporting the citations in the body of the research by mentioning the family names and the year of publication only).

Defining the Problem StatementDefining the Problem Statement

After the literature review, the researcher is in position to narrow down the problem p pfrom its original broad base and define the issues of concern more clearlyissues of concern more clearly.

What makes a good problem statement?

The problem statement introduces the key problem that is addressed in the research pproject.

Problem statement is a clear precise and Problem statement is a clear, precise, and short statement of the specific issue that a

h hresearcher wishes to investigate.

What makes a good problem statement? Cont

There are three key criteria to assess the quality of the problem statement:q y p1. It should be relevant2 It should be feasible2. It should be feasible3. It should be interesting

Three key criteria to assess the quality of the problem statement

From an academic perspective, research is relevant if:1. Nothing is known about the topic.2 Much is known about the topic but the2. Much is known about the topic, but the

knowledge is scattered.3 M h h th t i i il bl b t th3. Much research on the topic is available, but the

results are contradictory.4. Established relationships do not hold in certain

situations.

Three key criteria to assess the quality of the problem statementquality of the problem statement

A problem statement is feasible If you are able to answer the problem statement within

the restrictions of the research project. These restrictions are possibly related to time and money

and the expertise of the researcher (a problem statement may be too difficult to answer).

Thus, it is important that you develop a narrowly defined question that can be investigated with a reasonablyquestion that can be investigated with a reasonably amount of time and efforts.

Three key criteria to assess the quality of the problem statement

The problem statement is interesting Because research is a time-consuming process g p

and you will go through many ups and downs before you present a final version of your research y p yreport. It is therefore vital that you are interested in the problem statement that you are trying to p y y ganswer, so you can stay motivated throughout the entire process.p

The Problem StatementThe Problem Statement

Examples of Well-Defined Problem Statements To what extent do the structure of the organization and type of

information systems installed account for the variance in theinformation systems installed account for the variance in the perceived effectiveness of managerial decision making?

To what extent has the new advertising campaign been successful in i h hi h li d i h icreating the high-quality, customer-centered corporate image that it

was intended to produce? How has the new packaging affected the sales of the product? p g g p What are the effects of downsizing on the long-range growth patterns

of companies?

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Format for ReferencingRelevant Articles

At least three modes of referencing arefollowed in business research. These arebased on the format provided on thepublication manual of the Americanpublication manual of the AmericanPsychological Association (APA) (2001), theChicago Manual of Style (1993) and theChicago Manual of Style (1993), and theTurabian Style (1996).

Format for ReferencingRelevant Articles

Each of these manuals specifies how books, journals, newspapers, , j , p p ,dissertations, and other materials are to be referenced in manuscriptsreferenced in manuscripts.

In this course, we will follow the APA f f f i b k j lformat for referencing books, journals, newspaper articles, dissertations, and so on.

Specimen Format for CitingDifferent Types of References

Book by a single author Leshin, C.B. (1997). Management on theLeshin, C.B. (1997). Management on the

World Wide Web. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice HallPrentice-Hall.

Book by more than one author Cornett, M., Wiley, B.J., and Sankar, S. (1998).

The pleasures of nurturing London:The pleasures of nurturing. London: McMunster Publishing.


More than one book by the same author in the same yeary

R A (1998 ) T d th N Y k Roy, A. (1998a). Trade theory. New York: McMillian Publishing Enterprises.

Roy, A. (1998b). Traditional Trade. San Francisco CA: Jossey BamarFrancisco, CA: Jossey Bamar.


Journal Article Barry, H. (1996). Cross-cultural research withBarry, H. (1996). Cross cultural research with

matched pairs of societies. Journal of Social Psychology 79 25 33Psychology, 79, 25-33.

Jeanquart, S., & Peluchette, J. (1997). Diversity in the workforce and management models, Journal of Social Work Studies, 43, 72-85.Journal of Social Work Studies, 43, 72 85.

Specimen Format for CitingDifferent Types of Referencesf d blConference proceedings Publication

Yeshwant, M. (1998). Revised thinking on es a t, ( 998) e sed t g oIndian philosophy and religion. In S. Pennathur (Ed.), Proceedings of the Ninth International(Ed.), Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Religion, (pp. 100-107). Bihar, India: Bihar University.India: Bihar University.


Doctoral/Master Dissertations

Kiren, R.S. (1997). Medical advances and li f lif U bli h d d lquality of life. Unpublished doctoral

dissertation, Omaha State University.


Paper Presentation at Conference

Bajaj, L. S. (1996, March 13). Practical tips for ffi i k P defficient work management. Paper presented

at the annual meeting of Enterpreneurs, San Jose, CA.


Unpublished Manuscript

Pringle, P. S. (1991). Training and development i h 90 ' U bli h d i S hin the 90s'. Unpublished manuscript, Southern Illinois University, Diamondale, IL.


Newspaper Article The new GM pact. ( 1998, July 28). ConcordThe new GM pact. ( 1998, July 28). Concord

Tribune, p.1.R f i El i SReferencing Electronic Sources Author, I. (1998). Technology and immediacy , ( ) gy y

of information [On-line] Available http://www bnet act comhttp://www.bnet.act.com


When a work is authored by two individuals, always cite both names every time the y yreference occurs in the text.

When a work has more than two authors but When a work has more than two authors but fewer than six authors, cite all authors the first

h f b ltime the reference occurs, and subsequently include only the surname of the first author followed by "et al." as the example in the next slide:slide:


Sekaran, U., Martin, T., Trafton, N., and Osborn, R.N., (1980) found.(first citation)., , ( ) ( )

S k l (1980) Sekaran et al. (1980) found

.(subsequent citation).


When a work is authored by six or moreindividuals, cite only the surname of the first yauthor followed by et al. and the year for the first and subsequent citationsfirst and subsequent citations.

Join the names in a multiple-author citation in b h h lrunning text by the word and. In parenthetical

material, in tables, and in the reference list, join the names by an ampersand (&).


As Tucker and Snell (1989) pointed out..

As has been pointed out (Tucker & Snell 1989)Snell, 1989),.


When a work's author is designated as "Anonymous", cite in text, the word yAnonymous followed by a comma and the date: (Anonymous 1979) In the reference listdate: (Anonymous, 1979). In the reference list, an anonymous work is alphabetized by the word Anonymousword Anonymous.


When the same author has several works published in the same year, cite them in the p ysame order as they occur in the reference list, with the in press citations coming last Forwith the in press citations coming last. For example:

Research on the mental health of dual- career family members (Sekaran, 1985a, 1985b, 1985c, 1999, in press) indicates


When more than one author has to be cited in the text, these should be in the alphabetical porder of the first author's surname, and the citations should be separated by semicolonscitations should be separated by semicolons as the example below:

( In the job design literature (Aldag & Brief, 1976; Alderfer, 1977; Beatty, 1982; Jeanquart, 1998),

Quotations in TextQuotations in Text

Quotations should be given exactly as they appear in the source. The original wording, pp g gpunctuation, spelling, and italics must be preservedpreserved.

The research proposal contains the following

K l Key elements: Purpose of the study Specific problem to be investigated.Specific problem to be investigated. Scope of the study Relevance of the study

R h d i Research design: Sampling design Data collection methods

D t l i Data analysis Time frame Budget Selected Bibliography

ExampleExample

While Chryslers minivans, pickups, and sports utilities take a big share at the truck market, gits cars trail behind those of General Motors, Ford Honda and Toyota Quality problemsFord, Honda, and Toyota. Quality problems include, among other things water leaks and defective partsdefective parts( Business Week, No.10, 2007).

Example contExample-cont.

1. Identify the broad problem area.2. Define the problem?2. Define the problem?3. Explain how you would proceed further.

Questions?

Research Process the Broad Problem Area 1

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