Research Methods For Business : A Skill-Building Approach
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Research Methods For Business : A Skill-Building Approach

Research Methods For Business : A Skill-Building Approach


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About the Book

Research Methods for Business provides a concise and straightforward introduction for students to the world of business research.  The skill building approach provides students with practical perspectives on how research can be applied in real business situations. This edition has been substantially revised to go beyond the scientific approach and gives students a comprehensive introduction to what constitutes good research.This edition includes a range of new material on alternative approaches to business research, including three new chapters on: The Critical Literature Review, Observation and Questionnaires. Other chapters on The Broad Problem Area and Defining the Problem Statement, Research Design, Interviews and The Research Report have also been substantially revised.

·Introduction to research
·The scientific approach and alternative approaches to investigation
·The broad problem area and defining the problem statement
·The critical literature review
·Theoretical framework and hypothesis development
·Elements of research design
·Data collection methods: Introduction and interviews
·Data collection methods: Observation
·Data collection methods: Questionnaires
·Experimental designs
·Measurement of variables: Operational definition
·Measurement: Scaling, reliability, validity
·Sampling
·Quantitative data analysis
·Quantitative data analysis: Hypothesis testing
·Qualitative data analysis
·The research report

About the Author

Uma Sekaran (deceased) was Professor Emerita at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in the USA.  During her long career Professor Sekaran authored or co-authored 6 books and over 40 articles in leading journals. Dr Roger Bougie currently lectures in Business Research Methods and Marketing at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.  In September 2011.



Table of Contents:
About the Authors Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction to research ·What is research? ·Business research ·Definition of business research ·Research and the manager ·Types of business research: applied and basic ·Applied research ·Basic or fundamental research ·Managers and research ·The manager and the consultant--researcher ·The manager--researcher relationship ·Internal versus external consultants / researchers ·Internal consultants / researchers ·Advantages of internal consultants / researchers ·Disadvantages of internal consultants/researchers ·External consultants / researchers ·Advantages of external consultants / researchers ·Disadvantages of external consultants / researchers ·Knowledge about research and managerial effectiveness ·Ethics and business research ·Summary ·Discussion questions ·Case: The Laroche Candy Company 2 The scientific approach and alternative approaches to investigation ·The hallmarks of scientific research ·Purposiveness ·Rigor ·Testability ·Replicability ·Precision and confidence ·Objectivity ·Generalizability ·Parsimony ·The hypothetico-deductive method ·The seven-step process in the hypothetico-deductive method ·Identify a broad problem area ·Define the problem statement ·Develop hypotheses ·Determine measures ·Data collection ·Data analysis ·Interpretation of data ·Review of the hypothetico-deductive method ·Some obstacles to conducting scientific research in the management area ·Alternative approaches to research ·Positivism ·Constructionism ·Critical realism ·Pragmatism ·Summary ·Discussion questions 3 The broad problem area and defining the problem statement ·The broad problem area ·Preliminary information gathering ·Nature of information to be gathered ·Background information on the organization ·Literature -- the body of knowledge available to you ·Defining the problem statement ·What makes a good problem statement? ·The research proposal ·Managerial implications ·Ethical issues in the preliminary stages of investigation ·Summary ·Discussion questions ·Practice projects 4 The critical literature review ·The purpose of a critical literature review ·How to approach the literature review ·Data sources ·Searching for literature ·Evaluating the literature ·Documenting the literature review ·Ethical issues ·Summary ·Discussion questions ·Practice project ·Appendix ·Some online resources useful for business research ·Bibliographical databases ·APA format for referencing relevant articles ·Referencing and quotation in the literature review section 5 Theoretical framework and hypothesis development ·The need for a theoretical framework ·Variables ·Dependent variable ·Independent variable ·Moderating variable ·The distinction between an independent variable and a moderating variable ·Mediating variable ·Theoretical framework ·The components of the theoretical framework ·Theoretical framework for the example of air safety violations ·Hypothesis development ·Definition of a hypothesis ·Statement of hypotheses: formats ·If--then statements ·Directional and non-directional hypotheses ·Null and alternate hypotheses ·Hypothesis testing with qualitative research: negative case analysis ·Managerial implications ·Summary ·Discussion questions ·Practice project 6 Elements of research design ·The research design ·Purpose of the study: exploratory, descriptive, causal ·Exploratory study ·Descriptive study ·Causal study ·Extent of researcher interference with the study ·Study setting: contrived and non-contrived ·Research strategies ·Experiments ·Survey research ·Observation ·Case studies ·Grounded theory ·Action research ·Mixed methods ·Unit of analysis: individuals, dyads, groups, organizations, cultures ·Time horizon: cross-sectional versus longitudinal studies ·Cross-sectional studies ·Longitudinal studies ·Review of elements of research design ·Managerial implications ·Summary ·Discussion questions 7 Data collection methods: Introduction and interviews ·Sources of data ·Primary sources of data ·Focus groups ·Panels ·Unobtrusive measures ·Secondary sources of data ·Methods of data collection ·Interviewing ·Unstructured and structured interviews ·Unstructured interviews ·Structured interviews ·Review of unstructured and structured interviews ·Training interviewers ·Some tips to follow when interviewing ·Establishing credibility and rapport and motivating individuals to respond ·The questioning technique ·Review of tips to follow when interviewing ·Face-to-face and telephone interviews ·Face-to-face interviews: advantages and disadvantages ·Telephone interviews: advantages and disadvantages ·Additional sources of bias in interview data ·Computer-assisted interviewing ·CATI and CAPI ·Advantages of software packages ·Review of interviewing ·Projective methods ·Summary ·Discussion questions 8 Data collection methods: Observation ·Definition and purpose of research ·Four key dimensions that characterize the type of observation ·Controlled versus uncontrolled observational studies ·Participant versus nonparticipant observation ·Structured versus unstructured observational studies ·Concealed versus unconcealed observation ·Two important approaches to observation ·Participant observation: introduction ·The participatory aspect of participant observation ·The observation aspect of participant observation ·What to observe ·Structured observation: introduction ·The use of coding schemes in structured observation ·Advantages and disadvantages of observation ·Summary ·Discussion questions 9 Data collection methods: Questionnaires ·Types of questionnaire ·Personally administered questionnaires ·Mail and electronic questionnaires ·Guidelines for questionnaire design ·Principles of wording ·Content and purpose of the questions ·Language and wording of the questionnaire ·Type and form of questions ·Principles of measurement ·General appearance or "getup" of the questionnaire ·Review of questionnaire design ·Pretesting of structured questions ·Electronic questionnaire and survey design ·International dimensions of surveys ·Special issues in instrumentation for cross-cultural research ·Issues in data collection ·Review of the advantages and disadvantages of different data collection methods and when to use each ·Multi methods of data collection ·Managerial implications ·Ethics in data collection ·Ethics and the researcher ·Ethical behavior of respondents ·Summary ·Discussion questions 10 Experimental designs ·The lab experiment ·Control ·Manipulation ·Controlling the contaminating exogenous or "nuisance" variables ·Matching groups ·Randomization ·Internal validity of lab experiments ·External validity or generalizability of lab experiments ·The field experiment ·External validity ·Trade-off between internal and external validity ·Factors affecting the validity of experiments ·History effects ·Maturation effects ·Testing effects ·Selection bias effects ·Mortality effects ·Statistical regression effects ·Instrumentation effects ·Identifying threats to validity ·Internal validity in case studies ·Review of factors affecting internal and external validity ·Types of experimental designs and validity ·Quasi-experimental designs ·Pretest and posttest experimental group design ·Posttests only with experimental and control groups ·Time series design ·True experimental designs ·Pretest and posttest experimental and control group design ·Solomon four-group design ·Double-blind studies ·Ex post facto designs ·Simulation ·Ethical issues in experimental design research ·Managerial implications ·Summary ·Discussion questions ·Appendix: Further experimental designs ·The completely randomized design ·Randomized block design ·Latin square design ·Factorial design 11 Measurement of variables: Operational definition ·How variables are measured ·Operational definition (operationalization) ·Operationalization: dimensions and elements ·Operationalizing the (multidimensional) concept of achievement motivation ·Dimensions and elements of achievement motivation ·What operationalization is not ·Review of operationalization ·International dimensions of operationalization ·Summary ·Discussion questions 12 Measurement: Scaling, reliability, validity ·Four types of scales ·Nominal scale ·Ordinal scale ·Interval scale ·Ratio scale ·Review of scales ·Rating scales ·Dichotomous scale ·Category scale ·Semantic differential scale ·Numerical scale ·Itemized rating scale ·Likert scale ·Fixed or constant sum scale ·Stapel scale ·Graphic rating scale ·Consensus scale ·Other scales ·Ranking scales ·Paired comparison ·Forced choice ·Comparative scale ·International dimensions of scaling ·Goodness of measures ·Item analysis ·Validity ·Content validity ·Criterion-related validity ·Construct validity ·Reliability ·Stability of measures ·Internal consistency of measures ·Reflective versus formative measurement scales ·What is a reflective scale? ·What is a formative scale and why do the items of a formative scale not necessarily hang together? ·Summary ·Discussion questions ·Appendix: Examples of some measures ·Measures from behavioral finance research ·Measures from management accounting research ·Measures from management research ·Measures from marketing research 13 Sampling ·Population, element, sample, sampling unit and subject ·Population ·Element ·Sample ·Sampling unit ·Subject ·Parameters ·Reasons for sampling ·Representativeness of samples ·Normality of distributions ·The sampling process ·Defining the population ·Determining the sample frame ·Determining the sampling design ·Determining the sample size ·Executing the sampling process ·Probability sampling ·Unrestricted or simple random sampling ·Restricted or complex probability sampling ·Systematic sampling ·Stratified random sampling ·Cluster sampling ·Double sampling ·Review of probability sampling designs ·Nonprobability sampling ·Convenience sampling ·Purposive sampling ·Judgment sampling ·Quota sampling ·Review of nonprobability sampling designs ·Examples of when certain sampling designs would be appropriate ·Simple random sampling ·Stratified random sampling ·Systematic sampling ·Cluster sampling ·Area sampling ·Double sampling ·Convenience sampling ·Judgment sampling: one type of purposive sampling ·Quota sampling: a second type of purposive sampling ·Sampling in cross-cultural research ·Issues of precision and confidence in determining sample size ·Precision ·Confidence ·Sample data, precision and confidence in estimation ·Trade-off between confidence and precision ·Sample data and hypothesis testing ·Determining the sample size ·Importance of sampling design and sample size ·Efficiency in sampling ·Sampling as related to qualitative studies ·Managerial implications ·Summary ·Discussion questions 14 Quantitative data analysis ·Getting the data ready for analysis ·Coding and data entry ·Coding the responses ·Data entry ·Editing data ·Data transformation ·Getting a feel for the data ·Frequencies ·Bar charts and pie charts ·Measures of central tendency and dispersion ·Measures of central tendency ·Measures of dispersion ·Relationships between variables ·Relationship between two nominal variables: χ2 test ·Correlations ·Excelsior Enterprises: descriptive statistics part 1 ·Testing goodness of data ·Reliability ·Excelsior Enterprises: checking the reliability of the multi-item measures ·Validity ·Excelsior Enterprises: descriptive statistics part 2 ·Summary ·Discussion questions 15 Quantitative data analysis: Hypothesis testing ·Type I errors, type II errors and statistical power ·Choosing the appropriate statistical technique ·Testing a hypothesis about a single mean ·Testing hypotheses about two related means ·Testing hypotheses about two unrelated means ·Testing hypotheses about several means ·Regression analysis ·Standardized regression coefficients ·Regression with dummy variables ·Multi collinearity ·Testing moderation using regression analysis: interaction effects ·Other multivariate tests and analyses ·Discriminant analysis ·Logistic regression ·Conjoint analysis ·Two-way ANOVA ·MANOVA ·Canonical correlation ·Excelsior Enterprises: hypothesis testing ·Overall interpretation and recommendations to the president ·Data warehousing, data mining and operations research ·Some software packages useful for data analysis ·Summary ·Discussion questions 16 Qualitative data analysis ·Data reduction ·Case: Instigations of customer anger ·Data display ·Drawing conclusions ·Reliability and validity in qualitative research ·Some other methods of gathering and analyzing qualitative data ·Content analysis ·Narrative analysis ·Analytic induction ·Summary ·Discussion questions 17 The research report ·The written report ·The purpose of the written report ·The audience for the written report ·Characteristics of a well-written report ·Contents of the research report ·Integral parts of the report ·The title and the title page ·The executive summary or abstract ·Table of contents ·List of tables, figures and other materials ·Preface ·The authorization letter ·The introductory section ·The body of the report ·The final part of the report ·References ·Appendix ·Oral presentation ·Deciding on the content ·Visual aids ·The presenter ·The presentation ·Handling questions ·Summary Discussion questions Appendix: Examples Report 1: Sample of a report involving a descriptive study Report 2: Sample of a report offering alternative solutions and explaining the pros and cons of each alternative Report 3: Example of an abridged basic research report A Final Note to Students Statistical Tables Glossary Bibliography Index


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Product Details
  • ISBN-13: 9788126556748
  • Publisher: Wiley India Pvt Ltd
  • Binding: Paperback
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 8126556749
  • Publisher Date: 2015
  • Edition: 6
  • No of Pages: 448

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