Chapter 3

Defining and Refining the

Problem

Slide 3-2
 First steps of the research process
 the three initial stages of the research process. how we get from a broad
management problem to a feasible topic for research.
 Note that this process is not linear; in the beginning of our project we will
have to move back and forth between preliminary research and
(re)defining the problem
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Identification Definition of
of the broad Preliminary the research
research
problem area problem
Do not mix problems with symptoms! - Preliminary data analysis (ch. 3) Develop a research proposal
5-Whys-Technique - LITERATURE REVIEW (ch.4)
 THE BROAD PROBLEM AREA
 A “problem” does not necessarily mean that
something is seriously wrong with a current
situation that needs to be rectified immediately.

 A problem could also indicate an interest in an

issue where finding the right answers might
help to improve an existing situation.

Slide 14-4
 Step 1: Broad Problem Area
 A problem is any situation where a gap exists between an
actual and a desired ideal state
 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 the
organization.
3. A conceptual or theoretical issue that needs to be
tightened up for the basic researcher to understand certain
phenomena.
4. Some research questions that a basic researcher wants to
answer empirically. 5
 Examples of Broad Problem Areas
that Could be Observed at the Work
Place

-Training programs are perhaps not as effective as

anticipated.
-The sales volume of a product is not picking up.
-Inventory control is not effective
-Some members in the organization are not
advancing in their careers.
-The introduction of flexible work hours has created
more problems than it has solved in many companies.
 What these problems also have in common is that they still have to be
transformed into a researchable topic for investigation.

Slide 14-7
 Symptoms versus Problems

 It is important that symptoms of problems are

not defined as the real problem.
 One way of determining that the problem,
rather than the symptom, is being addressed
is a technique called ‘5 Whys’ or ‘5 times
why’.
 This approach will help you to get to the root
cause (the most basic cause) of a problem.

Slide 3-8
 Symptoms versus Problems
 Keep asking “Why?” until the most basic cause is arrived
at.
 Example: My best employees are leaving the organization.
 Why? Because they are not satisfied with their jobs.
 Why? Because they don’t find a challenge in their
jobs.
 Why? Because they don’t have control over their
work.
 Why? Because they don’t have enough influence over
planning, executing, and evaluating their work.
 Why? Because we have been reluctant to delegate.

Slide 3-9
 5-Whys example
 Imagine that there is a company called Alencia which specializes in
receiving outsourced executive recruitment work, where they match
talent to specific jobs and receive commission for doing so.
 In the past year, demand has boomed and their business has expanded
rapidly, but at a price: while demand has increased, capacity has
remained the same, leading to a large back log of job requests. Previous
attempts to bring in a computerized system have been met with staff
resistance and failed. Clients and potential job seekers are both
unhappy with the slow service, and are gradually turning away to more
nimble competitors.
 Mio has been put in charge of fixing the current problems, and has been
given full authority to act. To keep things simple, she looked for the root
causes using the table method.
 5-Whys example
 Suggestion: prepare a table with 5 colums for
the five whys and two columns to summarize
your results
 From Problem to Feasible Research Topic

 We need to transform the broad problem into

a feasible topic for research by:
a) making it more specific and precise;
b) setting clear boundaries;
c) selecting a perspective from which we
investigate the subject.
 Preliminary research will help us to make
these transformations.

Slide 3-13
 PRELIMINARY RESEARCH

 Preliminary analysis
- preliminary data collection
- literature survey (ch.4)
 PRELIMINARY RESEARCH
 Once we have identified the broad problem area
preliminary research should help the researcher
to gain a better understanding of the problem
and to narrow the problem down to a
researchable topic for study.
 Preliminary research should help the researcher
to find answers to questions such as:
 “What is the problem?”;
 “Why does the problem exist?”;
 “Is the problem important?”;
 “What are the benefits of solving the problem?”
 Preliminary Data Collection
 The nature of data to be gathered could be
classified under two headings:
 1. Information on the organization and its
environment – that is, the contextual factors.
 2. Information on the topic of interest.

16
 Preliminary Data Collection
 The background details of the company
can be obtained from available published
records, the web site of the company.
 Company policies, procedures, and rules
can be obtained from the organization’s
records and documents.
 Data gathered through such existing
sources are called secondary data.

17
 Preliminary Data Collection
 Background information might include, among other things, the
contextual factors listed below, which may be obtained from various
sources.
 1. The origin and history of the company – when it came into being,
business it is in, rate of growth, ownership and control, and so on.
 2. Size in terms of employees, assets, or both.
 3. Charter – purpose and ideology.
 4. Location – regional, national, or other.
 5. Resources – human and others.
 6. Interdependent relationships with other institutions and the external
environment.
 7. Financial position during the previous five to ten years, and relevant
financial data.
 8. Information on structural factors (for instance, roles and positions in
the organization and number of employees at each job level,
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communication channels, control systems, workflow systems).
 9. Information on the management philosophy.
 Preliminary Data Collection
 Secondary data, are data that already exist and
do not have to be collected by the researcher.
 Some secondary sources of data are statistical
bulletins, government publications, information
published or unpublished and available from
either within or outside the organization, library
records, data available from previous research,
online data, web sites, and the Internet.

19
 Preliminary Data Collection

 CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING SECONDARY DATA

-Timeliness of the data. When were the data collected? It is important that the
data are up‐to‐date (make sure that you have the newest information
available).
-Accuracy of the data. What was the purpose of (presenting) the data? Who
collected the data? How were the data collected? The accuracy of data can
be impacted by who collected it and how the data were collected. Are the
data consistent with data from other sources?
 If information varies from source to source, you need to find out which
information is more accurate.
-Relevance of the data. Data may be accurate and up‐to‐date but not
applicable to your research objective(s) and research questions.
-Costs of the data. How much do the data cost? Do the benefits outweigh the
costs? Are you better off collecting other data? Are you better off using other
(primary?) methods of data collection?
20
 Preliminary Data Collection
 -Other types of information such as the perceptions
and attitudes of employees are best obtained by
talking to them; by observing events, people, and
objects; or by administering questionnaires to
individuals.
 -Such data gathered for research from the actual
site of occurrence of events are called primary
data.
 -Four principal methods of primary data collection
(interviews, observation, administering
21
questionnaires, and experiments)
 Prevailing knowledge on the topic
 A literature review should help the researcher
to identify and highlight the important
variables that are related to the problem.

 textbooks, journal articles, conference

proceedings, and other published and
unpublished materials.

22
 First Review of the Literature

 Helps the researcher to:

 Structure research on work already done
 Develop problem statement with precision
and clarity

 Is beneficial in both basic and applied

research projects

Slide 3-23
 Steps of the research process
 the three initial stages of the research process. how we get from a broad
management problem to a feasible topic for research.
 Note that this process is not linear; in the beginning of our project we will
have to move back and forth between preliminary research and
(re)defining the problem
Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Identification Definition of
of the broad Preliminary the research
research
problem area problem
Do not mix problems with symptoms! - Preliminary data analysis (ch. 3) Develop a research proposal
5-Whys-Technique - LITERATURE REVIEW (ch.4)
 Step 3- Defining the Problem
Statement
 After the literature review, the researcher is in
position to narrow down the problem from its
original broad base and define the issues of
concern more clearly.

25
 What Makes a Good Problem Statement?

 The problem statement introduces the key

problem that is addressed in the research
project.
 Problem statement is a clear, precise, and
short statement of the specific issue that a
researcher wishes to investigate.

Slide 3-26
 What Makes a Good Problem Statement?

 Good problem statement should include both:

 The research objective
 Research questions

Slide 3-27
 A Good Problem Statement

Research objective: why of the research. explains why the study is

being done. This statement should be brief, but communicate clearly the focus of the
project.
 Research objective in applied research:
 to solve a specific problem in a work setting;
 to change something.
 Example:
 To determine factors that increase employee commitment to the
organization
 To find out what motivates consumers to buy a product online.
 To study the effect of leadership style on employees ’ job satisfaction.
 To investigate the relationship between capital structure and profitability of
the firm.
 Allows manager to increase commitment and hence to
decrease turnover, absenteeism and increase
performance levels.
Slide 3-28
 A Good Problem Statement
 Research questions:
 what of the research (what do you want to learn?)
 Translates problem into a specific need for information

 Research questions:
 Are related to the objective
 If objective is unclear we will not be able to formulate research questions

 Example:
 What are the factors that affect the perceived waiting experience of airline
passengers
 To what extent do these factors affect the perception of waiting times?
 What are the affective consequences of waiting
 How does affect mediate the relationship between waiting and service
evaluations?
 How do situational variables (such as filled time) influence customer
reactions to the waiting experience?

Slide 3-29
Examples of research ideas and resulting
general focus research questions
Examples of research questions and related
research aims (1 of 2)
Examples of research questions and related
research aims (2 of 2)
 e.g. BUSINESS PROBLEM TRANSLATED INTO
PROBLEM STATEMENT

Problem Problem Statement

Research Objectives Research Questions
Frequent and long delays The purpose of this study 1. What are the factors that
in flights may translate into is two fold: affect the waiting experience of
much frustration (1) to identify the factors airline passengers
and to what extent do these
among airline passengers, that influence the
factors affect the perception of
and to negative passengers ’ waiting waiting times?
word‐of‐mouth experience 2. Are there good
communication. consequences of Waiting? how
(2) To investigate the can they mediate the
These feelings and possible impact of relationship between waiting
behaviours eventually have waiting on and service
negative effects on the customer satisfaction evaluations?
3. How do situational variables
performance and the and
(such as filled time) influence
profitability of the firm. service evaluations. customer reactions to the
waiting experience?
 Good Problem Statement

 Relevant
 for the organization
 Feasible
 you are able to answer the research
questions within the restrictions of the
research project.
 Interesting
 to you!

Slide 3-34
 From an academic perspective,
research is relevant if:
1. Nothing is known about the topic.
2. Much is known about the topic, but the
knowledge is scattered.
3. Much research on the topic is available, but
the results are contradictory.
4. Established relationships do not hold in
certain situations.

35
 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).
- The problem statement “How do consumers behave?” is
far too general to investigate.
 Thus, it is important that you develop a narrowly defined
question that can be investigated with a reasonably
amount of time and efforts.

36
 The problem statement is interesting
 Because research is a time-consuming
process and you will go through many ups
and downs before you present a final version
of your research report. It is therefore vital
that you are interested in the problem
statement that you are trying to answer, so
you can stay motivated throughout the entire
process.

37
 Basic Types of Questions

 Exploratory
 Descriptive
 Causal

Slide 3-38
 Basic Types of Questions

 1 Exploratory questions:
 not much is known about the situation at
hand, or no information is available on how
similar problems or research issues have
been solved in the past.
 Example:
 A service provider wants to know why his
customers are switching to other service
providers?
Slide 3-39
 Basic Types of Questions
1- Exploratory questions
 exploratory research is flexible in nature.
 the activities are similar to police work to
solve murder crimes.
 the focus of the research is broad at first, it
becomes narrower as the research
proceeds.
 The results of exploratory studies are
typically not generalizable to the
population.

Slide 3-40
 Basic Types of Questions
 2 Descriptive questions:
 Enable the researcher to describe the characteristics
of the variables of interest in a situation.
 Example:
 What is the profile of the individuals who have loan
payments outstanding for 6 months and more?
 The profile would include details of their average age,
earnings, nature of occupation, full-time/part-time
employment status, and the like. This might help him
to elicit further information or decide right away on the
types of individuals who should be made ineligible for
loans in the future.

Slide 3-41
 Basic Types of Questions
2- Descriptive questions
The objective is to obtain data that describes the topic
of interest.
e.g. what percent of the population likes Coca‐Cola
better than pepsi in a double‐blind test, we describe
consumers’ taste preferences.
Descriptive studies: to collect data that describe
characteristics of objects (such as persons,
organizations, products, or brands), events, or
situations.
either quantitative or qualitative in nature.
Slide 3-42
 Basic Types of Questions
2- Descriptive research questions
e.g. A CEO may be interested in having a
description of how companies in her industry
have incorporated corporate social
responsibility into the business strategy of the
organization. Such information might allow
comparison later of the performance levels of
specific types of companies.

Slide 3-43
 Basic Types of Questions

 3 Causal questions:
 Delineating one or more factors that are
causing a problem.
 Example:
 Will the sales of product X increase if we
increase the advertising budget?

Sales = a+adv+e

Slide 3-44
 Basic Types of Questions
3- Causal research questions
test whether or not one variable causes another variable to change.
Researcher delineates one or more factors that are causing a problem.

e.g. “What is the effect of a reward system on productivity?”

eg. A marketing manager wants to know if the sales of the company will
increase if he increases the advertising budget. Here, the manager would like
to know the nature of the relationship that may be established between
advertising and sales by testing the hypothesis:
“If advertising is increased, then sales will also go up.”

Slide 45
 Basic Types of Questions
3- Causal research questions
in order to establish a causal relationship, all four of the following conditions
should be met:
1. The independent and the dependent variable should co-vary.
2. The independent variable (the presumed causal factor) should precede
the dependent variable.
3. No other factor should be a possible cause of the change in the dependent
variable.
4. A logical explanation (a theory) is needed and it must explain why the
independent variable affects the dependent variable.

Exam Performance=β0​+β1​(Study Time)+ε

Slide 46
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 the
perceived effectiveness of managerial decision making?

 To what extent has the new advertising campaign been

successful in creating the high-quality, customer-centered
corporate image that it was intended to produce?

 How has the new packaging affected the sales of the product?

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 The Research Proposal

 The research proposal drawn up by the

investigator is the result of a planned,
organized, and careful effort.

Slide 3-48
 The research proposal contains
the following:
 6. The research design,
offering details on:
1. A WORKING TITLE.
 a. Type of study –
2. BACKGROUND OF THE
exploratory and descriptive
STUDY.
 b. Data collection methods
3. THE PROBLEM STATEMENT:
 c. The sampling design
a. The purpose of the study
 d. Data analysis.
b. Research questions.
 7. Time frame of the study,
4. THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY.
including information on when
5. THE RELEVANCE OF THE the written report will be
STUDY. handed over to the sponsors.
 8. The budget, detailing the
costs with reference to specific
items of expenditure.
 9. Selected bibliography.
49
 Example: Research proposal to study
retention of new employees
 Purpose of the study
 To find a solution to the recurring problem of
40% employee turnover within the first three
years of their recruitment, and more specifically
to:
 1. Draw up a profile of the employees who quit;
 2. Assess if there are any special needs of the
new recruits that require to be met; and
 3. Determine the reasons for employees leaving
the organization in the first three years.
50
 Example: Research proposal to study
retention of new employees
 Research question
 How can small to medium‐sized firms
increase the organizational commitment of
their employees?
 Scope of the study
 This research analyzes the problem of high
turnover of employees within small to
medium‐sized firms.

51
 Example: Research proposal to study
retention of new employees
 Relevance of the study
 The cost of employee turnover to firms has been
estimated to be up to 150% of the employees’
remuneration package (Schlesinger & Heskett, 1991).
There are both direct and indirect costs involved. Direct
costs relate to leaving costs, replacement costs, and
transition costs, while indirect costs relate to the loss of
production, reduced performance levels, unnecessary
overtime, and low morale. The results of this study
provide managers with the means to decrease the costs
of employee turnover.

52
 Example: Research proposal to study
retention of new employees
 The research design (i.e., details of the
study)
 Survey instruments. First, we will interview a small number of
employees who have joined the company in the previous three
years. Based on these exploratory findings, we will administer a
questionnaire to all of the employees who have joined the company
in the past three years.
 Data collection. The interviews will be conducted during office hours
in the conference hall of the organization at a prearranged time
convenient to the interviewees. The questionnaire will be given to
the employees to be completed by them in their homes and returned
anonymously to the box set up for the purpose by the specified date.
They will all be reminded two days before the due date to return
their questionnaires, if not already done.
53
 Example: Research proposal to study
retention of new employees
 Time frame
 The time frame necessary for completion of
this research project is approximately five
months. During these five months, periodic
reports will be provided on the progress
being made.
 Budget
 The budget for this project is in Appendix A.1
(not included in slide)
54
 Example: Research proposal to study
retention of new employees

 Selected bibliography
 Bateman, T. S. & Strasser, S. (1984) A longitudinal analysis of the
antecedents of organizational commitment. The Academy of Management
Journal, 27(1), 95–112.
 Lachman, L. & Aranya, N. (1986) Evaluation of alternative models of
commitments and job attitudes of professionals. Journal of Occupational
Behavior, 7, 227–243.

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