NEW GLOBAL VISSION COLLEGE

MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

(MBA) PROGRAM

ADVANCED BUSINESS RESEARCH

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

BY:

AKLILU ANMUT NGVC/MBA/R/A.A/005/17

SUBMITTED TO: MR. BEHABTU Y.

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

JUN 15, 2025

 1. Discuss the quantitative, qualitative and mixed research approaches?

Research designs are broadly categorized as quantitative, qualitative, and mixed (both quantitative
and qualitative). Each type serves different research purposes, and the choice depends on the
research question and objectives.

I. Quantitative Research Designs: Quantitative research involves collecting and analyzing data
in a numerical form. All data collection or idea description is expressed in numerically.
Example; If we are studying smartphone addiction among adolescents in our community, we
could deploy a survey to a sample of teens asking them to rate their agreement with certain
statements that relate to smartphone addiction. The collected data would then provide insight
regarding how widespread the issue and it is expressed in amount.

II. Qualitative Research Designs: Qualitative research methods focus on discovering and
understanding the experiences, perspectives, feelings, attitude and thoughts of participants or
an observer. In other words, qualitative research is a situated activity that includes collection
of data non-numerically.
Example: A company launches a new product and wants to understand potential customer interest
and preferences. They might send out an online survey to 1,000 potential customers asking them
to rate their likelihood of purchasing the product on a scale of 1 to 5 (1-5 is feeling range not
number), and to select their preferred features from a list. The data is then analyzed to determine
average interest levels and popular features. This data expressed by feeling, want of customer from
scale 1 to 5.

III. Mixed Research Designs: The qualitative versus quantitative debate has coincided with the
rapid development of mixed methods, which combine qualitative and quantitative methods in
ways that ostensibly bridge their differences in the service of addressing a research question.
It is a research approach where researchers collect, analyze, and integrate both quantitative and
qualitative data in a single study or a series of studies. The core idea is to combine the strengths
of both approaches to gain a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of a research
problem than either method could provide alone.

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2. Explain the reliability and validity of measurements?

In research, particularly in quantitative studies, reliability and validity are two critical concepts
that determine the quality, trustworthiness, and ultimately, the utility of your measurements.

Reliability measurements: refers to the extent that the instrument yields the same results over
multiple trials. It is also known as precession of measurement how each measurement approach to
each other for each trial.

Validity measurements: refers to how well the instrument measures what you intend it to
measure. It is also how each measurement approach to the exact or true value for each trial.

A reliable measure is not necessarily valid. However, a valid measure must be reliable. They are
fundamental to ensuring that your research findings are sound and meaningful.

3. Explain the nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio measurement scales?

Measurement is the process of applying/assigning numbers to objects according to set of rules.

There are four scales of measurement

A. Nominal: Assign numbers to objects where different numbers indicate different objects. The
number have no real meaning other than differentiating between objects.

Example, Gender: 1=Male, 2=Female

B. Ordinal: Assign numbers to objects like nominal, but here the numbers also have meaningful
order.

Example: runner place finished in game race:1st,2nd,3rd, and so on the numbers are meaningful

the first is better than the second and the second is better than the third. The number indicates
order or placement.
C. Interval: Numbers have order like ordinal, but there are also equal order intervals between
adjacent categories. It also indicates class interval for grouped or ungrouped data.
Example: Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit: the difference between 78 degrees and 79
degrees (1-degree interval) the same as 45and 46 degrees.
D. Ratio: Differences are meaningful like interval, plus ratios are meaningful and there is a true
zero point.

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Example: Weight in kilograms, 10kgs is twice as much as 5kgs. (ratios are meaningful 10/5 =2)

Zero kilos mean no weight or absence of weight (true zero point).

4. What is the structure of a typical research proposal look like?

A research proposal is a document that outlines a research project’s goal, significance, and
practical application, i.e., how it will actually be done. It should establish a need for the research
within its field/project and must also convince readers about its credibility, achievability,
practicality, and sometimes even reproducibility.
 The following are a general outline of the material that should be included in project proposal
are:
1. Title: It should be concise, informative, and indicative of the study's scope and descriptive.
2. Abstract: It is a brief summary of the entire proposal, allowing readers to quickly grasp the
essence of the research. It should include the research question, the rationale for the study, the
hypothesis (if any), the method and the main findings.
3. Introduction: The main purpose of the introduction is to provide the necessary background or
context for your research problem. How to frame the research problem is perhaps the biggest
problem in proposal writing.
3.1.Context and Background
3.2.Problem statement
3.3.Research objective(s)
3.4.Hypothesis/ Research Questions
3.5.Significance of the study
3.6.Outline of the study
4. Literature Review: Demonstrates your understanding of existing research related to your
topic and identifies the knowledge gap your study will fill.
4.1.Previous research others & yours
4.2.Interlocking findings and unanswered questions.
4.3.Your preliminary work on the topic.
4.4.The remaining questions and inter-locking logic.
4.5. Reprise of your research question(s) in this context.
5. Research methodology: The Methodology section is very important because it tells the
research committee how you plan to tackle or proceed the research problem. It will provide the
work plan and describe the activities necessary for the completion of the project.

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 5.1.Approach
5.2.Data needs
5.3.Analytic techniques
5.4.Interpreting results
5.5.Results
6. Budget and Timeline
7. Conclusion
8. References
5. What are the differences between basic and applied research?

Based on purpose or utility, a research approach can be classified into basic or applied.
A. Basic research/ pure research:
 Basic research is a research approach that is entirely theoretical and aimed at improving or
expanding the knowledge-base of a particular field of study.
 It is also known as Fundamental/Pure research and it is a systematic investigation set to
achieve a better and more detailed understanding of a research subject or phenomenon, not
to solve a specific problem.
 Basic (fundamental or pure) research is driven by a scientist's curiosity or interest in a
scientific question. The main motivation is to expand man's knowledge, not to create or
invent something. There is no obvious commercial value to the discoveries that result from
basic research.
B. Applied research
 Applied research is designed to focus on providing practical solutions to a specific problem.
It is a form of investigation that entails solution-oriented inquiries into a phenomenon, a field
of study or research subject generally employing empirical methodologies.
 In many cases, applied research is a follow-up research design for basic research because it
further investigates the outcomes of pure or basic research in order to validate these findings
and apply them to create innovative solutions to specific problems.
 Applied research is designed to solve practical problems of the modern world, rather than to
acquire knowledge for knowledge's sake. One might say that the goal of the applied scientist
is to improve the human condition.

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 Basic Research (BR) Applied Research (AR)
 Focus on expanding knowledge; and  Focus on providing a practical solution
understandings; to a defined problem;
 It’s practical-oriented  It’s practical-oriented;
 Explanatory and analytical in  Action-oriented and synthetic in nature.
nature.

 Solution-specific and primarily  Focus of applied research; application of

application of research findings research findings;
concerned with the expansion of
knowledge and not with the
application of research findings.
6. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of qualitative and quantitative research?

Advantage of quantitative research

One of the main advantages of using quantitative data is that:
 It can provide objective, reliable, and generalizable results.
 Quantitative data can be analyzed using standardized and rigorous methods, such as
mathematical formulas, statistical tests, or computer software. This reduces the risk of
bias, error, or subjectivity in the data collection and interpretation.
 Quantitative data can also be used to test hypotheses, measure trends, compare groups,
or establish causal relationships.
 Quantitative data can be generalized to larger populations or contexts, as long as the
sample is representative and the variables are well-defined.
Disadvantage of quantitative research
In spite of the merits illustrated above, the demerits of quantitative research are evident too.
 Quantitative data also has some limitations that may affect the validity, accuracy, or
relevance of the research.
 Quantitative data may not capture the complexity, diversity, or richness of the phenomena
under study.
 Quantitative data may oversimplify or ignore the meanings, motivations, emotions, or
experiences of the participants or subjects.
 Quantitative data may also be influenced by external factors, such as measurement errors,
sampling biases, or ethical issues.

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  Quantitative data may require a lot of resources, time, or expertise to collect, analyze, or
interpret.
Advantage of qualitative research
 Qualitative data can provide a deeper, more detailed, and more holistic understanding of
the phenomena under study.
 Qualitative data can explore the perspectives, stories, feelings, or behaviors of the
participants or subjects.
 Qualitative data can also capture the context, culture, or diversity of the situations or
environments.
 Qualitative data can be used to generate new ideas, concepts, or theories, or to explain or
complement quantitative data.
 Qualitative data can be more flexible, adaptable, and creative in the data collection and
analysis.
Disadvantage of qualitative research

 Qualitative data also has some challenges that may affect the credibility, reliability, or
generalizability of the research.
 Qualitative data can be subjective, inconsistent, or difficult to verify.
 Qualitative data can be influenced by the researcher's assumptions, biases, or
interpretations.
 Qualitative data can also be hard to analyze, organize, or present, as it may involve a lot of
data, codes, themes, or narratives.
 Qualitative data can be hard to generalize to larger populations or contexts, as it may be
specific, unique, or contextual.
7. Explain the difference between stratified sampling and cluster sampling methods?

Sampling means selecting a particular group or sample to represent the entire population. Sampling
methods are majorly divided into two categories probability sampling and non-probability
sampling. In the first case, each member has a fixed, known opportunity to belong to the sample,
whereas in the second case, there is no specific probability of an individual to be a part of the
sample. Probability sampling can be:

I. Stratified sampling: Stratified sampling is generally used when the population is

heterogeneous, i.e. different segments exist in the population. In this case we classify the

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 elements of population into various strata, so that each stratum is nearly homogeneous. And
then we will select the sample randomly from each stratum.
II. Cluster sampling: is a method of probability sampling which is used to study large population.
In this case the entire population is divided into a number of non-overlapping subgroup called
as clusters. Here, each group comprises of a few elements or members of cluster called as
elementary units.
Stratified Sampling VS Cluster Sampling

8. Distinguish the difference between Cross-sectional data, time series and panel data?

In research, particularly in quantitative studies, the way data is structured and collected has
significant implications for the types of questions you can answer and the statistical methods you
can apply. The three main types of data structures are cross-sectional data, time series data, and
panel data.

1. Cross-Sectional Data: Data collected by observing many different subjects (individuals,

firms, countries, cities, etc.) at a single point in time or over a single period. It provides a
snapshot of a population or phenomenon at that specific moment. It is important to compare

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 differences between subjects at a specific point in time, examine relationships between
variables at that moment, or describe characteristics of a population.
2. Time series data: Data collected by observing on one or more variables about a single
group (country, company, individual…etc.) over a period of time. It is important to analyze
trends, patterns, cycles, and seasonality in data over time, forecast future values, and
understand the dynamics of a variable.
3. Panel or Longitudinal Data: Data collected by observing on one or more variables about
several groups (country, company, individual…etc.) over a period of time. It is a
combination of both cross-sectional and time series data.
Cross sectional Vs Time Series Vs Panel Data

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9. Explain the significance of business research methods in managerial decision making?

Business research methods are absolutely critical for effective managerial decision-making in
today's complex and dynamic business environment. It provides:

 To reduces uncertainty and risk

 To Inform strategic planning
 To enhance understanding of customers and markets
 For performance evaluation and improvement
 For competitive advantage
 To increase efficiency and productivity

10. Assume you have submitted research topic entitled as “Factors affecting Corporate
Governance of Construction firms in Addis Ababa City”. Besides, assume as the stylized
facts of literatures, you found that board independence, board size, board composition, internal
audit and financial disclosure, among others, as determinants of corporate governance.

a) State possible main objective and at least two specific objectives of your study?

General objective

 To investigate and analyze the factors affecting corporate governance practices in

construction firms operating in Addis Ababa City.
Specific objective
 To examine the effect of board independence on the corporate governance practices
of construction firms in Addis Ababa City.
 To analyze the relationship between financial disclosure and the corporate
governance practices of construction firms in Addis Ababa City.
 To examine the effect of board size on the corporate governance practices of
construction firms in Addis Ababa City.
 To explore the role of internal audit in shaping the corporate governance practices
of construction firms in Addis Ababa City.

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b) Develop a central(main) research question and at least two sub research questions for your
study?

Central Research Question: What are the primary factors affecting corporate governance
practices in construction firms operating in Addis Ababa City?

Sub-Research Questions:

1. Does board independence significantly affect the corporate governance practices of

construction firms in Addis Ababa City?
2. How does board size influence the corporate governance practices of construction firms in
Addis Ababa City?
3. What is the impact of board composition on the corporate governance practices of
construction firms in Addis Ababa City?
4. To what extent does internal audit contribute to the corporate governance practices of
construction firms in Addis Ababa City?
5. Is there a significant relationship between financial disclosure and the corporate governance
practices of construction firms in Addis Ababa City?

c) Develop at least two possible research hypotheses for your study?

1. H1: There is a significant positive relationship between board independence and the level
of corporate governance effectiveness in construction firms in Addis Ababa City.
2. H2: A larger board size is negatively associated with the effectiveness of corporate
governance practices in construction firms in Addis Ababa City.
3. H3: Higher levels of financial disclosure are positively associated with stronger corporate
governance practices in construction firms in Addis Ababa City.
4. H4: The presence of an effective internal audit function positively contributes to
improved corporate governance practices in construction firms in Addis Ababa City.
d) Suggest the research approach and/or paradigm of this study?

This study leans heavily towards quantitative research approach because it aims to quantify the
relationships between variables, test hypotheses, and potentially generalize findings to a larger
population of construction firms. It will likely involve collecting numerical data (e.g., through
surveys, financial reports) and using statistical analysis.

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e) Suggest the sampling design and methods of data collection of the study?

Sampling design and method of data collection is stratified random sampling: This would be highly
recommended. Because construction firms can vary significantly in size (e.g., small, medium,
large, or by grade classification). Stratifying the population by firm size or grade ensures that
different categories of firms are proportionally represented in the sample, enhancing the
representativeness and generalizability of the findings. Within each stratum, simple random
sampling could be used to select individual firms.

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