INSTITUTE –University School of

Business
DEPARTMENT -Management
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS
Course Name: 23BAT-625
Faculty Name : Diksha Gandhi
(Assistant Professor)
Chandigarh University
UNIT-1 –
Foundations of DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER
Research

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 Learning Objectives
Foundations of
Research

Will be covered in the

Co CO name Level
lecture
No
.
C To understand the research process for writing understand
O1 a research paper, Ph.D Thesis and dissertation
C To apply different research designs and apply
O2 sampling techniques in various business
research problems
C To analyze and interpret various hypothesis analyse
O3 tests to supplement decision making in
business scenario
C To compare the various sampling techniques remember
O4 for collection of data
C To create and implement a research proposal understand
O5 for the real life business problems
Topics for Discussion
• What is Business Research Process?
• Steps in Research Process
• Research Approaches
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Steps in Research Process
• Selection &Formulation of Research Problem
• Extensive Literature Review
• Developing the objectives
• Indentifying and Labelling Variables
• Setting Up Of Hypothesis
• Writing a Primary Synopsis
• Preparing the Research Design including Sample Design
Collecting the Data Processing,
• Analysis and Interpretation of Data by Statistical Methods
• Testing of Hypothesis
• Preparation of the Report or Presentation of Results 5
Step 1: Selection & formulation of a research problem
• Research problem is one which requires a researcher to find out the best solution
for the given problem, i.e., to find out by which course of action the objective can
be attained optimally in the context of a given environment
• It is the first and most crucial step in the research process is a researcher has to
formulate the problem related to his research work.
• The sources of research problems in social sciences revolves around four Ps:
• People- Study of population, a group of individuals, organizations, groups, communities
• Problems- issues, situations, associations, needs, profiles examine the existence of certain issues
or problems relating to their lives; to ascertain attitude of a group of people towards an issue

• Programs- content, structure, outcomes, attributes, satisfactions, consumers, Service providers,

etc to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention
• Phenomena- cause-and-effect relationships, the study of a phenomenon itself to establish the
existence of regularity.

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Step 2: Extensive Literature Survey

• Before formulating the research it is desirable that researcher examines all available
literature, both conceptual and empirical.
• The conceptual literature -is one which deals with concepts and theories.
• Empirical literature is that which contains studies made earlier and so it consists of many
facts and figures observed in the earlier studies. The source literature are- books, journals,
articles
• Identified the gap of research for future study

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3. Developing the objectives

• Objectives are the goals you set out to attain in your study. They inform a reader what you
want to attain through the study. Each objective should contain only one aspect of the
Study. Objective must contain the main associations and relationships that you seek to
discover or establish.
The objectives should start with words such as
• To determine……
• To find out…
• To ascertain……
• To describe…….
• To measure…..
• To explore…..

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Step 3: Indentifying and Labelling Variables and
measurements scale
• The variables whose change has affected the other variable, is called independent variable.
Therefore there is a cause and effect relation between the variables. The research problem
must be formulated in such a manner that it highlights the nature, extent and implications
of relation existing between the variables. It is only through this process of establishing the
effective relation between variables that meaningful conclusions are derived from the
study e.g. age, (years/months), gender,(male or female) weight, heights, income, religion
etc

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Step 4. Setting Up Of Hypothesis

• The development of hypothesis is a technical work depends on the researcher experience.

The hypothesis is to draw the positive & negative cause and effect aspects of a problem.
Hypothesis narrows down the area of a research and keep a researcher on the right path.

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Step 5: Preparing the Research Design

• After the formulation of the problem and creating hypothesis for it, research Design is to
prepare by the researcher. It may draw the conceptual structure of the problem. Any type
of research design may be made, depend on the nature and purpose of the study. Daring R.
Design the information about sources, skill, time and finance is taken into consideration.

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Step 6: Sampling

• The researcher must design a sample. It is a plan for taking its respondents from a specific
areas or universe. The sample may be of two types:
• Probability Sampling
• Non-probability Sampling

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Step 7: Data collection

• Data collection is the most important work, is researcher. The collection of information
must be containing on facts which is from the following two types of researcher.
• Primary Data Collection: Primary data may be from the following.
• Experiment
• Questionnaire
• Observation
• Interview
• Secondary data collection: it has the following categories:
• Review of literature
• Official and non-official reports
• Library approach

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Step 8: Data Analysis

• When data is collected, it is forwarded for analysis which is the most technical job. Data
analysis may be divided into two main categories.
• Data Processing: it is sub-divided into the following.
• Data editing, Data coding, Data classification, Data tabulation, Data presentation, Data
measurement
• Data Exposition: Date Exposition has the following sub-categories.
• Description, Explanation, Narration, Conclusion/Findings, Recommendations/Suggestions

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Step 9: Hypothesis Testing

• Research data is then forwarded to test the hypothesis. Do the hypothesis are related to
the facts or not? To find the answer the process of testing hypothesis is undertaken which
may result in accepting or rejecting the hypothesis.
• Generalization and Interpretation
• The acceptable hypothesis is possible for researcher to arrival at the process of
generalization or to make & theory. Some types of research has no hypothesis for which
researcher depends upon on theory which is known as interpretation.

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Step 10: Preparation of Report

• A researcher should prepare a report for which he has done is his work. He must keep in
his mind the following points:
• Report Design in Primary Stages
• The report should carry a title, brief introduction of the problem and background followed
by acknowledgement. There should be a table of contents, grapes and charts.
• Main Text of the Report
• It should contain objectives, hypothesis, explanations and methodology of the research. It
must be divided into chapters and every chapter explains separate title in which summary
of the findings should be enlisted. The last section would be clearly of conclusions to show
the main theme of the R-study.
• Closing the Report
• After the preparation of report, the last step in business research process contains of
bibliography, references, appendices, index and maps or charts for illustration. For this
purpose the information should more clearer.
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 Blackboard
Assessment Pattern

Components HT-1 HT-2 Assignment Surprise Business GD Forum Attendance Scaled

Test Quiz Marks

Max. Marks 10 10 6 4 4 4 2 40

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References

• Textbooks / Reference Books

• T1 Cooper, D., Schindler, P. 2106. Business Research Methods, 9th Edition, Tata McGraw Hill,
India ISBN: 9781259001857.
• T2 Malhotra, N. 2110. Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation, 6 th Edition, Pearson
Publication, India, ISBN: 9781292103129
• T3 Kothari, C. 2104. Research Methodology – Methods and Techniques, 2 nd Edition, New
Age International, ISBN: 9788122424881
• R1 Nargundkar, R. 2102. Marketing Research, 4th Ed., Tata McGraw Hill, India, ISBN:
9780070221874

• https://www.questionpro.com/blog/business-research/
• http://studylecturenotes.com/10-steps-in-research-process/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXBH3YcOI6k
 THANK YOU
For any queries Contact - [email protected]