PART 2

RESEARCH ISSUES AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS

MAJOR RESEARCH ISSUES MINOR RESEARCH ISSUES THE RESEARCH QUESTION

RESEARCH PROBLEM
THE RESEARCH PROBLEM CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING PROBLEMS SIGNIFICANCE DESCRIPTION AND STATEMENT PROBLEM ANALYSIS PROCEDURES EVALUATION OF A PROBLEM - PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS COMMON MISTAKES IN PROBLEM FORMULATION

ORGANIZATION OF CHAPTER ONE

4 1
IDENTIFICATION OF RESEARCH ISSUE/QUESTIONS

2
FOPRMULATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEMS

3
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

CLARIFICATION OF CONCEPTS IDENTIFICATION OF VARIABLES STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

EXPLORATORY

SELECTION OF RESEARCH DESIGN

SURVEYS DESCRIPTIVE CASE STUDIES LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS

CAUSAL

FIELD EXPERIMENTS

PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION NON-PARTICIPANT SELECTION OF DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES PRIMARY DATA

QUESTIONNAIRES INTERVIEWS DIRECT COMMUNICATION PROJECTIVE

SECONDARY DATA

Research Issue

Research Question

Research Problem

HOW DO I FIND THE RESEARCH ISSUE?

THE RESEARCH ISSUE

How do I find the Research Issue? 1. Experience 2. Listening and talking with professionals and experts in subject area 3. Literature Review

LOOKING FOR RESEARCH ISSUES?

YOU MIGHT FOCUS ON THE TRENDS, UNRESOLVED PROBLEMS OR CONCERNS IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS.

TWO LEVELS OF RESEARCH ISSUES

MACRO LEVEL Issues in the General Environment

MICRO LEVEL Issues in the Industry Specific Environment Issues in the Organizations Specific Environment

MACRO LEVEL - GENERAL ENVIRONMENT

1. SOCIOCULTURAL ISSUES -DIMENSION

- Education level, quality - Lifestyle change, rate of social change, family values - Psychographic customer behaviour, preferences, attitude and perceptions - Demographic trends

2. POLITICAL ISSUES - DIMENSION

- Law & Regulations Jurisdiction, Legislative, Administrative (Impact, Revision and Constituency)
- Lobbying/Legislative Influence Jurisdiction, Legislative, Administrative (Impact, Revision and Constituency)

3. ECONOMIC ISSUES - DIMENSION

- GNP, GDP Trends - Fiscal Policies Government spending, decisions - Monetary Policies Federal Reserve system -Labour Unemployment, shifts, labour pool, demand and supply - Trade Exchange of Goods and Services, tariffs, agreements

4. TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES - DIMENSION

- Products Production, packaging, distribution, sanitation, safety - Machinery/Equipment- Cost effectiveness, innovations, automation, industry needs, energy conservation, maintenance, safety - Computer/Electronics - Energy Utilities, water usage - Facilities/Construction - Design and Layout, ergonomics - Communications - Transportation/Logistics/Distribution Effective allocation.

5. ECOLOGICAL ISSUES - DIMENSION Concerns with maintenance and Conservation of:

- Land: - solid waste, chemical dumping, pollution - Sea/Water: - solid waste, chemical dumping, pollution - Environment/Air: - solid waste, chemical dumping, pollution

MICRO LEVEL
1. INDUSTRY SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT ISSUES
EG. SERVICE INDUSTRY BANKING, HOTEL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AGRICULTURAL AND FISHING MINING

2. ORGANIZATIONS SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENT ISSUES

- FINANCE/ACCOUNTING
- MARKETING - OPERATIONS - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - ADMINISTRATION/MANAGEMENT - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

ORGANIZATION LEVEL - INDICATORS

COMMONLY USED FINANCIAL MEASURES Total assets Total assets per employee Profit as a % of total assets Return on net assets Return on total assets Revenue/total assets Gross margin Net income Profit as a % of sales Profit per employee Revenue Revenue from new products Revenue per employee Return on equity (ROE) Return on capital employed (ROCE) Return on investment (ROI) Economic value added (EVA) Market value added (MVA) Value added per employee Compound growth rate Dividends Market value Share price Shareholder mix Shareholder loyalty Cash flow Total costs Credit rating Debt Debt to equity Times interest earned Days sales in receivables Accounts receivable turnover Days in payables Days in inventory Inventory turnover ratio

ORGANIZATION LEVEL - INDICATORS

A SAMPLE OF CUSTOMER MEASURES
Customer satisfaction Customer loyalty Market share Customer complaints Complaints resolved on first contact Return rates Response time per customer request Direct price Price relative to competition Total cost to customer Average duration of customer relationship Customers lost Customer retention Customer acquisition rates Percentage of revenue from new customers Number of customers Annual sales per customer Win rate (sales closed/sales contacts) Customer visits to the company Hours spent with customers Marketing costs as a percentage of sales Number of ads placed Number of proposals made Brand recognition Response rate Number of trade shows attended Sales volume Share of target customer spending Sales per channel Average customer size Customers per employees Customer service expense per customers Customer profitability Frequency (number of sales transactions)

ORGANIZATION LEVEL - INDICATORS

SUPPLY-CHAIN PROCESS MEASUREMENTS
TIME: On-time delivery receipts Order cycle time Order cycle time variability Response time Forecasting/Planning cycle time Planning cycle time variability QUALITY: Overall customer satisfaction Processing accuracy Perfect order fulfillment - On-time delivery - Complete order - Accurate product selection - Damage-free - Accurate invoice Forecast accuracy Planning accuracy Schedule adherence COST: Finished goods inventory turns Days sales outstanding Cost to serve Cash to cash cycle time Total delivered costs - Cost of goods - Transportation costs - Inventory carrying costs - Material handling costs - All other costs - Information systems - Administrative Cost of excess capacity Cost of capacity shortfall OTHER/SUPPORTING Approval exceptions to standard - Minimum order quantity - Change order timing Availability of information

ORGANIZATION LEVEL - INDICATORS

INTERNAL PROCESS MEASURES
Average cost per transaction On-time delivery Average lead time Inventory turnover Environmental emissions R&D expense Community involvement Patents pending Average age of patents Ratio of new products to total offerings Stockouts Labour utilization rates Response time to customer requests Defect percentage Rework Customer database availability Breakeven time Cycle time improvement Continuous improvement Warranty claims Lead user identification Products/services in the pipeline Internal rate of return on new projects Waste reduction Space utilization Frequency of returned purchases Downtime Planning accuracy Time to market of new products/services New products introduced Number of positive media stories

ORGANIZATION LEVEL - INDICATORS

EMPLOYEE LEARNING AND GROWTH MEASURES
Employee participation in professional or trade associations Training investment per customer Average years of service Percentage of employees with advanced degrees Number of cross-trained employees Absenteeism Turnover rate Employee suggestions Employee satisfaction Participation in stock ownership plans Lost time accidents Value added per employee Motivation index Outstanding number of applications for employment Empowerment index (number of managers) Quality of work environment Internal communication rating Employee productivity Health promotions Training hours Competency coverage ratio Personal goal achievement Timely completion of performance appraisals Leadership development Communication planning Reportable accidents Percentage of employees with computers Strategic information ratio Cross-functional assignments Knowledge management Ethics violations Diversity rates

ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL ISSUES:

1. STRATEGIC LEVEL

Long-term plans and policies that determine or change the character of an organization a. Policy Research Analysis of overall organizations situation with a view of formulating major policy proposals and establishing their priorities.
Measures: Critical elements of economic,
sociocultural political, technological and ecological changes having potential impact on the organization.

b. Evaluation Research
Formal, objective Measurement on the extent to which given action, activity or program has achieved its objectives.

2. MANAGERIAL LEVEL Those actions associated with ongoing management of the organization which are carried on within the limits of the objectives and policies defined at the strategic level.
a. Managerial Research Research related to a specific problem of limited scope in which management has the need of additional information on which to base a decision.

b. Action Research
Continuous gathering and analysis of research data and relying of the findings into the organization for the purpose of improving the organizations functions.

c.

Technical Research

Specific transactions involved in carrying out the tasks required to achieve a variety of objectives defined at the managerial level.

d.

Operational Research

A range of quantitative/analytical techniques designed to formulate and test decision rules which will permit management to optimize the relations between inputs and outputs of a given operational procedure.

WHAT IS THE RESEARCH QUESTION?

THE RESEARCH QUESTION

- Narrows the research issue - Identifies the concern addressed by the research project - Should relate to aspects of the industry that you are strongly concerned with. - End result should contribute to the industry.

- Question may be in the form of a hypotheses that certain relationships exist among variables, or it may be of an exploratory nature, essentially asking What is the relationship among variables. - It may begin in a closely formulated form, but must eventually be stated such that a testable hypothesis or model is generated.

WHAT IS THE RESEARCH PROBLEM?

THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

- Rewording of the research question into a statement form. - It is a statement concerning the relationships existing between Variables (sets of events), and research is conducted to find answers to the research questions. - Helps to identify key words and phrases to assist in the literature review.

The first question that is always asked is How Do I find a Research Problem There are no set rules for locating a research problem, but the 3 major sources are: 1. 2. 3. Deduction from theory Experience Related Literature

FORMULATION OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

The formulation of a research problem is

often far more essential than its solution. To raise new questions, new possibilities, or to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks rela advances in knowledge.
Einstein and Infeld (1938)

Carrying out a research investigation requires careful planning. Central to a research investigation is a clear-cut statement of the research problem. A question well-stated is a question half-answered

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING A RESEARCH PROBLEMS SIGNIFICANCE

1. The problem should be one whose solution will make a contribution to the body of organized knowledge in the field of interest. 2. The problem should be one that will lead to new problems and to further research 3. The problem must be one that is researchable 4. The problem must be suitable for the particular researcher 5. Select a problem that is specific, simple and clear.

DESCRIPTION OF THE STATEMENT OF THE RESEARCH PROBLEM

1. State of basic difficulty or problem situation significance and importance of the problem area. 2. Careful analysis of known and suspected facts, and explanation of existing information and knowledge that may have some bearing on problem. 3. Soundness of the logic underlying selection of variables or factors to be studied and expression of their relationship to the problem area. 4. Systematic and orderly presentation of the interrelationships of relevant facts and concepts underlying the problem.

5.

Clear identification of the problem statement through use of appropriate heading or paragraph caption.
Succinct, precise, and unambiguous statement of the research problem (including the delineation of independent, dependent, and other variables), of the major questions to be resolved, or of the objectives to be investigated. Distinction (if any) between the problems or questions that are either factually oriented or value oriented.

6.

7.

Sufficient delimitation of the problem area - narrowing of the scope without becoming concerned with a trivial problem.

PROBLEM ANALYSIS PROCEDURES 1. Select a problem that engages your attention and begs for a solution

2. Accumulate the facts that might be related to the problem. 3. Settle by observation whether the facts are relevant
4. Trace any relationships between facts that might reveal the key to the difficulty. 5. Propose various explanations (hypotheses) for the cause of the difficulty.

6. Ascertain through observation and analysis whether they are relevant to the problem. 7. Trace the relationships between explanations that may give an insight into the problem solution. 8. Trace the relationships between facts and explanations. 9. Questions assumptions underlying the analysis of the problem.

EVALUATION OF A PROBLEM
PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Is the problem in line with my goal expectations and the expectations of others. Am I genuinely interested in this problem, but free from strong biases? Do I posses or can I acquire the necessary skills, abilities, and background knowledge to study this problem? Do I have access to the tools, equipment, laboratories, and subjects necessary to conduct the investigation? Do I have the time and money to complete it? Can I obtain the adequate data? Does the problem meet the scope, significance, and topical requirements of the institution or periodical to which I will submit my report? Can I obtain administrative support, guidance, and cooperation for the conduct of the study?

8.

SOCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Will the solution of this problem advance knowledge in the field appreciably? Will the findings be of practical value to educators, parents, social workers or others? What will be the breadth of the application of the findings in terms of range of individuals, years of applicability, and areas of coverage? Will the investigation duplicate the work that has been or is being done adequately by someone else? If this topic has been covered, does it need to be extended beyond its present limits? Is the topic sufficiently delimited to permit an exhaustive treatment yet sufficiently significant to warrant investigating it? Will the conclusions of the study be of doubtful value because the tools and techniques available to conduct the inquiry are not adequately refined and sufficiently reliable? Will the study lead to the development of other investigations?

8.

SOME COMMON MISTAKES IN PROBLEM FORMULATION

1. 2. 3. Collecting data without a well-defined plan or purpose, hoping to make some sense out of it afterward. Taking a batch of data that already exists and attempting to fit meaningful research questions to it. Defining objectives in such general or ambiguous terms that your interpretations and conclusions will be arbitrary and invalid. Undertaking a research project without reviewing the existing literature on the subject. Ad hoc research, unique to a given situation, permitting no generalization beyond the situation itself and making no contribution to the general body of research.

4. 5.

6.

Failure to base research on a sound theoretical or conceptual framework, which would tie together the divergent masses of research into a systematic and comparative scheme, providing feedback and evaluation for theory.
Failure to make explicit and clear the underlying assumptions within your research so that it can be evaluated in terms of these foundations. Failure to recognize the limitations in your approach, implied or explicit, that place restrictions on the conclusions and how they apply to other situations. Failure to anticipate alternative rival hypotheses that would also account for a given set of findings and which challenge the interpretations and conclusions reached by the investigator.

7.

8.

9.

CHAPTER ONE THE PROBLEM

IMPORTANCE OF CHAPTER ONE

Determines how the rest of the research project will be written and presented. Similar to the frame of a building: It determines the size and shape of each room (Similarly, the research objectives, research questions, research problems, and the hypotheses determine the size and shape of the research project).

COMPONENTS OF CHAPTER ONE

TITLE PAGE 1.0 INTRODUCTION RESEARCH ISSUES: background of the problem trends related to the issues, unresolved issues, social concerns. 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Goal oriented: emphasizing practical outcome. 1.2 IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY: Contributions of the study, suggestions on improving the given situation/issues 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS: Delineation of the issues into several questions, questions to be answered or objectives to be investigated.

1.4

RESEARCH PROBLEMS: Statement of the problem situations, basic difficulty/area of concern or felt needs, delineation of the research questions.
STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESES: Explication of relationships among variables or comparisons to be considered, direction of relationships. THEORETICAL UNDERPINNING: Background/foundations of the study/academic discipline(s) upon which the study/enquiry is built. STUDY FRAMEWORK: Rationale and theoretical framework, conceptual or substantive assumptions indicating relationships among variables, definition of terms, variables Operationalization. SUMMARY: Outline of the remainder of the research proposal.

1.5

1.6

1.7

1.8

ASSIGNMENT 1:
1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH TITLE 2. IDENTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH ISSUE 3. IDENTIFICATION OF THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS