RESEARCH METHODS

Lecture 1:

Introduction to Research
by

Daing Nasir Ibrahim, Phd, CA(M), FCPA

http://www.management.usm.my/daing

What Is Research?
Definition: An organised, systematic, data-

based critical scientific inquiry or investigation

into a specific problem, undertaken with the
objective of finding answers or solutions to it.

Outcome: Information that enables managers

to make decisions to rectify problems.

Data : Primary (first-hand) or Secondary

(readily available); Quantitative or Qualitative

O Research Methods: The ways in which research

studies are designed and the procedures by

which data are analysed
O Survey Methodology: Research conducted by

collecting data and analysing them to come up

with answers to various issues of interest to us.

Types of Research
O Applied Research: Research done with the

intention of applying the results of its finding to

solving specific problems currently being
experienced in the organization.

O Basic Research: Research done with the intention

to generate more knowledge and understanding

of the phenomena that occur and to build
theories based on the research results.
Both types of research follow the same steps of
systematic inquiry to arrive at solutions to
problems.

Managers and Research: The

value of acquiring research skills
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Manager as research-based
decision maker
Subordinate employee as
researcher
Manager as research service buyer
or evaluator
Manager as evaluator of secondary
data source
Research specialist

Purpose of Research
O Reporting: elementary level; provide

an account or summation of data or

to generate statistics; simple when
data is available; some inference and
conclusion drawing.
O Descriptive Study: Tries to discover

answers to the question who, what,

when, where, and, sometimes, how.

Purpose of Research
O Explanatory: attempts to explain the reasons

for the phenomenon that the descriptive study

only observed. The researcher uses theories or
at least hypotheses to account for the forces
that caused a certain phenomenon to occur.

O Predictive: Is just as rooted in theory as

explanation.

O Control: Being able to replicate a scenario and

dictate a particular outcome is the objective of

control

What is a Good Scientific Research?

O Purposiveness

Started with a definite aim and purpose

O Rigor
A good theoretical base and a sound
methodological design
O Testability
Lends itself to testing logically developed
hypotheses
O Replicability
Research results supported when research is
repeated in other similar circumstances

What is a Good Scientific Research?

O Precision and Confidence

Closeness of findings to reality and probability

that estimations are correct, respectively
O Objectivity
Conclusions drawn are based on facts resulting
from the actual data
O Generalizability
The scope of applicability of the research
findings in one settings to other settings
O Parsimony
Simple in explaining phenomena or problems
that occur, and in the application of solutions to
problems

Hypothetico-Deductive Method
O A method of scientific investigation via exposition
O

O
O
O

and argument (deduction and induction)

Deduction: arrive at a conclusion by logically
generalizing from a known fact. For a deduction to be
correct, it must be true and correct.
Induction:- on observing certain phenomena and on
that basis arrive at conclusions.
D and I are applied in scientific investigation.
Theories based on D & I help us to understand,
explain, or predict business phenomena.

Hypothetico-Deductive Method
O Seven steps in hypothetico-

deductive method:

O Observation
O Preliminary information gathering
O Theory formulation
O Hypothesising
O Further scientific data collection
O Data analysis
O Deduction

Research Process
OBSERVATION
Broad area of
research interest
identified

PROBLEM
DEFINITION

THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK

Research
problem
delineated

Variables clearly
identified and
labeled

HYPOTHESES
GENERATION

SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH
DESIGN
PRELIMINARY
DATA
GATHERING
Interviewing &
Literature Survey

DEDUCTION
Hypotheses
substantiated?
Research questions
answered

DATA COLLECTION,
ANALYSIS AND
INTERPRETATION

Stages in the Research

Process
O The stages overlap continuously, i.e., overlap

chronologically and functionally interrelated

O Forward linkage - early stages of the research
process will influence the design of the later
stages
O Backward linkage - the late stages of the
research process will have an influence on the
early stages