Lecture 1 Introduction

Slide 1.
1
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.2
Just collecting facts or

information with no clear
purpose;
Reassembling and
reordering facts or
information without
interpretation
As a term to get your
product or idea noticed and
respected.
2
Slide 1.3
Like any other term of

social science there is no
agreement in the
literature on how
research should be
defined. It means
different things to
different people.
Nevertheless, from the
many different
definitions presented,
there appears to be
agreement that:
Research is a process of
enquiry and
investigation.
It is systematic and
methodical.
Research enhances
knowledge (Hussey and
Hussey, 1997).
3
Slide 1.4
Maylor and Blackman,

(2005, p. 5) define
research as, A systematic
process that includes
defining, designing, doing
and describing an
investigation into a
research problem. Having
said that research
subsequently includes the
process of inquiry,
investigation, examination
and experimentation.
These processes have to
be carried out
systematically, diligently,
critically, objectively and
logically. The expected
end results would be to
discover new facts that
will help to deal with the
problem situation
4
Slide 1.5
A definition for research

from the Oxford Advanced
Learners Dictionary of
English (Hornby, 1995) is
broadly stated as a careful
study or investigation,
especially in order to
discover new facts or
information. It is evident
that all the previous
definitions agree with what
has been clarified by
Hussey and Hussey above
5
Slide 1.6
The specific aims of most

research usually depends on
what is being investigated.
Nevertheless, generally
speaking, the purpose of
research can be summarised as
follows (Hussey and Hussey,
1997):
To review and synthesise
existing knowledge
To investigate some existing
situation or problem
To provide a solution to a given
dilemma or problem
To discover and analyse more
general issues
To generate a new system
To explain a new phenomenon
To create a new knowledge
A combination of any of the
above.
6
Slide 1.7
Definition:
Something that people undertake in order to find things out
in a systematic way, thereby increasing their knowledge
Saunders et al. (2009)
Characteristics:
Data are collected systematically
Data are interpreted systematically
There is a clear purpose to find things out
7
Slide 1.8
Mode one knowledge creation

emphasizes research in
which the questions are set
and solved by the academic
interests, emphasizing a
fundamental rather than
applied nature, where there
is little if any focus on
utilization of the research by
practitioners.
8
Slide 1.9
Mode two emphasizes a

context for research
governed by the world of
practice, highlights of
collaboration both with
and between
practitioners.
Based upon this it has
been argued that
research within the mode
two offers a way of
bringing the supply side
of knowledge
represented by
universities together with
the demand sides
represented by the
business.
9
Slide 1.10
Knowledge production focuses

on apperception of the human
condition as it might become
its purpose being to assure
survival and promote the
common good at various
levels of social aggregation.
This emphasizes the
importance of broader issues
of human relevance of
research. Consequently, in
addition to research that
satisfies your intellectual
curiosity for its own sake, the
findings of business and
management research might
also contain practical
implications, and these
findings may have societal
consequences far broader and
complex than perhaps
envisaged by mode 2.
10
Slide 1.11
Stages of the research process

Formulating and clarifying a topic
Reviewing the literature
Designing the research
Collecting data
Analysing data
Writing up
Based on Figure 1.2: Saunders et al.11(2009)
Slide 1.12
Factors to consider
The impact of your personal feelings and beliefs
Access to data
Time and other resources
Validity and reliability of the data
Ethical issues
12
Slide 1.13
there is no one best way for undertaking all research
Saunders et al. (2009)
13

Lecture 1 Introduction

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Lecture 1 Introduction

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Slide 1.

Just collecting facts or

Like any other term of

Maylor and Blackman,

A definition for research

The specific aims of most

Mode one knowledge creation

Mode two emphasizes a

Knowledge production focuses

Stages of the research process

there is no one best way for undertaking all research

Saunders et al. (2009)

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