THE RESEARCH PROCESS: THE BROAD

PROBLEM AREA AND DEFINING THE

PROBLEM STATEMENT
CHAPTER 3
Objectives
• Identify problem areas that are likely to be studied in
organization
• Discuss how problem areas can be identified in work
settings
• State research problems clearly and precisely
• Explain how primary and secondary data help the
researcher to develop a problem statement
• Develop relevant and comprehensive bibliographies for
any organizational research topic.
• Write a literature review on any given topic,
documenting the references in the prescribed manner
Objectives
• Develop a research proposal
• Apply all you have learned to a group project that might
be assigned.
Broad Problem Area
• Problem: Any situation where a gap exists between the
actual and the desired ideal situation
• Examples:
- Effectiveness of a training program
- Sales
- Career advancement for selected group of people
- IT system
- Flexible working hours etc, etc.
Preliminary Information Gathering
• Nature of information to be gathered
• Background information on the organization
• Prevailing knowledge on the topic
Nature of information to be gathered
• Primary data
(interviews: structured and unstructured, review existing
source of information, observation of people, events,
objects, questionnaire etc.).

• Secondary data (company web-site, published records,

statistical bulletins, government publications etc.
Background Information on the
Organization
• The origin and history of the company – when it came
into being, business it is in, rate of growth, ownership
and control, and so on.
• Size in terms of employees, assets or both
• Charter – purpose and ideology
• Location – regional, national or other
• Resources – human and others
• Interdependent relationships with other institutions and
the external environment
• Financial positions (5 to 10 years)
• Information on structural factors
• Information on the management philosophy
Prevailing knowledge on the topic
• Literature review
• Builds on foundation of existing knowledge
• No important variables are ignored
Literature Review
• All important variables are included in the study
• Develop the theoretical framework (the importance of
the research, why and how) and hypotheses testing
• The problem statement can be made with precision
and clarity
• Enhance testability and replicability of the research
• Does not “reinvent the wheel”.
• The problem investigated is perceived by the scientific
community as relevant and significant
Literature Review - Why
• All important variables are included in the study
• Develop the theoretical framework (the importance of
the research, why and how) and hypotheses testing
• The problem statement can be made with precision
and clarity
• Enhance testability and replicability of the research
• Does not “reinvent the wheel”.
• The problem investigated is perceived by the scientific
community as relevant and significant
Literature Review – Conducting the
Literature Review
• Data sources (books, journals, theses, conference
proceedings, published/unpublished manuscripts etc,
the Internet, newspapers)
• Searching the literature (electronic journals, full-text
databases, bibliographic databases, abstract
databases)
• Evaluating the literature (tittle, abstract, article’s
introduction, problem statement, research questions,
and/ or research objectives, table of content and the
first chapter of a book)
• Documenting the literature review (APA, 2001; Chicago
Manual of Style (2003); Turabian’s Manual for Writers
(2007)
Defining the problem statement
• Defined as a clear, precise and succinct statement of a
specific issue that a researcher wishes to investigate.
Problem statement should be relevant, feasible and
interesting.

• Relevant
Managerial perspective
- a problem that currently exists in an organizational
setting
- an area that a manager believes needs to be
improved in the organization
Defining the problem statement
• Relevant
Academic perspective
- Nothing is known about the topic
- Much is known about the topic, but the knowledge
is scattered and not integrated
- Much research on the topic is available, but the
results are (partly contradictory, or
- Establish relationships do not in certain situations
Defining the problem statement
• Feasible
Able to answer the research problem statement
within the restrictions of the research project, ex time
and money, availability of respondents, the expertise
of the researcher.

• Interesting
to be genuinely interested in the problem statement
and be motivated
The Topic
• is introduced in the first paragraphs.
• includes the general subject matter.
• must be introduced so that the reader can relate to it.

• http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/ap
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h_questions.pdf
Topic Selection Consideration
• Personal interest
• Organizational support
• Ethical issues
• Relevance of the study
• Contribution to the field
• Time constraints
• Breath and scope
• Economic factors
http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app
/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_
questions.pdf
Sources of Topic Selection
• ERIC, PsycINFO, Medline
• Journals, books, and dissertations in your field
• Conferences, workshops, presentations
• Recommendations about future research
• Courses
• Workplace
• Expert consultations
• Online library services
http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app
/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_
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Why the problem statement is
important
• It establishes the importance of the topic.
• It creates reader interest.
• It focuses the reader’s attention on how the study will add
to the literature.

• http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/ap
p/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_researc
h_questions.pdf
Why the problem statement is
important
• It establishes the importance of the topic.
• It creates reader interest.
• It focuses the reader’s attention on how the study will add
to the literature

http://www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app
/35/files/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_
questions.pdf
Stating the research problem
• State the problem in the opening paragraph (i.e.,
something that needs a solution)
• Identify an issue
–Research-based research problems
–Practical problems

• Reference the problem using the literature

• Common pitfall: defining the problem based on the
solution
• www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app/35/f
iles/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_que
stions.pdf
How the problem statement differ from
other parts of research
• A research problem is an educational issue or problem
in the study.
• A research topic is the broad subject matter being
addressed in a study.
• A purpose is the major intent or objective of the study.
• Research questions are those that the researcher would
like answered or addressed in the study.

www.fischlerschool.nova.edu/Resources/uploads/app/35/fil
es/ARC_Doc/from_problem_statement_to_research_questi
ons.pdf
Justifying the problem statement
• Justification based on what other researchers have found
• Justification based on personal or workplace experiences
• Justification based on the experiences that others have
had in the workplace

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stions.pdf
Example 1
According to business marketing theory, businesses are
more likely to succeed if they utilize marketing
management approaches or techniques. For example, the
marketing concept, a cornerstone of business marketing
thought, stresses the importance of determining the needs
and wants of consumers and delivering the desired
satisfaction more effectively and efficiently than competitors
(Kotler, 1986). Philosophies from marketing management
have recently been applied to almost every industry from
insurance to travel and hospital services, but not often to
farming. Concerns have been raised about the distinction
which appears to exist between agricultural and business
marketing theory (Bartels, 1983; Bateman, 1976;
Muelenberg, 1986).
Defining the problem statement
For the above problem statement identify the following:
- The general research area
- The specific research area
- The research gap
- The problem which the research intend to investigate.
(note: sometimes this can be in terms of research
question)
Example 2
Live online sessions may be delivered in virtual classrooms from Adobe
Connect, Elluminate, GoToMeeting, Wimba, or other software programs
Many authors such as Offir, Lev, and Bezalel(2008) found the
interaction level in a synchronous class, also known as web
conferencing, to be a significant factor in the effectiveness of online
class. Other researchers describe “the power of a synchronous online
system to empower students in conversation and expression (McBrien,
Jones, & Cheng, 2009). However, online learning calsses are only
effective if students attend these calsses. Many studies have been
conducted on online classes (Kenning, 2010; Lavolette, Venable, Gose,
& Huang, 2010 ) but few specifically studied why students do or do not
attend. According to Skylar(2009), “research concerning the use of
newer multimedia technologies, such as interactive synchronous web
conferencing tools, is in its infancy and needs further and continued
study” (p. 82). McBrien, Jones, and Cheng (2009) stated that “more
studies are needed to explore students’ perceptions of the synchronous
learning experience.” Thus the central question this research intend to
study is, “What are students’ attitudes regarding non mandatory
synchronous sessions in a southern university?”
Defining the problem statement
For the above problem statement identify the following:
- The general research area
- The specific research area
- The research gap
- The problem which the research intend to investigate.
(note: sometimes this can be in terms of research
question)
Example 3
Live online sessions may be delivered in virtual classrooms
from Adobe Connect, Elluminate, GoToMeeting, Wimba, or
other software programs. Regardless of the software used,
student attendance at live online sessions, especially
optional ones, can be unpredictable at best. It is a common
complaint among the online faculty at a university in the
south that many, oftentimes most, of their students do not
attend the live online sessions. This study will address the
problem of low student attendance at non mandatory virtual
classroom meetings in online college courses.
Defining the problem statement
For the above problem statement identify the following:
- The general research area
- The specific research area
- The research gap
- The problem which the research intend to investigate.
(note: sometimes this can be in terms of research
question)

Compare Ex 1, Ex 2 and Ex 3. What is (are) the main

difference (s) between them?
Defining the problem statement
For the above problem statement identify the following:
- The general research area
- The specific research area
- The research gap
- The problem which the research intend to investigate.
(note: sometimes this can be in terms of research
question)

Compare Ex 1, Ex 2 and Ex 3. What is (are) the main

difference (s) between them?
The research proposal
1. The purpose of the study
2. The specific problem to be investigated (Problem statement)
3. The scope of the study
4. The relevance of the study
5. The research design offering details on:
- The sampling design
- Data collection methods
- Data analysis
6. Time frame of the study including information on when the
written report will be handed over to sponsors
7. The budget, detailing the costs with reference to specific
items of expenditure
8. Selected bibliography
Other issues
1. Managerial Implications

2. Ethical issues in the preliminary stages of investigations

Discuss