Research

Comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions, collecting, organizing and evaluating data, making deductions and reaching conclusions An original contribution to the existing stock of knowledge making for its advancement Systematic approach concerning generalization and formulation of a theory

Research objectives
Gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve a new insight into it To portray accurately the charateristics of a particular individual, situation or a group To test a hypothesis of a casual relationship between variables To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated with something else

Motivation in research
Desire to face the challenge in solving in unsolved problems To get intellectual joy To be of service to society To get respectability Desire to get a research degree

Types of research
Descriptiveincludes surveys and fact finding enquiries of different kindspurpose is description of the state of affairs as it exists at presentalso called as ex posto research main characteristic is that researcher has no control over variables Analyticalresearcher uses facts or info already avbl and analyzes them to make a critical evaluation of material

Types of research
Applied or action oraims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society or a business
Fundamental or puregathering knowledge for knowledge

Quantitativemeasurement of qty or amount

Qualitativemeasurement of quality or kind attitude or opinion research

 Conceptualrelated to some abstract ideaused by thinkers

Empiricalrelies on experience or observations

Other types
One time and longitudinal researchsingle period and one spread over several time periods Field setting or laboratory or simulation Clinical or diagnostic research Historical Conclusion oriented or decision oriented

Research approaches
Quantitative generation of data--sub classified as
Inferentialto form a data base from which characteristics or relationships of population can be inferred Experimentalcharacterized by greater control over research environment Simulationconstruction of artificial environment within which relevant info and data can be generated

Qualitativesubjective assessment of attitudes, opinions and behaviourfocus on group interviews, projective techniques and depth interviews

Significance
Inculcates scientific and inductive thinking and promotes development of logical habits of thinking Provides a basis for nearly all govt policies in our economic system

Research process
Series of actions or steps necessary to effectively carry out research and desired sequencing

1. Formulating the research problem

2 problemsthose relating to the state of nature and those relating to relationships between variables Researcher to single out the problem he wants to studydecide the general area of interest or aspect of a subject matter he would like to enquire Examine all avbl literature to get acquainted with problemstudy both conceptual and empirical literature

2. Extensive literature survey

Similar studies done earlier to be studied to understand the feasibility, problems faced

3. Development of working hypothesis

Researcher should state in clear terms the working hypothesis (a tentative assumption made in order to draw out and test its logical or empirical consequences) Should be specific and limited to research to be tested Egtv is an exhibit in many houses
Tv is a nuisance to children Tc is a boon to viewers

4. Preparing the research design

State the conceptual structure within which research is to be conducted 4 categories of research purposes
Exploratory Descriptive Diagnosis Experimentation

5. Determining sample design

Universe or populationcensus inquiry Select a sample Sample designs
Deliberate samplingpurposive or non-probability sampling deliberate selection of particular units Simple random samplingchance sampling or probability sampling 200 samples out of 5000 Systematic samplingevery 10th name or 25th name Stratified samplingitems from each strata selected Quota samplingsimilar to strata but no dependant on interviewers judgment Cluster samplinggrouping the population and then selecting groups or clusters Multi stage samplingfirst stage to select large primary sampling units and then districts and then states and so on Sequential samplingultimate size of sample not fixed in advance but is determined according to mathematical decisions

6. Collecting the data

Primary
By observation without interviewing Thru personal interview Thru telephone interview Mailing questionnaire Thru schedulesenumerators appointed and given training and schedules contain relevant questions

Secondaryinternal sources like sales records, mkg activity, distributor reports and feedback, customer feedback
External sources like published reportsgovt publications, journals, trade associations publications, books, annual reports, industry handbook, ISI, census data, indices of wholesale prices, RBI bulletin, WHO, ILO, UNESCO

Data presentation
Frequency distributiondiscrete and continuous and cumulative Age no of
respondents boys girls men 1000 1500 5000

Age 0-15 15-25 25-35

no of respondents 1000 1500 5000

Data presentation
Frequency distributioncumulative and Age no of cumulative relative
respondents 1000 1500 5000 0-15 15-25 25-35 1000 2500 7500

Age 0-15 15-25 25-35

no of respondents 1000 1500 5000

Relative 1000/7500=13.33 1500/7500=20 5000/7500=67

Chartspie charts

Chartsbar chart

Chartshistogram

Charts-frequency polygon

Chartsogives (less than)

Less than 20 Less than 30 Less than 40

6. Collecting the data

Observation methodspeak to employees in orgn, work shop or speak to customers for continuous monitoring of stock exchange which will help investment cos for efficient management of portfolio Identity of investigator should not be revealed preferably

Chartsogives (more than)

More than 20 More than 30 More than 40

6. Collecting the data

Personal interview
Door to door interviewinterviewer goes to residence of each selected respondent Executive interviewingsimilar to door to door but interviewees are executives Mall intercept interviewconducted in shopping complexes with a diverse spectrum of customers Self administered interviewrespondents issued questionnaires and they asked to fill them on their own Purchase intercept techniqueafter selection of items in showroomfor better recall value

6. Collecting the data

Telephone interviewa very cost effective tool
Selection of telephone nosphone directory reference, random digit dialing, systematic random digit dialing,

Call reporta catalogue of events, interviewer should record nos called which acts as a database

6. Collecting the data

Mail surveyquestionnaires are mailed to potential respondents who in turn fill and return them at their convenience Alternatives could be web survey or fax survey

Questionnaire design
Open ended questionsinterviewer writes answer of the respondent verbatimno precoded classificationsegwhy did you choose MBA or MBA AMC Close ended questionsmultiple responses of which respondents have to select one or more choices Pre testing questionnaire thru a pilot study Review of questions for improvemetns

Editing primary data

Legibilityresponses should be legible Completeness Consistencydata to be accurate and match with realistic figures Homogenietyif questions are understood in the same way as intended by interviewer

7. Execution of project
Project executed in a systematic way Occassional field checks

8. Analysis of data
Codingcategories of data transformed intor symbols that may be tabulated Editingto improve the quality of data Tabulationclassified data put in form of tables

9. Hypothesis testing
Do the facts support the hypothesis Tests like chi-square test, t test, F test

10. Generalization and interpretation

If hypothesis is tested and upheld several times, researcher can arrive at generalization, ie build a theory If researcher has no hypothesis to start with, he might seek to explain his findings on the basis of some theory which is called as interpretation

11. Preparation of report

Preliminary pages like title, acknowledgements and foreword Main text
Introduction Summary of findings Main report Conclusion End of reportappendices, technical data, bibliography, list of books, journals, reports, etc

Research problems in marketing

Pdt identification Demand estimation Dd-ss analysis Pdt development Mkt segmentation Media mix Sales promotion program Pricing Mkg strategy Packaging Design of advt Buying behaviour Planning sales force

Research problems in finance

BE analysis of multi product Economic evaluation of alternatives Study of financial parameters of orgn Capital budgeting Ratio analysis Portfolio mgt Primary and secondary mkt study Balance of payment Inflation

Research problems in personnel

Manpower planning Performance appraisal systems Orgn climate study Incentive plans design Leadership styles Training methods Negotiation and wage settlement