Research methods, Literature Review, Model

1. ABDM4064 BUSINESS RESEARCH
Research Methodology
Research Methodology
by
Stephen Ong
Principal Lecturer (Specialist)
Visiting Professor, Shenzhen

2. Recap
 What is Research?
 Research and Business
 Business Managers and Research
 Approach to Business Research

3. Topics of Discussion
 Research Area and Topic of Research
 Sources of Research Problem
 Management problem and research
problem
 Literature Review

4. Learning Objectives
 Understand . . .
 The terminology used by professional
researchers employing scientific
thinking.
 What you need to formulate a solid
research hypothesis.
 The need for sound reasoning to
enhance research results.
3-4

5. Research and Attitudes
“Brand communities play a pivotal role for
a brand connecting with its consumers, and
as one of our Never Ending Friending focus
group respondent notes: “I want brands to
be my friends,” which means that
consumers would like to have common
ideas, conversations and benefits delivered
to them on their own terms.”
Judit Nagy
vice president, consumer insights
MySpace/Fox Interactive Media 3-5

6. PulsePoint:
Research Revelations
55
The percent of executives who
admitted that their companies do
not have an official policy for
social networks.
3-6

7. Language of Research
Conceptual
Conceptual
Concepts
Concepts Constructs
schemes
schemes
Operational
Operational
Models
Models definitions
definitions
Terms used
in research
Variables
Propositions/
Propositions/
Hypotheses
Hypotheses
3-7

8. Language of Research
Clear conceptualization
of concepts
Success
of
Research Shared understanding
of concepts
3-8

9. Job Redesign
Constructs and Concepts
3-9

10. Operational Definitions
How can we define the variable
“class level of students”?
Freshman < 30 credit hours
Sophomore 30-50 credit hours
Junior 60-89 credit hours
Senior > 90 credit hours
3-10

11. A Variable Is the Property
Being Studied
Event Act
Variable
Variable
Characteristic Trait
Attribute
3-11

12. Types of Variables
Male/Female
Male/Female
Dichotomous
Dichotomous Employed/ Unemployed
Employed/ Unemployed
Ethnic background
Ethnic background
Discrete
Discrete Educational level
Educational level
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation
Income
Income
Temperature
Continuous
Continuous Temperature
Age
Age
3-12

13. Independent and Dependent Variable
Synonyms
Independent Dependent Variable
Variable (IV) (DV)
Criterion
Predictor
Presumed effect
Presumed cause
Response
Stimulus
Predicted to….
Predicted from…
Consequence
Antecedent
Measured
Manipulated outcome
3-13

14. Relationships Among Variable
Types
3-14

15. Relationships Among Variable
Types
3-15

16. Relationships Among Variable
Types
3-16

17. Moderating Variables (MV)
• The introduction of a four-day week (IV) will
lead to higher productivity (DV), especially
among younger workers (MV)
• The switch to commission from a salary
compensation system (IV) will lead to
increased sales (DV) per worker, especially
more experienced workers (MV).
• The loss of mining jobs (IV) leads to
acceptance of higher-risk behaviors to earn a
family-supporting income (DV) – particularly
among those with a limited education (MV).
3-17

18. Extraneous Variables (EV)
• With new customers (EV-control), a switch to
commission from a salary compensation
system (IV) will lead to increased sales
productivity (DV) per worker, especially among
younger workers (MV).
• Among residents with less than a high school
education (EV-control), the loss of jobs (IV)
leads to high-risk behaviors (DV), especially
due to the proximity of the firing range (MV).
3-18

19. Intervening Variables (IVV)
• The switch to a commission compensation
system (IV) will lead to higher sales (DV) by
increasing overall compensation (IVV).
• A promotion campaign (IV) will increase
savings activity (DV), especially when free
prizes are offered (MV), but chiefly among
smaller savers (EV-control). The results
come from enhancing the motivation to save
(IVV).
3-19

20. Propositions and Hypotheses
 Brand Manager Jones (case) has a
higher-than-average achievement
motivation (variable).
Generalization
 Brand managers in Company Z (cases)
have a higher-than-average
achievement motivation (variable).
3-20

21. Hypothesis Formats
Descriptive Research
Hypothesis Question
In Detroit, our What is the market
potato chip market share for our potato
share stands at
13.7%. chips in Detroit?
American cities are Are American cities
experiencing budget experiencing budget
difficulties. difficulties?
3-21

22. Relational Hypotheses
Correlational Causal
Young women (under An increase in family
35) purchase fewer income leads to an
units of our product increase in the
than women who are percentage of income
older than 35. saved.
Loyalty to a grocery
The number of suits store increases the
sold varies directly with probability of
the level of the business purchasing that store’s
cycle. private brand products.
3-22

23. The Role of Hypotheses
Guide the direction of the study
Guide the direction of the study
Identify relevant facts
Identify relevant facts
Suggest most appropriate research design
Suggest most appropriate research design
Provide framework for organizing
Provide framework for organizing
resulting conclusions
resulting conclusions
3-23

24. Characteristics of
Strong Hypotheses
Adequate
Adequate
AA
Strong
Strong Testable
Testable
Hypothesis
Hypothesis
Is
Is
Better
Better
than rivals
than rivals
3-24

25. Theory within Research
3-25

26. The Role of Reasoning
3-26

27. A Model within Research
3-27

28. The Scientific Method
Direct observation
Direct observation
Clearly defined variables
Clearly defined variables
Clearly defined methods
Clearly defined methods
Empirically testable
Empirically testable
Elimination of alternatives
Elimination of alternatives
Statistical justification
Statistical justification
Self-correcting process
Self-correcting process
3-28

29. Researchers
•Encounter problems
•State problems
•Propose hypotheses
•Deduce outcomes
•Formulate rival
hypotheses
•Devise and conduct
empirical tests
•Draw conclusions
3-29

30. Curiosity Is the
Ally of a Researcher
Synovate’s campaign
associates important
discoveries in research
to a common trait of
entrepreneurs:
curiosity.
As one of the world’s
largest research
organizations, it claims
curiosity is “what
makes us tick.”
3-30

31. Sound Reasoning
Types of Discourse
Exposition Argument
Deduction Induction
3-31

32. Deductive Reasoning
Inner-city household
Inner-city household
interviewing is especially
interviewing is especially
difficult and expensive
difficult and expensive
This survey involves
This survey involves
substantial inner-city
substantial inner-city
household interviewing
household interviewing
The interviewing in this
The interviewing in this
survey will be especially
survey will be especially
difficult and expensive
difficult and expensive
3-32

33. Inductive Reasoning
 Why didn’t sales increase during our
promotional event?
 Regional retailers did not have sufficient
stock to fill customer requests during the
promotional period
 A strike by employees prevented stock
from arriving in time for promotion to be
effective
 A hurricane closed retail outlets in the
region for 10 days during the promotion
3-33

34. Why Didn’t Sales Increase?
3-34

35. Tracy’s Performance
3-35

36. Key Terms
• Argument • Induction
• Case • Model
• Concept • Operational definition
• Conceptual scheme • Proposition
• Construct • Sound reasoning
• Deduction • Theory
• Empiricism • Variable
• Exposition  Control
• Hypothesis  Confounding (CFV)
 Correlational  Dependent (DV)
 Descriptive  Extraneous (EV)
 Explanatory  Independent (IV)
 Relational  Intervening (IVV)
• Hypothetical construct  Moderating (MV)
3-36

37. THEORY BUILDING
3–37

38. LEARNING OUTCOMES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After studying this chapter, you should
1. Define the meaning of theory
2. Understand the goals of theory
3. Understand the terms concepts, propositions,
variables, and hypotheses
4. Discuss how theories are developed
5. Understand scientific method
6. Define ethics and understand how it applies to
business research
3–38

39. 
Introduction researchers hope
Theory building is the means by which basic
to expand knowledge and search for the truth.
 A theory is a formal, logical explanation of some events that
includes predictions of how things relate to one another.
 It is built through a process of reviewing previous
findings of similar studies, simple logical
deduction and knowledge of applicable
theoretical areas.
 It plays a role in understanding practical research
as well as academic or basic business research.
 It helps the researcher know what variables need
to be included in the study and how they may
relate to one another.
3–39

40. Goals of Theory
 Two issues—understanding and predicting—are the
two purposes of theory.
 Accomplishing the first goal allows the
theorist to gain an understanding of the
relationship among various phenomena.
 That understanding enables us to predict
the behavior or characteristics of one
phenomenon from the knowledge of
another phenomenon.
3–40

41.  Example:
 A business researcher may theorise that older
investors tend to be more interested in investment
income than younger investors.
 This theory once verified, should allow researchers
to predict the importance of expected dividend yield
on the basis of investors’ ages.
 The researcher also want to gain understanding of
the situation. So the two goals go hand in hand!
Theories provide these explanations.
3–41

42. RESEARCH CONCEPTS, CONSTRUCTS,
PROPOSITIONS, VARIABLES, AND
HYPOTHESES
 Concept (or construct)
 Concept (or construct) is a generalized
idea about a class of objects, attributes,
occurrences or process that has been
given a name.
 Examples:

43. Concept (or construct)
(cont’d)
 Concepts are the building blocks of theory.
 Concepts abstract reality (i.e., concepts express in
words various events or objects).
 Concepts may vary in degree of abstraction.
 Ladder of abstraction —organization of concepts in
sequence from the most concrete and individual to
the most general.
 Moving up the ladder of abstraction, the basic
concept becomes more general, wider in scope, and
less amenable to measurement.
3–43

44. A Ladder Of Abstraction
For Concepts
Vegetation
Increasingly more abstract
Fruit
Banana
Reality
44

45. Concept (or construct)
(cont’d)
 The basic or scientific business researcher operates
at two levels—on the abstract level of concepts (and
propositions) and on the empirical level of variables
(and hypotheses).
 Empirical level —
 Abstract level —
3–45

46. Concepts are Abstractions of
Reality
Abstract CONCEPTS
Level
Empirical OBSERVATION OF OBJECTS
Level AND EVENTS (REALITY)
46

47. Concept (or construct) (cont’d)
 Latent construct —a concept that is not directly
observable or measurable, but can be estimated
through proxy measures.
 Researchers are concerned with the observable world
(i.e., reality).
 Theorists translate their conceptualization of reality
into abstract ideas.
 Things are not the essence of theory; ideas are.
 Concepts in isolation are not theories—to construct a
theory we must explain how concepts relate to other
concepts.
3–47

48. EXHIBIT 3.2
3.2 Concepts are Abstractions of Reality
3–48

49. Research Propositions and
Hypotheses
 Propositions are statements concerned with the relationships among
concepts and explain the logical linkage among certain concepts by
asserting a universal connection between concepts.
 A hypothesis is a formal statement explaining some outcome.
 In its simplest form, a hypothesis is a guess.
 A hypothesis is a proposition that is empirically
testable, so when on estates a hypothesis, it should be
written in a manner that can be supported or shown to
be wrong through an empirical test.
 It is an empirical statement concerned with the
relationship among variables.
 Often apply statistics to data to empirically test
hypotheses.

50. Research Propositions and
Hypotheses (cont’d)
 Empirical testing means that something has been
examined against reality using data.
 When the data are consistent with a
hypotheses - hypothesis is supported.
 When the data are inconsistent with a
hypothesis - hypothesis is not supported.
 Variables : Anything that may assume different numerical
values or categorical values. (anything that varied or
changes in value).
 Operationalizing —the process of identifying the actual
measurement scales to assess the variables of interest.
3–50

51. Proposition at Abstract Level
Concept A Concept B
(Reinforcement) (Habits)
Hypothesis at Empirical Level
V- Dollar bonus for V
sales volume Always makes
over quota four sales calls
a day
51

52.  The abstract proposition “Reinforcement will
increase habit strength” may be tested empirically
with a hypothesis.
 Bonus pay and sales calls are variables – reflecting
the concepts – reinforcement and habits.
 Variables may be measured.
52

53. Theory Building A Process Of
Increasing Abstraction
Theories
Increasingly more abstract
Propositions
Concepts
Observation of objects
and events (reality )

54. Theory Building
 Theory generation can occur at the abstract,
conceptual level and at the empirical level.
 Deductive reasoning is
 Inductive reasoning is
 Over the course of time, theory construction is often
the result of a combination of deductive and
inductive reasoning.
3–54

55. The Scientific Method
 Scientific Method  Suggested steps:
 A set of prescribed 1. Assess relevant existing
knowledge of phenomenon
procedures for
2. Formulate concepts and
establishing and propositions
connecting theoretical
3. State hypotheses
statements about events,
4. Design research to test the
for analyzing empirical hypotheses
evidence, and for 5. Acquire empirical data
predicting events yet
6. Analyze and evaluate data
unknown.
7. Propose an explanation of
 Techniques or the phenomenon and state
procedures used to new problems raised by
analyze empirical the research
evidence in an attempt to
confirm or disprove prior
conceptions.

56. The Scientific Method:
An Overview
Assess Formulate Statement
Design
relevant concepts & of
research
existing Propositions Hypotheses
knowledge
Acquire Analyze & Provide
empirical evaluate explanation-
data data state new
problem
56

57. Introduction
 Topic identification is a most difficult and yet
the most important part in the process of
research. It is the starting point of your
research, once you have clear about this, you
will be able to choose the most appropriate
research strategy and data collection and
analysis techniques. The formulating and
clarifying process is time consuming.
However, without spending time on this
stage you are far less likely to achieve
successful research.

58. Research Problem
 Any question that you want answered and any
assumption or assertion that you want to challenge
or investigate can become a research problem or a
research topic for your study. But not all questions
can be transformed into research problems. As a
newcomer it might seem easy to formulate a
problem but it requires a considerable knowledge of
both the subject area and research methodology.
When we examine a question more closely we will
soon realise the complexity of formulating an idea
into a problem which is researchable.

59. Formulating a Research Problem
 It is like the identification of a
destination before undertaking a
journey. In the absence of a clear
research problem, a clear and
economical plan is impossible. The
problem serves as the foundation of a
research study, it is well formulated,
you can expect a good study to follow.

60. Attributes of a Good Research
Topic
 Your research topic must be something you
are capable of undertaking
 Your ability to find the financial and time
resources to undertake on the topic
 Data availability
 Clearly defined research questions and
objectives
 Link with theory
 Career goals

61. Research Area and Topic
 Research Topic falls within a area. Selection
of topic is more difficult part of research.
 Example:
 Research Area: E-Business
 Research Topic:
 Internet Marketing behavior among MNC’s and
Domestic companies
 Factors Determining adoption of e-business among the
domestic companies in Malaysia
 Cost Benefit analysis on e-business with reference to
consumer durable Goods Manufactures in Malaysia

62. Choice of the Problem
 Based on the Purpose of Research:
 Basic Research
 Applied Research
 Based on the objectives
 Exploratory
 Descriptive
 Explanatory (Hypothesis testing)

63. Methods of Generating and
Refining Research Ideas
 Rational Thinking
 Examine your own strength and interest
 Looking at past research reports
 Discussions
 Searching the literature
 Creative Thinking
 Exploring personal preferences using past
projects
 brainstorming

64. Sources of Problem of Research
 Practical Problems in your field
 Literature in your specific field
 Request for proposal
 Secondary Data Analysis
 Pilot Study
 Brain Storming
 Focus Groups

65. Choice of the Problem
 Should be Timely
 Area should not be Too Crowed
 The Area should not be Too Prominent
 Consumer of Research
 Feasibility of the Research Study

66. Formulation of a Research Problem
 The following steps may be followed to
narrowing the problem or ‘zeroing in on
the problem, to have a better
formulated research problem

67. Formulation …
 Identify: a broad area
 Dissect the broad area into sub-area
 Select a sub-area
 Raise Research questions
 Formulate objectives
 Assess these objectives
 Double check

68. Turning Research Idea into
Research Project
 Research Question
 It is important that the question is sufficiently involved to
generate the sort of project. Begin with one general focus
research question that flows from your research idea. This
may leads to several more detailed questions or the
research objectives
 Research Objectives
 From the research question you can write a set of research
objectives. It is more generally accepted to the research
community as a evidence of the researcher’s clear sense of
purpose and direction. Research objectives require more
rigorous thinking which derives use of more formal
language.

69. Research Idea to Research
Question (General Focus)
Research idea General Focus Research Question
The sponsorship of country food What benefit do commercial
clubs by commercial organizations organizations derive from their
sponsorship of country cricket
clubs?
The adoption of Flexible workforce Why do manufacturing companies
by manufacturing company divide their workforces into core
and peripheral workers?
The future of trade unions What strategies should trade
unions adopt to ensure their
viability in the future?

70. Formulation of Objectives
 Objectives should be listed under two
headings
 Main objectives and
 Sub-objectives
 The main objective is an overall statement of
the thrust of your study. It is also a statement
of the main associations and relationships
that you seek to discover or establish. The
sub objectives are the specific aspects of the
topic that you want to investigate within the
main framework of your study.

71. Formulation of Objectives
 Objectives should be listed under two
headings;
 Main objective(s)
 Sub-objectives

72. Research Question to Research
Objectives
Research Question Research Objectives
Why have organizations introduce To identify organization’s
team briefing? objectives for team briefing
How can the effectiveness of To establish suitable effectiveness
team- briefing schemes be criteria for team-briefing schemes.
measures?
How can the team briefing To determine the factors
effectiveness be explained? associated with the effectiveness
of the team briefing.
Has team briefing been effective? To describe the extent to which
the effectiveness criteria for team
briefing have been met.

73. Management Problems vs. Research
Problems
 Most management research problems
manifest themselves as Management
Decision Problems
 Situation arises, management needs to make a
decision, requires research, starts the research
process
 No actionable guidance
 Simply a statement of the issue that
management is dealing with
 Must restatement in research terms.

74. Management Problems vs. Research
Problems
 Management Problem: a statement of
the information needed by a decision
maker to help solve a management
decision problem.

75. Tips for Accurately Defining
Research Problems
 Find out why the information is being sought.
 Determine whether the information already
exists.
 Determine whether the question really
can/should be answered.
 Use exploratory research to define
background of the problem
 Situation analysis
 The iceberg principle
 Determine relevant variables

76. Definition of Research
Objectives
 Management Research Objectives: the
specific bits of knowledge that need to be
gathered to close the information gaps
highlighted in the research problem.
 Stated in action terms
 Serve as a standard to evaluate the quality
and value of the research
 Objectives should be specific and
unambiguous

77. Putting It All Together
 Management Problem
 Placement office has noticed, while major companies make annual recruiting
visits to campus for engineers, not many national or local companies are
formally recruiting business majors through the placement office
 Why? How do we address this?
 Management Research Problems
 Why are companies not taking advantage of the resources that the placement
service offers? Are companies going around the service?
 Are companies aware of the University placement service?
 Are companies aware of the reputation of the MBA programme?
 What kind of things might generate more recruiting activity?
 Management Research Objectives
 To determine to what extent companies are aware of the placement service
 Determine whether companies, especially locals, are aware of the strong
reputation of the Business School
 To determine whether a quarterly newsletter highlighting business programs
and students might generate more recruiting activity.

78. Review of Literature
 Importance
 Sources
 Purpose
 Stages of Research and Literature
Review
 Method of Presentation

79. Introduction
 Literature review for a proposal or a
research study means locating and
summarizing the studies about the
topic. Often these summaries are
research studies, but it may also
include conceptual articles or thought
pieces that provide frameworks for
thinking about the topic.

80. Need and Importance
 Knowledge doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and
your work only has value in relation to other
people’s work. Your work and your finding
will be significant only to the extent that they
are same as or different from others work
and findings. The items your read and write
about will enhance your subject knowledge
and help you to clarify your research
question(s) further. This process is called
critically reviewing the literature.

81. Purpose of the Literature
Review
 Literature reviews help researchers limit the
scope of their inquiry.
 It convey the importance of the topic of study
to the readers
 It shares with the reader the results of other
studies that are closely related to the study
being reported.
 It relates a study to the larger ongoing
dialogue in the literature about a topic, may
be fill in gaps and extending prior studies

82. Purpose …
 It provide a frame work for the study, to
identify the important variables, to
frame hypotheses, source of data,
method of data collection,
measurement of subjective variables,
to develop questionnaire, to identify
appropriate statistical technique for
data analysis.

83. Purpose …
 It serves as a benchmark for comparing
the results of a study with other
findings.

84. Forms of Literature Review
 Integrative:
 The researcher summarizing broad themes in
literature. This is useful, in proposal writing and
to introduce the problem and background of the
research.
 Theoretical:
 The researcher focuses on extant theory that
relates to the problem under study. This form is
useful for development of theoretical frame work
of the study, integration of theory in to the study.

85. Forms ….
 Methodological Review:
 In which the researcher focuses on
methods and definitions. The reviewers
may provide not only summary of studies
but also an actual critique of the strength
and weakness of the method sections.
Normally it is put into a separate section or
chapter, in dissertations and review of
related literature.

86. Sources
Documentation Services
 Journals
 Government Reports
 Research Abstracts

87. States of Research and
Review of Literature
 Identification and Selection
 Formulation of the Selected
problem
 Operationalisation of Concepts
 Research Methodology
 Tools for collection of data
 Writing the report

88. Presentation of the Review
 By Chronological order
 By Topic
 Problem - Solution
 Cause - effect
 Argument and Counter argument
 Group on the basis of a particular
Variable

89. ETHICAL ISSUES IN BUSINESS

RESEARCHQuestions
Ethical Questions Are Philosophical
 Business ethics is the application of morals to behavior
related to the exchange environment.
 Moral standards are principles that reflect beliefs about
what is ethical and what is unethical (e.g., the Golden
Rule).
 Ethical dilemma refers to a situation in which one
chooses from alternative courses of actions, each with
different ethical implications.
 Relativism is a term that reflects the degree to which
one rejects moral standards in favor of the acceptability
of some action.
3–89

90.  Idealism is a term that reflects the
degree to which one bases their
morality on moral standards.
 Researchers and business
stakeholders face ethical dilemmas
practically every day
3–90

91. General Rights and Obligations
of Concerned Parties
 Everyone involved in research can face
an ethical dilemma:
 The people actually performing the research
—the “doers.”
 The research client, sponsor, or the
management team requesting the research—
the “users.”
 The research participants—the actual
research respondents or subjects.
 Each party has certain rights and
obligations toward the other parties.
5–91

92. EXHIBIT 5.7
5.7 Interaction of Rights and Obligations
5–92

93. Rights and Obligations: Research Participant
 Rights:
 Obligations:
5–93

94. Rights and Obligations: Research Participant
(cont’d)
 Rights to be informed
 Most business research is conducted with the
research participant’s consent (i.e., the participant is
active).
 Informed consent means that the individual
understands what the researcher wants him/her to
do and agrees to in the research study.
 The obligation to be truthful
 In return for being truthful, the subject has the right
to expect confidentiality.
 Confidentiality means that information involved in
the research will not be shared with others.
3–94

95. Rights and Obligations: Research Participant
(cont’d)
Participants’ Right to Privacy
 Active Research
 The issue involves the participant’s freedom to choose whether
to comply.
 Be considerate of participants’ time and identify yourself.
 Adhere to the principles of the “Do Not Call” policy and respect
consumers’ “Internet privacy.”
 Passive Research
 It is generally believed that unobtrusive observation of public
behavior is not an invasion of privacy.
 Recording behavior that is not conducted in public would be a
violation of privacy.
 Technology allows the passive collection of data based on
consumers’ on-line behavior, and researchers should gain
consent before harvesting information.
3–95

96. Rights and Obligations: Research Participant
Protection from Harm (cont’d)
 Questions to ask to help avoid harming a research
participant:
 Has the research subject provided consent to
participate in an experiment?
 Is the research subject subjected to
substantial physical or psychological
trauma?
 Can the research subject be easily returned
to his or her initial state?
 Human subjects review committee
 Reviews proposed research designs to
ensure that no harm can come to any
research participant.
5–96

97. Rights and Obligations of the
Researcher
 The researcher should:
 Understand that the purpose of research is
research (no sales pitch to research
participants)
 Maintain objectivity
 Not misrepresent research
 Be honest in reporting errors
 Protect the confidentiality of both subjects
and clients
5–97

98. Rights and Obligations of the
Researcher (cont’d)
 Researchers have rights, too:
 right to cooperation from the sponsoring
client
 right to be paid as long as the work is
done professionally
 right to be paid in full and in a timely
manner
3–98

99. Rights and Obligations of the Client Sponsor (User)
 Ethical Behavior between Buyer and Seller
 The general business ethics expected
between a purchasing agent and a sales
representative should hold in a research
situation.
 An Open Relationship with Research Suppliers
 To encourage objectively, a full and open
statement of the decision situation, a full
disclosure of constraints in time and money,
and any other insights that assist the
researcher should be provided.
 Researcher should be provided adequate
access to key decision makers.
5–99

100. Rights and Obligations of the Client Sponsor (User)
(cont’d)
 An Open Relationship with Interested Parties
 Conclusions should be based on data –
not conjecture.
 Advocacy research – research undertaken
to support a specific claim in a legal action
or to represent some advocacy groups.
 Researchers often conduct advocacy
research in their role as an expert witness.
3–100

101. Further Reading
 COOPER, D.R. AND SCHINDLER, P.S. (2011)
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, 11TH EDN,
MCGRAW HILL
 ZIKMUND, W.G., BABIN, B.J., CARR, J.C. AND
GRIFFIN, M. (2010) BUSINESS RESEARCH
METHODS, 8TH EDN, SOUTH-WESTERN
 SAUNDERS, M., LEWIS, P. AND THORNHILL, A.
(2012) RESEARCH METHODS FOR BUSINESS
STUDENTS, 6TH EDN, PRENTICE HALL.
 SAUNDERS, M. AND LEWIS, P. (2012) DOING
RESEARCH IN BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT, FT
PRENTICE HALL.
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