Business research methods - Introduction

1. Business Research
Design
Plan for a study
Blue print to carry out the study

2. Types of Research design
•Exploratory
•Descriptive
•Causal research

3. Exploratory Research
• Converting broad, vague problem statements into
small, precise problem statements
• Early stages of research
• To formulate hypothesis

4. Characteristics of Exploratory Reserach
• It is flexible and versatile
• Data collection structured forms are not used
• Experimentation is not a requirement
• Cost is low
• Possibility of exploration of views

5. What circumstances is exploratory study ideal?
• To gain insight into the problem
• To generate new product ideas
• To assess the various alternatives
• To develop hypothesis
• To clarify concepts and formulating precise problems
• To pretest a draft questionnaire

6. Exploratory Research Methods
•Literature search
•Experience survey
•Focus group
•Analysis of selected cases

7. Conclusive Research
•Descriptive Research
•Experimental Research or causal research

8. Descriptive research
• Describe the characteristics of the population
• Provides association between two variables
• Clear specification on Who, What, When, Where,
Why and How.

9. Descriptive research methods
•Longitudinal study
•Cross – sectional study

10. Difference between exploratory and descriptive Study
Basis for
comparison
Exploratory Research Descriptive Research
Meaning Exploratory research means
a research conducted for
formulating a problem for
more clear investigation.
Descriptive research is a research
that explore and explain an
individual, group or a situation.
Objective Discovery of ideas and
thoughts.
Describe characteristics and
functions.
Overall Design Flexible Rigid
Research process Unstructured Structured
Sampling Non-probability sampling Probability sampling
Statistical Design No pre-planned design for
analysis.
Pre-planned design for analysis.