1. An Introduction to Applied Research Methods Introduction In this topic we will introduce the concept of applied research and begin to look at what is and what is not research. By the end of this topic you will be able to: • understand and explain why research is important for managers; • be able to define what applied business research is; • differentiate between the different types of research; and • discuss the research process. Figure 1 - The purpose of research What is research? Research is the careful systematic and patient study and investigation undertaken to discover or establish facts or principles. The knowledge gained through research allows for description, explanation and understanding of various phenomena. Thus, new knowledge acquired through research is not a perchance discovery. Research is a purposeful activity that looks to change reality through the acquisition of new knowledge or through the application of existing knowledge in new contexts and new paradigms. There are a couple of chapters of different research methods texts provided for you in the glossary for this topic to aid in your understanding so make sure you also read those. Research has a number of general characteristics: • o It gathers new knowledge or data from primary sources o It places emphasis on the discovery of general principles that can be applied in multiple contexts o It requires exact systematic and accurate investigation o It uses a range of valid data gathering devices o It is logical and objective and free from researcher bias o It endeavours to organise data to address specific questions or problems o It is patient and unhurried o It is carefully recorded and reported o Its conclusions and generalisations are arrived at carefully and cautiously. Why do you think research important for managers? It would be useful now for you to read the three readings supplied for this topic. They provide a general overview of research methods to orient you before going further in this topic. 1. An Introduction to Applied Research Methods Types of research There are a number of different types of research that a person can undertake. None are more important or valid than the other and all have their place depending on the purpose of the research and how the findings are to be applied. Generally research is defined as to whether it is Applied or Basic. Applied research examines a specific set of circumstances, and its ultimate goal is relating the results to a particular situation. That is, applied research uses the data directly for real world application and attempts to predict a specific behavior in a very specific setting. Basic research, by contrast, focuses on fundamental principles and testing theories. Mistakenly, it is sometimes implied that basic research doesn’t have practical applications. The history of science is replete with examples of basic research leading to real world applications. Just because a research study is not directed at specific set of circumstances does not mean that in the future the finding from that study will not be applied to a specific event or events. However the purpose of basic research is not normally to have a practical application although in time it is possible that the theoretical learnings from basic research will find their way into daily application. Let's look at some other types of research that you might come accross now. Type of Research Brief Description Descriptive No control over variables under study, can only report findings - answers the question of "what?" Analytical (secondary) The researcher uses the information already available and reviews this to make new evaluations or insights. Applied Aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem within a specific and defined context. Basic/fundamental/ Conceptual Concerned with generalisations for the formulation of theory and not necessarily with application. Qualitative Concerned with phenomena that can’t be expressed in numbers such as feelings, attitudes and behaviours. Quantitative Uses measurement and outcomes expressed as numbers or quantities and employs statistical analysis to reach conclusions. Cross sectional or longitudinal Is based on the use of trend and prediction data using repeated measures and is used to make causal inferences. Action research A flexible spiral process of research that allows action (change and improvement) to be achieved at the same time as research (understanding and knowledge). Clinical Usually used for medical research, is concerned with testing whether medical treatments, instruments, strategies and devices are safe and effective for use on humans. In this course we will be primarily concerned with reviewing applied research principles and methods as this is the type of research that most of you will be engaging in as managers. Activity Have a think about the research that has been done in your organisation, or that is currently underway. How would you classify this research using the information provided in the table above? Is there a type of research listed in this table that you think you would never use? Which one and why? 1. An Introduction to Applied Research Methods Applied Business Research "Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted" (Albert Einstein): Watch this video about Business Research So from what you have read so far about research you should now understand that applied business research is research that is conducted with an eye to acquiring and applying knowledge that will address a specific problem or meet a specific need within an organisation. Just about any business entity or community organization can benefit from engaging in this type of research. In marketing, applied research is directed toward a current need of the public, with the purpose of developing results or a product that can be applied to the need, or that can solve the problem at hand. Human Resources personnel or consultants usually perform this type of research because they are motivated by solving a specific problem or issue within an organization. Applied research is different from basic research because basic research tries to uncover relationships between variables or is motivated by the general understanding of how things work, and isn’t as problem-oriented as applied research. The purpose of both basic and applied research is to contribute or develop a body of knowledge. Basic research is generally not related to a specific problem and its findings cannot be immediately applied. For example, consider a researcher testing the changing motivational factors of Indian buyers, especially after liberalization. The researcher systematically and scientifically conducts the research and presents a theory about the changing motivational factors of Indian buyers. This is actually adding something to the academic body of knowledge that already exists. The existing body of knowledge has already presented some motivational factors for Indian buyers. The researcher believes that with the passage of time these factors have changed, especially after liberalization. By conducting research, the researcher has presented a new set of motivational factors for Indian buyers. This result is very important but is only a guideline and cannot be applied directly for a specific research problem. Basic research is generally not related to a specific problem and its findings cannot be immediately applied. Applied research directly addresses the problem at hand. In general, applied research is launched by the firm, agency, or individual facing a specific problem. As in basic research, the researcher adopts a systematic and scientific procedure to conduct the research. Findings are presented to the research sponsor agency or the decision maker. On the basis of the presented findings, the decision maker takes the decision to address the problem. Thus, the difference lies in terms of applying the findings. Basic research is a development or contribution to the theory where the findings are used directly or immediately. Whereas, applied research is organized to address a specific problem and its findings are immediately applied by the decision maker based on their feasibility and sustainability. Applied research directly addresses the problem at hand. Applied research is launched by the firm, agency, or individual facing a specific problem. It is important to note that the techniques and procedure for conducting basic and applied research are the same. The procedure is scientific for both basic research and applied research. This scientific procedure is nothing but systematic data collection, compilation, analysis, interpretation, and implication pertaining to any research problem. The approach of conducting the research does not change when dealing with two diverse topics from two different disciplines. For example, consider two topics such as “measuring the job satisfaction of employees” and “measuring the consumer satisfaction for a product.” Research methods of these two topics will be almost the same. This means that the researcher has to first identify the problem, develop a theoretical model, prepare a questionnaire and develop hypotheses in the light of a theoretical model, select a sampling method, launch an appropriate data analysis exercise, perform interpretation, and present the finding. For dealing with these two different topics, there will be different approaches to identify the problem and develop the theoretical model through literature. In the first case, for measuring the job satisfaction, a researcher has to explore the literature related to “job satisfaction” and then propose a theoretical model to quantify job satisfaction. In the second case, for measuring consumer satisfaction, a researcher has to explore the literature related to “consumer satisfaction” and then propose a theoretical model to quantify consumer satisfaction. Hence, there will be changes in the aspect of dealing the two different topics, but the basis for conducting the research will remain the same for these two topics. The next chapter outlines the research process. So in summary the research conducted in a business setting is generally classified by either the techniques to be used or the purpose of the research. Experiments, surveys and obervational studies are a few common techniques. When we classify the research based on its purpose however, this helps us to determine the most appropriate methodology to use and also it helps keep the researcher focused on the issues under investigation. There are generally three types of business research: 1. Exploratory 2. Descriptive 3. Casual We will investigate each of these research types and the corresponding methods in the next topic. 1. An Introduction to Applied Research Methods The Research Process All research essentially can be broken down into 8 steps regardless of the purpose of the research (how it is classified). This is a nice video summary of the research process. This process is used in all research and evaluation projects, regardless of the research method (scientific method of inquiry, evaluation research, applied research or action research). The process focuses on testing hunches or ideas in through a systematic process. In this process, the study is documented in such a way that another individual can conduct the same study again. This is referred to as replicating the study. Any research done without documenting the study so that others can review the process and results is not an investigation using the scientific research process. The scientific research process is a multiple-step process where the steps are interlinked with the other steps in the process. If changes are made in one step of the process, the researcher must review all the other steps to ensure that the changes are reflected throughout the process.. As a manager you will often be involved in conducting research or evaluation projects conducted on your behalf and used to assist in the decision making process. The process ensures that not only will your research be focused on the outcomes you need, but also that others can follow and even replicate your research for validation purposes. It also helps to ensure a rigorous investigation of the issue - not like the cartoon shown below! These steps are outlined here. Sometimes steps 3 and 4 are included in the literature review so some processes are shown as 6 steps and not 8: 1. Identify the research problem or question - What are the solutions we need to assist us in our decision making. 2. Conduct a literature review - What do we already know and what don’t we know about this problem. Has anyone else done work in this area that we can use and what conclusions did they draw. The information discovered in this stage allows you to more fully understand the magnitude of the problems, to recognise future consequences of the issue and to avoid duplicating work that has already been done. 3. Clarify the problem - this step allows the researcher to narrow the scope of the study and define the boundaries of the work to be conducted. This stage also allows the researcher to determine if the research question is able to be answered with what is already known or do we need to proceed further? 4. Define the terms and concepts and operationalise the study - this stage ensures that there is a clear definition of what is being investigated and how the researchers are measuring the data and information. this will minimise confusion and ambiguity later and makes the study more manageable. 5. Design the study - this stage requires the researcher to define their population (who will they be seeking information from) and their sample (how to get representation from a smaller number than the population). This stage also allows the researcher to estimate the cost of the study (as they now know what questions they will ask and how many people they need to get answers from). This stage also requires the researcher to develop a road map for the research to ensure that all people who work on the project are aligned and focused on the same thing. 6. Collect the data - In the design the researcher would have outlined how the data was to be collected, from whom, where and when. Data can be collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary data collection is data collected for the purpose of this study, secondary data is using data that was collected by others for another purpose and then using it to solve a different problem. If conducting primary research, this stage then is where the actual data is gathered. Data can be collected in the form of words, observations, experiments, or through other forms all of which are aligned to the purpose and intent of the research. 7. Analyse and interpret the data - Draw conclusions, represent information, explain findings 8. Report and evaluate findings - Present findings to the decision makers, evaluate the research process and method and results. This process is often depicted diagrammatically as a cycle as research outcomes and findings often raise more questions that you need to answer with another round of research. Here is a video that also explains the process that might be helpful. This process is applicable for all types of research with some stages being longer and others shorter, depending on the scope and type of research. Have you ever used this before? What was good and not so good about it? Finally here is a great table that summarises the questions that researchers need to think about at each stage of the research process to ensure that the research conducted is effective and appropriate.