Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Assignment MB0050 Research Methodology Set 1
Assignment MB0050 Research Methodology Set 1
- MBA -
Question 2:
a. How do you evolve research design for exploratory research? Briefly analyze.
b. Briefly explain Independent, dependent and extraneous variables in a research
design.
Answer:
a.
Bhupinder Singh
Page 1 of 15
- MBA -
Bhupinder Singh
Page 2 of 15
- MBA -
Question 3:
a. Differentiate between Census survey and Sample Survey
b. Analyse multi-stage and sequential sampling.
Answer:
a.
Census Survey
A census measures absolutely everyone in
the whole country. This obviously means
that a census survey is a much bigger
exercise in nature and procedures
Sample Survey
A part of the population is known as
sample
b.
Multi-stage sampling:
In multi-stage sampling method, sampling is carried out in two or more stages. The population
is regarded as being composed of a number of second stage units and so forth. That is, at each
stage, a sampling unit is a cluster of the sampling units of the subsequent stage. First, a
sample of the first stage sampling units is drawn, then from each of the selected first stage
sampling unit, a sample of the second stage sampling units is drawn. The procedure continues
down to the final sampling units or population elements. Appropriate random sampling method
is adopted at each stage. It is appropriate where the population is scattered over a wider
geographical area and no frame or list is available for sampling. It is also useful when a survey
has to be made within a limited time and cost budget. The major disadvantage is that the
procedure of estimating sampling error and cost advantage is complicated.
Bhupinder Singh
Page 3 of 15
- MBA -
Question 4: List down various measures of central tendency and explain the
difference between them?
Answer:
Measures of Central Tendency:
The term central tendency refers to the "middle" value or perhaps a typical value of the data,
and is measured using the mean, median, or mode. Each of these measures is calculated
differently, and the one that is best to use depends upon the situation.
Analysis of data involves understanding of the characteristics of the data. The following are the
important characteristics of a statistical data:
Central tendency
Dispersion
Skew ness
Kurtosis
In a data distribution, the individual items may have a tendency to come to a central position
or an average value. For instance, in a mark distribution, the individual students may score
marks between zero and hundred. In this distribution, many students may score marks, which
are near to the average marks, i.e. 50. Such a tendency of the data to concentrate to the
central position of the distribution is called central tendency. Central tendency of the data is
measured by statistical averages. Averages are classified into two groups.
1. Mathematical averages
2. Positional averages
Bhupinder Singh
Page 4 of 15
- MBA -
Statistical Averages
Mathematical averages
Positional averages
Arithmetic mean
Geometric mean
Harmonic mean
Median
Mode
Arithmetic mean, geometric mean and harmonic mean are mathematical averages. Median and
mode are positional averages. These statistical measures try to understand how individual
values in a distribution concentrate to a central value like average. If the values of distribution
approximately come near to the average value, we conclude that the distribution has central
tendency.
Difference between Mean and Median:
Mean (Mathematical averages)
When the sample size is large and does
not include outliers, the mean score
usually provides a better measure of
central tendency.
The mean is the most commonly-used
measure of central tendency. When we
talk about an "average", we usually are
referring to the mean
The mean is simply the sum of the values
divided by the total number of items in the set
Question 5: Select any topic for research and explain how you will use both
secondary and primary sources to gather the required information.
Answer:
For performing research on the literacy levels among families, the primary and secondary
sources of data can be used very effectively. More specifically the primary sources of data
Bhupinder Singh
Page 5 of 15
- MBA -
Bhupinder Singh
Page 6 of 15
- MBA -
Bhupinder Singh
Page 7 of 15
- MBA -
Secondary data, if available can be secured quickly and cheaply. Once their source of
documents and reports are located, collection of data is just matter of desk work. Event
he tediousness of copying the data from the source can now be avoided, thanks to
Xeroxing facilities.
Wider geographical area and longer reference period may be covered without much
cost. Thus, the use of secondary data extends the researchers space and time reach.
The use of secondary data broadens the data base from which scientific generalizations
can be made.
Environmental and cultural settings are required for the study.
The use of secondary data enables a researcher to verify the findings bases on primary
data. It readily meets the need for additional empirical support. The researcher needs
not wait the time when additional primary data can be collected.
The most important limitation is the available data may not meet our specific needs. The
definitions adopted by those who collected those data may be different; units of
measure may not match; and time periods may also be different.
The available data may not be as accurate as desired. To assess their accuracy we need
to know how the data were collected.
The secondary data are not up-to-date and become obsolete when they appear in print,
because of time lag in producing them. For example, population census data are
published two or three years later after compilation and no new figures will be available
for another ten years.
Finally, information about the whereabouts of sources may not be available to all social
scientists. Even if the location of the source is known, the accessibility depends primarily
on proximity. For example, most of the unpublished official records and compilations are
located in the capital city, and they are not within the easy reach of researchers based
in far off places.
Bhupinder Singh
Page 8 of 15
- MBA -
On the basis of above consideration, the pertinence of the secondary data to the research on
hand should be determined, as a researcher who is imaginative and flexible may be able to
redefine his research problem so as to make use of otherwise unusable available data.
2) Data Quality:
If the researcher is convinced about the available secondary data for his needs, the next step is
to examine the quality of the data. The quality of data refers to their accuracy, reliability and
completeness. The assurance and reliability of the available secondary data depends on the
organization which collected them and the purpose for which they were collected. What is the
authority and prestige of the organization? Is it well recognized? Is it noted for reliability? It is
capable of collecting reliable data? Does it use trained and well qualified investigators? The
answers to these questions determine the degree of confidence we can have in the data and
their accuracy. It is important to go to the original source of the secondary data rather than to
use an immediate source which has quoted from the original. Then only, the researcher can
review the cautionary and other comments that were made in the original source.
3) Data Completeness:
The completeness refers to the actual coverage of the published data. This depends on the
methodology and sampling design adopted by the original organization. Is the methodology
sound? Is the sample size small or large? Is the sampling method appropriate? Answers to
these questions may indicate the appropriateness and adequacy of the data for the problem
under study. The question of possible bias should also be examined. Whether the purpose for
which the original organization collected the data had a particular orientation? Has the study
been made to promote the organizations own interest? How the study was conducted? These
are important clues. The researcher must be on guard when the source does not report the
methodology and sampling design. Then it is not possible to determine the adequacy of the
secondary data for the researchers study.
Question 6:
a. Explain the role of Graphs and Diagrams?
Bhupinder Singh
Page 9 of 15
- MBA -
Bhupinder Singh
Page 10 of 15
- MBA -
1981
18000
Bhupinder Singh
Page 11 of 15
- MBA -
2025
3
2530
4
3035
5
3540
6
4045
5
4550
4
5055
3
Bhupinder Singh
Page 12 of 15
- MBA -
0-5
5-10
10-15
15-20
20-25
25-30
30-35
35-40
10
16
30
42
50
30
16
12
Solution:
Here we have
Monthly pocket
expenses of a
student(in $)
0-5
5-10
10-15
15-20
20-25
25-30
30-35
35-40
class- marks
Number
students
2.5
7.5
12.5
17.5
22.5
27.5
32.5
37.5
10
16
30
42
50
30
16
12
of
Bhupinder Singh
Page 13 of 15
- MBA -
Marks
Number of
students
0-4
4
4-8
6
8-12
10
12-16
8
16-20
4
Number of
students
4
6
10
8
4
32
cumulative
frequency
4
4+6=10
10+10=20
20+8=28
28+4=32
Joining these points by a free-hand smooth curve, we have the following cumulative frequency
curve:
5) Pie-chart or Pie-graph:
It is drawn by first drawing a circle of a suitable radius and then dividing the angle of 360
degree at its centre in proportion to the figures given under various heads.
Solution:
<AOB = 14 x 360 /100 = 50.4
<COD = 29 x 360 /100 = 104.4
<EOF = 16 x 360 /100 = 57.6
<BOC = 16 x 360 /100 = 57.6
<DOE = 17 x 360 /100 = 61.2
<FOA = 8 x 360 /100 = 28.8
Take a circle with centre O and unit radius.
Bhupinder Singh
Page 14 of 15
- MBA -
Bhupinder Singh
Page 15 of 15