The document outlines the initial steps in the research process:
1) Identifying a broad problem area by observing issues in an organization that need improvement.
2) Conducting preliminary data gathering through interviews and a literature review to understand what is already known about the problem.
3) Clearly defining the research problem by stating the question or issue to be investigated in order to find a solution.
The document outlines the initial steps in the research process:
1) Identifying a broad problem area by observing issues in an organization that need improvement.
2) Conducting preliminary data gathering through interviews and a literature review to understand what is already known about the problem.
3) Clearly defining the research problem by stating the question or issue to be investigated in order to find a solution.
The document outlines the initial steps in the research process:
1) Identifying a broad problem area by observing issues in an organization that need improvement.
2) Conducting preliminary data gathering through interviews and a literature review to understand what is already known about the problem.
3) Clearly defining the research problem by stating the question or issue to be investigated in order to find a solution.
• Preliminary data gathering • Problem definition The Research Process Broad Problem Area • Broad problem area refers to the entire situation where one sees a possible need for research and problem solving. • Such issues might pertain to: – Problems currently existing in an organizational setting that need to be solved – Areas that a manager believes need to be improved in the organization – A conceptual or theoretical issues that needs to be tightened up for the basic researcher to understand certain phenomena – Some research questions that a basic researcher wants to answer empirically Preliminary Data Collection • Interviews • Literature research: the documentation of a comprehensive review of the published and unpublished work from secondary sources of data in the areas of specific interest to the researcher. Literature Survey • The purpose of the literature review : – To ensure that no important variable that has been in the past been found repeatedly to have had an impact on the problem is ignored – To prevent researcher to “discover” something that has already been thoroughly researched – Could be the basis of qualitative research – Provide the foundation for developing a comprehensive theoretical framework from which hypotheses can be developed for testing Literature Survey (Cont’d) • Extracting the relevant information: – Detailed information on the problem that was researched – The design details of the study (such as sample size and data collection methods) – Ultimate findings Problem Definition
• Problem: many situations where a gap
exists between the actual and the desired ideal states. • Problem definition or problem statement: a clear, precise, and succinct statement of the question or issue that is to be investigated with the goal of finding an answer or solution MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
• Managers sometimes look at the symptoms in
problematic situations and treat them as if they are the real problems, getting frustrated when their remedies do not work. • antecedents–problem–consequences sequence • Managers who realize that correct problem definition is critical to ultimate problem solution, do not grudge the time spent in working closely with researchers, particularly at this stage. MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
• Managers sometimes look at the symptoms in
problematic situations and treat them as if they are the real problems, getting frustrated when their remedies do not work. • antecedents–problem–consequences sequence • Managers who realize that correct problem definition is critical to ultimate problem solution, do not grudge the time spent in working closely with researchers, particularly at this stage.