DMS 411:

BUSINESS
RESEARCH
METHODS

Lecture V
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 Scientific research process
Desktop
Field work & Define the problem research
report writing
=
Research
Review literature: proposal
Report writing Theory Vs practice
(findings)?

Formulate Hypothesis
Data analysis

Design research

Collect data

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 Research Process

What? Where? HOW? Who?

•Concepts, •Context / Overall Representation
Variables & setting of Methodology •Population
Measures the day to be used •Sampling

Data Gathering

Analysis
Interpretation
& Application
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 Key questions addressed in methodology
• What design strategy will be used?

• Who/what is the study unit?

• Who/what forms the population of the study?

• Will sampling be done, and if so, what sampling design

will be used? What sample size?

• What kind of data will be used? Where /from whom

will it be collected? Which/what instrument will be
used and how will the researcher reach the
respondents/data source?

• How will the collected data be analyzed and

presented?
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Chapter Three: Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design

3.2 Population

3.3 Sampling and Sample Size

3.4 Data Collection

– Data type
– Data source
– Collection method
– Research Instrument
– Mechanism for reaching target
audience/object/subject

3.5 Data analysis

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 Research design
• Refers to the overall strategy chosen to
integrate the different components of
the study in a coherent and logical way

• It constitutes the blueprint for the

collection, measurement, and analysis of
data

• It ensures that the evidence obtained

enables one to effectively address the
research problem logically and as
unambiguously as possible
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 Research design…
• Understanding the relationships among the
research designs is important in making
appropriate choices, thinking about the
strengths and weaknesses of different
designs

• Lack of proper focus on research design

could lead to:
– the overall research problem not been
adequately addressed
– any conclusions drawn being weak and
unconvincing.
– the overall validity of the study been
undermined.

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 Research design….
• The length and complexity of describing research
designs can vary considerably, but any well-developed
design will achieve the following:

– Identify the research problem clearly and justify its

selection, particularly in relation to any valid alternative
designs that could have been used,

– Review and synethesize previously published literature

associated with the problem,

– Clearly and explicitly support hypotheses central to the

research problem,

– Effectively describe /indicate necessary data to

adequately test the hypotheses

– Describe /propose the methods of analysis to be applied.

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• Key concern:
Do the benefits that results from
a more complex design to ensure
accuracy, reliability, confidence,
generalizability (amongst other
considerations) commensurate
with the investment made?

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Design decisions based on:

Purpose of study

Location of study

Research
Design Time horizon

Type of data

Analytical method

Unit of analysis
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 Research designs……
• Classification by type of data
– Qualitative research design or
– Quantitative research design.

• Qualitative research provides insights in

understanding while quantitative research
tries to generalize those insights to a
population.

• Both research designs approaches are

considered complementary more than
competitive.

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 Research Designs….
• Classification by time frame
• Cross sectional studies
– Data are gathered just once, perhaps over a period
of days, months or years in order to answer a
research question (reference to a given time
frame)
– Easily the most common type of research project.
– Typically involves conducting a survey of a sample
of population elements at one point in time.
– Useful because it provides a quick snapshot of
what’s going on with the variables of interest for
our research problem.

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 Research Designs….
• Classification by time frame
– Longitudinal studies
– study follows the same sample over time and makes
repeated observations
– Conclusions are drawn on the basis of the entire
period of study.
– An investigation that involves taking repeated
measures over time.
– Useful for conducting trend analysis, tracking
changes in behavior over time (e.g., brand
switching, levels of awareness, turnover) and
monitoring long-term effects of marketing
activities (e.g., market share, pricing effects)
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 Research Designs….
• Classification by purpose of
study:
– The choice of purpose is
dependent on the general level
if knowledge about the topic.

• Exploratory research design:

• Descriptive research design

• Explanatory research design

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 Research Designs….
• Classification by purpose of study:
• Exploratory research design:
– Used to explore new ideas.

– This type of studies are undertaken when the nature of the

problem is not clear (when there are few or no earlier
studies to refer to or rely upon to predict an outcome), thus
the expectation that further research would be necessary
to yield conclusive evidence.

– Findings of such a study can be used to:

• Gain background information and better understand and
clarify a problem (gaining insights and familiarity for later
investigation)
• Develop hypotheses and to develop questions to be
answered
• Help a researcher understand how to measure
something/phenomenon
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 Research Designs….
• Classification by purpose of study:
• Descriptive research design
– The goal is to describe certain phenomena – new areas hence
need to fully understand the phenomena.

– Descriptive studies help to: Understand phenomena; Think

systematically about an aspect in a given situation; Offer ideas
for further probing; Make certain simple decisions

– Descriptive studies tries to discover answers to who, what,

when, where and sometimes, how questions.

– Descriptive research is used to obtain information concerning

the current status of the phenomena and to describe "what
exists" with respect to variables or conditions in a situation.

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 Research Designs….
• Classification by purpose of study:
• Explanatory research design
– Explanatory research seeks to “explain”
a phenomenon.
• Generally involves revealing cause, but also
structural and interpretive.
– Builds on exploratory and descriptive
research.
– Forms of explanation
• Theoretical explanation
• Ordinary explanation
• Causal explanations
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 Types of Research Designs

• Exploratory Research (huh?)

– Designed to generate basic knowledge, clarify relevant
issues uncover variables associated with a problem, uncover
information needs, and/or define alternatives for
addressing research objectives.
– A very flexible, open-ended process.
• Descriptive Research (who, what, where, how)
– Designed to provide further insight into the research
problem by describing the variables of interest.
– Can be used for profiling, defining, segmentation,
estimating, predicting, and examining associative
relationships.
• Causal Research (If-then)
– Designed to provide information on potential cause-and-
effect relationships.
– Most practical in determining types / forms of associations
or impact of one (more) variable(s) on another(s).
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 Research Designs….
• Classification by type of investigation
– Causal studies
• The primary purpose of all causal research is the
identification of the cause and effect
relationships between variables.
• Conditions necessary for determining causality:
– Empirical association
– Appropriate time order
– Nonspuriousness

– Correlation studies
• Research seeks to determine the relationship
between the variables associated with a problem.
e.g. is smoking and cancer related?

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Fig. 1: Conceptual Framework for the Proposed Study
H 1

Operating Environment
TMT demographic
characteristics Govt control, competition, availability and cost of
· Average members’ age resources (vital inputs), interest rates, taxation, H 4
· TMT tenure political activities, change in information
· Education level technology,
· Functional background
· TMT members experience
(tenure) Organizational Performance
Decision making process Economic/financial
· TMT size Collective ownership for
· Gender performance
corporate affairs, group
H 5 · Gross profit
discussions & consultations, H
frequency of meetings, level
6 · Turn over
of communication & · Earnings per share
information sharing · Dividends per share
TMT cognitive · Average stock price
characteristics · Market share
· Innovativeness · Return on capital
· Proactiveness
·
Organizational structure
Perception to risk
· Locus of control
· Tolerance for ambiguity · Organization’s age,
H 3
· Open-mindedness · Organization’s size
· Aggression

H 2
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 Research Designs….
• Classification by research setting
• Research setting refers to actual environment in which research will be
conducted. i.e. is it in a natural environment or in an artificial controlled
setting.
• Based on researcher’s ability to maintain control over all factors that may
affect the result of an experiment
– Field study:
• The research does not interfere with the natural occurrence of the
events.
– Field experiments
• the research does interfere with some of variables of the study but
the experiment is still done in the natural occurrence of events.
E.g. The manipulation of payroll to evaluate employee’s
motivation.
– Lab experiment
• these are situations where all extraneous variables are controlled.
i.e. extremely high level of interference by the researcher.

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 Research Designs….
• Classification by unit of analysis:
– Surveys

– Case studies
– An in-depth study of a particular research problem
rather than a sweeping statistical survey or
comprehesive comparative inquiry.
– Often used to narrow down a very broad field of
research into one or a few easily researchable
examples.
– Also useful for testing whether a specific theory
and model actually applies to phenomena in the real
world. It is a useful design when not much is known
about an issue or phenomenon

– Census

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 Research Design
Exploratory
Purpose Descriptive
Explanatory Field study
Field experiment
Location Lab experiment

Type of Causal
Research investigation Correlation

Design Time horizon

Cross sectional
Longitudinal
Data Type Qualitative
Quantitative

Unit of Survey
analysis Case study
Census
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• Research Title
MANUFACTURING STRATEGY IN SMALL
AND MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES
IN KENYA

Objectives
• To determine the capabilities the firm exploits
to gain advantage over competitors
• To determine the underlying manufacturing
strategy perspective.
• To determine the model of manufacturing
strategy employed.
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• Key Success Factors for Lean Supply
Management: A Case Study of Unilever’s
Tea Supply Chain in Africa

• The Effect of Top Management Teams on

Organizational Performance in Kenya

• Effect of nutrition on human development

• Quality of life in developing countries

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– Research Design
– The study adopted a descriptive design with
an exploratory view which sought to provide
an insight and expand the understanding of
the manufacturing capabilities used in firms.
The study’s aim was to establish which and
how these capabilities affected the
operations and thus defining the what,
where and how much of the operations
phenomenon.

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• General questions and
answers?

• Lessons learnt?

• General comments?
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Thank you

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