FACULTY OF BUSINESS SCHOOL

World Geography (ENV 101T)

Individual Assignment

Solid Waste Management

Prepared by

Semester: Summer 2019

Prepared for

Date of Submission

6th August, 2019

Contents:
  Types of researchers
 Purpose of researchers
 Research process
 Decision alternatives in the research process
 Problem formulation
 Importance of problem formulation
 Steps of problem formulation
 Research Design
 Classification of survey

Types of Researchers:
There are four groups of researchers in a society:

1. Group of graduating students:

This group of students refers to who completed their BBA, MBA degree. They do
research through submitting thesis or internship report.
Purpose:
To know the fundamentals of research so that they can use research findings in our
decision making. Ex- Suppose you are a employee of marketing area, the R&D
department do a research for marketing area and submit a report to you. So, you have
to understand the report for making decision.
2. Group of research students:
When someone join a university as a professor and decided to complete MPhill or PhD
degree, they are also called research students.
Purpose:
To be an expert in research.
3. Group of teachers at tertiary level:
Tertiary level means University’s teachers. They do research for knowledge creation.
Purpose:
School/College teachers:
1. Knowledge distribution
2. Academic Administration

University teachers:

1. Knowledge distribution
2. Academic Administration
3. Knowledge Creation
4. Group of professional researchers:
They do research in many big corporate house or government institutions as employee
of R&D department. Ex- BIDS.
Purpose:
R&D does research to generate information for making decision.

Research Process:

Research process is sequence of six interrelated activities. This sequence is called research
process. And the interrelated activities are known as research stages. Therefore the research
stages are:

1. Problem formulation/Gab identification:

 It means having primary idea about the research topic/research problem to understand
what is known and what is unknown regarding the research topic. The ultimate goal of
problem formulation is to find out the specific objectives/research question of research.
Ex- Broad topic: Customer satisfaction level
Specific objectives: 1. To know the perception/experience of customers.
2. To know the expectation of customers.
3. To know the difference between perception and expectation.
2. Research design:
It means making detail plan of doing research.
Ex- Survey, Observation, Experiment, Secondary data study which one you will take for
your research.
3. Sample design:
It means deciding the sample size and selecting the sampling technique to collect data.
 Sample size depends on population
 Research population means research area
 Sampling means selecting the sample from population
4. Data collection:
It means collecting the data by using interactive or non-interactive method.
Ex- Survey is interactive method; Secondary data study is non-interactive method.
5. Data analysis:
This is the biggest task in a research. You cannot generate information without data
analysis. There are some tools of data analysis:
Ex- Co-relation analysis, time series analysis, test of hypothesis.
6. Report writing:
Report writing is writing about something new in detail after studying in and out of it.
You have to mention how reliable is it? It is dependable or not. If you are confident
about your information then you can say anyone can make decision based on the
report.

Decision alternatives in the research process:

 Research Map:
Different paths are charted in the map to go to a particular destination from one place.
The flowchart is given below:

Problem formulation

Literature Case Pilot Experience

Survey Study Study Survey
Direct Indirect Through Through
Print Media Electric Media

Data Analysis
Problem Formulation:

1. Literature Survey:
It means survey of books, periodical, journal, Internet, newspaper etc. related to the
research topic to find out the research gap. It is very difficult. So, this type of research is
not for all.
Ex- Customer satisfaction related all information you have to read and find out the gap,
if your research topic is customer satisfaction.
2. Case Study:
It means studying one member of the population rigorously.
Ex- If your topic is branch performance of sonali bank, then you have to go one branch
of sonali bank and try to get your research objectives/questions.
3. Pilot Study:
It means study more than one member of the population Primarily.
Ex- If your topic is branch performance of sonali bank, then you have to go more than
one branch of sonali bank and try to get your research objectives/questions.

4. Experience Survey:
 Suppose you have research topic “Customer satisfaction level of BSRM” but you do not
have any research question, then you can go your professors or seniors to take help
from them. They will give you some research questions and you will take those
questions which are easy for you to do research. It is easy way to do research in
internship.

Research Design:

1. Survey:
It is a method of collecting primary data by asking questions to the respondents.
Ex- If your topic is customer satisfaction level then you have to go with survey.
2. Observation:
It is a method of collecting primary data through observation.
Ex- Feasibility test of fuel station.
3. Experiment:
It is a research in which one variable is manipulated to see the influence of this
manipulation on the other variable.
Ex- Changing furniture design or fixed up quality of the product through market
experiment.
4. Secondary data study:
It refers to data which is collected by someone who is someone other than the user.
Ex- Financial report of banks, Government budgeting information.

Sample Design:

1. Probability Sampling:
Researchers have no choice to collect data form a particular group [A probability
sampling method is any method of sampling that utilizes some form of random
selection]
2. Non-Probability Sampling:
Researchers have choice to collect data from a particular group [Non-probability
sampling is a sampling technique where the samples are gathered in a process that does
not give all the individuals in the population equal chances of being selected]

Data Collection:

1. Human Interactive:
During the time of collecting the data, you can do the interaction with your respondent,
if it is possible then it is called human interactive method of collecting the data. Both the
respondent and the data collector they can interact with each other to make the things
clear.
  Direct: Collect data seat with face to face.
 Indirect: Collect data over the phone.
2. Non-interactive:
No interaction between the respondent and the data collector but the data collector get
the data from the respondent is called non-interactive method of data collection.
 Through Print Media: Collecting data by asking question through newspaper.
 Through Electric Media: Collecting data by asking question through TV, Internet.

Data Analysis:

1. Statistical:
Analyzing the data by using the tools such as central tendency, dispersion, co-relation,
regression, time series, test of hypothesis, analysis of variance.
2. Econometrical:
Analyzing the data by using the mathematical and economical models.

Report Writing:

1. Popular Reporting:
When researchers write a report which will be closed to general public, which will be
published to the all employees of the organization is called popular report.
2. Technical Reporting:
It is a confidential report. Sometimes researchers has to write very confidential report
which will not be closed to general public, which will not be published to the all
employees of the organization, which will be given only to the top management. If the
report is written only for the top management to keep the confidentiality of the report
then the report is called technical report.

Importance of problem formulation:

This is the most important stage of a research because if you make any mistakes in this stage,
you cannot rectify the mistake anymore. Although it is possible but much more expensive. For
example, suppose you take wrong research question/objectives then your other stage will be
automatically gone to the wrong destination.

Steps of problem formulation:

There are six steps of problem formulation:

1. Ascertaining the decision makers objectives:

 After having the requisition from any particular area manager, the R&D department
arranges a meeting with the manager and asks why you need this kind of research?
What type of information you need? The manager will explain the problem and the R&D
department will try getting their research objectives.
Ex- Suppose HR manager give a requisition to the R&D department, then the R&D
department arranges a meeting with the HR manager and asking for the purpose and
information he needs. If he says I want to motivate our employee and I want to know
the causes of switch over of the employee, then the R&D might got a research
question/objectives like “what are the causes of employee switch over?”
2. Understanding the background of research problem:
After meeting with the manager, the R&D department will try to get the actual problem
through using alternative tools which are literature survey, case study, pilot study,
experience survey.
Ex- The R&D first do literature survey that means they will study with book, journal,
Internet, newspaper. If they do not find out the problem, they will go for other
alternatives like case study, that means meet with one employee or like pilot study, that
means meet with more than one employee or like experience survey, that means to
take help from expert consultant.
3. Isolating the problem from symptom:
Problems and symptoms are not same. Normally the decision maker face symptoms and
called it problem but actually this is not problem this is symptoms. The R&D find out the
problem from symptom.
Ex- The HR manager says their employees are demotivated and switch over to other
organization. This is the symptom. The R&D department find out the causes why
employees are demotivated and switch over to other organization because of low
payment scale and uncomfortable working environment. This is the problem.
4. Identifying the relevant area of research:
To indentify which area’s problem it is. For example- Customers dissatisfaction, it is
marketing area. Job dissatisfaction, it is HR area. Poor productivity, it is production area.
Budgeting, it is financial area. You have to make sure which area’s problem it is and
meet with the people of that area to solve the problem.
5. Identifying the relevant variables and attributes:
To collect data you have to identify the relevant variables and attributes.
 Variable means numerically expressible factors like age, weight, height, salary.
 Attributes means not numerically expressible factors like complexion, working
environment.
 Ex- If your topic is job dissatisfaction of employee, you can collect data about salary,
working hours, these are variables or you can collect data about working environment,
superior of the behavior these are attributes.
6. Specifying the research objectives:
You select your line of thinking. In this stage you can specify the research objectives to
find out the solution. You have finalized your work.

Research Design:

Classification of survey:

Survey

From the From the From the

viewpoint of viewpoint of viewpoint of
questionnaire time communication

Structured Cross sectional

questionnaire Human
survey interactive
Unstructured
Longitudinal Non
questionnaire
survey interactive
Disguised
Panel
questionnaire
survey
Undisguised
questionnaire

From the viewpoint of questionnaire:

1. Structured questionnaire:
If the questions of questionnaire are set along with multiple answers, the questionnaire
is called structured questionnaire. It is easy for respondents to answer the question but
tough for the researchers because he has to set all the answer before taking the survey.
It is also called as close ended questionnaire. It is good for research.
Ex- What is your age?
 i. 20-25
ii. 25-30
iii. 30-35
iv. 35-40
 Questionnaire means a set of some questions that are used to collect the data.
 Question paper means a set of some questions that are used to evaluate the knowledge
level.
2. Unstructured questionnaire:
If the questions of questionnaire are set without any answer, the questionnaire is called
unstructured questionnaire. It is also called as open ended questionnaire.
Ex- What is your age?
----------------------------------
3. Disguised questionnaire:
If the questions of the questionnaire are indirect question then the questionnaire is
called disguised questionnaire. Sometimes researchers need to collect sensitive
information but the respondent may not reply the answer. Therefore the researcher has
to take the shelter of indirect question.
Purpose:
To hide the purpose of research from the respondents.
Ex- Suppose you are doing research on drug addiction by the students. If you ask any
student “Do take any drug?” then you cannot get the right answer at all. But you can ask
indirect question like “Have you ever seen the drugs?” “Do you know what the channel
of getting drugs is?” “Do you know the price of drugs?”
4. Undisguised questionnaire:
When researchers ask direct question to the respondent, then the questionnaire is
called undisguised questionnaire.

From the viewpoint of time:

1. Cross sectional survey:

If the survey is conducted among different group of respondents at a single point in time
to cross check the information, the survey is called cross sectional survey.
Ex- Suppose you are doing the research on the topic of job satisfaction of employee.
Then you have to collect data from lower class employee as well as top management
employee within the same time and you have to cross check the information because of
persuasion of truth.
2. Longitudinal survey:
If the survey is conducted at two different points in time to understand the change over
time, the survey is called longitudinal survey.
 Ex- Suppose you want to know the effectiveness of advertisement on your product. In
this case you have to do survey two times with the different respondents. One is before
giving advertisement and another one is after giving advertisement to know the
difference of sales.
3. Panel survey:
It is one kind of longitudinal survey. Only difference is that same panel of respondents
will be interviewed at two different points in time to understand the change over time is
called panel survey.
Ex- Suppose you want to know the effectiveness of training module of employee. In this
case you have to do survey two times with the same respondents. One is before giving
training and another one is after giving training to know the difference of gaining
knowledge level.

From the viewpoint of communication:

1. Human Interactive:
During the time of collecting the data, you can do the interaction with your respondent;
if it is possible then it is called human interactive method of collecting the data. Both the
respondent and the data collector they can interact with each other to make the things
clear.
 Direct: Collect data seat with face to face.
 Indirect: Collect data over the phone.
2. Non-interactive:
No interaction between the respondent and the data collector but the data collector get
the data from the respondent is called non-interactive method of data collection.
 Through Print Media: Collecting data by asking question through newspaper.
 Through Electric Media: Collecting data by asking question through TV, Internet.