Post-Graduate Diploma in Management-FT

(PGDM- FT)

Area: Marketing

Course Title – Business Research Method

Course Faculty: Dr. Abhigyan Sarkar; Dr. Bikramjit Rishi; Dr. Juhi Gahlot Sarkar; Dr.
Ram Mohan Dhara; Prof. Sumit Majhi.

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Course Description:
Managers in Business use information to make managerial decisions; they are the person in the
organization responsible for knowing what information must be obtained, how to get it, and how to draw
conclusions from it. For most Business managers, available information is frequently inadequate, and
must be supplemented with systematic Business research. Therefore, the focus of this course is on
primary research than either on secondary research or using existing data available through automated
devices.

This course quips you with a broad understanding of research methods, techniques and issues and their
application to Business problems. The course aims to develop a critical understanding of the value of the
research endeavor and thereby help the management to build Business knowledge and theory that
generates new questions as well as help in providing answers to existing problems.

The course shall also immensely help you in completing your summer internship project by equipping
you with the mindset that calls for scientific research based answers to problems posed before Business,
than using decisions based on gut feel.

After successful completion of the course, you should be able to develop a project using the research
methods learnt in the course.

Learning Objectives:
i. Appreciate the role of research in the business activities
ii. Identify the real problem, and develop research questions
iii. Identify the information needed to reach to expected decision
iv. Decide on the appropriate data collection method
v. Perform a variety of practical skills that are needed to carry out Business research
vi. Critically evaluate data sets, and employ appropriate statistical analysis
vii. Present key research findings

The last three outcomes are not intended to be developed from scratch in the course but it is
expected that you shall use your learning from courses like ‘Business Statistics’ and ‘Business
Management’ etc. that shall get refined in the process of critical evaluation and feedback by
instructors and peers in the way of your coming out with project submission and final
presentation.
To conclude, the intended learning outcome is: to make students intelligent consumer and
producer of the Business research.

Pedagogy:
The pedagogy will be a mix of lectures, critique of readings/articles, case discussion,
assignments and field/library based research projects. The course uses cases as the means to
drive the contextual suitability of research methods; and assignments/ projects as primary vehicle
for reinforcing learning by doing. Besides the readings in the course pack, additional reading
material will be distributed in the class from time to time.

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Course Requirements:

i. Prerequisite to this course is the learning derived from ‘Business Statistics’ and
‘Business Management’ courses.

ii. Since much of the course material requires class discussion, it is important that you are
prepared for the class and present and defend your ideas. Preparation for class includes
having read the assigned material.

iii. We will use a number of cases in this course. Cases are a great educational experience
but they absolutely require that you be ready for the class. When cases are assigned, you
should come to class ready to discuss the issues of the case.

For each case, you should:

a. Identify the major problem,
b. Give your recommendation to resolve this problem (both short and long term), and
when appropriate
c. Provide supporting analysis (both qualitative and quantitative) for your
recommendations.
d. Answer other questions provided for each case

iv. The class will be divided into a number of groups and each group will have 4-5 students.
For all cases, each group will submit case analysis report and power point presentation
one day before scheduled class.

v. There will be several home assignments assigned throughout the Term. Late homework
will not be accepted and there will be no make-up quizzes.

vi. Each group is expected to take up a live problem related to Business. You are expected
to solve the problem based on tools and techniques discussed in the class and submit your
report. Each group will be required to give a presentation.

vii. Evaluation for this assignment will be done based on individual as well as group
performance.

viii. Class participation will be based on the value you add to the class through your creating
learning environment in class by raising intelligent questions, relevant statements on
questions raised by others, and maintaining class decorum.

Throughout the course, consistency would be given credit over quality alone, and quality would
be given credit over quantity. Therefore, a student who makes quality contribution many times
would score higher than one who contributes only occasionally. And the one who either does not
practice class decorum, or whose numerous contributions are of no quality, would fetch negative
marks in class participation.

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Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on the basis of case analysis, project, assignments, class participation,
mid-term and end-term exam. The weightages given to each of these units is listed below:
Course Evaluation
• Class Participation 10%
• End Term Exam 40%
• Individual AOL assignment 10%
(Intended subject learning outcome to be assessed (Main Goal – 1, Sub Goal 1.1)
• Group Assignments 10%
• Group Project Report submission 20%
• Group Project presentation 10%

Specific Assessment Method Weight Intended Objectives to be Assessed

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Class Participation 10% √ √ √ √ √ √ √
Group Project 20% √ √ √ √ √ √
Individual AOL assignment* 10% √ √ √
Group Assignments 10% √ √ √ √
Project Presentation 10% √ √ √ √ √ √ √
End Term Examination 40% √ √ √ √ √ √
*AACSB AOL-Sub Goal (1.1) to be assessed in the course: “demonstrate technical and analytical capabilities”.
Assessment will happen after Session 9&10.

Group Project

The group project will be an important learning tool of the course. It is essentially an application
of the classroom learning. The project shall be assigned by the faculty at the end of session 1 or
2. The project, will be a field study, will require some deep thinking by the students that how the
concepts taught in the class could be applied to the field.

Recommended Text Book

Business Research Methods: A South Asian perspective – by William G. Zikmund et al., Latest edition,
Cengage Learning.

Other Reference Books

• Business Research: Text and Cases
Rajendra Nargunkar, Third Edition,
Tata McGraw-Hill.
• Business Research: An Applied Orientation, Naresh K Malhotra & Satyabhusan Dash, 7th edition,
Pearson
• The Least You Should Know about English.
Wilson, Paige & Glazier, Teresa Ferster, 8th edition, 2003.
(This book is very helpful for any who does not have a very strong mastery of written English)
• Mastering APA Style, Student’s Workbook and Training Guide.

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 Gelfand, Harold; and Walker, Charles J.,
The American Psychological Association, 2001.
• Asking The Right Questions.
Brown, M. Neil & Keeley, Stuart, 6th edition, 2001.
• Management Consulting: A Guide for Students
David Biggs, University of Gloucestershire; Cengage Learning, 2010. 409 pp.
• Business Research Methods,
Cooper and Schindler, 9th edition,
Tata McGraw Hill
• Research Methods for Business Students, 3e,
Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis, and Adrian Thornhill,
Pearson Education Indian Edition, 2009
• Research methods and statistics: a critical thinking approach.
Sherry. L. Jackson,
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2009.
• Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach
Uma Sekran, and Roger Bougie (2010).
NY: Wiley.

Journals
• Journal of Business Research
• Organizational Research Methods
• Journal of Management
• International Journal of Qualitative Methods
• Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research
• Business Research

In addition to above mentioned journals, please keep track of other journals, websites, published a ticles
and papers on Qualitative Research Methods, Quantitative Research Methods, Case Research, Business
Research, and Research Methods in general.

Relevant Websites

• www.quirks.com
• http://zoomrang.com
• http://surveymonkey.com
• http://www.surveysampling.com/
• http://www.surveyanalytics.com/resources/index.html
• http://spss.co.in
• http://www.yourvoice.co.in
• http://www.indiaspeaks.net

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 Course Outline: Session/Module/Reading Material
SESSION TOPIC READING MATERIAL / REFERENCE
NO. CASE
1 Business Research: Article: Hair, J. F., Chapters 1 of Text Book, pp.2-
Overview, Need, and Harrison, D., & Risher, J. J. 16.
Value (2018). Marketing research
in the 21st century:
Opportunities and
challenges. Brazilian
Journal of Marketing-
BJMkt, Revista Brasileira
de Marketing–ReMark,
Special Issue, 17, 666-699.

Challenges of Article: Impact of Covid-19 Relevant inputs will be provided

Conducting Business on Research/ market by class instructor
Research during Research by ESOMAR
Black Swan Events
like COVID-19
2 Comparative analysis Relevant inputs will be provided
of Market Research by class instructor
industry scenario in
India versus
developed nations
3 Research Process: Chapters 4 of Text Book, pp.
Various steps of the 52-75
research process and
research
terminologies used
4 Problem Definition: Case Study: Fruitzone India Chapters 2 of Text Book, pp.
Meaning, Limited (A) – Designing the 116-140.
understanding and Research Questions
definition of business
problem encountered

5 Research Designs: Chapters 7 of Text Book, pp.

Exploratory 142-172.
Research Design
including various
Qualitative
Techniques like

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 FGD, grounded
theory, and content
analysis.
In Class Exercise:
FGD on a
given
situation

6 Descriptive Research Chapters 9 & 10 of Text Book,

Design – Survey pp. 200-255.
Research

7 Developing Research Case Study: Shodh –

Proposal – The Market Research for
Importance of Economy Housing
Developing a
Concrete Research
Proposal
8 Measurement – Chapter 13 and 14 of Text Book,
Concepts and issues pp.312-356.

9 Questionnaire Article: Malhotra, N. K., Chapter 15 of Text Book,

Designing - How to Agarwal, J., & Peterson, M. pp.358-411.
design a good (1996). Methodological
questionnaire issues in cross‐cultural
marketing
research. International
marketing review. 13(5), 7-
43.

Case Study: Fruitzone India

Limited (B) – Designing the
Research Questionnaire
(Case Study)

10-11 Sampling issues in Article: Bock, T., & Chapter 16 & 17 of Text Book,
Business research Sergeant, J. (2002). Small pp.414-473.
and field work: sample market
Sampling and its research. International
types Journal of Market
Research, 44(2), 1-7.

12-13 Basic Hypotheses Chapter 21 and 22 of the Text

Testing Techniques: Book, pp.538-587.
Business

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 Applications of t, z,
chi-square &
ANOVA
14-15 Basic Analysis-II: Case Study: CWP – Chapter 23 of Text Book,
Business Creating Consumer Insights pp.590-614
Applications of
Correlation and
Regression

16-17 Contemporary To be delivered by guest faculty. Two guest faculty members

quantitative and are expected to cover quantitative and qualitative techniques
qualitative research separately.
techniques like
projective
techniques,
semiotics,
netnography,
application of
neuroscience and ad
evaluation
18 Communicating Chapter 25 of Text Book,
Research Results: pp.672-692.
Report Writing and
Presentation

19-20 Project presentation & course wrapping up