RESEARCH DESIGN

Conceptualization

Conceptualization involves three tasks:

Ø identifying the concepts/variables for your research.

Ø specifying relationships and hypotheses.
Ø preparing a diagram (conceptual model) that
visually represents the theoretical basis of the
relationships you will examine.

(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)

 Theoretical/conceptual framework

A theoretical framework represents your beliefs

on how certain phenomena (concepts/variables)
are related to each other (a model) and an
explanation of why you believe that these
variables are associated with each other (a theory).
(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)

A conceptual model is a general diagram that

shows how variables and constructs are related to
each other. It is based on observations and logic
that display the hypotheses to be tested.
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)
 Theoretical framework

The process of building a theoretical framework

includes:
1. Introducing definitions of the concepts or
variables in your model.
2. Developing a conceptual model that provides a
descriptive representation of your theory.
3. Coming up with a theory that provides an
explanation for relationships between the variables
in your model.

(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)
 Variables

A variable is anything that can take on differing or

varying values. The values can differ at various
times for the same object or person, or at the same
time for different objects or persons.

(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)
 Types of variables

Ø Dependent variable
Ø Independent variable
Ø Moderating variable
Ø Mediating variable
Independent variable & Dependent variable

To establish that a change in the independent

variable causes a change in the dependent variable,
all four of the following conditions should be met:

1. The independent and the dependent variable

should covary: in other words, a change in the
dependent variable should be associated with a
change in the independent variable.

(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)
 Independent variable & Dependent variable

2. The independent variable (the presumed causal

factor) should precede the dependent variable. In other
words, there must be a time sequence in which the two
occur: the cause must occur before the effect.
3. No other factor should be a possible cause of the
change in the dependent variable. Hence, the researcher
should control for the effects of other variables.
4. A logical explanation (a theory) is needed and it
must explain why the independent variable affects the
dependent variable.
(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)
 Moderating variable

The moderating variable is one that has a strong

contingent effect on the independent
variable–dependent variable relationship. That is,
the presence of a third variable (the moderating
variable) modifies the original relationship between
the independent and the dependent variables.

(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)
 Moderating variable

(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)
(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016, p.78)
 Mediating variable

(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)
 Moderating & Mediating variable

(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)
 Types of variable

(Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 8th edition, 2019, p.191)
 Hypothesis

A hypothesis can be defined as a tentative, yet

testable, statement, which predicts what you expect
to find in your empirical data.
(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)

...a hypothesis is an unproven supposition or

proposition that tentatively explains certain facts or
phenomena. A hypothesis may also be thought of
as an assumption about the nature of a particular
situation.
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research
( Methods, 2020)
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)
 Literature
review,
theoretical
framework,
and
hypothesis
development
(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016, p.89)
 Research design

A research design is a blueprint or plan for the

collection, measurement, and analysis of data,
created to answer your research questions.
(Sekaran & Bougie, Research Methods for Business, 7th edition, 2016)

A research design provides the basic directions or

“recipe” for carrying out the project.
... the researcher should choose a design that will:
Ø provide relevant information on the research
questions and hypotheses.
Ø complete the job the most efficiently.
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)
 Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches

... “quantitative” is often used as a synonym for any

data collection technique (such as a questionnaire) or
data analysis procedure (such as graphs or statistics)
that generates or uses numerical data.

... “qualitative” is often used as a synonym for any

data collection technique (such as an interview) or
data analysis procedure (such as categorising data)
that generates or uses non-numerical data.

(Saunders et al., Research Methods for Business Students, 8th edition, 2019)
Quantitative & Qualitative Approaches

(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)

 Exploratory research

An exploratory research project is useful when the

research questions are vague or when little theory is
available to guide the development of hypotheses.
... an exploratory design is appropriate when the
researcher knows little about a problem or
o p p o r t u n i t y. I t i s m e a n t t o d i s c o v e r n e w
relationships, patterns, themes, ideas,...it is not
intended to test specific research hypotheses.
Exploratory research is particularly useful in highly
innovative industries.
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)
Exploratory designs using
qualitative approaches

(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)

 Descriptive research

Descriptive research is designed to obtain data that

describes the characteristics of the topic of interest in
the research.
Descriptive research designs are usually structured
and are specifically designed to measure the
characteristics described in the research questions.
...in descriptive studies, data collection usually
involves some type of structured process, either
observation of data or interviews with structured
questions.
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)
 Causal research

Causal research tests whether one event causes

another.

Conditions in testing cause-and-effect relationships:

Ø Time sequence: The cause must occur before the

effect.
Ø Covariance: A change in the cause is associated
with a change in the effect. In other words, the
two variables are related to each other.
 Causal research

Ø Nonspurious association: The relationship is true

and not due to something else that just happens to
affect both the cause and effect. This requires that
other potential causes be controlled or eliminated.

Ø Theoretical support: A logical explanation exists

for why the cause-andeffect relationship exists.

(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)

(Schindler, Business Research Methods, 13th edition, 2019)
(Schindler, Business Research Methods, 13th edition, 2019)
(Hair, J. F., Essentials of Business Research Methods, 2020)