MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

RESEARCH
A P P RO A C H E S
Sessi on 2, 4 t h Januar y 2023

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

• Research & Decision-Making

Learning • Scientific Approach

• Research Philosophy
Objectives • Alternate approaches
• Problem definition

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Research Definition
Multiplicity of possible
purposes for the research
Research: that people undertake in order to find out things in a
systematic way for pertinent information/ knowledge/ solution.
Logical relationship

Problem Solving Right

Problems Business Research Decision

Business Research: a systematic and organized effort to investigate a

specific problem encountered in work setting that needs a solution.

Business and Management Research Research-Practice Gap

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha
MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Critical Decision Making

Research – organized, systematic, critical, data based, objective inquiry

into specific problem
Effective Problem Solving
Scientific Research !! Hallmarks of Scientific Research
1. Purposiveness
2. Rigor
3. Testability
4. Replicability
5. Precision and confidence
6. Objectivity
7. Generalizability
8. Parsimony
Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha
MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Hypothetico-Deductive Method
Scientific Method
General
Specific

Source: Lee and Lings, 2008

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha
MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Research Philosophy
Ontology
“nature of real world or what really exist?”
• Apple always falls downward

Epistemology Ontology
“what can be known about real world? With my
beliefs from theoretical world”
• Earth is pulling the apple?
Epistemology
• Aether is pressing the apple towards earth?
• As a function of earth’s mass , in space-time fabric
there is a curvature and that causes apple being
gravitated?

Axiology
Axiology
“aims of my research or what do we value?”
• Role of matter in gravity
• Role of aether in gravity etc Methodology
Methodology
“how the aim of the research gets addressed?”
• Measurement of apple’s falling rate?
Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha
MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Objectivism/
Realism
Positivism

Quantitative

Rationalism
Critical realism,
Pragmatism
Empiricism

Subjectivism/
Qualitative

Relativism
Interpretivism/
Constructionism
Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha
MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Research
Onion

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

A pragmatic
approach to research

• A pragmatic approach is often used

to help the researcher to produce
useful knowledge that informs
thinking, decision making, and/or
actions of managers.
• From a pragmatic perspective, the
research effort is closely related to
the type of problem that has
triggered the research process.

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

The Research Process

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland

Alice asks the Cheshire Cat

‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here?’
‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to’, said the Cat.
‘I don’t much care where’, said Alice.
‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you walk’, said the Cat.

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

Source: Carroll, 1989, p.63-64
MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Problem Definition

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Desired State

Gap? Vague Problem

Actual State

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

Problem definition
• Desired state (the management objective): The undesirable turnover
of personnel who have been in service for less than a year should
be less than 5% for any organisaton.
• Actual state: The undesirable turnover of personnel who have been
in service for less than a year is on average 18% over the past three
calendar years.
• Why this is problematic (the motive to change the existing
situation): The high turnover rate among employees who have been
working for the organization for less than a year leads to
dissatisfaction, demotivation and dropping out of colleagues who
have chosen not to leave, to frustration with regard to supporting
inexperienced and inefficient recruits, to extra management time
needed to deal with the negative consequences of turnover, and to
high recruitment costs.
• Gap: Hence, the organization must reduce the undesirable turnover
of personnel.
MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

Problem Definition
Management Confused? Empirical Evidences – Secondary data, Literature
decision Experts – Interviews, Focus group discussion
problem Problem / Symptom Exposure - Observation

Cause-Effect Mapping

Research
“WHY”
Problem

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

• To understand the research philosophy and

approaches
Takeaways • To defining the research problem – “A problem well
stated is half solved”

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha

MBM023 Business Research Methods | MBA08

End of Session 2
Session 3, 9th Jan 2023
Topic – Theoretical Framework
Case – Shodh: Market research for economy housing (A)

Dr Aswathy Asokan Ajitha