Chapter 1

Slide 1.
Purpose of the course

To help you undertake research by being
• Clear about what you are doing
• Why you are doing it
• The associated implications of what you are about

to do
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.2
Chapter 1
The nature of business and management
research
Slide 1.3
Introduction to the research process
Things to consider
• Realities and pitfalls of research
• Approaches, strategies and methods
• Techniques and procedures for data collection and

analysis
• Appropriate use of information technology
Slide 1.4
Terminology
Methods -
The techniques and procedures used to obtain data
Methodology -
The theory of how research should be undertaken
Saunders et al. (2009)
Slide 1.5
Some ways in which the term

“research” is used wrongly
• Just collecting facts or information with no
clear purpose;
• Reassembling and reordering facts or
information without interpretation
• As a term to get your product or idea
noticed and respected.
Slide 1.6
Research definition
• Like any other term of social science there is no
agreement in the literature on how research should
be defined. It means different things to different
people. Nevertheless, from the many different
definitions presented, there appears to be
agreement that:
• Research is a process of enquiry and investigation.
• It is systematic and methodical.process.
• Research enhances knowledge (Hussey and
Hussey, 1997).
Slide 1.7
Research definition
• Maylor and Blackman, (2005, p. 5) define research as, ‘A
systematic process that includes defining, designing, doing
and describing an investigation into a research problem.’
Having said that research subsequently includes the
process of inquiry, investigation, examination and
experimentation. These processes have to be carried out
systematically, diligently, critically, objectively and
logically. The expected end results would be to discover
new facts that will help to deal with the problem situation
Slide 1.8
Research definition
• A definition for research from the Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of English
(Hornby, 1995) is broadly stated as ‘a
careful study or investigation, especially in
order to discover new facts or information.’
It is evident that all the previous definitions
agree with what has been clarified by
Hussey and Hussey above
Slide 1.9
Research purpose
• The specific aims of most research usually depends on what is being
investigated. Nevertheless, generally speaking, the purpose of research
can be summarised as follows (Hussey and Hussey,1997)
• To review and synthesise existing knowledge
• To investigate some existing situation or problem
• To provide a solution to a given dilemma or problem
• To discover and analyse more general issues
• To generate a new system
• To explain a new phenomenon
• To create a new knowledge
• A combination of any of the above.
Slide 1.10
The nature of research

Definition:
‘Something that people undertake in order to find things out

in a systematic way, thereby increasing their knowledge’
Characteristics:
• Data are collected systematically

• Data are interpreted systematically
• There is a clear purpose to find things out
Slide 1.11
What does it suggest “systemically” and to

“to find out things”
• “Systematic” suggests that research is based

on logical relationships and not just beliefs.
• “To find out things” suggests there are a
multiplicity of possible purposes of your
research.
• These may include describing, explaining,
understanding, criticizing, and analyzing.
Slide 1.12
Features of business and management

research (1)
• Managers draw on knowledge from other disciplines
• Managers are more likely to allow access if they see

commercial or personal advantage
• Managers now tend to be as educated as the researchers
• Managers require research to have some practical

consequence
Easterby-Smith et al. (2008)
Slide 1.13
Definition of research in
Business and management
• Sekran (2003) defined research in business
as an organized, systematic, data-based,
critical, objective, scientific inquiry, or
investigation into a specific problem,
undertaken with the purpose of finding
answers or solutions to it
Slide 1.14
Definition of research in
Business and management
• Saunders et al defined business and
management research as undertaking
systematic research to find out things about
management and business.
Slide 1.15

research (1)
Key debates
• Knowledge production –
(Modes 1, 2 and 3 knowledge)
• The ‘relevance gap’
• ‘Evidence based’ management
• Basic and applied research
Slide 1.16
Mode one
Mode one knowledge creation emphasizes
research in which the questions are set and
solved by the academic interests,
emphasizing a fundamental rather than
applied nature, where there is little if any
focus on utilization of the research by
practitioners.
Slide 1.17
Mode two
• Mode two emphasizes a context for research
governed by the world of practice, highlights of
collaboration both with and between practitioners.
• Based upon this it has been argued that research
within the mode two offers a way of bringing the
supply side of knowledge represented by
universities together with the demand sides
represented by the business.
Slide 1.18
Mode three
• Knowledge production focuses on apperception of the
human condition as it might become its purpose being to
‘assure survival and promote the common good at various
levels of social aggregation’.
• This emphasizes the importance of broader issues of
human relevance of research.
• Consequently, in addition to research that satisfies your
intellectual curiosity for its own sake, the findings of
business and management research might also contain
practical implications, and these findings may have
societal consequences far broader and complex than
perhaps envisaged by mode 2.
Slide 1.19
Relevance gap
• Draw attention to concerns resulting from the separation of
knowledge producers from knowledge users.
• This had the effect of introducing a schism or what call the
‘relevance gap’ which they argue, has become more
marked over recent years, more encouragingly, academic
management research can be seen as a design science.
• Its mission being to develop valid knowledge to support
thoughtful, designing practitioners.
• From the design science perspective the main purpose of a
cadmic research is to develop valid knowledge to support
organizational problem solving in the field.
Slide 1.20

research (2)
Basic and applied research
Figure 1.1 Basic and applied research

Sources: Easterby-Smith et al. (2008); Hedrick et al. (1993)
Slide 1.21
The research process (1)

Stages of the research process
• Formulating and clarifying a topic
• Reviewing the literature
• Designing the research
• Collecting data
• Analysing data
• Writing up
Based on Figure 1.2: Saunders et al. (2009)
Slide 1.22
Figure 1.2 The research process

Source: © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and
Adrian Thornhill 2018
Slide 1.23

Factors to consider
• The impact of your personal feelings and beliefs
• Access to data
• Time and other resources
• Validity and reliability of the data
• Ethical issues
Slide 1.24
Learning Outcome
Business and management research
• Is transdisciplinary
• Engages with both theory and practice
• Involves undertaking systematic research
• Should be undertaken with rigour
Slide 1.25
Learning Outcome
• Be able to outline the purpose and distinct focus of
management research;
• Be able to place your research project on a basic-applied
research continuum according to its purpose and context;
• Understand the stages you will need to complete (and
revisit)as part of your research process
Slide 1.26
And finally……..
“there is no one best way for

undertaking all research”

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Slide 1.

Purpose of the course

• Clear about what you are doing

• Why you are doing it

• The associated implications of what you are about

Introduction to the research process

• Realities and pitfalls of research

• Approaches, strategies and methods

• Techniques and procedures for data collection and

• Appropriate use of information technology

The techniques and procedures used to obtain data

The theory of how research should be undertaken

Saunders et al. (2009)

Some ways in which the term

The nature of research

‘Something that people undertake in order to find things out

• Data are collected systematically

What does it suggest “systemically” and to

• “Systematic” suggests that research is based

Features of business and management

• Managers are more likely to allow access if they see

• Managers now tend to be as educated as the researchers

• Managers require research to have some practical

Easterby-Smith et al. (2008)

Features of business and management

Features of business and management

Figure 1.1 Basic and applied research

The research process (1)

• Formulating and clarifying a topic

• Reviewing the literature

• Designing the research

The research process (2)

Figure 1.2 The research process

The research process (2)

• The impact of your personal feelings and beliefs

• Time and other resources

• Validity and reliability of the data

Business and management research

“there is no one best way for

Saunders et al. (2009)

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