Bahir Dar University

College of Business & Economics

Department of Management

Business Research Methodology & Quantitative

Analysis
Course syllabus

PhD Program

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Course: Business Research Methodology & Quantitative Analysis

Course Code: PhDMS 62

Credit Hrs. 4
Instructor: Kassa T (PhD, Associate Professor),
Email: ktshager@yahoo.com, Tel : +251911346214
I. Course Description
This course is aimed at equipping the students with tools and techniques of management
research so that the scholar can do research independently on the management subjects.
Objective evaluation of the results by way of technical analysis basing on the empirical
data are discussed and the latest statistical methods are discussed to help the scholars to
do field based research. Mode of presentation of research findings are discussed and the
latest techniques are included to give global appeal to the research papers besides the
normal topics useful to the management research

Course Objectives:
• Comprehend the concept and procedures of scientific research
• Distinguish the basic research philosophical foundations in social science
• Identify researchable problems and develop convincing and attainable proposal
• Select clear design , methods , techniques, and tools to undertake research
• Apply relevant strategy in organizing research documents and citing sources of
information, and
• Demonstrate professional skills in conducting research in general and operations
research in particular
• Develop professional research report writing skills and techniques

II. Contents
Unit 1: Introduction to Research Methodology
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Research and research philosophies
1.3 Research problem, research questions, objectives and hypothesis
1.4 Literature review: theoretical and empirical

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1.5 Research design: quantitative, qualitative and mixed
1.6 Sampling design: probability and non-probability
1.7 Methods of data collection
1.8 Measurement and scaling techniques
Unit 2: Statistical Techniques in Research
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Data Processing
2.3 Descriptive Statistics
2.3.1 Tables : frequency, cross-tabulation
2.3.2 Graphs: Pie, bar, histogram, Scatter plot
2.3.3 Numerical measures :Measures of Central Tendency; Measures of Dispersion;
measure of association,
2.3.4 Shape of frequency distribution (Skewness and Kurtosis)
2.4 Inferential statistics
2.4.1 Simple Linear and Multiple Linear Regression
2.4.2 Binary, Multinomial and Ordered Logistic Regression
2.4.3 Factor Analysis
2.4.4 Structural equation modeling
Unit 3: Hypothesis Testing
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Forms of hypothesis Testing
3.3 Assumptions
3.4 Parametric tests
3.4.1 Z-test
3.4.2 T- test
3.4.3 ANOVA
3.5 Non-parametric tests
3.5.1 Chi-square test
3.5.2 Median test
3.5.3 Wilcoxon rank test

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3.5.4 Mann Whitney U test
3.5.5 Friedman test
3.5.6 Kruskall Wallis test

Unit 4: Operations Research: application

4.1 Introduction
4.2 Basic Techniques of Operations Research and their managerial applications
4.3 Fundamentals of Stochastic Modeling,
4.4 Applications of econometrics in functional areas of management

UNIT 5: Presentation, Interpretation and Report Writing

5.1 Introduction
5.2 Writing process
5.3 Methods, types and managerial communication tools
5.4 Types, characteristics and contents of Report
5.5 Styles, Citation, Referencing and Documentation
5.6 Precautions in writing research reports.

III. Learning - Teaching & Evaluation Methods

The teaching method employs interactive teaching methods, which involves Lecture,
group work, discussion and learning by doing exercises. Students will be given
opportunities to share their ideas on given problems in relation with the subject matter,
and present their solutions thereof.

IV. Evaluation Methods

The students’ assessment is based on a continuous approach. Students will be given
article review, research proposal writing and presentation, exercises and final exam.
Article review -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------15%
Case Analysis and presentation --------------------------------------------------------------15%
Research proposal writing and presentation-------------------------------------------------30%
Final Examination ------------------------------------------------------------------------------40%
Total ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------100%
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V. References
Suggested Readings:
1. Saunders M, Lewis P and Thornhill A (2009) Research Methods for Business
Students (5th edition), Prentice Hall, London
2. Donald R. Cooper and Pamela S. Schindler, 2012. Business Research Methods, Tata
McGraw Hill, New Delhi
3. Creswell, John W. (2009) Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.
4. Kumar, Ranjit (2011) Research Methodology: a step-by-step guide for beginners
London: SAGE Publication.
5. Velde, Mandy van der, Jansen, Paul and Anderson, Neil, 2004. Guide to management
research methods, Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
6. Kothari, C.R., 2014. Research methodology, New Age International (P) Ltd.,
Publishers, New Delhi.
7. Panneerselvam, R., 2011. Research methodology, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., New
Delhi.
8. Bhattacharyya, Dipak Kumar, 2006. Research methodology, Excel Books, New
Delhi.
9. Naresh K. Malhotra and Satyabhushan Dash, 2011. Marketing Research: An Applied
Orientation, Pearson, New Delhi.
10. Richard I. Levin and David S. Rubin, 2001. Statistics for Management, PHI, New
Delhi

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