Research Methods for

Business
Lecture 1 - Introducing
Business & Management
Research

Dr. Simon Thomas

simon.thomas@southwales.ac.uk

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 Objectives

By the end of this session students should

be able to:
• Define ‘research’
• List the common misconceptions associated
with research
• Outline the characteristics of ‘research’
• Compare academic and business research
• List the stages in the research
process/journey

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 Reading

• Saunders et al (2016) Research

Methods for Business Students
Pearson Chp. 1
• Collis, J. & Hussey, R. (2009) Business
Research: A Practical Guide for
Undergraduate and Postgraduate
Students Palgrave Chp. 1

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 Introduction – What is
Research?
Walliman (2011) points out ways in which the
term research is used wrongly:
1. Just collecting facts or information with no
clear purpose
2. Reassembling and reordering facts or
information without interpretation
3. As an esoteric activity with no or little
relevance to everyday life
4. As a term to get your product or idea
noticed and respected
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 Introduction
Research
Characteristics
There is a general agreement that research has a
number of characteristics;
1. A process of enquiry and investigation (data
are collected/interpreted systematically)
2. Systematic and methodical
3. Increases knowledge – there is a clear
purpose to find things out
Collis and Hussey (2009)
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 Introduction
Research
Definitions
The majority of educational research whether it be
undergraduate, postgraduate or doctorate may be
defined in terms of ‘a review of the existing
knowledge in a particular area with a new slant on
this knowledge’ (Clark et al 1998)
‘Research is a systematic and methodical process of
enquiry and investigation with a view to increasing
knowledge’ (Collis and Hussey 2009)

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 Key Attributes of
Research
Thus we can summarise the typical objectives of
research as:
1. To review and synthesize existing knowledge
2. To investigate some existing situation or problem
3. To provide solutions to a problem
4. To explore and analyse more general issues
5. To construct or create a new procedure or
system
6. To explain a new phenomenon
7. To generate new knowledge
8. A combination of any of the above
Collis and Hussey (2009)

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 Classifying the
Research
Research can be classified according to:
1. Purpose – the reason why it was
conducted
2. Process – the way in which data were
collected and analysed
3. Logic – whether the research logic
moves from the general to the specific or
vice versa
4. Outcome – whether the expected
outcome is the solution to a particular
problem or a more general contribution
to knowledge © University of South Wales
The Research Process

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 Types of Research
Inductive & Deductive
Compare theory

Theory Develop theory

Hypothesis Look for patterns

Data collection Form Categories

Findings Ask Questions

Gather
Hypotheses confirmed or rejected information

Revision of theory

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 Business Research

Easterby-Smith et al (2002) argue that three

significant factors combine to make
business a distinctive focus for research:
1. The way in which managers and
researchers draw on knowledge
developed by other disciplines;
2. The fact that managers tend to be
powerful and busy people. Therefore,
they are unlikely to allow research
access unless they can see a personal
or commercial advantage;

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 Business Research

3. The requirement for the research to

have some practical consequence. This
means it either needs to contain the
potential for taking some form of action
or needs to take account of the practical
consequences of the findings
• Do these factors suggest that business
research is only concerned with
addressing business issues and
practical managerial problems?
• Is there a place in business for
knowledge advancement?

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 Business Research / v.
Academic Research
Saunders et al (2016) suggest that all business
research can be placed on a continuum according to
both purpose and context
• At one extreme research is undertaken purely to
understand the process of business. Such
research is undertaken largely in universities - the
key audience is of an academic nature - often
called pure research
• At the other end of the continuum is research that
is of direct and immediate relevance to managers,
addresses issues that they see as important, and
is presented in ways which they can understand
and act on - often called applied research

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 Academic and Business Research
Basic/Pure
Purpose
• Expand knowledge of processes of
business
• Results in universal principles relating
to the process and its relationship to
outcomes
• Findings of significance and value to
society in general
Context
• Undertaken by people in universities
• Choice of topic and objectives
determined by the researcher
• Flexible timescales
Applied/Business
Purpose
• Improve understanding of particular
business or management problem
• Results in solution to problem
• New knowledge limited to problem
• Findings of practical relevance and value
to manager(s) in organisation(s)
Context
• Undertaken by people based in a variety of
settings including organisations and
universities
• Objectives negotiated with originator
• Tight timescales
 Conclusions

• Research can be clearly defined as systematic,

methodical and contributing to knowledge
• There are obvious similarities between business
and academic research
• Research has key characteristics which help us to
better understand it’s nature and purpose
• Research can be inductive or deductive

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