Why Conduct Research

(General)?
1. Create and build new knowledge in a field of
study or a discipline (e.g. HRM problems
during Mergers & Acquisitions)
2. Expand the current frontiers of knowledge in a
given discipline (e.g. Game Theory)
3. Gain insights into issues of concern about a
real-life occurrence or actual problem (e.g.
Performance Measurement of Non-Executive
Directors)
4. Investigate an unresolved problem or find a
solution to an unanswered question (e.g. The
Negative Impact of Bribery on Business) 1
Lesson 1
 Why Conduct Research
(as an MBA student)?
1. To graduate from the University MBA or
Bachelor Degree (Management) Programme!!!
2. To score an MBA or Degree (Distinction) grade
3. To have an area of specialisation or field of
expertise (e.g. Marketing or Finance)
4. To prepare for a research career (e.g. as a
Market Analyst or a Market Researcher)
5. To be equipped with business research and
report-writing skills that are sought after by
employers (e.g. generic managerial skills)
6. To prepare for Graduate Studies (e.g. Doctoral
Research such as PhD studies) 2
Lesson 1
 What is Business & Management
Research?
Business
Business &
&
Management
Management
Research
Research

Research
Research
Topic
Topic
Research
Research
Content
Content
Research
Research
Findings
Findings
3
Lesson 1
 Which Approach to Use?
Graduate
Research

Model- Multi-
Building Disciplinary
Approach Approach
Advanced
Research

Alternate- Inter-disciplinary
Feasibility Study
Solution
Comparative Study of
Approach
Management Models
4
Lesson 1
 The Research Process
The Research Process consists of five
main stages - not always completely linear
and often iterative in nature
STAGE 1: INTRODUCTION
STAGE 2: LITERATURE REVIEW
STAGE 3: METHODOLOGY
STAGE 4: ANALYSIS
STAGE 5: CONCLUSION
5
Lesson 1
 Types of Business Research

Research types

Exploratory research Descriptive research Causal research

Experimental

6
Lesson 1
 Types of Business Research
 Exploratory Research
1. Case Study
2. Pilot Study

 Conclusive Research
3. Descriptive Study
4. Causal Study
7
Lesson 1
 Types of Business Research

Number of Subjects under

Exploratory Research Few

- Case Study

study
- Pilot Study
Conclusive Research
- Descriptive Study
- Causal Study Many
8
Lesson 1
 Requirements of Research
Evidence
Evidence ofof
Originality
Originality

Quality
Research

Contribution
Contribution Independent
Independent
to
to Knowledge
Knowledge Critique
Critique

9
Lesson 1
 What is Problem Formulation?

Problem
Problem Problem
Problem Problem
Problem
Identification
Identification Selection
Selection Definition
Definition

Criteria
Criteria for
for
Problem
Problem Selection
Selection

Problem Formulation
10
Lesson 2
 Problem Identification
Look
Look for
for symptoms
symptoms of
of problem
problem

High
High Turnover
Turnover of
of Employee
Employee in
in
XYZ
XYZ Company
Company

11
Lesson 2
 Problem Identification
Consult
Consult experts
experts or
or management
management inin
the
the field
field of
of HRM
HRM for
for possible
possible causes
causes

Possible
Possiblecauses:
causes:
-- Leadership
Leadershipissue
issue
-- Compensation
Compensationsystem
system
-- Team
Teamspirit
spiritproblem
problem
-- Communication
Communicationbetween
betweenfunctional
functionaldepartments
departments
-- Safety
Safetyand
andworking
workingenvironment
environment
-- Performance
Performanceappresail
appresailsystem
system
-- Career
CareerAdancement
Adancement
-- Etc.
Etc. 12
Lesson 2
 Problem Identification
Perform
Perform aa literature
literature search
search for
for
“researchable
“researchable leads”
leads”

The
The Impact
Impact of
of Leadership
Leadership
Styles
Styles on
on Employee
Employee Turnover
Turnover
Rate
Rate

13
Lesson 2
 Problem Identification
Seek
Seek out
out for
for aa “knowledge
“knowledge gap”
gap”

Analysing
Analysing thethe factors
factors of
of
different
different leadership
leadership styles
styles and
and
their
their Effects
Effects on
on Employee
Employee
Turnover
Turnover Level
Level

14
Lesson 2
 Problem Identification
Improve
Improve the
the methodology
methodology of
of an
an
existing
existing research
research study
study

AA Three-Stage
Three-Stage Hierarchical
Hierarchical
Correlation-Based
Correlation-Based Methodology
Methodology for
for
the
the Study
Study of
of the
the factors
factors of
of high
high
Employee
Employee Turnover
Turnover
15
Lesson 2
 Problem Definition
WHY
Overall Purpose
Motivation

Scope
RESEARCH
PROBLEM

Outcome
WHAT
16
Lesson 2
 Problem Specification

I S D

Problem
Problem
Problem
Problem
Formulation
Formulation Specification
Specification

Problem Frame
Frame Develop
Develop
Problem Research Research
Research Research
Refinement
Refinement Questions
Questions Hypotheses
Hypotheses

17
Lesson 2
 Refining a Research Problem
Research
Research
Problem
Problem

Sub-
Sub- Sub-
Sub- Sub-
Sub- Sub-
Sub-
Problem
Problem Problem
Problem Problem
Problem ……... Problem
Problem
11 22 33 nn

Researchable Problems
18
Lesson 2
 Characteristics of
Good Research Questions
One of the most important things that a
researcher does is to ask a question that
is important and that has a chance of
being solved…..Steven Chu, Nobel
Laureate (Physics), 1997
Interesting
Interesting
Characteristics
Characteristics
of
of A
A Good
Good
Novel
Novel Research
Research Relevant
Relevant
Question
Question

Feasible
Feasible Ethical
Ethical 19
Lesson 2
 Framing Research Questions:
Short-listing Steps
Framing
Research
Questions

Group Questions Group Questions Group Questions

By Theme ………… By Type
By Area

Short-listing
Questions
Characteristics
Characteristicsof
of
Research Good
GoodQuestions
Questions
Questions
for Study
20
Lesson 2
 Developing Research Hypotheses:

A Hierarchical Approach

Research
Problem /
Objectives

Research
Questions

Research Hypotheses

21
Lesson 2
 Research Hypotheses:
The Development Process

A Research
Question

Hypothesis
Hypothesis Hypothesis
Hypothesis Hypothesis
Hypothesis Hypothesis
Hypothesis
11 22 33 ….. nn

Empirical
Empirical Testing
Testing
22
Lesson 2
 Goals of a Literature Review
Establish
Establish Integrate
Integrate
Credibility
Credibility Knowledge
Knowledge
To
Todemonstrate
demonstrateaa To
Tointegrate
integrateand
and
familiarity
familiaritywith
withthe
the summarize
summarizethe thestate
stateofof
body
bodyof of knowledge
knowledge prior
priorresearch
research (what
(what isis
relating
relatingto
tothe
the already
alreadyknown
knownin inthe
the
research topic
research topic field
fieldof
of study)
study)

Build
Build Generate
Generate
Linkage
Linkage Opportunities
Opportunities
To
Toshow
showhowhowthe
the To
Tostimulate
stimulatenew
newideas
ideas
current
current research
research about
about the
thebody
bodyof of
study
studyisislinked
linkedto
tothe
the knowledge
knowledgein inrelation
relationto
to
prior
priorresearch
research the
theresearch
researchtopic
topic
23
Lesson 3
 What is a Literature Review?

(Establish Credibility)
Body of
Knowledge
(Generate Opportunities)

Prior
Research
Research Link
Topic (Integrate Knowledge)
(Build Linkage)
24
Lesson 3
 What does a Literature
Review involve?

Search
Search Evaluate
Evaluate

Literature
Present
Present Review Critique
Critique

Integrate
Integrate Synthesise
Synthesise
25
Lesson 3
 Types of References
Co
nf e
ok Books Pa re
Bo ters pe nce
ap rs
Ch
Rep
orts
In ternet
ns

Resourc
ca al

es
t io
b li r n
Pu Jou

Ma
g azi
ne d eo s
s Vi
26
Lesson 3
 Sample References
1. Bennett,H. Gunter, H. & Reid, S. (1996)
Through a glass darkly: images of appraisal.
Journal of Teacher Development, 5 (3)
October, pp. 39-46.

2. Now Voyager (1942) Directed by Irving

Rapper. New York, Warner [Film:35mm].

3. Smith, B. (1999) Learning Styles. London,

Academic Press.
27
Lesson 3
 Parts of the Literature Review
A literature review contains at least three
parts:
1. An introduction;
2. A middle (body); and
3. A conclusion.
Literature
Literature
Review
Review

Introduction
Introduction Body
Body Conclusion
Conclusion
28
Lesson 3
EXAMPLE
Shopping list approach
Davis (2005) found that Internet banking is more efficient than the
Mobil banking in increasing the number of customers.
Smith (2006) argued that Davis had not defined Mobile banking.
Jones (2007) used five well-defined factors that impact on
customers’ satisfaction in his study and found that Internet banking was
the most efficient factor in increasing the number of customers.

Attempt at synthesis
The identification of the factors that impact on increase of the
number of customers is controversial. Although it has been claimed
that Internet banking is more efficient than the Mobile banking in
increasing the number of customers (Davis, 2005), the reliability of this
conclusion has been questioned on the grounds that Mobile banking
has not been clearly defined (Smith, 2006). Evidence from a recent
study by Jones (2007) suggests that Internet banking indeed more
efficient than four other well-defined types of services in increasing the
number of customers. 29
 Authors‘ words are paraphrased

The availability of data is a key factor in determining the

successful outcome of a research project (Collis and
Hussey, 2003).
or
Collis and Hussey (2003) argue that the availability of
data is a key factor in determining the successful outcome
of a research project.

or authors' words are quoted to emphasize authority of

source

'The availability of data is crucial to the successful

outcome of your research' (Collis and Hussey, 2003, p.
116).
 Essential Components of a
Research Methodology
The three components of a Research
Methodology (RM) are:

Dat
r ch C ol a
sea lect
e
R sign io n
De
Method
Analysiof
s
31
Lesson 4
 Essential Components of a
Research Methodology

Research CHAPTER 3
Methodology

Research
Research Data
Data Method
Methodofof
Design
Design Collection
Collection Analysis
Analysis

CHAPTER 4
ANALYSIS
ANALYSIS
32
Lesson 4
 Types of Research Design

ve Qu
t i an
ta d
al i Me titativ
Qu etho tho e

Sur
Me
M d

vey
tho
d
ld Labo
Fi e d rator
ho Meth y
e t od
M
vi ew
er
In ethod
t
M

33
Lesson 4
 Types of Research Design
Interview Field

Z-axis
Qualitative X-axis Quantitative

xis
a
Y-

Laboratory
Lesson 4
Survey 34
 Forms of Research

Research types

Exploratory research Descriptive research

Depth interviews Survey

Qualitative Quantitative
Focus groups Observational

35
Lesson 4
 Qualitative and quantitative research
Qualitative Quantitative
• Much probing • Little probing
• Used for exploratory • Used to obtain
purposes descriptive data
• Small sample • Large sample
• Large data from • Small data from
respondents respondents
• Subjective, interpretive: • Statistical:
– focus groups – surveys
– depth interviews • Formal, inflexible
• Flexible

36
Lesson 4
 Structured and Unstructured Interviews

Interview
Interview
Method
Method

Structured
Structured Unstructured
Unstructured
Interview
Interview Interview
Interview

37
Lesson 4
 Practical Considerations
Availability Allotted
Allotted
Availabilityof
of Time
Timefor
for
Research
Research Research
Research
Resources
Resources Study
Study

Practical
Practical
Considerations
Considerations

Ease
EaseofofData
Data Nature
Natureof
of
Collection
Collectionoror Research
Research
Data
Data Problem
Problemoror
Availability
Availability Topic
Topic
38
Lesson 4
 Differences between Secondary
Data and Primary Data
Secondary Data Primary Data
Original only to the creator Original in nature and
but not the user customized
Has been prepared or Has not been filtered or
designed for a specific condensed or adapted by a
purpose or a particular second party other than the
audience collector
Collectors of secondary Collectors of primary data
data do not enjoy the “same have the freedom to gather
freedom” as collectors of precisely the information (e.g.
primary data content) needed for research
Time and costs involved in Time and costs involved in
collection are lower collection are higher
39
Lesson 5
 Types of Secondary Data
Secondary
Secondary
Data
Data

Documentary
Documentary Multiple-Source
Multiple-Source
Secondary
SecondaryData
Data Secondary
SecondaryData
Data

Survey-Based
Survey-Based
Non- Secondary
SecondaryData
Data Area Time
Non- Area Time
Written
Written Written
Written Based Series
Based Series

Continuous
Continuous Ad-hoc
&&Regular Ad-hoc
Censuses
Censuses Regular Surveys
Surveys
Surveys Surveys

40
Lesson 5
 The Evaluation Process

SECONDARY
DATA

Overall Reliability Cost and

Suitability and Validity Benefits

41
Lesson 5
 42
Lesson 6
 What is a Sample?

Population Sample

43
Lesson 6
 Sampling Units

44
Lesson 6
 What is Sampling?

Population Sample

Sampling

45
Lesson 6
 What is a Sampling Frame?

Sample
Population Sampling Frame

46
Lesson 6 Module: Dissertation
 Types of Sampling
There are two main types of sampling:
(1) Probability Sampling; and
(2) Non-Probability Sampling
Types of
Sampling

Probability
Probability Non-Probability
Non-Probability
Sampling
Sampling Sampling
Sampling
••Random
RandomSampling
Sampling ••Convenience
ConvenienceSampling
Sampling
••Systematic
SystematicSampling
Sampling ••Purposive
PurposiveSampling
Sampling
••Stratified
StratifiedRandom
RandomSampling
Sampling ••Quota
QuotaSampling
Sampling
••Cluster
ClusterSampling
Sampling ••Snowball
SnowballSampling
Sampling
47
Lesson 6
 Random Sampling

n
Sample
Randomization
Population
N Probability of selecting a
sample is 1/N

48
Lesson 6
 Systematic Sampling
M
Sampling Frame
Sample
n

Population

49
Lesson 6
 Stratified Random Sampling
Strata 1

Random
Sample 1
Randomization

Strata 2

Random
Population Randomization
Sample 2

N
Strata 3

Random
Sample 3
Randomization

Sample 50
Lesson 6
 Cluster Sampling: An Example
Sampling Units
Clusters IT Manager 1
IT Manager 2
IT Company 1 randomization
IT Manage 3
IT Company 2
randomization IT Manager 4
IT Company 3
.
Population . .
. .
IT IT Company n .
Managers IT Manager n-1

e.g. IT Companies IT Manager n

e.g. IT Managers

51
Lesson 6
 Convenience Sampling
Convenience (Accidental) Sampling is a non-
probability sampling strategy that uses the
most easily accessible (or available) people
(or subjects) to participate in a study

Population

Sample
Easily Available
or accessible
respondents

52
Lesson 6
 Purposive Sampling
Purposive (Judgmental) Sampling is a a non-
probability sampling strategy in which the
researcher selects participants who are
considered to be typical of the wider population
(sometimes referred to as judgmental sampling)
Population

Selected Sample
based on
researcher’s
judgment of Hand-picks
the purpose
of the study

53
Lesson 6
 Quota Sampling
Quota Sampling is a non-probability sampling
strategy where the researcher identifies the various
strata of a population and ensures that all these
strata are proportionately represented within the
sample to increase its representative-ness.
Population

Sample

54
Lesson 6
 Snowball Sampling
Snowball Sampling is a non-probability
sampling strategy whereby referrals from earlier
participants are used to gather the required
number of participants
Population

Sample 55
Lesson 6
 Summary of Sampling Methods

Sampling
Multi-stage Single-stage

Probability Non-Probability

Stratified Convenience Quota

Random
Random

Systematic Cluster
Purposive Snowball
56
Lesson 6
 Four-Fold Categorisation of
Researcher Roles in Participant
Observation

57
Lesson 7
 Types of Interviews

Types of
Interview

Structured
Structured Semi-Structured
Semi-Structured In-Depth
In-Depth
Interview
Interview Interview
Interview Interview
Interview

58
Lesson 7
 Certainty About Primary Data
Increasing degree of certainty
of primary data items

Structured
Structured Semi-
Semi- In-Depth
In-Depth
Structured
Structured
Interview
Interview Interview Interview
Interview
Interview

Very Unsure
Certain

59
Lesson 7
 Interviewer’s Burden

Least Heaviest

Structured
Structured Semi-
Semi- In-Depth
In-Depth
Structured
Structured
Interview
Interview Interview Interview
Interview
Interview

Escalating burden on
the interviewer

60
Lesson 7
 Forms of Interview Interaction
Interview
Interaction

Helps to increase the

number of subjects
Supplements 61
Lesson 7
 Types of Questionnaire
There are two main types of questionnaire
which are classified by whether they require an
interviewer to administer the data collection
process or not. They are as follows :

Questionnaires
Questionnaires

Self-
Self- Interviewer-
Interviewer-
Administered
Administered Administered
Administered
Questionnaire
Questionnaire Questionnaire
Questionnaire
62
Lesson 8
 Self-Administered Questionnaires
Self-
Self-
Administered
Administered
Questionnaires
Questionnaires

On-line
On-lineor
or Postal Delivery
Delivery&&
Electronic Postal or
orMail
Mail Collection
Electronic Collection
Questionnaire
Questionnaire Questionnaire
Questionnaire Questionnaire
Questionnaire

response rate generally increases

63
Lesson 8
 Interview-Administered
Questionnaires
Interviewer-
Interviewer-
Administered
Administered
Questionnaire

Questionnaires
Questionnaires

Telephone
Telephone Face-to-Face
Face-to-Face
Questionnaire Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Structured
Interview

Telephone
Telephone Face-to-Face
Face-to-Face
Interview
Interview Interview
Interview

64
Lesson 8
 Summary of Questionnaire Types

Telephone Face-to-face
Interview Interview

65
Lesson 8
 Types of Question
 There are two main types of questions that are
used for data collection using questionnaires
(i.e. open and closed questions)

 Most questionnaires consist of a combination

of open and closed questions depending on the
primary data required

Questions
Questions

Open
Open Closed
Closed
Questions
Questions Questions
Questions
66
Lesson 8
 Open Questions
 Open questions allow respondents to give
answers in their own way and therefore no
standardised answer is expected
 Examples:
 What are your favourite hobbies?
 Why do you think consumers are “choosy”?
 List three reasons for visiting the Shopping Mall
 Describe your best holiday in the last two years
 Please list down three things you like most
about your current job. Provide specific
examples of these things about your job to
support your answer.
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3. _______________________________
67
Lesson 8
 List Question (1)
 List questions offer the respondent a list of
responses to choose from. More than one
answer may be selected.

68
Lesson 8
 Category Question (2)
 Category questions are designed so that each
respondent’s answer can fit only one category.
Those that choose more than one category
render the answer invalid

69
Lesson 8
 Ranking Question (3)
 Ranking questions are designed to request the
respondent to place things in a certain rank order
according to some attribute such as “importance”
or “most preferred”

70
Lesson 8
 Scale or Rating Question (4)
 Scale or Rating Questions are used to collect
primary data based on respondents’ opinions
about specific things (e.g. using a Likert scale to
gather data about customer service)

71
Lesson 8
 Quantity Question (5)
 Quantity questions enable responses in the form
of a number (including decimals), which gives
the amount of a characteristic, to be collected as
primary data

72
Lesson 8
 MEAN

Example

Scores of students

Subject 1 2 3 4 5 6

Scores 82 78 80 64 70 64
 THE USE OF MEAN IN FORECASTING

Example

PERIOD 1 2 3 4 5

Series 1. 98 100 98 104 100

Series 2. 140 66 152 58 84

 MODE
Example

Scores of students
Subjects 1 2 3 4 5 6

Scores 82 78 80 64 70 64
Example MEDIAN
Scores of students
Subjects 1 2 3 4 5 6

Scores 82 78 80 64 70 64

Convert it into the size sequence

Scores 64 64 70 78 80 82
77
Example

Data on company sales of automobiles for 6 months:

Months Number of sold
automobiles
1 5
2 8
3 2
4 10
5 2
6 5

Use Monte Carlo simulation with the following random numbers

62, 32, 71, 94, 04, 97

79
Example

Number of The Probability Random numbers Simulated

sold probability interval demand
Month automobiles of demand (number of
automobiles)
1 5 0.16 00 - 15 62 10
2 8 0.25 16 – 40 32 8
3 2 0.06 41 – 46 71 10
4 10 0.31 47 – 77 94 5
5 2 0.06 78 – 83 04 5
6 5 0.16 84 - 99 97 5
Total 32 1.00 43

Monthly simulated demand = 43/6 =7.17 or 7 automobiles

Expected monthly demand= (demand probability)  (Monthly demand)

= 0.16(5) + 0.25(8) + 0.06(2) + 0.31(10) + 0.06((2) + 0.16(5)
= 6.94 or 7 automobiles 80
 Data Types
In research, quantitative data are normally
collected and analysed and they can be
classified into two distinct kinds. The two data
types are as follows:

Data
Data Types
Types

Categorical
Categorical Quantifiable
Quantifiable
Data
Data Data
Data
81
Lesson 9
 Types of Categorical Data
There are two types of categorical data which
are classified according to whether they can be
ranked or not. They are:

Categorical
Categorical
Data
Data

Descriptive
Descriptive Ranked
Ranked
Data
Data Data
Data
82
Lesson 9
 Types of Quantifiable Data
There are two types of quantifiable data
classified according to whether they can be
measured accurately with absolute precision or
as an integral value only. They are:

Quantifiable
Quantifiable
Data
Data

Continuous
Continuous Discrete
Discrete
Data
Data Data
Data
83
Lesson 9
 Summary of Data Types
Data Precision

Categorical Quantifiable

Descriptive Ranked Discrete Continuous

Data Precision increases in this direction

84
Lesson 9
 Characteristics of scale
Scale Characteristic Statistics used

Nominal Numbers to identify and Descriptive statistics

classify

Ordinal Numbers indicate relative Descriptive statistics

position of an object Inferential statistics
Interval Difference between objects Descriptive statistics
Zero point not fixed— Inferential statistics
arbitrary
Ratio Zero point is fixed Descriptive statistics
Inferential statistics

85
Lesson 9 Module: Dissertation
 Importance of scale
Scale Basic operation Central tendency Alternative analysis
methods
Nominal Puts objects into • Mode • Percentage
classes • frequency
• chi-square
Ordinal Indicates Rankings • Median • Multi-dimensional
(non-parametric)
Interval Determines • Arithmetic mean • Correlation
differences in • Variance • Regression
opinions • Factor analysis
• Standard
• Discriminant
deviation analysis
• And many others
Ratio Determines • Harmonic and All of the above
differences in geometric mean
opinions & has a
zero
86
Lesson 9 Module: Dissertation
 Showing Proportions: Bar Chart

87
Lesson 9
 Showing Proportions: Bar Chart

88
Lesson 9
 Showing Proportions: Histogram

89
Lesson 9
 Showing Proportions: Line Chart

90
Lesson 9
 Showing Proportions: Scatter Chart

91
Lesson 9
 Showing Distributions: Pie Chart

92
Lesson 9
 Showing Distributions: Pie Chart

93
Lesson 9
 Showing Comparisons:
Multiple Bar Charts

94
Lesson 9
 Showing Comparisons:
Percentage Component Bar Chart

95
Lesson 9
 Showing Comparisons:
Stacked Bar Chart

96
Lesson 9
 Showing Trends:
Three Variables

97
Lesson 9
 Steps Involved in
Hypothesis Testing
 Hypothesis testing involves three main steps:
 Step 1: Based on types of quantitative data
collected, select the appropriate statistical
method for the test of independence
amongst independent variables and
dependent variables
 Step 2: Select the statistical method(s)
(e.g. association or correlation or prediction)
for hypothesis testing involving relationship(s)
of research variables
 Step 3: Execute the test of relationships
using the appropriate statistical method
98
Lesson 9
 Testing Differences
The choice of statistical tests employed for
testing differences and independence depends
on: (i) data types; and (ii) number of groups.
The following shows some statistical tests
which can be employed for testing differences:
Objective Categorical Data Quantifiable Data
To test whether two Kolmogorov-
groups (categories) are Smirnov or other Independent t-test or
different appropriate paired t-test
statistics (data may
need grouping)
To test whether three or
more groups (categories) N.A. Analysis of Variance
are different (ANOVA)

99
Lesson 9
 Testing Relationships (1)
The choice of statistical tests employed for testing
relationships depends on: (a) data types; (b)
number of variables involved; and (c) type of
relationship to be tested. The following shows
some statistical tests which may be employed:
Objective Categorical
Data
Quantifiable
Data
To test Chi-square test Chi-square test if
whether two (data may need variables are
variables are grouping) grouped into
associated discrete cases
To assess the Spearman’s rank Pearson’s
strength of correlation Product Moment
relationship coefficient (only correlation
between two for ranked data) coefficient
variables
100
Lesson 9
 Testing Relationships (2)
Other statistical tests which can be employed
for testing relationships include:
Categorical Quantifiable
Objective Data Data
To assess the
strength of a
relationship between
one dependent Regression
variable and one or N.A. Coefficient
more independent
variables
To predict the value of
a dependent variable
from one or more Regression
independent variables N.A. Equation
101
Lesson 9
 Types of Qualitative Data

e nt Opinions
m

Ob
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102
Lesson 10
 Aspects of Qualitative Analysis
1. Categorisation – identifying appropriate and
meaningful categories
2. Unitisation – attaching useful and relevant
information to categories
3. Recognising relationships – using the
understanding (or “sense-making”) of
different categories to facilitate the
recognition of testable relationships
4. Proving relationships - testing hypotheses
to reach conclusions about recognised
relationships to solve the research problem
103
Lesson 10
 Categorisation(1)
 The process involves classifying qualitative
data derived from various reliable sources into
“conceptually meaningful” categories

 The identification of appropriate categories is

guided by the purpose of the research topic as
expressed through specific research questions
and hypotheses

 Categories identified should be coherent,

robust, and relevant to the research questions
and research issues at hand
104
Lesson 10
 Categorisation – Example 1
PESTEL Model

105
Lesson 10
 Recognising Relationships - Example 1
Proposing a two-dimensional (2 X 2) Rewards
Model for Effective Employee Motivation in
Reward Management
Transactional (Tangible)
Financial in nature, essential to recruit & retain;
but easily copied by competitors

Pay Benefits
• Base pay • Pensions
• Annual bonuses • Health care
• Long-term incentives • Holidays
• Shares / options • Perks
Individual • Profit sharing • Flexibility Communal

Learning & Development Work Environment

• Workplace learning • Organisation core values
• Training • Leadership
• Performance mgmt • Employee voice
• Career development / • Work-life balance
progression • Job/work design
Non-financial in nature, enhancing the
value of the organisation 106
Lesson 10 Relational (intangible)
 Proving Relationships(4)
 Relationship(s) or pattern(s) of relationships
from qualitative data collected may be proved
“quantitatively” by developing and testing
hypotheses
 Hypotheses developed are “testable
propositions” as they conjecture the presence
of “apparent relationships” between different
categories
 Testing the hypotheses enables one to make
conclusions about the “relationships” between
categories (i.e. prove whether these
relationships are true or false statistically)
107
Lesson 10
 Proving Relationships - Example 1
Objective: To test the various elements (e.g.
Benefits or Learning & Development) in the
Rewards Model for Effective Employee Motivation
Transactional (Tangible)
Financial in nature, essential to recruit & retain;
but easily copied by competitors

Pay Benefits
• Base pay • Pensions
• Annual bonuses • Health care
• Long-term incentives • Holidays
• Shares / options • Perks
Communal
Individual • Profit sharing • Flexibility
Learning & Development Work Environment
• Workplace learning • Organisation core values
• Training • Leadership
• Performance mgmt • Employee voice
• Career development / • Work-life balance
progression • Job/work design
Non-financial in nature, enhancing the
value of the organisation 108
Lesson 10 Relational (intangible)
 Strategies to gain access
1. Ensuring you are familiar with the organisaion
or group before making contact.
2. Allowing yourself sufficient time
3. Using existing contacts and developing new
ones
4. Providing a clear account of the purpose of
your research and the type of access required
5. Overcoming organizational concerns about
granting access

109
Lesson 11
 Strategies to gain access

6. Identifying possible benefits to the

organization of granting you access
7. Using suitable language
8. Facilitating relies when requesting access
9. Developing access incrementally
10.Establishing your credibility

110
Lesson 11
 What is research ethics?
• Ethics is about the rules of conduct that should
be adhered to in every phase of the research
by all participants in it
• It is about:
– right and wrong
– good and bad
– morals
– what is socially acceptable
– trust, confidence, reliability
– truth, honesty
– values and standards
111
Lesson 11
 Questions of ethics
1. There are many opportunities for a researcher
to cut corners during the research process
2. Researchers gather a lot of information about
people and organisations. There is an
obligation to protect this information while
helping their clients
3. Researchers generally operate away from the
client, who has to place a great deal of trust in
them to work as agreed and analyse and
report honestly
4. Respondents provide a lot of information to
strangers and quite rightly expect to be treated
ethically 112
Lesson 11
 Relationships in research

1. Client and researcher

2. Researcher and other researchers
3. Researcher and the general public
4. Client and the general public
5. Researcher and respondents
6. Interviewer and respondent
7. Moderator and focus group

113
Lesson 11
 Significant ethical issues while
completing the research
• Honesty: Present all the results with honesty in all
logical data.
• Objectivity: Try to dodge any biasness in the research
design, data interpretation, letter of authorization in
permitting to use the case study from a particular
organization.
• Integrity: Fulfil all promise that was first promise and
maintain consistency.
• Carefulness: Try to avoid any inaccuracies and
carelessness mistakes.

114
Lesson 11
 Significant ethical issues while
completing the research
• Openness: Be vulnerable in accepting criticism and
new concepts.
• Respect for Intellectual Property: Respect all kinds of
intellectual property like patents and copyrights.
• Confidentiality: Assure all data generated and
answered remain strictly confidential.
• Responsible Publication: Publish work with
responsibility for the research’s future career.

115
Lesson 11
 Significant ethical issues while
completing the research
• Social Responsibility: Avoid or alleviate social attack
through the research analysis.
• Non-Discrimination: Avoid discriminating of the basis
of gender, age, race, size, culture, or other traits
• Competence: Sustain and develop professional
competence and knowledge through reading journals,
education and learning.
• Legality: Comply with all the related rules and
regulation and other legislative policies.

116
Lesson 11
 Obstacles Encountered in Writing
 Writing is difficult (especially if the language
used is not your native tongue)
 Fear of being criticised (e.g. What if my
opinions are wrong? What if my peers or the
research community judge me?)
 Reluctance to commit in writing (e.g. What if
my views are defamatory?)
 Tendency to postpone until all parts of the
research project has been completed (e.g.
writing can be put off to a later date)
 Procrastination, procrastination, procrastination
(e.g. giving excuses to delay writing in favour of
engaging in other activities)
117
Lesson 11
 Getting Started with Writing
 Create time for writing (e.g. allocate two hours
daily for drafting dissertation)
 Have a plan (e.g. schedule specific deadlines for
preparing chapters 1, 2, 3 etc)
 Find a regular writing place (e.g. leverage from
the inspiration provided by familiar surroundings)
 Write only when your mind is fresh (e.g. write at
specific times such as in the morning or at night)
 Set goals and achieve them (e.g. 1-5 pages per
day or one chapter every 1-2 weeks)
 Revise, revise, revise (e.g. proof-reading,
checking references, re-structuring chapters) 118
Lesson 11
 Dos in Writing
 Adhere to a planned schedule of writing up your
chapters (e.g. plan for possible delays in case of
non-adherence to schedule)
 Take ample rest and break periods in between
writing (e.g. watch a movie or play a game or
read a novel)
 Prepare drafts for your supervisor’s review and
make revisions according to his or her
comments (e.g. modify chapters based on your
supervisor’s inputs)
 Be open to constructive criticisms and
incorporate them in your chapters wherever
necessary (e.g. pilot test of on-line
questionnaire and interview questions) 119
Lesson 11
 Don’ts in Writing
 Do not postpone what you can write today to
tomorrow (e.g. fresh research ideas should be
written down immediately)
 Do not allow procrastination in writing to “rule”
your research process (e.g. gather materials
now and delay writing to a future date)
 Do not let a poor grasp of the English Language
to be a hindrance in writing (e.g. get the help of
an English teacher or English Language expert)
 Do not fear peers’ criticism or be reluctant to
commit in written form as it will impede your
writing from progressing (e.g. consult your
classmates and share your research ideas with
friends) 120
Lesson 11
 Developing an Appropriate
Writing Style
 Hallmarks of a Good Writing Style: Clarity,
Simplicity and Directness (e.g. Use simple,
easy-to-understand and plain sentences)
 Use simple English and avoid unnecessary
jargon especially if you are unsure how it
should be used (e.g. If the author is doubtful
about its usage, there is no way that readers
can understand)
 Ensure that the message conveyed in the
Research Report is unambiguous, concise and
understandable (e.g. a logical flow of
arguments and concepts)
121
Lesson 11
 Developing an Appropriate
Writing Style
 Avoid verbosity and “wordiness” in writing
style unless you are an experienced
researcher (e.g. you are the author of several
books or numerous publications)
 Beware of putting a large number of
academic quotations or numerous sentences
from different literature sources together
without first synthesising them (e.g. it may
result in a fragmented writing style)
 Check for correct grammar and spelling
errors (e.g. proof-read the text and get
professional assistance if needed)
122
Lesson 11
 Other Parts of Research Report Example
 Abstract Page ii
 Acknowledgement
 Table of Contents
 List of Figures
 List of Tables
 Glossary of Terms Page xi
1. Introduction Page 1
2. Literature Review
3. Methodology
4. Analysis/Results/Findings
5. Conclusions
 References
 Appendices Page 96
123
Lesson 11
 What are Appendices?
 Materials that are “not essential to know”
in the main text of Research Report
 Details that, if moved to the “appendices”,
improve the “quality”, “logical flow” or
“readability” of the main text
 Examples of Appendixes:
 A copy of mailed questionnaire used
 An interview schedule
 List of interview questions
 A plan of observation activities
 Translated materials
 Complicated diagrams or figures 124
Lesson 11
 Other Parts of Research Report

 Acknowledgement
 Table of Contents
 List of Figures
 List of Tables
 Glossary of Terms
125
Lesson 11
 Table of Contents
Abstract ii
Acknowledgement iii
Table of Content iv
List of Figures ix
List of Tables x
Glossary of Terms xi

Chapter 1 Introduction……………..…...............................................1
1.1 Background………………………………………………….....1
1.1.1 Corporate Strategy…………………………………..1
1.1.2 Challenge of E-Commerce……………………….....2
1.1.3 Evolution of E-Commerce in Singapore………..….2
1.2 Statement of Problem……….…………………………….…..3
1.3 Research Objectives……….………………………………….3
1.4 Research Questions…………………………………………...4
1.5 Scope of Study…………………………………………………5
1.6 Organization of Dissertation…………………………………..6
126
Lesson 11
 List of Figures
Figure 2.1 B2B sales revenue by industry…………………...13
Figure 2.2 B2C sales revenue by industry…………………...14
Figure 2.3 Uses of websites…………………………………...15
Figure 2.4 Types of e-commerce users……………………....16
Figure 2.5 Four components of e-commerce……………......18
Figure 2.6 Traditional placement of e-commerce……….…..23
Figure 3.1 Organization of research questions………….…..39
Figure 3.2 Screenshot of Section B……………………….….43
Figure 4.1 Industry sectors of respondents……………….…54
Figure 4.2 Alignment states of surveyed organizations….…65
Figure 5.1 Corporate Strategy Triangle………………………74
127
Lesson 11
 List of Tables
Table 2.1 Sample quotes on importance of e-commerce………30
Table 3.1 Types of analyses used………………………………...48
Table 4.1 Job titles of survey respondents…………………….....55
Table 4.2 Inter-correlation between uses of e-commerce and
industry sector…………………………………….……..56
Table 4.3 Statistical summary for research question Q2……….58
Table 4.4 Statistical summary for research question Q3……….61
Table 4.5 Statistical summary for research question Q4……….63
Table 5.1 Classification of individual alignment scores…………64
Table 5.2 Inter-correlation between uses of e-commerce and
e-commerce alignment…………………………………72
128
Lesson 11
 Glossary of Terms
AIM Alternative Investment Market
ARDC American Research and Development
Corporation
BES Business Expansion Scheme
BVCA British Venture Capital Association
ERISA Employee Retirement Income Security Act
IPOs Initial Public Offerings
MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MNCs Multinational Corporations
OTC Over the Counter
SBA Small Business Administration
SBIA Small Business Investment Act
SBICs Small Business Investment Companies
SMEs Small and Middle-sized Enterprises
VC Venture Capital
WTO World Trade Organization
129
Lesson 11
 Findings & Analysis
(Tell a Clear Story)
 Step 1: What is the research question?
(Begin with the specific research issue which
needs to be addressed in the thesis /
dissertation)
 Step 2: What is the answer(s) to the research
question? (Explain in a narrative form the
answer to the research question, starting from
broad viewpoints to narrow specifics)
 Step 3: What evidence led the research study
to the answer? (Substantiate the answer to
research questions using the analytical results
of primary data or secondary data)
130
Lesson 11
 There are two basic types of
research design:

• True experiments
• Quasi-experiments

131
 The purpose of both is to examine the cause of certain phenomena.
True experiments, in which all the important factors that might affect
the phenomena of interest are completely controlled, are the
preferred design. Often, however, it is not possible or practical to
control all the key factors, so it becomes necessary to implement a
quasi-experimental research design.

Similarities between true and quasi-experiments:

•Study participants are subjected to some type of treatment or
condition
•Some outcome of interest is measured
•The researchers test whether differences in this outcome are
related to the treatment

132
 Differences between true experiments and
quasi-experiments:

• In a true experiment, participants are randomly assigned to

either the treatment or the control group, whereas they are not
assigned randomly in a quasi-experiment
• In a quasi-experiment, the control and treatment groups differ
not only in terms of the experimental treatment they receive,
but also in other, often unknown or unknowable, ways. Thus,
the researcher must try to statistically control for as many of
these differences as possible
• Because control is lacking in quasi-experiments, there may be
several "rival hypotheses" competing with the experimental
manipulation as explanations for observed results

133
 The final paper is still being finalized, however, I
will try to provide some guidelines as to the
content in consideration.
Students are expected to review
comprehensively the materials covered in the
module pack.
The final Examination Paper consist of 6 questions
and four (4) would be required to be answered.
Hence that is 25 marks for each question.

134
1. The need for problem Formulation and the steps and
process involved with problem formulations should be well
reviewed.

2. The purpose and objectives of having a literature

review should be well read up on.

3. The considerations involved with a literature review that

are necessary to ensure validity and reliability to the
research studies should be well understood.

4. The Essential components that should be incorporated

in the Research Methodology should be examined.
135
5. Conclusive and Exploratory Research studies should
be thoroughly reviewed.

6. There should be a thorough overview of the research

designs and students should be prepared to differentiate
between them.

7. Know and understand the types of sampling and why

sampling is important.

8. Review and able to demonstrate how Stratified

Random Sampling may be more relevant in certain
scenarios. Students should be able to explain why.
136
9. Understand and Review the factors that contribute
toward the quality of the Research study.

10. Why is referencing important in Research Studies?

137
138