Business Research Methods Summary

Includes all relevant chapters with pictures for the course Research Methodology for IB, weeks 1 to 7

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Research Methodology for IB
Summary of all chapters and lectures
EBP662C05.2019-2020.2B
Overall knowledge and skills required for the exam:
Chapter 7
Secondary data: Already existing data
Primary data: Collected data for a current study is called
➔ Other data than that = secondary data
Two alternatives to gather primary data:
➔ Observe conditions and behaviours (observation approach)
➔ Communicate with people about various topics (Communication approach)
Observation method
➔ Advantages:
o Only method capable of obtaining info from subjects that cannot articulate
themselves
o Collect original data
o Secure info that most of participants would ignore
o Can capture the whole event
o Participants accept observational intrusion better than they response to
questioning
➔ Limitations:
o Observer must be at the scene
o Observation is a slow and expensive process
o Restricted info
o Research environment is not suited for control (mostly)
o Method reactivity bias (= occurs if respondents change their behaviour
because they know they are observed)
o Observation is limited
➔ Structured observations: Attempts to systematically record behaviour along
predefined aspects
➔ Direct observation: Occurs when the observer is physically present and personally
monitors what takes place, is very flexible and allows the observer to react and act
➔ Indirect observation: Occurs when recording is done mechanical, photographic,
electronic, etc.
o Less flexible but also much less biasing and less erratic in terms of accuracy
➔ Concealment: Used to protect observer from the object
➔ Behavioural observations:
o Non-verbal analysis (= most prevalent, includes body movement, motor
expression, unchanged glances)
o Linguistic analysis (= study of students or sales presentation content)
o Extra linguistic analysis (= vocal, loudness, timbre, temporal, rate of
speaking, etc.)
o Spatial analysis (= how people organize territory for instance, etc.)
➔ Non behavioural observations:
o Record analysis (= form of structured observation, sound recorded, written,
photographed, etc)
o Physical condition analysis (= store audits of merchandise availability, etc)
o Physical process analysis (= flows in office, financial flows, etc.)
➔ Factual observations: Direct descriptions of what is happening and what can be seen
➔ Inferential observations: Translates in what is seen as a concept that cannot be
observed
➔ Unobtrusive measure: Encourage creative and imaginative firms of indirect
observations, archival searches, and variations on simple and contrived observations
➔ Physical traces:
1. Erosion (= measure of wear)
2. Accretion (=measure of deposit, also natural) Communication approach: Researcher asks questions either personally or indirectly through
web surveys
➔ Involves surveying people and recording their responses
➔ Versatility of uses
➔ Abstract info can be gathered
➔ Surveying is more efficient and economical than observations (age, income,
immediate family situations are appropriate survey topics)
➔ Major weakness:
o Quality and quantity of the information depends heavily on the ability and
willingness of participants to cooperate When collecting quantitative data
➔ Researcher determines data collection approach by identifying what information is
needed and what the desired data type is (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio)
Factors influencing participation decrease:
- Pressure of competing activities (competing studies)
- Embarrassment at ignorance of interview topic
- Dislike of the interview content or topic
- Fear of consequences
Factors influencing participation increase:
- Prestige of research sponsor
- Perceived importance of the topic
- Liking or compassion for interviewer
- Self-image
- Loneliness
- Confirmation of self-importance
3 broad requirements for a successful survey:
1. Participant must possess the information being targeted
2. Participant must understand his or her role in the interview
3. Participant must perceive adequate motivation to cooperate
How to establish a relationship with the intervene:
1. Participant must believe that the participation will be pleasant and satisfying
2. Participant must believe that answering the survey is important and worthwhile
3. Participant must dismiss any mental reservation that he or she might have about the
participation
➔ An incredibly good first impression is important to start the interview
➔ Interviewee should identify themselves with company or agency
➔ Display friendly intentions
➔ Revealing the purpose of the study
A successful interview is based on a relationship of confidence and understanding between
the two persons!!!
Non-response error: Occurs when the desired respondents are inaccessible/unreachable
➔ Happens if the researcher cannot locate the person to be studied/ unsuccessful in
encouraging person to participate
➔ Solutions:
o Establishing and implementing call back procedures (most reliable)
o Creating a non-response sample and weighting result from the sample (can be
good)
o Substituting another individual or the missing participant (dangerous)
Personal interviews: People selected to be part of the sample are interviewed in person by
trained interviewer (typically stranger to stranger)
➔ Absence of assistant can be improved by adding one
➔ Interviewer have more control over the situation
➔ Most expensive and take the most time
➔ Most appropriate if extensive info is needed
Telephone interviews: People selected to be part of the sample are interviewed on the
telephone by trained interviewer
➔ Moderate in costs and the quickest option (computer assisted telephone interviewing
(CATI))
➔ Disadvantages:
o Inaccessible households
o Inaccurate or non-functioning members
o Limitations of interview length (costs)
o Limitations on use of visual or complex questions
o Ease of interview termination
o Less participant involvement
o Distracting physical environment
➔ Random dialling: Generate random numbers to call and to survey
➔ Compute administrated telephone survey: There is no interviewer
o Non-contact rate
Self-administrated survey: Questionnaire (mailed, faxed, couriered, via paper in a central
location
➔ Evaluating a hotel or a car dealership
➔ Cost less than personal interviews, but time of info gathered is great
➔ Can access and question people who might be inaccessible otherwise
➔ People that are being questioned can postpone their answers which is another
advantage of that system
➔ Are more impersonal and provide greater anonymity
➔ Disadvantages:
o Limitation of info gathered
o Non-response error
o However, follow ups are efficient in increasing the response rates
Web-based survey: E-mailed or accessible on website, pop up window on computer screen
➔ If data must be collected very quickly, e-mail is not so appropriate
➔ Internet surveying least expensive and information fast and most rapid data
➔ Methods for mail survey:
o Questionnaire length (keep the questionnaire as short as possible)