Business Research
Problems & Formulation
of Research hypothesis
• It is the first and most crucial step in the
research process
FORMULATING
• Main function is to decide what you want to
THE RESEARCH find out about.
PROBLEM: • The way you formulate a problem determines
almost every step that follows.
Research problem generally revolves around four Ps:
• People- a group of individuals
Source • Problems- examine the existence of certain issues or
s of problems relating to their lives; to ascertain attitude
researc of a group of people towards an issue
h • Programs- to evaluate the effectiveness of an
intervention
proble
• Phenomena- to establish the existence of regularity.
ms:- In practice, most research studies are based upon at
least a combination of two Ps.
Every research study has two aspects:
• Study population-
• People: individuals, organizations, groups, communities
(They provide you with the information or you collect
information about them)
•
AspectsSubject
: area-
• Problems: issues, situations, associations, needs, profiles
• Program: content, structure, outcomes, attributes,
satisfactions, consumers, Service providers, etc.
• Phenomenon: cause-and-effect relationships, the study
of a phenomenon itself
These help to ensure that your study will remain
manageable and that you will remain motivated.
• Interest: a research endeavor is usually time consuming,
and involves hard work and possibly unforeseen problems.
One should select topic of great interest to sustain the
Considerat required motivation.
ions in • Magnitude: It is extremely important to select a topic that
selecting a you can manage within the time and resources at your
disposal. Narrow the topic down to something
research manageable, specific and clear.
problem: • Measurement of concepts: Make sure that you are clear
about the indicators and measurement of concepts (if
used) in your study.
These help to ensure that your study will remain manageable and that
you will remain motivated.
• Level of expertise: Make sure that you have adequate level of
expertise for the task you are proposing since you need to do the
work yourself.
Considera
• Relevance: Ensure that your study adds to the existing body of
tions in knowledge, bridges current gaps and is useful in policy formulation.
selecting This will help you to sustain interest in the study.
a research • Availability of data: Before finalizing the topic, make sure that data
are available.
problem: • Ethical issues: How ethical issues can affect the study population
and how ethical problems can be overcome should be thoroughly
examined at the problem formulating stage.
Problem Identification Process:
Step 1:- Identify a broad field or subject area of interest to you.
Step 2:- Dissect the broad area into sub areas.
Step 3:- Select what is of most interest to you.
Step 4:- Raise research questions.
Step 5:- Formulate objectives.
Step 6:- Assess your objectives.
Step 7:- Double check.
Consider the following example:- Step 3:- Select what is of most
Step 1:- Let us select ‘Alcoholism’ as interest to you.
subject area. • Let us select “Effect of alcoholism
Step 2:- Dissect the broad area into on the family”.
sub areas. The different sub areas are:-
• Profile of alcoholics. Step 4:- Raise research questions.
• The causes of alcoholism. • What is the impact of alcoholism on
• The process of becoming alcoholics. the marital relations?
• The effect of alcoholism on the • How does it affect various aspects
family. of children’s lives?
• Community attitude towards • What are the effects on the family
alcoholism. finances?
• The effectiveness of a treatment etc.
Step 6:- Assess your objectives in the light of:
. Step 5:- Formulate objectives • The work involved
• The time available.
Main objective:-
• The financial resources available.
• To find out effect of alcoholism on marital relations. • Your technical expertise.
Specific objectives:-
• To ascertain the impact of alcoholism on marital
Step 7:- Double-check that
• You are interested in the study.
relations.
• You agree with the objectives
• To determine the ways in which alcoholism affect the
• You have adequate resources.
different aspects of children’s lives • Your have technical expertise
• To find out the effects of alcoholism on the financial
situation of the family.
Variables
The definition of a variable:
• An image, perception or concept that can be measured – hence capable of taking on different
values- is called a variable.
The difference between a concept and a variable:
• Concepts are mental images or perceptions and therefore their meaning varies markedly from
individual to individual. A concept cannot be measured whereas a variable can be subjected to
measurement by crude/refined or subjective/objective units of measurement.
• It is therefore important for the concept to be converted into variables. Variable is a concept
that can take different quantitative values (height, weight, income). Qualitative attributes (e.g.
attitude, satisfaction) can also be quantified. In a study, there are several classes of variables.
Variables
Researchers
classify variables
into several
categories-
Independent Dependent Qualitative Quantitative Intervening Moderating
variable variable variable variable variable variable
Quantitative variables Qualitative variables
Any data sets that
Definition involve numbers or Non-numerical values or
amounts groupings
Examples Height, distance or Eye color or dog breed
number of items
Types Discrete and continuous Binary, nominal and
ordinal
Variables
• Researchers can further categorize quantitative variables into two types:
• Discrete: Any numerical variables you can realistically count, such as the coins in your
wallet or the money in your savings account.
• Continuous: Numerical variables that you could never finish counting, such as time.
• Researchers can further categorize qualitative, or categorical, variables into three
types:
• Binary: Variables with only two categories, such as male or female, red or blue.
• Nominal: Variables you can organize in more than two categories that do not follow
• a particular order. Take, for example, housing types: Single-family home,
condominium, tiny home.
• Ordinal: Variables you can organize in more than two categories that follow a
particular order. Take, for example, level of satisfaction: Unsatisfied, neutral, satisfied.
Intervening variables Moderating variables
Changes the relationship between
A theoretical variable used to dependent and independent
Definition explain a cause or connection variables by strengthening or
between other study variables weakening the intervening
variable's effect
Access to health care: If wealth is Age: If a study looking at the
the independent variable, and a relationship between economic
long life span is a dependent status (independent variable) and
variable, a researcher might how frequently people get physical
Example hypothesize that access to quality exams from a doctor (dependent
health care is the intervening variable), age is a moderating
variable that links wealth and life variable. That relationship might be
span. weaker in younger individuals and
stronger in older individuals.
Hypothesis
A hypothesis is an assumption that is made based on some
evidence. This is the initial point of any investigation that
translates the research questions into predictions. It includes
components like variables, population and the relation between
the variables. A research hypothesis is a hypothesis that is used
to test the relationship between two or more variables.
Characteristics of Hypothesis
• The hypothesis should be clear and precise to consider it to be reliable.
• If the hypothesis is a relational hypothesis, then it should be stating the
relationship between variables.
• The hypothesis must be specific and should have scope for conducting more
tests.
• The way of explanation of the hypothesis must be very simple and it should
also be understood that the simplicity of the hypothesis is not related to its
significance.
Sources of Hypothesis
• The resemblance between the phenomenon.
• Observations from past studies, present-day experiences and from the
competitors.
• Scientific theories.
• General patterns that influence the thinking process of people.
Types of Hypothesis
Types of
hypothesis
Explanatory Descriptive Analogical Working Null Statistical
hypothesis hypothesis hypothesis hypothesis hypothesis hypothesis
Types of Hypothesis
Types of
hypothesis
Explanatory
Hypothesis
The purpose of this hypothesis is to explain a certain fact. ill hypotheses are in a way
explanatory for a hypothesis is advanced only when we try to explain the observed fact.
A large number of hypotheses are advanced to explain the individual facts in life.
A theft, a murder, an accident are examples.
Types of Hypothesis
Types of
hypothesis
Descriptive
Hypothesis:
These are proposition that describe the characteristics bug as size, form or distribution) of a variable.
The variable may an object, person, organisation, situation or event.
e.g. The rate of unemployment among arts graduates higher than that of commerce graduates.
e.g., the current unemployment rate of a state exceeds 2. of the work force. Similarly, the consumers of
local made produ constitute a significant market segment.
Types of Hypothesis
Types of
hypothesis
Analogical
Hypothesis
When we formulate a hypothesis on the basis of similarities (analogy), it is
called an analogical hypothesis
e.g., families with higher earnings invest more surplus income on long term
investments.
Types of Hypothesis
Types of
hypothesis
Working
Hypothesis:
Working hypothesis are subject to change/modification as the investigation proceeds. Sometimes
certain facts cannot be explained adequately by existing hypotheses, and no new hypothesis comes up.
Thus, the investigation is held up. In this situation, a researcher formulates a hypothesis which enables
to continue investigation. Such a hypothesis, though inadequate and formulated for the purpose of
further investigation only, is called a working hypothesis. It is simply accepted as a starting point in the
process of investigation.
Types of Hypothesis
Types of
hypothesis
Null hypothesis
Under this type, the hypothesis is stated negatively.
For e.g. even though there is a relationship between family's income and
expenditure on reservation, a null hypothesis may state "There is no
relationship between families' income level and expenditure on recreation.
Types of Hypothesis
Types of
hypothesis
Statistical
Hypothesis:
Statistical hypothesis are the statements derived from a sample. These are
quantitative in nature and are numerically measurable.
For example, the market share of product X is 70%, the average life of a tube
light is 2000 hours etc.
