project management in construction projects

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Research Methods for Business
A Skill Building Approach

2. Overview of the course :
Business research is an organized and
deliberate process through which organization
effectively learn new knowledge and help
improve performance.

3. • To understand and develop a systematic approach
to business research
• To emphasis on the relationship between theory ,
research and practice
• To Integrate different research activities in an
orderly fashion
Objectives of the course

4. Outcomes of the course are
• To formulate research questions
• Develop theoretical framework
• Develop hypotheses
• Learn to select from different research
methodologies
• Develop skills for data analysis and interpretation

5. What is Research?
• Research is defined as the systematic process of
gathering, recording and analyzing data for effective
decisions
• Designed and executed, with a goal of finding answers to
the issues
• Research must have an objective
• It facilitates the decision making process
• Factually, research (re-search) -“search again”
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6. What is Research?
Good decision-making fetches a “yes” answer to the following
questions:
1. Do the researchers identify where exactly the problem lies?
2. Do they correctly recognize the situation needing investigation?
3. Do they know what types of information is to be gathered and
how?
4. Do they know how to make use of the information to make the
right decisions
5. Do they know how to implement the results to solve the
problem?
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7. Purpose of Research
 To know where the problem exist in the organization
 To identify the problems as clearly and precisely as
possible.
 Gather information, analyze the data, and determine the
factors that are associated with the problem
 Propose necessary solutions and corrective measures
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8. Types of Research
Research can be undertaken for two different purposes:
1. Applied research.
2. Basic research or pure research.
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9. Applied research
• Applied research is done with the an intention of applying
the results to solve specific problems which are currently
being experienced in an organization
• e.g.
• For example, a product may not be selling well and the
manager wants to find reasons in order to take
corrective actions.
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10. Basic research
• Basic research is done mainly to improve our
understanding of certain problems that are commonly
occur in organizational setting and how to solve them
• Intended to answer why, what and how questions.
• e.g.
– How to increase the productivity of workers in service
industry?
– What are the factors influencing employee’s
productivity?
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11. Research Philosophy and Choices

12. • Important assumptions about the way in which one views
the world
• These assumptions effect the research strategy and the
methods you choose
e.g.
Researcher concerned with facts, such as the resources
needed for manufacturing will conducted research in a
different way compare to the researcher concerned with
the feelings and attitudes of individuals

13. Philosophy of Choices
• Positivism (Deductive)
– Develop hypothesis (or hypotheses) and design a
research strategy to test the hypothesis and validate
theory
• Interpretivism (Inductive)
– Collect data and develop theory as a result of data
analysis

14. Hallmarks of a Good Research
• Purpose clearly defined
• Detailed research process
• Research design thoroughly planned
• Limitations revealed honestly
• High ethical standards applied
• Adequate analysis for decision-makers
• Findings presented unambiguously
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15. Characteristics of Good Research
• Purposive: Definite aim (Help reduce turnover,
absenteeism, complete projects on time )
• Rigor: it is simply defined as the quality or state of being
very exact, careful, or with strict precision will result in
more trustworthy findings
• Testability: After properly selecting the respondents and
collection of data, logically developed hypothesis can be
tested using statistical tools

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• Replicability: Researchers can copy the same process and
arrive at the same results as the original study.
• Confidence: Study of the whole universe or population is
not possible. But we try to come close to reality
(precision)and be confident of our findings that they are
correct (confidence)
• Objectivity: The interpretation of the results should be
based on facts, not on our own subjective feeling
Characteristics of Good Research

17. • Generalizability: Applicability of the finding on a variety of
firms/organization
• Parsimony: Simplicity in explaining the phenomena is
preferred, rather than studying many factors and their effect
– Management and Behavioral science result are not 100%
accurate
– We deal with subjective feelings , attitudes, perceptions
– Meeting all the characteristics of good research is difficult
Characteristics of Good Research

18. Ethics and Business Research
• Ethics in business research refers to a code of conduct
of behavior while conducting research.
• Ethical conduct applies to
– the organization
– members that sponsor the research,
– the researchers who undertake the research, and
– the respondents who provide essential data.
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