Course Project : Business Research Methods
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Establish the basic principles of business research
2. Examine different types of data and approaches to research
3. Apply systematic business research and design to resolve management problems
Background Information
For this project, you will write a research proposal using an appropriate research method and design. In this proposal, you will answer a research question that is based upon a specific management problem, which will also be selected by you. The management problem should be one that organizations face today.
Once you select the research problem you are going to address, you will define the problem in your own context (i.e., your own organization) and narrow the focus of the research study by writing a specific research question that will guide the creation of the research proposal.
In this project, you will provide details about how the research study should be conducted and include the literature review, method, design and data collection processes. You are not required to conduct the research study, but the proposal should be detailed enough that the study could be conducted using your proposal as the guide. Ethical research practices will need to be addressed in the proposal as well, including how your proposal will ensure the protection of those involved.
Project Instructions
Write a research proposal designed around a specific management problem.
Example topics might include:
o Ensuring a well-prepared pipeline of future leaders ready to succeed current managers and executives as they move on or retire © 2016. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is prohibited without expressed written permission. Students are expected to maintain the integrity of the assignment by refraining from reproducing or posting the assignment or their completed work where it can be viewed by current or future students.
Business Research Methods
o Creating sustainable change in a complex organization and fostering an environment where that change is welcomed and not feared
o Fostering an innovative product development system to meet everchanging customer needs
o Increasing efficiency in production o Lower the cost of procuring raw materials for the production process
o Improve the internal communication system so that all members of the organization are "on the same page."
o Increasing quality in a product or service in order to meet ISO 9001 or Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award guidelines
o Implementing a process or procedure to ensure proper oversight and fiduciary responsibility
o Developing or implementing an automated technology solution to a manual process
The proposal should include the following sections.
1. Introduction
• Give the background of the problem and be sure to explain why this problem is important in your context or organization.
• When developing your problem statement consider its focus and if the study can be completed within the organization.
2. Problem Statement
• What research method and design are you going to use to study the problem?
• What will you be studying, how will you study it, and why should it be studied?
• Include a brief introduction of the research method and design that will be used to study the problem.
© 2016. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is prohibited without expressed written permission. Students are expected to maintain the integrity of the assignment by refraining from reproducing or posting the assignment or their completed work where it can be viewed by current or future students.
Business Research Methods
3. Research Question, Research Rationale, & Hypothesis
• State your research question and rationale for the research question.
• If you have selected a quantitative study, at least two hypotheses should be included: one hypothesis and one null hypothesis that are supported by a rationale and credible source.
4. Literature Review
• Evaluate the body of literature in a logical and organized manner.
• Form a logical discussion of the literature that demonstrates familiarity with a body of research that relates to your proposal.
• Discuss the connection between the research proposal and the body of literature that's been selected.
• Discuss any variables that are to be studied from the literature. Be sure your sources are credible (e.g. Peer-reviewed journal articles).
5. Research Method & Design
• Discuss the research method and design you are planning on using, and how it matches your research question.
• Determine if your research is quantitative or qualitative, or both, and describe the nature of the research process.
• Next, discuss how the research question is matched to the design.
• Give your rationale for choosing the design and be sure its supported by a credible source.
• Lastly, discuss the variables that are going to be studied and how they relate to one another. Which variables are independent and dependent?
6. Data Collection Processes
• Discuss your approach to how you are going to collect data.
• Explain your plan for research sampling and discuss your rationale for this method. Support your research with credible sources.
• Discuss your rationale for the selected research population.
7. Data Collection Technique
• What type of data are you going to collect? What technique will you use?
© 2016. Any unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this material is prohibited without expressed written permission. Students are expected to maintain the integrity of the assignment by refraining from reproducing or posting the assignment or their completed work where it can be viewed by current or future students.
Business Research Methods
• Give your rationale in the choices you made. Also be sure to talk about the reliability and validity of the instruments you chose.
8. Data Collection Instruments
• Discuss instrument reliability.
• How is external validity a factor in your process?
• How does your instrument for data collection relate to the research proposal?
9. Ethical research practices
• In this section, be sure to provide an adequate discussion of ethical research practices.
• Include how your study will ensure protection to those involved.
• Depending on the data collection choices you made in the previous section, there may be one or more practice that is applicable.
• Discuss informed consent, confidentiality, freedom from harm, protection of privacy and anonymity.