Business Research US Chapter2

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Chapter 2

SCIENTIFICINVESTIGATION


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After completing this chapter you

would be able to understand:

The Hallmarks of Scientific Research

Some obstacles to conducting scientificresearch in the management area

The building blocks of science in research

The hypothetico deductive method Other types of research


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Definition of Scientific

Research

Scientific Research focusing on

solving problems and pursues astep by step logical, organizedand rigorous method to identify

the problems, gather data,analyze them and draw validc o n c l u s i o n s t h e r e f r o m .


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Why Scientific Research?

This research is not based on hunches,experience and intuition.

It is purposive and rigorous.

Enables all those who are interested inresearching and knowing about the same orsimilar issues to come up with comparable

findings when data are analyzed. Findings are accurate and confident.

Apply solutions to similar problems.

It is more objective.


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Cont.

Highlights the most critical factors at the work

place that need specific attention to solve or

minimize problems.

Scientific Investigation and Managerial DecisionMaking are integral part of effective problem

solving.

It can be applied to both basic and applied

research.


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The Hallmarks of Scientific Research

1. Purposiveness2. Rigor

3. Testability

4. Replicability

5. Precision and Confidence6. Objectivity

7. Generalizability

8. Parsimony

The hallmarks or main distinguishingcharacteristics of scientific research may belisted as follows:


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Hallmarks of Scientific Research

1. Purposiveness

It has to start with a definite aim or purpose.

The focus is on increasing employeecommitment.

Increase employee commitment will translateinto less turnover, less absenteeism and

increased performance levels. Thus it has a purposive focus.


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2. Rigor A good theoretical base and sound methodological design

would add rigor to the purposive study.

Rigor adds carefulness, scrupulousness and the degree of

exactitude in research.

Example:

A manager asks 10-12 employees how to increase the level

of commitment. If solely on the basis of their responses the

manager reaches several conclusions on how employee

commitment can be increases, the whole approach to the

investigation would be unscientific. It would lack rigor for

the following reasons:


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3.Testability

The researcher might hypothesize

that those employees who perceivegreater opportunities forparticipation in decision makingwould have a higher level of

commitment.

After random selection manager and researcherdevelops certain hypothesis on how manageremployee commitment can be enhanced, then

these can be tested by applying certain statisticaltests to the data collected for the purpose.


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It means that it can be used again ifsimilar circumstances prevails.

Example:

The study concludes that participation in decision making is one of the mostimportant factors that influences the

commitment, we will place more faith and credence in these finding and apply in similar situations. To the extent that this does happen, we will gain confidence in

the scientific nature of our research.

4. Replicability


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PrecisionPrecision refers to the closeness of the findings

to reality based on a sample.

It reflects the degree of accuracy and exactitude

of the results of the sample.Example: If a supervisor estimated thenumber of production days lost during theyear due to absenteeism at between 30 and

40, as against the actual of 35, the precision ofmy estimation more favorably than if he hasindicated that the loss of production days wassomewhere between 20 and 50.

5. Precision and Confidence


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ConfidenceConfidence refers to the probability that our

estimations are correct.

That is, it is not merely enough to be precise,

but it is also important that we canconfidently claim that 95% of the time our

results would be true and there is only a 5%

chance of our being wrong.

This is also known as confidence level.


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6. Objectivity

The conclusions drawn through the interpretation ofthe results of data analysis should be objective; thatis, they should be based on the facts of the findingsderived from actual data, and not on our subjectiveor emotional values.

Example: If we had a hypothesis that stated that greater

participation in decision making will increaseorganizational commitment and this was not supportedby the results, it makes no sense if the researchercontinues to argue that increased opportunities foremployee participation would still help!


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7. Generalizability

It refers to the scope of applicability of theresearch findings in one organization setting toother settings.

Example: If a researchers findings thatparticipation in decision making enhancesorganizational commitment are found to be true ina variety of manufacturing, industrial and service

organizations, and not merely in the particularorganization studied by the researcher, then thegeneralizability of the findings to otherorganizational settings in enhanced. The moregeneralizable the research, the greater its

usefulness and value.


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8. Parsimony

Simplicity in explaining the phenomenon or problems thatoccur, and in generating solutions for the problems, isalways preferred to complex research frameworks thatconsider an unmanageable number of factors.

For instance, if 2-3 specific variables in the work situation areidentified, which when changed would raise theorganizational commitment of the employees by 45%, thatwould be more useful be more useful and valuable to themanager than if it were recommended that he should

change 10 different variables to increase organizationalcommitment by 48%.


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The Building Blocks of Science in

Research

Deduction and Inductions

Answers to issues can be foundeither by the process ofinduction or the process of

induction, or by a combinationof the two.


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Deduction

Deduction is the process by which we arrive at a

reasoned conclusion by logical generalization of a

known fact.

Example: we know that all high performers are highly

proficient in their jobs.

If John is a high performer, we then conclude that he

is highly proficient in his job


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Induction

Induction is a process where we observe certain

phenomena and on this basis arrive at conclusions.

In other words, in induction we logically

establish a general proposition based on

observed facts.


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The Hypothetico-Deductive Method


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Observation

Observation is the first stage, in which

one senses that certain changes are

occurring or that some new behaviors,attitudes and feelings are surfacing in

ones environment (i.e., the work

place).How does one observe phenomena and

changes in the environment?


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Preliminary Information Gathering:

It involves the seeking of information in depth, ofwhat is observed.

This could be done by talking informally to severalpeople in the work setting or to clients or to other

relevant sources, thereby gathering information onwhat is happening and why. (Unstructuredinterviews)

Then it is followed by structured interviews.

Additionally by doing library research or obtaininginformation through other sources, the investigatorwould identify how such issues have been tackledin other situations.


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Theory Formulation

It is an attempt to integrate all theinformation in a logical manners, so that thefactors responsible for the problem can be

on conceptualized and tested.The theoretical framework formulated is

often guided by experience and intuition.

In this step the critical variables areidentified and examined as to theircontribution or influence in explaining whythe problem occurs and how it can be

solved.


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Hypothesizing

It is the next logical step after theory formulation.

From the theorized network of associations among

the variables, certain testable hypotheses or

educated conjectures can be generated.

Hypothesis testing is called deductive research.

Sometimes, hypotheses that were not originallyformulated do get generated through the process of

induction.


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Further Specific Data Collection

After the development of thehypotheses, data with respectto each variable in thehypotheses need to beobtained.

Further data are collected totest the hypotheses that aregenerated in the study.


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Data Analysis

Data gathered are statistically analyzedto see if the hypotheses that were

generated have been supported.Co relational method will be used toanalyze and determine the relation shipof two or more factors in the

hypotheses for example: stockavailability and customer satisfaction.


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DeductionDeduction is the process of

arriving at conclusions by

interpreting the meaning ofresults of the data analysis.


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Other Types of Research

Case studies and action research

are sometimes used to study

certain types of issues.

1. Case Studies

2. Action Research


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Case Studies

Case studies involve in depth, contextual analyses of

similar situations in the other organizations, where

the nature and definition of the problem happen to be

the same as experienced in the current situation. Case study, as a problem solving technique, is not

often undertaken in organizations because such

studies dealing with problems similar to the one

experienced by a particular organization of aparticular size and in a particular type of setting are

difficult to come by.


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Action Research

The researcher begins with a problem that is already

identified and gathers relevant data to provide a

tentative problem solution.

This solution is then implemented, with theknowledge that there may be unintended

consequences following such implementation.

The effects are then evaluated, defined and diagnosed

and the research continues on an ongoing basis until

the problem is fully resolved.

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Business Research US Chapter2