Problem Solution Usa World Bank

1. Distinguish among what is knowable, unknowable, and researchable

a. Why study research? (Cooper Chapter 1) (p. 5) The study of research methods provides you with the knowledge and skills you need to solve the problems and meet the challenges of a fast-paced decision-making environment. We define business research as a systematic inquiry whose objective is to provide information to solve managerial problems. Business research courses recognize that students preparing to manage business, not-for-profit, and public organizationsÐ'--in all functional areasÐ'--need training in a disciplined process for conducting an inquiry of a management dilemma, the problem or opportunity that requires a management decision. Three factors stimulate an interest in a scientific approach to decision making: (1) the manager's increase need for more and better information (2) the availability of improved techniques and tools to meet his need. (30 the resulting information overload if discipline is not employed in the process.

b. What is research? (Cooper Chapter 1) (p. 7) Begin with a few examples of management problems involving decision making based on information gathering. From each of these, abstract the essence of research. How is it carried out? What can it do? What should it not be expected to do? Think about the possible range of situations for conducting business research, and try answering these questions: (1) what is the decision-making dilemma facing the manager? (2) what must the researcher accomplish? Different types of study can be classified as reporting, descriptive, explanatory, or predictive. Reporting study may be made only to provide an account or summation of some data or to generate some statistics. The task may be quite simple and the data readily available. At other times, the information may be difficult to find. A reporting study calls for knowledge and skill with information sources and gatekeepers of information sources. Descriptive study tries to discover answers to the questions who, what, when, where, and sometimes, how. The researcher attempts to describe or define a subject, often by creating a profile of a group of problems, people, or events. Such studies may involve the collection of data and the creation of a distribution of the number of times the researcher observes a single event or characteristic (known as a research variable), or they may involve relating the interaction of two or more variables. Explanatory Academics have debated the relationship between explanatory and predictive, in terms of which precedes the other. Both types of research are grounded in theory, and theory is created to answer why and how questions. An explanatory study goes beyond description and attempts to explain the reasons for the phenomenon that the descriptive study only observed. Research that studies the relationship between two or more variables is also referred to as a correlational study. In an explanatory study, the research uses theories or at least hypotheses to account for the forces that caused a certain phenomenon to occur. Predictive If we can provide a plausible explanation for an event after it has occurred, it is desirable to be able to predict when and in what situations the event will occur. A predictive study, the fourth type, is just as rooted in theory as explanation. Finally, we would like to be able to control a phenomenon once we can explain and predict it. Being able to replicate a scenario and dictate a particular outcome is the objective of control. Control is a logical outcome of prediction. The complexity of the phenomenon and the adequacy of the prediction theory, however, largely decide success in a control study.

c. What is good research? (Cooper Chapter 1) (p.14) Good research generates dependable data, being derived by practices that are conducted professionally and that can be used reliably for managerial decision making. In contrast, poor research is carelessly planned and conducted, resulting in data that a manager can't use to reduce his or her decision-making risks. Good research follows the standards of the scientific method. Several defining characteristics of the scientific method of managerial dimensions of each are:

1) Purpose clearly defined. The purpose of the researchÐ'--the problem involved or the decision to be madeÐ'--should be clearly defined and sharply delineated in terms as unambiguous as possible. Getting this in writing is valuable even in instances where the decision maker and the researcher are the same person. The statement of the decision problem should include its scope, its limitations, and the precise meanings of all words and terms significant to the research. Failure of the researcher to do this adequately may raise legitimate doubts in the minds of research report readers as to whether the researcher has sufficient understanding of the problem to make a sound proposal attacking it. This characteristic is comparable to developing a strategic plan before developing a tactical plan or an action map for achieving an objective.

2) Research process detailed. The research procedures used should be described in sufficient detail to permit another research er to repeat the research. Except when secrecy is imposed, research reports should reveal with candor the sources of data and the means by which they were obtained. Omission of significant procedural details make it difficult or impossible to estimate the validity and reliability of the data and justifiably weakens the confidence of the reader in the research itself as well as any recommendations based on the research. This characteristic is comparable to developing a tactical plan.

3) Research design thoroughly planned. The procedural design of the research should be carefully planned to yield results that are as objective as possible. When a sampling of the population is involved, the report should include evidence concerning the degree of representativeness of the sample. A survey of opinions are collections ought not to be used when more reliable evidence is available from documentary sources or by direct observation. Bibliographic searches should be as thorough and complete as possible. Experiments should have satisfactory controls. Direct observations should be recorded in writing as soon as possible after the event. Efforts should be made to minimize the influence of personal bias in selecting and recording data. This characteristics is comparable to developing detailed action plans for each tactic.

4) High ethical standards applied. Researchers often work independently and have significant latitude in designing and executing research projects. A research design that includes safeguards against causing mental r physical harm to participants and makes data integrity a first priority should be highly valued. Ethical issues in research

...