Business Research Methods 9th Edition

Case 2 Attiring Situation Objectives: This case allows the student to create hypotheses and conduct statistical analyses to test them using data from an experiment. Summary: RESERV is a national placement firm specializing in putting retailers and service providers together with potential employees who fill positions at all levels of the organizationfrom entry-level positions

4. Is there a role for factor analysis in any of this analysis? Factor analysis is a multivariate, interdependence technique covered in Chapter 24. It statistically identifies a reduced number of factors from a larger number of measured variables. There is a role for factor analysis because of the multicollinearity that would exist

210 Part Seven: Comprehensive Cases Case 4 TABH, INC., Automotive Consulting Database: Students are instructed to download the data set for this case from the website or to request them from their instructor. Objectives: To encourage students to think about sampling issues as well as ethical issues. Summary: TABH consulting specializes in research

Case Six: Knowing the Way 217 Case 6 Knowing the Way Objective: The purpose of this case is to allow students to analyze data. Summary: The Swamp Palace museum is an interactive museum that teaches visitors the ways of life on the swamps of the southern United States. It contains over 100

176 Part Seven: Comprehensive Cases Part Seven Comprehensive Cases with Computerized Databases Case 1 Running the Numbers: Does It Pay? Database: Students are instructed to download the data sets for this case from the books website or to request them from their instructor. Objectives: This case allows the student to consider the ethical dimension in business

Case 5 The Atlanta Braves Objectives: The purpose of this case is to allow students to consider how research could have been and can be used to effectively market a professional baseball team and stadium. Summary: A visit to Turner Field, the Atlanta Braves state-of-the-art ballpark, feels like a trip back to the

Case Three: Values and the Automobile Market 203 Case 3 Values and the Automobile Market Database: Students are instructed to download the data sets for this case from the books website or to request them from their instructor. Objectives: The purpose of this case is to allow students to evaluate an entire research

Part One Introduction Chapter 1 The Role of Business Research AT-A-GLANCE I. The Nature of Research A. Business research defined B. Applied and basic business research C. The scientific method II. Managerial Value of Business Research A. Identifying problems or opportunities B. Diagnosing and assessing problems or opportunities C. Selecting and implementing a course of action D. Evaluating the course of action III.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Is it possible to make sound managerial decisions without business research? What advantages does research offer to the decision maker over seat-of-the-pants decision making? Business research attempts to supply accurate information that reduces the uncertainty in decision making. Very often, decisions are made with little information because

Chapter 10 Survey Research: Communicating with Respondents AT-A-GLANCE I. Interviews as Interactive Communication A. Noninteractive media II. Personal Interviews A. Advantages of personal interviews Opportunity for feedback Probing complex answers Length of interview Completeness of questionnaire Props and visual aids High participation B. Disadvantages of personal interviews Interviewer influence Lack of anonymity of respondent Cost C. Door-to-door interviews

IV.SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES No matter how self-administered questionnaires are distributed (i.e., mail, in high-traffic locations in stores), they are different from interviews because the respondent takes responsibility for reading and answering the questions. Presents a challenge to researchers because they rely on the clarity of the written word rather than on the skills of

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What type of communications medium would you use to conduct the following surveys? Why? a. Survey of the buying motives of industrial engineers A personal interview conducted by a professional interviewer is probably the most likely type of communication medium. Industrial engineers are busy individuals. The presence of

Chapter 11 Observation Methods AT-A-GLANCE I. Observation in Business Research A. What can be observed? B. The nature of observation studies II. Observation of Human Behavior A. Complementary evidence B. Direct observation Errors associated with direct observation Scientifically contrived observation C. Combining direct observation and interviewing D. Ethical issues in the observation of humans III. Observation of Physical Objects IV. Content Analysis V.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Yogi Berra, former New York Yankee catcher, said, You can observe a lot just by watching. How does this fit in with the definition of scientific observation? Observation is more than just looking around; it is an activity involving watching or paying careful attention to what

Chapter 12 Experimental Research AT-A-GLANCE I. Creating an Experiment A. An illustration: Can a Self-Efficacy Intervention Enhance Job Attitude? Experimental subjects Independent variables Experimental outcome Independent variable main effects and interaction II. Designing an Experiment to Minimize Experimental Error A. Manipulation of the independent variable Experimental and control groups Several experimental treatment levels More than one independent

VI.PRACTICAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN ISSUES Basic Versus Factorial Experimental Designs In basic experimental designs a single independent variable is manipulated to observe its effect on a single dependent variable. Factorial experimental designs are more sophisticated than basic experimental designs and allow for an investigation of the interaction of two or more independent variables. Laboratory

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Define experimental condition, experimental treatment, and experimental group. How are these related to the implementation of a valid manipulation? An experimental condition refers to one of the possible levels of an experimental variable manipulation. An experimental treatment is the term referring to the way an experimental variable is

Part Four Measurement Concepts Chapter 13 Measurement and Scaling Concepts AT-A-GLANCE I. What Do I Measure? A. Concepts B. Operational definitions Variables Constructs II. Levels of Scale Measurement A. Nominal scale B. Ordinal scale C. Interval scale D. Ratio scale E. Mathematical and statistical analysis of scales Discrete measures Continuous measures III. Index Measures A. Indexes and composites B. Computing scale values IV. Three Criteria for Good

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Define measurement. How is your performance in your research class being assessed? Measurement is the process of describing some property of a phenomenon of interest usually by assigning numbers in a reliable and valid way. Students performance in a research class will beassessed through their performance

Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement AT-A-GLANCE I. Attitudes as Hypothetical Constructs A. Importance of measuring attitudes II. Techniques for Measuring Attitudes III. Attitude Rating Scales A. Simple attitude scales B. Category scales C. Method of Summated Ratings: The Likert scale Reverse recoding Composite scales D. Semantic Differential E. Numerical scales F. Stapel scale G. Constant-sum scale H. Graphic rating scales I. Thurstone interval scale IV. Measuring Behavioral

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is an attitude? Is there a consensus concerning its definition? For social scientists, an attitude as an enduring disposition to consistently respond in a given manner to various aspects of the world, including persons, events, and objects. It is generally believed that attitudes have three components:

Chapter 15 Questionnaire Design AT-A-GLANCE I. Questionnaire Quality and Design: Basic Considerations A. What should be asked? B. Questionnaire relevancy C. Questionnaire accuracy II. Wording Questions A. Open-ended response versus fixed-alternative questions Using open-ended response questions Using fixed-alternative questions B. Types of fixed-alternative questions C. Phrasing questions for self-administered, telephone, and personal interview surveys III. Guidelines for Constructing Question A. Avoid

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Evaluate and comment on the following questions, taken from several different questionnaires. Do they follow the rules discussed in the chapter? See the textbook for the actual questions. a. The fixed alternative responses to this question are somewhat ambiguous. Infrequently, occasionally, frequently, and all the time may mean

Part Five Sampling and Fieldwork Chapter 16 Sampling Designs and Sampling Procedures AT-A-GLANCE I. Sampling Terminology II. Why Sample? A. Pragmatic reasons B. Accurate and reliable results C. Destruction of test units III. Practical Sampling Concepts A. Defining the target population B. The sampling frame Sampling frames for international research C. Sampling units IV. Random Sampling and Nonsampling Errors A. Random sampling error B. Systematic sampling

VI.NONPROBABILITY SAMPLING Convenience Sampling Convenience sampling refers to sampling by obtaining people or units that are conveniently available. Researchers generally use convenience samples to obtain a large number of completed questionnaires quickly and economically, or when obtaining a sample through other means is impractical. Research looking for cross-cultural differences in organizational or consumer behavior

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. If you decide whether or not you want to see a new movie or television program on the basis of the coming attractions or television commercial previews, are you using a sampling technique? A scientific sampling technique? Yes, this is a method of sampling. However, this type

Chapter 17 Determination of Sample Size: A Review of Statistical Theory AT-A-GLANCE I. Introductions A. Descriptive and inferential statistics B. Sample statistics and population parameters II. Making Data Usable A. Frequency distributions B. Proportions C. Measures of central tendency The mean The median The mode D. Measures of dispersion The range Why use the standard deviation? Variance Standard deviation III. The Normal

IV.POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, SAMPLE DISTRIBUTION, AND SAMPLING DISTRIBUTION Three additional types of distribution must be defined: 1. population distribution 2. sample distribution 3. sampling distribution A frequency distribution of the population elements is called a population distribution. The population distribution has its mean and standard deviation represented by the Greek letters m and s . A

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is the difference between descriptive and inferential statistics? Information is needed to describe phenomena. When data have been collected, tabulation and summarization make the data more manageable and meaningful. If this is our goal, we areconcerned with descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics are used to make

Chapter 18 Fieldwork AT-A-GLANCE I. The Nature of Fieldwork II. Who Conducts Fieldwork? III. In-House Training for Inexperienced Interviewers A. Making initial contact and securing the interview Personal interviews Telephone interviews Internet surveys Gaining participation B. Asking the questions C. Probing when no response is given D. Recording the responses E. Terminating the interview IV. Principles of Good Interviewing A. The basics B.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What qualities should field workers possess? Field interviewers should be personable, healthy, and well groomed. Being personable is important. Respondents do not like interviewers who act like traffic cops impersonally fillingtheir quotas of parking and speeding tickets. Field workers should be of a similar background tothe

Part Six Data Analysis and Presentation Chapter 19 Editing and Coding: Transforming Raw Data into Information AT-A-GLANCE I. Stages of Data Analysis II. Editing A. Field editing B. In-house editing Illustrating inconsistency fact or fiction? Take action when response is obviously an error Editing technology C. Editing for completeness D. Editing questions answered out of order E. Facilitating the coding process Editing and

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is the purpose of editing? Provide some examples of questions that might need editing. Editing is the process of checking and adjusting data for completeness, consistency, and legibility. The example given in the chapter was a question that asked respondents how long they lived at

Chapter 2 Information Systems and Knowledge Management AT-A-GLANCE I. Information, Data, and Intelligence II. The Characteristics of Valuable Information A. Relevance B. Quality C. Timeliness D. Completeness III. Knowledge Management IV. Global Information Systems V. Decision Support Systems A. Databases and data warehousing B. Input management Internal records Proprietary business research Salesperson input Behavioral tracking Outside vendors and external distributors C. Computerized data archives Statistical databases

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is the difference between data, information, and intelligence? Data are simply facts or recorded measures of certain phenomena (things or events); information is data formatted (structured) to support decision making or define the relationship between twofacts. Market intelligence is the subset of data and information

Chapter 20 Basic Data Analysis: Descriptive Statistics AT-A-GLANCE I. The Nature of Descriptive Statistics II. Tabulation III. Cross Tabulation A. Contingency table B. Percentage cross-tabulations C. Elaboration and refinement D. How many cross-tabulations? E. Quadrant analysis IV. Data Transformations A. Simple transformations B. Problems with data transformations C. Index numbers V. Calculating Rank Order VI. Tabular and Graphic Methods of Displaying Data VII. Computer Programs for Analysis A.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What are five descriptive statistics used to describe the basic properties of variables? Widely applied descriptive statistics include averages, medians, modes, variance, range, andstandard deviation. Widely applied descriptive statistics include averages, medians, modes, variance, range, andstandard deviation. Widely applied descriptive statistics include averages, medians, modes, variance, range,

Chapter 21 Univariate Statistical Analysis AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction II. Hypothesis Testing A. The hypothesis-testing procedure Process Significance levels and p-values B. An example of hypothesis testing C. Type I and Type II errors Type I error Type II error III. Choosing the Appropriate Statistical Technique A. Type of question to be answered B. Number of variables C. Level of scale of

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is the purpose of a statistical hypothesis? Hypotheses were defined in Chapter 3 as formal statements of explanations stated in a testable form. Generally, hypotheses should be stated in concrete fashion so that the method of empirical testing seems almost obvious. In statistics classes, students are

Chapter 22 Bivariate Statistical Analysis: Differences Between Two Variables AT-A-GLANCE I. What Is the Appropriate Test of Difference? II. Cross-Tabulation Tables: The 2 Test for Goodness of Fit III. The t-Test for Comparing Two Means A. Independent samples t-Test Independent samples t-test calculation Practically speaking B. Paired samples t-test IV. The Z-Test for Comparing Two Proportions V. Analysis

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What tests of difference are appropriate in the following situations? a. Average campaign contributions (in $) to a marketing campaign for healthy living for men and women are to be compared. Contributions measured in dollars is a ratio-scaled dependent variable. Because there are two groups, at-test is

Chapter 23 Bivariate Statistical Analysis: Measures of Association AT-A-GLANCE I. The Basics II. Simple Correlation Coefficient A. An example B. Correlation, covariance and causation C. Coefficient of determination D. Correlation matrix III. Regression Analysis A. The regression equation B. Parameter estimate choices Raw regression estimates (b1) Standardize regression estimates () C. Visual estimation of a simple regression model Errors in prediction D. Ordinary

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is covariance? Covariance is the extent to which a change in one variable corresponds systematically to a changein another. Covariance is the extent to which a change in one variable corresponds systematically to a changein another. Covariance is the extent to which a change in one

Chapter 24 Multivariate Statistical Analysis AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction A. What is multivariate data analysis? B. The variate in multivariate II. Classifying Multivariate Techniques A. Dependence techniques B. Interdependence techniques C. Influence of measurement scales III. Analysis of Dependence A. Multiple regression analysis A simple example Regression coefficients in multiple regression R2 in multiple regression Statistical significance in multiple regression Steps in interpreting

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Define multivariate statistical analysis. Research that involves three or more variables, or that is concerned with underlying dimensions among multiple variables, will involve multivariate statistical analysis. Multivariate statisticalmethods analyze multiple variables or even multiple sets of variables simultaneously. among multiple variables, will involve multivariate statistical analysis. Multivariate

Chapter 25 Communicating Research Results: Report Generation, Oral Presentation, and Follow-Up AT-A-GLANCE I. Insights from the Communications Model II. The Report in Context III. Report Format A. Tailoring the format to the project B. The parts of the report Title page Letter of transmittal Letter of authorization Table of contents Summary Body Appendix C. Basic business research report IV.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Why is it important to think of the research report from a communications perspective? It is important to be concerned with the communication aspects (both written and oral) of a research report. The communication must be presented in a manner that is easy to follow andunderstand.

Chapter 3 Theory Building AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction A. What is a theory? B. What are the goals of theory? II. Research Concepts, Constructs, Propositions, Variables, and Hypotheses A. Research concepts and constructs B. Research propositions and hypotheses III. Understanding Theory A. Verifying theory B. Theory building IV. The Scientific Method V. Practical Value of Theories LEARNING OUTCOMES 1. Define the meaning of theory 2. Understand the

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What are some theories offered to explain aspects of your field of business? Students responses will vary depending on their major. Some management theories include Contingency Theory and Balanced Score Card. Opinion Pricing Theory is used in finance.Theory of Reasoned Action and Dual-coding Theory are used

Chapter 4 The Business Research Process: An Overview AT-A-GLANCE I. Decision Making A. Certainty B. Uncertainty C. Ambiguity Problems and opportunities II. Types of Business Research A. Exploratory research B. Descriptive research C. Causal research Causality Temporal sequence Concomitant variance Nonspurious association Degrees of causality Experiments D. Uncertainty influences the type of research III. Stages in the Research Process A. Alternatives in

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. List five ways that business research can contribute to effective business decision making. Researchers contribute to decision makers in several key ways. These include: (1) Helping to better define the current situation. (2) Defining the firm determining how consumers, competitors, and employees view the firm.(3) Providing ideas

Chapter 5 The Human Side of Business Research: Organizational and Ethical Issues AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction II. Organizational Structure of Business Research A. Business research jobs Small firms Mid-sized firms Large research firms B. The director of research as a manager C. Sources of conflict between senior management and research Research that implies criticism Money Time Intuitive decision making Future

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What are the conditions that make in-house research preferable? What are the conditions that make outside research preferable? Conditions that make in-house research more attractive include: a. The research project needs to be completed very quickly. b. The research project will require the close collaboration of

Part Two Beginning Stages of the Research Process Chapter 6 Problem Definition: The Foundation of Business Research AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction A. Importance of starting with a good problem definition B. Problem complexity Situation frequency Dramatic changes How widespread are the symptoms? Symptom ambiguity II. The Problem-Definition Process A. Problems mean gaps B. The problem-definition process steps C. Understand the business decision Interview process

Chapter 7 Qualitative Research Tools AT-A-GLANCE I. What Is Qualitative Research? A. Uses of qualitative research II. Qualitative versus Quantitative Research A. Contrasting qualitative and quantitative methods B. Contrasting exploratory and confirmatory research III. Orientations to Qualitative Research A. Phenomenology What is a phenomenological approach to research? What is hermeneutics? B. Ethnography What is ethnography? Observation in ethnography C. Grounded theory What

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Define qualitative and quantitative research. Compare and contrast the two approaches. Qualitative research is research that addresses research objectives through techniques that allow the researcher to provide elaborate interpretations of business phenomena without depending on numerical measurement. Its focus is on discovering true inner meanings

Chapter 8 Secondary Data Research in a Digital Age AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction A. Advantages of secondary data B. Disadvantages of secondary data II. Typical Objectives for Secondary-Data Research Designs A. Fact-finding Identification of consumer behavior for a product category Trend analysis oEnvironmental scanning B. Model building Estimating market potential for geographic areas Forecasting sales Analysis of trade areas and

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Secondary data have been called the first line of attack for business researchers. Discuss this description. Secondary data can be obtained quickly and at a relatively low cost. Thus, the first place to start researching a problem is to see if the needed information is already available.

Part Three Research Methods for Collecting Primary Data Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview AT-A-GLANCE I. Introduction II. Using Surveys A. Advantages of surveys III. Errors in Survey Research A. Random sampling error B. Systematic error C. Respondent error Nonresponse error Response bias oDeliberate falsification oUnconscious misrepresentation oTypes of response bias 1. Acquiescence bias 2. Extremity bias 3. Interviewer bias 4. Social desirability bias D. Administrative

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. Name several nonbusiness applications of survey research. Students should be able to provide numerous examples. Many not-for-profit organizations such as zoos, museums, charities, and the like conduct patron or donor research. Their objective isoften to determine whether or not individuals satisfaction can be increased. Survey research

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND CRITICAL THINKING/ANSWERS 1. What is a decision statement? How does the focus on an irrelevant decision affect the research process? A decision statement is a written expression of the key question(s) that a research user wishes to answer. It is the reason that research is being considered. It must be