RESEARCH METHODS FOR BUSINESS
Uma Sekaran
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
© 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. www.wiley.com/college/sekaran 1
LESSON 1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION TO
RESEARCH
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WHAT IS RESEARCH?
•Good decision making fetches a “yes” answer to the
following questions:
– Do managers identify where exactly the problem
lies, do they correctly recognize the relevant factors in
the situation needing investigation?
– Do they know what types of information are to be
gathered and how?
– Do they know how to make use of the information so
collected and draw appropriate conclusions to make
the right decisions, and finally?
– Do they know how to implement the results of this
process to solve the problem?
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WHAT IS RESEARCH?
•Research is the process of finding solutions to a
problem after a thorough study and analysis of
the situational factors.
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DEFINITION OF RESEARCH
Business Research is:
An organized, systematic,
data-based, critical,
objective, scientific inquiry or
investigation into a specific
problem, undertaken with
the purpose of finding
answers or solutions to it.
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•Data can be quantitative (structured questioner)
or qualitative (Open-ended questioner).
RESEARCH AND THE MANAGER
In business, research is
usually primarily conducted
to resolve problematic issues
in, or interrelated among,
the areas of accounting,
finance, management, and
marketing.
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RESEARCH AND THE MANAGER
•In Accounting, budget control
systems, practices, and procedures are
frequently examined.
–Inventory costing methods,
–accelerated depreciation,
