Business Research Methods

Communicating Research
Communication Process
 Communication Process
 The process by which one person or source sends a message
to an audience or receiver and then receives feedback about
the message.

 Elements that Influence Successful Communication

 Communicator
 Message
 Medium
 Audience
 Feedback
Exhibit . The Communication Process

Zikmund et al. 2016

Exhibit . Communication Occurs in a Common Field
of Experience
p

Zikmund et al. 2016

What is a Business Research Report?
 Research Report
 An oral presentation or written statement of research results,
results
strategic recommendations, and/or other conclusions to a
specific audience.
 Di
Directed d to the
h client
li or management who h initiated
i i i d the
h
research.
 Usuallyy supported
pp byy a formal ppresentation delivered in pperson
or via the Internet.
Exhibit. Report
p Format

Zikmund et al. 2016

Exhibit . Adapting Report Format to Required
Formality

Zikmund et al. 2016

The Parts of the Report
 Title page should state:
 The title of the report
 The title should give a brief but complete indication of the purpose of
the research project.
 Add
Addresses and
d titl
titles off the
th preparer and
d recipient
i i t may also
l beb
included.
 For whom the report was prepared
 By whom it was prepared
 Date of release or presentation
The Parts of the Report (cont
(cont’d)
d)
 Letter of Transmittal
 Releases or delivers the report to the recipient in relatively
formal and very formal reports.
 Letter of Authorization
 Approves the project, details who has responsibility for it, and
describes resources available to support it.
 The Table of Contents
 Should list the divisions and subdivisions of the report with
page
p g references.
 Is based on the final outline of the report, but it should include
only the first-level subdivisions.
Zikmund et al. 2016
The Parts of the Report (cont
(cont’d)
d)
 The Executive Summary
 Briefly explains why the research project was conducted, what
aspects of the problem were considered, what the outcome was,
and what should be done.
 Contains four elements:
 Objectives of the report
 Methodology and the main results
 Conclusions
 Recommendations or suggestions for action, based on
recommendation.
 The Body
 Introduction section—discusses background information and
the specific objectives of the research.
research
The Parts of the Report (cont
(cont’d)
d)
 The Body (cont’d)
 Research methodology section
section—describes
describes the structure
and technical procedures of the project. It may be
supplemented with an appendix or glossary of technical terms.
 Researchh design
R d i
 Sample design
 Data collection and fieldwork
 Analysis

 Results section— presents the findings of the project.

project It
includes tables, charts, and an organized narrative.
The Parts of the Report (cont
(cont’d)
d)
 The Body (cont’d)
 Conclusions and recommendations section section—provides
provides
opinions based on the results and suggestions for action.
 The conclusions and recommendations should be presented in this
section in more detail than in the summary,
summary and the text should
include justification as needed.

 The Appendix
 Contains material that is too technical or too detailed to go in
the body
body—includes
includes materials of interest only to some readers
or subsidiary materials not directly related to the objectives.
Basic Business Research Report Outline
1. Abstract 7. Conclusions
2
2. Introduction 8
8. References
3. Background 9. Appendices
a. Literature Review
b. Hypotheses
4. Research Methods
5
5. R lt
Results
6. Discussion
a. Implications
p
b. Limitations
c. Future Research

Zikmund et al. 2016

The Oral Presentation
 Oral Presentation
 A spoken summary of the major findings,
findings conclusions,
conclusions and
recommendations, given to clients or line managers to provide
them with the opportunity to clarify any ambiguous issues by
asking questions.
questions

 Keys
y to effective ppresentation:
 Preparation (rehearsal)
 Adapting to the audience
 Not lecturing or reading to the audience
 Use graphic aids effectively
 Speaking effectively and convincingly
The Research Follow
Follow-Up
Up
 Research Follow-up
 Recontacting decision makers and/or clients after they have
had a chance to read over a research report in order to
determine whether additional information or clarification is
necessary.
necessary

Zikmund et al. 2016

 Last but not the least - always Remember:
A WISE MAN NEVER KNOWS ALL,
“A ALL ONLY FOOLS
KNOW EVERYTHING” – An African Proverb

Thank You