BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS Objectives: 1.

To understand meaning and value of scientific research in decision making

2. To understand basic concepts in scientific research and methods of scientific research 3. To develop skills necessary to conduct scientific research

Pedagogy:Students are required to read the chapters before the topic is taught in the class. The understanding of the technique will be evaluated by solving cases by each student. Students are required to do a project that would involve questionnaire design, data collection, analysis, report writing and presentation. Project will carry 30 marks of which 20 marks will be for team work and 10 marks will be for individual presentation. Written examination will be of 70 marks. Contents 1. Introduction to Research (a) Meaning of research and research methodology (2 Hours)

(b) Types of research Theoretical, Applied, Cross-sectional, Longitudinal, Experimental, Non-experimental, Exploratory, Descriptive, Causal (Learning objective - To understand meaning of research and purpose of learning research methodology) 2. Scientific Research: (a) (b) Elements and characteristics of scientific research Inductive and Deductive approaches in research (2 Hours)

(Learning objective - To understand use of logic in scientific investigation) 3. Research Process: (a) (b) Research Process Relation between Management Problem and Research Problem (5 Hours)

(c) Exploratory research Literature review, Secondary data, Depth interview, Focus Group, Observation, Projective Techniques (Learning objective: To know relation between management problem and research problem and methods to define Research Problem) Case Vora and Company 4. Theoretical framework and hypothesis: a) Need of theoretical framework b) Meaning and types of hypothesis (Learning objective: To know need of theoretical framework and hypothesis) Case Vora and Company 6 Causal Designs: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Correlation and causal relationship Internal & external validity in causal research Factors affecting internal & external validity Techniques to control effects of confounding variables Types of causal designs (5 Hours) (2 Hours)

(Learning objective: To know methods of conducting causal research) 7. Descriptive Design: (a) (b) Meaning of constructs and its operational definition Nominal, ordinal, interval & ratio scales (2 Hours)

(Learning objective: To know meaning of constructs and methods to measure them) 8. (a) (b) (c) Scaling techniques (6 Hours)

Attitude measurement scales (Likert, Semantic, Stapel, Thurstone) Meaning of reliability and validity of scales & methods to measure them

(Learning objective: To know scaling methods) 9. Questionnaire Design: (a) (b) (c) Steps in designing questionnaire/schedule Methods of questionnaire execution Reliability and validity in descriptive design (5 Hours)

(Learning objective: To know technique of questionnaire design) Case - Vora and Company 10. (a) (b) Methods to decide sample size Probability and non-probability sampling methods (4 Hours)

(Learning objective: To know sampling techniques) 11. Use of descriptive statistics, correlation, hypothesis testing in data analysis (6 Hours)

Learning objective: To know application of statistics in analyzing data) Cases 1 2 12. Vora and Company India Products Ltd (1.5 Hours)

Report writing

(Learning objective: To know how to prepare report) 13. Project Presentation Total (6.0 Hours) (46.5 Hours)

Text book: 1. Business Research Methods By Zikmund