chapter 6 Defining the Research Problem.pdf
- 1. Defining the Research Problem Assoc. Prof Dr. Nazatul Faizah Haron
- 2. Introduction Business research as a systematic and organized effort to investigate a specific problem encountered in the work setting. Managers have to be alert and responsive to what is going on, both within their organization and in its environment in order to take effective decisions and develop effective courses of action.
- 3. THE BROAD PROBLEM AREA A “problem” does not necessarily mean that something is seriously wrong with a current situation that needs to be rectified immediately. A problem could also indicate an interest in an issue where finding the right answers might help to improve an existing situation. Thus, it is fruitful to define a problem as any situation where a gap exists between an actual and a desired ideal state.
- 4. Problem
- 5. What is Literature Review? A place to make connections between what you are investigating and what has already been investigated in your subject area A place to engage in a type of conversation with other researchers in your subject area A place to identify previous research on the topic A place to show there is a gap in the literature which your study can fill A place from which to begin your own investigation Answers the question who else is talking about your proposed research topic.
- 6. What is Literature Review? There are a lots of ways we can find relevant information for your LR, including: researching relevant academic sources such as books and journals Read through abstract or bibliographies your academic sources Look for anything that have been cited lots of times in the discussion Look for any research gaps, trends, pattern, common themes, debates, and contradictions Make sure to consider any influential studies on the topic area as it is likely anticipated that you will address these in your research proposal
- 7. Making connections The “literature review” is the part of the thesis where there is extensive reference to related research and theory in your field; it is where connections are made between the source texts that you draw on and where you position yourself and your research among these sources. Ridley, D. (2008). The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students. London: Sage Publications, p. 2.
- 8. THE PURPOSE OF LITERATURE REVIEW Why do a review of the literature? 1.As a way to frame and focus a research project 2.As a way to justify a research project to stakeholders Types of Literature and Types of Literature Reviews •In general, the literature can be divided into four substantive categories: 1.Topical literature relevant to the subject matter of the research 2.Theoretical literature relevant to concepts and theoretical frameworks
- 9. HOW TO REVIEW A LITERATURE (LR) Quality research work is about building onto the existing work of others, “standing on a shoulders of giants” The LR chapter in your thesis or dissertation is where you synthesise this prior work and lay the foundation for your own research. First thing first, you must know WHY you do a review process. So, there’s at least four core functions the purpose of LR: 1.For you to gain an understanding (and demonstrate this understanding) of where the research is at currently, what the key arguments, conflicts, etc are.
- 10. HOW TO REVIEW A LITERATURE (LR) 2. For you to identify the gap(s) in the literature and then use this as justification for your research topic. 3. To help you build a theoretical framework for empirical testing (if applicable to your research topic). 4. To inform your methodological choices (i.e. see what methods were used in similar studies) and help you source tried and tested questionnaires (for interviews) and measurement instruments (for surveys).
- 11. IDENTIFY CONSTRUCTS OF VARIABLES INVOLVED What is meant by the term variables? Variables are characteristics or attributes of cases whose behavior or characteristics we study. Cases in this context could be anything ranging from persons, groups, departments, organizations and is something that is being recorded or measured in a research. Variables could occur in any form. For instance, if the cases are persons, the variables could be discrete like gender (male or female), marital status or ethnicity; or it could be continuous like the age of individuals.
- 12. IDENTIFY CONSTRUCTS OF VARIABLES INVOLVED Variables can also be categorized as : 1.Quantitative variables – have either exact or varying values like temperature, length, height, weight, level of stress, age, etc. 2.Qualitative variables – more descriptive in nature like ethnicity, marital status and gender. Variables is an attribute or characteristics stated in a specific or an applied way. Variables are things what we measure, control or manipulate in an investigation.
- 13. Types of variables: 1.Dependent Variable (DE) – also known as criterion or outcome variable, is a variable which can be predicted and explained . Variation in the dependent variable is what a researcher tries to explain. 2.Independent Variable (IV) - also known as predictor or explanatory variable. To a researcher, this is the variable that is predicted to be associated or explain the variation in the dependent variable. It influences the dependent variable in either a positive or negative way. By this, it means that with each unit of increase in the dependent variable, there is an increase or decrease in the dependent variable too.
- 14. Example: A researcher predicts that the service quality and product quality of a restaurant are the factors that contribute to the feeling of satisfaction among customers that patronize a restaurant. In this case, the service and product quality are independent variables whereas satisfaction is the dependent variable. The relationship between the independent and dependent variables can be illustrated diagrammatically as follows:
- 16. 3.Moderating variable (MV) – or moderator is a qualitative (e.g. sex, race, class) or quantitative (e.g. level of reward) variable that affects the direction and/or strength of the relation between an independent variable and a dependent variable. - Moderating variable has a strong contingent effect on the independent-dependent variable relationship whereby its presence modifies the original relationship between the independent-dependent variables. In a schematic diagram, the relationship between these variables can be represented as follows.
- 18. An example of a situation where the presence of a moderating variable influences the strength of a relationship between two other variables is as follows: Consider the relation between social class (SC) and the frequency of dining out (FDO) at a restaurant. Age might be a moderating variable in this relationship whereby older people who are more conscious about what the eat (that can affect their health), dine out less frequently at a restaurant compared to their younger counterpart despite being in the same social class.
- 20. 4.Intervening Variable (IIV) Also called the mediator or mediating variable. The presence of this variable strengthens the link between the independent and dependent variables. It surfaces between the time the independent variable operates to influence the dependent variable and their impact on the dependent variable. Tuckman (1972) defines intervening variable as ‘those factors that theoretically affect the observed phenomenon but cannot be seen, measured or manipulated; its effect must be inferred from the effects of the independent and moderator variables on the observed phenomenon’.
- 21. An intervening/mediator variable thus is one that explains the relationship between the two other variables and can be diagrammatically illustrated as follows: Education might be an intervening / mediating variable in that it explains why there is a relation between SC and FDO where people who are highly educated are more aware of the health problems that can arise from consuming too much unhealthy food from restaurants, thus the tendency to dine out less. When we remove the effect of education, the relation between SC and FDO disappears.
- 22. Also called the mediator or mediating variable, the presence of this variable strengthens the link between the independent and dependent variables. Using the scenario above, the relationship between all of the mentioned variables can be illustrated as follows: