The Hallmarks of Scientific Research in Business: Replicability, Precision, and More, Slides of Marketing

Download The Hallmarks of Scientific Research in Business: Replicability, Precision, and More and more Slides Marketing in PDF only on Docsity!

Business Research

Methods

Chapter 2

SCIENTIFIC

INVESTIGATION

Definition of Scientific

Research

Scientific Research focusing onsolving problems and pursues astep by step logical, organizedand rigorous method to identifythe

problems,

gather

data,

analyze them and draw validc o n c l u s i o n s

t h e r e

f r o m.

Why Scientific Research?



This research is not based on hunches,experience and intuition.



It is purposive and rigorous.



Enables all those who are interested inresearching and knowing about the same orsimilar issues to come up with comparablefindings when data are analyzed.



Findings are accurate and confident.



Apply solutions to similar problems.



It is more objective.

The Hallmarks of Scientific Research

Purposiveness

Rigor

Testability

Replicability

Precision and Confidence

Objectivity

Generalizability

Parsimony

The hallmarks or main distinguishingcharacteristics of scientific research may belisted as follows:

Hallmarks of Scientific Research

Purposiveness ^

It has to start with a definite aim or purpose.



The focus is on increasing employeecommitment.



Increase employee commitment will translateinto less turnover, less absenteeism andincreased performance levels.



Thus it has a purposive focus.

Based on few employees

Bias and incorrectness

There might be other influences on commitmentwhich are ignored and are important for a researcherto know

Thus, Rigorous involves good theoretical base and

thought out methodology.



These factors enable the researcher to collect the rightkind of information from an appropriate sample withthe minimum degree of bias and facilitate suitableanalysis of the data gathered.



This supports the other six too.

3. Testability

The researcher might hypothesizethat those employees who perceivegreater

opportunities

for

participation

in

decision

making

would

have

a^

higher

level

of

After random selection manager and researcherdevelops commitment.

certain

hypothesis

on

how

manager

employee commitment can be enhanced, thenthese can be tested by applying certain statisticaltests to the data collected for the purpose

.

Precision

Precision refers to the closeness of the findingsto “reality” based on a sample.

It reflects the degree of accuracy and exactitudeof the results of the sample. Example: If a supervisor estimated thenumber of production days lost during theyear due to absenteeism at between 30 and40, as against the actual of 35, the precision ofestimation would be more favorable than ifhe has indicated that the loss of productiondays was somewhere between 20 and 50.

Precision and Confidence

Confidence

Confidence refers to the probability that ourestimations are correct.

That is, it is not merely enough to be precise,but it is also important that we canconfidently claim that 95% of the time ourresults would be true and there is only a 5%chance of our being wrong.

This is also known as confidence level.

7. Generalizability

It refers to the scope of applicability of theresearch findings in one organization setting toother settings. Example:

If

a

researcher’s

findings

that

participation

in

decision

making

enhances

organizational commitment are found to be true ina variety of manufacturing, industrial and serviceorganizations, and not merely in the particularorganization studied by the researcher, then thegeneralizability

of

the

findings

to

other

organizational

settings

in

enhanced.

The

more

generalizable

the

research,

the

greater

its

usefulness and value.

8. Parsimony

Simplicity in explaining the phenomenon or problems thatoccur, and in generating solutions for the problems, isalways preferred to complex research frameworks thatconsider an unmanageable number of factors. For instance, if 2-3 specific variables in the work situation are

identified, which when changed would raise theorganizational commitment of the employees by 45%, thatwould be more useful be more useful and valuable to themanager than if it were recommended that he shouldchange 10 different variables to increase organizationalcommitment by 48%.

Deduction



Deduction is the process by which we arrive at areasoned conclusion by logical generalization of aknown fact.^ Example: we know that all high performers are highlyproficient in their jobs.If John is a high performer, we then conclude that heis highly proficient in his job

Induction



Induction is a process where we observe certainphenomena and on this basis arrive at conclusions.^ In other words, in induction we logicallyestablish a general proposition based onobserved facts.