Research problems and questions
operationalization - constructs,
concepts, variables and hypotheses
Sources: Amanda Leggett: Constructs, variables and operationalization,
2011; Hair, Marketing research, ch. 3 – Thinking like a researcher
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constructs, concepts, variables and hypotheses, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Marketing
Choice and formulation of concepts and constructs ... Define the Variable Relationships ... meaning for a concept for the purposes of research.
Typology: Study Guides, Projects, Research
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Research problems and questions
operationalization - constructs,
concepts, variables and hypotheses
Sources: Amanda Leggett: Constructs, variables and operationalization, 2011; Hair, Marketing research, ch. 3 – Thinking like a researcher
Some tips:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BmjujlZExQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbwxQBLrkfc
In other words…The next step after RQ
formulation can be also….
Choice and formulation of concepts and constructs impotant for the problem
Formulation of hypotheses
Formulation of variables
…..formulation of constructs, hypotheses and variables is usually not sequentional process, but the steps that are done more or less simultaneously
In other words….
What EXACTLY wil we investigate?
Examples:
If we start with concepts….
To understand and communicate information about objects and events, there must be a common groun on which to do it. Concepts serve this purpose. A concept is a generally accepted collection of meanings or characteristics associated with certain events, objects, conditions, situations, and behaviors. Classifying and categorizing objects or events that have common characteristics beyond any single observation creates concepts. We abstract such meanings from our experiences and use words as labels to designate them. For example, we see a man passing and identify that he is running, walking, skipping, crawling, or hopping. These movements all represent concepts. We also have abstracted certain visual elements by which we identify that the moving object is an adult male, rather than an adult female or a truck or a horse.
What for are concepts in research?
We design hypotheses using concepts. We devise measurement concepts by which to test these hypothetical statements. We gather data using these measurement concepts. The success of research hinges on (1) how clearly we conceptualize and (2) how well others understand the concepts we use. For example, when we survey people on the question of customer loyalty, the questions we use need to tap faithfully the attitudes of the participants. Attitudes are abstract, yet we must attempt to measure them using carefully selected concepts. The challenge is to develop concepts that others will clearly understand. We might, for example, ask participants for an estimate of their family’s total income. This may seem to be a simple, unambiguous concept, but we will receive varying and confusing answers unless we restrict or narrow the concept by specifying: • Time period, such as weekly, monthly, or annually. • Before or after income taxes. • For head of family only or for all family members. • For salary and wages only or also for dividends, interest, and capital gains. • Income in kind, such as free rent, employee discounts, or food stamps.
The Role of Constructs
A construct is an abstract idea inferred from specific instances that are thought to be related.
Typical marketing constructs are brand loyalty, satisfaction, preference, awareness, knowledge.
Research objectives typically call for the measurement of constructs.
There are customary methods for defining and measuring constructs.
Conceptualization
Definition: the process through which we specify what we will mean when we use particular terms in research.
Conceptualization produces specific, agreed-upon meaning for a concept for the purposes of research.
Process of specifying clearly exactly what you mean by a term
This process of specifying exact meaning involves describing the indicators we’ll be using to measure our concept and the different aspects of the concept, called dimensions.
Operationalization
Operational definition : specifies precisely how a concept will be measured – the operations it will perform.
process whereby researchers specify empirical concepts that can be taken as indicators of the attributes of a concept
Summarizing…….
Concept
Abstract thinking to distinguish it from other elements
Construct
Theoretical definition of a concept; must be observable or measurable; linked to other concepts
Variable
Presented in research questions and hypotheses
Operationalization
Specifically how the variable is observed or measured