MBA & MMS Programmes,
22nd October 2021, Malawi Institute of Management
1. Introduction
1
Introductions!
Thom-Raphael Bwanali, BEd (Mlw), MPA (Bolton), PhD (HUST)
Tax Administrator, Public Sector Reform Specialist & Researcher
trbwanali@yahoo.co.uk
+265 997 394 694
• Teaching & Research
Interests:
➢ Public Management
➢ Public Budgeting and
Finance
➢ Public Value Governance
➢ Research Methods
• Work Experience:
➢ Tax Administration
➢ Management Reform
➢ Teaching
➢ Research
Module Overview (Ref. Saunders P.XViii)
No.
Topic
1.
Overview of Research, Paradigm & Philosophies
2.
7.
Research Approaches and Literature Review
Literature Review, Referencing and Citations
Research Strategies
Sampling
Data Collection Techniques
Validity, Reliability and Research Ethics
8.
Qualitative methods
9.
Survey Research Design: questionnaire format; data analysis
and presentation of findings
3
Quantitative methods
3.
4.
5.
6.
10.
Learning Outcomes (1)
Learning Outcomes
Assessment
Demonstrate critical understanding of research
paradigms and evaluate the contribution of such to the
area of business and management in the organisation
Exhibit understanding and expertise of theories,
methods, tools, techniques, applied to the analysis, of
problem based business or management research
Critically analyse different research methodologies
appropriate to the field of business and management
3 Hour closed book midsemester exam
3 Hour closed book end
of semester exam
Understand the risks, resources and rewards associated 1 Assignment (7,500
with undertaking research
word Project Proposal)
4
Learning Outcomes (2)
Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate that research can be ethically and safely
conducted within the arena of business, management
and organisations
Identify and exploit relevant literature and evaluate
such research in the light of a chosen research topic
Critically review, consolidate and understand a
systematic and coherent body of knowledge
Present a well-structured proposal with emphasis on
content, clarity, conciseness and style
Assessment
3 Hour closed book midsemester exam
3 Hour closed book end
of semester exam
1 Assignment (5000
word Project Proposal)
5
Shape of the Module (15 credits)
• Lectures
45hrs
• Tutorials
15hrs
• Self Guided Study
-
1 Assignment and 2 exams
➢ Continuous assessment 50%
➢ Final examination 50%
6
Module Assignment
➢ The primary task for this assignment is to write a
Research Proposal for a research topic that is in
the domain of your programme of study, of
sufficient interest to yourself to ultimately be the
basis for your MBA/MSc dissertation project and
meets the pragmatic criteria given to you for a
reasonable and feasible topic
➢ Refer to Assignment Handout for more details
➢ Submission Deadline :
Prescribed Texts
• Collis, J. and Hussey, R. (2009) Business
Research: A Practical Guide for
Undergraduates and Postgraduate Learners
(3rd ed.), . New York: Palgrave McMillan
• Gray, D. (2009) Doing Research in the Real
World (2nd ed.) London: Sage
• Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019)
Research Methods for Business Students (8th
Ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education Limited
8
Recommended Reading (1)
• Robson, C. (2002) Real world research 2nd Edition,
Blackwell Publishing, Oxford
Shared!
• Bryman, A. Bell E (2007), Business research , 7th edition ,
London, Oxford Press.
• Khotari, C., R. (2006) Research Methodology: methods and
techniques. New Age International (P) Ltd., 2nd Ed.
• Sekaran, Uma and Bougie, Roger (2010) Research Methods
for Business: A skill building approach. Wiley
• Srivastava, T., N. and Rego, Shailaja (2011/ 1958) Business
Research Methodology. Tata McGraw-Hill.
• Fisher, C. (2010) Researching And Writing Dissertation: An
Essential Guide For Business students, Pearson Education
9
UK.
Recommended Reading (2)
• Kumar, Ranjit (2011) Research Methodology: A stepShared!
by-step Guide for Beginners 3rd Ed. Sage Publications,
Ltd.
• Lancaster, G. (2005) Research Methods in
Management: A Concise Introduction to Research in
Management and Business Consultancy, Oxford:
Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann
• Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research
design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods
approaches. Sage publications.
• Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2017). Designing and
conducting mixed methods research. Sage
publications.
10
Academic Journals Academic Writing
1. Early Human Development
2. Industrial Marketing Management
3. Journal of Further and Higher Education
4. Management Review
11
Useful Websites (1)
• Harvard Business Review https://hbr.org/
• Open Access Management Journals
https://www.openacessjournal.com/subject/list-
of-management-journals/
• Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/
• PDF Drive https://www.pdfdrive.com/
12
Masters Level Study
13
Masters Level Study
➢ Masters level study is largely independent
➢ We don’t tell you the right answers
➢ We don’t dictate how you spend all your time
➢ We don’t prescribe exactly what you have to read
BUT read more RECENT academic journal articles
➢ We do provide a framework for your study
➢ We do provide guidance on key reading on concepts
➢ We do develop your ‘learning skills’
➢ We do provide support
14
MBA & MMS Programmes,
22nd October 2021, Malawi Institute of Management
1. The role of research and
associated paradigmatic and
theoretical approaches in
research methods
15
Topic Outline
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is Research?
Why Conduct Research?
Characteristics of Research
Criteria Of A Good Research
Problems In Research
Role Of Research In Decision-making
16
Class Reading & Discussion
In class, read Isabelle’s
research dilemma and
answer the questions
which follow
Isabelle’s research dilemma
▪
How Isabelle’s understanding of theory and method
changed in adopting the approach she chose:
▪
➢
transdisciplinary nature of business and management research;
➢
development of ideas that are related to practice and in particular
the requirement for the research to have some practical
consequence;
➢
need for research to complete the virtuous circle of theory and
practice;
➢
addressing of problems that grow out of the interaction between the
worlds of theory and practice.
Knowledge and skills developed in preparing the research:
➢
key differences between basic and applied research
➢
purpose and the context in which research is undertaken;
What is Research?
▪
An inquiry process that has clearly defined parameters
and has as its aim the:
➢ discovery or creation of knowledge,
➢ or theory building;
➢ testing,
➢ confirmation,
➢ revision,
➢ refutation of knowledge and theory; and / or
➢ investigation of a problem for local decision making
(Hernon, 1991)
Why Conduct Research?
➢ Because you don’t know what to do!
➢ To investigate some existing situation or
problem
➢ To provide solutions to a problem
➢ To explore and analyse more general issues
➢ To construct or create a new procedure or
system
➢ To generate new knowledge
➢ Combination of any of the above
Characteristics of Research (1)
➢ Directed towards the solution of a problem.
➢ Based upon observable experience or empirical
evidence.
➢ Demands
description.
accurate
observation
and
➢ Involves gathering new data from primary
sources or using existing data for a new
purpose.
➢ Research activities are characterized
carefully designed procedures.
by
Characteristics of Research (2)
➢ Requires expertise i.e., skill necessary to carryout
investigation, search the related literature and to
understand and analyse the data gathered.
➢ Objective and logical – applying every possible
test to validate the data collected and conclusions
reached.
➢ Involves the quest for answers to unsolved
problems.
➢ Requires courage.
➢ Characterized by patient and unhurried activity.
➢ Is carefully recorded and reported.
Criteria Of A Good Research
➢ Purpose clearly defined.
➢ Research process detailed.
➢ Research design thoroughly planned.
➢ High ethical standards applied.
➢ Limitations frankly revealed.
➢ Adequate analysis for decision maker’s needs.
➢ Findings presented unambiguously.
➢ Conclusions justified.
➢ Researcher’s experience reflected.
Problems In Research
➢ Topic selection/Problem identification
➢ Uncontrollable variables
➢ Human tendencies
➢ Time and money
➢ Insufficient interaction between university
departments and business establishments
research
➢ Lack of confidence on the part of business units to give
information
➢ Lack of code of conduct
➢ Difficulty of timely availability of published data.
Role Of Research In Decision-making
➢ Decision-making is the process of selecting the
best alternative from the available set of
alternatives.
➢ Management is chiefly concerned with decisionmaking and its implementation.
➢ These decisions should be based on appropriate
studies, evaluations and observations.
➢ Research provides us with knowledge and skills
needed to solve the problems and to meet the
challenges of a fast paced decision-making
environment.
According to Herbert A Simon, decisionmaking involves three activities:
➢Intelligence Activity - scanning the
environment for identifying conditions
necessary for the decision.
➢Designing Activity - identifying, developing
and analysing the alternative courses of
action.
➢Choice Activity - choosing the best course
of action from among the alternatives.
Factors That Affect Managerial Decisions (1)
❖ INTERNAL FACTORS – factors present inside
an organisation such as resources, technology,
trade unions, cash flow, manpower etc.
❖ EXTERNAL FACTORS – factors present outside
the organisation such as government policies,
political factors, socio-economic factors, legal
framework, geographic and cultural factors etc.
❖ QUANTITATIVE FACTORS – factors that can
be measured in quantities such as time, resources,
cost factors etc.
Factors That Affect Managerial Decisions (2)
❖ QUALITATIVE FACTORS – factors that
cannot be measured in quantities such as
organizational cohesiveness, sense of
belonging of employees, risk of
technological change etc.
❖ UNCERTAINITY FACTORS – factors
which cannot be predicted.
Types Of Research
Descriptive vs Analytical Research
❖ Descriptive Research is a fact finding
investigation which is aimed at describing
the characteristics of individual, situation or
a group (or) describing the state of affairs as
it exists at present.
❖ Analytical Research is primarily concerned
with testing hypothesis and specifying and
interpreting relationships, by analyzing the
facts or information already available.
Types Of Research
Applied vs Fundamental Research
❖ Applied Research or Action Research is carried
out to find solution to a real life problem
requiring an action or policy decision.
❖ Fundamental Research which is also known as
basic or pure research is undertaken for the sake
of knowledge without any intention to apply it in
practice. It is undertaken out of intellectual
curiosity and is not necessarily problem-oriented.
Types Of Research
Quantitative vs Qualitative Research
❖ Quantitative Research is employed for
measuring the quantity or amount of a
particular phenomena by the use of
statistical analysis.
❖ Qualitative Research is a non-quantitative
type of analysis which is aimed at finding
out the quality of a particular phenomenon.
Types Of Research
Conceptual vs Empirical Research
❖ Conceptual Research is generally used by
philosophers and thinkers to develop new
concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.
❖ Empirical Research is a data based
research which depends on experience or
observation alone. It is aimed at coming up
with conclusions without due regard for
system and theory.
Some other types of research..
❖ One-time Research – Research confined to a single
time period.
❖ Longitudinal Research – Research carried on over
several time periods.
❖ Diagnostic Research – It is also called clinical research
which aims at identifying the causes of a problem,
frequency with which it occurs and the possible
solutions for it.
❖ Exploratory Research – It is the preliminary study of
an unfamiliar problem, about which the researcher has
little or no knowledge. It is aimed to gain familiarity
with the problem, to generate new ideas or to make a
precise formulation of the problem. Hence it is also
known as formulative research.
Some other types of research..
❖ Experimental Research – It is designed to
assess the effect of one particular variable on a
phenomenon by keeping the other variables
constant or controlled.
❖ Historical Research – It is the study of past
records and other information sources, with a
view to find the origin and development of a
phenomenon and to discover the trends in the
past, in order to understand the present and to
anticipate the future.
Qualities Of A Good Research
1. Systematic – research process
2. Logical – induction/deduction
3. Empirical – evidence based
4. Reductive – generalisation
5. Replicable – methodology.
Research Process
FF
Review the literature
FF
Define
Research
Problem
I
Review
Concepts
And
theories
Formulate
Question/
hypothesis
Review
Previous
Research
findings
Design
Research
(Including
Sample
Design)
Collect
Data
(Execution)
IV
V
III
Analyse
Data
(Test
Hypothesis
if any)
F
Interpret
and
report
F
VI
II
F
F
FF
Feed Back
Feed Forward
VII
Self-Study
Before our next meeting,
PLEASE read:
1. Chapter 4: Understanding research philosophy and
approaches to theory development (from p.128-159) from
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2019) Research
Methods for Business Students (8th Ed.). Harlow: Pearson
Education Limited
2. Chapter 1: Business Research Strategies (from p.3-36)
from
Bryman, A. Bell E (2007), Business research , 7th edition ,
London: Oxford Press.
Questions
38