TODAY’S AGENDA
 Ch. 4, 5, 6 – Your Questions
• Define a good research problem
• Characteristics of a quality research
• Types of questions – exploratory, descriptive vs causal
• Components of a research proposal
• Define Literature (Lit) review
• Functions of Lit Review
• How to do Lit Review
• Types of variables
• How to develop a hypothesis
NEXT STEPS
1. Test 1 next week (week 4- May 30) – Chapters 1-6 will be on the test
2. Research Topic due on June 6
3. Read Chapters 7 and 8 for class on June 6
4. Literature Review due on June 13
REVIEW
 Research Topic/Objectives/Questions Instructions
 Peer Evaluation Form
CHAPTER 4
Defining Research Problem
DEFINING RESEARCH PROBLEM
PROBLEM
 Research Problem:
• Research objective
• Determine the factors that affect employee commitment.
• Research question
• Does diversity hiring affect employee commitment?
• Sample hypothesis
• Hiring of racialized individuals in top leadership increases employee commitment to
the organization.
GOOD RESEARCH PROBLEM
 Relevant
• for the organization
 Feasible
• you are able to answer the research questions within the restrictions of the
research project.
 Interesting
• to you!
CHARACTERISTICS OF A QUALITY RESEARCH
 The research is developed from and supported by a sound theoretical base.
 The research problem is well defined and the research questions and objectives
that flow from it are specific and possible to address through a rigorous
research design.
 The research is of interest to both the sponsor and the researcher.
 Resource requirements in terms of time, money, and data access are well
understood early in the research process.
 The research is expected to make a contribution to knowledge independently of
the orientation of the findings, particularly important for academic theses and
dissertations.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: EXAMPLES
 To investigate the long-term profitability of a certain market (obviously the
market has to be specified).
 To identify market segments.
 To determine the level of employee commitment.
 To find out whether the organization can invest in a partnership
internationally.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS LEAD TO CORRESPONDING HYPOTHESES
Research Question
Does advertising influence sales?
Is beverage consumption related to region?
Are company share prices affected by
unexpected capital investment
announcements?
Is sales territory size related to customer
service ratings?
Corresponding Hypothesis
Advertising is positively related to sales.
People living in countries near the equator drink more beer per
capita than do people from the countries further from the equator.
Share price performance is positively and instantaneously impacted
by unexpected capital investment announcements.
Sales territory size is negatively related to customer service ratings.
Do flexible schedules create increased labor
efficiency?
Business units using flextime have lower unit labor costs than do
those using standard schedule procedures.
Does package color affect product quality
ratings?
Are equity risk premiums related to company
size?
Is job satisfaction related to an employee’s
gender?
Consumers rate products with blue packages as higher in quality
than products in orange packages.
Equity investors require larger returns from smaller companies to
justify investing funds.
Female employees report higher job satisfaction than do male
employees with the same job.
BASIC TYPES OF QUESTIONS
 Exploratory
 Descriptive
 Causal
EXPLORATORY QUESTIONS
 Exploratory questions:
• not much is known about the situation at hand, or no information is
available on how similar problems or research issues have been solved in
the past.
 Example:
• A service provider wants to know why his customers are switching to other
service providers?
DESCRIPTIVE QUESTIONS
 Descriptive questions:
• Enable the researcher to describe the characteristics of the variables of
interest in a situation.
 Example:
• What is the profile of the individuals who have loan payments outstanding
for 6 months and more?
• The profile would include details of their average age, earnings, nature of
occupation, full-time/part-time employment status, and the like. This might
help him to elicit further information or decide right away on the types of
individuals who should be made ineligible for loans in the future.
CAUSAL QUESTIONS
 Causal questions:
• Delineating one or more factors that are causing a problem.
 Example:
• Will the sales of product X increase if we increase the advertising budget?
 To establish a causal relationship, the following conditions should be met:
• The independent and the dependent variable should covary.
• The independent variable (the presumed causal factor) should precede
the dependent variable.
• The researcher should control for the effects of ‘extraneous’ variables that
might affect dependent variable.
THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
 The research proposal drawn up by the investigator is the result of a
planned, organized, and careful effort.
RESEARCH PROPOSAL CONTAINS (1)
 Working title.
 Background of the study.
 The problem statement.
-
The purpose of the study.
-
Research questions.
 The scope of the study.
 The relevance of the study
RESEARCH PROPOSAL CONTAINS (2)
 The research design offering details on:
a. Type of study
b. Data collection methods
c. The sampling design.
d. Data analysis.
 Time frame of the study
 Budget
 Selected bibliography.
CONCEPT CHECK – QUIZ I
1. Secondary data refers to information that the researcher gathers first hand through instruments such as
surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observation.
a. T
b. F
2. A problem statement addresses both the “why” (the specific aim or purpose of the study) and the “what”
(the central research question or a set of research questions) of the research.
a. T
b. F
3. There are three key criteria to assess the quality of the problem statement: it should be.
a. parsimonious, feasible, and testable
b. Relevant, interesting and feasible
c. Relevant, feasible and rigorous
d. Precise, parsimonious and rigorous
CONCEPT CHECK – QUIZ I
1. Secondary data refers to information that the researcher gathers first hand through instruments such as
surveys, interviews, focus groups, or observation.
a. T
b. F
2. A problem statement addresses both the “why” (the specific aim or purpose of the study) and the “what”
(the central research question or a set of research questions) of the research.
a. T
b. F
3. There are three key criteria to assess the quality of the problem statement: it should be.
a. parsimonious, feasible, and testable
b. Relevant, interesting and feasible
c. Relevant, feasible and rigorous
d. Precise, parsimonious and rigorous
CHAPTER 5
Literature review
LITERATURE REVIEW
CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW
 A literature review is “the selection of available documents (both published
and unpublished) on the topic, which contain information, ideas, data and
evidence written from a particular standpoint to fulfill certain aims or express
certain views on the nature of the topic and how it is to be investigated, and
the effective evaluation of these documents in relation to the research being
proposed” (Hart, 1998, p. 13).
FUNCTIONS OF LITERATURE REVIEW
 Research builds on existing knowledge
 One does not “reinvent the wheel”
 Look at a problem from a specific angle
 Find out what variables are important to consider
 Introduce relevant terminology/provide definitions
 Provide arguments for the relationships variables
 Testability and replicability are enhanced.
 Gives an insight into the methodology used by others
 Research findings are related to findings of others.
DATA SOURCES
 Textbooks
 Academic and professional journals
 Theses
 Conference proceedings
 Unpublished manuscripts
 Raw data from government departments and corporations
• Analyzed data example
 Newspapers
 The Internet
STEPS INVOLVED IN LITERATURE REVIEW
1. Search for related literature
2. Evaluate each article
3. Documenting and writing the literature review
4. Citing sources
SEARCHING FOR LITERATURE
 Seneca Library has the following electronic resources at their
disposal:
• Electronic journals
• Full-text databases
• Bibliographic databases
• Abstract databases
– And many more…
EVALUATING THE LITERATURE .. WHERE TO LOOK FOR AS A START
 Titles
 Abstract
 Table of contents/first chapter book
 Number of citations
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN EACH ARTICLE












Is the problem statement clear
Does the study build on previous study (Look at the citations)
Is the study relevant to my area
Is there a theory that guides the research
Are the methods used clear
Are the methods justified
Is the sample appropriate
Is the research design appropriate
Are the variables valid
Do the conclusions result from the findings of the study
Do the conclusions answer the main question
Are limitations clearly stated
WHAT TO LOOK FOR (CONTD.)
Example of published paper
Chakraborty et al, 2008. “Examining the Effects of Cognitive Style in Individuals’
Technology Use Decision Making,” Decision Support Systems (45:2), pp. 228–
241
WRITING THE LITERATURE REVIEW
 So, now you have all the articles, how do I structure it?
Discrimination experienced in the workplace at a large retail outlet in Toronto
Step 1
Glass Ceiling faced by
Immigrant women
Hitt, M.A.
Compensation
differences between
male and female CEOs
Drucker , P
Visible Minorities - problems
in recruiting
Peter, M.
Arabs facing job
shortages - post
9/11
Mann et al
Reverse Immigration a
created Problem
Patel , A.
Why people of colour do
not occupy top positions
Meuller , I.
Separate Training for
women?
Williams, J.
Reverse Immigration a
created Problem
Patel , A.
Did anything change after
martin Luther's speech?
Horstman , A. and P. Yuan
Bullying faced by people of
colour
Myers , M and A. Patel
Systemic
Differentiation
against South Asians
Sheikh, N.
Poor English language
skills a hindrance at
workplace
Tobar B. and Myers P.
Discrimination experienced in the workplace at a large retail outlet in Toronto
Step 2
Race/Ethnicity
Colour
Nationality
English
Language
...........
Discrimination experienced in the workplace at a large retail outlet in Toronto
Step 3
Arabs facing job shortages - post
9/11
Mann et al
Systemic Differentiation
against South Asians
Sheikh, N.
Separate Training for women?
Williams, J.
Visible Minorities - problems in recruiting
Peter, M.
Bullying faced by people of colour
Myers , M and A. Patel
Glass Ceiling faced by
Immigrant women
Hitt, M.A.
Did anything change
after martin Luther's
speech?
Horstman , A. and P.
Yuan
Poor English language skills a
hindrance at workplace
Tobar B. and Myers P.
Reverse Immigration a
created Problem
Patel , A.
Why people of
colour do not
occupy top
positions
Meuller , I.
Compensation differences between
male and female CEOs
Drucker , P
Literature Review Flow Chart
Workplace
Discrimination
Gender
Race/Ethnicity
Glass Ceiling faced by
Immigrant women
Arabs facing jos shortages
- post 9/11
Did anything change after
martin Luther's speech?
Systemic Differentitation
against Sout Asians
Hitt, M.A.
Mann et al
Horstman , A. and P. Yuan
Sheikh, N.
Compensation
differences between
male and female CEOs
Visible Minorities problems in recruiting
Bullying faced by people
of colour
Reverse Immigration a
created Problem
Peter, M.
Myers , M and A. Patel
Patel , A.
Drucker , P
Colour
Separate Training for
women?
Why people of colour do
not occupy top positions
Williams, J.
Meuller , I.
Nationality
Discrimination experienced in the
workplace at a large retail outlet in
Toronto
English Language
Poor English language
skills a hindrance at
workplace
Tobar B. and Myers P.
...........
COMMON FORMS OF PLAGIARISM
Sources not cited
1. “The Ghost Writer”
2. “The Photocopy”
3. “The Potluck Paper”
4. “The Poor Disguise”
5. “The Labor of Laziness”
6. “The Self-Stealer”
Reprinted with permission from: What is Plagiarism? (n.d.), retrieved June 22, 2011, from
http:// www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html.
COMMON FORMS OF PLAGIARISM
Sources cited (but still plagiarized)
1.“The Forgotten Footnote”
2.“The Misinformer”
3.“The Too-Perfect Paraphrase”
4.“The Resourceful Citer”
5.“The Perfect Crime”
Reprinted with permission from: What is Plagiarism? (n.d.), retrieved June 22, 2011, from
http:// www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html.
CONCEPT CHECK – QUIZ II
1. Which of the following does not represent a criterion for assessing the value of articles or books?
a. The relevance of the issues that are addressed in the article or book.
b. The stature of the author of the article or book.
c. The importance of a book or article in terms of citations.
d. The year of publication of the article or book.
2. A critical literature review ensures that a clearer idea emerges as to what variables will be important to
consider, why they are considered important, and how they should be investigated to solve the problem.
a. T
b. F
3. Some of the indicators of the quality of a research article are:
a. Quality of journal
b. Rigor behind the research
c. Number of citations
d. All the above
CONCEPT CHECK – QUIZ II
1. Which of the following does not represent a criterion for assessing the value of articles or books?
a. The relevance of the issues that are addressed in the article or book.
b. The stature of the author of the article or book.
c. The importance of a book or article in terms of citations.
d. The year of publication of the article or book.
2. A critical literature review ensures that a clearer idea emerges as to what variables will be important to
consider, why they are considered important, and how they should be investigated to solve the problem.
a. T
b. F
3. Some of the indicators of the quality of a research article are:
a. Quality of journal
b. Rigor behind the research
c. Number of citations
d. All the above
CHAPTER 6
THEORTICAL FRAMEWORK AND
HYPOTHESIS DEVELOPMENT
VARIABLE

Any concept or construct that varies or changes in
value

Main types of variables:
•
Dependent variable
•
Independent variable
•
Moderating variable
•
Mediating variable
(IN)DEPENDENT VARIABLES
 Dependent variable (DV)
• Is of primary interest to the researcher. The goal of the research
project is to understand, predict or explain the variability of this
variable.
 Independent variable (IV)
• Influences the DV in either positive or negative way. The
variance in the DV is accounted for by the IV.
EXAMPLE
Availability of
reference manuals
# of rejects
MODERATORS
 Moderating variable
• Moderator is qualitative (e.g., gender, race, class) or quantitative (e.g.,
level of reward) variable that affects the direction and/or strength of
relation between independent and dependent variable.
EXAMPLE
Availability of
reference manuals
# of rejects
Interest &
inclination
MEDIATING VARIABLE

Mediating variable
• surfaces between the time the independent variables start operating
to influence the dependent variable and the time their impact is felt
on it.

Example
Employee
responsiveness
Customer
satisfaction
Customer
loyalty
HYPOTHESIS

A proposition that is empirically testable. It is an empirical statement
concerned with the relationship among variables.

Good hypothesis:
• Must be adequate for its purpose
• Must be testable
• Must be better than its rivals

Can be:
• Directional
• Non-directional
EXERCISE
Give the hypotheses for the following framework:
Service
quality
Customer
switching
Companies
Switching
cost
EXERCISE
Give the hypotheses for the following framework:
Service
quality
Customer
satisfaction
Customer
switching
companies
BUILDING YOUR HYPOTHESIS
The expected relationships / hypotheses are an integration of:

•
Exploratory research
•
Common sense and logical reasoning
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS COURSE
 Min. 5-6 articles per person in the group from Scholarly Journals
 5-6 articles per person from other sources such as Newspapers,
Magazines, etc.
 Total – 10-12 articles per person
 No articles from Wikipedia
 In-text citation and page formatting as per APA system
CONCEPT CHECK – QUIZ III
1. A ____________ has a strong contingent effect on the independent variable–dependent variable
relationship.
a. Moderating variable.
b. Mediating variable.
c. Intervening variable.
d. Confounding variable.
2. From a pragmatic point of view, the _____________ variables represent possible solutions to the
problem.
a. dependent.
b. independent
c. moderating
d. mediating
CONCEPT CHECK – QUIZ III
1. A ____________ has a strong contingent effect on the independent variable–dependent variable
relationship.
a. Moderating variable.
b. Mediating variable.
c. Intervening variable.
d. Confounding variable.
2. From a pragmatic point of view, the _____________ variables represent possible solutions to the
problem.
a. dependent.
b. independent
c. moderating
d. mediating
NEXT STEPS
1. Test 1 next week in-person (week 4- May 30) – Chapters 1-6 will be on the test
2. Research Topic due on June 6
3. Read Chapters 7 and 8 for class on June 6
4. Literature Review due on June 13