Unit 1

1. Unit 1 Nature of Social and Business Research

2. Meaning • Research refers to a search for knowledge. • A scientific and systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic. • It is an art of scientific investigation • Systematized effort to gain new knowledge.

3. Redman and Mory defines • Research as a systematized effort to gain new knowledge

4. Clifford Woody defines • Research comprises defining and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions, collecting , organizing and evaluating data; reaching conclusions and testing conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis.

5. Criteria of a good research • The purpose of the research should be clearly defined • The research procedure used should be described in sufficient detail to permit another researcher to repeat the research for further advancement, keeping the continuity of what has already been attained. • The research design should be carefully planned to yield results that areas objective as possible. • The researcher should report with complete frankness, flaws in procedural design and estimate their effects upon the findings.

6. The analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its significance and the methods of analysis used should be appropriate. The validity and reliability of the data should be checked carefully. • Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the data of the research and limited to those for which the data provide an adequate basis.

7. Social research • Social science is the science of people or collections of people, such as groups, firms, societies, or economies, and their individual or collective behaviors.

8. According to P.V. Young, we may define social research as “the systematic method of discovering new facts and verifying old facts. Their sequences inter relationship, causal explanations and the natural laws govern them”.

9. Characteristics of Social Research • It studies human behaviour and their feelings. • It is carried on for both for discovering new facts and the verification of the old ones. • Tries to establish connection between various human activities.

10. Objectives of Social Research • The aim of social research is to discover new facts and verifying or testing old facts. • It tries to understand the human behaviour and its interaction with the environment. • It tries to find out the casual connection between human activities and natural laws governing them.

11. To develop new scientific tools, concepts and theories. • To portray the characteristics of a particular individual, situation or a group.

12. Assumptions of research • The physical world in which we are living, does exist. • The world is changing • The change in one aspect is related positively or negatively with other aspects. • The changes could be studied and measured by applying standardized tool and measurement.

13. Deductive and Inductive Methods Answers to issues can be found either by the process of Deduction or the process of Induction, or by a combination of the two.

14. Deduction • A deductive approach is concerned with “developing a hypothesis (or hypotheses) based on existing theory, and then designing a research strategy to test the hypothesis”.

16. Example • Premises: 2+2=4 • Conclusion: 4-2=2 • Deductive research is based on absolute logical certainty

17. Example: we know that all high performers are highly proficient in their jobs. • If John is a high performer, we then conclude that he is highly proficient in his job

18. Induction • Induction is a process where we observe certain phenomena and on this basis arrive at conclusions.

19. My nephew borrowed $100 last June but he did not pay back until September as he had promised . Then he assured me that he will pay back until Christmas but he didn’t. He also failed in to keep his promise to pay back in March. I reckon (guess) I have to face the facts. My nephew is never going to pay me back (CONCLUSION).

20. Examples: • Premise: Everyday so far, the sun has risen in the East and set in the west • Conclusion: The sun will probably continue to rise in the East and set in the west. This research produces a general conclusion from a specific premise.

21. All living things have had brains, they have been making inductive inferences: • Mice learn to avoid the electrified corner of their cage, inferring probable future events from painful past experience.

22. Significance of Social Research • Problem Solving • Societal behaviour : All our social problems could be attributed to certain societal behaviour. So, by modifying the same in the right lines, social good is achieved. • Development of methodology: Appropriate methodology is needed to deal with the social issues such as executive stress, worker ethics, leadership style, child labour, women illiteracy, drug addiction, labour absenteeism, etc related to organisations.  • Societal development • Formulation of new theories

23. Social research contributes to social welfare. Social research is generally normative emphasizing that is good for the society. By stating, what is and what is not good for the economy, for the industry, for the consumers, for the students, for the stock market and etc. • Social research catches the dynamics (takes into account the changes)

24. Difficulties of social research • Complexity of social data: human behaviour • Problems of concepts: faulty reasoning of concepts such as wage cuts increases employment opportunities. • Problems in interpreting relationship between cause and effect • Dynamic nature of social phenomena • Problem of maintaining objectivity: interest of the researcher is affected by the findings of their studies.

25. Unpredictability: there is also chances that the researcher cannot predict the behavior of the group. • Difficulty in the verification of the inferences: no tools to cross verify. • Difficulty in the use of experimental method: human beings cannot be put to lab test. • Repeated experiment is not possible on the same data. • Problem of inter disciplinary research: we cannot draw water tight compartments for each other disciplines.

26. Business research- Research and business decisions • Business research is a process of acquiring detailed information of all the areas of business and using such information in maximizing the sales and profit of the business. 

27. Example:  • A mobile company wants to launch a new model in the market. But they are not aware of what are the dimensions of a mobile that are in most demand. Hence, the company conducts a business research using various methods to gather information and the same is then evaluated and conclusions are drawn, as to what dimensions are most in demand. This will enable the researcher to make wise decisions to position his phone at the right price in the market and hence acquire a larger market share.

28. Methods and Types of Business Research. • Primary Market Research • Secondary Market Research

29. key findings could be used to make or change strategies in any one or all of the following areas: • Modification of a specific plan or product • Changing the features of a product or service • Determining the entry of a new product or service into the market.

30. Business research methods that help in decision making: • Possibility of the business to survive and succeed in a new geographical region • Assessment about competitors • Adopting a suitable market approach for a product

31. Quantitative Research • Is there a market for your products and services? • How much market awareness is there of your product or service? • How many people are interested in buying your product or service? • What type of people are your best customers? • What are their buying habits? • How are the needs of your target market changing? • How long are visitors staying on your website, and from which page are they exiting?

32. Qualitative Research • Why do you think this product is better than competitive products? Why do you think it’s not? • What would you do to improve this new service to make it more appealing to you? • What do you think of this new company logo? • What does this print ad say to you?