Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach PDF
Preview Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach
Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Dedication About the Authors Preface Changes in the fifth edition Companion websites Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction to research What is research? Business research Types of business research: applied and basic Managers and research The manager and the consultant–researcher Internal versus external consultants/researchers Knowledge about research and managerial effectiveness Ethics and business research Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 2: Scientific investigation The hallmarks of scientific research Some obstacles to conducting scientific research in the management area The hypothetico-deductive method Other types of research Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 3: The research process: the broad problem area and defining the problem statement Broad problem area Preliminary information gathering Literature review Defining the problem statement The research proposal Managerial implications Ethical issues in the preliminary stages of investigation Summary Discussion Questions Practice Projects Appendix Chapter 4: The research process: theoretical framework and hypothesis development The need for a theoretical framework Variables Theoretical framework Hypothesis development Hypothesis testing with qualitative research: negative case analysis Managerial implications Summary Discussion Questions Practice Project Chapter 5: The research process: elements of research design The research design Purpose of the study: exploratory, descriptive, hypothesis testing (analytical and predictive), case study analysis Type of investigation: causal versus correlational Extent of researcher interference with the study Study setting: contrived and noncontrived Unit of analysis: individuals, dyads, groups, organizations, cultures Time horizon: cross-sectional versus longitudinal studies Review of elements of research design Managerial implications Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 6: Measurement of variables: operational definition How variables are measured Operationalization of variables International dimensions of operationalization Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 7: Measurement: scaling, reliability, validity Scales Rating scales Ranking scales International dimensions of scaling Goodness of measures Reflective versus formative measurement scales Summary Discussion Questions Appendix Chapter 8: Data collection methods Sources of data Data collection methods International dimensions of surveys Managerial implications Ethics in data collection Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 9: Experimental designs The lab experiment The field experiment Trade-off between internal and external validity Factors affecting the validity of experiments Identifying threats to validity Internal validity in case studies Review of factors affecting internal and external validity Types of experimental design and validity Simulation Ethical issues in experimental design research Managerial implications Summary Discussion Questions Appendix Chapter 10: Sampling Population, element, sample, sampling unit, and subject Parameters Reasons for sampling Representativeness of samples Normality of distributions The sampling process Probability sampling Nonprobability sampling Examples of when certain sampling designs would be appropriate Sampling in cross-cultural research Issues of precision and confidence in determining sample size Sample data, precision, and confidence in estimation Trade-off between confidence and precision Sample data and hypothesis testing Determining the sample size Importance of sampling design and sample size Efficiency in sampling Sampling as related to qualitative studies Managerial implications Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 11: Quantitative data analysis Getting the data ready for analysis Getting a feel for the data Excelsior Enterprises – descriptive statistics part 1 Testing goodness of data Excelsior Enterprises – descriptive statistics part 2 Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 12: Quantitative data analysis: hypothesis testing Introduction Type I errors, type II errors, and statistical power Choosing the appropriate statistical technique Testing a hypothesis about a single mean Testing hypotheses about two related means Testing hypotheses about two unrelated means Testing hypotheses about several means Regression analysis Other multivariate tests and analyses Excelsior Enterprises – hypothesis testing Data warehousing, data mining, and operations research Some software packages useful for data analysis Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 13: Qualitative data analysis Introduction Data reduction Data display Drawing conclusions Reliability and validity in qualitative research Some other methods of gathering and analyzing qualitative data Summary Discussion Questions Chapter 14: The research report The report The written report Oral presentation Summary Discussion Questions Appendix A final note to students Statistical tables
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