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Full Description
Explore the essential steps for data collection, reporting, and analysis in business research
Understanding Business Research offers a comprehensive introduction to the entire process of designing, conducting, interpreting, and reporting findings in the business environment. With an emphasis on the human factor, the book presents a complete set of tools for tackling complex behavioral and social processes that are a part of data collection in industry settings.
Utilizing numerous real-world examples throughout, the authors begin by presenting an overview of the research process, outlining key ideas relating to the business environment, ethics, and empirical methods. Quantitative techniques and considerations that are specific to business research, including sampling and the use of assessments, surveys, and objective measures are also introduced. Subsequent chapters outline both common and specialized research designs for business data, including:
Correlational Research
Single Variable Between-Subjects Research
Correlated Groups Designs
Qualitative and Mixed-Method Research
Between-Subjects Designs
Between-Subjects Factorial Designs
Research with Categorical Data
Each chapter is organized using an accessible, comprehensive pedagogy that ensures a fluid presentation. Case studies showcase the real-world applications of the discussed topics while critical thinking exercises and Knowledge Checks supply questions that allow readers to test their comprehension of the presented material. Numerous graphics illustrate the visual nature of the research, and chapter-end glossaries outline definitions of key terms. In addition, detailed appendices provide a review of basic concepts and the most commonly used statistical tables.
Requiring only a basic understanding of statistics, Understanding Business Research is an excellent book for courses on business statistics as well as business and management science research methods at the graduate level. The book is also a valuable resource for practitioners in business, finance, and management science who utilize qualitative and quantitative research methods in their everyday work.
Contents
Preface xiii
Part I: Overview of the Research Process 1
1 Research and Business 3
Introduction 4
Why is Understanding Research Methods so Important? 4
The Role of Science in Business and Everyday Life 4
The Scientific Method 5
Brief History of the Science of Behavior in the Workplace 6
Bacon's Legacy 10
Other Important Historical Figures 10
Assumptions of Science 12
Requirements for Scientific Research 13
Chapter Summary 18
Chapter Glossary for Review 20
References 21
2 Ethics and Research 23
Introduction 23
What is Ethics? 24
Approaches to Ethical Analysis 26
Making Ethical Decisions 29
Ethical Business Research 30
Components of an Ethical Research Plan 32
Research in Action: Ethical Dilemmas 37
Chapter Glossary for Review 40
References 40
3 The Foundations of Research 41
Introduction 41
The Hypothesis in Research 42
Types of Hypotheses 46
Measurement 52
Reliability of Measurement 57
Validity of Measurement 59
Populations and Samples 61
Research in Action: Credit or Cash? 65
Chapter Summary 68
Chapter Glossary for Review 69
References 71
4 An Overview of Empirical Methods 73
Introduction 74
Internal, Statistical, and External Validity 74
Survey of Empirical Methods 83
Intact Groups Designs and Quasi-Experimental Studies 87
Surveys 90
Correlational Studies 90
Interviews and Case Studies 92
Meta-Analysis 93
Computers and Statistics 94
Research in Action: Price Matters 95
Chapter Summary 99
Chapter Glossary for Review 101
References 103
Part II: Nuts and Bolts of Research 105
5 Writing the Research Report 107
Introduction 107
What Do Readers Appreciate in Good Writing? 109
Elements of Style 109
Special Grammatical Issues 113
Academic Integrity 117
Parts of the Research Report 122
Chapter Summary 135
References 136
6 Reviewing the Literature and Forming Hypotheses 137
Introduction 138
Bibliographic Research 138
The Internet as a Source 141
Developing a Search Strategy 143
Searching the Literature: The Library 144
Research in Action: Does Listening to Mozart Make You Smarter? 148
Statistical Inference and Testing Hypotheses 150
Chapter Summary 154
Chapter Glossary for Review 155
References 156
7 Sampling: The First Steps in Research 157
Introduction 158
The Nature of Samples 159
Probability Sampling 160
Sampling Methods 162
Nonprobability Sampling 165
Central Limit Theorem 167
Applications of the Central Limit Theorem 170
Sources of Bias and Error: A Reprise 176
Research in Action: Sampling Matters 178
Chapter Summary 180
Chapter Glossary for Review 181
References 182
8 Creating and Using Assessments, Surveys, and Objective Measures 183
Introduction 184
Purpose of Measurement 184
Caveat Assessor 184
Creating a Measurement Scale and Developing a Data-Collection Strategy 186
Interviews, Questionnaires, and Attitude Surveys 187
Question Response Formats 190
Writing Good Survey Items 194
Determining the Sample Size for a Survey 199
Naturalistic Observation 201
Research in Action: Analysis of Assaults 207
Chapter Summary 212
Chapter Glossary for Review 212
References 215
9 A Model for Research Design 215
Introduction 216
A Model for Research Design 216
What is the Independent Variable? 221
What is the Dependent Variable? 223
Are There Confounding Variables? 224
What are the Research Hypotheses? 227
Mathematical Hypotheses 228
Evaluating Hypotheses 229
Evaluating Hypotheses: Practical Matters 232
Research in Action: Sex Differences and Shopping Behavior 236
Research in Action: Changing Attitudes by Writing Essays 236
Chapter Summary 237
Chapter Glossary for Review 239
References 240
Part III: Common Research Designs 243
10 Correlational Research 245
Introduction 246
Conceptual Review of Correlation 246
Pearson's r 248
Interpreting the Correlation Coefficient 248
Factors that Corrupt a Correlation Coefficient 250
Sample Size and the Correlation Coefficient 253
Applications of the Correlation Coefficient 255
Regression Analysis 259
Introduction to Mediation and Moderation 261
Regression to the Mean 262
Research in Action: Education and Income 264
Chapter Summary 268
Chapter Glossary for Review 269
References 270
11 Between-Subjects Designs 271
Introduction 271
Student's t-Ratio for Independent Groups 272
Review of Hypothesis Testing 274
Testing Statistical Hypotheses 276
Common Errors in the Interpretation of p 282
The Power of a Test 284
Estimating the Sample Size 289
Statistics Behind The Research 291
Chapter Summary 295
Chapter Glossary for Review 296
References 296
12 Single-Variable Between-Subjects Research 297
Introduction 298
Independent Variable 298
Cause and Effect 301
Gaining Control Over the Variables 301
The General Linear Model 303
Components of Variance 306
The F-Ratio 307
H0 and H1 310
F-Ratio Sampling Distribution 310
Summarizing and Interpreting ANOVA Results 312
Effect Size and Power 313
Multiple Comparisons of the Means 315
Research in Action 318
Chapter Summary 320
Chapter Glossary for Review 321
References 322
13 Between-Subjects Factorial Designs 325
Introduction 326
The Logic of the Two-Variable Design 326
Advantages of the Two-Variable Design 327
Factorial Designs: Variables, Levels, and Cells 331
Examples of Factorial Designs 332
Main Effects and Interaction 334
Designing a Factorial Study 342
Identifying Samples and Estimating Sample Size 344
Interpreting the Interaction: Advanced Considerations 346
Chapter Summary 348
Chapter Glossary for Review 348
References 349
14 Correlated-Groups Designs 351
Introduction 351
Logic of the Correlated-Groups Research Design 352
Repeated-Measures Design 353
Longitudinal Designs 362
Matched-Groups Design 365
Mixed-Model Design 367
Research in Action 368
Chapter Summary 370
Chapter Glossary for Review 370
References 371
Part IV: Special Research Designs 373
15 Research with Categorical Data 375
Introduction 375
Goodness-of-Fit Test 377
χ2 Test of Independence 381
χ2 Test of Homogeneity 384
Further Analysis of the χ2 385
McNemar Test 388
Research in Action: Gambling and Productivity 391
Chapter Summary 393
Chapter Glossary for Review 394
References 394
16 Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research 397
Introduction 398
Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research 398
Theory and Perspectives Guiding Qualitative Research 399
Mixing Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Combined 400
Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Data Collection and Analysis 402
Benefits and Challenges of Mixed-Methods Research 408
Sources of Published Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research 411
Research in Action: Gender- and Job-Based Differences in Work Stress 412
Chapter Summary 414
Chapter Glossary for Review 415
References 415
Appendix A: Statistics Behind the Research, or, ''What Was I Supposed to Remember from My Statistics Class Anyway?'' 417
Appendix B: Statistical Tables 435
Index 485
