CHAPTER 5:THE RESEARCH PROCESS

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CHAPTER 5THE RESEARCH PROCESS

• STEPS 4 AND 5 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK HYPOTHESIS
  DEVELOPMENT

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RESEARCH PROCESS SO FAR
REALIZING THAT SOMETHING IS GOING WRONG OR
SHOULD BE IMPROVED
CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS AND COMPLETING A
LITERATURE SURVEY
DEFINING PROBLEM
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Variables clearly
identified and labeled
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THE NEED FOR THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

• A theoretical framework is a conceptual model of
  how one theorizes or makes logical sense of the
  relationships among the several factors that have
  been identified as important to the problem

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• Integrating your logical beliefs with published
  research, taking into consideration the
  boundaries and constrains governing the situation
• The theoretical framework discusses the
  interrelationships among the variables that are
  deemed to be integral to the dynamics of the
  situation being investigated

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• From the theoretical framework, testable
  hypotheses can be developed to examine whether
  the theory formulated is valid or not.

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CONCEPT VARIABLE

• A variable is anything that can take on differing
  or varying values.
• The values can differ at various times for the
  same object or person, or the values can differ
  at the same time for different objects or
  persons.
• Examples are exam scores, inflation rate, gini
  coefficient, absenteeism, and motivation

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TYPES OF VARIABLES

• The dependent variable (criterion variable)
• The independent variable (predictor variable)
• The moderating variable
• The intervening variable
• Discrete variable (male or female)
• Continuous variable (age of a person)

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I-Dependent Variable

• The variable of primary interest to the
  researcher
• Main aim is to understand and describe the
  dependent variable (e.g. the factors that affect
  it)
• By analyzing it, researcher finds answers or
  solutions to problems
• Sometimes there may be more than one DV,
  requiring multivariate statistical analysis

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EXAMPLES

• A manager is concerned that the sales of a new
  product introduced after test marketing is not as
  high as he had expected.
• A vice president is concerned that the employees
  are not loyal to the organization and, in fact,
  switch their loyalties to other institutions.

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INDEPENDENT VARIABLE

• An independent variable is one that influences
  dependent variable in either a positive or
  negative way.
• The variance in the dependent variable is
  accounted for by the independent variable (s).

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Examples

• Cross cultural research indicates that managerial
  values govern the power distance between
  superiors and subordinates
• A consultant is of the opinion that much benefit
  would accrue by buying and selling at the
  appropriate times in a financial environment
  where the stocks are volatile

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Moderating variable

• The moderating variable is one that has a strong
  contingent effect on the independent
  variable-dependent variable relationship.
• The presence of a third variable (the moderating
  variable) modifies the original relationship
  between the independent and dependent variables.

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EXAMPLE

• A positive relationship has been found between
  the number of books that five and six year old
  children have access to at home and their reading
  abilities. However, if the parents are totally
  illiterate, that relationship does not hold.

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• A research study indicates that the willingness
  of the employees to learn new ways of doing
  things is not influenced by the quality of the
  training programs offered by the organizations
  for all people.
• Only those who have high growth needs seem to be
  willing to learn to do new things through
  specialized training.

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INTERVENING VARIABLE

• An intervening variable is one that surfaces
  between the time the independent variables
  operate to influence the dependent variable and
  their impact on the dependent variable

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EXAMPLE

• A prevalent theory is that the diverse workforce
  contributes more to organizational effectiveness
  because each group brings its own special
  expertise and skills to the work place. The
  synergy can be captured, however, only if
  managers know how to harness the special talents
  of the diverse work group otherwise they will
  remain untapped.

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Workforce diversity
Creative Synergy
Organizational effectiveness
Int. V.
Ind. V
Dep. Var.
Managerial expertise
M.V.
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COMPONENTS OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

• The variables considered relevant to the study
  should be clearly identified and labeled in the
  discussions
• The discussions should state how two or more
  variables are related to one another. This should
  be done for the important relationships that are
  theorized to exist among the variables.

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COMPONENTS (continued)

• If the nature and direction of the relationships
  can be theorized on the basis of the findings
  from previous research, then there should be an
  indication in the discussions as to whether the
  relationships would be positive or negative.
• There should be a clear explanation of why we
  would expect these relationships to exist. The
  arguments could be drawn from the previous
  research findings.
• A schematic diagram of the theoretical framework
  should be given so that the reader can see and
  easily comprehend the theorized relationships.

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EXAMPLE- DELTA AIRLINES