RESEARCH DESIGN

CONTENT The Research Design. Purpose of the Study Types of Investigation Extent of Researcher Interference Study Setting Unit of Analysis Time Horizon

THE RESEARCH DESIGN

The Research Design is a plan which identifies the sources and kinds of information strongly related to the research problem.

Conceptual structure Overall framework of the projects. Blueprint . Guides the investigators.

1-PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

A method of solving problems, or for understanding phenomena of interest and generating further knowledge in that area. The nature of study whether it is Exploratory Descriptive Hypothesis TestingDepend on the stage on which knowledge about the research level.

EXPLORATORY STUDY

Exploratory Research is research conducted for a problem that has not been clearly defined.

Main objective: Major emphasis is on discovery of ideas & insights.

Interviews with many people to understand the phenomena.

Qualitative studies are exploratory. The objective is general rather than specific. Save time and other resources

DESCRIPTIVE STUDY

A descriptive study is undertaken to determine and able to describe the characteristics of the variables of interest in a situation.

Main objective: Major emphasis is on discovery of ideas & insights.

Quantitative study are descriptive. Research has specific objective. Findings are definite. Comparing Groups and Issues

HYPOTHESES TESTING

Explain the nature of certain relationships, or establish the differences among groups or the independence of two or more factors in a situation.

Main objective: Researchers test the hypotheses of causal relationships between variables.

Control the influence of one variable on other dependent variable.

2-TYPE OF INVESTIGATION

A manager should determine whether a casual or a correlational study is needed to find an answer to the issue.

Causal Study Correlational study

CAUSAL STUDY

A causal study is an inquiry to understand the cause of one or more problems. Causation, also known as cause and effect, is when an observed event or action appears to have caused a second event or action.

CORRELATIONAL STUDY

A Correlational study an inquiry to find out the key variables linked to the problem. It is the relationship between two sets of variables used to describe or predict information.

EXTENT OF RESEARCHER INTERFERENCE

The extent of interference by the researcher with the normal flow of work at the workplace has a direct bearing on whether the study undertaken is causal or correlational. A correlational study is conducted in the natural environment of the organization with minimum interference by the researcher with the normal flow of work.

STUDY SETTING

Non-contrived settings: If organizational research be done in the natural environment where work proceeds normally, the research is in non-contrived settings.

Contrived settings: If organizational research be done in artificial environment the research is in contrived settings.

UNIT OF ANALYSIS

The unit of analysis is the major entity that is being analyzed in a study. The unit of analysis means the degree of aggregation of the data gathered through the subsequent data analysis.

Unit of analysis is the “who” or the “what” that you are analyzing for your study.

Individual Dyads Groups Departmental Organizational

TIME HORIZON

Cross-sectional studies or One-shot A study can be carried out in which data are

collected only once, perhaps during a period of days or weeks or months, to be able to answer a research question known as cross-sectional studies.

 Longitudinal Studies or Multi-shot If the researcher might want to study people or

phenomena at more than one point in time in order to answer the research question or when data on the dependent variable are gathered at two or more points in time to answer the research question, the studies are called longitudinal studies.