MGT 3940 BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Semester 2/2010

ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY
Martin de Tours School of Management
Department of Management

COURSE OUTLINE
Semester 2 / 2010

School of Management’s Vision

To be the leading international business school in the ASEAN region providing high quality business
education to enable graduates to make invaluable contributions to organizations and society.

School of Management’s Mission

To shape our students into independent-minded graduates who are well-versed in business, able to
communicate effectively, tech savvy, innovative, and ethical to successfully face global challenges.

COURSE TITLE: MGT 3940 Business Research Methodology

PREREQUISITES: BG 2200 Statistics II

BIS 3340 Computer Tools in Research

LECTURERS Asst. Prof. Dr. Nucharee Supatn (nuchareespt@au.edu)

Dr. Sasithorn Phonkaew (sasithornphn@gmail.com)
Dr. Ing-Wei Huang (ihuang@au.edu)
Dr. Watcharinpan Noypayak (dr.noypayak@gmail.com)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A study of scientific research methods for business decision-making and
problem-solving. Emphasis is placed on the nature of research, choosing a
problem and scope for research in business administration, planning
and organizing the research project, methodology and techniques in
data collection, design of research project, processing, analysis and
presentation of data in appropriate report format. Students will be trained
in writing the research report.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: On completion of this course, students are expected to attain the
followings:
1. Theoretical foundations on conducting both basic and applied
research.
2. Sufficient knowledge on research types, process, and methodology.
3. Ability to develop a valid and reliable survey questionnaire.
4. Ability to determine appropriate statistical tools for data analysis.
5. Skill of team orientation in order to work as a team.

REQUIRED TEXT: Zikmund, W. & Babin, B. (2010). Business Research Methods. Singapore:
South Western-Cengage Learning, 8th edition
ADDITIONAL Cooper D.R. & Schindler P.S. (2003). Business Research Methods.
READING: Boston: McGrawHill, 8th edition.
Sekaran, U. (2000). Research Methods for Business: a Skill-building
Approach. New York: Wiley, 3rd edition.

MARK ALLOCATION:
Mid-term exam 20 %
Final exam 40 %
Group Project:*
Report 20 %
Group Assignments 5%
Project Presentation 15 %
Total 100%

* See the details of group project in PAGE 5

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 MGT 3940 BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Semester 2/2010

Chapters and Topics list

Week Discussion Class Lecture class Remarks
1 Course introduction Introduction to research
Chapter 1: The Role of Business Research
Chapter 3: The Marketing Research Process
Business Research Defined
Decision making
Scope of Business Research
Types of marketing research: Exploratory/descriptive
When is business research needed?
Stages in the research process
Major Topics for Research in Business
- alternatives in the research process
- defining the research objectives
The research program strategy
2 Group Formation Stage I: Problem Discovery
Chapter 5: Problem Definition: Jump Starting the
(Not more than 8 members each)*
Research Process
The nature of marketing research problem
Group Discussions Problem definition process
- Research topics for student project - Problem mean gap
- Research plan - The problem definition process step
- Theory building***
Ladder of abstraction
Inductive-deductive reasoning
Concepts vs. variables
Propositions vs. hypotheses
Clarifying in research questions and hypotheses
The research proposal
- The proposal as a planning tool
- The proposal as a contract
- Anticipating the outcomes

Theoretical Framework and Hypothesis Development Handout

The Need for a Theoretical Framework:
Types of variables
- Dependent variable
- Independent variable
- Moderating variable
- Intervening variable
Theoretical Framework
Hypothesis Development
3 Class work: Brain storming on the Chapter 6: Qualitative Research Tools
research model of the semester project What is qualitative research?
Qualitative research orientations (Overview)
- Set up the main research problem of
- Ethnography
the research
- Grounded theory
- Case studies
Common techniques used in qualitative research
- Focus group interview
- Depth interview
- Conversations
- Free association/sentence completion method
4 Class Discussion: Stage II: Research Design
- What is Secondary data study
Chapter 8: Survey Research: An Overview
(Literature review)?
The nature of survey
- How to perform a literature review?
- Survey objectives: types of information gathered
- How to apply the exploratory
- Advantages of surveys
research to the students’ project?
Errors in survey research
- Random sampling errors VS Systematic errors
- Respondent errors: non response errors & response
bias and Administrative errors
- What can be done to reduce survey errors?
Classifying survey research methods
Chapter 9: Survey Research: Basic Methods of
Communication with Respondents
Media used to communicate with respondents
- Personal interview
- Telephone interview
- Self-administered questionnaire
Selecting the appropriate survey design

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Week Discussion Class Lecture class Remarks

5 Class work: Chapter 13: Measurement
- Research framework What to measure: Concepts & Operational definitions
and core literature reviews Levels of scale measurement: Nominal scale, Ordinal
- Comments and scale, Interval scale & Ratio scale
Modification of the framework Index measure
- Research questions Three criteria for good measurement: Reliability,
and research hypotheses (Student Validity & Sensitivity
project)
- How to apply survey
design to the students’ project
6 Class work: Chapter 14: Attitude Measurement
Questionnaire development I Attitudes in marketing research
- Techniques for measuring attitudes
Questionnaire should be developed based - Attitude rating scales
on the research framework of the - Measuring behavioral intention
students’ project - Ranking
- Sorting
Selecting a measurement scale: some practical
decisions
7 Class work: Chapter 15: Questionnaire Design
Questionnaire development II Questionnaire quality and design
What should be asked?
How should questions be phased?
The art of asking questions
What is the best question sequence?
What is the best layout?
8 Class work: Stage III: Population Sample, and Sampling
Questionnaire development III
Chapter 16: Sampling Designs and Sampling Procedures
Each group is expected to have the usable Sampling terminology
version of questionnaire Why sample?
Practical sampling concepts
Random sampling and non sampling errors
Probability vs. non-probability sampling
What is the appropriate sampling design?

Mid-term Examination (Chapter 1-9; 13-15 and supplement handout)

9 Class work: Chapter 17: Determination of Sample Size: A Review of
- Targeting the population for Statistical Theory
students’ project Review of basic terminology
- Specifying the sampling technique, The normal distribution
- Sample size determination Population distribution, sample distribution, and
- Sampling plan sampling distribution
- Data collection plan Central limit theorem
Estimation of parameters
Assignment: Data Collection Sample size

10
Class Work:
Stage V: Data Processing and Data Analysis
Pre-coding the questionnaire
Chapter 19: Editing and Coding:
Stage IV: Data Collection
Editing
- Field editing vs. in house editing
- Editing for consistency, completeness & questions
answered out of order
Coding
- Coding the qualitative response
- The data file
- Code construction
Chapter 20: Basic Data Analysis: Descriptive Statistics
The nature of descriptive analysis
Tabulations & Cross tabulations
Data transformation
Calculating rank order
Tabular and graphic methods of displaying data

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Week Discussion Class Lecture class Remarks

11 Class Work: Chapter 21: Univariate Statistical Analysis
Editing and coding the data from Hypothesis testing
students’ questionnaires Choosing the appropriate statistical technique
Descriptive data analysis The t-distribution
The chi-square test for goodness of fit
* Practice with the data from students’
project

12 Class Work: Chapter 22: Bivariate Statistical Analysis: Differences

Data Analysis & Hypothesis testing I Between Two Variables
What is the appropriate test of differences?
Cross-tabulation: The chi-square test
* Practice with the data from students’
The t-test for comparing two means
project
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
Chapter 23: Bivariate Statistical Analysis:
Measures of Association
Simple correlation coefficients
Regression analysis

13 Class Work: Stage VI: Communicating Research Results

Data Analysis & Hypothesis testing II Chapter 25: Communicating Research Results:
Research Report, Oral Presentation, and Research
Follow-Up
Insights from the communication model
* Practice with the data from students’
The reports in context
project
Report format
Effective use of graphic aids
The oral presentation

14 Class Work: Other Research Designs

Preparing for presentation and report
Chapter 7: Secondary Data Research in a Digital Age
(Overview)
Chapter 10: Observation (Overview)
Observation in marketing research
Observing human behavior
Observation of physical objects
Content analysis
Chapter 11: Experimental Research
(Overview)
The nature of experiments
Basic issues in experimental design

Wrap Up
15
Project Presentation

Final Examination (All chapters are included)

Note: All class activities and time schedule can be changed or modified by the instructors.
Chapters those are NOT included in this course:
Chapter 2: Information Systems and Knowledge Systems
Chapter 4: The Human Side of Marketing Research: Organizational and Ethical
Issues
Chapter 12: Test- Markets and Experimental Design
Chapter 18: Fieldwork
Chapter 24: Introducing Multivariate Statistical Analysis
Chapters to be overviewed:
Chapter7: Secondary Data Research in a Digital Age
Chapter 10: Observation
Chapter 11: Experimental Research: An Overview

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MGT 3940 BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Semester 2/2010

GROUP PROJECT

To help students develop skills in conducting a business research, a semestrial group research project is
required. The project details and requirements are as follows:
- The group of 5-7 students should be formed within the first week after semester begins. The
name list of all group members must be submitted to the responsible instructor by Friday
November 19, 2010. Presentation schedule will not be made for any groups that fail to submit
their name list on time; thus, 15% presentation score will not be given to them.
- The student projects must be a survey research project. The empirical data collection is
required.
- The theme of the project is “Perceived Value”.
- Project score will be deducted proportionally to the group size if the size exceeds 8 persons

Research report
- The final report should be written in a research format (to be guided by the instructor).
- The copying or duplication of other research projects (either partly or totally) is prohibited.
Also, any part of report and/or data analysis performed by someone else who is not formal
member of the group is unacceptable. Grade “F” will be given to the students who violate these
regulations.
- The project scores will be given on an “INDIVIDUAL BASIS” depending on each student’s
contribution to his/ her group work.
- Submit the written report of group project by Monday February28, 2011
- Mark Allocation for Group Research Project:
 5 % Class Performances and Classroom Presentations (If any)
 15 % Project Presentation
 20 % Report
 Chapter 1: Introduction (2%)
 Chapter 2: Literature review (3%)
 Chapter 3: Research Methodology (2%)
 Chapter 4: Data analysis and Research results (5%)
 Chapter 5: Conclusions, discussions, and recommendations (2%)
 Congruence and coverage of all chapters (4%)
 Format and organization of the paper (2%)
 Student’s name and admission code number, course number & name and section number
must be presented in the first page. Time Roman New #12 with 1.5 line-spaces are required.

Submission of the group project is on the date specified above, and there will be no extension. All
projects will have to be submitted to the corresponding instructors at the school of management Office
(MSM 2nd floor) unless it is otherwise specified by the instructor.

To avoid problems caused by uncooperative group members and late submission, it is vital for group
members to select their project leader immediately after the project is assigned. The project leader
should have full authority to set up and assign specific task to each member. Keep in mind that the
project is the group responsibility, and such, its result is a group effort, and contributions of each
member in group are important. This, inevitably, is one of many tasks a student will have to perform in
order to prepare him/her for more important challenges in their future career.

Presentation of the research project

The presentation schedule i.e. time and place will be announced in the class. There are no classes during
presentation period.

Presentation Procedures:
- Each group will have 10-15 minutes only for presentation and another 10 minutes for
Questions and Answers.
- Each group has to prepare 4 sets of handout for the evaluators. The handout consists of the
print of power point presentation and questionnaires (English and Thai (if any) version).
- Power point must be printed as 2 slides per page. Three to six slides per page is NOT
acceptable.
- The handouts have to be given to all evaluators at the beginning of each presentation class.
- All group members have to be in the presentation room for the whole 1.5 hour-presentation
session, those who absent from presentation class would have NO CHANCE to get
presentation score, individual class make up is not allowed, all group members have to join
together in a particular presentation class.
- The presentation score will be deducted for the late comers.

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Topics to be presented:

1. Research Problem (some research objectives, hypotheses, questions) and conceptual

model -- very brief
2. Methodology: population, sampling technique, sample size, data collection method
3. Research results:
3.1 Brief sample profile
3.2. Descriptive data analysis such as some important frequency and contingency tables,
Rank order, quadrant analysis (if any) and so on.
3.3 Hypotheses testing, present some SPSS tables and results
(see how they choose what statistics to use, how to interpret the results from SPSS)
4. Brief conclusion and recommendation.

CLASS ATTENDANCE
In compliance with the University’s policy on class attendance, the ABAC School of Management
requires all students enrolling in courses offered by the School, to obtain a minimum of 80% class
attendance to be eligible to sit and take the final examination.

The 20% absence is the maximum number of allowable absences. It is inclusive for all excuses, i.e.,
sickness, personal and family matters, business trips, and other personal reasons. It is therefore, the
student’s primary responsibility to determine the necessity and ascertain the number of times of their
absences. For a 3-credit hour subject, with one-and-a-half hour, students are allowed to miss the class 6
times, and with 3 hours class, they can be absent 3 times. It is always desirable for students to reserve at
least 2 allowable absences for some unanticipated situations, i.e. sickness or business trips that might
result in their absences. Generally speaking, as they have paid tuition fees for 45-hour class (for 3-credit
hour subject), students should not be missing any classes in order to obtain maximum value for what
they have paid for.

It is always arguable whether class attendance has any correlation with passing or failing a subject.
Nonetheless, it is the student’s effective time management and discipline to attend classes that enable
them to meet minimum attendance requirements and thus appear for the final examination.
It is not up to the students to decide whether a lecture is too simple and hence, not necessary to attend.
On the contrary, it is the students’ primary duty to provide feedback to the concerned Department
Chairperson regarding the perceived poor performance of their lecturers, i.e. not being punctual, not
preparing well for class, not using English in class, and being too critical for class evaluation at the end
of the semester.

Automatic Withdrawal without Students’ Consent

The Dean, Department Chairperson, and Lecturer of this subject are empowered to withdraw or
withhold correction of the final examination papers from students lacking class attendance requirements
without the students’ consent.
Class attendance can only be checked for the section the student is registered in:
Students are not allowed to ask lecturers to check their attendance in sections other than the one they
have enrolled in. Nonetheless, to give students an opportunity to catch-up classes that they have missed
or to review certain topics they did not understand, students are permitted to audit lectures in other
sections, given that the lecturer of the section grants permission. Please keep in mind that the permission
of the Lecturer to audit his/her lecture in other sections does not imply that students can receive class
attendance in those sections – there is no such thing as ‘make-up class attendance.’
CHANGING SECTIONS
Students are neither allowed to study in other section they have not enrolled for, nor do the project with
their friends in other sections. The lecturer does not have any authority to allow his/her students to
switch section without proper authorization from the registrar.
LATE WITHDRAWAL
Last day to withdraw with “W” is the examination date. Students who would like to drop the subject on
the subject’s final examination date SHOULD NOT enter the examination room and request for their
late-withdrawal permission from the Dean or Department Chairperson and submit the request to the
Office of the Registrar within three days after the date of the final examination.
Last Date to WITHDRAW with W is Monday January 31, 2011.

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