05-12-2023

Problem Definition &

Research Design
Session 2&3

12/5/2023
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• Counterfeit drugs pose a significant threat to public health, and the

pharmaceutical industry faces challenges in ensuring the authenticity
of products throughout the supply chain. Blockchain technology has
demonstrated potential in providing a transparent and secure
Basic and Applied Research platform for traceability. This research aims to investigate the
practical application of blockchain in pharmaceutical supply chains
and assess its effectiveness in mitigating the proliferation of
counterfeit drugs. The study could have implications for regulatory
frameworks and industry practices, contributing to the advancement
of solutions for a critical issue affecting global health.

Dr Poornima Gupta BRM Dr Poornima Gupta BRM

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• Multinational corporations operate in diverse and complex global • As online education becomes more prevalent, understanding the
environments. Understanding how transformational leadership factors influencing student success in virtual classrooms is crucial.
influences innovation is crucial due to the unique challenges, cultural This research seeks to explore the connection between student
differences, and varied regulatory landscapes these organizations engagement—measured by participation rates, interaction with
navigate. What is the underlying relationship between course materials, and collaboration with peers—in online learning
transformational leadership styles and organizational innovation in environments and their academic performance specifically in
the context of multinational corporations?" introductory computer science courses. The findings could inform
educators, curriculum designers, and institutions on strategies to
enhance online learning experiences and improve student outcomes
in STEM disciplines.

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• As smartphones, particularly the iPhone, continue to evolve,

exploring innovative features like augmented reality becomes
paramount. Understanding how AR influences user engagement,
usability, and overall satisfaction can inform Apple's product
development strategies and contribute to advancements in the
smartphone industry.

Source: facebook
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Types of Research

• Applied a. A researcher investigates whether different parts in a manger’s

• Applying results to solve specific problems brain (e.g. right versus left hemisphere) are active during different
• Basic kinds of managerial decision-making.
• Contribution to the existing knowledge
b. A researcher investigates consumers’ attitudes toward a prototype
of an innovative type of product, a home Cleaning kit for use on
clothes that require dry cleaning.

c . A researcher investigates 5 personality traits to see if they can

explain the purchasing behavior of automobile buyers.

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Chain Restaurant Study

One day a MR Professor received a phone call from a
research analyst who introduced himself as one of
his old student.
d. A new technology that nullifies the need to refrigerate fish has been
invented. Heat processing and the use of flexible pouches for storage helps He was working for a restaurant chain in town and
retain the freshness of fish and frozen food for three years. A researcher
investigates how this new technology will impact the market for fish in India. wanted help analyzing the data he had collected
while conducting a research study.
e. A researcher working for a candy company has children evaluate concepts
and prototypes for new candies. The researchers ask children to taste the When they met, he presented the Prof with a copy
products and rate them. Sometimes, the candy company develops unique
items that taste good and researchers ask children to come up with a concept of the questionnaire and asked how he should
or a name the product.
analyze the data. The Profs’ first question to him
was,

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When he looked
perplexed, Prof
explained that data
analysis is not an
independent
exercise.

problem being addresse

at is the d?
Wh
Rather, the goal of data analysis is to PROVIDE
INFORMATION RELATED TO THE PROBLEM
COMPONENTS.
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Chain Restaurant Study

Prof was surprised to learn that he did not have a clear
understanding of the research problem and that a written
definition did not exist. So before going any further, he had to
• Business research is undertaken to reduce uncertainty and focus
define the research problem. decision making
• management may be totally unaware of a business problem
Once that was done, he found that much • researchers know exactly what their problems are and can design
of the data collected was not relevant to careful studies to test specific hypotheses
the problem. In this sense, the whole
study was a waste of resources. A new
study had to be designed and
implemented to address the problem
defined.

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How it looks like……………..

CheesyBite
CheesyBite, a fast-food
restaurant chain known for its
quirky cheeseburgers and hipster
atmosphere, found itself in a
dilemma. Sales were good but
not great, customer reviews were
a mixed bag, and nobody could
quite figure out why the new
"SuperCheesy Deluxe" wasn't
flying off the shelves as
expected.

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Enter Jerry, the Enthusiastic Alumni:

The Problem:
• Jerry, an enthusiastic young research analyst and an alumni of our
• Jerry called me one fine afternoon, excited to share his treasure trove of data. institution, thought he had the answer. With a clipboard and a grin,
He had pie charts, line graphs, and even a three-dimensional bar graph that Jerry set out to solve CheesyBite's mystery, armed with a 50-question
looked like it belonged in a sci-fi movie. But when I asked him, "Jerry, what survey and enough optimism to fuel a small spaceship.
exactly is the research problem you're trying to solve?", he went silent. It
turned out, Jerry had jumped head-first into the data pool without first
checking how deep it was. No problem statement existed.

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The Reality Check: The Turnaround:

• Upon reviewing Jerry's colorful yet confusing collection of graphs, it • Back to the drawing board. We helped Jerry define the actual
was clear: Most of the data collected had nothing to do with research problem: "Why is the 'SuperCheesy Deluxe' not meeting its
CheesyBite's lukewarm sales of the "SuperCheesy Deluxe." We found sales expectations?" A new, targeted study was designed, focusing
out that we knew a lot about customers' favorite colors and zodiac solely on the consumer attitudes and perceptions around the new
signs, but not much about why they weren't biting into the burger.
"SuperCheesy Deluxe."

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Key Takeaways:
The Results:

• Turns out, customers loved the idea of a cheesy burger but found the • Always start with a well-defined
"SuperCheesy Deluxe" too messy to eat. CheesyBite quickly re- research problem.
engineered the burger to be less messy and more "Instagrammable." • Don't collect data for the sake of
Sales soared, and Jerry learned a priceless lesson. collecting data; it should be
relevant to the problem.
• Sometimes the answer is
simple; you just need to know
what question to ask.

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Failures – New Coke Why it failed.

• 1985: Coca-Cola launches new Coke - YouTube

• The research problem was ill-defined. Coca-Cola focused solely on taste

preference, neglecting deep emotional ties and brand loyalty that
consumers had with the original formula.
• They also underestimated the public's negative reaction to taking away the
original Coke.
• Consequence:
• Significant public backlash ensued, including protests and petitions.
• Coca-Cola had to reintroduce the old formula as "Coca-Cola Classic," a move
that cost them millions and damaged their reputation, though the classic
version eventually regained its leading market position.

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Success Why It Succeeded:

• No. 1 Dove: Campaign for Real Beauty – YouTube

• https://youtu.be/JNYjRmNCu9o • The research problem was well-defined: "How do women perceive beauty
standards, and how can Dove reshape these perceptions?"
• Dove's research led them to take an emotional and socially-conscious angle
that went beyond just selling soap. They decided to feature 'real' women of
all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities in their ads, challenging conventional beauty
norms.
• Consequence:
• The campaign went viral, with millions sharing it on social media.
• Dove saw a significant increase in sales, and the campaign also sparked an
industry-wide conversation about beauty standards and representation.
• This example shows the profound impact of starting with a well-defined
research problem and how it can not only drive sales but also contribute to a
larger societal conversation.

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Research Design
The Problem Definition Process
• Technique or purpose.
• Techniques-
• Experiments,
• surveys, and
• observational studies
• Purpose
• shows how the nature of a decision situation
• influences the research methodology.

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“The formulation of the problem is

often more essential than its
solution.”

Albert Einstein

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The Process of Problem Definition

Problem Definition
• The indication of a specific business decision area that will be Ascertain the Determine unit of
clarified by answering some research questions. decision maker’s analysis
objectives

Understand Determine
background of relevant variables
the problem

Isolate/identify State research

the problem, not questions and
the symptoms objectives
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Ascertain the Decision Maker’s

Objectives The Iceberg Principle
• Decision makers’ objectives
• The principle indicating that the dangerous part of many business
• Managerial goals expressed in measurable terms. problems is neither visible to nor understood by managers.

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Symptoms Can Be Confusing

Twenty-year-old neighborhood swimming association:
• Membership has been declining for years.
Problem Definition
• New water park -residents prefer the expensive water park???? Organization Symptoms Based on Symptom True Problem

• Demographic changes: Children have grown up Twenty-year-old Membership has been Neighborhood Demographic changes:
neighborhood declining for years. residents prefer the Children in this 20-
swimming New water park with expensive water year-old neighborhood
association in a wave pool and water park and have have grown up. Older
major city. slides moved into negative image of residents no longer
town a few years ago. swimming pool. swim anywhere.

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Three types of business Research:

• 1. Exploratory
What things can be done
to energize new markets
Determine reasons why How do the type of • 2. Descriptive
families may choose to facilities and pricing
and create a more
join or not join a “swim relate to family attitudes • 3. Causal
favorable attitude
club.” toward a swim facility? Matching the particular decision situation with the right type of
toward the association?
research is important in obtaining useful research results.

Child-friendly pool Flexible pricing policies

designs are positively are positively related to
related to attitudes attitudes toward the
toward the facility. facility.

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Uncertainty Influences the Type Degree of Problem Definition

of Research

Exploratory Descriptive Research Causal

Research(Unaware of (Aware of Research(Problem
Problem) Problem) Clearly Defined)
CAUSAL OR COMPLETELY ABSOLUTE EXPLORATORY • “Our sales are • “What kind of • Will buyers
DESCRIPTIVE CERTAIN AMBIGUITY declining and we people are buying purchase more of
don’t know why.” our product? Who our products in a
• “Would people be buys our new package?
interested in our competitor’s • “Which of two
new product idea?” product?” advertising
• “What features do campaigns is more
buyers prefer in our effective?”
product?”

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Defining Problem Results in

Clear Cut Research Objectives Exploratory research

Symptom Detection • is conducted to clarify ambiguous situations or discover potential

business opportunities
• not intended to provide conclusive evidence
Analysis of from which to determine a particular course of action.
the Situation
Exploratory
Research
(Optional)
Problem Definition

Statement of
Research Objectives
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Common Exploratory Techniques for Research

Uses of Exploratory Research
• Formulate a problem or define a problem more precisely
• Identify alternative courses of action Secondary Data
• Develop hypotheses Analysis Experience
• Isolate key variables and relationships for further examination Surveys
• Gain insights for developing an approach to the problem
• Establish priorities for further research

Focus Groups

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Descriptive research Descriptive Studies

Describes characteristics of
Who?
• objects, people, groups, organizations, or environments.
. Descriptive research often helps describe market segments

Why? What?

When? Where?

Way?
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Use of Descriptive Research

• To describe the characteristics of relevant groups, Sweet Cookies is planning to launch a new line
such as consumers, salespeople, organizations, or of cookies and wants to assess the market size.
market areas. The cookies have a mixed
• To estimate the percentage of units in a specified chocolate-pineapple flavor and will be targeted at
population exhibiting a certain behavior. the premium end of the market.
• To determine the perceptions of product
characteristics. Discuss the six Ws of a descriptive research
• To determine the degree to which marketing design that may be adopted.
variables are associated. (A)

• To make specific predictions

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Methods of Descriptive Research Causal Research

• Secondary data analyzed in a quantitative as opposed to a • If a decision maker knows what causes important outcomes like
qualitative manner sales, stock price, and employee satisfaction, then he or she can
• Surveys shape firm decisions in a positive way.
• Panels • Causal research seeks to identify cause and-effect relationships.
When something causes an effect, it means it brings it about or
• Observational and other data makes it happen. The effect is the outcome. Rain causes grass to get
wet. Rain is the cause and wet grass is the effect.

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Concept of Causality
Uses of Casual Research
A statement such as "X causes Y " will have the
following meaning to an ordinary person and to a
• To understand which variables are the cause (independent variables)
scientist. and which variables are the effect (dependent variables) of a
____________________________________________________ phenomenon
Ordinary Meaning Scientific Meaning • To determine the nature of the relationship between the causal
____________________________________________________ variables and the effect to be predicted
X is the only cause of Y. X is only one of a number of
• METHOD: Experiments
possible causes of Y.

X must always lead to Y The occurrence of X makes the

(X is a deterministic occurrence of Y more probable
cause of Y). (X is a probabilistic cause of Y).

It is possible to prove We can never prove that X is a

that X is a cause of Y. cause of Y. At best, we can
infer that X is a cause
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Purchase of Fashion Clothing By

Evidence of Concomitant Variation between Income and Education
Purchase of Fashion Clothing and Education
Purchase of Fashion Clothing, Y
High Low
Low Income High Income
Education, X

High 363 (73%) 137 (27%) 500 (100%) Purchase Purchase

High Low High Low

Education
Education
High 122 (61%) 78 (39%) 200 (100%) High 241 (80%) 59 (20%) 300
Low 322 (64%) 178 (36%) 500 (100%)
171 (57%) 129 (43%) 300 (100%) Low 151 (76%) 49 (24%) 200
Low

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Temporal sequence Nonspurious association

• means any covariation between a cause and an
effect is true, rather than due to some other
• deals with the time order of events. In other words, having an variable.
appropriate causal order of events, or temporal sequence, is one
criterion for causality.
Increase is icecream purchases as well as increase
in number of murders

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n
5
5
i/
9
2
m
0
a
2
G Validity in Experimentation
u
3
p
t • Internal validity refers to whether the manipulation of the
a independent variables or treatments actually caused the
observed effects on the dependent variables. Control of
extraneous variables is a necessary condition for establishing
internal validity.

• External validity refers to whether the cause-and-effect

relationships found in the experiment can be generalized. To
what populations, settings, times, independent variables and
dependent variables can the results be projected?

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A Classification of Experimental Designs

Experimental Designs

Pre-experimental True Quasi

Statistical
Experimental Experimental

One-Shot Case Pretest-Posttest Time Series Randomized

Study Control Group Blocks

One Group Posttest: Only Multiple Time Latin Square

Pretest-Posttest Control Group Series

Static Group Solomon Four- Factorial

Group Design

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A Classification of Research Designs

Stages of the Research Process
Research Design Problem Discovery Discovery and
and Definition Definition

Exploratory Conclusive
Research Design Research Design
Research and so on
Design Conclusions and
Descriptive Causal Report
Research Research
Sampling
Cross-Sectional Longitudinal Data Processing
Design Design and Analysis
Data
Gathering
Single Cross- Multiple Cross-
Sectional Design Sectional Design
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Conclusions And Report Writing

• Effective communication of the research findings

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Research Proposal

• A written statement of the research design that includes a statement

explaining the purpose of the study.
• Detailed outline of procedures associated with a particular
methodology

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