Research Design Research Design: Definition A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting the research project. It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure or solve a research problems. Components of a Research Design Purpose of the study Type of investigation Extent of researchers interference Study setting Unit of analysis Time horizon Sampling design Data collection methods Measurements & data analysis Purpose of the study: A Classification of Research Designs Research Design Exploratory Research Design Conclusive Research Design Descriptive Research Causal Research Cross-Sectional Design Longitudinal Design Single CrossSectional Design Multiple CrossSectional Design Exploratory & Conclusive Research Differences Exploratory Objective: Character istics: To provide insights and understanding. Conclusive To test specific hypotheses and examine relationships. Information needed is defined Information needed is clearly only loosely. Research process defined. Research process is is flexible and unstructured. formal and structured. Sample is Sample is small and non large and representative. Data representative. Analysis of analysis is quantitative. primary data is qualitative. Tentative. Generally followed by further exploratory or conclusive research. Conclusive. Findings used as input into decision making. Findings /Results: Outcome: A Comparison of Basic Research Designs Objective: Exploratory Discovery of ideas Describe general and insights characteristics or functions Flexible, versatile Marked by the prior formulation of specific hypotheses Preplanned and structured design Secondary data Surveys Panels Observation and other data Descriptive Determine cause and effect relationships Manipulation of one or more independent variables Control of other mediating variables Experiments Causal Characteristics: Often the front end of total research design Methods: Expert surveys Pilot surveys Secondary data Qualitative research Uses of Exploratory Research Formulate a problem or define a problem more precisely Identify alternative courses of action Develop hypotheses Isolate key variables and relationships for further examination Gain insights for developing an approach to the problem Methods of Exploratory Research Survey of experts Pilot surveys . Secondary data analyzed in a qualitative way. Qualitative research . Use of Descriptive Research To describe the characteristics of relevant groups, such as consumers, salespeople, organizations, or market areas. To estimate the percentage of units in a specified population exhibiting a certain behavior. To determine the perceptions of product or samples’ characteristics. To determine the degree to which variables are associated. To make specific predictions Methods of Descriptive Research Secondary data analyzed in a quantitative as opposed to a qualitative manner Surveys Panels Observational and other data Uses of Casual Research To understand which variables are the cause (independent variables) and which variables are the effect (dependent variables) of a phenomenon To determine the nature of the relationship between the causal variables and the effect to be predicted METHOD: Experiments Type of Investigation Causal The study in which the researcher wants to delineate the cause of one or more problems is called a causal study. The study in which the researcher is interested in delineating the important variables associated with the problem, the study is called as correlation study. Correlation Extent of researchers interference Degree of interference by the researcher for manipulating & control of variables either in natural or lab settings Minimal Moderate excessive Study settings Contrived Study conducted in artificial settings. Causal studies are normally in contrived settings Non contrived Natural environment where work proceeds normally. Correlation studies are normally conducted in non contrived settings. Unit of analysis Individual Dyads Groups Teams Departments Organizations Cultures countries Time horizon Cross sectional Longitudinal Involve the collection of information from any given sample of population elements only once. In single cross-sectional designs, there is only one sample of respondents and information is obtained from this sample only once. Cross-sectional Designs In multiple cross-sectional designs, there are two or more samples of respondents, and information from each sample is obtained only once. Often, information from different samples is obtained at different times. Cohort analysis consists of a series of surveys conducted at appropriate time intervals, where the cohort serves as the basic unit of analysis. A cohort is a group of respondents who experience the same event within the same time interval. Consumption of Various Soft Drinks by Various Age Cohorts Percentage consuming on a typical day 1950 1960 1969 1979 52.9 45.2 33.9 23.2 18.1 born born born born 62.6 60.7 46.6 40.8 28.8 C1 73.2 76.0 67.7 58.6 50.0 C2 C5: C6: C7: C8: 81.0 75.8 71.4 67.8 51.9 C3 born born born born C8 C7 C6 C5 C4 1931-40 1940-49 1950-59 1960-69 Age 8-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ C1: C2: C3: C4: cohort cohort cohort cohort prior to 1900 1901-10 1911-20 1921-30 cohort cohort cohort cohort Longitudinal Designs A fixed sample (or samples) of population elements is measured repeatedly on the same variables A longitudinal design differs from a cross-sectional design in that the sample or samples remain the same over time of Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Designs Evaluatio n Criteria Cross-Sectional Longitudinal Design Design Detecting Change + Large amount of data + collection + Accuracy + Representative Sampling + Response bias Note: A “+” indicates a relative advantage over the other design, whereas a “-” indicates a relative disadvantage. Exercise-1 Ms.Joyce the owner of a small business ( a women’s dress boutique) has invited a consultant to tell her how her business is different from similar small business with in a sixty mile radius with respect to use of the most modern computer technology, sales volume, profit margin and staff training. Develop the research design. Exercise-2 Mr.Paul the owner of several restaurants in southern Tamilnadu is concerned about the wide difference in their profit margin. He would like to try some incentive plan for increasing the efficiency levels of those restaurants that lag behind. But before he actually does this, he would like to be assured that the idea would work. He asks a researcher to help him Exercise-3 A manager is intrigued why some people seem to derive joy form work and get recognized by it while others find it troublesome and frustrating. Develop a research design for the above