Within this course you will submit parts of a research paper in each unit that will come together in Unit VII as the complete project. Review the Course Project Guidance document, which outlines all of the work you will submit for the course and provides a template for the final paper. Reviewing the document will provide insight and mental preparation for the scope of the course since the assignments will build upon one another. It also introduces the scenario you will utilize for every assignment in this course. Review the Sun Coast Remediation Data Files document. This document will be the source of data for your project, however, you will not begin working with the data until Unit IV. Note: The template provided is for the Unit VII Research Paper; you will submit parts of this paper in each unit. See the templates in each unit assignment.
For the Unit I assignment, you will use what you learned about research methodologies, primary and secondary sources, and reviewing literature to develop a literature review. This literature review will become part of the final course project due in Unit VII. Please access and utilize the template for this assignment .
Review articles in the CSU Online Library databases and other credible resources to locate six peer-reviewed, scholarly articles that relate to the Sun Coast business problems identified in the Course Project Guidance document. The articles you use should help inform your knowledge about the issues you are trying to solve for Sun Coast. The articles should also be quantitative research articles from primary and secondary sources. Try including words like correlation, regression, t test, and ANOVA in your keyword search criteria.
The article discussion should include the qualifications of the authors, purpose of the studies, research methodologies and designs used, results from the studies, and explanations of how the articles relate to Sun Coast’s problem. Ensure that you also describe how you believe the research made a positive organizational impact.
The title and reference pages do not count toward the page requirement for this assignment. This assignment should be a minimum of two pages in length, follow APA-style formatting and guidelines, and use references and citations as necessary.
Running head: INSERT TITLE HERE 1
INSERT TITLE HERE 6
Insert Title Here
Insert Your Name Here
Insert University Here
Sun Coast Remediation Course Project Guidance
Background
To help make a connection between business research and its use in the real world, this course will use an iterative course project. Throughout the term, you will serve as the health and safety director for Sun Coast Remediation (Sun Coast).
Sun Coast provides remediation services to business and governmental organizations. Most of their contracts involve working within contamination sites where they remove toxic substances from soil and water. In addition to the toxicity of the air, water, and soil their employees come into contact with, the work environment is physically demanding and potentially contributory to injuries involving musculoskeletal systems, vision, and hearing. Sun Coast genuinely cares about the health, safety, and well-being of their 5,500 employees, but they are also concerned about worker compensation costs and potential long-term litigation from injuries and illness related to employment.
Health and Safety Director Task
Sun Coast hired you last month to replace the previous health and safety director, who left to pursue other opportunities. This is a critical position within the company because there are many health and safety-related issues due to the nature of the work. The former health and safety director was in the midst of analyzing these issues through the implementation of a research project when she left the organization.
Throughout the term, you will use your knowledge of research methods to bring the research project to fruition. You will conduct a literature review, develop research questions and hypotheses, create the research design, test data, interpret data, and present the findings. Each unit will accomplish one of these tasks. It has already been decided that the business problems will be best addressed using a quantitative research methodology. You will not collect any data for this project. The former health and safety director had already collected the data, which is provided for you in an Excel spreadsheet.
Statistical Tools
You will conduct the data analysis using Microsoft Excel Toolpak. View these links for information: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/load-the-analysis-toolpak-in-excel-6a63e598-cd6d-42e3-9317-6b40ba1a66b4 and https://www.excel-easy.com/data-analysis/analysis-toolpak.html
Sun Coast Remediation Course Project Sections
Since this is a quantitative research study, there are specific steps that should be followed. The following is a template that will help you develop your project. (It is also provided as a template in Unit VII.) Use this information to guide your completion of the course project.
Table of Contents
Include the table of contents here. There is a tool for creating a table of contents in the References tab of the Microsoft Word tool bar at the top of the screen. Remember to delete this text and the instructions from the previous page before you begin.
Executive Summary
The executive summary will go here. The paragraphs are not indented, and it should be formatted like an abstract. The executive summary should be composed after the project is complete. It will be the final step in the project. Delete this text before you begin.
Sun Coast Remediation Course Project
Introduction
Note: The following introduction should remain in the research project unchanged. Delete this note before you begin.
Senior leadership at Sun Coast has identified several areas for concern that they believe could be solved using business research methods. The previous director was tasked with conducting research to help provide information to make decisions about these issues. Although data were collected, the project was never completed. Senior leadership is interested in seeing the project through to fruition. The following is the completion of that project and includes the statement of the problems, literature review, research objectives, research questions and hypotheses, research methodology, design, and methods, data analysis, findings, and recommendations.
Statement of the Problems
Note: The following statement of the problems should remain in the research project unchanged. Delete this note before you begin.
Six business problems were identified:
Particulate Matter (PM)
There is a concern that job-site particle pollution is adversely impacting employee health. Although respirators are required in certain environments, PM varies in size depending on the project and job site. PM that is between 10 and 2.5 microns can float in the air for minutes to hours (e.g., asbestos, mold spores, pollen, cement dust, fly ash), while PM that is less than 2.5 microns can float in the air for hours to weeks (e.g. bacteria, viruses, oil smoke, smog, soot). Due to the smaller size of PM that is less than 2.5 microns, it is potentially more harmful than PM that is between 10 and 2.5 since the conditions are more suitable for inhalation. PM that is less than 2.5 is also able to be inhaled into the deeper regions of the lungs, potentially causing more deleterious health effects. It would be helpful to understand if there is a relationship between PM size and employee health. PM air quality data have been collected from 103 job sites, which is recorded in microns. Data are also available for average annual sick days per employee per job-site.
Safety Training Effectiveness
Health and safety training is conducted for each new contract that is awarded to Sun Coast. Data for training expenditures and lost-time hours were collected from 223 contracts. It would be valuable to know if training has been successful in reducing lost-time hours and, if so, how to predict lost-time hours from training expenditures.
Sound-Level Exposure
Sun Coast’s contracts generally involve work in noisy environments due to a variety of heavy equipment being used for both remediation and the clients’ ongoing operations on the job sites. Standard ear-plugs are adequate to protect employee hearing if the decibel levels are less than 120 decibels (dB). For environments with noise levels exceeding 120 dB, more advanced and expensive hearing protection is required, such as earmuffs. Historical data have been collected from 1,503 contracts for several variables that are believed to contribute to excessive dB levels. It would be important if these data could be used to predict the dB levels of work environments before placing employees on-site for future contracts. This would help the safety department plan for procurement of appropriate ear protection for employees.
New Employee Training
All new Sun Coast employees participate in general health and safety training. The training program was revamped and implemented six months ago. Upon completion of the training programs, the employees are tested on their knowledge. Test data are available for two groups: Group A employees who participated in the prior training program and Group B employees who participated in the revised training program. It is necessary to know if the revised training program is more effective than the prior training program.
Lead Exposure
Employees working on job sites to remediate lead must be monitored. Lead levels in blood are measured as micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL). A baseline blood test is taken pre-exposure and postexposure at the conclusion of the remediation. Data are available for 49 employees who recently concluded a 2-year lead remediation project. It is necessary to determine if blood lead levels have increased.
Return on Investment
Sun Coast offers four lines of service to their customers, including air monitoring, soil remediation, water reclamation, and health and safety training. Sun Coast would like to know if each line of service offers the same return on investment. Return on investment data are available for air monitoring, soil remediation, water reclamation, and health and safety training projects. If return on investment is not the same for all lines of service, it would be helpful to know where differences exist.
Literature Review
After providing a brief introduction to this section, students should include the literature review information here. Important Note: Students should refer to the information presented in the Unit I Study Guide and the Unit I Syllabus instructions to complete this section of the project. Delete this before you begin.
Research Objectives
After providing a brief introduction to this section, students should include research objectives here. Students should compose short, direct statements about the objectives of the study. Research objectives should relate to the problems that have been identified above, and there should be one objective for each problem as shown in the example below. Important Note: Students should refer to the information presented in the Unit II Syllabus instructions to complete this section of the project. Delete this before you begin.
Example:
RO1: Determine if a person’s height is related to weight.
RO2:
RO3:
RO4:
RO5:
RO6:
Research Questions and Hypotheses
After providing a brief introduction to this section, students should state the research questions and hypotheses. Each research objective should have a corresponding research question and a null and alternative hypothesis as shown in the example below. In total, there should be six research questions and twelve hypotheses. Important Note: Students should refer to the information presented in the Unit II Study Guide and the Unit II Syllabus instructions to complete this section of the project. Delete this before you begin.
Example:
RQ1: Is there a relationship between height and weight?
H01: There is no statistically significant relationship between height and weight.
HA1: There is a statistically significant relationship between height and weight.
RQ2:
H02:
HA2:
RQ3:
H03:
HA3:
RQ4:
H04:
HA4:
RQ5:
H05:
HA5:
RQ6:
H06:
HA6:
Research Methodology, Design, and Methods
After providing a brief introduction to this section, students should detail the research design they have selected and why it is an appropriate research approach for addressing the business problems. Use the following subheadings to include all required information. Important Note: Students should refer to the information presented in the Unit III Study Guide and the Unit III Syllabus instructions to complete this section of the project. Delete this before you begin.
Research Methodology
Explain the research methodology chosen for this research project and provide rationale for why it is appropriate given the problems.
Research Design
Students should explain whether the research design is exploratory, causal, or descriptive. Provide rationale for the choice.
Research Methods
Students should describe the research methods used for this research study based on the research methodology, research design, and research questions, and provide a rationale as to why they were chosen. They might include a combination of experimentation, descriptive statistics, correlation, and causal-comparative methods.
Data Collection Methods
Students should specify how the data were most likely collected to test the hypotheses. Data collection methods include, but are not limited to, survey, observation, and records analysis.
Sampling Design
Students should briefly describe the type of sampling design that was most likely used for the data that were collected. Choices include, but are not limited to, random sample, convenience sample, etc. Explain your rationale for your sampling design selection(s).
Data Analysis Procedures
Students should specify the statistical procedures used to test each set of hypotheses from among correlation, regression, t test, and ANOVA. They should explain why each procedure was the most appropriate choice.
Example:
Correlation is the preferred procedure to use to test the RQ1 hypotheses since the interest is whether a relationship exists between an independent variable (IV) and dependent variable (DV). Correlation will indicate if there is a relationship between height (IV) and weight (DV), the strength of the relationship, and the direction of the relationship.
Data Analysis: Descriptive Statistics and Assumption Testing
After providing a brief introduction to this section, students should provide the Excel Toolpak results of their descriptive analyses. Frequency tables, histograms, and descriptive statistics tables should be cut and pasted from Excel directly into the final project document. Important Note: Students should refer to the information presented in the Unit IV Study Guide and the Unit IV Syllabus instructions to complete this section of the project. Delete this before you begin.
Correlation: Descriptive Statistics and Assumption Testing
Students should include this information here. Include frequency table, histogram, and descriptive statistics table. Evaluate and discuss the descriptive statistics and make an explicit statement about whether the assumptions for parametric statistical testing were met or not met. Delete these statements before you begin.
Simple Regression: Descriptive Statistics and Assumption Testing
Students should include this information here. Include frequency table, histogram, and descriptive statistics table. Evaluate and discuss the descriptive statistics, and make an explicit statement about whether the assumptions for parametric statistical testing were met or not met. Delete these statements before you begin.
Multiple Regression: Descriptive Statistics and Assumption Testing
Students should include this information here. Include frequency table, histogram, and descriptive statistics table. Evaluate and discuss the descriptive statistics and make an explicit statement about whether the assumptions for parametric statistical testing were met or not met. Delete these statements before you begin.
Independent Samples t Test: Descriptive Statistics and Assumption Testing
Students should include this information here. Include frequency table, histogram, and descriptive statistics table. Evaluate and discuss the descriptive statistics, and make an explicit statement about whether the assumptions for parametric statistical testing were met or not met. Delete these statements before you begin.
Dependent Samples (Paired-Samples) t Test: Descriptive Statistics and Assumption Testing
Students should include this information here. Include frequency table, histogram, and descriptive statistics table. Evaluate and discuss the descriptive statistics, and make an explicit statement about whether the assumptions for parametric statistical testing were met or not met. Delete these statements before you begin.
ANOVA: Descriptive Statistics and Assumption Testing
Students should include this information here. Include frequency table, histogram, and descriptive statistics table. Evaluate and discuss the descriptive statistics, and make an explicit statement about whether the assumptions for parametric statistical testing were met or not met. Delete these statements before you begin
Data Analysis: Hypothesis Testing
After providing a brief introduction to this section, students should provide the Excel Toolpak results of their hypothesis testing. The statistical output tables should be cut and pasted from Excel directly into the final project document. For the regression hypotheses, the students should display and discuss the predictive regression equations. Important Note: Students should refer to the information presented in the Units V and VI Study Guides and the Units V and VI Syllabus instructions to complete this section of the project. Delete this before you begin.
Correlation: Hypothesis Testing
Students should include this information here. Restate the null and alternative hypotheses, cut and paste the statistical output from Excel Toolpak, discuss the p-value in relation to alpha and explicitly accept or reject the null and alternative hypotheses. Delete these statements before you begin.
Simple Regression: Hypothesis Testing
Students should include this information here. Restate the null and alternative hypotheses, cut and paste the statistical output from Excel Toolpak, and interpret and explain the simple regression analysis results below the Excel output. Your explanation should include: multiple R, R square, alpha level, ANOVA F value, accept or reject the null and alternative hypotheses for the model, statistical significance of the x variable coefficient, and the regression model as an equation with explanation. Delete these statements before you begin.
Multiple Regression: Hypothesis Testing
Students should include this information here. Restate the null and alternative hypotheses, cut and paste the statistical output from Excel Toolpak, and interpret and explain the simple regression analysis results below the Excel output. Your explanation should include: multiple R, R square, alpha level, ANOVA F value, accept or reject the null and alternative hypotheses for the model, statistical significance of the x variable coefficients, and the regression model as an equation with explanation.
Independent Samples t Test: Hypothesis Testing
Students should include this information here. Restate the null and alternative hypotheses, cut and paste the statistical output from Excel Toolpak, discuss the p-value in relation to alpha and explicitly accept or reject the null and alternative hypotheses. Delete these statements before you begin.
Dependent Samples (Paired Samples) t Test: Hypothesis Testing
Students should include this information here. Restate the null and alternative hypotheses, cut and paste the statistical output from Excel Toolpak, discuss the p-value in relation to alpha and explicitly accept or reject the null and alternative hypotheses. Delete these statements before you begin.
ANOVA: Hypothesis Testing
Students should include this information here. Restate the null and alternative hypotheses, cut and paste the statistical output from Excel Toolpak, discuss the p-value in relation to alpha and explicitly accept or reject the null and alternative hypotheses. Delete these statements before you begin.
Findings
After providing a brief introduction to this section, students should discuss the findings in the context of Sun Coast’s problems and the associated research objectives and research questions. Important Note: Students should refer to the information presented in the Unit VII Study Guide and the Unit VII Syllabus instructions to complete this section of the project. Restate each research objective, and discuss them in the context of your hypothesis testing results. The following are some things to consider. What answers did the analysis provide to your research questions? What do those answers tell you? What are the implications of those answers? Delete these statements before you begin.
Example:
RO1: Determine if a person’s height is related to weight.
The results of the statistical testing showed that a person’s height is related to their weight. It is a relatively strong and positive relationship between height and weight. We would, therefore, expect to see in our population taller people having a greater weight relative to those of shorter people. This determination suggests restrictions on industrial equipment should be stated in maximum pounds allowed rather than maximum number of people allowed.
RO2:
RO3:
RO4:
RO5:
RO6:
Recommendations
After providing a brief introduction to this section, students should include recommendations here in paragraph form. This section should be your professional thoughts based upon the results of the hypothesis testing. You are the researcher, and Sun Coast’s leadership team is relying on you to make evidence-based recommendations. Delete these statements before you begin.
References
Include references here using hanging indentations, and delete these statements and example reference.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
1
2
Insert Title Here
Insert Your Name Here
Insert University Here
Course Name Here
Instructor Name
Date
Literature Review
Include the literature review information here.
Important Note: Students should refer to the information presented in the Unit I study guide and the Unit I syllabus instructions to complete this section of the project. Use the following subheadings to include all required information. Delete instructions and examples highlighted in yellow before submitting this assignment.
Particulate Matter (PM) Article
Safety Training Effectiveness Article
Sound-Level Exposure Article
New Employee Training Article
Lead Exposure Article
Return on Investment Article
References
Include references here using hanging indentations.
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE.
MBA 5652, Research Methods 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit I
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Discuss how research-based decision-making can directly affect organizational practices.
1.1 Develop a literature review that includes specific examples of how research-based
decision-making has made a positive organizational impact.
3. Compare and contrast the differences between qualitative and quantitative research
methodologies.
3.1 Differentiate between research methodologies.
5. Examine the advantages and disadvantages of collecting primary and secondary data.
5.1 Research both primary and secondary sources of data.
Course/Unit
Learning Outcomes
Learning Activity
1.1
Unit Lesson
Chapter 2
Video: Literature Reviews: Common Errors Made When Conducting a
Literature Review
Unit I Literature Review
3.1
Unit Lesson
Chapter 1
Chapter 4
Unit I Literature Review
5.1
Unit Lesson
Video: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources: Home
Unit I Literature Review
Required Unit Resources
Chapter 1: The Selection of a Research Approach, pp. 3–8, 11–14, 16–20
Chapter 2: Review of the Literature, pp. 25–34, 36–39, 44–45
Chapter 4: Writing Strategies and Ethical Considerations, pp. 77–88
In order to access the following resources, click the links below:
Center for Research Quality. (2015, January 23). Literature reviews: Common errors made when conducting
a literature review [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiDHOr3NHRA
A transcript of this video is available
Columbia Southern University. (2018, May 2). Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources [Video].
http://libguides.columbiasouthern.edu/primarysecondarytertiary
A transcript of this video is available
UNIT I STUDY GUIDE
Selecting a Research Approach
and the Literature Review
MBA 5652, Research Methods 2
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Unit Lesson
Welcome
Welcome to the course! We will be using evidence and data to enhance business decision-making. The
purpose of conducting business research is, at its core, to improve firm performance and to reduce risk. The
research process is intended to answer a question, solve a problem, or remedy a management problem. The
purpose of this lesson is to lay the foundation for research methods, which the remainder of the course will be
built upon.
Evidence-Based Management
When thinking about how decisions are made within organizations, what comes to mind? Often, business
professionals and managers place trust in the wisdom and experience of corporate leadership teams, betting
that their decisions based on experiences, intuition, conventional wisdom, and anecdotal evidence will be
successful (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2006). Rarely is a thorough and methodological analysis of the facts conducted,
as would be done if the decision pertained to one’s own personal health or financial situation. Given the fact
that there is often a lot at stake in business
decisions (e.g., revenue, profit, costs, jobs,
reputation, etc.), evidence-based management
should routinely be used to make those
decisions. The following passages explain
evidence-based management (EBM) and how
it relates to business research.
Accepting scientific inquiry as integral to
business decision-making allows EBM to work
(Charlier et al., 2011). EBM means translating
principles, based on the best evidence, into
organizational practices. Evidence-based
management encourages practicing managers
to evolve into experts by utilizing social science
and organizational research to make
organizational decisions (Rousseau, 2006).
This works to ensure that decisions are not
based on personal preference and
unsystematic experience (Rousseau, 2006).
Although EBM is intended to replace, or at least supplement, decisions based on opinion, hunches, and
anecdotal evidence, businesses have been traditionally slow to adopt best practices as identified in
academia. Fortunately, this mindset has been changing in recent years, and there is an EBM movement
taking place among many business sectors (Charlier et al., 2011; van Aken & Romme, 2009). This movement
is being driven in part by hyper-competition that demands better strategic decision-making abilities,
technology and the ability to capture large amounts of data for analytical purposes, and the increasing
pressure to produce measurable financial performance (Mohrman et al., 2001). Still, few managers read the
academic literature to aid in EBM, and there are a variety of inhibitors to its adoption, including reigning
conventional wisdom, group decision-making, multiple stakeholders, internal politics, competing incentives,
and lack of knowledge regarding the discipline of business research (Rousseau, 2006). Research
methodology and the interpretation of results can be intimidating, even for students of business research, and
even more so for the business manager (Myers, 2011). By following a systematic process, however, the
mystery and apprehension can be removed. This is important because EBM produces a measurable return
and offers a competitive advantage since it is not often practiced by competitors (Pfeffer & Sutton, 2006).
EBM is applicable to all business disciplines, including health and safety, finance, marketing, operations,
information technology, human resources, and others. This course is intended to provide the tools to use
EBM on a practical level. It will show you how to use the literature to discover research that has already been
conducted, which can assist in addressing management problems. Additionally, students will be given the
tools to conduct their own business research so they can engage in EBM as informed by their own data. Not
only will this knowledge allow students to provide additional value to their companies, but also it will make
Evidence-based management
(Lancelotlachartre, 2011)
MBA 5652, Research Methods 3
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
them more personally marketable as business leaders. Charlier et al. (2011) found that only a small minority
(26%) of MBA courses had a focus on EBM, and this focus was more likely to occur in elite business schools,
so there is a unique opportunity here to learn a systemic framework for making business decisions.
Research Disciplines
Research generally has two disciplines: pure research (also known as basic research) and applied research.
Pure research can be thought of as a process to expand our knowledge as a human race. It should preferably
answer some important questions, but there are many research studies that may not be profound, yet they
still satisfy our curiosities. Pure research is normally associated with academic research, such as the type of
research that you would find taking place within a research university where they are developing and testing
theories.
Applied research is intended to address a specific problem and will be the primary focus in this course.
Applied research is often used in business since there are many management problems that can be
addressed with a scientific approach. Business research is based on the scientific method, which is a
process-driven approach to answering questions and reducing risk. This course will explain that process so
students have a greater appreciation for the usefulness of business research and are able to develop a
comfort level with applying these tools in a practical setting.
Research Methodologies
Both pure and applied research methods use several methodologies. Research methodology refers to
general categorical approaches to research (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods). These categories,
or approaches, are rooted in different philosophical traditions. For example, a quantitative methodology is
rooted in a positivist tradition while a qualitative methodology is rooted in a constructivist tradition. Mixed
methods, as its name suggests, are rooted in both positivist and constructivist research traditions. Research
traditions will be explained shortly in this lesson.
A quantitative research methodology approaches a research problem with the assumption that it can be
solved by collecting relatively large amounts of numerical data that are later statistically analyzed. Results of
quantitative research can be generalized to populations. For example, results from sample data can be used
to make statistical inferences about populations. A qualitative research methodology also tries to solve
business problems, but the data collected are non-numerical and, instead, reflect ideas like thoughts, feelings,
attitudes, and behaviors. These qualitative concepts can be thought of as fluid since they can be difficult, if
not impossible, to measure numerically. Qualitative research provides a deeper and richer understanding of
small groups of people, but the results are not generalizable to a larger population. A mixed methods
methodology combines aspects of both quantitative and qualitative research, and a mixed methods
methodology can be powerful because it includes the best of both worlds; however, this approach also
increases the time, cost, and complexity of research projects. This course focuses only on quantitative and
qualitative methodologies.
When deciding which methodology is most suitable for a research project, the business problem itself should
dictate the approach. For example, if ABC Consulting was interested in identifying the top 10 concerns of U.S.
safety managers, a quantitative approach would be appropriate. They could survey a random sample of
safety managers to make inferences about the concerns of the U.S. population of safety managers. If,
however, the business problem was to understand why a client’s lost-time rates were skyrocketing despite
training, a qualitative methodology would be most appropriate. ABC Consulting could conduct interviews with
employees to try to understand where the divide was occurring.
Worldviews and Philosophical Assumptions
Although the business problem should dictate the methodology, the reality is that often a researcher’s
worldview determines the methodology chosen. A researcher’s worldview includes ontology (the nature of
reality), epistemology (the nature of knowledge), and axiology (the nature of value). The intersection of these
domains creates the researcher’s worldview, or philosophical assumptions about the world. For the purposes
of this course, there will be only two worldviews considered.
MBA 5652, Research Methods 4
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
The first worldview is post positivism (sometimes referred
to as simply positivism), which is aligned with a quantitative
research methodology. Post positivist researchers believe
that reality is fixed, measurable, and independent of
experience. Post positivists believe that knowledge is
gained through empirical analysis and scientific
measurement of data. Post positivists believe that research
should be value-free, objective, and free from subjective
interpretation.
The second worldview we consider is constructivism, which
is aligned with a qualitative research methodology.
Constructivists, as the name implies, believe reality is
created through experience. They believe there are shared
and multiple realities. Constructivists believe that
knowledge is created through experiences, memories,
stories, culture, and self-reflection. When conducting
research, constructivists believe researchers must interject
subjectivity and interpretation to create a value-laden
research process.
Since one’s worldview begins to form at an early age, it is normally stable and unchanging throughout one’s
lifetime and permeates all facets of their interaction with the world. Therefore, it is not unusual that
researchers naturally adopt a methodology, whether quantitative or qualitative, that is consistent with their
own worldview. What is your worldview?
The Scientific Method
Although this course discusses both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, it is heavily focused
on quantitative research. There are several reasons for this approach:
• We live in a data-driven society;
• data is inexpensive and readily available;
• most firms base their strategic decisions on quantitative data; and
• the course project is based on a quantitative methodology, which will provide more structure to work
through the research process.
Many people are intimidated by business research. It can be quite overwhelming given the breadth and depth
of information for this discipline. When data and statistics are introduced into the equation, it is
understandable why some people tend to shut down. Fear can create a mental block—not unlike the stress
created during a final exam. As mentioned previously, business research uses a systematic approach called
the scientific method. If the scientific method is used as a road map, much trepidation and fear should
dissipate.
The scientific method is comprised of the below steps.
Researcher’s worldview
MBA 5652, Research Methods 5
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Students in this course will complete steps two, three, four, seven, eight, and nine throughout this course. The
problems will be defined for you, the population and samples have been determined, and the data has
already been collected. The first step in the course project will be to conduct the literature review.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Data
There are three broad sources of information to consider when beginning a literature review: primary,
secondary, and tertiary sources. In business research, it is preferable to only draw from primary and
secondary sources. Primary sources are preferred over secondary sources because the primary source
information has not been biased or filtered by a third party. Primary sources are normally found in academic
journals (e.g., Journal of Marketing, Journal of Management, etc.). Academic journals can be found in the
CSU Online Library and include many articles that describe the results of primary research. Secondary
sources are also found in academic journals. These typically take the form of literature reviews where the
results of primary studies are analyzed and interpreted. Academic journal articles have a very high level of
credibility because both primary and secondary sources are peer-reviewed. Peer-review is a process where a
panel of experts reviews articles for worthiness before they are approved for publication in scholarly journals.
In addition to academic journal articles, there is a large volume of credible, non-academic, secondary sources
that can be useful in business research. These commonly include newspapers (e.g., Wall Street Journal),
magazines (e.g., Harvard Business Review), many books, business databases (e.g., Hoovers), and other
reference materials. Discretion should be used when citing websites. Many are either not credible (e.g.,
Wikipedia) or are tertiary sources, which simply summarize the information that would be found in primary and
secondary sources. Tertiary sources generally have a very low level of credibility and authority and should be
avoided in lieu of more credible and authoritative sources. Examples of tertiary sources include
encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, fact books, directories, abstracts, and bibliographies.
Using primary and secondary sources of information helps clarify the problem and research questions so that
time and money are not wasted studying the wrong thing. By using primary and secondary sources, the
purpose of the study can be clarified before launching into a full-blown research design. Reviewing the
literature can effectively be accomplished several ways. Cooper and Schindler (2011) list several sources of
information to be used in a literature review including the analysis of published studies (e.g., scholarly
articles), books, industry and association data, organizational data, expert interviews, individual depth
interviews, and group discussions. A literature review is often the first step in any research project, and the
ubiquity of sources available provides a wealth of information. Gathering this information will help the
researcher not only clarify the management problem and research questions but also provide additional
insights about which research methodology, design, method, measure, and sampling frame would be most
appropriate to use in the study (Cooper & Schindler, 2011).
Literature Review
When searching databases for information on a topic, first search for articles in scholarly journals (not within
magazines like Harvard Business Review or Forbes). Scholarly journals have names like The Journal of
Marketing, The Journal of Accounting, and The Journal of Occupational Health and Safety. Scholarly journals
are information dense. The scholarly articles contained within scholarly journals are always peer-reviewed.
When searching for scholarly articles within the CSU Online Library, “scholarly peer reviewed journals,”
should be checked in the search options. If non-peer-reviewed sources are used, like the Harvard Business
Review, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes, they may be credible, but it should be noted that a lot of this content
is opinion-based and, therefore, not empirical.
Google Scholar is another resource to find articles, but it should not be assumed that articles found there are
all credible sources (it really should not be assumed that every source found in any database is credible). It is
necessary to evaluate each source on a case-by-case basis. Generally, researchers can have confidence in
the sources they have found if they use academic, peer-reviewed journal articles because they are the best
sources to use. Non-peer-reviewed types of sources often provide their interpretation of primary research,
which is fine, but it is much preferred to go to the original source(s) of the research so one can draw one’s
own conclusions about the study. When sources like Harvard Business Review or Forbes interpret a study,
they will provide enough information in the article so it is easy to find the original article in an academic
database, like those housed in the CSU Online Library. The other thing to keep in mind is that this library is
MBA 5652, Research Methods 6
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free. Google Scholar articles will often charge a fee to read or download. Most times, any article found on
Google Scholar can also be found in the CSU Online Library databases.
In Closing
Although there are many things to consider when conducting research, there is an overwhelming number of
great resources to turn to that can help guide a researcher as he or she begins the research process. No one
commits everything to memory, and that is why all researchers, experts and novices alike, refer to sources
when assembling a research plan.
References
Charlier, S. D., Brown, K. G., & Rynes, S. L. (2011). Teaching evidence-based management in MBA
programs: What evidence is there? Academy of Management Learning & Education, 10(2), 222–236.
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc
t=true&db=bth&AN=62798931&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2011). Business research methods (11th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Lancelotlachartre. (n.d.). Business illustration showing the concept of evidence-based management (ID
110228264) [Photograph]. Dreamstime. https://www.dreamstime.com/business-illustration-showing-
concept-evidence-based-management-image110228264
Mohrman, S. A., Gibson, C. B., & Mohrman, A. M., Jr. (2001). Doing research that is useful to practice: A
model and empirical exploration. Academy of Management Journal, 44(2), 357–375.
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc
t=true&db=bth&AN=4377989&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Myers, G. T. (2011). Research methodology by numbers—A teaching tool. Electronic Journal of Business
Research Methods, 9(1), 66–77.
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc
t=true&db=bth&AN=78235207&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Pfeffer, J., & Sutton, R. I. (2006). Hard facts, dangerous half-truths, & total nonsense: Profiting from evidence-
based management. Harvard Business School Press.
Rousseau, D. M. (2006). Is there such a thing as “evidence-based management”? Academy of Management
Review, 31(2), 256–269.
van Aken, J. E., & Romme, G. (2009). Reinventing the future: Adding design science to the repertoire of
organization and management studies. Organization Management Journal, 6(1), 5–12.
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direc
t=true&db=bth&AN=48971122&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Suggested Unit Resources
Please visit the link below to explore the many research and library tutorials that Columbia Southern
University offers. This site may be of great assistance to you as you move through the course because of its
links to library tutorials under the Library Orientation heading on the bottom left of the screen. You can always
revisit Unit I to utilize this link and the resources within it.
MBA 5652, Research Methods 7
UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title
Columbia Southern University. (2018). Research methods (graduate): Introduction.
http://libguides.columbiasouthern.edu/researchmethods
Below are links from the source above. Please review the first tutorial to learn how to search the CSU Online
Library databases for peer-reviewed sources. Please review the second tutorial to learn how to read scholarly
articles.
Columbia Southern University. (2018, June 29). How to find peer reviewed resources [Video].
http://libguides.columbiasouthern.edu/howtopeerreviewed
A transcript of this video is available
Columbia Southern University. (2018, March 21). Reading scholarly journal articles [Video].
http://libguides.columbiasouthern.edu/readingscholarlyarticles
A transcript of this video is available.
Here is an example of the type of article that should be used in the literature review assignment. It should
relate to the course project industry of interest, which is health and safety, and includes results of a
quantitative research study.
Ceballos, D. M., Gong, W., & Page, E. (2015). A pilot assessment of occupational health hazards in the US
electronic scrap recycling industry. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 12(7), 482–
488. https://www-tandfonline-
com.libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/doi/pdf/10.1080/15459624.2015.1018516
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