Page 27 - DMGT404 RESEARCH_METHODOLOGY

Unit 2: Research Problem

While formulating the problem, clearly define: Notes
1. Who is the focus?
2. What is the subject-matter of research?
3. To which geographical territory/area the problem refers to?

4. To which period does the study pertains to?

Example: "Why does the upper-middle class of Bangalore shop at Life-style during the
Diwali season"?
Here all the above four aspects are covered. We may be interested in a number of variables due
to which shopping is done at a particular place. The characteristic of interest to the researcher
may be (1) Variety offered at life-style (2) Discount offered by way of promotion (3) Ambience
at the life-style and (4) Personalised service offered. In some cases, the cause of the problem is
obvious whereas in others the cause is not so obvious. The obvious causes are the products being
on the decline. Not so obvious causes could be a bad first experience for the customer.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
7. Changes in the demographics, technological and legal changes affect the .......................
function.
8. Opportunity related problems produce ........................... results.
9. The first step in research is to formulate the ………………..

2.4 Necessity of Defined Problem

Defining a research problem properly is a prerequisite for any study and is a step of the highest
importance. A problem well defined is half solved. Defining the problem is often more essential
than its solution because when the problem is formulated, an appropriate technique can be
applied to generate alternative solutions. This statement signifies the need for defining a research
problem. The problem to be investigated must be defined unambiguously for that will help to
discriminate relevant data from the irrelevant ones. When you define a research problem you
are trying to reduce the outcome of an answer. The question of course when you speak about
"marketing research" is how I can target more customers that I can sell my product to. You are
looking for specific answers such as: "What type of soda do all foreign born males between the
ages of 25-35 drink?" This is defining the problem. What do you consider foreign born males?
What constitutes soda? etc. This is important because companies and sales organization attempt
to "target" their market instead of taking a shotgun approach. The process is to first make sure
any information you obtain is credible and from a reputable organization. Then break down
your problem and pick apart any inconsistencies you may see within you research project.
Problem formulation is the key to research process. For a researcher, problem formulation
means converting the management problem to a research problem. In order to attain clarity, the
manager and researcher must articulate clearly so that perfect understanding of each others is
achieved.

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