Understanding Business Research

Designed to assist readers in the fields of business, finance, and management science, this book provides step-by-step coverage of the research process including research design, models for design, statistical considerations, and guidance on writing and presenting results. Filled with simple explanations, real-world examples, and numerous illustrations to help readers understand complex and abstract concepts, this is an ideal book for MBA-level students, as well as researchers and practitioners who want understand and utilize qualitative and quantitative research methods in applied scenarios.

Bart L. Weathington, PhD, is UC Foundation Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he is also Coordinator of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology graduate program. Dr. Weathington is coauthor of Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (Wiley). Christopher J. L. Cunningham, PhD, is UC Foundation Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational and Occupational Health Psychology at the University of Tennessee of Chattanooga, where he is also Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine. Dr. Cunningham is coauthor of Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (Wiley). David J. Pittenger, PhD, is Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Marshall University. Dr. Pittenger is coauthor of Research Methods for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (Wiley).

Preface	p. xiii
Overview of the Research Process	p. 1
Research and Business	p. 3
Introduction	p. 4
Why Is Understanding Research Methods so Important?	p. 4
The Role of Science in Business and Everyday Life	p. 4
The Scientific Method	p. 5
Brief History of the Science of Behavior in the Workplace	p. 6
Bacon's Legacy	p. 10
Other Important Historical Figures	p. 10
Assumptions of Science	p. 12
Requirements for Scientific Research	p. 13
Chapter Summary	p. 18
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 20
References	p. 21
Ethics and Research	p. 23
Introduction	p. 23
What Is Ethics?	p. 24
Approaches to Ethical Analysis	p. 26
Making Ethical Decisions	p. 29
Ethical Business Research	p. 30
Components of an Ethical Research Plan	p. 32
Research in Action: Ethical Dilemmas	p. 37
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 40
References	p. 40
The Foundations of Research	p. 41
Introduction	p. 41
The Hypothesis in Research	p. 42
Types of Hypotheses	p. 46
Measurement	p. 52
Reliability of Measurement	p. 57
Validity of Measurement	p. 59
Populations and Samples	p. 61
Research in Action: Credit or Cash?	p. 65
Chapter Summary	p. 68
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 69
References	p. 71
An Overview of Empirical Methods	p. 73
Introduction	p. 74
Internal, Statistical, and External Validity	p. 74
Survey of Empirical Methods	p. 33
Intact Groups Designs and Quasi-Experimental Studies	p. 87
Surveys	p. 90
Correlational Studies	p. 90
Interviews and Case Studies	p. 92
Meta-Analysis	p. 93
Computers and Statistics	p. 94
Research in Action: Price Matters	p. 95
Chapter Summary	p. 99
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 101
References	p. 103
Nuts and Bolts of Research	p. 105
Writing the Research Report	p. 107
Introduction	p. 107
What Do Readers Appreciate in Good Writing?	p. 109
Elements of Style	p. 109
Special Grammatical Issues	p. 113
Academic Integrity	p. 117
Parts of the Research Report	p. 122
Chapter Summary	p. 135
References	p. 136
Reviewing the Literature and Forming Hypotheses	p. 137
Introduction	p. 138
Bibliographic Research	p. 138
The Internet as a Source	p. 141
Developing a Search Strategy	p. 143
Searching the Literature: The Library	p. 144
Research in Action: Does Listening to Mozart Make You Smarter?	p. 148
Statistical Inference and Testing Hypotheses	p. 150
Chapter Summary	p. 154
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 155
References	p. 156
Sampling: The First Steps in Research	p. 157
Introduction	p. 158
The Nature of Samples	p. 159
Probability Sampling	p. 160
Sampling Methods	p. 162
Nonprobability Sampling	p. 165
Central Limit Theorem	p. 167
Applications of the Central Limit Theorem	p. 170
Sources of Bias and Error: A Reprise	p. 176
Research in Action: Sampling Matters	p. 178
Chapter Summary	p. 180
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 181
References	p. 182
Creating and Using Assessments, Surveys, and Objective Measures	p. 183
Introduction	p. 184
Purpose of Measurement	p. 184
Caveat Assessor	p. 184
Creating a Measurement Scale and Developing a Data-Collection Strategy	p. 186
Interviews, Questionnaires, and Attitude Surveys	p. 187
Question Response Formats	p. 190
Writing Good Survey Items	p. 194
Determining the Sample Size for a Survey	p. 199
Naturalistic Observation	p. 201
Research in Action: Analysis of Assaults	p. 207
Chapter Summary	p. 212
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 212
References	p. 215
A Model for Research Design	p. 215
Introduction	p. 216
A Model for Research Design	p. 216
What Is the Independent Variable?	p. 221
What Is the Dependent Variable?	p. 223
Are There Confounding Variables?	p. 224
What Are the Research Hypotheses?	p. 227
Mathematical Hypotheses	p. 228
Evaluating Hypotheses	p. 229
Evaluating Hypotheses: Practical Matters	p. 232
Research in Action: Sex Differences and Shopping Behavior	p. 236
Research in Action: Changing Attitudes by Writing Essays	p. 236
Chapter Summary	p. 237
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 239
References	p. 240
Common Research Designs	p. 243
Correlational Research	p. 245
Introduction	p. 246
Conceptual Review of Correlation	p. 246
Pearson's r	p. 248
Interpreting the Correlation Coefficient	p. 248
Factors that Corrupt a Correlation Coefficient	p. 250
Sample Size and the Correlation Coefficient	p. 253
Applications of the Correlation Coefficient	p. 255
Regression Analysis	p. 259
Introduction to Mediation and Moderation	p. 261
Regression to the Mean	p. 262
Research in Action: Education and Income	p. 264
Chapter Summary	p. 268
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 269
References	p. 270
Between-Subjects Designs	p. 271
Introduction	p. 271
Student's t-Ratio for Independent Groups	p. 272
Review of Hypothesis Testing	p. 274
Testing Statistical Hypotheses	p. 276
Common Errors in the Interpretation of p	p. 282
The Power of a Test	p. 284
Estimating the Sample Size	p. 289
Statistics Behind The Research	p. 291
Chapter Summary	p. 295
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 296
References	p. 296
Single-Variable Between-Subjects Research	p. 297
Introduction	p. 298
Independent Variable	p. 298
Cause and Effect	p. 301
Gaining Control Over the Variables	p. 301
The General Linear Model	p. 303
Components of Variance	p. 306
The F-Ratio	p. 307
H₀ and H₁	p. 310
F-Ratio Sampling Distribution	p. 310
Summarizing and Interpreting ANOVA Results	p. 312
Effect Size and Power	p. 313
Multiple Comparisons of the Means	p. 315
Research in Action	p. 318
Chapter Summary	p. 320
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 321
References	p. 322
Between-Subjects Factorial Designs	p. 325
Introduction	p. 326
The Logic of the Two-Variable Design	p. 326
Advantages of the Two-Variable Design	p. 327
Factorial Designs: Variables, Levels, and Cells	p. 331
Examples of Factorial Designs	p. 332
Main Effects and Interaction	p. 334
Designing a Factorial Study	p. 342
Identifying Samples and Estimating Sample Size	p. 344
Interpreting the Interaction: Advanced Considerations	p. 346
Chapter Summary	p. 348
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 348
References	p. 349
Correlated-Groups Designs	p. 351
Introduction	p. 351
Logic of the Correlated-Groups Research Design	p. 352
Repeated-Measures Design	p. 353
Longitudinal Designs	p. 362
Matched-Groups Design	p. 365
Mixed-Model Design	p. 367
Research in Action	p. 368
Chapter Summary	p. 370
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 370
References	p. 371
Special Research Designs	p. 373
Research with Categorical Data	p. 375
Introduction	p. 375
Goodness-of-Fit Test	p. 377
X² Test of Independence	p. 381
X² Test of Homogeneity	p. 384
Further Analysis of the x²	p. 385
McNemar Test	p. 388
Research in Action: Gambling and Productivity	p. 391
Chapter Summary	p. 393
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 394
References	p. 394
Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research	p. 397
Introduction	p. 398
Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research	p. 398
Theory and Perspectives Guiding Qualitative Research	p. 399
Mixing Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Combined	p. 400
Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Data Collection and Analysis	p. 402
Benefits and Challenges of Mixed-Methods Research	p. 408
Sources of Published Qualitative and Mixed-Methods Research	p. 411
Research in Action: Gender- and Job-Based Differences in Work Stress	p. 412
Chapter Summary	p. 414
Chapter Glossary for Review	p. 415
References	p. 415
Statistics Behind the Research, or, "What Was I Supposed to Remember from My Statistics Class Anyway?"	p. 417
Statistical Tables	p. 435
Index	p. 485
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Understanding Business Research

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