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Course OutlineSemester: Spring 2010Program: Bachelor/Masters in Business Administration

Course Title: Research Methodology

Credit Hours: Three [3]

Course Instructor: Prof. Dr. Muhammad Aslam

Text: Research Methods for Business: Uma Sekaran and Roger Bougie

Reference Books: Research Methods for Business: Dr. Pervez N. GhauriResearch Methods for Social Science: Davendra ThaukharBusiness Research Methods: William Zikmund

Course Objectives: This course will review the major considerations and tasks involved in conduction scientific research, particularly in the area of Business Management. It introduces the essential aspects of designing, supporting andconducting a research project.

Those who successfully complete the course will be able to:

Produce a well developed research proposal, Select an appropriate methodology to conduct the research Understand various tasks required to carry out the research, Find the resources needed to guide them through the research process.

Course Requirements:

1. CLASS ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY . You are expected to attend one 3-hour session per week and to participate in class discussions with a minimum of 80% attendance. This policy is strictly enforced – no exceptions.

The students are responsible for any lecture material missed due to absence. Each member of the class should read and be prepared to discuss the material on the day on which it is assigned.

Unannounced quizzes may be given to encourage lesson preparation and participation in classroom discussions.

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In addition to the text, information may be distributed in class in the form of handouts, or material might be referred in the library or internet. For testing purposes, the students are responsible for any information presented in class or made available to them in the library or internet. Brief assignments may be required during the semester to reinforce particular topics.

Students are encouraged to bring magazine or newspaper articles on relevant topics to share with the class.

There will be three (3) exams. The exams may, but not necessarily, consist of a variety of question types: multiple choice, short answer, or essay question. Students will be advised prior to the exam what type of questions to expect.

2. Students will be required to conduct research and prepare a research report. A detailed outline will be handed out during the last week of class. These reports should be turned in typewritten and double-spaced. Students may also be required to make a presentation of these reports before the terminal examination.

3. If, for any reason, the University is officially closed on a scheduled exam day, or a day that an assignment or project is due, the scheduled item activity will take place at the next class meeting.

4. Absolutely no food or drink is allowed in the classroom!

Grading Policy:

Exams, Cased, Class Participation, the Research Report and Presentation will be weighted according to the following ten point grading scale:

Sessional I 10 pointsSessional II 15 pointsTerminal Exam 50 pointsResearch Paper 15 pointsPresentation & Quizzes 05 pointsClass Participation & Assignments 05 points

________Total 100 points

General Guidelines:

Please participate. What you put into the class will determine what you get out of it – and what others get out of it.

Please come on time. Late arrivals disturb everyone. Please do not talk to the person sitting next to you during class. This is rude behavior and disturbs not only the instructor, but also your classmates.

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TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE:

Week Topic Activity

1

Introduction Definition of Research and Business Research Types of Business Research: Basic and Applied Internal and External consultants When Business Research is not needed? Management and Research (Z) Ethics in Business Research (Z)

Formation of Groups

2

Scientific Investigations Hallmarks of scientific research, Obstacles in conducting scientific Research Other Types of Research Case studies & Action

Research Hypothetic-deductive method Building blocks of science, seven step process

3

The Research Process: Broad Problem Area The research process for applied and basic research Broad problem area, preliminary data collection Literature review

Assignment 1

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The Research Process: Elements of research design Problem definition Defining the problem statement Research Proposal

5

The Research Process: Theoretical framework and Hypothesis Development

Types of variables Theoretical Framework Hypothesis development

Assignment 2

Sessional І

6

Elements of research design Purpose of the study: Exploratory, descriptive and

hypothesis testing Types of investigations: Casual & Correlational Study settings: Contrived and noncontrived Units of Analysis Cross sectional & Longitudinal studies

7Measurement of variablesScales: Nominal, Ordinal, Interval, and other types.

8

Collection of data Sources of data: Primary & Secondary data Data collection methods: Questionnaires, interviews,

focus groups, surveys, observations Advantages and disadvantages of data collection

methods

9Experimental Designs The lab. Experiments The field experiments

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Factors affecting the validity of experiments Types of experimental designs

10Sampling

What is good sample? Population, element, sample sampling unit, subject. Reasons for sampling The sampling process Probability and non-probability sampling Where certain sampling design should be used

11Analysis and Presentation of Data

Getting data ready for analysis Getting feel for the data Descriptive Statistics Testing of hypothesis Data display and interpretation

Sessional П

12

Research report Written report: purpose & audience Characteristics of a well-written report Contents of a research report Integral parts of reports

Assignment 3

13

Oral presentation Contents Visual aids Presenting- delivery Handling questions

14 Presentations of student’s projects15 Presentations of student’s projects

16 Final Term ExamSubmission of

Research Report

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