Chapter 3
Defining and Refining the
Problem
Slide 3-2
First Steps Research Process
FIGURE 3.1
Three important first steps in the research process:
Step 1 Step 2
Step 3
Identification of
the Broad Preliminary Definition of the
Management Research Research Problem
Problem
Slide 3-3
Problem
▪ Problem: any situation where a gap exists
between an actual and a desired ideal
state.
Slide 3-4
The Broad Problem Area
▪ Examples of broad problem areas that a
manager could observe at the workplace:
▪ Training programs are not as effective as
anticipated.
▪ The sales volume of a product is not
picking up.
▪ Minority group members are not
advancing in their careers.
▪ The newly installed information system is
not being used by the managers for whom
it was primarily designed.
▪ The introduction of flexible work hours has
created more problems than it has solved
in many companies.
Slide 3-5
Symptoms versus Problems
▪ It is important that symptoms of problems
are not defined as the real problem.
▪ One way of determining that the problem,
rather than the symptom, is being
addressed is a technique called ‘5 Whys’
or ‘5 times why’.
▪ This approach will help you to get to the
root cause (the most basic cause) of a
problem.
Slide 3-6
Symptoms versus Problems
▪ Keep asking “Why?” until the most basic cause is
arrived at.
▪ Example: My best employees are leaving the
organization.
▪ Why? They are not satisfied with their jobs.
▪ Why? They don’t find a challenge in their jobs.
▪ Why? They don’t have control over their work.
▪ Why? They don’t have enough influence over
planning, executing, and evaluating their
work.
▪ Why? We have been reluctant to delegate.
Slide 3-7
From Problem to Feasible Research Topic
▪ We need to transform the broad problem
into a feasible topic for research by:
a) making it more specific and precise;
b) setting clear boundaries;
c) selecting a perspective from which we
investigate the subject (Machi and
McEvoy, 2012).
▪ Preliminary research will help us to make
these transformations.
Slide 3-8
Preliminary Information Gathering
▪ Nature of information to be gathered:
1. Information on the organization and its
environment – that is, the contextual
factors.
2. Information on the topic of interest.
Slide 3-9
First Review of the Literature
▪ Helps the researcher to:
▪ Structure research on work already
done
▪ Develop problem statement with
precision and clarity
▪ Is beneficial in both basic and applied
research projects
Slide 3-10
What Makes a Good Problem Statement?
▪ Good problem statement includes both:
▪ The research objective
▪ Research questions
Slide 3-11
A Good Problem Statement
▪ Research objective: why of the research
▪ Research objective applied research:
▪ to solve a specific problem in a work setting;
▪ to change something.
▪ Example:
▪ To determine factors that increase employee
commitment to the organization;
▪ Allows manager to increase commitment and hence
to decrease turnover, absenteeism and increase
performance levels.
Slide 3-12
Example
The purpose of this study is twofold:
1. to identify the factors that influence the
passenger’s waiting experience and
2. to investigate the possible impact of
waiting on customer satisfaction and
service evaluations.
Slide 3-13
A Good Problem Statement
▪ Research questions:
▪ what of the research (what do you want to learn?)
▪ Translates problem into a specific need for information
▪ Research questions:
▪ Are related to the objective
▪ If objective is unclear we will not be able to formulate research
questions
▪ Example:
▪ What are the factors that affect the perceived waiting experience of
airline passengers
▪ To what extent do these factors affect the perception of waiting times?
▪ What are the affective consequences of waiting
▪ How does affect mediate the relationship between waiting and service
evaluations?
▪ How do situational variables (such as filled time) influence customer
reactions to the waiting experience?
Slide 3-14
Good Problem Statement
▪ Relevant
▪ for the organization
▪ Feasible
▪ you are able to answer the research
questions within the restrictions of the
research project.
▪ Interesting
▪ to you!
Slide 3-15
Basic Types of Questions
▪ Exploratory
▪ Descriptive
▪ Causal
Slide 3-16
Basic Types of Questions
▪ Exploratory questions:
▪ not much is known about the situation
at hand, or no information is available
on how similar problems or research
issues have been solved in the past.
▪ Example:
▪ A service provider wants to know why
his customers are switching to other
service providers?
Slide 3-17
Basic Types of Questions
▪ Descriptive questions:
▪ Enable the researcher to describe the
characteristics of the variables of interest in a
situation.
▪ Example:
▪ What is the profile of the individuals who have
loan payments outstanding for 6 months and
more?
▪ The profile would include details of their average
age, earnings, nature of occupation, full-time/part-
time employment status, and the like. This might
help him to elicit further information or decide
right away on the types of individuals who should
Slide 3-18 be made ineligible for loans in the future.
Basic Types of Questions
▪ Causal questions:
▪ Delineating one or more factors that are
causing a problem.
▪ Example:
▪ Will the sales of product X increase if
we increase the advertising budget?
Slide 3-19
The Research Proposal
▪ The research proposal drawn up by the
investigator is the result of a planned,
organized, and careful effort.
Slide 3-20
Research Proposal Contains (1)
▪ Working title.
▪ Background of the study.
▪ The problem statement.
- The purpose of the study.
- Research questions.
▪ The scope of the study.
▪ The relevance of the study.
Slide 3-21
Research Proposal Contains (2)
▪ The research design offering details on:
a. Type of study
b. Data collection methods
c. The sampling design.
d. Data analysis.
▪ Time frame of the study
▪ Budget
▪ Selected bibliography.
Slide 3-22
