COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus

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DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

Assignment # 2

Name of Student : Hasaan Rao

Registration No. : SP21-BBA-025

Course Title : Research Tools and Techniques

Program Name : BBA

Section : A/B

Teacher Name : Dr. Muhammad Amir Rashid

Q#1: Define “problem” and provide an example of a problem you have encountered in
your daily life. Discuss how you have used research to solve this problem.

Definition: A problem is a situation or challenge that needs to be addressed or resolved because it is

causing difficulty or hindering progress. It can be something that stands in the way of achieving a goal
or completing a task. Problems can range from minor inconveniences to major obstacles that require
significant effort to overcome.

One example of a problem I have encountered in my daily life is dealing with chronic back pain. This
pain was interfering with my ability to work and engage in daily activities, so I decided to research
different methods for alleviating the pain. To begin my research, I consulted with a medical
professional who specialized in treating back pain. Additionally, I read reviews and product
descriptions for items such as supportive pillows and mattress toppers that could potentially help me
get a better night's sleep. Through my research, I discovered that implementing a consistent stretching
routine and incorporating a supportive mattress topper significantly reduced my back pain. I also
learned how important it is to maintain good posture throughout the day to prevent future pain.
Overall, my research allowed me to identify the most effective methods for managing my back pain
and greatly improved my quality of life.

Q#2: Why do we still have to transform the following problem statement into a
researchable topic for investigation?

“The introduction of flexible work hours has created more problems than it has solved.”

In this statement we have identified a problem and it needs to be narrowed down into a researchable
topic.

 Making it specific and precise:

The problem is broad. We do not know what is causing the problem. We can use the ‘5 whys’
approach to get to the root cause of the factors. We will also have to do some preliminary
research to accustom ourselves with factors causing the problem. From there we can select
which topics to research about.
 Setting clear boundaries:
In order to successfully perform research, we will have to define a boundary of what is
relevant and what is not or less relevant to the problem.
 Perspective from which to investigate the subject:
To carryout the research we will have to identify with perspective will be the most suitable to
carry out the result and to achieve the purpose of the study.
Q#3: Use the Internet to find more information about the “Five Times Why” approach.
Discuss this approach using an example provided on the Internet.

The five whys technique consist of asking five times why a problem has occurred. By repeatedly
asking why and investigating the problem one can uncover the root cause of the problem.

This technique was developed by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries. This technique led
to superior problem-solving technique and soon bcame popular among others.

Exammple:

Teams are regularly missing product deadlines.

 Why? The team members completed their parts of project late

 Why? The communication in team was not good
 Why? The team culture is not good
 Why? The team
 Why?

Q#4: Describe the functions of preliminary data gathering.

Once an overarching problem has been identified, researchers must turn it into a researchable
problem. You must formulate your problem specifically and concisely, set clear boundaries, and have
a perspective from which to conduct your research. To do this, researchers conduct preliminary
studies. It is intended to help researchers better understand and narrow down their research questions .

Q#5: Why is it important to gather information on the background of the organization?

Why is it important to review the literature on your topic?

Gathering information on the background of the organization, primary or secondary, will enable the
researcher to communicate more effectively with the managers and employees of the organizations
which will lead to better, precise and more effective problem formulation and results.

Studying the literature related to the topic will help researcher better their understanding of the
problem. Studying existing literature also helps in furthering ones knowledge I the subject area related
to the research.

Q#6: Should a researcher always obtain information on the structural aspects and job
characteristics from those interviewed? Give reasons for your answer with examples.

Whether a researcher should obtain information on the structural aspects and job characteristics
depends on the research question and context of the study. If the research requires the understanding
of the organizational structure or job characteristics of a organization, then obtaining information from
those interviewed will be necessary.

Example:

 If the research question is about the effects of job characteristics on employee well-being, the
researcher would need to obtain information on job characteristics.
 if the research question is about broad trends in job characteristics of financial analysts across
an industry or region, the researcher might not have to obtain information regarding job
characteristics.

Q#7: “The problem definition stage is perhaps more critical in the research process than
the problem Solution stage.” Discuss this statement.

The problem definition stage is perhaps more critical in the research process than the problem solution
stage. A proper problem statement is unambiguous, specific. The questions also correspond to
research goals and research questions. Collected solutions cannot be retrieved if these are not
specified correctly. Hence problem definition stage is s more critical in the research process than the
problem solution stage as without proper problem definition there would be no proper solution.

Q#8: “The ‘secret’ to bringing clarity and focus to your problem is to isolate the key
ideas in the first version of the problem statement.” What are the subjects, verbs, and
objects in the following statement?

“The newly installed information system is not being used by the managers for whom it was
primarily designed.”

Subject: The newly installed information system

Verb: is not being used

Object: by the managers for whom it was primarily designed.

Q#9: Offer a clearly focused problem statement in the broad area of corporate culture,
job satisfaction or risk‐seeking behaviors of investors.

 How does a toxic corporate culture affect employee job satisfaction and retention?

 Impact of demography on risk-seeking behavior of investors: A case study of British Financial

Markets
Q#10: A typical example of a research questions is: “What is the effect of reward system
on productivity?” What is the problem here, according to the researcher? And what is a
possible solution to the problem, according to the same researcher?

The problem identified by the researcher is the need to understand the relationship between a reward
system and productivity in order to improve organizational performance. The researcher wants to
know if implementing a reward system will positively impact productivity.

A possible solution to this problem would be to conduct a research study that examines the
relationship between a reward system and productivity in a specific organizational context. The study
could involve collecting data on productivity levels before and after implementing a reward system, as
well as surveying employees to assess their perceptions of the reward system and its impact on their
motivation and performance. The findings from this study could then inform the development of
evidence-based strategies for improving productivity through the use of reward systems.

Q#11: Below is the gist of an article from Businessweek. After reading it:

a. identify the broad problem area;

b. explain how you would proceed further.

a) A big problem area is the issue of trust among EA's customers. Not keeping promises often
creates a sense of distrust among people, and in the long run can leave blemishes on your
brand image that don't wash away easily, even if you consistently keep your promises.

b) To continue, we apologize for the error. Additionally, after rigorous testing, the game is
properly tested to ensure that the game has minimal bugs. Helps maintain EA's brand image.

Q#12: Define the problem statement (the why and the what) in the following situation:

The given problem statement: Do the benefits of employee loyalty in terms of economics & employee
morale far outweigh the perceived benefits of downsizing an organization?

This is a key problem that exists in many organizations today. Organizations tend to hire as they grow
and eventually over-recruit. They realize their mistakes during a downward cycle and decide it's the
right time to "fix" them. They start with layoffs or go into voluntary retirement. This negatively
affects employee morale. As we all know, companies that help their employees in tough times get
much more. In terms of loyalty, motivation and long-term improvement in productivity. These are
qualities that cannot really be quantified but are very valuable. Good companies invest heavily in their
employees, and long-term ties between the two are essential for this to happen. This is a key problem
that exists in many organizations today. Organizations tend to hire as they grow and eventually over-
recruit. They realize their mistakes during a downward cycle and decide it's the right time to "fix"
them. They start with layoffs or go into voluntary retirement. This negatively affects employee
morale. As we all know, companies that help their employees in tough times get much more.

In terms of loyalty, motivation, and long-term improvement in productivity. These are qualities that
cannot really be quantified but are very valuable. Good companies invest heavily in their employees
(though it may not be obvious at first glance), and long-term ties between the two are essential for this
to happen.