Summary: Essential of Business Research Project

Characteristics of a good research topic
• Your topic is achievable
• Your topic is specific
• Your topic is relevant (narrowing down  your research topic)
• Your topic satisfies project guidelines
• Your topic is of interest to you

Research Problem 
• More specific
• Make progress in refining your research

Research Questions
• What do you want to find out?
• Why do you want to research this topic?
• Why does this research need to be carried out? ( Is there a gap in the literature or does it contribute to existing theory and/or management practices?)
• What data/ information already exist in other similar studies?

Why are research questions important?
• They help to set boundaries when conducting your literature review and help to identity the key literature
• They help propose a suitable methodology
• They help produce a refined set of results
• They allow easier analysis
• They help to draw together a reasonable set of conclusions and make reference to previous research

When formulating research question
• Your questions must not be too easy
• They should allow for suitable analysis
• They should provide future perspective
• They should allow the generation of new insights
• They should avoid common areas of research

For example:
• How do cultural values influence Chinese management?
• How successful is Brampton plc in the Indonesian market?

Example of research questions
• How important are the various factors for evaluating staff performance?
• How have sports celebrities contributed to the Gilette brand?
• What attitudes do consumers have toward fair trade products?

Example of research objective
• To identify the reasons behind the company’s expansion into Dutch market.
• To determine the best way our company can increase staff retention over the next financial year
• TO establish the best way of introducing a sales training scheme

How to formulate researchable objectives
• Specific. Are the objectives stated clearly? Are they focused and indicate what is to be achieved?
• Measurable. Can the stand objectives measure what is claimed?
• Achievable. Are your objectives achievable and attainable?
• Relevant. Objectives should also add value to your chosen topic and above all be applicable to your subject.
• Timed . Is there a time period within which the objectives will be accomplished?

Tools to read journal article
• https://www.readcube.com/
• http://www.qiqqa.com/

Bibliography
Wilson, J. (2014). Essentials of Business Research: A Guide to Doing Your Research Project (2 ed.). (J. Seaman, Ed.) Singapore: SAGE Publication.