M ASENO UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT

ABA 316: RESEARCH METHODS IN BUSINESS COURSE OUTLINE COURSE OUTLINE

LECTURER: CAINAN OJWANG

COURSE OBJECTIVES The aim of the course is to make students understand the nature of research and appreciate its importance to business management; and expose them to research methods and techniques as applied in business research with a view to developing ability and capacity to carry out independent research in business. The knowledge gained from this course will also prove valuable to the students when undertaking the research project in the BBA degree programme. COURSE ADMINISTRATION Lecturers will be used to introduce concepts, principles and techniques of business research methods. Students are advised to follow assigned readings and are expected to participate actively in class discussions. The students will also learn by doing. That is, they will develop research proposals to be assessed, as part of coursework. COURSE EVALUATION CATS Final Exam Total 30% 70% 100%

COURSE CONTENT 1. Introduction Meaning and importance of Research The research process Sources of knowledge 2. Basic Terms in Research Population Sample Sampling Variables Data Parameters Statistics Formulating Research Problems Problem Statement Identification and definition of Research problems Formulating Research questions and research objectives Stating the purpose

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 4.

Formulating hypotheses

Conceptual/Theoretical Framework Nature and importance Conceptual and theoretical definition of variables Operational definition of variables Literature Review Purpose Scope Methodology Research Design Target Population Sample and Sampling procedure Methods of Data Collection Data analysis and presentation Research Proposal Purpose of research proposal Components Ethical consideration Tools of data collection Oral presentation

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References: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
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Fred N. Kerlinger (1986). Foundations of Behavioral Research Chava Frankfort Nachmias & Davis Nachmis (1996). Methods in the Social Sciences Emory C. W. and Cooper, D.R. (1998). Business Research Methods Donald R. Cooper & Pamela S. Schindler (2003). Methods Uma Sekaran (2004). Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach Jill Hussey and Roger Hussey (1997). Business Research: A Practical Guide for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students. William G. Zikmund (1998). Business Research Methods Mark Saunders et al. (2004). Research Methods for Business Students Churchill Gilbert A. and Lacobucci Dawn (2002). Marketing Research: Methodological Foundations.
Mugenda Olive O. and Mugenda Abel G. (2003). Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Research Methods:

Research

Business Research