GC UNIVERSITY LAHORE

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
Program

B.Com(Hons)

Course Title
Course Code
Year
Semester
Course Duration
Credit Hours

Research Methods in Business

BC RM - 3201
III
VI
One Semester (16 weeks of study)
03

Course Leader

Taj Muhammad
Taj Muhammad

Course
Instructor

Imtiaz Ahmad

A. Course Description
This course is intended to provide the insight into the challenges faced by managers in research for
business decision making. The course aims at:
To meet the challenge of the fast pace decision making environment,
Provide the knowledge and skills a manager needs to solve the problems.
The course is designed to prepare the students to manage business, not-for-profit, and public
organization in all functional areas.
The course will draw on business and management theory and investigation methods. It will take a holistic
view of the research ideas associated with academic and other research projects.

Pre-requisites Course(s):

Business Statistics

Co Requisite Course(s):

None

B. Course Goals and Objectives:

INTRODUCTION
GOAL 01:

Nature of Business Research and Management Research

Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Objective 4:
Objective 5:
Objective 6:

Definition of Research, and Research and Development

Purpose and distinct focus of Business and management research;
Basic-applied research continuum according to its purpose and context
Research process and the stages to complete (and revisit) as part of
research process
Formulating and Clarifying Research Topic
1

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DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
Objective 7:
Objective 8:
Objective 9:
Objective 10:
Objective 11:

Attributes of good research topic

Generating and refining research ideas.
Turning research ideas into research projects
Research proposal for research projects incorporating research ideas
Role and Significance of Research in Business, Commerce and Industry

GOAL 02:

Business Research Proposal

Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Objective 4:
Objective 5:
Objective 6:
Objective 7:
Objective 8:

Purpose of Research Proposal.

Types of Research Proposal
Development of the proposals
Formatting the Research proposal
Contents of the Research proposal
Requirements of the sponsoring agent
Evaluation of Research proposal
Business Research Ethics and Ethical treatment of participants
BUSINESS RESEARCH PROCESS/CYCLE

GOAL 03:
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:

Objective 4:

GOAL 04:
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:

GOAL 05

Broad Problem Area & Preliminary Data Gathering

(Research Process Step 1 & 2)
Identify the Problem Areas
State Research Problems
Nature of data to be gathered
a. Background information
b. Managerial Policies
c. Attitude & Behavioral Response of the Organization
Literature Review
a. Reason for the literature Review
b. Conducting the Literature Review, Identify & Extracting the relevant
information

Problem Definition & Theoretical Framework

(Research Process Step 3 & 4)
Managerial Implications
Ethical Issues
Need for a Theoretical Framework
a. Dependent Variable
b. Independent Variable
c. Moderating Variable
d. Intervening Variable
i.
Theoretical Frame work & its Features

Hypothesis Development & Research Design

(Research Process Step 5 & 6)

GC UNIVERSITY LAHORE
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Objective 4:
Objective 5:
Objective 6:
Objective 7:
Objective 8:
Objective 9:
Objective 10:
Objective 11:

Definition of Hypothesis
If-Then Statement
Directional & Non Directional Hypothesis
Null & alternate hypothesis
Define Research Design
Identify the main research strategies
quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques
Reasons for adopting methods in the conduct of research
Implications of adopting different time horizons for research design
Concepts of validity and reliability
Identify the main threats to validity and reliability

GOAL 06:

Sampling &Data Collection Methods

Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Objective 4:
Objective 5:
Objective 6:
Objective 7:
Objective 8:
Objective 9:
Objective 10:
Objective 11:
Objective 12:

GOAL 07:

(Research Process Step 7)

What is sampling?
Types of Sampling (Probability and Non Probability Sampling)
Appropriate Sampling Design
Precision & Confidence
Estimate Sample Size
Types of Probability and Non Probability Sampling
Advantages and Disadvantages of Probability and Non Probability
Sampling
Sampling as a part of Research Project/Proposal
Types & Nature of Data
Sources of Data
Data Collection Methods for Different types of Data
Ethics in Data Collection

Analyzing & Interpreting Data and Use of Softwares

(Research Process Step 8)

Objective 1:
Preparing, inputting and checking data in Microsoft Excel/SPSS/Eviews/Stata
Objective 2:
Exploring
Coding categorizing & presenting Data through Microsoft
Excel/SPSS/Eviews/Stata
Objective 3:
Describing data using statistics(descriptive & statistical ) through
Microsoft Excel/Eviews/Stata
Objective 4:
Examining relationships, differences and trends using statistics

GOAL: 08

Writing and Presenting Research Report

(Research Process Step 9)

Objective 1:
Objective 2:

Purpose of Report
Different types of Reports

GC UNIVERSITY LAHORE
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
Objective 3:
Objective 4:
Objective 5:
Objective 6:
Objective 7:

Structuring project/research report

Organizing the reports content
Developing an appropriate writing style
Meeting the assessment criteria
Oral Presentation of the work

C. Recommended Texts
1.
2.
3.
4.

Cooper & Schindler, Business Research Methods, Ninth Edition

Saunders, Mark ,Philip Lewis and Adrian Thorn, Latest Edition
Sekaran Uma, Research Methods for Business, Fourth Edition.
Zigmund, William G, Business research methods, Sixth Edition.

D. Semester Work
The instructor should follow the following scheme for semester work for this
course:
Weightage
Sr.
Assessment Tool
in Semester
No
Work
30% of
Quizzes
1.
Sessional
(Multiple Choice Questions)
Marks
Assignment / Project / Proposal / Short Research
70 % of
Report (Application of concepts studied in class by
2.
Sessional
asking students to collect information through
Marks
examples in real life.)
E. Assessment Criteria
a. Final Paper
The student will be assessed in final paper from the following modules. The
breakup of each module and its weightage in paper is given as follows:
Module
s

Goals

Weightage
in
Examinatio
n

Module 1

Goal 1 & 2

20%

Module 2

Goal 4 &
7

20%

Module 3

Goal 3

20%

Breakup of Questions
50% theory
50% application
20-50% theory
50-80 % numerical / application
10-30% theory
30-90 % numerical / application

GC UNIVERSITY LAHORE
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
Module 4

Goal 5

20%

10-30% theory
30-90 % numerical / application

Module 5

Goal 6

20%

10-30% theory
30-90 % numerical / application

A student have to separately pass semester work and final examination by

securing at least 50% marks in each