Course Code: BBA-401
Course Title: Research Methodology
Marks: 100;
Credit: 3.00 hours
Course Description: This course provides BBA students with the theoretical knowledge and
practical skills necessary to conduct business research from initiation to completion. It covers
the entire research project process, divided into key phases: preparation, execution, and
delivery of results. The course introduces students to essential research methods used in
business, including statistical analysis, surveys, and comparative analysis, equipping them to
produce sound and credible research findings.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the foundational concepts of business research, the scientific method, and
the overall research process.
Develop practical skills in formulating a research problem, conducting a literature
review, and designing a research project.
Apply appropriate methods for data collection, including sampling and survey design.
Utilize fundamental statistical techniques for data analysis, including hypothesis
testing and regression analysis.
Master the skills required to derive logical conclusions, address ethical considerations,
and effectively communicate research findings through written reports and
presentations.
Course Outline:
1. Foundations of Business Research: The nature, definition, and purpose of research.
Fundamental vs. Applied Research. Major research approaches: Exploratory,
Descriptive, Experimental, and Analytical. Introduction to the Scientific Method,
hypotheses, and logical reasoning.
2. The Research Process and Problem Formulation: Logical phases of research:
Preparation, Conducting Research, and Delivery of Results. Steps in formulating a
research problem, including asking appropriate research questions and avoiding value
judgments. Factoring the problem into subproblems and defining the project's scope
and limitations.
3. Literature Review and Research Design: The value and process of conducting a
literature review. Identifying primary and secondary sources of information.
Constructing a research design by determining the research approach, formulating
models and hypotheses, and planning for data collection.
4. Writing the Research Proposal: The purpose and structure of a research proposal.
Key components of the proposal including the problem statement, research objectives,
research design, and expected outcomes. Formatting, submission, and approval
process.
5. Data Collection and Sampling: The principles of data collection and measurement
accuracy. Understanding the difference between a sample and a population.
Introduction to sampling methods: Random, Systematic, Stratified, Cluster, and
Convenience sampling. Determining the minimum required sample size.
6. Survey Research and Questionnaire Design: The purpose and statistical nature of
surveys in business research. Designing effective questionnaires, including the use of
closed-ended and open-ended questions. Structuring the questionnaire and selecting
the appropriate media for survey distribution (e.g., printed, online).
7. Introduction to Statistical Analysis: The role of descriptive statistics in research.
Calculating and interpreting key sample statistics: mean, median, mode, variance, and
standard deviation. Understanding and calculating covariance and the coefficient of
correlation to measure relationships between variables.
8. Statistical Hypothesis Testing: The philosophy of statistical hypothesis testing.
Formulating the null and alternative hypotheses (H0 and H1). Understanding
significance level (α) and p-value. The acceptance/rejection rule and the difference
between one-tailed and two-tailed tests. Introduction to Type I and Type II errors.
9. Analysis and Interpretation: Definition & characteristics parametric and non-
parametric tests, Assumptions: normality, homogeneity of variance, interval/ratio.
Parametric Tests (t-tests, One-sample t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), One-
way ANOVA, Two-way ANOVA, Correlation & Regression, Pearson’s correlation
coefficient, Simple linear regression, Multiple regression, Z-test (for large samples),
Common Non-Parametric Tests, Tests for Two Groups, Mann–Whitney U test,
Kruskal–Wallis test, Friedman test, Chi-square test of independence, Spearman’s rank
correlation coefficient.
10. Deriving Conclusion and Referencing: Purpose and importance of conclusions,
Steps: revisit objectives, synthesize findings, interpret results, relate to literature,
highlight implications, acknowledge limitations, recommend future research,
Common errors in conclusion writing., Importance of referencing in academic
writing., Overview of citation styles (APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago), In-text citation
and reference list preparation, Referencing tools (Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote),
Avoiding plagiarism: paraphrasing, quoting, attribution.
Reference Books & Articles:
1. Aityan, Sergey K. (2022). Business Research Methodology: Research Process and
Methods. Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
2. Case Study: Challenges of Employee Loyalty in Corporate America.
3. Case Study: Time-Shift Asymmetric Correlation Analysis of Global Stock Markets.
4. Case Study: Assessment of Competitive Strategies By Asserting General Value.
