Understanding Business Research
Order Instructions:
Identify two articles in the University Library: one in which the business problem is researched using a qualitative design and the other using a quantitative design.
Summarize each of the research designs.
Write a 350- to 700-word paper in which you compare and contrast the two approaches:
•What are the strengths and weaknesses of each approach?
•How can they be used most effectively in a combined approach?
•Which method is more appropriate for research in your own business of youth ministry.
SAMPLE ANSWER
Understanding Business Research
Understanding business research allows the businessperson and researchers to adapt to appropriate strategies and designs. Researchers have an option to choose from various research designs but the mostly used include qualitative and quantitative research as well as mixed design. Research allows business personality to find solution to various problems that face them as they transact their business. The paper compares and contrasts qualitative and quantitative research designs based on their strengths and weaknesses. It also deliberates on their combination and provides a suggestion on the most appropriate design in conducting my business of youth ministry.
Example of an article that adopted qualitative research design is “Strategic communication and social media: An MBA course from a business communication perspective by Meredith (2012). In this qualitative article, the author found out social media is producing content that is getting used in pedagogy. The content is highly demanded by the student body, industry constituents’ as well as other discipline area. An MBA from a business perspective is also under development from social media strategy. This therefore presents a challenge of integrating various communication approaches to create social media content. On the other hand, a study, “Quantitative Research in American Economic History” by North (1963) adopted a quantitative research design. The study incorporated various studies quantitatively analyzed.
Each of this approach has advantages as well as disadvantages. Some of the advantages of qualitative research design include; it is appropriate in early stages of conducting a research especially when the researcher does not know or is not sure about what the study is not all about the study as well requires a researcher to have a strict design plan before commencing it or the area of focus. It also gives the researcher freedom allow the study unfold in more unnatural. The design further allows the researcher an opportunity to again detailed information comprehensively in written description or in visual form. The study is done in real situations hence it affects individuals, as data obtained is realistic and representation of what is going in the field. Disadvantage of this design is that it is prone to biasness as researcher may heavily be involved in the process hence subjective. Researcher may also interpret data according to the biased view leading to skeweness. It is also time consuming and takes long period.
Quantitative research design has as well a number of advantages. This design also the researcher to measure and analyze data hence ensures detailed relationships between dependent and independent variable. It is therefore more objective about findings. The design is also applicable in testing hypotheses as data is measured through statistics. Disadvantage of the design is that it fails or ignores the context of the study. Events are not studied in natural setting, it also requires large sample of population as higher population leads to accurate results.
These two designs can be used in combination as mixed design. This therefore, means that aspects of qualitative and quantitative are incorporated in the data. This makes the study findings more objective.
In my business of youth ministry, the best method is qualitative research design. This method will provide descriptive information that will enable me to understand the business situation. This design is also important because it is done in real environment hence its predictions are highly reliable
References
Meredith, M. (2012). Strategic communication and social media: An MBA course from a business communication perspective. Business Communication Quarterly, i75(1): 89-95.
North, D. (1963). Quantitative Research in American Economic History. American Economic Review, 53(1):128
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