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>businessresearchmethods

Donald R. Cooper

Florida Atlantic University

Pamela S. Schindler

Wittenberg University

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BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS, TWELFTH EDITION

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The Internet addresses listed in the text were accurate at the time of publication. The inclusion of a website does

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To Kelli Cooper, my wife, for her love and support.

Donald R. Cooper

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Pamela S. Schindler

vi

walkthrough

Bringing Research to Life reveals research in the trenches.

Much of research activity isn’t obvious or visible. These opening vignettes are designed to take the student

behind the door marked RESEARCH. Through the activities of the principals at Henry & Associates, students

learn about research projects, many that were revealed to the authors off the record . The characters and names

of companies are fi ctional, but the research activities they describe are real–and happening behind the scenes in

hundreds of fi rms every day.

Learning Objectives

serve as memory flags.

Learning objectives serve as a road map as stu dents

start their journey into the chapter. Read fi rst, these

objectives subconsciously encourage students to

seek relevant material, defi nitions, and exhibits.

Jason Henry and Sara Arens, partners in Henry & Associates, are just wrapping up a Webbased

briefi ng on the MindWriter project. Jason and Sara are in Boca Raton, Florida. Myra

Wines, MindWriter’s director of consumer affairs is participating from Atlanta, as are others,

including Jean-Claude Malraison, MindWriter’s general manager, who joined from Delhi,

India, and Gracie Uhura, MindWriter’s marketing manager, and her staff, who joined from a

conference room in their Austin, Texas, facility.

>bringingresearchtolife

“Based on the poll results that are on your screen, you

have reached a strong consensus on your fi rst priority.

The research strongly supports that you should be

negotiating stronger courier contracts to address the

in-transit damage issues. Congratulations,” concluded

Jason.

“That wraps up our briefi ng, today. Sara and I are

happy to respond to any e-mail questions any of you

might have after reading the summary report that has

been delivered to your e-mail. Our e-mail address is on

screen, and it is also on the cover of the report. Myra,

I’m handing control of the meeting back to you.”

As Myra started to conclude the meeting, Sara was

holding up a sign in front of Jason that read. “Turn off

your microphone.” Jason gave a thumbs-up sign and

clicked off his mic.

“Thank you, Jason,” stated Myra. “The research

has clarifi ed some critical issues for us and you have

helped us focus on some probable solutions. This

concludes the meeting. I’ll be following up soon with

an e-mail that contains a link to the recorded archive

of this presentation, allowing you to share it with your

staff. You will also be asked to participate in a brief

survey when you close the Web-presentation window.

I’d really appreciate your taking the three minutes it

will take to complete the survey. Thank you all for

attending.”

As soon as the audience audio was disconnected,

Myra indicated, “That went well, Jason. The use of

the Q&A tool to obtain their pre-report ideas for action

was a stroke of genius. When you posted the results as

a poll and had them indicate their fi rst priority, they

were all over the board. It helped them understand that

one purpose of the research and today’s meeting was to

bring them all together.”

“Sara gets the credit for that stroke of genius,”

claimed Jason after removing his microphone and

clicking on his speakerphone. “She is a strong

proponent of interaction in our briefi ngs. And she

continually invents new ways to get people involved

and keep them engaged.”

“Kudos, Sara,” exclaimed Myra. “Who gets the

credit for simplifying the monthly comparison chart?”

“Those honors actually go to our intern, Sammye

Grayson,” shared Sara. “I told her while it was a

suitable graph for the written report; it was much too

complex a visual for the presentation. She did a great

job. I’ll pass on your praise.”

“Well,” asked Myra, “where do we go from here?”

“Jason and I will fi eld any questions for the next

week from you or your staff,” explained Sara. “Then

we will consider this project complete—until you

contact us again.”

“About that,” Myra paused, “I’ve just received an

e-mail from Jean-Claude. He wants to meet with you

both about a new project he has in mind. He asks if he

could pick you up at the Boca airport on Friday, about

2:30 p.m. He says his fl ying offi ce will have you back

in time for an early dinner.”

Sara consulted her iPhone and indicated she was

available. Jason looked at his own calendar and smiled

across the desk at Sara. “Tell Jean-Claude we’ll meet

him at the airport. Any idea what this new project is

about?”

“Not a clue!”

MindWriter

After reading this chapter, you should understand . . .

>learningobjectives

1 What issues are covered in research ethics.

2 The goal of “no harm” for all research activities and what constitutes “no harm” for participant, researcher,

and research sponsor.

3 The differing ethical dilemmas and responsibilities of researchers, sponsors, and research assistants.

4 The role of ethical codes of conduct in professional associations.

Ethics in Business Research

>chapter 2

Special tools for today’s visual learner.

A transformation is taking place in many of our classrooms. During the last decade, more and more of our

students have become visual—not verbal—learners. Verbal learners learn primarily from reading text. Visual

learners need pictures, diagrams, and graphs to clarify and reinforce what the text relates.

Integrated research process exhibits reveal a rich

and complex process in an understandable way.

Every textbook has exhibits. We use these tables and line

drawings to bring key concepts to life and make complex

concepts more understandable.

Within our array of exhibits is a very special series of

32 fully integrated research process exhibits. Each

exhibit in this series shares symbols, shapes, and colors

with others in the series.

Exhibit 1-3 is the overview exhibit of the research

process, to which all other exhibits related to the process

will link.

Research

Proposal

Discover the Management Dilemma

Define the Management Question

Define the Research Question(s)

Refine the

Research Question(s)

(type, purpose, time frame, scope, environment)

Research Reporting

Exploration Exploration

Data Analysis & Interpretation

Research Design

Strategy

Clarifying the Research Question

Management

Decision

Data Collection & Preparation

Data Collection

Design

Sampling

Design

Instrument Development

& Pilot Testing

Chapters 2–5

Chapters 6–14

Chapter 15

Chapters 16–18

Chapters 19–20

Appendix A

>Exhibit 1-4 The Research Process

Subsequent exhibits (like this one for survey design)

show more detail in a part of this process.

Another exhibit in the series might layer the main process

exhibit with additional information (like this exhibit from

the ethics chapter).

>Exhibit 13-5 Flowchart for Instrument Design: Phase 2

Pretest Individual

Questions

Measurement

Questions

Interview Conditions

Interview Location

Interviewer ID

Participant ID

Geographic

Sociological

Economic

Demographic

Topic D

Topic C

Topic B

Topic A

Administrative

Questions

Target

Questions

Classification

Questions

Instrument

Development

• Sponsor’s right to quality

research

• Sponsor’s right of purpose

nondisclosure

• Researcher’s right to absence

of sponsor coercion

• Researcher's right to absence

of sponsor deception

• Sponsor’s right to quality

research

• Participant’s right of informed

consent

• Participant’s right to privacy

(refusal)

• Sponsor’s right to quality

research

• Researcher’s right to absence

of sponsor coercion

• Participant’s right to privacy

• Participant deception

• Sponsor’s right to sponsor

nondisclosure

• Researcher’s right to safety

• Sponsor’s right to findings

nondisclosure

• Participant’s right to

confidentiality

• Sponsor’s right to quality

research

• Researcher’s right to absence

of sponsor coercion

• Participant deception

• Sponsor’s right to quality

research

• Sponsor nondisclosure

Research

Proposal

Discover the Management Dilemma

Define the Management Question

Define the Research Question(s)

Refine the Research

Question(s)

(type, purpose, time frame, scope, environment)

Research Reporting

Exploration Exploration

Data Analysis & Interpretation

Research Design

Strategy

Management

Decision

Data Collection & Preparation

Data Collection

Design

Sampling

Design

Instrument Development

Clarifying the Research Question

>Exhibit 2-1 Ethical Issues and the Research Process

Some topics deserve more

attention—with their own chapter!

An emphasis on presentation.

Increasingly, researchers are making oral presentations of

their fi ndings though Web-driven technologies. We address

this and other oral presentation formats and issues with a

separate chapter.

All researchers increasingly

need qualitative skills.

Researchers increasingly admit that quantitative research

can’t reveal all they need to know to make smart business

decisions. We capture the best of the current qualitative

methods and reveal where and how they are used.

Help in moving from

management dilemma to

research design.

This is where talented people can steer research in the

wrong or right direction. We devote a chapter to

providing students with a methodology for making the

right decisions more often.

Ethical issues get the

attention they deserve.

Ethical issues abound in business research but may

go unnoticed by students who need a framework to

discuss and understand these issues. We devote a

chapter to building that framework.

Presenting Insights and Findings:

Oral Presentations

“

1 How the oral research presentation differs from and is similar to traditional public speaking.

2 Why historical rhetorical theory has practical infl uence on business presentation skills in the 21st century.

3 How to plan for the research presentation.

4 The frameworks and patterns of organizing a presentation.

5 The uses and differences between the types of materials designed to support your points.

6 How profi ciency in research presentations requires designing good visuals and knowing how to use them effectively.

7 The importance of delivery to getting and holding the audience’s attention.

8 Why practice is an essential ingredient to success and how to do it; and, what needs to be assembled and checked

to be certain that arrangements for the occasion and venue are ready.

After reading this chapter, you should understand . . .

>learningobjectives

>chapter 20

Listeners have one chance to hear your talk and

can’t “re-read” when they get confused. In many

situations, they have or will hear several talks on the

same day. Being clear is particularly important if the

audience can’t ask questions during the talk.

Mark D. Hill,

professor of computer sciences and electrical and computer engineering,

University of Wisconsin-Madison

”

After reading this chapter, you should understand . . .

>learningobjectives

1 How qualitative methods differ from quantitative methods.

2 The controversy surrounding qualitative research.

3 The types of decisions that use qualitative methods.

4 The variety of qualitative research methods.

Sometimes people are layered. There’s

something totally different underneath than

what’s on the surface . . . like pie.

Joss Whedon, author and screenwriter

“

”

Qualitative Research

>chapter 7

It is critical to use serious business judgment

about what types of information could possibly

be useful and actionable for an organization.

We have seen enormous resources expended

on “data projects” that have no realistic chance

of payoff. Indiscriminately boiling a data ocean

seldom produces a breakthrough nugget.

Blaise Heltai, general partner,

NewVantage Partners

“

”

After reading this chapter, you should understand . . .

> learningobjectives

1 The purposes and process of exploratory research.

2 Two types and three levels of management decision-related secondary sources.

3 Five types of external information and the fi ve critical factors for evaluating the value of a source and its content.

4 The process of using exploratory research to understand the management dilemma and work through the stages

of analysis necessary to formulate the research question (and, ultimately, investigative questions and measurement

questions).

5 What is involved in internal data mining and how internal data-mining techniques differ from literature searches.

Clarifying the Research Question through

Secondary Data and Exploration

>chapter 5

After reading this chapter, you should understand . . .

>learningobjectives

1 What issues are covered in research ethics.

2 The goal of “no harm” for all research activities and what constitutes “no harm” for participant, researcher,

and research sponsor.

3 The differing ethical dilemmas and responsibilities of researchers, sponsors, and research assistants.

4 The role of ethical codes of conduct in professional associations.

Ethics in Business Research

>chapter 2

“Today, it would be remiss to say that the privacy

profession is anything but fl ourishing. Companies

are increasingly hiring privacy offi cers and even

elevating them to C-suite positions; the European

Commission has proposed a statute in its amended

data protection framework that would require data

protection offi cers at certain organizations, and at

the International Association of Privacy Professionals

(IAPP) membership recently hit 10,000 worldwide .

Angelique Carson, CIPP/US,

International Association of Privacy Professionals ”

Students learn by and

deserve the best examples.

Snapshots are

research examples

from the researcher’s

perspective.

Snapshots are like mini-cases: They help a

student understand a concept in the text by

giving a current example. As mini-cases

they are perfect for lively class discussion.

Each one focuses on a particular application of

the research process as it applies to a particular

fi rm and project. You’ll fi nd more than

82 of these timely research examples

throughout the text and more in the Instructor’s

Manual.

Web addresses speed secondary data searches

be asked of participants. Four questions, covering numerous issues, guide the instrument designer in on companies involved with the example.

selecting appropriate question content:

• Should this question be asked (does it match the study objective)?

• Is the question of proper scope and coverage?

• Can the participant adequately answer this question as asked?

• Will the participant willingly answer this question as asked?

The Challenges and Solutions to Mobile Questionnaire Design

>snapshot

“As researchers, we need to be sensitive to the unique challenges

respondents face when completing surveys on mobile

devices,” shared Kristin Luck, CEO of Decipher. “Small

screens, infl exible device-specifi c user input methods, and

potentially slow data transfer speeds all combine to make

the survey completion process more diffi cult than on a typical

computer. Couple those hindrances with reduced attention

spans and a lower frustration threshold and it’s clear that,

as researchers, we must be proactive in the design of both

the questionnaire and user-interface in order to accommodate

mobile respondents and provide them with an excellent survey

experience.”

Decipher researchers follow key guidelines when designing

surveys for mobile devices like smart phones and tablets.

• Ask 10 or fewer questions

• Minimize page refreshes—longer wait times reduce

participation.

• Ask few questions per page—many mobile devices

have limited memory.

• Use simple question modes—to minimize scrolling

• Keep question and answer text short—due to smaller

screens.

• If unavoidable, limit scrolling to one dimension (vertical

is better than horizontal).

• Use single-response or multiple-response radio button

or checkbox questions rather than multidimension grid

questions.

• Limit open-end questions—to minimize typing.

• Keep answer options to a short list.

• For necessary longer answer-list options, use dropdown

box (but limit these as they require more clicks to

answer).

• Minimize all non-essential content

• If used, limit logos to the fi rst or last survey page.

• Limit privacy policy to fi rst or last survey page.

<

>

10 of 24

Menu

• Debate use of progress bar—it may encourage

completion but also may require scrolling.

• Minimize distraction

• Use simple, high-contrast color schemes—phones

have limited color palettes.

• Minimize JavaScript due to bandwidth concerns.

• Eliminate Flash on surveys—due to incompatibility with

iPhone.

Luck is passionate about making sure that researchers recognize

the special requirements of designing for mobile as mobile

surveys grow in use and projected use, S shares her expertise at

conferences worldwide. www.decipherinc.com

Icons help students link parts of a richer, more complex

example, told over a series of chapters.

Some examples are so rich in detail that one Snapshot or exhibit just isn’t suffi cient. MindWriter is a

computer laptop manufacturer that prides itself on customer service, especially when it comes to laptop

repair at its CompleteCare center. Each time you see this icon in the text, you’ll be learning more about the

customer satisfaction research that Henry & Associates is doing.

MindWriter

The Closeup offers a more in-depth examination of a

key example.

Sometimes you just need more time and space to showcase all the detail of an example. This glimpse

of the Closeup from Chapter 16 reveals two pages from a discussion on tabular data.

Using Tables to Understand Data

>closeup

Because the researcher’s primary job is to discover the message

revealed by the data, he or she needs every tool to reveal

the message. Authors Sally Bigwood and Melissa Spore in their

book Presenting Numbers, Tables, and Charts suggest that the

table is the ultimate tool for extracting knowledge from data.

The presence of any number within a table is for comparison

with a similar number—from last year, from another candidate,

from another machine, against a goal, and so forth. Using the

author’s rules for table creation, a researcher exploring data by

constructing a table should:

• Round numbers. • Rounded numbers can be most easily compared, enabling us to more easily determine the ratio

or relationship of one number to another.

• If precision is critical to the number (e.g., you are researching taxes or design specifi cations or

drug interactions), don’t round the numbers.

• Arrange the numbers

to reveal

patterns.

• Order numbers from largest to smallest number.

• In a vertically arranged table, order the largest number at the top.

• In a horizontal arrangement, order the largest numbers on the left.

• When looking for changes over time, order the numbers by year, from most distant (left or top) to

most recent.

• Use averages,

totals, or

percentages to

achieve focus.

• An average provides a point for comparison.

• Don’t use an average if the raw data reveal a bimodal distribution.

• Totals emphasize the big picture.

• Percentages show proportionate relationships more easily than raw data.

• Compare like scales

in a single table.

• Convert numbers to a common scale when the numbers refl ect different scales (e.g., grams

versus ounces of cereal consumption; monthly salary data versus hourly wage data).

• Choose simplicity

over complexity.

• Several smaller tables reveal patterns better rather than one large, complex table.

• Complex tables are used as a convenient reference source for multiple elements of data.

• Use empty space

and design to guide

the eye to numbers

that must be compared

and to make

patterns and exceptions

stand out.

• Design a table with a smaller number of columns than rows.

• Single-space numbers that must be compared.

• Use gridlines to group numbers within a table; avoid gridlines between numbers that must

be compared.

• Use empty space to create gutters between numbers in simple tables.

• Right-align column headers and table numbers.

• Summarize each

data display.

• Write a phrase or sentence that summarizes your interpretation of the data presented; don’t

leave interpretation to chance.

• Summary statements might be used as the title of a table or chart in the fi nal research report.

• The summary need not mention any numbers.

• Label and title

tables for clarity of

message.

• Titles should be comprehensive: Include what (subject of the title or message), where (if data

have a geographic base), when (date or time period covered), and unit of measure.

• Include common information in the title: It lengthens a title but shortens the table’s column

headings.

• Avoid abbreviations in column headings unless well known by your audience.

• Avoid footnotes; if used, use symbols—like the asterisk—rather than numbers (numbers used as

footnotes can be confused with the content numbers of the table).

• For reference, provide an undertable source line for later reference.

PicProfile offers a memory

visual to enhance an

example.

In research, as in life, sometimes a picture is worth

more than words. Sometimes you need to see what

is being described to fully understand the

foundation research principle.

AN EXAMPLE

Assume you were adetermining whether to expand into western Europe with distribution facilities to service online purchases of your

specialty goods company.

We start with the above table that presents data developed from several studies on online shopping and purchasing behavior in

selected countries in western Europe. The data are ordered alphabetically by country. While arranging in alphabetical order may be

ideal for randomization or reduction of bias, it isn’t a logical choice for clarity of data presentation.

What data might you need to help you make your decision about distribution facilities? Do you need to know the average

transaction size? If you don’t know the conversion rate of the euro to the dollar, can you interpret the table? Should you put

your investment in the United Kingdom or elsewhere?

Table 2 E5 Per Capita One-Year Online Spending (2010)

Annual Spending

(EUROs)

Average Annual

Purchases

Annual Spending

(US$)

United Kingdom 2284.9 36 1736.2

Germany 658.0 20 500.0

France 664.5 16 505.0

Italy 345.5 14 262.6

Spain 560.1 10 425.6

Currency Exchange Rate: 1 US$ = 1.316 EURO

Table 1 Spending by Internet Users in Selected Western

European Countries 2010 (EUROs in Billions)

Annual

Spending

Annual

Purchases

France Euro 664.5 16

Germany Euro 658.0 20

Italy Euro 345.5 14

Spain Euro 560.1 10

United Kingdom Euro 2284.9 36

>closeupcont’d

Table 2 recasts the data using Bigwood and Spore’s guidelines. First the table title has changed; now the annual period on which

the spending data are based is more obvious, as well as the fact that we are looking at spending per capita for the top 5 European

Union performers, known as the E5. We’ve also changed the column headers to refl ect currency, and we have right-justifi ed the

headers and the numbers. We’ve rearranged the table by Average Spending (EURO) in descending order and interpreted the (EURO)

column by adding a dollar conversion column. We might not need the rightmost column if we were euro spenders ourselves but, if we

are more familiar with another currency, the addition of this column helps us interpret the data. With this arrangement, does Germany

look attractive? While it might not currently appear to be as strong a contender as the United Kingdom, we know it is fi scally strong

and located in a more central location to the other countries being considered.

>picprofi le

According to the 2012 Greenbook Research Industry Trends (GRIT) report, the top four emerging techniques, among both

research buyers and providers all involve Internet use. “A big climber, from actual 2011 to expected 2012, is Mobile Surveys,

with clients/buyers jumping from a current 17% to an expected 53% and vendors expecting the increase to be from 24% to

64%.” Some speculate that the mobile survey may be approaching its tipping point. Other methodologies, like Mobile Qualitative,

Mobile Ethnography, and Gamifi cation, are getting a lot of buzz in the industry, but have yet to capture buyer/client support

to the same degree that they have earned researcher interest. As in previous studies, researcher interest tends to lead on

methodology. http://www.greenbook.org/PDFs/GRIT-S12-Full.pdf

Source: “Spring 2012 Greenbook Research Trends Report,” GreenBook® | New York AMA Communication Services Inc., February 2012, p. 22.

Leonard Murphy, “GRIT Sneak Peek: What Emerging Research Techniques Will Be Used in 2012?” Greenbook, posted February 20, 2012.

Downloaded April 18, 2012, http://www.greenbookblog.org/2012/02/20/grit-sneak-peek-what-emerging- research-techniques-will-beused-

in-2012/.

Emerging Research Techniques

59

66

66

53

45

46

40

35

32

21

31

43

46

31

31

22

23

24

24

21

19

17

16

10

11

11

9

13

11

25

13

43

64

64

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Social Media Analytics

Online Communities

Mobile Surveys

Text Analytics

Webcam-based

Interviews

Apps-based Research

Eye Tracking

Mobile Ethnography

Mobile Qualitative

Virtual Environments

Crowdsourcing

Visualization Analytics

Prediction Markets

Biometric Response

NeuroMarketing

Facial Analysis

Gamification Methods Research provider (n=669)

Research client (n=149)

Learning aids cement the concepts.

Discussion questions that go one

step further.

Five types of discussion questions reveal differing levels of

understanding—from knowing a defi nition to applying a concept.

Terms in Review

1 How does qualitative research differ from quantitative

research?

2 How do data from qualitative research differ from data in

quantitative research?

3 Why do senior executives feel more comfortable relying on

quantitative data than qualitative data? How might a qualitative

research company lessen the senior-level executive’s

skepticism?

4 Distinguish between structured, semistructured, and unstructured

interviews.

Making Research Decisions

5 Assume you are a manufacturer of small kitchen electrics,

like Hamilton Beach/Proctor Silex, and you want to determine

if some innovative designs with unusual shapes

and colors developed for the European market could be

successfully marketed in the U.S. market. What qualitative

research would you recommend, and why?

6 NCR Corporation, known as a world leader in ATMs,

point-of-sale (POS) retail checkout scanners, and checkin

kiosks at airports, announced in June 2009 that it

would move its world headquarters from Dayton (OH)

> discussionquestions

bibliography 98

data marts 102

data mining 102

data warehouse 102

dictionary 98

directory 100

encyclopedia 98

expert interview 94

exploratory research 94

handbook 99

index 98

individual depth interview (IDI) 94

investigative questions 113

literature search 94

management question 108

measurement questions 118

custom-designed 118

predesigned 118

primary sources 96

research question(s) 112

secondary sources 96

source evaluation 100

tertiary sources 97

>keyterms

Terms in Review

1 Explain how each of the fi ve evaluation factors for a secondary

source infl uences its management decision-making value.

a Purpose

b Scope

c Authority

d Audience

e Format

2 Defi ne the distinctions between primary, secondary, and

tertiary sources in a secondary search.

3 What problems of secondary data quality must researchers

face? How can they deal with them?

Making Research Decisions

4 In May 2007, TJX Co., the parent company of T.J.Maxx and

other retailers, announced in a Securities and Exchange

Commission fi ling that more than 45 million credit and debit

card numbers had been stolen from its IT systems. The

company had taken some measures over a period of a few

years to protect customer data through obfuscation and encryption.

But TJX didn’t apply these policies uniformly across

its IT systems. As a result, it still had no idea of the extent of

the damage caused by the data breach. If you were TJX,

what data-mining research could you do to evaluate the

safety of your customer’s personal data?

5 Confronted by low sales, the president of Oaks International

Inc. asks a research company to study the activities

of the customer relations department in the corporation.

What are some of the important reasons that this research

project may fail to make an adequate contribution to the

solution of management problems?

6 You have been approached by the editor of Gentlemen’s

Magazine to carry out a research study. The magazine has

been unsuccessful in attracting shoe manufacturers as

advertisers. When the sales reps tried to secure advertising

from shoe manufacturers, they were told men’s clothing

stores are a small and dying segment of their business.

Since Gentlemen’s Magazine goes chiefl y to men’s clothing

stores, the manufacturers reasoned that it was, therefore,

not a good vehicle for their advertising. The editor believes

that a survey (via mail questionnaire) of men’s clothing

stores in the United States will probably show that these

stores are important outlets for men’s shoes and are not

declining in importance as shoe outlets. He asks you to

develop a proposal for the study and submit it to him.

Develop the management–research question hierarchy that

will help you to develop a specifi c proposal.

7 Develop the management–research question hierarchy for

a management dilemma you face at work or with an organization

to which you volunteer.

8 How might you use data mining if you were a human resources

offi cer or a supervising manager?

Bring Research to Life

9 Using the MindWriter postservicing packaging alternative

as the research question, develop appropriate investigative

questions within the question hierarchy by preparing an

exhibit similar to Exhibit 5-8 .

10 Using Exhibits 5-6, 5-8, 5b-1, and 5b-2, state the research

question and describe the search plan that Jason should

have conducted before his brainstorming sessions with

Myra Wines. What government sources should be included

in Jason’s search?

>discussionquestions

mail survey a relatively low-cost self-administered study both

delivered and returned via mail.

main effect the average direct infl uence that a particular treatment

of the IV has on the DV independent of other factors.

management dilemma the problem or opportunity that requires

a decision; a symptom of a problem or an early indication of

an opportunity.

management question the management dilemma restated in

question format; categorized as “choice of objectives,” “generation

and evaluation of solutions,” or “troubleshooting or

control of a situation.”

management report a report written for the nontechnically oriented

manager or client.

management–research question hierarchy process of sequential

question formulation that leads a manager or researcher

from management dilemma to measurement questions.

manuscript reading the verbatim reading of a fully written

presentation.

mapping rules a scheme for assigning numbers to aspects of an

empirical event.

marginal(s) a term for the column and row totals in a

cross-tabulation.

matching a process analogous to quota sampling for assigning

participants to experimental and control groups by having

participants match every descriptive characteristic used in the

research; used when random assignment is not possible; an

attempt to eliminate the effect of confounding variables that

group participants so that the confounding variable is present

proportionally in each group.

MDS see multidimensional scaling.

mean the arithmetic average of a data distribution.

mean square the variance computed as an average or mean.

measurement assigning numbers to empirical events in compliance

with a mapping rule.

measurement questions the questions asked of the participants

or the observations that must be recorded.

measures of location term for measure of central tendency in a

distribution of data; see also central tendency .

measures of shape statistics that describe departures from the symmetry

of a distribution; a.k.a. moments, skewness , and kurtosis .

measures of spread statistics that describe how scores cluster

or scatter in a distribution; a.k.a. dispersion or variability

(variance, standard deviation, range, interquartile range, and

measures.

mini-group a group interview involving two to six people.

missing data information that is missing about a participant or

data record; should be discovered and rectifi ed during data

preparation phase of analysis; e.g., miscoded data, out-ofrange

data, or extreme values.

mode the most frequently occurring value in a data distribution;

data may have more than one mode.

model a representation of a system that is constructed to study

some aspect of that system or the system as a whole.

moderating variable (MV) a second independent variable, believed

to have a signifi cant contributory or contingent effect

on the originally stated IV-DV relationship.

moderator a trained interviewer used for group interviews such

as focus groups.

monitoring a classifi cation of data collection that includes observation

studies and data mining of organizational databases.

motivated sequence a presentation planning approach that involves

the ordering of ideas to follow the normal processes

of human thinking; motivates an audience to respond to the

presenter’s purpose.

multicollinearity occurs when more than two independent variables

are highly correlated.

multidimensional scale a scale that seeks to simultaneously

measure more than one attribute of the participant or object.

multidimensional scaling (MDS) a scaling technique to simultaneously

measure more than one attribute of the participant

or object; results are usually mapped; develops a geometric

picture or map of the locations of some objects relative to

others on various dimensions or properties; especially useful

for diffi cult-to-measure constructs.

multiphase sampling see double sampling .

multiple-choice, multiple-response scale a scale that offers

the participant multiple options and solicits one or more answers

(nominal or ordinal data); a.k.a. checklist .

multiple-choice question a measurement question that offers

more than two category responses but seeks a single answer.

multiple-choice, single-response scale a scale that poses more

than two category responses but seeks a single answer, or one

that seeks a single rating from a gradation of preference, interest,

or agreement (nominal or ordinal data); a.k.a. multiplechoice

question .

multiple comparison tests compare group means following the

fi nding of a statistically signifi cant F test.

Key terms indexed at the end of the

chapter and defi ned in the glossary.

Glossary reinforces the importance

of learning the language of

research.

Supplements offer the tools

students and faculty ask

for . . . and more.

On the book’s Online Learning Center (www.mhhe.com/

cooper12e), students will fi nd cases (like this new one) and

data sets, a research proposal, a sample student project, and

supplemental material for several chapters, including

templates for charting data, how the research industry works,

bibliographic databases searching tips, complex experimental

designs, test markets, pretesting, and multivariate analysis.

You’ll also fi nd 34 cases, nine of which are full video cases.

Also, several written cases have video components included.

xii

For undergraduate students just learning about research

methods or graduate students advancing their research

knowledge, each new edition of Business Research Methods

promises—and has continually delivered—not only a

teachable textbook but a valued reference for the future.

As a mark of its worldwide acceptance as an industry

standard, Business Research Methods is available in nine

international editions and four languages.

When you are creating a 12th edition, you don’t want to

tinker too much with what has made instructors adopt your

textbook for their students or what has prompted researchers

to use it as a valuable shelf reference. But to ignore

change in the research environment would be negligent.

Leading

We used the 2012 GreenBook Research Industry Trends

(GRIT) Report as a starting point for creating the 12th edition.

This large study of research suppliers and research

clients gave us clear direction on emerging techniques and

how the research fi eld was changing. We focused our efforts

on obtaining examples of these changes and they are

included in content throughout the book and in Snapshots

and PicProfi les—both contentwise and visually.

Responsive . . . to Students

and Faculty

Snapshots, PicProfi les, and CloseUps are the way we reveal

what is timely and current in research. We wait until

such issues are more mainstream before giving the topic

a permanent place within the text. In fact, of the 82 Snapshots

and PicProfi les featured, 35 are completely new and

one-half of the CloseUps had major updates. Of these new

examples, you will fi nd topics dealing with biometrics,

eye tracking via the Web, mobile surveys, online communities,

listening tours, location-based tracking, talent

analytics, incentivizing participants, data visualization,

mixed mode surveys, mixed access recruiting, charting, as

well as Internet research, cloud computing, using Excel

in data analysis and presentation, Smartphone research,

dirty data, gut hunches, wildcat surveys, and more. And

you’ll discover research stories that relate to such organizations

or brands as Mercedes-Benz, TNS-Infratest, NTT

Communications, Next Generation Market Research, Interactive

Advertising Bureau, Groupon, TrustE, Decipher,

Living Social, Troy-Bilt, among numerous others.

There are currently about 200 images and text art supporting

our learning objectives; you will discover that

over one-quarter are new to this edition. We’ve updated

our “From the Headlines” discussion ques tions, covering

product introductions, employee issues, legal proceedings,

advertising campaigns, and many more topics and

added more research examples to the Instructor’s Manual,

for use in class discussions or testing.

Our book is designed for a one-semester course although

under no circumstance is it imagined that the entire book

be covered. In an effort to make the book more user

friendly yet give faculty members tremendous fl exibility in

choosing materials for the theme they set for their course,

we have created an Online Learning Center for the text.

Analogous to cloud computing, we stored regularly used

data on McGraw-Hill’s servers that can be easily accessed

through the Internet. Central to that design, we moved material

from chapter appendices to the Online Learning Center

thereby reducing the physical size of the book that our

own students often carry with them. Among those items

available at the Online Learning Center are How the Industry

Works, Bibliographic Database Searches, Advanced

Bibliographic Searches, Complex Experimental Designs,

Test Markets, and Pretesting Options and Discoveries.

Since many research methods courses for undergraduates

don’t use multivariate statistics, we’ve moved our chapter

“Multivariate Analysis: An Overview” to the Online

Learning Center for the benefi t of graduate students. You’ll

also fi nd written and video cases, questionnaires, data sets,

a sample student project, and digital support materials related

to some of our Snapshots and CloseUps in the Online

Learning Center.

We continue to use chapter and end-of-text appendices

for information that, given the differing skills and knowledge

of their students, instructors may want to emphasize.

We retained end-of-chapter appendices related to Crafting

Effective Measurement Questions and Determining

Sample Size, as well as end-of book appendices related

to a sample proposal, a focus group guide, non-parametric

statistics, and statistical tables.

Fine-Tuned

Process Series of Exhibits The core pedagogy of

Business Research Methods is based on an understanding

that student learners are of three types: visual, auditory,

and kinesthetic. These exhibits offer a detailed, graphical

map of the research process or a more detailed breakout

of each subprocess, perfect for hands-on projects. Each

of these exhibits is linked to others in the series with a

consistent use of shape and color. You’ll fi nd 32 of these

exhibits throughout the text. Changes in process exhibits,

other exhibits, and embedded tables resulted in twentythree

major modifi cations using new information, data, or

graphs throughout the text.

>preface

>preface xiii

Online Learning Center There is a wealth of information,

samples, templates, and more in this Web depository.

Written Cases. Cases offer an opportunity to tell research

stories in more depth and detail. You’ll fi nd a

new case, Marcus Thomas LLC Tests Hypothesis for

Troy-Bilt Creative Development, complete with its

online questionnaire, at the Online Learning Center.

You’ll also fi nd cases about hospital services, lotteries,

data mining, fundraising, new promotions, and

website design, among other topics, featuring organizations

like Akron Children’s Hospital, Kelly Blue

Book, Starbucks, Yahoo!, the American Red Cross,

and more.