Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions

1. Ch.1 - 8 -- As area sales manager for a company manufacturing and marketing outboard engines, you have been assigned the responsibility of conducting a research study to estimate the sales potential of your products in the domestic (U.S. or Canadian) market. Discuss key issues and concerns arising from the fact that you, the manager, are also the researcher.

After reading chapter 1, covering research in business, it is apparent that managers often have to conduct their own research. However, the text clearly outlines some issues and concerns that could be of concern.

Business research enables managers to reduce risk and make critical decisions that could affect that business in a dramatic way. If the manager does not know how to conduct good research, carelessly plans and conducts the research, and does not follow the standards of the scientific method; the study could produce bad information and cause the business to make poor decisions (which is a major concern).

The text also mentions that good research needs to apply high ethical standards. Having a sales manager conduct the research for a major business decision could cause many ethical problems. The manager is not an independent third party and might have a conflict of interest that could sway the research.

2. Ch.1 - 10 -- Apply the principles in Exhibit 1-4 to the research scenario in question 8.

The steps shown in Exhibit 1-4 are meant to demonstrate and relate a chronological process in conducting proper research. The text states that these steps are not always performed in the exact order but that this structure is a good tool to follow in order to keep your research organized.

In order to apply the principles found exhibit 1-4 to the scenario in question 8, one must do the following: clarify the research question, develop a research proposal, design a research strategy, collect data, analysis and interpret the data, and report the data.

When clarifying the...