Chapter 7 – Elements of research Design

1. What cannot be the purpose of a causal study?

a. Understanding the dependent variable.

b. Predicting the dependent variable.

c. Making sure that all relevant variables are included in the study.

d. Explaining the variance in the dependent variable.

2. In an investigation on the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty among customers of a supermarket, the ‘unit of analysis’ is the supermarket.

a. T

b. F

3. A study in which data are gathered at more than one point in time is called …

a. A cross-sectional study.

b. A longitudinal study.

c. An experimental study.

d. A randomized study.

4. The study setting is an element of research design.

a. T

b. F

5. The unit of analysis refers to the aggregation level of the data collected.

a. T

b. F

6. Correlational study done in organizations are called field studies.

a. T

b. F

7. The idea behind triangulation is that one can be more confident in a result if the use of different methods or sources leads to the same results.

a. T

b. F

8. Grounded theory is the planned watching, recording, analysis, and interpretation of behavior, actions, or events.

a. T

b. F

9. Surveys are used in exploratory, descriptive, and in causal research to collect data about people, events, or situations.

a. T

b. F

10. Case studies focus on collecting information about a specific, object event or activity, such as a particular business unit or organization.

a. T

b. F

11. Which of the following is most suitable when the objective of a study is explain the effect of job satisfaction on job loyalty?

a. Exploratory research.

b. Descriptive research.

c. Causal research.

d. Experimental research.

12. What cannot be seen as purpose of a descriptive study?

a. Understanding the dependent variable.

b. To understand the characteristics of a group in a given situation.

c. To offer ideas for further probe and research.

d. To help make certain simple decisions (such as how many and what kinds of individuals should be transferred from one department to another).

13. A bank manager wants to have a profile of the individuals who have loan payments outstanding for 6 months and more. It would include details of their average age, earnings, nature of occupation, full-time/part-time employment status, and the like. This might help him to elicit further information or decide right away on the types of individuals who should be made ineligible for loans in the future.

In this case the most suitable method of investigation is:

a. Exploratory research.

b. Descriptive research.

c. Causal research.

d. Experimental research.

14. A marketing manager wants to know if the sales of the company will increase if he doubles the advertising dollars.

In this case the most suitable method of investigation is:

a. Exploratory research.

b. Descriptive research.

c. Causal research.

d. Experimental research.

15. Methodological rigor increases as we move progressively from an exploratory study to a hypothesis-testing study, and with this, the costs of research also increase.

a. T

b. F

16. The extent of interference by the researcher with the normal flow of work at the workplace has a direct bearing on whether the study undertaken is causal or correlational.

a. T

b. F

17. A causal study is conducted in the natural environment of the organization with minimum interference by the researcher with the normal flow of work.

a. T

b. F

18. Correlational studies done in organizations are called field experiments.

a. T

b. F

19. Studies conducted to establish cause-and-effect relationship using the same natural environment in which employees normally function are called field studies.

a. T

b. F

20. The unit of analysis refers to the level of aggregation of the data collected during the subsequent data analysis stage.

a. T

b. F

21. ____________ studies are also necessary when some facts are known, but more information is needed for developing a viable theoretical framework.

a. Exploratory.

b. Descriptive.

c. Causal.

d. Experimental.

22. Whether a study is a causal or a correlational one depends on the way the questionnaire is structured.

a. T

b. F

23. The number of respondents that fill in a questionnaire determines the unit of analysis.

a. T

b. F

24. A study can be done in which data are gathered just once, perhaps over a period of days or weeks or months, in order to answer a research question. Such studies are called longitudinal studies.

a. T

b. F

25. Data were collected from stock brokers between April and June of last year to study their concerns in a turbulent stock market. Data with respect to this particular research had not been collected before, nor will they be collected again from them for this research.

This is an example of a:

a. Cross-sectional study.

b. Longitudinal study.

c. Exploratory study.

d. Case study.

26. Knowledge of research design details also helps managers to study and intelligently comment on research proposals.

a. T

b. F

27. A survey is a system for collecting information from or about people to describe, compare, or explain their knowledge, attitudes, and behavior

a. T

b. F

28. Action research involves going into the natural setting of people, watching what they do, and describing, analyzing, and interpreting what one has seen.

a. T

b. F