Deck 6: Problem Definition: the Foundation of Business Research

Question 1

Interrogative techniques simply involve asking multiple what, where, who, when, why, and how questions.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Symptoms need to be translated into a problem and then a decision statement.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

The problem definition stage is the easiest stage of the research process.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Research questions express the research objectives in terms of questions that can be addressed by research.

Question 5

The term problem definition refers to the process of defining and developing a decision statement and the steps involved in translating it into more precise research terminology, including a set of research objectives.

Question 6

A problem occurs when there is a difference between the current conditions and a more preferable set of conditions.

Question 7

Sales, income, and age are examples of variables.

Question 8

A decision statement is a written expression of the key question(s) that a research user wishes to answer.

Question 9

An absolute variable is one that can take on a range of values that correspond to some quantitative amount.

Question 10

Probing is an interview technique that tries to draw deeper and more elaborate explanations from a discussion.

Question 11

A point estimate is something that does not change.

Question 12

Managerial benchmarks specify a performance criterion upon which a decision can be based.

Question 13

An independent variable is a variable that is predicted and/or explained by other variables.

Question 14

One of the best ways to identify the symptoms of a problem is to conduct a literature review.

Question 15

The first step in the problem-definition process is to determine the unit of analysis.

Question 16

The unit of analysis for a study indicates the level of significance that will be acceptable for acting on the results.

Question 17

Conducting a situation analysis often requires exploratory research.

Question 18

When a sudden change in the business situation takes place, it can be easier to define the problem.

Question 19

It is easier to define the problem in business situations that are not cyclical.

Question 20

The situation analysis ends once researchers have a clear idea of the managerial objectives from the research effort.

Question 21

Which of the following is the FIRST step of the problem definition process?

A) determine the unit of analysis
B) identify the problem
C) identify key symptoms in the situation
D) determine the relevant variables

Question 22

The greater the number of research objectives, the better the research.

Question 23

Tables placed in research proposals that are exact representations of the actual tables that will show results in the final report with the exception that the results are hypothetical (fictitious) are referred to as surrogate tables.

Question 24

All of the following are helpful hints that can be useful in the interview process when attempting to understand the situation EXCEPT _____.

A) develop hypotheses before conducting interviews
B) develop many alternative decisions and problems
C) think about possible solutions to the problem
D) be open-minded

Question 25

All of the following are gaps that represent problems EXCEPT _____.

A) actual business performance is less than possible business performance
B) actual business performance is greater than expected business performance
C) actual business performance is worse than expected business performance
D) expected business performance is greater than possible business performance

Question 26

An interview technique that tries to draw deeper and more elaborate explanations from the discussion is called _____.

A) probing
B) peeling
C) immersion
D) ethnography

Question 27

Which of the following make defining problems more difficult?

A) situation is recurring or routine
B) a dramatic change occurs
C) symptoms are scattered
D) symptoms are consistent

Question 28

All of the following are steps in the problem-definition process EXCEPT _____.

A) identify key problem(s) from symptoms
B) determine the unit of analysis
C) develop dummy tables
D) determine relevant variables

Question 29

Basic business research refers to research usually performed by academic researchers and supported by some public or private institution.

Question 30

A(n) _____ involves the gathering of background information to familiarize researchers and managers with the decision-making environment.

A) situation analysis
B) exploratory review
C) environmental scan
D) preliminary analysis

Question 31

A researcher is gathering background information to familiarize himself with his new client's business environment. He is analyzing marketplace conditions and conducting interviews with employees of the company. This researcher is conducting a _____.

A) gap analysis
B) pre-research analysis
C) basic analysis
D) situation analysis

Question 32

A research proposal is a written statement of the research design.

Question 33

An IT manager of a hospital needs to know the information technology needs of the healthcare providers and office personnel, so he decides to have research conducted. When he writes a list of key questions that he wishes to answer through research, what is he creating?

A) research proposal
B) written report
C) decision statement
D) hypotheses

Question 34

A wise researcher will not agree to do a research job for which no written proposal exists.

Question 35

A written expression of the key question(s) that a research user wishes to answer is referred to as a _____.

A) problem definition
B) decision statement
C) research proposal
D) hypothesis

Question 36

Which of the following is the LAST step of the problem definition process?

A) write research questions and/or hypotheses
B) determine the relevant variables
C) determine the unit of analysis
D) understand the background of the problem

Question 37

Once the researcher has identified the key symptoms and identified the key problem(s) from those symptoms, what is the next step the researcher will take in the problem-definition process?

A) determine the unit of analysis
B) write managerial decision statement and corresponding research objectives
C) determine the relevant variables and how to measure them
D) write research questions and/or research hypotheses

Question 38

When a researcher defines and develops a decision statement and the steps involved in translating it into more precise research terminology, he or she is involved in what process?

A) hypotheses development
B) research planning
C) research process
D) problem definition

Question 39

Which of the following is the most important question a researcher can ask when using a probing technique?

A) How does that make you feel?
B) Why do you think that is so?
C) What has changed?
D) What does _____ make you think of?

Question 40

A researcher is asking managers and line workers questions such as what type of problems they experience, where they are most likely to experience them, who is responsible for them, and how the problems get resolved. Asking these what, where, who, when, why, and how questions to get a better understanding of his client's business decision-making situation is an example of using _____.

A) peeling techniques
B) iceberg technique
C) 80/20 techniques
D) interrogative techniques

Question 41

In the statement: "Years of sales experience is an important variable in predicting unit sales performance," what type of variable is "years of experience"?

A) dependent variable
B) independent variable
C) categorical variable.
D) classificatory variable

Question 42

What type of variable is "gender"?

A) continuous variable
B) primary variable
C) dependent variable
D) categorical variable

Question 43

Categorical variables are also called _____ variables.

A) independent
B) index
C) dependent
D) classificatory

Question 44

Which of the following essentially answers the question, "What information is needed to address this situation?"

A) dependent variable
B) independent variable
C) research objectives
D) research design

Question 45

Which of the following expresses the research objectives in terms of questions that can be addressed by research?

A) situation analysis
B) dependent variable
C) research question
D) independent variable

Question 46

Something that does not change from one instance to another is called a _____.

A) hypothesis
B) constant
C) variable
D) category

Question 47

What type of variable is "dollar sales volume"?

A) continuous variable
B) independent variable
C) categorical variable
D) classificatory variable

Question 48

A variable that can take on a range of values that correspond to some quantitative amount is called a _____.

A) categorical variable
B) continuous variable
C) classificatory variable
D) independent variable

Question 49

A specific performance criterion upon which a decision can be based is called a(n) _____.

A) managerial action standard
B) managerial benchmark
C) unit of analysis
D) standardized variable

Question 50

A researcher is conducting an experiment in which different formats of a prospectus sent to prospective investors are manipulated. The format of the prospectus is considered to be a(n) _____.

A) constant
B) unit
C) dependent variable
D) variable

Question 51

A(n) _____ variable is one that is expected to influence the dependent variable in some way.

A) primary
B) interactive
C) independent
D) first-order

Question 52

In research, anything that varies or changes from one instance to another is called a _____.

A) variable
B) constant
C) category
D) classification

Question 53

In the statement: "Years of sales experience is an important predictor of dollar sales performance," what type of variable is "dollar sales performance"?

A) dependent variable
B) categorical variable
C) classificatory variable
D) independent variable

Question 54

Which of the following is a possible unit of analysis in a research study?

A) an employee
B) a sales region
C) a zip code area
D) all of these choices

Question 55

When a researcher determines what or who should provide the data and at what level of aggregation, he or she is determining the _____.

A) hypotheses
B) research questions
C) analysis technique
D) unit of analysis

Question 56

A statement such as: "Increasing price five percent will cause sales to drop by eight percent or more," is an example of a _____.

A) hypothesis
B) dependent variable
C) problem definition
D) research objective

Question 57

A(n) _____ is a process outcome or a variable that is predicted and/or explained by other variables.

A) primary variable
B) absolute variable
C) dependent variable
D) independent variable

Question 58

All of the following are types of variables EXCEPT _____.

A) continuous
B) categorical
C) constant
D) dependent

Question 59

Which type of variable indicates membership in some group?

A) continuous variable
B) categorical variable
C) lexicographic variable
D) dependent variable

Question 60

A statement such as: "If our new floor cleaner reaches a local market share of three percent after nine months of test marketing the product in Phoenix, we will launch the product nationally," is an example of a _____.

A) hypothesis
B) situation analysis
C) managerial action standard
D) problem definition

Question 61

A researcher is studying purchasing managers to determine how they decide to use credit in purchase situations for their companies. In this case, purchasing managers are the _____.

Question 62

Sharon is a management professor who received a grant from the American Management Association to study how employees make decisions in cross-functional groups. Sharon's research is _____.

A) applied business research
B) dependent business research
C) funded business research
D) analytical business research

Question 63

Tables in a research proposal which contain fictitious, but realistic, data of the likely outcome of the research study are referred to as ______ tables.

Question 64

Todd has prepared a document that includes the deliverables and a definition of the problem for a research client. In this document, he described how he will conduct a survey along with a schedule of costs and deadlines. What is this document called?

A) research proposal
B) research statement
C) research blueprint
D) managerial action statement

Question 65

"What is to be measured in this research study?" is a fundamental question to ask at the ______ stage of a research design.

Question 66

_____ refers to basic research usually performed by academic researchers that is financially supported by some public or private institution, as in federal government grants.

A) Philanthropic business research
B) Priority business research
C) Underwritten business research
D) Funded business research

Question 67

A preliminary study of background information that led up to the current situation is called a(n) ______.

Question 68

Anything that changes in value from one instance to another in a research study is called a(n) ______.

Question 69

A _____ is a written expression of the key question(s) that a research user wishes to answer.

Question 70

The variable that is measured to determine the outcome of the research process is called the ______ variable.

Question 71

A performance criterion that expresses what a manager will do if a criterion is achieved in a research study is called a(n) ______.

Question 72

A written statement of the research design for a study is called the _____ .

Question 73

Basic research usually performed by academic researchers and supported by some public or private institution is called _____ business research.

Question 74

Income is an example of a(n) ______ variable.

Question 75

Tables placed in a research proposal that are exact representations of the actual tables that will show results in the final report but contain hypothetical results are called _____.

A) dummy tables
B) surrogate tables
C) interim tables
D) placeholder tables

Question 76

If type of promotional offer is manipulated in an experiment to determine its effect on consumers' intent to purchase a product, the type of promotional offer is the ______ variable.

Question 77

A(n) _____ occurs when there is a difference between the current conditions and a more preferable set of conditions.

Question 78

A written statement of the research design is called a _____.

A) research hypothesis
B) research proposal
C) research question
D) research summary

Question 79

The research objectives of a study are translated into research ________ that can be answered by the research study.

Question 80

_____ is an interview technique that tries to draw deeper and more elaborate explanations from a discussion with a decision maker.