ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

By Ryna Nazareth

Ethical questions are philosophical questions

Ethical questions are philosophical questions. There is no general
agreement among philosophers about the answers to such questions.
However, the rights and obligations of the individuals are generally dictated
by the norms of the society. The societal norms are codes of the behavior
adopted by a group; they suggest what a member of a group ought to do
under any given circumstances. Some of the ethical principles are as
follows:

1. To maintain high standards of competence and integrity in research.

2. To maintain the highest level of business and professional conduct
and to comply with Federal, State and local laws, regulations and
ordinances applicable to my business practices and those of my
company.
3. To exercise all reasonable care and to observe the best standards of
objectivity and accuracy in the development, collection, processing
and reporting research information. To protect the anonymity of
respondents and hold all information concerning an individual
respondent privileged, such that this information is used only
within the context of the particular study.
4. To thoroughly instruct and supervise all persons for whose work I
am responsible in accordance with study specifications and general
research techniques.
5. To observe the rights of ownership of all materials received from
and/or developed for clients, and to keep in confidence all research

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 techniques, data and other information considered confidential by
their owners.
6. To make available to clients such details on the research methods

and techniques of an assignment as may be reasonably required for

proper interpretation of the data, providing this reporting does not
violate the confidence of respondents or clients.
7. To promote the trust of the public for marketing and survey
research activities and to avoid any procedure, which misrepresent
the activities of a respondent, the rewards of cooperation or the
uses of the data.
8. To refrain from referring to membership in this organization as
proof of competence, since the organization does not so certify any
person or organization.
9. To encourage the observance of principles of this code among all
people engaged in research.

General rights and obligations of the concerned parties

In most research situation three parties are involved: the researcher,
the sponsoring client (user), and the respondent (subject). The interaction of
each of these parties with one or both of the other two identifies a series of
ethical questions. Consciously or unconsciously, each party expects certain
rights and feels and certain obligations towards the other parties. Within any
society there is a set of normatively prescribed exceptions of the behavior
(including rights and obligations) associated with the social role, such as
researcher, and another, reciprocal role, such as a respondent. Certain ethical
behaviors may be expected only in certain specific situations, while other
exceptions may be more generalized. If there are conflicting perspectives
about behavioral exceptions, ethical problems may arise. For instance,

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several ethical issues concern the researchers expected right versus those of
the respondent/subject. A number of questions arise because the researchers
believe that they have the right to seek information, but subject believe that
they have a certain right privacy. A respondent who says “I do not care to
answer your question about your income” believes that he or she has the
rights to refuse to participate. Yet some researchers will persist in trying to
get that information. In general, a field worker is not expected to overstep
the boundary society places to individuals’ privacy.
For each of the subject’s rights there is a corresponding obligation on
the part the researcher. For example, the individual’s right to privacy dictates
that the researcher has an obligation to protect the anonymity of the
respondent. When a respondent discloses information about the personal
matters, it is assumed that such information will be guarded from all people
other than the researcher.

Rights and Obligations of the Respondent

By Austin Pinto
The ethical issues vary somewhat, depending on whether the
participant has given willing and informed consent. The notion of Informed
consent means that an individual understands the reason for the research and
waives his or her right to privacy when he or she agrees to participate in the
research study. (The rights of a participant in an unobtrusive observation
study differ from a survey respondent's rights because he or she has not
willingly consented to be a subject of the research.)
In return for being truthful, the survey respondent has the right to
expect confidentiality and anonymity. (Privacy refers to the issue of whether
a respondent chooses to answer a researcher’s questions; a person may
choose to protect her privacy by not answering. Confidentiality refers to the

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obligation on the part of the researcher not to reveal the identity of an
individual research subject. A person who waives her right to privacy by
agreeing to answer a researcher's questions nonetheless has a right to expect
that her answers and her identity will remain confidential) Privacy and
confidentiality are profound ethical issues in business research.
1. The Obligation to Be Truthful:
When a subject willingly consents to participate, it is generally
expected that he or she will provide truthful answers. Honest cooperation is
the main obligation of the respondent or subject.
2. Privacy:
Americans relish their privacy. A major polling organization indicated
that almost 80 percent of Americans believe that collecting and giving out
personal information without their knowledge is a serious violation of their
privacy. Hence, the right to privacy is an important question in business
research. This issue involves the subject's freedom to choose whether to
comply with an investigator's request. Traditionally, researchers have
assumed that individuals make an informed choice. However, critics have
argued that the old, the poor, the poorly educated, and other underprivileged
individuals may not be aware of their right to choose. Further, they have
argued that an interviewer may begin with some vague explanation of a
survey's purpose, initially ask questions that are relatively innocuous, and
then move to questions of a highly personal nature. It has been suggested that
subjects be informed of their right to be
left alone, or to break off the interview at any given time. Researchers should
not follow the tendency to "hold on" to busy respondents. However, this
view is definitely not universally accepted in the research community.
Another aspect of the privacy issue is illustrated by the question "Is the
telephone call that interrupts someone's favorite television program an

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invasion of privacy?" The answer to this issue-and to most privacy questions
lies in the dilemma of determining where the rights of the individual end and
the needs of society for better scientific information on citizen preference
take over. Generally, certain standards of common courtesy have been set by
interviewing firms-for example, not to interview late in the evening and at
other inconvenient times.
However, there are several critics who may never be appeased. The
computerized interview (“junk phone call") has stimulated increased debate
over this aspect of the privacy issue. As a practical matter, respondents may
feel more relaxed about privacy issues if they know who is conducting a
survey. Thus, it is generally recommended that field interviewers indicate
that they are legitimate researchers by passing out business cards, wearing
name tags, or in other ways identifying the name of their company. In an
observation study, the major ethical issues concern whether the observed
behavior is public or private. Generally it is believed that unobtrusive
observation of public behavior in such places as stores, airports, and
museums is not a serious invasion of privacy. However, recording private
behavior with hidden cameras and the like does represent a violation of this
right.
3. Deception:
In a number of situations the researcher creates a false impression by
disguising the purpose of the research. The researcher, at least at the outset of
the research, is not open and honest. Bluntly stated, to avoid possible biased
reactions, the subject is lied to. Deception or concealment may be used if a
researcher would otherwise be unable to observe or straightforwardly ask
about the phenomena of interest and still hold all other factors constant.
Generally, researchers who use deception argue that it is justified under two
conditions:

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(1) No physical danger or psychological harm will be caused by the
deception, and
(2) The researcher takes personal responsibility for informing the respondent
of the concealment or deception after the research project ends.
The issue of deception is interrelated with the subject's right to be
informed and with the means-to-an-end philosophical issue.
3. The Right to Be Informed:
It has been argued that subjects have a right to be informed of all
aspects of the research, including information about its purpose and
sponsorship. The argument for the researcher's obligation to protect this right
is based on the academic tradition of informing and enlightening the public.
A pragmatic argument for providing respondents with information about the
nature of the study concerns the long-run ability of researchers to gain
cooperation from respondents.
If the public understands why surveyor experimental information has
been collected and that the researchers may be trusted with private
information, it may be easier in the long run to conduct research. Several
research suppliers have suggested that public relations work is needed to sell
the public on the benefits of the research industry.

Rights and Obligations of the Researcher

General business ethics should be a standard for business research
firms and business research departments. Our concern is not with issues such

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as bribery or the welfare and safety of one's employees but with ethical
issues that are specifically germane to business research practices. More has
been written about the ethics of researchers than about those of the other two
parties because this group's purpose is clearly identifiable. A number of
professional associations have developed standards and operating procedures
for ethical practice by researchers.
1. The Purpose of Research is Research:
It is considered unacceptable to misrepresent a sales tactic as business
research. The Federal Trade Commission has indicated that it is illegal to use
any plan, scheme, or use that misrepresents the true status of the person
making the call as a door-opener to gain admission to a prospect's home,
office, or other establishment. This sales ploy is considered to be unethical as
well as illegal. No research firm should engage in any practice other than
scientific investigation.
2. Objectivity:
Ensuring accuracy via objectivity and scientific investigation is very
important. Researchers should maintain high standards to ensure that the data
they collect are accurate. Further, they must not intentionally try to prove a
particular point for political purposes.
3. Misrepresentation of Research:
Research companies (and clients) should not misrepresent the
statistical accuracy of their data, nor should they overstate the Significance
of the results by altering the findings. Basically, it is assumed that the
researcher has the obligation to both the client and the subjects to analyze the
data honestly and to report correctly the actual data collection methods.

For example: The failure to report a variation from the technically correct
probability sampling procedure is ethically questionable. Similarly, any

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major error that has occurred during the course of the study should not be
kept secret from management or the client sponsor. Hiding errors or allowing
variations from the proper procedures tends to distort or shade the results. A
more blatant breach of the researcher's responsibilities would be the outright
distortion of data.
4. Protecting the Right to Confidentiality of Both Subjects and Clients:
A number of clients might be very desirous of a list of favorable,
organizational prospects generated from a research survey. It is the
researcher’s responsibility to ensure that the privacy and anonymity of the
respondents are preserved. If the respondent's name and address are known,
this information should not be forwarded to the sponsoring organization
under any circumstances. Information that a research supplier obtains about a
client's general business affairs should not be disseminated, to other clients
or third parties. The clients, (users of business research) have a number of
rights and obligations. Their primary right is to expect objective and accurate
data from supplier. They should also expect that their instructions relating to
confidentiality have been carried out.
5. Dissemination of Faulty Conclusions:
Another ethical issue concerns the dissemination of faulty conclusions.
After conducting a research project, the researcher or decision maker may
disseminate conclusions from the research that are inconsistent with or not
warranted by the data. Most research professionals consider this to be
improper. A dramatic example of violation of this principle is an
advertisement for cigarettes that cited a study of smokers. The advertisement
compared two brands and stated that "of those expressing a preference, over
65 percent Preferred" the advertised brand to a competitive brand. The
misleading portion of this reported result was that most of the respondents
did not express a preference; they indicated that both brands tasted about the

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same. Thus, only a very small percentage of those studied actually revealed a
preference, and the results were somewhat misleading. Such shading of the
results falls short of the obligation to report accurate findings.
6. Competing Research Proposals:
Consider a client who has solicited several bids for a business research
project. The research supplier that wins the bid is asked by the client to
appropriate ideas from the proposal of a competing research supplier and
includes them in the research study to be done for the client. This is generally
regarded as unethical.

Rights and Obligations of the Sponsoring Client (User)

By Nithin Saldanha

1. Ethics between Buyer and Seller:

The general business ethics expected to exist between a purchasing agent

and a sales representative should apply in the business research situation. For
example, if die purchasing agent has already decided to purchase a product (or
research proposal) from a friend, it is generally considered unethical for him CD
solicit competitive bids that have no chance of being accepted just to fulfill a
corporate purchasing policy stating that a bid must be put out to three
competitors.
2. An Open Relationship with Research Suppliers:

The sponsoring client has the obligation to encourage the research supplier to
seek out the truth objectively; lb encourage this objectivity, a full and open
statement of the problem, explication of time and money constraints, and any
other insights that may help the supplier anticipate costs and problems
should be provided. - In other words, the research sponsor should
encourage efforts to reduce bias and to listen to the voice of the public.

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3. An Open Relationship with Interested Parties:

Conclusions should be based on the data. A user of research should not

knowingly disseminate conclusions from a given research project or service that
are inconsistent with the data or are not warranted by them. Violation of this
principle is perhaps the greatest transgression that a client can commit. Justifying
a self-serving, political position that is not supported by the data poses serious
ethical questions. Indicating that data show something so that a sale can be made
is also ethically questionable.
4. Privacy:

The privacy rights of subjects create a privacy obligation on the part of the
client. Suppose a database marketing company is offering a mailing list com-
piled by screening millions of households to obtain brand usage information. The
information would be extremely valuable to your firm, but you suspect those
individuals who filled out the information forms were misled into thinking they
were participating in a survey. Would it be ethical to purchase the mailing list? If
respondents have been deceived about the purpose of a survey and their names
subsequently ace fold as part of a user mailing list, this practice is certainly
unethical. The client at well as the research supplier has the obligation to maintain
respondents' privacy.
Example: Sales managers know that a survey of their business-to -business
customers' buying intentions includes a means to attach a customer name to each
questionnaire. Tim confidential information could be of benefit to a sales
representative calling on a specific, customer. A client wishing to be ethical must
resist the temptation to identify those accounts (i.e., mote respondents) who are
the hottest prospects.
5. Privacy on the Internet:

Privacy on the Internet is a Controversial issue. A number of

groups question whether Web site questionnaires, registration forms, and

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other means of collecting personal information in legitimate. Many managers
argue that their organizations don't need to know who the user is because the
Individuals name is not important for their purposes. However, they do want
to know certain information (such as demographic characteristics or product
usage) associated with an anonymous profile. For instance, a Web advertiser
could reach a targeted audience without having access to identifying information.
Of course, unethical companies may, violate the anonymity guideline.
America Online’s privacy policy states that AOL .will not read customers'
e-mail, collects any information about Web site visits, or gives key data to other
organizations without authorization. AOL will seek parents' written approval to
get data from children at sites targeting kids, Research shows that people are
more willing to disclose sensitive information if they know a Web site’s privacy
policy. For this reason, many high-traffic Web sites such as Yahoo and Lycos
have privacy statements, that visitors can easily access, Organizations such as the
Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Online Privacy Alliance are involved in
developing privacy guidelines.
6. Commitment to Research:

Some potential clients have been known to request research proposals

from a research supplier when there is a low probability that the research will be
conducted. A research consultant's opinion may be solicited even though:
agreement is not really planning research and funds have not been allocated for
the project. For example, obtaining an outsider's opinion of a company problem
via a research proposal provides an inexpensive consultation. If the information
supports a given manager's position in an ongoing debate within the company, it
could be used politically rather than as a basis for research. Because the research
supplier must spend considerable effort planning a custom-designed study, most
research practitioners believe that the client has the obligation to be serious about
considering a project before soliciting proposals.

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 7. Pseudo-Pilot Studies:
As noted, it is important for clients to be open about the business problems
be investigated. However, there is a special case of this problem that should be
explained. Sometimes a client will suggest that a more comprehensive study is in
the planning stages and that the proposal the research supplier is bidding on is a
pilot study. The client might say something like “I don't want to promise
anything, but you should know that this is the first in a very ambitious series of
studies we are planning to undertake, and if you sharpen your pencil in esti-
mating cost. . . ." The research consultant is told that if his or her company; does a
good job during .the pilot study stages, there will be an additional major contract
down the line. Too often these pilot studies are "come-ons"— the
comprehensive study never materializes, and the consultant must absorb a loss.

Problem Defining and Research Proposal

Nature of the Business Problem:
Business problems are sometimes hard to define. In fact often, different
people see the problem in different ways. Unless the problem is clearly
defined, articulated, documented and understood, there is not much chance of
delivering a successful project etc. Managers may be completely certain about
situations they face. For example, a retail store may have been recording and
analyzing scanner data for years and know exactly what information its optical
scanners need to record every day. Well-tested research techniques are regularly
used to investigate routine problems that have already been defined. At the other
extreme, a manager or researcher may face a decision-making situation that is
absolutely ambiguous. The nature of the problem to be solved is unclear. The
objectives are vague, and the alternatives are difficult to define. This is by far me
most difficult decision situation. Most decision-making situations fall somewhere

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between these two extremes. Managers often grasp die general nature of the
objectives they wish to achieve, but some uncertainty remains about the nature of
the problem. They often need more information about important details. Their
information is incomplete. They need to dear up ambiguity or uncertainty before
making a formal statement of the business problem.

Importance of proper problem definition

By Ryna Nazareth
The formal quantitative research process should not being until the
problem has been clearly defined. However, properly and completely
defining a business problem is easier said that done. When a problem or
opportunity is discovered, managers may have only vague insights about a
complex situation. For example, suppose morale is declining at a west coast
television studio, and management does not know the reason. If quantitative
research is conducted before learning exactly what issues are important, false
conclusion may be drawn from the investigation. The right answer to the
wrong question may be absolutely worthless. A decision made on the basis of
solution to the wrong problem may actually be harmful. Consider what
happened in the 1980’s when Coca-Cola made the decision to change its
formula and introduced “new” Coke. The company managers decided to
investigate consumer’s reaction to the taste of reformulated Coke and
nothing more. (The company carried out a series of taste tests in shopping
malls. No home taste tests were conducted) the result of the taste test led to
the introduction of “new” Coke and the withdrawal of regulars Coke from
the market. As soon as consumers learned the company’s original formula
was no longer available, there were emotional protests from Coca-Cola
loyalist. The consumer protests were so passionate and determined that the
original formula was quickly brought back as Coca-Cola classic. Cokes

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business research was too narrow in scop0e, and the problem not adequately
defined. Coca-Cola tested one thing and one thing only. The business
research failed to identify the consumer’s emotional attachment and loyalty
to the brand as a problem for investigation. There is a lesson to be learnt
from the Coca-Cola mistake. Do not ignore investigating the emotional
aspects of human behavior

The process of problem definition

By Chandrashekhar
There are several steps in the process of defining of problem definition
they are as follows:
1. Ascertain the decision maker’s objective.

2. Understand the background of the problem.

3. Isolate and identify the problem rather than its symptoms.

4. Determine the unit of analysis.

5. Determine the relevant variables.

6. State the research questions and research objectives.

Ascertain the decision maker’s objectives:

As a staff person, the investigator must attempt to satisfy the
objectives of the line manager who requests for the project. Management
theorists suggest that the decision maker should express his or her goals to
the researcher in measurable term. However, ,expecting a decision maker to
follow this recommendation is, unfortunately, somewhat optimistic.
Researcher who must conduct investigation when a line manager wants the

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information “yesterday” do not usually get a great deal of assistance when
they ask, “what are your objectives for this study?” nevertheless, both parties
should attempt to have a clear understanding of the purpose for undertaking
the research.
One effective technique for uncovering elusive research objectives is
to present the manager with each possible solution to a problem and ask
whether he or she would follow that course of action. If the decision maker
say’s “no” further questioning to determine why the course of action is
inappropriate usually will help formulate objectives. Often exploratory
research can illuminate the nature of the opportunity or problem and help
managers clarify their objectives and decisions.

Understand the background of the problem:

Although no text book outline exists for identifying a business
problem. Often experienced managers know a great deal about a situation
and can provide researchers with considerable background information about
previous events and why those events occurred. In situation in which the
decision maker’s objectives are clear, the problem may be diagnosed
exclusively by exercising managerial judgment. In other situations, when
information about what has happened previously is inadequate or when
managers have trouble identifying the problem, a situation analysis is the
logical first step in defining the problem. A situation involves a primarily
investigation or informal gathering of background information to familiarize
researches or managers with the decision area.

Isolate and identify the problem, not the symptoms:

Anticipating all of the dimensions of a problem is impossible for any
researcher or executive. For instance, a firm may have a problem with its

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advertising effectiveness. The possible causes of this problem may be low
brand awareness, the wrong brand image use of the wrong media, or perhaps
too small budget. Management’s job is to isolate the most likely causes.
Certain occurrence that may appear to be “the problem” may be only
symptoms of a deeper problem. Other problem may be identifying only after
gathering background information and after conducting exploratory research.
How does one ensure that the fundamental problem, rather than symptoms
associated with the problem, has been identified? There is no easy or simple
answer to this question. Executive judgment and creativity must be
exercised.

Determine the unit of analysis:

Defining the problem requires that the researcher determine the unit of
analysis for study. The researcher must specify whether the level of
investigation will focus on the collection of data about the entire
organization, department, workgroups, individuals, or objects. In studies of
buying, for example, the husband-wife dyad rather than the individual
typically is the unit of the analysis, because the purchase decision is made
jointly by husband and wife. If studies of organization behavior, cross
functional teams rather than individual employee may be selected as the unit
of analysis. The researchers, who think carefully and creatively about
situations often, discover that a problem may be investigated at more than
one level of analysis. Determining the unit of analysis, although relatively
straightforward in most projects, should not be overlooked during the
problem-definition stage of the research. It is a crucial aspect of problem
definition.

Determine the relevant variables:

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 Key variable should be identified in the problem definition stage.
Attitude toward internet brokerage firms may be variable, for example, as
people’s attitude may vary from positive the negative. The attitude toward
each of the many characteristics of brokerage firm, such as availability of
investment advisory services, toll-free calls, and the like would be a variable.
In casual research the term dependant variable and independent variable are
frequently encountered, a dependant is a criterion or a variable that is to be
predicted or explained. An independent variable is a variable that is expected
to influence the dependant variable. For example, average hourly rate of pay
may be a dependant variable that is influenced or can be predicted by an
independent variable such as number of years of experience.

State the research question and research objectives:

Both manager and researcher expect problem definition efforts to
result in statements of research question and research objectives. At the end
of the problem definition stage of the research process, researchers should
prepare a written statement that clarifies any ambiguity about what they hope
the research will accomplish.

How Can the Problem Statement Be

Clarified?
By Adrian Pinto
Before mounting and leaping right into solving your business
problems, you need to define and describe the problem by using a statement

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problem. This tool clarifies the issue by specifically identifying what has to
improve to meet your goal, the magnitude of the problem, where the problem
occurs, with whom the problem occurs, when the problem occurs, and the
financial impact. The problem statement can then be used to communicate
the problem to the concerned people whose support you need.
Following is a checklist that shows all the critical elements of a
successful problem statement:
1. A description of the problem and the metric used to describe it.
2. The process name and location of the problem.
3. The time frame over which the problem has been occurring.
4. The magnitude of the problem.

One more tool is important which helps in describing the problem

statement is objective statement. The tool called objective statement which
directly addresses the problem statement. In order to be more effective, the
objective statement must contain all of the following elements:
1. It must improve some metric from some baseline to some goal, in the
same amount of time with positive impact on some corporate goal or
objectives.
2. The objective statement must indicate the level of improvement
expected from improvement efforts, including specific, quantifiable
amounts and the time required to complete it.
The problem statement is also known as the opportunity statement.
The problem statement serves as the focal point throughout the clarification
process or it is because of the problem statement the clarification process has
been followed. The problem should be described in terms of factual events or
measurable conditions. If the problem is vague or unclear, it can perhaps be
better defined by listing its symptoms or it can take up necessary steps in

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making the problem clearer. It could be any fact, conditions, events, or
results that provide clues to the underlying causes of the problem.
It(symptoms) can be identified by answering a series of questions, such as
the following:
1. Who is involved?
2. What has happened?
3. Where is it occurring?
4. When does it happen?
Once an exhaustive list of symptoms is identified or when all the
possible symptoms are identified, the most pressing items can be
incorporated into an opportunity statement. Defining the problem in this way
enables the people to deal with the problem in a factual, objective and
measurable manner. When clarifying problems, we should avoid using
personal opinions, emotions and factoids. Factoids are pieces of information
that appear to be factual but are actually opinions that have grown in
acceptance and are considered as facts by others.

Decision oriented research objectives:

The decision oriented research objectives are given as below:-
1. It promotes better decision making.
2. The research is the basis for innovation.
3. Research identifies the problem areas.
4. Research help in forecasting, which is useful for managers.
5. Research helps in formulation of policies and strategies.
6. Research helps in the development of new products or in modifying
existing products and in understanding the competitive environment.
7. It helps in the optimum utilization of resources.
8. It helps in identifying marketing opportunities and constraints.

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 9. It helps in evaluating marketing plans.
10. It helps in identifying current and potential markets for value-added
processing of major and livestock commodities and emerging niche
markets for alternative products.
11.It focuses on resources conservation, environmental protection,
enhancement of comfort and safety, and advanced information
processing.
12.If the objective is clear, then the time and money spent by the
researcher in collecting necessary information can be minimized.

How much time should be spent defining a

problem?
By Rashmi Shetty
Budget constraints usually influence the amount of effort that will
be spent defining the problem. Most business situations are complex, and
numerous variables may have some influence. It is impractical to search for
every conceivable cause and minor influence. The importance of the
recognized problem will dictate what reasonable amount of time and money
is to be spent to determine with explanations or solutions are most likely.
Managers-those responsible for decision making-generally want the
problem definition process to proceed quickly, whereas the researchers
usually take long periods of time to carefully define problems and thereby
frequently frustrate managers. Nevertheless the time spent to identify the
correct problem to be researched is time well spent.

THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL

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 The research proposal is the written statement of a research design. It
always includes an explanation of the purpose of the study (research
objectives) or a definition of the problem. It systematically outlines the
particular research methodology and details the procedure that will be
utilized at each stage of the research process. Normally a schedule of costs
and deadlines is included in the research proposal. For example, a short
research proposal for an internal revenue service study to explore public
attitude towards a variety of tax related issues.
Preparation of a research proposal forces the researcher to think
critically about each stage of the research process. Vague plans, abstract
ideas, and sweeping generalizations about problems or procedures must
become concrete and precise statements about specific events. What
information will be obtained and what research procedures will be
implemented have to be clearly specified so that others may understand their
exact implications. All ambiguities about why and how the research will be
conducted must be clarified before the proposal is completed.
Because the proposal is clearly outlined, planned, and submitted to the
management for acceptance and rejection, it initially performs a
communication function; it serves as a mechanism that allows managers to
evaluate the detail of proposed research design and determine its alterations
are necessaries. The proposal help managers decide if the proper information
will be obtained and if the proposed research will be accomplished what is
designed. If the business problem has not been adequately translated into a
set of a specific research objectives and a research design, the client’s
assessments of the proposal will help ensure that the researchers revise it to
meet the client’s information needs.
The proposal needs to communicate exactly what information will be
obtained, where it will be obtained, and how it will be obtained. For this

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reason, proposals must be explicit about sample selection, measurement,
field work, and so on. For instance, most survey proposal includes a copy of
the proposed questionnaire (or at least some sample questions) to ensure that
managers and researchers agree on the information to be obtained and how
questions should be worded.
The format for the IRS research proposal in the above example the six
stages in the research process. At each stage one or more questions must be
answered before the researcher can select one of the various alternatives. For
example, before a proposal can be completed the researcher has to ask “What
is to be measured?” Simply answering “market share” may not be enough-
market share may be measured by auditing retailers or wholesalers , and
sales; by using trade association data or by asking consumers what brands
they buy. The question of what is to be measured is just one of the important
questions that must be answered before setting the research process in
motion. This issue will be addressed in greater detail. It presents an
overview of some of the basic questions that managers and researchers
typically have to answer while planning a research design.
Review the IRS research proposal in the above example to see the
questions in as follows that are answered in a specific situation.
In business, one often hers the adage “do not say it, write it”. This is a
wise advice for a researcher who is proposing the research project to the
management. Misstatements and faulty communications may occur if the
parties relay only of the individual’s memory and what occurred at a
planning meeting. Writing a proposal for a research design, specifying
exactly what will be done , creates a record to which everyone can refer and
eliminates many problems that might arise after the research has been
conducted. With a written proposal, management researchers alike are less
likely to discover after the fact (after the research) that information related to

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a particular variable was omitted or that the sample size was too small for a
particular subgroup. Further, as a statement of agreement between
executives and researchers, the formal proposal will reduce the tendency for
someone reading the results to say, “Should not we have had a larger
sample?” or “Why did not you do it this way?” As a record of the
researcher’s obligations, the proposal also provides a standard for
determining if the actual research was conducted as originally planned.
When a consultant or an outside research supplier will be conducting
the research, the written proposal serve as that persons or company’s bid to
offer a specific service. Typically, a sponsoring client solicits several
competitive proposals, and these written offers help management judge the
relative quality of alternative research suppliers. One final comment needs
to be made about the nature of the research proposals; the proposals do not
all follow the same format. The researchers must adapt his or her proposal to
the audience to whom it will be submitted. An extremely brief proposal
submitted by the organization’s internal research department to its own
executives bears little resemblance to a complex proposal submitted by a
university professor to an agency of the federal government to test a basic
theory about international financial markets.

CONCLUSION

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 Whenever the problem occurs, we should try to define it well because
a well defined problem is like almost solved, so its very important to define
the problem rather than its symptoms and causes, if the problem is well
defined there will be no difficulties in finding alternative solutions for the
problem. A well defined problem is like a target which guides us in coming
up with appropriate solutions. If any research is done without knowing what
exactly the problem is, then it is useless conducting such research.

Reference
1. Zikmund William G., “Business Research Methods”,

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=APlxTUo7qjgC&pg=PT31&lpg=PT31&dq
=ethical+issues+in+business+research&source=bl&ots=6scaYDwlQN&sig=
5Zqk4g2xhcKYFRwImaQwLhWx4U&hl=en&ei=9dSjSYiBDZLSkAXRs825BQ&
sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=10&ct=result#PPT25,M1

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