SOLUTION MANUAL
Research Methods For Business
Students
8th Edition Mark Saunders, Philip
Lewis Chapters 1 - 14, Complete
3
© Pearson Education Limited 2019
, Contents
Chapters Pages
Introduction 5
1 Business and management research, reflective diaries and the purpose
of this book 15
2 Choosing a research topic and developing your research proposal 19
3 Critically reviewing the literature 23
4 Understanding research philosophy and approaches to theory development
27
5 Formulating the research design 32
6 Negotiating access and research ethics 36
7 Selecting samples 40
8 Utilising secondary data 44
9 Collecting data through observation 48
10 Collecting primary data using research interviews and research diaries54
11 Collecting primary data using questionnaires 59
12 Analysing data quantitatively 63
13 Analysing data qualitatively 68
14 Writing and presenting your project report 72
Appendix 75
1 Research project assignment 75
2 Group poster research project assignment 80
3 Research proposal assignment 84
4 Additional cases on the companion website 89
INTRODUCTION
An overview of the instructors’ manual
This instructors’ manual provides commentary for the eighth edition of the textbook
Research Methods for Business Students. The commentary is on a chapter by chapter
basis and includes:
4
© Pearson Education Limited 2019
, chapter learning outcomes;
summary of the content;
comments on likely student reactions and possible use of materials;
ideas for students’ preparatory work;
suggestions for delivery in the classroom;
ideas for students’ follow-up work.
In addition, we have included a copy of a research project assignment, a group
research project poster assignment and a copy of a dissertation proposal assignment
as appendices.
Research sMethods sfor sBusiness s– san soverview sof sthe seighth sedition
Pedagogic s features
The sover-riding spurpose sof sResearch sMethods sfor sBusiness sStudents sis sto shelp
sundergraduate sand spostgraduate sstudents sand sstudents son sprofessional scourses
sto sundertake sresearch. sEach schapter sdeals swith sa spart sof sthe sresearch sprocess
sand sdiscusses sthe sideas, stechniques sand smethods susing sas slittle sjargon sas sis
spossible. sTables, schecklists sand sdiagrams sare sused sto said sthis sdiscussion. sWhere
snew sterms sare sintroduced sfor sthe sfirst stime, sthey sare sshown sin sbold, sand sa
sdefinition sor sexplanation sfollows sshortly safterwards. sThey sare salso slisted swith sa
sbrief sdefinition sin sthe sglossary. sThe sapplication sof sappropriate sinformation
stechnology sis sconsidered, sin smost sinstances sas san sintegral spart sof sthe stext.
sChapters shave sbeen scross-referenced sas sappropriate, sand san sindex sis sprovided
stoshelp sstudents sfind stheir sway saround sthe sbook.
Focus son sstudent sresearch sboxes sare sincluded swithin sthe stext sof seach
schapter. sThese sare sbased son sactual sresearch sprojects, sundertaken sby sstudents,
sin swhich spoints smade sin sthe stext sare sillustrated. sIn smany sinstances, sthese
sworked sexamples sillustrate spossible spitfalls sstudents smay scome sacross swhile
sundertaking stheir sresearch. sWhere sa spitfall shas sbeen sillustrated, sit swill, sit sis
shoped, shelp syour sstudents savoid smaking sthe ssame smistake. sFurther sillustrations
sare sprovided sby sfocus son smanagement sresearch sand sresearch sin sthe snews
sboxes.
Focus son smanagement sresearch sboxes sdiscuss srecent sresearch sin sbusiness
sand smanagement. sThese sare snormally sderived sfrom srefereed sacademic sjournal
sarticles, sand sstudents sare slikely sto sbe sable sto sdownload sthe sactual sarticles sfrom
sonline sdatabases sat stheir suniversity.
Focus son sresearch sin sthe snews sboxes sprovide stopical snews sarticles sthat
5
© Pearson Education Limited 2019
, sillustrate spertinent sresearch-related sissues. sAll sthese swill shelp sstudents sto
sunderstand sthe stechnique sor sidea sand sto sassess sits ssuitability sor
sappropriateness sto stheir sresearch. sBoxed schecklists sprovide sstudents swith sfurther
sfocussed sguidance sfor stheir sown sresearch.
A ssummary sof skey spoints sat sthe send sof seach schapter scan sbe sused sby
sstudents sbefore sand safter sreading sthe schapter sto sensure sthat sthey shave
sdigested sthe smain spoints.
Self-check squestions senable sstudents sto scheck sthey shave sunderstood sthe schapter.
sThese scan sall sbe sanswered swithout srecourse sto sother s(external) sresources.
sAnswers sare sprovided sto sall sthe sself- scheck squestions sat sthe send sof seach
schapter.
Review sand sdiscuss squestions sfollow sthe sself-check squestions. sThese ssuggest
sa svariety sof sactivities s students s can s undertake s to s help s them s further s develop
s their s knowledge s and s understanding sof sthe smaterial sin sthe schapter, soften
sinvolving sdiscussion swith sa sfriend.
Self-test smultiple schoice squestions sand strue/false squestions sfor seach schapter sare
savailable son sthis sbook’s scompanion swebsite.
All schapters sinclude sa ssection stowards sthe send stitled s“Progressing syour sresearch
sproject” sthat scan sbe sundertaken sas spart sof sthe sstudent’s sresearch sproject. sThese
sare spresented sin ssufficient sdetail sto senable sthem sto sfocus son sthe stechniques
sthat sare smost sappropriate sto shis sor sher sresearch. sBy scompleting sall sthese
ssections, sthe sstudent swill shave salso scompleted shis sor sher sproject sreport.
Each schapter sis salso saccompanied sby sreferences, sfurther sreading sand sa scase sstudy.
Further sreading sis sincluded sfor stwo sdistinct sreasons:
▪ to sdirect sstudents sto sother swork son sthe sideas scontained swithin sthe schapter;
▪ to s direct s students s to s further s examples s of s research s where s the s ideas
s contained s in s the s chaptershave sbeen sused.
Case sstudies sat sthe send sof seach schapter sare sall snew sto sthe seighth sedition. sThey
shave sbeen sdrawn sfrom sa svariety sof sbusiness sand smanagement sresearch sscenarios
sand shave sbeen sbased son sthe scase sstudy’s sauthors’ sstudents’ sexperiences swhen
sundertaking sa sresearch sproject. sThey shave sbeen swritten sto shighlight sreal sissues
sthat soccur swhen sundertaking sbusiness sand smanagement sresearch. sTo shelp sfocus
sstudents’ sthoughts sor sdiscussion son ssome sof sthe spertinent sissues, seach scase sis
sfollowed sby sevaluative squestions, sanswers sto swhich sare sprovided son sthe
sInstructors’ sCompanion sWeb sSite. sA scase sstudysfollows severy schapter. sA sfurther s75
scase sstudies sfrom searlier seditions sof sthe sbook sare savailable son sthe sStudents’
sCompanion sWeb sSite; sanswers sto sthese scases sare sprovided son sthe sInstructors’
sCompanion sWeb sSite. sA scomplete slist sof sthese scases sis sprovided sin sAppendix s4.
Contents
6
© Pearson Education Limited 2019
Research Methods For Business
Students
8th Edition Mark Saunders, Philip
Lewis Chapters 1 - 14, Complete
3
© Pearson Education Limited 2019
, Contents
Chapters Pages
Introduction 5
1 Business and management research, reflective diaries and the purpose
of this book 15
2 Choosing a research topic and developing your research proposal 19
3 Critically reviewing the literature 23
4 Understanding research philosophy and approaches to theory development
27
5 Formulating the research design 32
6 Negotiating access and research ethics 36
7 Selecting samples 40
8 Utilising secondary data 44
9 Collecting data through observation 48
10 Collecting primary data using research interviews and research diaries54
11 Collecting primary data using questionnaires 59
12 Analysing data quantitatively 63
13 Analysing data qualitatively 68
14 Writing and presenting your project report 72
Appendix 75
1 Research project assignment 75
2 Group poster research project assignment 80
3 Research proposal assignment 84
4 Additional cases on the companion website 89
INTRODUCTION
An overview of the instructors’ manual
This instructors’ manual provides commentary for the eighth edition of the textbook
Research Methods for Business Students. The commentary is on a chapter by chapter
basis and includes:
4
© Pearson Education Limited 2019
, chapter learning outcomes;
summary of the content;
comments on likely student reactions and possible use of materials;
ideas for students’ preparatory work;
suggestions for delivery in the classroom;
ideas for students’ follow-up work.
In addition, we have included a copy of a research project assignment, a group
research project poster assignment and a copy of a dissertation proposal assignment
as appendices.
Research sMethods sfor sBusiness s– san soverview sof sthe seighth sedition
Pedagogic s features
The sover-riding spurpose sof sResearch sMethods sfor sBusiness sStudents sis sto shelp
sundergraduate sand spostgraduate sstudents sand sstudents son sprofessional scourses
sto sundertake sresearch. sEach schapter sdeals swith sa spart sof sthe sresearch sprocess
sand sdiscusses sthe sideas, stechniques sand smethods susing sas slittle sjargon sas sis
spossible. sTables, schecklists sand sdiagrams sare sused sto said sthis sdiscussion. sWhere
snew sterms sare sintroduced sfor sthe sfirst stime, sthey sare sshown sin sbold, sand sa
sdefinition sor sexplanation sfollows sshortly safterwards. sThey sare salso slisted swith sa
sbrief sdefinition sin sthe sglossary. sThe sapplication sof sappropriate sinformation
stechnology sis sconsidered, sin smost sinstances sas san sintegral spart sof sthe stext.
sChapters shave sbeen scross-referenced sas sappropriate, sand san sindex sis sprovided
stoshelp sstudents sfind stheir sway saround sthe sbook.
Focus son sstudent sresearch sboxes sare sincluded swithin sthe stext sof seach
schapter. sThese sare sbased son sactual sresearch sprojects, sundertaken sby sstudents,
sin swhich spoints smade sin sthe stext sare sillustrated. sIn smany sinstances, sthese
sworked sexamples sillustrate spossible spitfalls sstudents smay scome sacross swhile
sundertaking stheir sresearch. sWhere sa spitfall shas sbeen sillustrated, sit swill, sit sis
shoped, shelp syour sstudents savoid smaking sthe ssame smistake. sFurther sillustrations
sare sprovided sby sfocus son smanagement sresearch sand sresearch sin sthe snews
sboxes.
Focus son smanagement sresearch sboxes sdiscuss srecent sresearch sin sbusiness
sand smanagement. sThese sare snormally sderived sfrom srefereed sacademic sjournal
sarticles, sand sstudents sare slikely sto sbe sable sto sdownload sthe sactual sarticles sfrom
sonline sdatabases sat stheir suniversity.
Focus son sresearch sin sthe snews sboxes sprovide stopical snews sarticles sthat
5
© Pearson Education Limited 2019
, sillustrate spertinent sresearch-related sissues. sAll sthese swill shelp sstudents sto
sunderstand sthe stechnique sor sidea sand sto sassess sits ssuitability sor
sappropriateness sto stheir sresearch. sBoxed schecklists sprovide sstudents swith sfurther
sfocussed sguidance sfor stheir sown sresearch.
A ssummary sof skey spoints sat sthe send sof seach schapter scan sbe sused sby
sstudents sbefore sand safter sreading sthe schapter sto sensure sthat sthey shave
sdigested sthe smain spoints.
Self-check squestions senable sstudents sto scheck sthey shave sunderstood sthe schapter.
sThese scan sall sbe sanswered swithout srecourse sto sother s(external) sresources.
sAnswers sare sprovided sto sall sthe sself- scheck squestions sat sthe send sof seach
schapter.
Review sand sdiscuss squestions sfollow sthe sself-check squestions. sThese ssuggest
sa svariety sof sactivities s students s can s undertake s to s help s them s further s develop
s their s knowledge s and s understanding sof sthe smaterial sin sthe schapter, soften
sinvolving sdiscussion swith sa sfriend.
Self-test smultiple schoice squestions sand strue/false squestions sfor seach schapter sare
savailable son sthis sbook’s scompanion swebsite.
All schapters sinclude sa ssection stowards sthe send stitled s“Progressing syour sresearch
sproject” sthat scan sbe sundertaken sas spart sof sthe sstudent’s sresearch sproject. sThese
sare spresented sin ssufficient sdetail sto senable sthem sto sfocus son sthe stechniques
sthat sare smost sappropriate sto shis sor sher sresearch. sBy scompleting sall sthese
ssections, sthe sstudent swill shave salso scompleted shis sor sher sproject sreport.
Each schapter sis salso saccompanied sby sreferences, sfurther sreading sand sa scase sstudy.
Further sreading sis sincluded sfor stwo sdistinct sreasons:
▪ to sdirect sstudents sto sother swork son sthe sideas scontained swithin sthe schapter;
▪ to s direct s students s to s further s examples s of s research s where s the s ideas
s contained s in s the s chaptershave sbeen sused.
Case sstudies sat sthe send sof seach schapter sare sall snew sto sthe seighth sedition. sThey
shave sbeen sdrawn sfrom sa svariety sof sbusiness sand smanagement sresearch sscenarios
sand shave sbeen sbased son sthe scase sstudy’s sauthors’ sstudents’ sexperiences swhen
sundertaking sa sresearch sproject. sThey shave sbeen swritten sto shighlight sreal sissues
sthat soccur swhen sundertaking sbusiness sand smanagement sresearch. sTo shelp sfocus
sstudents’ sthoughts sor sdiscussion son ssome sof sthe spertinent sissues, seach scase sis
sfollowed sby sevaluative squestions, sanswers sto swhich sare sprovided son sthe
sInstructors’ sCompanion sWeb sSite. sA scase sstudysfollows severy schapter. sA sfurther s75
scase sstudies sfrom searlier seditions sof sthe sbook sare savailable son sthe sStudents’
sCompanion sWeb sSite; sanswers sto sthese scases sare sprovided son sthe sInstructors’
sCompanion sWeb sSite. sA scomplete slist sof sthese scases sis sprovided sin sAppendix s4.
Contents
6
© Pearson Education Limited 2019
