BUS5112 Quantitative Research Methods Units 1-4 Test Bank —
Research Design, Sampling, Measurement, and Descriptive Stats
Course:
BUS5112 Quantitative Research Methods — University of the People (UoPeople)
Level:
MBA
Year:
2025/2026
Format:
Comprehensive Test Bank — 60 Q&A with Verified Answers
BUS5112 Units 1-4 Test Bank
60 Questions with Verified Correct Answers | 100% Complete Solutions
Question 1 — Unit 1:
Which of the following best describes the fundamental difference between basic and applied
research in a business context?
A) Basic research relies on qualitative data, whereas applied research relies strictly on quantitative
data.
B) Basic research aims to expand general knowledge, while applied research is designed to solve
a specific, practical problem facing an organization.
C) Basic research is conducted by managers, whereas applied research is conducted by
academic institutions.
D) Basic research always uses an inductive approach, whereas applied research uses a deductive
approach.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Basic (or pure) research is driven by a desire to expand the frontiers of knowledge and theoretical
understanding without an immediate commercial application. Applied research, however, is
tailored to address specific, actionable problems that a company or manager is currently facing.
,Question 2 — Unit 1:
A marketing manager notices that sales have dropped by 15% over the last quarter but does not
know why. Before launching a large-scale survey, the manager decides to interview a few key
clients and frontline sales staff. This initial investigation is an example of what type of research?
A) Causal research
B) Descriptive research
C) Exploratory research
D) Experimental research
Answer: C
Explanation:
Exploratory research is conducted when a problem is not clearly defined. It helps in gaining a
deeper understanding of the situation, generating hypotheses, and guiding the direction of more
rigorous future research.
Question 3 — Unit 1:
In the context of the research process, which logical approach begins with a general theory,
formulates a specific hypothesis, and then collects data to test that hypothesis?
A) Inductive reasoning
B) Deductive reasoning
C) Abductive reasoning
D) Heuristic reasoning
Answer: B
Explanation:
Deductive reasoning works from the more general to the more specific. It is often referred to as a
"top-down" approach, where a researcher starts with a theoretical framework and deduces
specific, testable hypotheses to be confirmed or rejected by empirical data.
Question 4 — Unit 1:
A software company wants to test whether adding a "dark mode" feature increases user retention.
In this scenario, user retention represents the:
A) Independent variable
B) Extraneous variable
,C) Dependent variable
D) Moderating variable
Answer: C
Explanation:
The dependent variable is the primary variable of interest that the researcher wants to measure,
predict, or explain. In this case, user retention depends on (or is hypothesized to be affected by)
the presence of the dark mode feature (the independent variable).
Question 5 — Unit 1:
Which research paradigm argues that social reality is objective, measurable, and independent of
the researcher, heavily favoring quantitative methods and statistical analysis?
A) Interpretivism
B) Positivism
C) Constructivism
D) Pragmatism
Answer: B
Explanation:
Positivism asserts that reality exists externally and can be measured objectively through empirical
observation. Positivist researchers typically use highly structured methodology and quantitative
data to uncover universal laws of cause and effect.
Question 6 — Unit 1:
A researcher hypothesizes that "Higher employee training hours will lead to a decrease in
manufacturing defect rates." What type of hypothesis is this?
A) Null hypothesis
B) Non-directional hypothesis
C) Directional hypothesis
D) Intervening hypothesis
Answer: C
Explanation:
A directional hypothesis explicitly states the expected direction of the relationship between
variables (e.g., "higher" leads to a "decrease"). A non-directional hypothesis would only state that
, a relationship exists without specifying the direction.
Question 7 — Unit 1:
What is the primary purpose of conducting a thorough literature review before finalizing a
research problem?
A) To copy the methodologies used by previous researchers verbatim.
B) To prove that the researcher has read extensively on the subject.
C) To identify gaps in current knowledge and ensure the proposed research has not already been
unnecessarily duplicated.
D) To gather secondary data that can replace the need for primary data collection.
Answer: C
Explanation:
A literature review critically evaluates existing research to establish a theoretical foundation,
identify unresolved issues (knowledge gaps), and refine the research question, ensuring the new
study adds original value.
Question 8 — Unit 1:
A CEO asks the HR director to investigate why employee turnover is high. The HR director
formulates the research question: "How does the current compensation structure compare to
industry averages?" This represents a transition from a:
A) Management dilemma to a research question
B) Research objective to a management dilemma
C) Hypothesis to a theoretical framework
D) Dependent variable to an independent variable
Answer: A
Explanation:
The management dilemma is the broad, practical problem the organization faces (high turnover).
The research question translates this vague dilemma into a specific, investigable query
(compensation structure comparison) that can yield actionable data.
Question 9 — Unit 1:
When developing a theoretical framework, a variable that is theorized to surface between the time
the independent variable operates to influence the dependent variable is known as a(n):
Research Design, Sampling, Measurement, and Descriptive Stats
Course:
BUS5112 Quantitative Research Methods — University of the People (UoPeople)
Level:
MBA
Year:
2025/2026
Format:
Comprehensive Test Bank — 60 Q&A with Verified Answers
BUS5112 Units 1-4 Test Bank
60 Questions with Verified Correct Answers | 100% Complete Solutions
Question 1 — Unit 1:
Which of the following best describes the fundamental difference between basic and applied
research in a business context?
A) Basic research relies on qualitative data, whereas applied research relies strictly on quantitative
data.
B) Basic research aims to expand general knowledge, while applied research is designed to solve
a specific, practical problem facing an organization.
C) Basic research is conducted by managers, whereas applied research is conducted by
academic institutions.
D) Basic research always uses an inductive approach, whereas applied research uses a deductive
approach.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Basic (or pure) research is driven by a desire to expand the frontiers of knowledge and theoretical
understanding without an immediate commercial application. Applied research, however, is
tailored to address specific, actionable problems that a company or manager is currently facing.
,Question 2 — Unit 1:
A marketing manager notices that sales have dropped by 15% over the last quarter but does not
know why. Before launching a large-scale survey, the manager decides to interview a few key
clients and frontline sales staff. This initial investigation is an example of what type of research?
A) Causal research
B) Descriptive research
C) Exploratory research
D) Experimental research
Answer: C
Explanation:
Exploratory research is conducted when a problem is not clearly defined. It helps in gaining a
deeper understanding of the situation, generating hypotheses, and guiding the direction of more
rigorous future research.
Question 3 — Unit 1:
In the context of the research process, which logical approach begins with a general theory,
formulates a specific hypothesis, and then collects data to test that hypothesis?
A) Inductive reasoning
B) Deductive reasoning
C) Abductive reasoning
D) Heuristic reasoning
Answer: B
Explanation:
Deductive reasoning works from the more general to the more specific. It is often referred to as a
"top-down" approach, where a researcher starts with a theoretical framework and deduces
specific, testable hypotheses to be confirmed or rejected by empirical data.
Question 4 — Unit 1:
A software company wants to test whether adding a "dark mode" feature increases user retention.
In this scenario, user retention represents the:
A) Independent variable
B) Extraneous variable
,C) Dependent variable
D) Moderating variable
Answer: C
Explanation:
The dependent variable is the primary variable of interest that the researcher wants to measure,
predict, or explain. In this case, user retention depends on (or is hypothesized to be affected by)
the presence of the dark mode feature (the independent variable).
Question 5 — Unit 1:
Which research paradigm argues that social reality is objective, measurable, and independent of
the researcher, heavily favoring quantitative methods and statistical analysis?
A) Interpretivism
B) Positivism
C) Constructivism
D) Pragmatism
Answer: B
Explanation:
Positivism asserts that reality exists externally and can be measured objectively through empirical
observation. Positivist researchers typically use highly structured methodology and quantitative
data to uncover universal laws of cause and effect.
Question 6 — Unit 1:
A researcher hypothesizes that "Higher employee training hours will lead to a decrease in
manufacturing defect rates." What type of hypothesis is this?
A) Null hypothesis
B) Non-directional hypothesis
C) Directional hypothesis
D) Intervening hypothesis
Answer: C
Explanation:
A directional hypothesis explicitly states the expected direction of the relationship between
variables (e.g., "higher" leads to a "decrease"). A non-directional hypothesis would only state that
, a relationship exists without specifying the direction.
Question 7 — Unit 1:
What is the primary purpose of conducting a thorough literature review before finalizing a
research problem?
A) To copy the methodologies used by previous researchers verbatim.
B) To prove that the researcher has read extensively on the subject.
C) To identify gaps in current knowledge and ensure the proposed research has not already been
unnecessarily duplicated.
D) To gather secondary data that can replace the need for primary data collection.
Answer: C
Explanation:
A literature review critically evaluates existing research to establish a theoretical foundation,
identify unresolved issues (knowledge gaps), and refine the research question, ensuring the new
study adds original value.
Question 8 — Unit 1:
A CEO asks the HR director to investigate why employee turnover is high. The HR director
formulates the research question: "How does the current compensation structure compare to
industry averages?" This represents a transition from a:
A) Management dilemma to a research question
B) Research objective to a management dilemma
C) Hypothesis to a theoretical framework
D) Dependent variable to an independent variable
Answer: A
Explanation:
The management dilemma is the broad, practical problem the organization faces (high turnover).
The research question translates this vague dilemma into a specific, investigable query
(compensation structure comparison) that can yield actionable data.
Question 9 — Unit 1:
When developing a theoretical framework, a variable that is theorized to surface between the time
the independent variable operates to influence the dependent variable is known as a(n):
