Business Research

Topic ~ Introduction 1 to Business Research Byend of this topic, you should be able to: † I, Define research; 2. Describe the difference between basic and applied research; 3. Discuss the importance of business research; 4. Describe the needs to have ethics in conducting research; 5. Discuss when business research is needed and when it should not be conducted; and 6. Identify various areas in business research. ~' INTRODUCTION Before we really understand what business research is all about, let us look at some of the definitions given by several authors of research methods. 2 ~ TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTIONTO BUSINESS RESEARCH Definition There are many different definitions that can be found on research. (i) Cooper and Emory (1995) defined research as: A systematic inquiry aimed at providing information' to solve problems. (ii) Kervin (1992) in his book entitled â€Å"Methods for Business Research† stated that: . . Researchis the process of systematically gathering end analysing information in order to gain knowledge and understanding. l (iii) Sekaran (2003) defined it as: An organised, systernJltic, databased, critical, objective, sdentiBc inquiry or investigation into a specific problems. (iv)Zikmund (2003) defined business research as: A systematic and objective process of gathering, recording and analysing data I'foraid in zna! dng decision. .. , †¢. †¢ 0†² As you can see from the given definitions, there are many different definitions on research, however, there appears to be a consensus among these authors that research is a process 01 investigation that is carried out in an organised and systematic manner to address a specific probJem or issue. When you investigate a phenomena of interest, it must be thorough and rigorous from the beginning untill the end of the research process.Besides that, you must also conduct it in a systematic way using appropriate methods to collect and analyse data. In a business context, research is defined as an organised and systematic process of investigation to address a specific business problem or issue. TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH .. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ 3 . , ACTIVITY 1. 1 †¢ r' ~. †¢ .~ I _ ‘. l,†~ 1. Give you own definition of business research. 2. :1. 1 Identify the key words in describing â€Å"research† from the content glVen. TYPES OF BUSINESS RESEARCH There are many areas of research that can be conducted.For example you may want to do a research on the behaviour of students in an English or Mathematics class. Or perhaps you would like to do a research in an organisation, . investigating the financial problems of a company. Whatever research that you wish to embark on, you need to understand that business research can be categorised into the following: Basic Research Applied Research Figure 1. 1: Business research component 1 . 1 . 1 Basic Research , Basic research is usually conducted to improve our understanding of certain issues rath er than its immediate application.This research is also known as fundamental of pure research. For example, you might be interested in whether personal characteristics influence students' courses choices. Basic research aims to make a contribution to knowledge rather than providing solution to a spe. cific problem or issue. 1 . 1. 2 Applied Research Applied research is done with the emphasis of solving a specific, existing problem. It is very specific in nature and is directed towards making decisions. An example of an applied research is when an organisation wants to improve its employees' performance that has been declining lately. 4 ~ TOPIC 1INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH Although the primary objective of basic research is to gain knowledge, such knowledge developed from the research can be used to solve specific problems or issues. For example, researching the causes of low successful rate among small and medium entrepreneurs ‘ill offer many solutions to reduce the phen omenon, which leads to further research on it, and suggest how the low successful rate can be improved. † ‘â‚ ¬j (‘. ~ †¦ †¢. SELF-CHECK ,. 1 ‘†Ã¢â‚¬ ,,-‘ Given the situation below. discuss whether the following scenario falls under the category of basic or applied research. . ,- †¢The management ofOUM wants to analyse the importance module to their independent post graduate students . of course †¢' A researcher investigates consumers' perceptions towards a newly design Proton car, Persona. Whether you are doing basic or applied research, it is important for you to understand that both researches are undertaken in a scientific manner. 1. 2 IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS RESEARCH Let us look at the importance of business research by looking at why do you have to do it. 1 . 2. 1 Why Do You Have to Do Research? Each day managers are confronted with issues and problems that require them to make critical decisions.Research conducted in an organised and systematic manner will enable them to assess or check whether a specific action, program or policy has the expected effect. Research will provide managers with opportunities to gather information about the characteristics of the current situation. For example managers may want information to answer questions, to make decisions or to determine whether a problem exists. It also allows managers to identify problem situation before they grew out of the management's control. TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH .. †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ 5 Lastly, research offers management n avenue to comprehend and better appreciate various factors and effects of factors that contribute to an existing situation or problem . †¢ 1. Why managers should know about research? 2. Why is research important? 1. 3 ETHICS IN RESEARCH When conducting a specific research, the researcher is required to observe certain . code of conduct or norm of behaviour. Ethical behaviour starts with the researc her who conducts the investigation, the respondents who provide the information, the analysts who analyse the results and every team member who will be involved in the presentation of the findings and recommendations.According to Cavana, Delahaye and Sekaran (2001), as researcher, you have responsibilities to the society, the client of the research and the people involved in the study. †¢ To the society – all researchers must uphold the moral . standards of the research profession. They should not engage in plagiarism, fraud or deceptions. Cite properly if you are refering or using other people works, as illustrated in Figure 1. 2. . ‘lhis Into ‘1(J ‘((‘,[ f,1 . ! _~I~( It L{)U'I~~ A It rR. or~,~11. .†¢ Figure 1. 2: An example of citing the source properly Source: http://www. lib. lsu. edu/instruction/ tigertail/nf/ od ule3 / images / plagiarism. GlF †¢ To the client of the research – the researcher must ensure that he/she produce s high quality research. He/she must also ensure that all information regarding the research be treated as private and confidential. 6 ~ †¢ TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH To the people involved in the study – should not be physically, psychologically and legally harmed. It is also the responsibility of the researcher to ensure the anonymity of the people involved in the study. Coercion, undue pressuri and stress on the people involved in the research should be avoided. :-; -â€Å"–:- .. †¢. †¢.. ~~ -yf– – –1.. ‘-. I-‘:. †¢. †¢1f7 ~ ~, †¢ f',,' ;~SELF~CHE(K f. 3> † Give some examples of business research in your particular field of interest. _ ,~-:;~†Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ~~~~~~~. ;;~;~. :~~::;:;~;;;-~,~~~~~~-:;;:;-~~~~~~~ o For further readings on business research, you may go to the following websites: www. accenture. com/Global/Research_and_Insights/lnstitute_For_High_ Performance Business . htm www. apmforum. com/research. htm OQJ 11111 †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢6†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢~†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Q †¢ †¢ †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ ~  » 0†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã‚ « †¢ Research is a pertinent part for managers. †¢Business research is a systematic and objective process of gathering, recording and analysing data for decision making. †¢ Research can be categorised into basic and applied research. †¢ Basic research is usually conducted to improve our understanding of certain issues rather than its immediate application. †¢ Applied research is done with the emphasis of solving a specific, existing problem. 10 ~ TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH †¢ Managers should have knowledge in conducting research even though they may not be directly involved in the research concerned. †¢Researcher has the responsibility to observe certain code of conducts to society, the people involeed in the research and the client of the research. †¢ A manager determines whether business research should be conducted by considering time constraints, availability of data, the nature of the decision to be made and benefits of the research information in relation to cost. †¢ The major area of business research that would benefit the organisations KEY TERMS 0†³, †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Applied Research† †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ a _ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Research Ethics Business Research t †¢ 1.Explain the definiton of research. 2. Why should a manager knows about research? 3. F~r what purpose is basic r~search important? Give examples of basic research. 4. When is applied useful? 5. Discuss some business research you have read. . 6. research , as distinct from basic research, List the factors that need to be taken into consideration before embarking on a research project. †¢ †¢ †¢ TOPIC 1 INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS RESEARCH †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ 11 Bryman, A. & Bell~E. (2003). Business research methods. New York: Oxford University Press. Cavan a, R. Y, Delahaye, B. L. , & Sekaran, U. (2000).Applied business research: Qualitative and quantitative methods. Australia: John Wiley and Sons. (2003). Business research: A practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students. (2nd ed. ). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Collis, J. , & Hussey†R. Cooper, D. , &' Schindler, McGraw-Hill Irwin. p. s. (2006). Business research methods. (9th ed. ). Kervin, J. B. (1992). Methods for business research. New York: Harper Publishers. . †¦ Collin Sekaran, U. (2003). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Zikmund, W. G. (2003). Business research methods. Thomson USA. South-W estern, †¢ Business Research FELIPE R. VERALLO MEMORIAL FOUNDATION INC. Clotilde Hills, Dakit, Bogo City, Cebu, 6010 Philippines FUNERAL SERVICES In BOGO CITY: Some Proposals By: Salundaga, Nerissa M. Velez, Charisse S. BSBA ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the following people for without them this study wouldn’t be possible. First and foremost, Almighty Father for guiding us always and giving us the courage to possibly makes this. To our parents and family for the financial and emotional support. To Mr. Jessie R. Agunod (Chapel Manager) and Mr. Jan Ridomer Ramos (Embalmer) of St. Peter Memorial Chapels/ St.Peter Life Plan, Inc. for giving us their time and chance to conduct interview for this study. And of course, to our Professor, Dr. Hubert Quinones for the pointers, support and the encouragements to accomplish this study. And to all we don’t mention but contributed idea and cooperation for this study. To all of you! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! God bless†¦ C. S . Velez N. M. Salundaga Contents CHAPTER 1 * Introduction * Theoretical Framework * Research Flow * Statement of the Problem * Significance of the Study * Scope and Limitations * Research Methodology * Research environment * Research subject * Research instrument Data Collection * Definition of the Terms Introduction â€Å"Embalming is one of the richest jobs a man can have†-this is what other says to the funeral organizations, in the case that their services are never losing. Every second of a time many children are born, but every second of a time can be a man’s last breath and every man’s last breath can be a future to other. Nobody lives eternity. We will all face death. Why is it that there are funeral organizations? Because they are needed by every one of us. They are the only one who knew how to preserve a dead body for a few days or anytime needed.Some families of the dead want these services for their own reasons. Let us find in this study the profile o f funeral services, and on how they operate the kind of business. This study, FUNERAL SERVICES IN BOGO CITY: Some Proposals is created for educational purposes as one of the requirements in our subject, Business Research 1. It contains some proposals about the funeral services in Bogo Cit, Cebu. We conducted research over funeral organization that is a family corporation which aims for the development and success of their organization as well as satisfying their clients through their services.Anybody can read this research especially those who are interested about funeral services in Bogo City, Cebu particularly the St. Peter Memorial Chapels. Theoretical framework â€Å"When a person dies in the Philippines, Christian Filipinos –such as Catholics that include the tagalong people- generally hold a wake known as lamay or paglalamay, a vigil that typically lasts for five to seven nights, but may last longer if the surviving family is waiting for someone who will be traveling f rom afar. During this time, the cleaned and embalmed body of the dead, place in coffin is displayed in a house of deceased or at the funeral home.The exhibited casket of the departed is traditionally surrounded by funeral lights, a guest registry book, a contribution box, and flowers. Family members, relatives, and acquaintances participate in the vigil. Apart from offering condolences, the participants, guests and viewers of the departed provide financial donations (the abuloy) to help defray funeral and burial cost. Food and warm drinks are customarily served during the nightly vigil. Typically activities conducted outside or near the vigil area include singing, guitar playing, and gambling- such as playing card games- to pass the time and to keep awake. —FILIPINO CHRISTIAN BURIAL CUSTOMS [www. google. com. ph] Today, people all over the world commemorate their loved ones with ceremonies that reflect their religious or cultural attitudes toward death. Just as we have ritual s for our passages of life, such as graduations and weddings, we need a ritual for death – one of the most significant of all passages. Funerals just don’t recognize that life was lived. They offer survivors a chance to gather and recall what mattered to them about the deceased’s life: his or her accomplishments, friendship, guidance or love.The funeral ritual also helps the survivors to heal emotionally. When someone we love dies, we experience grief, which, though it hurts, is not something to avoid. Grief is part of the healing process that allows us to separate ourselves from the deceased person and go on with our lives. An important grieving is expressing the emotions that may accompany death: anger, guilt, fear, sorrow, and depression. A funeral gives mourners a place to express those feelings. Funerals stimulate mourners to talk about the deceased, one of the first steps towards accepting the death.The funeral brings together a community of mourners who, by supporting each other, can help themselves through a difficult period. To resolve their grief, mourners need to accept the reality of death not only on an intellectual level, but on an emotional level as well. It is for this reason that the traditional funeral is usually preceded by an open-casket visitation period. This may seem unnecessary; but many grief experts say that nothing helps you accept death as much as seeing the dead person. Viewings help with grieving because they show that there’s no return.Perhaps no other moment in the funeral process is as powerful as the final disposition. For survivors, this is as strong symbolic moment, a confirmation that they must let go of the person who dies and look ahead to a change life. For this reason, it is important families choose the kind o final disposition most meaningful to them and most appropriate for the deceased. Research flow I N P U T FUNERAL ORGANIZATION IN BOGO CITY, CEBU * Corporate profile * Services and cost s * proposals P R O C E S S * Internet research * Book scanning * Developing questionnaires for interview * Editing O U T P U T Information about St. Peter Memorial Chapels’ services This figure presents the research flow of the study wherein the input is our main subject of the study, the funeral organization in Bogo City, Cebu, the St. Peter Memorial Chapels. Statement of the problem The purpose of this study is to learn the kind of service a funeral organization has. Following are the questions we mention during the interview and their respective answers. 1) What is the profile of the funeral services as to; a) Ownership â€Å"The St. Peter Memorial Chapels is owned by a family and has many branches all over the country.Every region we have ten or more chapels and life plan offices. In Bogo City, Cebu, we are located at Cogon, Bogo City, Cebu. b) Organizational set-ups/structures â€Å"St. Peter Memorial Chapels and, Bogo City branch has only eight members, one of those is the Chapel manager (CM), a liaison, and the rest are all embalmers as well as drivers. Chapel Manager (1) Liaison (1) Embalmer/ Driver (6) This structure is exclusively in Bogo branch only, every chapel has this set-up, and the General Chapel Manager is at Cebu City sub-office. c) Personnel â€Å"Our personnel are being trained well to successfully do their job with one vision and mission.As St. Peterians, our words and actions are guided by and aligned with our St. Peterian oath (vision magazine- official publication of the St. Peter Group of Companies/March-April 2012). We incorporate our core values in our way of life. We recite the St. Peterian oath everyday to remind us always of our responsibilities as St. Peterians. We are reflections of these vision, mission and values so we have to live them out as true St. Peterian should. † 2) What are the services offered? â€Å"Nobody cannot predict our lives, we cannot say when our last day is. Practically we will all reach the time of death, and that we cannot deny this fact.So, St. Peter Memorial Chapels offers Life Plan insurance in which this is very affordable for it is payable within five (5) years. The good thing about this insurance is that it is transferable to any of the family members of the insured. This is a package that covers the retrieval, embalming, delivery, burial and flowers for the deceased. We also have the booking or setting time as to when the body will be pick up. And also we offered cremation exclusively to the deceased with whom the cause of dying is a contagious disease like rabies, yellow fever and aids. † 3) How is the cost as to; a) Embalming, ) Coffin, â€Å"We will not do just embalming or selling coffins alone. We will complete our service from picking up the body from their places, embalming, delivery, and burial. We also provide flowers as condolence to the family of the deceased. Depending on the owner of the body as to which casket they want for the deceased , the minimum package cost is (PHP) 17,000 pesos and maximum of (PHP) 500,000 pesos. † c) Personnel salary â€Å"Embalmers and drivers will receive a fixed monthly salary of (PHP) 12,000 pesos whether there are customers or none. † 4) What are the problems encountered in this type of business? Well competencies cannot be denied with this type of business, especially that we are located very near to our competitors but with our popularity of this industry, we are not afraid of it. Aside from this, booking reservation is our problem that usually encountered or having too much customers because we only have three (3) delivery cars. Sometimes, there are customers who will get angry but we understand for they have lost someone. There are times that we are in the middle of the burial ceremony and someone will call for an emergency that needs immediate response. † 5) What proposals could be drawn? Being pioneer of this type of business, we all have the confidence to show to our customers that we are â€Å"the Deathcare Experts†. We have attended different seminars regarding this service and received many awards with this field of business. We also believe that â€Å"customer is always right† so we always obey and respect them, and give them advices to help them recover. Our staffs are properly trained on treating each other equally as well as the customers. Engaging in this type of business determination and the will to be successful, and as you can see, we are developing more and more ecause we are all determined to achieve one goal. As what the Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu, Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal said in his message to us during the blessing of the third floor extension of St. Peter Memorial Chapels- Cebu City last March 5, 2011, â€Å"Be merciful, just as your father is merciful†, â€Å"May the Lord continue to bless your endeavors and plans, and may you continue to include in your endeavors and plans the welfare of the p eople you serve, especially the poorest of the poor†. [ vision magazine- official publication of the St. Peter Group of Companies/March-April 2012, pp. 4].And we are doing it every now and then of out services. Significance of the study TO THE FUNERAL OWNER AND STAFF Through this study, they are able to inform their customers the nature of their business, their corporate profile and the services they offered. And because there are only few funeral homes in this place, they have the advantage and the chance to be selected by customers. TO THE COMMUNITY This study would help us know the services offered by the subject of the study and understand the differences of the cost range of the services. And a chance to select among the services offered by the organization.Scope and limitations This study focuses on determining the profile of funeral organizations in Bogo City, Cebu as to ownership, organizational set-ups/structure and personnel. On their proposals for this kind of busin ess, their services offered to community and of course, their costs according to the services they offer and the problems they have encountered in the type of business they are into. Along the research, we encountered different problems such as a limited source of information, and a few research environments so we are not able to finish the research earlier.Research methodology To reach our goal of this study, we made questionnaires for the interview. RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT This research is done in Bogo City, Cebu. There are only three funeral homes in the location, one of them do not want to be interviewed, and unfortunately that the time we conducted the research, the manager of the other funeral home is attending seminar and the staff don’t want to decide on their own, so we collected information by just one of them, the St. Peter Memorial Chapels. RESEARCH SUBJECT The main subject of this study is the St.Peter Memorial Chapels with Mr. Jessie R. Agunod and Mr. Jan Ridomer R amos. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT Throughout the study, we consulted different books and websites to produce this information. Also, in conducting interview, written questionnaires were used. DATA COLLECTION We personally went to the location and asked them information about this study. And we gather different ideas through scanning different books in the library and websites. Definition of terms CREMATION- burning a dead body to ashes instead of embalming.COFFIN- the box in which the body of a dead person is buried. EMBALMER- the person who did the preservation of the dead body. EMBALMING- way of preserving a dead body. FUNERAL- is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. FUNERAL HOME-(mortuary) is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral. Gallery With Chapel Manager, Mr. Jessie R. Agunod Wit h Mr. Jan Ridomer Ramos (embalmer)