DISCUSSION Think of a real-world business problem you have encountered in your professional experience or are currently facing in your organization (or one you are familiar with). This could relate to

WEEK 3 TO DO

INCLUDE THIS REFERENCE

Bordens, K. S. (2021). Research Design and Methods: A Process Approach: 2025 Release. McGraw-Hill Higher Education (US). https://online.vitalsource.com/books/9781264169634

DISCUSSION

Think of a real-world business problem you have encountered in your professional experience or are currently facing in your organization (or one you are familiar with). This could relate to areas such as customer retention, employee engagement, market expansion, process inefficiencies, product performance, or operational cost control.

Your task:

Write a 500–600 words analytical post in which you:

1. Briefly describe the business problem and the research question you would ask to explore it further.

2. Identify the type of data (quantitative, qualitative, or both) that would best help address your research question and justify your choice.

3. Select at least two specific data collection methods appropriate to your data type(s), and explain:

   • Why these methods are suitable for your business context

   • How you would implement them (e.g., surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, document analysis, etc.)

4. Identify one potential source of high-quality secondary data that could complement your primary data collection and explain how it would contribute to solving the problem.

Instruction:

A well-structured, critical, and evidence-based discussion post that demonstrates your understanding of data collection methods and their strategic application to real business problems.

To earn full credit, you must post at least 500 to 600 words and cite two outside scholarly resources and your textbook (at least three sources) 

ASSIGNMENT

You are tasked with applying your understanding of data collection and analysis methods to a real-world business problem that interests you or is relevant to your current or past professional experience. This assignment will test your ability to evaluate and justify appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative data collection methods, and demonstrate how secondary data can complement primary data collection.

Choose a specific business problem from an industry or organization you are familiar with (e.g., declining customer satisfaction in a retail chain, low employee engagement in a multinational company, ineffective pricing strategy in a startup, etc.).

In 2000–3000 words, address the following:

1. Define the Business Problem (Approx. 200–300 words)

• Briefly describe the context (industry, organization, scale, stakeholders).

• Clearly articulate the business problem and why it requires research-based inquiry.

2. Formulate Research Questions (Approx. 100–150 words)

• Identify 1–2 key research questions that will guide your data collection.

• Make sure these questions align with the business problem and are researchable.

3. Identify the Type of Data Required (Approx. 150–200 words)

• Specify whether your research questions require quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods data.

• Justify your decision in terms of the type of knowledge you aim to develop (e.g., causal relationships, patterns, perceptions).

4. Propose a Data Collection Strategy (Approx. 300–400 words)

• Describe in detail how you would collect the necessary data:

  • Primary data methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, observations, focus groups).

  • Target population and sampling strategy.

  • Tools or instruments to be used.

• Justify why this method is appropriate for your research questions and data type.

5. Leverage Secondary Data (Approx. 200–300 words)

• Identify one or more sources of secondary data (e.g., industry reports, company records, public databases).

• Explain how this secondary data will:

  • Enhance or complement your primary data collection.

  • Provide context or benchmarking insights.

• Discuss any challenges or limitations with using secondary data in this context.

6. Ethical Considerations (Approx. 100–150 words)

• Briefly discuss any ethical issues that may arise during data collection (e.g., confidentiality, informed consent, data security).

• Suggest how you would mitigate these concerns.

Your assignment will be assessed based on:

• Clarity and relevance of the business problem and research questions.

• Appropriateness of the data collection methods selected.

• Integration and justification of secondary data.

• Practical application and critical thinking.

• Writing quality, coherence, and adherence to academic standards.

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