a research study

Evidently, among other classifications, a research study can be classified as either academic or business research (Bernard, 2013). Research conducted solely for academic objectives is referred to as academic research. For instance, students can be obliged as part of their education to undertake study on how technology affects corporate performance (Grustam et al., 2017). Academic research seeks to not only comprehend a topic but also to hone the researcher’s research abilities (Bernard, 2013). Academic research is typically done as part of the coursework necessary to graduate from an institution. To improve understanding of many societal challenges, scientists, academic institutions, and other intellectuals also conduct research investigations. On the other hand, a business research is based on a specific business issue, problem, or situation (Bernard, 2013). For example, an organization may decide to conduct a research on consumer behavior (Chung-Fah & Sung-Lin, 2010). In this case, the objective could be trying to know the tastes and preferences of customers.

Conducting a research process plays a pivotal role in solving problems in business environment, organizations, industries, and the society at large (Bernard, 2013). Based on this premise, a researcher must first identify a problem or a gap in a given area before conducting a study, with the aim of finding a solution or an answer to a question. As a researcher, understanding the research approach to apply is important. One may, for instance, choose between quantitative and qualitative approaches (Bernard, 2013). Some of the main factors to consider include the type of data required, the research question, and the problem being addressed.

In understanding the area to focus on, the first step will be identifying different challenges being faced by business people. The second step will be identifying a specific problem to be addressed before formulating the question (Bernard, 2013). For example, I will be focusing on the impact of diversity on organizational performance. In this case, the research question will be: What role does diversity play in organizational performance?

References

Bernard, H. R. (2013). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Los

Angeles: SAGE Publications.

Chung-Fah, H., & Sung-Lin, H. (2010). Customer behavior and decision making in the

refurbishment industry-a data mining approach. Journal Of Civil Engineering &

Management, 16(1), 75-84.

Grustam, A. S., Vrijhoef, H. M., Koymans, R., Hukal, P., & Severens, J. L. (2017). Assessment

of a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) model for Telemonitoring patients with Chronic Heart

Failure (CHF). BMC Medical Informatics & Decision Making, 171-13.