Page 128 - [Uma_Sekaran]_Research_methods_for_business__a_sk(BookZZ.org)

112 THE RESEARCH PROCESS

3. There will be a significant positive correlation between access to information
and chances for promotion to top-level positions.
4. The more the sex-role stereotyping, the less the access to critical information
for women.
5. Sex-role stereotyping and access to critical information will both significantly
explain the variance in promotional opportunities for women to top-level
positions.

MANAGERIAL ADVANTAGE

At this juncture, it becomes easy to follow the progression of research from the
first stage when managers sense the broad problem area, to preliminary data
gathering (including literature survey), to developing the theoretical framework
based on the literature review and guided by experience and intuition, to for-
mulating hypotheses for testing.
It is also clear that once the problem is defined, a good grasp of the four dif-
ferent types of variables enlarges the understanding of managers as to how multi-
ple factors impinge on the organizational setting. Knowledge of how and for what
purpose the theoretical framework is developed and the hypotheses are generated
enables the manager to be an intelligent judge of the research report submitted by
the consultant. Likewise, knowledge of what significance means, and why a given
hypothesis is either accepted or rejected, helps the manager to persist in or desist
from following hunches which, while making good sense, do not work. If such
knowledge is absent, many of the findings through research will not make much
sense to the manager and decision making will bristle with confusion.

SUMMARY

In this chapter we examined the four types of variables—dependent, independent, mod-
erating, and intervening. We also discussed how the theoretical framework is developed
and how testable hypotheses are generated therefrom. We saw examples where the same
variable can be a dependent, independent, moderating, or intervening, depending on the
situation. We also explained when a null hypothesis would be accepted or rejected, based
on whether or not the results of hypothesis testing meet the significance test. Futhermore,
we also briefly discussed the test for hypothesis validation in qualitative research. In the
next chapter we will examine the basic research design issues.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS AND POINTS TO PONDER

1. “Because literature survey is a time-consuming exercise, a good, in-depth interview
should suffice to develop a theoretical framework.” Discuss this statement.
2. There is an advantage in stating the hypothesis both in the null and in the alternate; it
adds clarity to our thinking of what we are testing. Explain.