Business Research Methods (BQB 3013/BQB 4113) CONFIDENTIAL
Semester August 2006 - Final Examination
SECTION A: SHORT STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
There are THREE (3) questions in this section. Answer ALL questions. (50 MARKS)
Question 1
Answer the following questions with specific reference to YOUR OWN Project Paper on
‘Literature Survey, Theoretical Framework, Hypothesis Development’ done by you on the specific
topic of your choice. (Total: 25 Marks)
a. What was the problem statement for this study? (3 Marks)
b. Specify the dependent variable (DV) and at least three independent variables (IVs) you had
in your study. Explain why you consider them to be the DV and IVs. (Note: If you did not have
at least three IVs in your Project Paper, make up the additional IVs now based on your logical
reasoning). (8 Marks)
c. Based on your answer in (b.), develop a theoretical framework. Label the variables
appropriately. (7 Marks)
d. How would you explain the hypothetico-deductive method using your study as an example, to
someone interested in knowing it? (7 Marks)
Question 2
Read the following scenario.
Syed Ali, the owner of several Syed Restaurants, is concerned about the wide differences in
the profit margins of the various restaurants. He would like to try some incentive plans for
increasing the efficiency levels of those restaurants that are lagging behind. But, before he
introduces this, he would like to be sure that the idea would work. He asks a researcher to
help him on this issue.
Indicate and give reasons how the researcher should proceed in determining the following:
(Total: 15 Marks)
a. The purpose of study (2.5 Marks)
b. The type of investigation (2.5 Marks)
c. The extent of researcher interference (2.5 Marks)
d. The study setting (2.5 Marks)
e. The time horizon for the study (2.5 Marks)
f. The unit of analysis (2.5 Marks)
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Business Research Methods (BQB 3013/BQB 4113) CONFIDENTIAL
Semester August 2006 - Final Examination
Question 3
Answer the following questions about technology and business research. (Total: 10 Marks)
a. As a manager, what kinds of information do you think you will explore through the Internet for
research? (4 Marks)
b. How can technology be misused? Give some brief examples where this could occur.
(6 Marks)
SECTION B: SHORT STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
There are 7 questions in this se ction. Answer ANY FIVE (5) questions. (50 MARKS)
Question 4
For the following measurement instruments, indicate the scale type (nominal, ordinal, interval or
ratio) each falls under: (Total: 10 Marks)
a. Clinical thermometer (2 Marks)
b. Preferences (in ranking) for brands of fruit juices (2 Marks)
c. Days of the month in the calendar (2 Marks)
d. Types of faculties in UNITAR (2 Marks)
e. Satisfaction with UNITAR facilities (2 Marks)
Question 5
The following are some questions found in a questionnaire. Briefly discuss each (in one or two
sentences) as to whether or not they are ‘good’ questions according to the principles of
questionnaire design. Do not worry how they are scaled. (Total: 10 Marks)
a. Do you read Berita Harian newspaper regularly? (2.5 Marks)
b. Which socio-economic level you would say you belong to: (2.5 Marks)
?
? Upper class
?
? Middle class
?
? Lower class
c. When did you first started singing? (2.5 Marks)
d. How much discretionary income do you have per year? (2.5 Marks)
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Business Research Methods (BQB 3013/BQB 4113) CONFIDENTIAL
Semester August 2006 - Final Examination
Question 6
Briefly explain the probability sampling design that would be best suited for the following
purposes: (Total: 10 Marks)
a. Telekom Malaysia wants to study consumer interest in a new call rate package and wants to
let some 1000 of its customers try the new package free of cost for three months. How
should the sample be chosen? (4 Marks)
b. Cik Siti Nurbayaah would like to introduce a new course in ‘Internet Marketing’. A final
decision on the course offering has to be made in the next two days. Before making the final
decision on whether or not to offer the course in the January 2007 semester, the lecturer
wants to have some idea of the number of Marketing major students who would be inclined
to take the course. (3 Marks)
c. UNITAR Kelana Jaya wants to open its study center e -learning library to the residents in
Kelana Jaya. It needs some idea of the viability of its intention. (3 Marks)
Question 7
Below is a tabulation of the demographic data from the frequency distribution of a survey done by
Cik Lalita. Her sample consisted of 148 of a total of 3,700 clerical employees in three service
organizations.
Based on the tabulation provided below, describe the sample characteristics. (Total: 10 Marks)
Table 1: Frequency Distributions of Sample (n = 148)
Race Education Gender
Non-Bumiputera = 48 (32%) High School (SPM) = 38 (26%) Male = 11 (75%)
Bumiputera = 100 (68%) Undergraduates = 74 (50%) Female = 37 (25%)
Postgraduates = 36 (24%)
Age No. of years in Organization Marital status
40 = 88 (59%) > 10 years = 20 (14%) Alternative lifestyle = 7 (4%)
Question 8
The following are questions about literature surveys. (Total: 10 Marks)
a. How would you go about doing a literature survey in the area of customer service
relationships? (5 Marks)
b. What is the purpose of a literature survey? (5 Marks)
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Business Research Methods (BQB 3013/BQB 4113) CONFIDENTIAL
Semester August 2006 - Final Examination
Question 9
You are required to answer the following questions in respect to the situation described in the box
below. (Total: 10 Marks)
The Vice President of Operations (VPO) of Sedap Foods Manufacturing Company is
concerned about the low motivation of the workers in the three departments of its Production
Division. The VPO decides to do a study of this situation. He believes the reason for the low
motivation is primarily due to leadership styles of the supervisors in these three departments.
He then decides to train these supervisors in a different leadership style for a period of six
months. He wants to measure employee motivation in the three departments by
administering detailed questionnaires to the employees. The questionnaires are to be
administered prior to the training of the supervisors, at the end of the six-month period and
one year after the completion of the training. The differences, if any, in the increases in the
three departments’ employee motivation, can be attributed to that particular leadership style
taught in the training.
a. What would be the nature of the study that is designed? Is it Exploratory, Descriptive,
Analytical or Predictive? Give reasons to your answer. (3 Marks)
b. Would it be a Field Study, Comparative Study, or Field Experiment? Give reasons to your
answer. (3 Marks)
c. Would it be Causal or Correlational Study? Give reasons to your answer. (3 Marks)
d. What would be the Unit of Analysis? (1 Mark)
Question 10
This question requires you to develop scales for the mentioned categories: (Total: 10 Marks)
a. Set up mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive categories of nominal scales.
(6 Marks)
b. Explain why it is important to establish “goodness of measures”. (4 Marks)
*** END OF QUESTION PAPER ***
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