It could be stated with certainty that when one carries research in a particular field it is of high importance to clearly understand and properly formulate the research question. The significance of this step is immense since the comprehensive research question will serve as the basis for carrying out the rest of the research (Recker & Mendling, 2016). However, it is also important to consider other stages of the research process, especially the aspect of the methodology because it also has a great impact on retrieving meaningful findings and conclusions. In the business research process, the question of choosing a proper methodology or model for analysis is of immense importance since large datasets should be processed.
Therefore, the discussion of particular research methods is of high importance. As it is mentioned in the study by Richter, Sinkovics, Ringle, and Schlaegel (2016), contemporary business researchers are considerably challenged by “constantly and rapidly changing research contexts owing to the growing internationalization of firms, the development of the global economy, and significant shifts in the formal and informal institutional environments” (p. 377). The authors mention that structural equation modeling (SEM) is a technique which is widely used in this field (Richter et al., 2016). However, it is observed that “the field’s dynamic nature and the sometimes early stage of theory development” require the use of a partial least square SEM (PLS-SEM) method (Richter et al., 2016, p. 376). The article by Hair Jr, Sarstedt, Hopkins, and Kuppelwieser (2014) was the first meta-analysis of the PLS-SEM technique’s use in the field of business research. Both studies confirm the efficiency of the method, especially for theorization. It could be concluded that the research question should be clearly stated and a suitable research method should be employed to carry out proper research.
References
Hair Jr, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Hopkins, L., & Kuppelwieser, V. G. (2014). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM): An emerging tool in business research. European Business Review, 26(2), 106-121.
Recker, J., & Mendling, J. (2016). The state of the art of business process management research was published in the BPM conference. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 58(1), 55-72.
Richter, N. F., Sinkovics, R. R., Ringle, C. M., & Schlaegel, C. (2016). A critical look at the use of SEM in international business research. International Marketing Review, 33(3), 376-404.