Introduction
The business sector is predominantly the area where participants’ practical skills play an essential role. However, despite the skill to manage strategic decisions, theoretical knowledge is also an important aspect of training specialists in this field. In particular, the business research process is the approach that allows competently solving specific tasks and find answers to current questions. If the analysis is carried out correctly, the success of work can be achieved due to the proven effectiveness of the proposed hypotheses. However, some issues of the business research process may arise, which affect the success of activities and become the factors that hamper performance indicators.
Issues in Research Process
Several problems can be identified by referring to the relevant academic literature. According to Cooper and Schindler (2013), one of the problems is the commitment to one particular methodology that researchers apply to different studies. As the authors note, another nuance is the availability of a large amount of information, which is constantly updated with new data (Cooper & Schindler, 2013). Also, incorrectly formulated questions can lead to the ambiguous results of work and distort predetermined goals. Finally, Cooper and Schindler (2013) mention individual research motivations as the factor that can affect the outcomes of work and adversely affect the ultimate purpose. All these issues may arise in the business research process, and they should be taken into account.
Causes of the Issues
The causes of the aforementioned issues may be found both in the characteristics of the information retrieval techniques and in researchers’ individual beliefs. For instance, as Campbell and Cowton (2015) remark, “certain methods are more suited to research questions in business ethics research than others” (p. S3). According to Cooper and Schindler (2013), the abundance of information flows can also have a negative impact on the outcomes of work. In addition, the success of research in some business areas may cause a sense of confidence in the uniqueness of the principles and approaches applied, and further, it will not be possible to develop a specific study in accordance with the optimal methodology.
Consequences of the Issues
The issues examined may have serious consequences if measures for their elimination are not taken. According to Fuller, Simmering, Atinc, Atinc, and Babin (2016), the reliability of any study may be jeopardized by improbability or bias caused by errors. Also, business researchers may lose their goals under the influence of a large amount of information and beliefs in the uniqueness of certain techniques. Therefore, it is essential to try not to make mistakes and minimize individual preferences regarding specific principles of work.
Personal Experience
My personal experience in the business research process allows me to judge that some problems are particularly relevant. I had to deal with situations when the methodology that was familiar to me did not fit into the framework of a certain project. In this case, I tried to apply a different approach to work and not to focus solely on one technique to avoid mistakes. Nevertheless, some researchers prefer not to delve into the peculiarities of this or that topic too deeply, which is fraught with the violation of research ethics and, as a consequence, erroneous conclusions.
Conclusion
Some issues that are typical for the business research process may influence the results of work and cause ambiguous outcomes. Adherence to a certain methodology, large amounts of information, incorrectly formulated questions, and personal beliefs should be mentioned as problems. They can be caused by different factors and have serious consequences. In order to avoid these issues, it is essential to take into account the features of projects and choose a specific strategy competently.
References
Campbell, D., & Cowton, C. J. (2015). Method issues in business ethics research: Finding credible answers to questions that matter. Business Ethics: A European Review, 24, S3-S10. Web.
Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2013). Business research methods (12th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Fuller, C. M., Simmering, M. J., Atinc, G., Atinc, Y., & Babin, B. J. (2016). Common methods variance detection in business research. Journal of Business Research, 69(8), 3192-3198. Web.