Summary Web clip 2 - Problem statement & Research questions

Web clip 2 – Formulating a problem statement &
research questions
Step 2 of research: Formulate the problem statement

1. What makes a good problem statement?
 You have defined your business problem. You need to reform your manager-focused
business problem into a research-focused problem statement.
 Preliminary research will help you reform. Preliminary research consists of two types of
information: background information of the organization and back ground information of
the topic you are focussing on. This information can be found in extant literature (=existing
literature).
 The problem statement is the general question you try to answer in your research.
 Checklist to determine whether it is a good problem statement or not:
o Formulated in terms of:
 Variables, and
 Relations (between the variables)
o Open-ended question (=a question that can’t be answered by yes or no)
o Stated clearly/unambiguously (=it can only be interpreted in one way)
[ It’s managerially and academically relevant]


2. What makes good research questions?
 Checklist to determine whether it is a good research question or not:
o Should collectively address the problem statement.
o First theoretical (questions), then practical research questions:
 In the same order as they will be addressed in your research report.
o Stated clearly/unambiguously.
 Research questions help to answer the ‘overarching’ problem statement, step by step.

1. Theoretical research questions
These questions are typically framed using the expressions between the (…):
 Context question (e.g., “What is…”)
 Only if context (is very specific) and needs elaboration.
 Conceptualization question(s) (e.g., “What is …”)
 Only for the key variable(s) that need(s) elaboration.
 Relationship questions (e.g., “Which variables …”; “How does … affect …”; “Hoe does the
effect of … on … depend on …”)
 All relationships in the problem statement should be covered.

2. Practical research questions
 Relationship questions (e.g., “To what extent …”)
 To what extent does X affect Y?
 What is the (relative) magnitude (=size, or in Dutch: omvang) of the relations?
 Implication question
= how does the company/industry you research for can use the results / what can
managers to with the results of your research / how will it help managers make
important decision.
 How can practitioners implement your results?
 Open question




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