The Importance of Business Research

This assignment explores the crucial role of business research in understanding customer needs, driving innovation, and shaping professional development. It delves into various studies highlighting the impact of work-integrated learning, sales strategies, data collection techniques, and performance analysis on business success. Students will analyze these research findings to understand how practical experience complements theoretical knowledge in the business world.

Understanding Business Research: An Introductory Approach
1. Jackson, Denise. 2015. “Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers
and best practice.” Studies in Higher Education 40 (2): 350-367. doi:
10.1080/03075079.2013.842221.
On this journal entry, Jackson highlights the importance of work-integrated learning and its influence on
young professional’s careers. The study involves 131 undergraduates who are closely monitored to
determine best practice learning achieved through practical work experience as compared to theoretical
class learning and reports the findings. The Australia students are placed in different positions at
functioning businesses to evaluate their ability to adapt and learn from the experience after which the
findings are compared to theoretical class learning activities to report the differences and effects the
practical learning experience has on the students. The study highlights the WILL program and highlights
the skill development during placement to help mould important approaches that can be used to
enhance student learning.
2. Wilton, Nick. 2012. “The impact of work placements on skills development and career outcomes
for business management graduates.” Studies in Higher Education 37 (5): 603-620.
doi:10.1080/03075079.2010.532548.
Practical Work experience plays an important role towards learning thus work-integrated learning
techniques are being adopted by educational institutions more commonly today. According to Wilton
students who are exposed to practical working environments related to their domain are likely to
develop a clearer employment or work expectation map of theory profession as compared to students
who learn from theory classes. This has made it important for educational institutions to focus on
integrating practical employment scenario and situations for students as this helps boost understanding
thus allow young professionals understand what is expected of them in the professional business
platform. The report also highlights the complex relationship between skill development and labour
market expectations and how young professionals can improve the opportunities they encounter.
3. Donthu N, Gustafsson A. Propensity to trust salespeople: A contingent multilevel-multisource
examination Journal of Business Research, 2017.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01482963?sdc=1
The journal focuses on highlighting the different sales strategies young business entrepreneurs need to
adapt so as to achieve success in their profession. The journals help highlight customer preferences on

which the sales professionals need to focus their attention and exploit so as to increase the sales but
also help highlight the connection between the sales professionals, customer, and manufacturer. To
develop this skill at early stage students must be exposed to practical situations so as to identify the
industries expectations and begin mastering the required skills. The manufacturing unit depends on the
feedback provided by sales professionals regarding customer preferences which allow the business to
develop new products which can be used in future and based on customer preferences. The author also
emphasizing on the B2B relationship the business has with other businesses and how these relationships
can be strengthened highlighting the role of the swales professional towards building the relationship.
The allows for the business to undertake important business and accurate business research which can
be used to help build the businesses future vision and help ensure all stakeholders needs and
requirements have been met. Business research is critical towards innovation but the understanding
customer needs are critical for the business to make modifications to their products and services so as
to keep customers happy and the sales professionals play an important role towards highlighting these
needs.
4. Weathington, B; Cunningham, C, Pittenger, D. Understanding Business Research, John Wiley &
Sons, 2012.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/book/10.1002/9781118342978
The journals help highlight the importance of data collections for business research and innovation. The
business research relies heavily on consumer data which requires being collecting, sorting, and analyses
and reported to the business for further actions to be taken. The journals help highlight the importance
of data collection toward performing business research which is a critical element of any business
growth and expansion. The journals help highlight the stakeholders linked to business research and help
understand how they contribute towards the process. It also helps highlight how young professionals
must be integrated to practical working scenarios to help build their learning at an early age. Each
person’s contribution plays an important role towards innovation and developing this skill as yearly as
possible improves the young professional’s capabilities. Business research is directly associated with
innovation and the development of new products which the business can present to the customers with
the intention of boosting sales. Failing to be innovative will only result in the business registering a
decline and loss of customer interest making it important for the business to focus on business research
strategies and ensure all stakeholders are participating with the goals of improving the businesses
performance
5. Dr. Wallace W, Prof. O’Farrell P, Introduction to Business Research 1, Edinburgh Business School
2012.
The research paper focuses on how businesses can focus on improving Data Collection, Analysis and
reporting the Results. This allows business professionals to monitor the business and their own
performance which allows the business to remain one step ahead of competitors and factors which may
affect the business negatively. This is a critical requirement for every business to monitor and manage its
performance and collect important information related to the products and services which may require

improvement and development. Data collection also needs to be focused on business development and
consumer needs which plays a huge role towards determining how business perform in the future and
how customer react to the newly developed products. Data collection analysis and reporting also allow
the management monitor new and existing product performance which can be used to help make
changes to them which will help in improving quality and customer satisfaction. It also helps develop
future projections related to the businesses current performance to determine future goals and
performance goals.