Case Study Analysis: Business Research Techniques and Methods

This case study explores the importance of business research in identifying market opportunities, understanding customer needs, and analyzing competitor strategies. It highlights the benefits of business research, such as problem identification and improved financial outcomes. The study then delves into various research approaches, including grounded theory, focus groups, hypothesis testing, protocol analysis, case studies, and brainstorming. Each method is explained, along with its advantages and disadvantages, providing a comprehensive overview of the techniques used in business research. The case study emphasizes how these methods contribute to informed decision-making and strategic planning within organizations. The assignment includes a reference list with sources cited.

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Case study
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Business Research
Business research is an important tool in identifying markets for a startup business and
also understanding your customers’ needs and competitor strategies. It is a systematic approach
to inquire about challenges faced in a business or foreseen and coming up with ways to help
solve these challenges. Leonard (no date) identifies that business research involves the practice
of a business in which managers acquire data, analyze it to better manage their business. Further,
companies that use business research have a better understanding of their operations, their niche
in the market and how to take advantage of other business opportunities.
Business research has a number of advantages to the organization that practices it. Fulton
(2017) asserts that a business research process identifies problems. It is a tool that an
organization uses to improve their financial outcomes. Market pricing, for instance, is one area
of a problem that can be overcome using business research, a business research may show that
based on the market price and the costs of operations, profitability may not be achieved thus the
need to reassign resources to other more profitable areas. Market research also helps identify
customer issues and complaints as a result of the quality of some business products. Business
research is also very important in determining the course the business takes as it helps identify
the best course of action when faced with multiple choices.
Approaches to business research
Grounded Theory
Grounded theory refers to an inductive research method that allows one to come up with
a theory which comprehensively offer an explanation about the concerns of the research
population and how that concern can be addressed by the research process. Grounded theory can

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use both qualitative and quantitative data or data of any type and offers guides on data collection
and analytical procedures. A shortcoming of this approach is the tendency of using large
amounts of data that are not easily manageable hence the researchers using this approach must be
highly knowledgeable.
Focus group
Kokemuller (2018) identifies focus group as a qualitative research technique that is
applied by companies to market their products and services. It entails a discussion with a small
group of participants who identify themselves with a company and/or its products where they can
discuss the company’s products or service with the customers. It helps an organization to
understand the position of its products in the market against its major competitors and also to
identify possible opportunities or improvements to capture.
Hypothesis Testing
Hypothesis refers to the research question that is formulated and that the research activity
needs to answer. Hypothesis testing is basically the process of trying to answer the question of
the research. It is also known as significance testing as it seeks to find the significance of the
research study in addressing the research problem (Laerd statistics, n.d). Hypothesis testing is
however reliant on the concentrations that are being tested and the statistical data is also highly
influenced by the variables being tested.
Protocol analysis
Protocol analysis involves one on one interviews with open-ended and unstructured
questions that allow the interviewee the liberty to express their positions regarding a company
and its products. It also enables the interviewee to ask questions and give feedback too. It is

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noted that this approach may come with challenges such as an interviewer asking leading
questions that would affect the quality of the interview.
Case studies
This approach uses case studies in determining the interaction of customers to a
company’s products. It allows the organization to evaluate the satisfaction of its clients, their
ease of using products and their attitude. The use of a section of customers as case study also
enables the organization to redefine their business position setting the organization apart from
the major competitors. Case studies tend to be a one person oriented with only one experimenter
and also are not scientific in approach hence cannot be generalized.
Brainstorming
This is a research technique which involves a group problem solving using creativity by
using a group intelligence collectively to approach a problem and solve it. It is a very inspiring
research technique because it makes the group to think outside the box and come up with
creative and innovative ideas that helps an organization overcome problems in their operations.
Brainstorming is effective if used from the very beginning of a project in the organization and it
should be structured in such a way that it addresses a specific problem (Zhao, n.d). Th e main
disadvantage of brainstorming is that the brainstorming team produces ideas that are not
screened before implementation.

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References
Leonard, Kimberlee. (n.d.). What Is Business Research? Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved
from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/business-research-43341.html
Business & IP Center. (2016, March 30). 4 Types of Research Methods for Start-Ups. Retrieved
May 11, 2018, from https://www.bl.uk/business-and-ip-centre/articles/4-basic-research-methods-
for-business-start-ups
Fulton, Jeff. (2017, September 26). What Are the Benefits of Business Research? Bizfluent.
Retrieved from https://bizfluent.com/info-7759574-benefits-business-research.html
Kokemuller, N. (2018, April 13). The Focus Group Research Method. Retrieved May 11, 2018,
from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/focus-group-research-method-17464.html
Zhao, H. (n.d.). Brainstorming. Retrieved May 16, 2018, from
http://designresearchtechniques.com/casestudies/brainstorming/
Laerd Statistics. (n.d.). Hypothesis Testing. Retrieved May 16, 2018, from
https://statistics.laerd.com/statistical-guides/hypothesis-testing.php