A Reflective Essay on Business and Academic Research Course Learnings

This essay presents a personal reflection on a business and academic research course, highlighting key learning outcomes and their significance. The reflection covers various aspects of business research, including the nature, process, and strategy of business research; research design and planning; literature review and writing; ethical and legal considerations; qualitative and quantitative research methods; and mixed-methods research. The author discusses the importance of each study section, emphasizing how the gained knowledge and skills can be applied in practical business situations and organizational decision-making. The reflection also addresses ethical concerns in business research, the role of literature review, and the differences between qualitative and quantitative research approaches, concluding with the importance of all research steps in both business and academic contexts for informed decision-making and enhanced profitability.

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Business and Academic Research
Name
Instructor
Course
Date

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Personal Reflection
1. Introduction
This is an academic and business research reflection that highlights study points in the entire
study period. Herein, activities on business research and management will be discussed most of
which are considered important to business activities. The issues that will be discussed in this
paper are considered important to businesses, particularly for profitability. Therefore, the
business research topics and steps that will be discussed herein are important in establishing
research strategies as well as making organizational decisions (Malakooti and Behnam, 2013).
2. Reflection
The first study section involves the comprehension of “nature, process, and strategy of business
research”. In this section, I have come to understand a number of important issues including
business research methods, research elements, the messiness of business research, the nature of
research and theory relationship, as well as epistemological issues. Apart from that, this study
section is important in the determination of how the study points mentioned before affecting
research strategies regardless of such research activity being quantitative or qualitative. The
study requires me to be in a position to determine means by which practical values and issues are
applied in business researches. The study activity’s context depends on the use of research
theories, assumptions, academic knowledge, the quality criteria in the evaluation of research
processes, as well as research views. Other important aspects of this study section include the
political context, values within the research community, links between social reality and
research, as well as personal values. In general, the first study section provides knowledge and
enhances the understanding of existing links between theory and research. One is, therefore, able

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to determine the existing difference between inductive research cases, theory-testing, and
interpretive researches (Pearce Robinson and Richard, 2017).
The second study section will help learners understand the contexts of “research design and
planning”. Under research design and planning, I am required to:
- Explore and understand issues on research replication
- Understand study reliability and validity
The above-mentioned study points are important because of the criteria for assessing the quality
of business researches. Otherwise, this second section of study achieves its objectives by
discussing five designs of research activities. Such designs are related and include:
- Cross-sectional
- Experimental
- Case studies
- Longitudinal and;
- Comparative designs.
All the five research designs are helpful in the determination of whatever research activity a
student may go for. They are also important in evaluating the findings of a research activity.
Otherwise, this study theme is vital in the establishment and determination of the existing
difference between the methodologies and designs of business and academic researches (Karniel,
Reich and Yoram, 2017). As a student of business and academic research, I will, therefore, be
able to address major issues on external validity and generalizability of researches.
The third study section involves the comprehension of “Literature Review and Writing Business
Research”. This area requires me to be in a position to solicit literature sources then engage

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myself in critical analysis of ideas and projections that authors put across. I am required to
deduce my own responses from the literature sources as well as determine suitable criteria for
doing the same. The main importance of this activity section is helping students to be able to
establish research features. Some of such features are bibliography and references. By the end of
this study section, learners would be able to establish the penalties and constituents of plagiarism
among other considerations while doing professional writing (Karniel, Reich and Yoram, 2017).
It has been made clear in this activity that a proper literature review could only be developed if
the learner has good skills such as reading and skimming. The entire outline of this study section
revolves around the fact that quality research involves good writing and study (Hill, 2016).
The fourth study section curbs issues on “Ethics and Legal Consideration in Business Research”.
Herein, I am required to be in a position to explore and determine study cases that relate to
transgressing ethical principles, determining the existing ethical stances on business research,
determining problems in ethical decision-making, as well as determining political issues in
business ethics and research. This section of business research study helps in creating value
when performing business research. The concern of this study section is to establish the
relationship that exists between research activities and partners. The sections that are of ethical
concern when it comes to business researches are participant hazards, inadequate informed
consent, privacy invasion, and deception (Flyvbjerg and Budzier, 2017, pg. 602).
The fifth study section in business research is “The Nature of Qualitative Research, Sampling
and Participant Observation”. In this study section, I will be able to learn and understand the
steps of conducting qualitative researches and establish the relationship between theory and
research. Apart from that, I will be required to establish the existing gap between the actual study
and literature sources. Mainly this section’s objectives include determining qualitative research

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concepts’ nature, establishing differences between quantitative and qualitative researches, and
employing reliability and validity are the most used research criteria (Cunha, 2013, pg. 3).
The next section under academic and business research is “Interviewing, Focus Groups and
Language in Qualitative Research” (Calasanti and Slevin, 2017). Herein, the activity requires me
to be in a position to differentiate the existing difference between structured and qualitative
interviews. Therefore, this section requires me to be in a position of employing a guide to
develop a semi-structured interview, come up with questions to be asked during interviews, and
establish the importance of qualitative interviewing. Therefore, by the end of this activity
section, I will be able to determine the role of focus groups in areas of research, conduct my on
researches while using focus groups, establish the interaction that exist between discussion
participants and the focus group, as well as establish methods that are feminist researchers to
form focus groups.
The theme of this seventh section of academic and business research is “Qualitative Data
Analysis”. In this section, one is encouraged to learn how to use analytic induction for analysis
of qualitative data. In this section, the study concentrates on Grounded Theory (Calasanti and
Slevin, 2017). With the theory, the learner is in a position to fragment data through the
application of secondary data analysis concepts. The activity also makes it clear on personal
documents implications. Such documents are written or visual. Other aspects that are discussed
in this section include virtual outputs, official organizational documents, and mass media
outputs. On the contrary, the criteria for distinguishing the sources that are mentioned above
depend on the existence of active or passive consumers of the named documents (Businesstopia,
2017).

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Sections 8 and 9 discuss issues on “The Nature and Sampling in Quantitative Research” and
“Structured Interviewing and Questionary Design” respectively. While section eight requires me
to be in a position of determining steps that relate to quantitative researches, section nine requires
me to determine the existing reasons behind the prominence of structured interviews. At the end
of both activities, I will be also able to address problems of poor response rates as well as
provide outlines regarding the manner in which questionnaires need to be designed. The skills
gained in both sections will be important in soliciting research concepts impacts with regards to
research sampling in quantitative researches (Bryman and Bell, 2015).
The last three sections of this activity talks of “Structured Observation and Content Analysis”,
“Secondary Analysis and Quantitative Data”, and “Mixed Methods Research”. As parts of
business and academic research, I will be required to determine related research survey
limitations, outline issues on secondary data analysis, and solicit possibilities of combining
quantitative and qualitative research. Otherwise, the study sections of business and academic
researches help in the recognition of research methods and study activities that are employed
during business research situations (Alder, 2016).
3. Conclusion
In general, this study activity on personal reflection of business and academic research outcomes
has managed to achieve its objectives by highlighting and discussing a number of themes. The
themes are responsible for establishing and discussing business research management issues that
are important in my area of expertise (Calasanti and Slevin, 2017). All the factors of the study
mentioned in this study essay will not only help me but also businesses in the determination of
profitability when it comes to production. Otherwise, it has been made clear that all research

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steps are important in businesses and academic researches. Such steps would be important in
making decisions in organizations (Alvesson, 2013).

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Reference
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South-Western College Publishing
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important [Accessed 25 September 2018]
Calasanti, T., M. and Slevin, K., F. (2017) Gender, Social Inequalities, and Aging. Oxford:
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Cunha, L. (2013) "Manufacturing Pioneers Reduce Costs by Integrating PLM &ERP”.
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