What is Research

What is Research 

just close your eyes for a minute and utter the word research to yourself. What

kinds of images does this word conjure up for you? Do you visualize a lab with?

Scientists at work with Bunsen burners and test tubes, or an Einstein-like char-

acter writing dissertations on some complex subject, or someone collecting data

to study the impact of a newly introduced day-care system on the morale of

employees? Most certainly, all these images do represent different aspects of

research. Research, a somewhat intimidating term for some, is simply the process

of tending solutions to a problem after a thorough study and analysis of the sit-

national factors. Managers in organizations constantly engage themselves in

studying and analyzing issues and hence are involved in some form of research



activity as they make decisions at the workplace. As is well known, sometimes

managers make good decisions and the problem gets solved, sometimes they

make poor decisions and the problem persists, and on occasions they make such

colossal blunders that the organization gets stuck in the mire. The difference

between making good decisions and committing blunders lies in how managers

go about the decision-making process, In other words, good decision making

fetches a “yes” answer to the following questions: Do managers identify where

exactly the problem lies, do they correctly recognize the relevant factors in the

situation needing investigation, do they know what types of information are to

be gathered and how, do they know how to make use of the information so col-

lected and draw appropriate conclusions to make the right decisions, and finally,

do they know how to implement the results of this process to solve the prob

lem? This is the essence of research and to be a successful manager it is impor-

tant for you to know how to go about making the right decisions by being

knowledgeable about the various steps involved in finding solutions to prob-

lematic issues. This is what this book is all about.