Discussion Questions
Timothy Vallin
BUS 642 Business Research Methods & Tools
Instructor: Donald Platine
August 19, 2012

Discussion Questions 1. What is business research?
Business research is a systematic inquiry that provides information to guide managerial decisions. It is also a process of planning, acquiring, analyzing, and disseminating relevant data, information, and insights to decision makers in ways that mobilize the organization to take appropriate actions that, in turn, maximize performance (Cooper & Schindler, 2011).
Why should there be any questions about the definition of research?
There is a variety of a different type of research projects grouped under the label “business research”. The definition of research is not a simple standard that is the same for every individual. It is based on the person that is conducting the research. It has to be defined so that everyone understands what they are doing when they hear the word research. This is due to it having such a broad definition with many different meanings. 2. What is the difference between applied research and basic or pure research?
Applied research has a practical problem-solving emphasis. Pure research or basic research aims to solve perplexing questions or obtain new knowledge of an experimental or theoretical nature that has little direct or immediate impact on action, performance, or policy decisions. Even though both forms of research are problem-solving based, applied research is directed much more to making immediate managerial decisions.
b. Use a decision about how a salesperson is to be paid, by commission or salary, and describe the question that would guide applied research versus the question that would guide pure research. Applied research approach would consider the total income made by salesman that is paid by commission instead of salary.