Business Class Work: Making Research Decisions - Coursework Example

b. Excellent-Good- Fair- Poor This scale is positively balanced in that the findings established are likely to depict a positive response thereby presenting biased results. The scale should instead be ‘Excellent-good-fair- poor-very poor in order to be balanced. c. Excellent –Good- Average-Fair- Poor This is an unbalanced scale because the terms average and fair almost depict the same response thereby inclining the study towards positive responses. A study based on this scale is likely to be inclined on the positive side of the phenomenon being investigated. d. Strongly - Approve- Uncertain- Disapprove- Strong Disapprove This scale coding is not consistent due to the inclusion of the term ‘uncertain’ which does not measure the same response or attitude Approve on phenomenon.

Therefore, the scale would only be correct and balanced with omission of the word ‘uncertain’. Terms in Review 1. Explanation on how the following evaluation factors for a secondary source influences its management decision-making value. a. Purpose Researchers are interested in a source that extensively achieves its purpose with clear evidence of the how the purpose is conveyed throughout the source (Cooper, Cooper & Schindler, 2010). The source should be able to provide unbiased information in resolving management dilemmas. b. Scope The scope of a secondary source influences its value through determination of the amount of information covered, comprehensiveness or selectiveness of its content and its comparison with other similar sources. c. Authority In terms of authority, the value in management decision making depends on the credentials of the author and the level of data covered (Cooper, Cooper & Schindler, 2010). d. Audience The targeted people or group may influence the quality of the content of the secondary source with the characteristics of the targeted audience influencing the reliability of source information. e. Format Researchers or managers may evaluate the manner in which the information is conveyed to determine its value through considerations of factors such accessibility and clarity of the information in the secondary source. 2. Primary source refers original research information or raw data that has not yet been interpreted or filtered by any other person.

They represent the official opinion and commonly consist of laws, regulations, interview, speech, government data, original letters, and various business documents (Cooper, Cooper & Schindler, 2010). Secondary sources, on the other hand entail interpretation of information obtained from primary sources and often present ideas, opinions and positions of other authors or researchers. Examples of secondary sources include magazines, textbooks, articles and encyclopedias. Tertiary sources comprise of interpretation of information found in secondary sources and mostly include bibliographies, website information, and indexes among other findings aids (Cooper, Cooper & Schindler, 2010). 3. Problems of secondary data quality faced by researchers and ways of dealing with them.

Researchers face common quality problems when using secondary data sources including validity and reliability of the secondary data sources (Cooper, Cooper & Schindler, 2010). Since secondary sources comprise interpretation of information from other sources and not original information, researchers must establish