Shop lifting in the store - Essay Example

Shop lifting in the store About the research project: The research project that I have been asked to review is a “Research about Shoplifting”. The security manager in the shop is concerned with the increasing shop lifting happening in the store and has undertaken a research to look into the problem. I will begin by first looking into the concept of research in depth. What exactly is research? Research is the process of obtaining desired information and its analysis to arrive at some conclusion either for improving conditions considered unsatisfactory or explaining any phenomenon. It has been a part and parcel of human activities from before. It is regarded as one of the oldest human activities. There exists no single definition of “research” that can be applied to all types of research studies conducted in the world. In simple language research denotes “Searching again and again”. This searching can be about any aspect of physical or social world. Leading philosophers, thinkers and scientists like Ibn Sina, Darwin, Newton and Adam Smith had their own styles of conducting research. According to Darwin, systematic approach to work and love for work are essential for research. The type of research conducted: There are two ways of viewing research as a human activity. To investigate and search without identifying the purpose of research is one way. The second is to investigate only after defining the purpose of investigation. When the researcher defines the purpose of the research study explaining the methods undertaken to conduct the study and reasons for using them, the activity becomes educational research. It has a practical value for solving various kinds of problems faced by members of the society. These problems can be related to any area- economic or social. This type of research conducted by the shop-lifter would fall in the genre of research in which the problem has already been identified by the researcher. He knows the purpose of the research and is hence-forth conducted the research. The deal is to find out how much shop-lifting is taking place and then to eradicate it completely. Research Process and the Research Problem: Is the research purpose and problem clearly stated? Any kind of research requires a research methodology and research design for conducting research work. Social scientists from different fields have defined have defined research design from their point of view.. Methodology is given greater importance in the overall planning of the research work and has defined research design as the creative part of the research methodology. Prior to explaining research methodology and the research process, some activities of the research process would be elaborated over.Research process includes a number of stages. The process initiates from the need to conduct research in an area of interest for both the sponsors and the researchers to obtaining information for solving a managerial or a social problem or for making decisions to accomplish set goals or objectives. The step of problem formulation requires deep understanding of the researcher as well as the sponsor, manager or user of the research comprehending the problem. A study of the related information is essential as also the observation or analysis of the situation causing problem prior to initiating the research. The urge and curiosity to know stimulates the researcher to convert the managerial problem into a research problem leading further into the subsequent activities incorporated in the research design. After the formulation of the problem, the process of the research methodology for data generation and its measurement techniques are initiated. Any step of the research sequence has to be re adjusted to suit the requirements of the research study. Research process takes over from the process from the stage of problem formulation. There are yet others who would explain research process from the step of initiation of the research activity till completion of the research in the form of its findings or recommendations.Research methodology is basically an overall plan for conducting research which emerges from the aims and objectives of a research study. In the light of these broad objectives, the researcher develops specific objectives reflecting the purpose of the study. It is on the basis of these specific objectives that the researcher further develops the methodology that encompass the methods of sampling, sample size, methods of data collection, designing of instruments for data collection, coding and recoding of data, forms of analysis and interpretation of data generated. As Darwin put it “ A Methodology is backed by its own set of assumptions and certain standards which the researcher intends to follow. It forms the crux of the entire research process. The entire methodology can be broadly divided into 3 major parts. Part I a) the objective and purpose of the research study, its scope and its limitations. b) Hypothesis developed from empirical data or deduced in the form of tentative explanations. c) Assumptions made in the study Part II a) the method of study, whether experimental, observational or survey; also its nature whether descriptive, explanatory or predictive. B) Methods of collecting data including the kind of questionnaire to administer requirement and training of field workers. C) Sampling and control of sampling unit. Part III a) editing, coding, tabulation and analysis of data. B) Nature of generalizations and recommendations c) The evaluation of study and the mode of follow up. (Foster, 2006) According to Clover and Balsley, the process of designing research consists of the following five steps, 1) Formulation of problems; 2) Setting of hypothesis 3) Collection of data 4) Analysis of data and 5) Preparation of a report. Churchill came forth with the following sequence of steps while elaborating on the various stages of a research process. 1) Problem formulation 2) Research design 3) Design of data collection method and form 4) Analysis and interpretation of data 5) Research report. Tull and Hawkins on the other hand maintain that the process of designing a research project requires that a number of steps be taken though research may not always be conducted in the exact sequence shown. These steps are 1) Define the research problem 2) Estimate the value of the information to be provided by the research 3)Select the data collection method 4) Select the measurement techniques 5) Select the sample 6) Select the analytical approach 7) Evaluate the ethics of the research 8) Specify the time and financial cost 9) Prepare the research proposal (Foster, 2006) In the research in question, the first paragraph is the introduction section followed by the objectives section, in which the researcher has etched out the primary purpose of the research. This is how the researcher introduces the research and depicts its problem statement eventually. Shoplifting is a big problem for all shops. Because of this, and the fact that I work at a shop that has a big shoplifting problem, this research will be about shoplifting. There has been some previous research on shoplifting, but none in my particular shop so this previous research is probably not that relevant. However, it is clear that most theft is committed by customers, and not much is committed by staff. For this reason this research will only be about shoplifting by customers. The purpose of this research will be to study shoplifting by customers. This research will focus on a number of aspects of this including the amount of shoplifting, the influence of new CCTV equipment on shoplifting and address why people shoplift. I believe, the above was a very vague and weakly drafted problem statement. The problem statement should be more comprehensive and should carry a clear description of what is expected of the research. Why is the problem a problem in the first place; In what ways is it affecting the shop? The aforementioned problem statement clearly lacks and disregards this kind of account on research. The objectives and purpose of the study make the first part of the study and have to be clearly explained. The broad objectives should be separately from the specific objectives of the study. Broad, specific objectives and sub objectives should be stated so clearly that various hypothesis are formulated in a testable form. The research by the shop keeper does not produce any back ground review or literature search on the subject in question. This is in-appropriate. The research must carry literature review. .In addition important concepts and theories relevant to the subject matter are stated for achieving various purposes of research. Secondary data and other relevant information available in the literature should also be reviewed before making the research methodology. In some cases, it is also necessary that the limitations of the study and the assumptions maybe stated. Methodology: The second part focuses on the various elements that make up the research design. Most importantly it is incumbent that the reader is kept in perspective while preparing the research design that is whether it is intended to be descriptive, survey research or exploratory. A research design also includes of methods and procedures for collecting data and sampling techniques. There are different kinds of data collecting instruments to enable other researchers to evaluate the accuracy of the research findings. In the research paper given to us to analyze, there is no formal data collection method employed. Inventory data is put forward haphazardly without any formal quantitative analysis of the data in hand. Thus it cant be specified if the research data is reliable or valid. I don’t think it valid here given the context in which it is used The researcher uses two sets of data to point out the difference in shoplifting after and before CCTV were used. While one can understand the point he is trying to put across, his methodology is vague. He has simply put raw facts without analyzing the data. He has spoken about qualitative data that he conducted but instead of going in depth and analyzing completely, he has put down a blue print of the interviews. His research design is vague. Research design which is primarily concerned with data collection technique and sampling methods is guided by the overall objectives of the study, which is the most important aspect of research methodology. There are different types of research designs out of which surveys and case study methods are amongst the most popular ones social and business sectors. Survey method- It is one of the most popular research techniques for collecting and analyzing facts, opinion and interpretation of respondents, individuals or organizations that possess the relevant information. The data collected in survey helps in testing certain hypothesis which the researcher wants to test. Survey work is also undertaken to collect present or past information about the attitude and behavior of consumer or the social behavior of the common man or any special category of group. Survey design uses questionnaire techniques, such as personal interviews, telephonic interviews, or mail questionnaires for data collection. Information survey research is also collected through observation of the overt behavior of respondents. The most apparent advantage of the survey design is the gathering of data at a lower cost and in lesser time. Random sample surveys make reliable generalizations. Surveys are flexible to permit the use of variety data collection techniques such as personal mail or telephone. Often surveys sensitize the researchers to new problems. Random sample surveys are useful tools that enable investigators to verify theories at reasonable cost and their results can be evaluated. The researcher opted for questionnaires but most questions did not follow from the real objectives of the study. Experimental Research design: This was an experimental research design by the researcher but ineffectively conducted. The problem statement was not clearly explained and neither were the objectives. Experimental research design has become quiet popular both in businesses and social research. This research design is scientific in its approach. However, it may be pointed out that experimental design is not easy to develop for collecting data for social and business problems. There are two main types’ designs for conducting experimental research: 1) experimental design through which the researcher intervenes by introducing selected facts for the purpose of observing their effects. 2) Non-experimental designs through which the researcher intervenes only to the extent necessary to make observations. In the case of experimental design, research team conducts the experiments. In the second type, an experiment is observed by members of a research team, planned by someone else. In conducting experimental research, the objectives must be well defined so that the variables which need control can be identified. None of this was implemented in this research. It may be again emphasized that problem formulation is not possible unless there is good communication between the decision makers and the research team. It should be clear, at this point to the decision makers, whether research results could help in solving the problem. It would also help the researcher in understanding the nature of the decision that a manager plans to make and the type of research information which would contribute to improving his judgment. The research team also tries to understand environment influencing the problems of the research sponsoring agency. The research team can play a better role, if they are able to feel and observe the environment, where decision maker would eventually apply the information and the findings of the study to improve the situation.(Denzin, 2005) Conclusion: Formulation of the research plan is possible only when the purpose of the research is clear. In research studies, unless the purpose of the study or project has been clearly explained by the sponsoring agency, no progress would be made on the action plan. The following aspects should however be clarified, to make a beginning: 1) The purpose of the study 2) A statement should be prepared on which both the researcher and the client should agree. 3) If the research is aimed to solve a problem or exploring a problem, the nature of the problem and the area of the problem should be identified and specified. In case of exploratory research the broad guidelines for conducting research are designed at this stage. Secondary data, if available must be examined prior to making a decision for collecting primary data. In technical terms, the problem or opportunity must be clearly defined and accessed. The given research was short on a lot of grounds. It did not have a proper problem statement. The problem statement failed to present the problem effectively. The objectives statement was loosely put forth. This research paper throws light on the importance of putting objectives effectively and completely. More-over the research also did not follow data collection stage appropriately and immaculately. There was no data compilation and data presented was loosely put forward. The raw data was given. The questions in the questionnaire couldn’t relate to the objective of the research too. References: Foster, C. J. (2006). Dissertations and Thesis from start to finish: Psychology and related fields(2nd edition). Washington DC: American Psychology Association. Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2005). The Sage handbook of qualitative research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Pan, M. L. (2004). Preparing literature reviews: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (2nd ed.). Los Angeles: Pyrezak. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Read More