The Excitement of Research and Why Managers Should Know about Research

Modern   technology  has   made    research  an   exciting  and   a   relatively  smooth process.  Today   a personal  computer  with   a  modem   or  any   means   to  an  Internet   connection  places  one   within easy   reach   of  knowledge  of  what   is   happening  in   the   global  markets  and   how   the   world economy  i s   impactin g  on business.  Chapter   3  gives   a  broad   idea   of  how   technology  has facilitated  the research  process  and   decision  making,  and   the  later    chapters  describe  the  use of  technology  in  infor mation gathering,  data   collection,  data   analysis,  and  data presentation.  By  grasping  the  fundamentals  of  the  research  process  and   keeping   abreast    of  moder n   technology, such   as   computers  with   enor mous  capability    to   store    and    retrieve    infor mation,   you    as   a manager   can    face    the competitive  global  market    with  its  multitude  of  complex  and  confusing factors with   greater   confidence.

Knowledge  of  research  not  only   helps   one  to  look  at  the  available  information in  sophisticated  and  creative ways   in  the  fast-paced global  environment that  businesses  face,   but  this  knowledge also   helps   in  other  ways.  For  example,  you   can interact    more   effectively  with   research  consultants  who   work   for  you,   you   can discriminate  between  good    and   bad   studies    published  in  professional  journals, and  if  so  desired,  you   yourself  can  undertake  research  to  solve   problems. Moreover ,    knowledge  in  the   business  area   is  exploding  and   there   is  an   overwhelming   maze of  information available  through   the   Internet,   which   has   to  be   sifted through    to  determine  its reliability.  Identifying  the  critical   issues,  gathering  relevant   information,  analyzing  the  data   in  ways that  would  help   decision  making, and   implementing  the  right  course   of  action,   are  all  facilitated  by  understanding business  research.  After  all,   decision  making  is    merely  a   process  of  choosing from  among   alternative  solutions  to  resolve  a  problem and  research  helps   to  generate   viable alternatives  for  effective   decision  making.

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