BA2312 Business Research MethodsBahçeşehir UniversityDegree Programs SOCIOLOGYGeneral Information For StudentsDiploma SupplementErasmus Policy StatementNational QualificationsBologna Commission
SOCIOLOGY
Bachelor TR-NQF-HE: Level 6 QF-EHEA: First Cycle EQF-LLL: Level 6

Course Introduction and Application Information

Course Code Course Name Semester Theoretical Practical Credit ECTS
BA2312 Business Research Methods Spring 3 0 3 4
This catalog is for information purposes. Course status is determined by the relevant department at the beginning of semester.

Basic information

Language of instruction: English
Type of course: Non-Departmental Elective
Course Level: Bachelor’s Degree (First Cycle)
Mode of Delivery: Face to face
Course Coordinator : Prof. Dr. AHMET ERKUŞ
Course Lecturer(s): Dr. Öğr. Üyesi GÜLBERK GÜLTEKİN SALMAN
Prof. Dr. İPEK ALTINBAŞAK FARİNA
Recommended Optional Program Components: None
Course Objectives: This course is intended primarily for those who expect business and marketing intelligence to be an important part of their professional work. This includes not only those who plan to do marketing research, but those planning to go into other marketing jobs or who expect to be users of marketing research or clients of research departments or research vendors. Thus this course is aimed at the manager who is the ultimate user of business and marketing research and who is responsible for determining the scope and direction of research activities conducted on his/her behalf.

Learning Outcomes

The students who have succeeded in this course;
I. Helps students understand the business and marketing research process and why it takes time and money to do it right.
II. Develops ability to think conceptually and develop abstract ideas or concepts to more concrete solutions or results.
III. Improves teaming and group effectiveness skills.
IV. Develops skills in obtaining and interpreting secondary data using internet and library sources.
V. Develops ability to conduct primary and secondary research, analyze results, develop findings, report and interpret results.
VI. Improves written and verbal communication skills.
VII. Builds up the knowledge of data analysis techniques.

Course Content

1st Week: Introduction and Early Phases of Business/Marketing Research
2nd Week: Defining the Business/Marketing Research Problem
3rd Week: Research Design
4th Week: Exploratory Research Design: Secondary Data and Qualitative Research
5th Week: Descriptive Research Design: Survey and Observation
6th Week: Measurement and Scaling: Fundamentals and Comparative Scaling
7th Week: Measurement and Scaling: Noncomparative Scaling Techniques
8th Week: Midterm
9th Week: Questionnaire Form Design
10th Week: Sampling: Design and Procedures
11th Week: Data Analysis: Examining Differences and Investigating Associations
12th Week: Qualitative Data Analysis
13th Week: Data Analysis by SPSS: Preliminary Steps
14th Week: Report writing

Weekly Detailed Course Contents

Week Subject Related Preparation
1) 1st Week: Introduction and Early Phases of Business/Marketing Research
2) 2nd Week: Defining the Business/Marketing Research Problem
3) 3rd Week: Research Design
4) 4th Week: Exploratory Research Design: Secondary Data and Qualitative Research
5) 5th Week: Descriptive Research Design: Survey and Observation
6) 6th Week: Measurement and Scaling: Fundamentals and Comparative Scaling
7) 7th Week: Measurement and Scaling: Noncomparative Scaling Techniques
8) 8th Week: Review
9) 9th Week: Questionnaire Form Design
10) 10th Week: Sampling: Design and Procedures
11) 11th Week: Data Analysis: Examining Differences and Investigating Associations
12) 12th Week: Qualitative Data Analysis
13) 13th Week: Data Analysis by SPSS: Preliminary Steps
14) 14th Week: Report writing

Sources

Course Notes / Textbooks: Required Text:
Marketing Research: An Applied Orientation by Naresh K. Malhotra, Prentice-Hall, 6th edition.
References: Optional Texts:
Research Methods for Business by Uma Sekaran and Roger Bougie, Wiley and Sons, 5th edition, 2010.

Research Methods for Business Students, Mark Saunders, Adrian Thornhill, and Philip Lewis, 5th edition, Pearson Education Europe, Middle East & Africa.

Evaluation System

Semester Requirements Number of Activities Level of Contribution
Quizzes 5 % 25
Midterms 1 % 30
Final 1 % 45
Total % 100
PERCENTAGE OF SEMESTER WORK % 55
PERCENTAGE OF FINAL WORK % 45
Total % 100

ECTS / Workload Table

Activities Number of Activities Workload
Course Hours 14 40
Study Hours Out of Class 15 56
Quizzes 5 5
Midterms 1 2
Final 1 2
Total Workload 105

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

No Effect 1 Lowest 2 Low 3 Average 4 High 5 Highest
           
Program Outcomes Level of Contribution
1) To learn and compare major sociology perspectives, both classical and contemporary, and apply all of them to analysis of social conditions.
2) To be able to identify the basic methodological approaches in building sociological and anthropological knowledge at local and global levels
3) To be able to use theoretical and applied knowledge acquired in the fields of statistics in social sciences.
4) To have a basic knowledge of other disciplines (including psychology, history, political science, communication studies and literature) that can contribute to sociology and to be able to make use of this knowledge in analyzing sociological processes
5) To have a knowledge and practice of scientific and ethical principles in collecting, interpreting and publishing sociological data also develop ability how to share this data with experts and lay people, using effective communication skills
6) To develop competence in analyzing and publishing sociological knowledge by using computer software for quantitative and qualitative analysis; and develop an attitute for learning new techniques in these fields.
7) To identify and to have a knowledge of the theories related to urban and rural sociology and demography, and political sociology, sociology of gender, sociology of body, visual sociology, sociology of work, sociology of religion, sociology of knowledge and sociology of crime.
8) To have knowledge of how sociology is positioned as a scientific discipline from a philosophical and historical perspective
9) To have the awareness of social issues in Turkish society, to develop critical perspective in analysing these issues and to have a knowledge of the works of Turkish sociologists and to be able to transfer this knowledge
10) To have the awareness of social issues and global societal processes and to apply sociological analysis to development and social responsibility projects
11) To have the ability to define a research question, design a research project and complete a written report for various fields of sociology, either as an individual or as a team member.
12) To be able to transfer the knowledge gained in the areas of sociology to the level of secondary school.