Book excerpt: Research Methods in Business Studies A Practical Guide Third edition Pervez Ghauri and Kjell Gronhaug This clearly written introduction is ideal for business students taking a course in research methods, or undertaking their first dissertation or report on a work placement project. Written in a concise and accessible style, it demonstrates the importance of a scientific approach to business research and problem-solving projects. It shows students how to formulate a problem, choose a research method, argue and motivate, and how to collect, analyse and present the data. Key Features: Provides guidelines to formulate a research problem, preparing students to fully understand the questions and objectives before undertaking research. Explains the importance of methods and models to equip students with a systematic approach in thinking, executing and writing. Evaluates different qualitative and quantitative methods and their consequences on data collection and analysis so that students can choose the most appropriate research method for a given situation. Offers clear guidelines about structuring clear, concise and relevant reports. Contains detailed discussion of research theories and their practical application in business. This edition has extended coverage of international and cross-cultural research, more examples from real dissertations and research projects from diverse areas of business such as HRM and accounting, and a new chapter on qualitative research and the software used to analyse data. A concise, clear and comprehensive introduction to research methods, which equips students with a systematic approach to business research. Dr. Pervez Ghauri is Professor of International Business at Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, UK. Dr Kjell Gronhaug is Professor of Business Studies at the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration, Bergen, Norway.