BUSINESS RESEARCH: METHODS, SOURCES AND DIRECTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Business research is defined as a type of business activity that includes the preparation, collection of data, analysis of the information received, its interpretation and the formation of a report. At the preparation stage, tasks are set and research methods are selected. At the stage of data analysis, the collected data is ordered, considered in the light of certain hypotheses. After the analysis, the relationships found between the data or groups of data are explained and presented to the appropriate audience. A comparative analysis of quantitative research methods based on working with numbers, as well as qualitative methods based on the study of the essential parameters of the business is provided. The choice of methods is determined by the type of business processes, the degree of integration of the research function, the performers and stakeholders of the study. Quantitative research methods can be applied in all business processes, but their implementation requires agents with a high level of professional qualifications. Qualitative research methods can be implemented by employees of companies, but these methods bring functional value preferably to marketing and organizational management. In the inter-organizational, organizational and individual dimensions, the parameters of the preparation, interpretation and report of the study differ, and the analytical component of the research process remains unchanged, which forms the basis for the transformation of research activity into a separate function. Comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the research function and the research business process, it was possible to conclude that the priority for small enterprises is the option of research as a business process using possible collaborations with universities and professional agencies. For the effective formation of research as a business process, it is recommended to implement research at the earliest stages of frequently used business processes, using the simplest and most understandable approaches.