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Introduction to Business Research
Business Research will provide the specific knowledge needed to succeed in researching and utilizing the best and most appropriate data for decision making. It will also provide the skills needed to effectively communicate research results to a specific audience for maximum impact and effective decision making. The course is broad based and provides a strong foundation for meeting business research needs. More advanced courses will be available after completion of this foundation course.
Online; One month; Cathy Proffitt Boys, COI, Instructor.
 Course Objectives
- Learn effective skills that can be utilized to clearly define your goal and make you efficient and effective in choosing the right business research path.
- Learn about and utilize the right business research tools and resources that will effectively lead you to accomplish your goals and provide confidence that you are making the best decisions.
- Learn effective business research activities that work to help you in achieving the results you need for success.
- Learn how to effectively communicate the results of your research effectively to your selected audience(s).
- Learn how to follow up and confirm that your business research is producing the results you want and need to be successful.
 Course Outcomes
At the end of the course, you will:
- The student will be aware of the environment and able to continuously scan the environment for pertinent information.
- The student will understand the importance and significance of properly identifying and defining a specific research question and will have the knowledge to do so.
- The student will be able to select the most appropriate research tools to complete the task effectively and efficiently.
- The student will understand the results of the research and will be able to communicate the results effectively to selected audiences.
- The student will be able to effectively follow up to insure effective decisions have been made on the basis of the research. If necessary, the student will also be able to continue with the process as needed until desired results are achieved.
 Course Outline
Unit 1 - Discovering What You Want
- Knowing the environment
- Exploring the research question
- Deciding upon the desired outcomes
Unit 2 - Selecting the best research process
- Primary research tools
- Secondary research tools
- Thinking outside the box
Unit 3 - Doing the Research
- Effectively utilizing selected research tools
- Analyzing the results
- Summarizing your findings
Unit 4 - Communicating the Results
- Knowing your audience
- Preliminary discussions
- Packaging the results for presentation
- The formal presentation
Business Statistics
Numbers are vitally important to all types of business decision-making. From budget projections to inventory tracking, business leaders rely on numbers to help them make sound business decisions.
How can you make these numbers meaningful to you in your day-to-day planning and decision-making? Learn how to apply and interpret numbers in real-world business ideas in our business statistics course.
One month online course; Mary Dereshwisky, COI, Instructor.
Course Objectives
- To provide business decision makers with hands-on practice in several basic statistical tools (differences, relationships and trends across time) that address real-world decisions.
- To provide these decision makers with practice in applying these statistics to real-world business scenarios.
- To show business leaders how to turn the results of numbers into practical ideas of what these statistics tell us.
Course Outcomes
At the end of the course, you will:
- Understand how we use numbers to answer real-world business questions.
- Understand how to choose the best statistic to apply to your business decision.
- Understand how to apply these statistics using Excel software.
- Convert what the numbers say into the answers to your research questions or to your business decision.
Course Outline
Unit 1
- How Statistics Can Help You Make Business Decisions
- What statistics can do for business decision makers
- Some basic types of statistics
- How to be a good consumer of statistical information
Unit 2
- Some Basic Types of Statistics
- Using Excel to run some basic summary descriptive statistics
- Interpreting what it all means in ideas
Unit 3
- Looking at Trends Across Time
- Using Excel to run some trend statistics and related graphs
- Interpreting what it all means in ideas
Unit 4
- Looking at Differences and Relationships Using Statistics
- Using Excel to run some tests of between-group differences on something
- Using Excel to run some tests of relationships between something and something
- Interpreting what it all means in ideas
Qualitative Business Research
Words are powerful information sources for sound business decisions. As a business leader, you talk to others when you have a question or need to solve a business problem. They provide a richness of information that numbers alone cannot.
How can you effectively harness the power of words when you have a need to know something? Learn how to use qualitative methods (information in words) to make the best possible business decisions in our course.
One month, online course; Mary Dereshwisky, COI, Instructor.
Course Objectives
- To provide business leaders with an understanding of how qualitative information provides benefits that numbers alone cannot.
- To provide business leaders with effective strategies for conducting interviews.
- To provide business leaders with practice in interpreting interview results.
- To provide business leaders with practice in doing surveys that have open-ended questions.
- To provide business leaders with practice in summarizing open-ended survey results to address real-world business decisions.
Course Outcomes
At the end of the course, you will:
- Understand how words give us helpful decision-making information that numbers alone cannot.
- Understand how to plan individual and focus group interviews for business decision-making.
- Understand how to interpret the results of such interviews to help answer a business question or make a decision.
- Understand how to create surveys that have open-ended questions for business decision-making.
- Understand how to interpret the results of such open-ended surveys to help answer a business question or make a decision.
Course Outline
Unit 1 - How Can Qualitative Information (in Words) Help You Make Better Business Decisions?
- What are some ways we can collect business information (qualitative data) in words?
- How do business decision makers use qualitative data?
- How to be a good consumer of qualitative data
Unit 2 - Individual Interviews in a Business Context
- How do business leaders use individual interview results?
- Let’s practice planning and conducting an individual interview
- Let’s practice writing up the individual interview results
- Let’s discuss what these results mean for business decision making
Unit 3 - Focus Group Interviews in a Business Context
- How do business leaders use focus group results?
- Let’s practice planning and conducting a focus group interview
- Let’s practice writing up the focus group interview results
- Let’s discuss what these results mean for business decision making
Unit 4 - Open-Ended Surveys in a Business Context
- How do business leaders use open-ended surveys?
- Let’s practice planning and conducting an open-ended survey
- Let’s practice writing up the open-ended survey results
- Let’s discuss what these results mean for business decision making
 About online learning
Online learning is a fun, enjoyable and very productive way to learn. Millions of people are learning online each year. You will engage with the instructor and other participants. You will get to know your instructor and other participants. You may make friends.
 How the Course Works
It is easy to participate in your online course. After you register, you will be given a web address to go to get into your online classroom. You will have a password and use your email address and password to gain access.
 Participate when you want
You can participate any time of day or evening. The online classroom is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are no live real-time requirements or meetings. You decide when you participate. For the best learning, participants should log into the course on 2-3 different days of the week.
 What you will do
- In the online classroom, listen to audio lectures, view slides, even take an optional quiz to test yourself.
- Then post comments in the online discussion with your fellow participants and the instructor. Your instructor logs on at least once a day to answer questions and join in on the discussion.
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Readings are assigned for each day from the textbooks provided at registration.
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Participate any time of day or night. The ideal is to go online 2-3 times a day since they are week-long courses, but you decide.
 Discussion
The Discussion for each Unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night.
Your instructor will log into the Discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants.
We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each week to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.
It’s easy! It’s fun.
 Technical Requirements
- Internet access with Internet Explorer; Firefox Mozilla; or Safari web browser.
- Access to Flash needed for audio and slide presentations.
- Speakers to listen to audio.
About Your Instructors
Cathy Boys has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, a Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Computer Information Systems. Professionally, she has worked as the training coordinator, quality assurance manager, and plant manager at Dairy Farmers of America, a major dairy cooperative and is currently assistant professor agriculture and entrepreneurship at Missouri State University-West Plains. Awards received include the Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, Who is Who Among American Teachers, and the Business & Professional Women Young Careerist of the Year. Her academic and professional interests include small business, entrepreneurship, and alternative agriculture.
Mary I. Dereshiwsky, Ph.D., COI, is a Professor of Educational Leadership and Research at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She also serves as Chair of the Faculty Club for the Learning Resources Network (LERN). In addition, she serves as online instructional evaluator for LERN’s Certified Online Instructor (COI) candidates. Mary has been developing and teaching online courses in research methods and statistics since 1994. She holds a doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
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