Business and management research is a systematic inquiry that helps to solve business problems and contributes to management knowledge. It Is an applied research.
Four factors (Easterby-Smith, 2008) combine to make business and management a distinctive focus for research :
Transdiscipline approach
Information access is difficult since managers see information as competitive advantage on the market
Managers are educated and want some information produced by the classical research method
Finding must resolve practical management problems
Managers often need information of high quality to help them to make the right decision.
Saunders, M.N.K., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A. (2012) Research Methods for Business Students (6th edition), Harlow, England: Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN0-273-75075-5
Ghauri, P., & Grønhaug, K. (2002), Research Methods in Business Studies : A Practical Guide (2nd edition), London: FT Prentice Hall Europe. ISBN0-273-65110-2
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., Jackson, P.R. (2008) Management Research (3rd edition). London: Sage. [Chapter 1 explains what is management research.]
Casse, C., & Lee, B. (eds) (2011) Challenges and Controversies in Management Research. New York, NY: Routledge.