Business Research Current Event

Managerial decisions are guided by a systematic inquiry known as business research. According to Cooper & Schindler (2011), business research is a process of planning, acquiring, analyzing, and disseminating relevant data, information, and insights to decision makers in ways that mobile the organizations to take appropriate action that maximize performance. According to Cooper & Schindler (2011), the United States Army investigates a complaint by locals that a munitions testing area were an environmental hazard and a contributing factor in civilian deaths. Although the Army disagreed, a U.S. Senator forced an investigation by the army. The research team theorized that some of the un-detonated munitions, or duds, could ignite causing the civilian deaths. The Army believed that it was not possible for the duds to ignite unless a live bomb was used to detonate it and thought the problem needed a public relations angle (Cooper, D. & Schindler, para. 1, 2011).

A research team was developed to observe the Army as they conducted the munitions testing. The research team noted that about every 20th bomb did not detonate. The Army reports stated that the duds were inert and could only be ignited with another live bomb. Later that night the research team heard a loud explosion and set up an all night observation study of the area. The study revealed that civilians were dismantling the un-detonated bombs for the scrap metal and occasionally the bombs would detonate killing the civilians involved.

The research team then focused their study on the local townspeople. They collected data on public sentiment about the army testing site and noticed that the people had thrill-seeking tendencies. The Army used the research team's findings to make an informed decision on how best to deter the scavengers. Instead of using an educational program, the Army would now fire the bombs in the morning, locate the duds in the afternoon, and destroy the duds at dusk. The death rate in the local population dropped drastically and the Army could keep the munitions range open.