Basics Pure Research

1. What is the difference between applied research and basic or pure research? Use a decision about how a salesperson is to be paid, by commission or salary, and describe the question that would guide applied research versus the question that would guide pure research.

Research in general has a practical problem-solving emphasis. Thus both, applied and basic research, are problem solving methods. While basic research aims at solving confusing questions or obtaining new knowledge of an experimental or theoretical nature; applied research is about dealing with practical problems faced in the real world today. They attempt to find the answer to something that would help solve a practical problem. With applied research, researchers are looking for answers that will easily be applied to current, modern concepts and problems. Basic research is all about trying to understand the various processes between different concepts such as memory, learning, and knowledge. It is about finding information simply to find information; it is not sought out for its application to current events, although it may be applied later,

Therefore, the question of whether a salesperson should be paid a salary or commission as a basic research question would have to examine whether sales people would be better motivated to sell if they were paid by commission or salary. Applied research will go into further details of the basic question. It might question whether paying a salesperson salary or commission affect customer satisfaction negatively. Another example would be if the performance of a salesperson is poor in sales, would changing the pay from salary to commission improve the person's sales? Or would the salesperson's attitude toward customer change if we create a customer motivation program or purchase one offered by a consulting firm?