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Quantitative Research Methodology Seminar

Date: 5-Mar-14

Day: Day 1

Time Topics Lecturer

9.00 am Intro to Business Research Dr. Lai Fong Woon

10.00 am Reseacrh Design Dr. Lai Fong Woon

11.00 am Research Design: Secondary Data Dr. Maran Marimuthu

12.00 pm Research Design: Survey, Observation & Experimentation Dr. Maran Marimuthu

1.00 pm Break

2.00 pm Measurement & Scaling I Dr. Maran Marimuthu

3.00 pm Measurement & Scaling II Dr. Maran Marimuthu

4.00 pm End of Seminar

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Quantitative Research Methodology Seminar Date: 6-Mar-14

Day: Day 2

Time Topics Lecturer

9.00 am Questionnaire Design Dr. Ting Ding Hooi

10.00 am Sampling Design, Procedures and Size Dr. Ting Ding Hooi

11.00 am Data Preparation Dr. Ting Ding Hooi

12.00 pm Frequency Distribution, Cross Tabulation and Hypothesis Testing Dr. Maran Marimuthu

1.00 pm Break

2.00 pm ANOVA & ANCOVA Dr. Maran Marimuthu

3.00 pm Correlation and Regression Dr. Maran Marimuthu

4.00 pm Discriminant and Factor Analysis Dr. Maran Marimuthu

5.00 pm

10.00 am Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Dr. Lai Fong Woon

11.00 am Report Writing and Conclusions Dr. Lai/Dr. Maran/Dr. Ting

12.30 pm End of Seminar

Day 3: 10-Mar-14 / 10.00am - 12.30 pm

End of Seminar

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Introduction to Business Research

Chapter 1

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Used to identify and define business opportunities and problems

Generate, refine, and evaluate business performance

Monitor business performance

Improve understanding of business as a process

Redefining Marketing Research

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Definition of Marketing Research

Business research is the systematic and objective

identification

collection

analysis

dissemination

and use of information

For the purpose of improving decision making related to the

identification and

solution of problems and opportunities in business

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Market Research

• Specifies the information necessary to address these issues

• Manages and implements the data collection process

• Analyzes the results

• Communicates the findings and their implications

• Helps managers use this information to make decisions

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Classification of Marketing Research

Problem-Identification Research• Research undertaken to help identify problems which are

not necessarily apparent on the surface and yet exist or are likely to arise in the future. Examples: market potential, market share, image, market characteristics, sales analysis, forecasting, and trends research.

Problem-Solving Research• Research undertaken to help solve specific marketing

problems. Examples: segmentation, product, pricing, promotion, and distribution research.

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Business Research Process

Step 1 : Problem Definition

Step 2 : Development of an Approach to the Problem

Step 3 : Research Design Formulation

Step 4 : Fieldwork or Data Collection

Step 5 : Data Preparation and Analysis

Step 6 : Report Preparation and Presentation

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Chapter Two

Defining the Research Problem and

Developing an Approach

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Chain Restaurant Study

One day I received a phone call from a research analyst who introduced himself as one of our alumni.

He was working for a restaurant chain in town and wanted help analyzing the data he had collected while conducting a marketing research study.

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Chain Restaurant Study

When we met, he presented me with a copy of the questionnaire and asked how he should analyze the data. My first question to him was,

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Chain Restaurant Study

When he looked perplexed, I explained that data analysis is not an independent exercise.

Rather, the goal of data analysis is to PROVIDE INFORMATION RELATED TO THE

PROBLEM COMPONENTS.

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Chain Restaurant Study

I was surprised to learn that he did not have a clear understanding of the marketing research problem and that a written definition did not exist. So before going any further, I had to definedefine the marketing research problem.Once that was done, I found that

much of the data collected was not relevant to the problem. In this sense, the whole study was a waste of resources. A new study had to be designed and implemented to address the problem defined.

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The Problem Definition Process

Fig. 2.1Discussionwith

Decision Maker(s)

Interviewswith Experts

SecondaryData Analysis

QualitativeResearch

Management Decision Problem

Marketing Research Problem

Tasks Involved

Environmental Context of the Problem

Step I: Problem Definition

Step II: Approach to the Problem

Objective/ TheoreticalFoundations

ResearchQuestions Hypotheses

Step III: Research Design

Analytical Model: Verbal, Graphical, Mathematical

SpecificationofInformationNeeded

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Tasks Involved in Problem Definition

• Discussions with Decision Makers

• Interviews with Industry Experts

• Secondary Data Analysis

• Qualitative Research

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The Problem Audit

The problem audit is a comprehensive examination of a marketing problem with the purpose of understanding its origin and nature.1. The events that led to the decision that action is needed,

or the history of the problem 2. The alternative courses of action available to the DM 3. The criteria that will be used to evaluate the alternative courses of action4. The potential actions that are likely to be suggested

based on the research findings 5. The information that is needed to answer the DM's

questions 6. The manner in which the DM will use each item of

information in making the decision 7. The corporate culture as it relates to decision making

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Management Decision Problem Vs. Marketing Research Problem

Management Decision Problem Marketing Research Problem Should a new product be To determine consumer preferencesintroduced? and purchase intentions for the

proposed new product Should the advertising To determine the effectivenesscampaign be changed? of the current advertising

campaign Should the price of the To determine the price elasticitybrand be increased? of demand and the impact on

salesand profits of various levels of price changes

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Proper Definition of the Research Problem

Marketing Research Problem

Broad Statement

Specific Components

Fig. 2.3

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Department Store Project

Problem DefinitionIn the department store project, the marketing research problem is to determine the relative strengths and weaknesses of Sears, vis-à-vis other major competitors, with respect to factors that influence store patronage. Specifically, research should provide information on the following questions.1. What criteria do households use when selecting department stores?2. How do households evaluate Sears and competing stores in terms of the choice criteria identified in question 1?3. Which stores are patronized when shopping for specific

product categories?4. What is the market share of Sears and its competitors for

specific product categories?5. What is the demographic and psychological profile of the

customers of Sears? Does it differ from the profile of customers of competing stores?

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Components of an Approach

Objective/Theoretical Foundations

Analytical Model

Research Questions

Hypotheses

Specification of the Information Needed

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The Role of Theory in Applied Marketing Research

Research Task Role of Theory

1. Conceptualizing

and identifying

key variables

Provides a conceptual foundation and understanding of the basic processes

underlying the problem situation. These processes will suggest key dependent

and independent variables.

2. Operationalizing

key variables

Theoretical constructs (variables) can suggest independent and dependent

variables naturally occurring in the real world.

3. Selecting a

research design

Causal or associative relationships suggested by the theory may indicate whether

a causal or descriptive design should be adopted.

4. Selecting a

sample

The theoretical framework may be useful in defining the population and

suggesting variables for qualifying respondents, imposing quotas, or stratifying

the population (see Chapter 11).

5. Analyzing and

interpreting data

The theoretical framework (and the models, research questions and hypotheses

based on it) guide the selection of a data analysis strategy and the interpretation

of results (see Chapter 14).

6. Integrating

findings

The findings obtained in the research project can be interpreted in the light of

previous research and integrated with the existing body of knowledge.

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Models

An analytical model is a set of variables and their interrelationships designed to represent, in whole or in part, some real system or process.

In verbal models, the variables and their relationships are stated in prose form. Such models may be mere restatements of the main tenets of a theory.

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Graphical Models

Graphical models are visual. They are used toisolate variables and to suggest directions ofrelationships but are not designed to providenumerical results.

Awareness

Understanding: Evaluation

Preference

Patronage

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Mathematical Models

Mathematical models explicitly specify the relationships among variables, usually in equation form.

Where y = degree of preference

= model parameters to be estimated

statistically

n

iii xaay

10

aa i,

0

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Development of Research Questions and Hypotheses

Fig. 2.4

Components of the

Research Questions

Hypotheses

Objective/TheoreticalFrameworkAnalyticalModel

Marketing Research Problem

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Research Questions and Hypotheses

• Research questions (RQs) are refined statements of the specific components of the problem.

• A hypothesis (H) is an unproven statement or proposition about a factor or phenomenon that is of interest to the researcher. Often, a hypothesis is a possible answer to the research question.

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Department Store Project

• RQ: Do the customers of Sears exhibit store loyalty?

• H1: Customers who are store-loyal are less knowledgeable about the shopping environment.

• H2: Store-loyal customers are more risk-averse than are non-loyal customers.

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