Week 2: IDENTIFICATIONJUSTIFICATION FOR A RESEARCH PROBLEM LEARNING OUTCOMES

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Week 2 IDENTIFICATION/JUSTIFICATION FOR A
RESEARCH PROBLEMLEARNING OUTCOMES

• To begin to consider your individual dissertation
  plan in terms of exploring topic areas and their
  suitability/adaptability for a research topic
• To begin to outline a research problem and
  provide justification for the research problem

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• IDENTIFICATION/
• JUSTIFICATION FOR A RESEARCH PROBLEM
• For example
• A topical aspect of marketing
• An aspect of marketing deficiency
• A consideration in a specific context

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JUSTIFICATION FOR A RESEARCH PROBLEM

• For example
• An area of marketing interest
• An area of marketing enquiry
• An unexplained aspect of marketing
• An area of marketing query

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• JUSTIFICATION FOR A RESEARCH PROBLEM
• A TOPICAL ASPECT OF MARKETING
• Small firms marketing
• Service quality in marketing
• Relationship marketing

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JUSTIFICATION FOR A RESEARCH PROBLEM

• AN ASPECT OF MARKETING DEFICIENCY
• Marketing theory and practice
• Suitability/appropriateness of textbook
  marketing
• Company/customer dichotomies

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• JUSTIFICATION FOR A RESEARCH PROBLEM
• A CONSIDERATION IN A SPECIFIC CONTEXT
• Marketing in an industry
• Marketing in a market - local/domestic/internatio
  nal
• Marketing in a channel of intermediaries

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JUSTIFICATION FOR A RESEARCH PROBLEM
Literature Seek out seminal references (3 -
6) For example J Small firms marketing is
different to large company marketing L
Marketing definitions - Kotler, Levitt, etc?
Small firm definitions - Storey, Gibb, etc?
Small firm marketing - Chaston, Carson,
etc? J Service Quality is an important aspect
of customer service L Services
marketing - Gronroos, Gummesson, etc?
Servies Quality - PZB, Gilmore, etc?
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RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS AND HYPOTHESES

• Assumption defined as
• Broad generalisations that have a probability
  of existence
• For example
• Consumers wish satisfaction
• Market research will provide information
• Advertising has some impact

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RESEARCH ASSUMPTIONS AND HYPOTHESES

• Hypotheses defined as
• A precise statement of effect, often stemming
  from
• theories of cause and effect
• For example
• An increase in advertising spend will lead to
  an increase in sales
• More marketing than competitors leads to
  increased market share
• New products stimulate demand

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JUSTIFICATION RESEARCH
PROBLEM
J Small firms marketing is different to
large company marketing RP What is
small firm marketing? J Service quality
is an important aspect of customer
service RP What levels of service quality are
needed? J Relationship marketing creates
stability and more satisfied
customers RP How is relationship marketing
developed?
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JUSTIFICATION RESEARCH
PROBLEM
J Marketing theories are different to
marketing in practice RP How do marketing
practitioners adopt marketing
theoriesJ Companies must meet
shareholders needs AND customer
needs RP How do companies balance
shareholder and customer needs
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HOW CAN THE PROBLEM BE RESEARCHED?

• Two broad types of research problem
• Generalisms
• Specific understanding

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HOW CAN THE PROBLEM BE RESEARCHED?

• Generalisms about the world. For example
• What are consumer attitudes.?
• How many people.?
• What are the differences.?
• Who did what in the past?
• Who will do what in the future?Ways to
  research the above
• A quantification
• Many sources
• Surveys

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HOW CAN THE PROBLEM BE RESEARCHED?

• Specific understanding of a single phenomenon
• For example
• Marketing in a context/situation specific
• The WAY in which marketing happens
• Processes behind an aspect of marketingWays to
  research
• In-depth analysis
• Deep understanding
• Specific (singular)
• Interviews and analysis of a few