1.

1 An Employee Credit Union:

Problem Statement: To determine the reasons why employees join the credit union, assess members'
awareness of credit union services, and measure attitudes and beliefs about the effectiveness of
credit union operations.

Decision Statement: Should the employee credit union continue its current operations, marketing
strategies, and service offerings, or should changes be made to better meet the needs and
preferences of its members?

Research Objectives:

- Identify the primary motivations behind employees' decision to join the credit union.
- Assess the level of awareness among members regarding the various services offered by the
credit union.
- Measure members' perceptions and attitudes towards the effectiveness of the credit union's
operations, including customer service, financial products, and overall satisfaction.

1.2 A Farm-Implemented Manufacturer:

Problem Statement: To determine the most effective form of advertising for the farm-implemented
manufacturer in order to maximize product line profits.

Decision Statement: Which advertising channels or methods should the farm-implemented

manufacturer prioritize in its marketing strategy to achieve the highest return on investment and
increase product line profits?

Research Objectives:

- Evaluate the effectiveness of different advertising channels (e.g., digital ads, print media,
social media, etc.) in reaching the target audience and driving sales for the manufacturer's
product line.
- Determine the preferences and behaviors of the target market regarding advertising
consumption and engagement.
- Identify the key factors influencing purchasing decisions among consumers in the target
market and assess how different advertising strategies impact these factors.
- By framing the research problems into decision statements and corresponding research
objectives, it becomes clearer what specific actions need to be taken and what information
needs to be gathered in order to address these issues effectively
2. The three types of business research are exploratory, descriptive, and causal research. Let's match
each item from the list with its corresponding type of business research and explain the rationale:

a. Establishing the relationship between advertising and sales in the beer industry.

Type of Research: Causal Research

Explanation: Causal research aims to determine causality, meaning it investigates whether a change
in one variable causes a change in another variable. In this case, the research seeks to establish
whether advertising (independent variable) has a direct effect on sales (dependent variable) in the
beer industry. By manipulating advertising expenditures and observing the resulting changes in sales,
researchers can determine the causal relationship between the two factors.

b. Ranking the key factors new college graduates are seeking in the beer industry.

Type of Research: Exploratory Research

Explanation: Exploratory research is conducted when a problem is not well defined, and the
researcher seeks to gain insights or understanding of a phenomenon. In this scenario, the research
aims to explore and identify the key factors that new college graduates prioritize when seeking
employment in the beer industry. It seeks to generate hypotheses or ideas that can later be tested
through more structured research methods.

c. Estimating the five-year sale potential for Cat Scan machines in the north-Eastern region of
India.

Type of Research: Descriptive Research

Explanation: Descriptive research aims to describe characteristics of a population or phenomenon. In

this case, the research objective is to estimate the potential sales of Cat Scan machines in a specific
geographic region over a five-year period. The research involves gathering data on current market
conditions, competitor activities, healthcare infrastructure, and other relevant factors to provide a
comprehensive description and forecast of future sales potential.

d. Testing the effect of "casual day" on employee job satisfaction.

Type of Research: Causal Research

Explanation: Similar to item (a), this research involves testing the effect of one variable (casual day
policy) on another variable (employee job satisfaction). By implementing a casual day policy and
measuring subsequent changes in employee job satisfaction, researchers can determine whether
there is a causal relationship between the two factors.
3. a.- Potential sources of error in the survey of frequent fliers age 50 and older could include:

- Sampling Bias: If the survey sample is not representative of the entire population of frequent fliers
age 50 and older, the results may not accurately reflect the opinions of this demographic. For
example, if the survey primarily targets a certain socio-economic group or only frequent fliers from
specific regions, it may not capture the diversity of perspectives on the importance of price in airline
travel.

- Response Bias: Respondents may not accurately report their true opinions or behaviors. They might
feel pressured to provide socially desirable answers or may not fully understand the question.
Additionally, respondents may have different interpretations of what constitutes "important" or
"unimportant" when considering price in airline travel.

- Non-response Bias: If certain groups of frequent fliers age 50 and older are more likely to respond
to the survey than others, the results may be skewed. For example, if individuals who prioritize price
in airline travel are less likely to participate in the survey, the reported percentage of respondents
who consider price important may underestimate its true prevalence in the population.

b- Potential sources of error in the survey of voters regarding their attitudes towards negative
political ads could include:

-Social Desirability Bias: Respondents may provide answers that they believe are socially acceptable
or expected rather than their true opinions. For instance, they may express dislike for negative
political ads because they perceive them as undesirable, even if they are influenced by such ads.

-Sampling Bias: If the survey sample does not represent a diverse range of voters in terms of
demographics, political affiliations, or geographic locations, the results may not accurately reflect the
attitudes of the entire population of voters.

-Response Bias: Respondents may not fully understand the concept of negative political ads or may
interpret the survey question differently, leading to inaccurate responses. Additionally, respondents
may be influenced by recent events or media coverage, skewing their opinions on political
advertising.

c- self-selection bias. This bias occurs when individuals self-select themselves into a study or respond
to a survey based on certain characteristics, leading to a non-representative sample. In this case,
offering Rs 1000 to each respondent introduces a financial incentive that may attract individuals who
are primarily motivated by the compensation rather than a genuine interest in participating in the
interview. As a result, the sample may be skewed towards individuals who are more inclined to sell
their opinions for monetary gain, rather than those who are genuinely representative of the
population being studied. This can lead to biased results because the characteristics, opinions, or
behaviors of individuals who are willing to participate solely for the financial incentive may differ
significantly from those of the broader population. As a result, the findings of the research may not
accurately reflect the views or attitudes of the target population, undermining the valid

what are the types of business research? Indicate which type each item in the list below illustrates:

1. Establishing the relationship between advertisement and sales in the beer industry.

2. Ranking the key factors new college graduates are seeking in their first career position.

3. Discover the ways that people who live in apartments actually use vaccum cleaners, and identify
cleaning tasks for which they use no vacuum

Business research can be categorized into several types based on its purpose and methodology. Here
are the common types of business research along with their descriptions and how each item in the
list corresponds to them:

1. Descriptive Research: Descriptive research aims to describe characteristics of a population or

phenomenon. It seeks to answer questions about who, what, where, when, and how. This
type of research is often used to gain a better understanding of a situation, issue, or
phenomenon.

Item 3: Discovering the ways that people who live in apartments actually use vacuum cleaners, and
identifying cleaning tasks for which they use no vacuum, falls under descriptive research. This study
seeks to describe the behaviors and practices of a specific group (people living in apartments)
regarding the use of vacuum cleaners.

2. Exploratory Research: Exploratory research is conducted to explore and gain initial insights
into a problem or phenomenon. It is used when the researcher has limited knowledge about
the topic and seeks to understand it better, generate hypotheses, or identify research
questions for further investigation.

Item 2: Ranking the key factors new college graduates are seeking in their first career position
illustrates exploratory research. This study aims to explore the preferences and priorities of a specific
group (new college graduates) regarding their first career position, without aiming to establish
causality or relationships.

3. Causal Research: Causal research seeks to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between

variables. It investigates whether changes in one variable lead to changes in another
variable. This type of research typically involves experiments or quasi-experiments to
determine causality.

Item 1: Establishing the relationship between advertisement and sales in the beer industry
represents causal research. This study aims to determine whether there is a causal relationship
between advertising efforts and sales in the beer industry, specifically whether increased advertising
leads to higher sales.
In summary:

Item 1: Causal Research

Item 2: Exploratory Research

Item 3: Descriptive Research

Q- Develop a scale for each concept:

a. A good bowler

b. Purchasing intention of I Phone

c. A workaholic

d. A risk averse investor Also mention the type of scale (nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio)

Ans- To develop scales for each concept, we need to define the attributes or characteristics
associated with each concept and determine the appropriate type of scale (nominal, ordinal, interval,
or ratio) based on the level of measurement. Here are the scales for each concept:

a. **A Good Bowler**:

- Poor

- Below Average

- Average

- Above Average

- Excellent

Type of scale: Ordinal (as the categories represent ordered levels of performance, but the
differences between categories may not be equal)

b. **Purchasing Intention of iPhone**:

- Definitely will not purchase

- Probably will not purchase

- Undecided

- Probably will purchase

 - Definitely will purchase

Type of scale: Ordinal (as the categories represent ordered levels of intention to purchase, but the
differences between categories may not be equal)

c. **A Workaholic**:

- Strongly Disagree

- Disagree

- Neutral

- Agree

- Strongly Agree

Type of scale: Ordinal (as the categories represent ordered levels of agreement with the statement,
but the differences between categories may not be equal)

d. **A Risk-Averse Investor**:

- Very Risk-Averse

- Somewhat Risk-Averse

- Neutral

- Somewhat Risk-Tolerant

- Very Risk-Tolerant

Type of scale: Ordinal (as the categories represent ordered levels of risk tolerance, but the
differences between categories may not be equal)

In each scale, respondents can be categorized into different levels based on their responses, but the
exact magnitude of differences between categories may not be uniform, hence the classification as
ordinal scales.

OR

A good bowler
Conceptual definition: A good bowler is one who can bowl effectively, get wickets,
and allow fewer runs per over. He/she should have a good economy and an
average in the required format.
Operational definition: If we study a group of bowlers, good bowlers will be those
who can take at least two wickets in a match and give no more than six runs per
over. That is, the economy rate should always be lower than the average rate for
that format of cricket, and it should also be lower than 30.
B.
The television audience for The Tonight Show
Conceptual definition: People who tune in to watch Jimmy Fallon's 'The Tonight
Show' every week on television.
Operational definition: Assign a number from 1 to 10 to the number of times
you've seen the Tonight Show. Give it a 1 if you never watch it and a 10 if you
watch it every night it airs.
C.
Conceptual definition: A workaholic is someone who enjoys working and
prioritises work over everything else. They spend as little time as possible on
leisure activities and do not take breaks.
Operational definition:
On a 5-point scale, rate each of the following statements from 1 to 5, with 1 being
"strongly disagree" and 5 being "strongly agree."
1. You consider how you can make more time for work.
2. You spend far more time working than you intended.
3. You work to alleviate feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness, or depression.
4. You have been told to reduce your workload by others without listening to
them.
5. You become stressed if you are unable to work

Q. Your business research company has been asked to help a business understand why their
sales are decreasing.
A. Describe the step-by-step procedure you should follow to address this research request
B. What research method would you recommend

- The step-by-step procedure to address this research request is as follows:

1. Define research objective: The objective of this research is to figure out why the
sales are declining.
2. Selection of exploratory research technique: The next step is to choose the
specific research technique that will be used to solve this problem. Secondary Data
(research using historical data), Previous Research, Experience Survey, and Case
Study are some common examples of research techniques. If the company collects
a lot of data, it might be useful to analyze that historical data to figure out what's
causing the sales decline. This stage may also include the generation of hypotheses.
3. Planning the research design: At this stage, we define the methods and
procedures for gathering and analyzing the required data. This could include
surveys, experiments, secondary data analysis, and so on.
4. Sampling: This step determines the sampling frame, sample size, and sampling
technique (e.g., random sampling, cluster sampling, etc.).
5. Data collection: In this section, we attempt to gather both primary and
secondary data on the facts.
6. Data analysis: This stage entails verifying data for accuracy, omissions, and
consistency. The data is then analyzed using various techniques, and the various
hypotheses generated are tested.
7. Drawing conclusions and preparing a report: The results are interpreted and the
implications are described at this stage. For managerial decisions, appropriate
conclusions are drawn. Finally, a well-written, understandable summary of the
research findings is required.

b. Because the research objective is somewhat ambiguous and the decision-

making process is still in its early stages, I would recommend conducting
exploratory research in the first phase. However, once certain patterns are
discovered and some probable reasons for the decline in sales are identified,
we can conduct more targeted causal research to determine the exact reason
for the decline in sales.

3. Evaluate the following survey designs for potential errors. What is a better approach?

A. A shopping mall that wishes to evaluate its image places packets including a

questionnaire, cover letter, and a stamped return envelope in the mall where customers

can pick it up, if they wish.(5 marks)

B. An e-mail message is sent to individuals who have computers, asking them to complete a

questionnaire on a Web site. Respondents answer the questions and then have the

opportunity to play a slot-machine game on the Web site. Each respondent is guaranteed

a monetary incentive but has the option of increasing it by playing the slot-machine

game. (5 marks)
C. A mall-intercept interviewing service is located in a regional shopping center. The

facility contains a small room for television and movie presentations. Shoppers are used

as sampling units. However, mall intercept interviewers recruit additional subjects for

television commercial experiments by offering shoppers several complementary tickets

for special sneak previews. Individuals contacted at the mall are allowed to bring up to

five guests. In some cases the complementary tickets were offered

Ans- A.
This research method is not viable because of the following potential errors in the
method:
• • Difficult to estimate how many people actually came to the mall and
completed the survey
• • Self-selection bias for the research will be very high as the survey would be
picked up only by the people visiting the mall
• • Lengthy process for the customer to fill the entire survey
• • No incentives for the customers to actually complete the survey. To
improve the participation coupons or gifts are added.

Better approach: Using technology to fill out the surveys could be more efficient.
Because it will ensure a wider reach. The sample will not be limited to those who
arrive at the mall. Also, the online research could be shortened to make it less time-
consuming.
B.
Despite the fact that this research method is well-structured, with technology used
correctly and incentives for those who fill it out, some of the potential errors for
this method are as follows:
• • The sample can be limited as only people with computers will be able to
answer the survey
• • There is a chance that the mail is sent to those who are not interested in
the incentive or the survey itself
• • There is a probability that the mail is missed due to various reasons such as
the subject not being catchy enough

Better approach: This research method, while effective, could be improved by

ensuring that the mail sent to customers has a catchy subject. Incentives for
the survey should also be of general interest in order to increase participation.
C- Potential errors in this type of research method could be the following:
• • Self-selection bias as only people coming to the mall can participate in the
survey
• • High geographic and demographic dispersion of the population where the
research shop is present

Many shops (inside the center) that reflect the neighborhood's diverse income
levels may help monitor the sample using quota sampling. Furthermore, not all
studies are appropriate for use in shopping malls. It may not be necessary to halt
someone in the middle of a shopping mall for a lengthy, in-depth interview. Many
people may get tired of the lengthy interview and respond, "Let's get this over
with."
Better approach: To avoid self-selection bias, customers should be sent online
feedback, which eliminates the possibility of the sample being from the same
geographic area. Furthermore, when the feedback is distributed online, the
sample is not chosen by the people collecting the survey, ensuring that there is
no bias and that the sample is not limited to a group of people with similar
lifestyles