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MKT.
4083
MARKETING RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
FALL 2006
INSTRUCTOR: DR.
GAIL HUDSON, Professor of Marketing, Dept. of Mgmt.& Mktg.
OFFICE: 403 BU HOURS: BY APPOINTMENT
PHONE: 972-3430 (O) 932-6813 (H) fax: 870-972-3833
E-MAIL: ghud@astate.edu
WEB SITE: www.clt.astate.edu/ghud
OBJECTIVES:
1. To understand and use the marketing decision
making process that includes every phase of information gathering and analysis
along with the ethical implications of these decisions.
2. To familiarize the student (through hands on use) with secondary data
sources, collection of primary data, experimental design, measurement issues,
data analysis and presentation.
3. To understand the research implications of specific marketing decisions
through the use of classroom and project examples.
4. To familiarize the student with the research process by providing the
opportunity to take part in a group research project at every stage of
development from problem definition through data collection, analysis and
written presentation.
5. To develop the necessary writing skills for the effective communication of
research results through classroom and outside assignments.
PREREQUISITES:
MARKETING
(MKTG. 3013), BUSINESS STATISTICS I, APPLIED RESEARCH
(completed-save your notes save
and your
SPSS manual)
TEXTBOOK:
MARKETING RESEARCH ESSENTIALS, 5th edition by
Carl McDaniel and Roger Gates, 2006, John Wiley Publishing.
COURSE OUTLINE AND
APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Readings and Assignments
Week
1:
(8/23-8/25)
Chapter
1
Introduction to Course structure// Define research and understand the role
of research in marketing decision making and strategy,
Assignment: Q's 1, 3,8,9,10, 1.1 case q#1,2 p. 15-17. Read Ch. 1 carefully and
then carefully and very completely respond to each assigned question.
Week 2:
(8/30-9/1)
Chapter 2 and Chapter 3
sources,
types, management of information/secondary data.
Use of Secondary Data in Research-the pro's and con's of primary vs. secondary
data; evaluating its quality and specific examples of its use in Marketing. .
Read the article and outline the research process used in this study.
Relate the study process to the research research process described in Chapter
2.
Assignment:
Identify
the appropriate research problem or management decision for each of the stated
scenarios
Part 5 of project
Week 3: (9/6-9/8)
Chapter 15
Ethical Considerations in Research-the four parties involved in the research
process-their responsibilities and their expectations for other parties.
Ethics Notes
Week 4: (9/13-9/15)
Exam I
(1-3,15)/Chapter 4
Exploratory and Qualitative Research-under what conditions is this type of
research appropriate and how does it differ from quantitative research.
Assignment: Q's 2,3,4,5 p. 62
Week
5: (9/20-9/22)
Chapters 5/6
Observation-what type of information can be measured using this technique.
What are the advantages and disadvantages.
Assignment: Q's 1,2,3,6,7,11-different techniques using Internet p. 131
Q's 3,4,7,9 p. 156
Week 6: (9/27-9/29)
Chapter7
Experimental Research Designs-under what conditions is causality
demonstrated in research. What are the types of validity used in
experimental design and how is this validity threatened. What are the
basic types of experimental designs how do they differ-pre, true and quasi.
Assignment: Q's 3,7,8,10,12 p. 188
Week 7: (10/4-10/6)
Chapter 7 cont./Ch. 8 begin
Week
8: (10/11-10/13) Exam
II (4-7) /
Chapter 8/9
Measurement of Research Concepts-what are the characteristics of the number
system and how are these issues reflected in marketing measure and the standard
levels of measurement that we learned about in Applied Research. What is
the relationship between operational and conceptual definitions of marketing
constructs.
Assignment: Q's
1,2,3,5,6,8,16,17 p. 231
Questionnaire
Design-besides common sense, what are the guidelines for designing effective
questionnaires? Can we recognize good questions from bad ones?
Assignment:
Evaluation of Questionnaire Handout
Assignment: Q's 1,2,3,7,9 p. 264
Week
9: (10/18-10/20)
Chapter 10/ Coding of Questionnaire
Notes for Ch. 10
Sampling Procedures and Design-what are the different ways to conduct a
sample, what errors may result and when does a census make sense?
Assignment: Q's 1,3,4,5,6,7 p. 291
Week 10: (10/25-10/27)
Chapter 11
Sample Size Determination-what is the relationship between sample size and
other relevant statistical concepts that we learned about in Stat I and Applied
Research? In what ways do sample size issues impact management's ability
to make sound decisions?
Assignment: Q's 1, 3,4,6,8 p. 313-314
Week
11: (11/1-11/3)
Chapter 12 Notes for Ch. 12
Basic Data Analysis: Descriptive
and inferential techniques. Understand
what type of data is relevant to each and can we recognize conditions under
which we would choose one technique over another?
Assignment:
Q's 6,9-12 p. 357
Week 12: (11/8-11/10) Exam
III (8-10)/
Chapter 11 Notes for Ch. 13
Analysis for: Differences in Groups and Relationships among Variables-a
continuation of basis data analysis. Under what conditions do we use the
techniques described in this chapter, what hypothesis is relevant to each and
can we recognize the conditions under which we choose one technique over the
other?
Assignment:
Q's 1,2,3,5,7 p. 376 Statistical
Examples
Summary
Statistical Examples with Answers
Week 13: (11/15-11/17)
Ch 12 and Ch. 13
Week
14: (11/29-12/6) Complete
data analysis/ Exam IV
CONDUCT
OF THE COURSE:
EXAM FORMAT: Short answer and objective questions;
Each exam will contain approximately 25 multiple choice questions and 4 short
answer-type questions.
MAKEUP
POLICY: I must be notified in advance
that you will miss an exam in order for you to make it up. Without notification
you will take the exam during the final exam period. Legitimate reasons include
due to illness-bring a note from your doctor, due to business-bring a note from
your supervisor, a death in the family-bring a note from a family member, and
other reasons that will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Call the department
secretary or e-mail me, BEFORE the time of the exam.
DISABILITY: If
you have a learning or physical disability that may affect your performance in
the classroom, see the Disabilities Center on campus and bring the appropriate
paperwork to me for assistance. If you have questions about these issues please
see me.
HONESTY:
If you are caught cheating on any project, homework
or exam you will receive a zero for that assignment with no opportunity to make
up that work. An additional honesty
statement will be signed for the group research process.
ATTENDANCE: On days when the research project is
discussed, your attendance is MANDATORY! You are ALWAYS responsible for
assignments and material covered on days that you are not in class.
HOMEWORK:
Students
will be responsible for a variety of homework assignments relating to class
discussion and chapter reading assignments. Grading will depend on obvious
effort and the extent to which the student demonstrates an understanding of
the assigned material and carefully answers the questions that are asked.
Homework
that is not turned in or e-mailed on its due date will receive reduced credit (½).
It is the student’s responsibility to explain and document any circumstances
that they believe deserve additional consideration. Late homework is only
accepted until the exam covering the applicable chapter takes place.
GROUP RESEARCH PROJECT: Your
research project will be a group project based on a topic chosen by me. You must
develop a proposal, an appropriate questionnaire and then carry out your
proposed project. This means you will collect the appropriate data, analyze and
interpret your results. You are required to write up your research findings and
develop appropriate strategy suggestions for the stated research problem on
which your proposal was based. Use the format presented on the proposal grading
form included in this document and the final project grading form for the
written report. Questionnaire design is discussed in Ch. 11. We will take
some class time to answer questions as you find that you need help or direction
in carrying out your group project. I am happy to read rough drafts of each part
of your project if they are completed before the due date. The majority of your
time on this project will be spent outside of class; plan your time accordingly.
These projects are of the type that CANNOT be done at the last minute and must
be carefully planned and carried out over the course of the next 15 weeks. Due
dates for each section of the project will be announced. Each group member will
be evaluated after each section of the project. When there is sufficient
difficulty in getting each member to participate, those non-participating
members will be fired, and required to complete the project individually.
A.
RESEARCH PROPOSAL (20% OF PROJECT GRADE)
See evaluation form included in this syllabus.
B. QUESTIONNAIRE (20% OF PROJECT GRADE)
See Chapter 11 in your text for guidelines.
C. INDIVIDUAL DATA ENTRY (10% OF PROJECT GRADE)
D. DATA SET CLEANING AND LABELING (10% OF PROJECT GRADE)
E. ANALYSIS AND COMPLETE REPORT OF ENTIRE PROJECT (40% OF PROJECT GRADE)
GRADING AND EVALUATION: EXAMS (4) 50%
HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENTS 10%
INDIVIDUAL SECONDARY DATA
RESEARCH PROJECT 15%
PRIMARY DATA GROUP PROJECT 25%
GRADING SCALE: A=90-100; B=89-80; C=79-70; D=69-60; F=59 OR BELOW
**Any adjustments to the above scale will occur ONLY at the end of the semester
AFTER reviewing the grade distribution of the entire class.
Individual
grades will be posted to each student’s account at http://blackboard6.astate.edu.
You will be automatically enrolled in this course, make sure that you have a
blackboard 6 account. After each exam and as
homework assignments are graded, you may login to this site and view your
scores.
Research Proposal
Evaluation
/5 Executive Summary-briefly summarize each major
section of the proposal.
/5 Background
Information provided by the client
Relevant secondary data relating to the research topic
/25 Problem Definition
Mgmt. Decision Problem-the decision facing management
Research Problem and Objectives-the specific information needed to answer the
decision facing management.
/25
Research
Design-exploratory or descriptive
Kinds of questions you will ask-based on research problem. Sample questions for
each stated information need/research objective.
Method of administration of data collection-make sure that question format,
length of questionnaire, time frame for research is consistent with your chosen
method of administration.
Scaling techniques-question format
Nature of Questionnaire-how it will be laid out
Specific Sampling Plan-define target population carefully and how the
respondents will be selected.
/15
Field
Work/Data Collection
How collected
Control of the data collection process/pretest/training/verifying
(How will you make sure that we all do our work correctly??)
/25
Data
Analysis
Kind of data you will generate based on the question format chosen
Analysis tied to information needs that are defined in research problem. You
must be very specific as to how this analysis will generate the information
necessary to make the specific management decision stated in your proposal.
(Identify each research objective-questions you might ask for
each-analysis suggested as a result)
/100
Total
Comments:
HONESTY
STATEMENT FOR
FALL 2005 RESEARCH PROJECT
1.
The phone log that I am turning in is an accurate representation of every
phone call made for this research project.
- Each
completed questionnaire that I have turned in is an accurate
representation of the telephone interview that I conducted.
- Each
completed questionnaire is the result of a legitimate interview from a randomly
selected name from my phone list/sampling frame.
- I
understand that any evidence to the contrary that suggests that the data
that I represented as legitimate is not will result in a grade of zero for
the entire group research project. (Completed
questionnaires will be randomly selected and verified by an outside caller.
If the respondent will not verify that they completed the survey for
you, the data will be considered false).
_____________________________
__________________________
Name
Date
Evaluation of Final
Group Research Projects
I. Title Page
II. Table of Contents
III. List of Tables and Graphs and their page number location (either in text or
create an appendix)
IV.
Executive Summary
Concisely define the research problem and its design/Summarize the major project results,
conclusions and recommendations
Points Possible 5
V.
Problem Definition
Background information provided to us by the client
Any secondary data we used to better understand nature of the problem
Clear statement of the management decision problem and research objectives
Points Possible 5
VI.
Research Design
Nature of the
research design-very specific details of how research was conducted: data collection process
from beginning to end. Questionnaire development-scaling
used (by research objective) and pre-testing (include a copy of q'naire)/sampling techniques used/field
work performed/control processes in place
Points Possible 20
VII.
Data Analysis
Evaluation of the representativeness of your resulting data sample-does the
sample look like the population from which it was drawn? Compare the two
distributions (on some key variable) and make some comments about the "fit".
Evaluate each research objective individually-(refer to specific question(s) on q'naire,
number of variables, level of measurement, appropriate
analysis)
Points Possible 20
VIII.
Results
Organized in a coherent and logical way for EACH research objective/Geared
directly to the components of the research problem and information needs/ Each
research objective is clearly answered.
Appropriate use of tables and graphs/clear and understandable//Clear
discussion in the text portion of the report
Points Possible 20
IX.
Limitations
Potential for errors-honest evaluation of your research process-where could we
improve our process if we were to do this project again. How might you have
worked differently? How do these
limitations affect our conclusions?
Points Possible 5
X.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Interpret the results in light of the research objective addressed//Make recommendations
based on the results and conclusions//Feasible, practical and actionable
strategy recommendations for each research objective.
Points Possible 20
XI. Appendices (tables, charts (unless part of text) and relevant SPSS
output)
XII.
Well Written and Well Organized, Easy to Understand
Points Possible 5
Comments:
Project
Grade: ___________
PEER EVALUATION PROCEDURE FOR GROUP PROJECTS-USED
AFTER EACH PORTION OF PROJECT-YOU WILL FILL ONE OF THESE OUT THREE
TIMES DURING THE SEMESTER.
1.
List each person in your group, including yourself. Put your name first on the
list at the bottom of this form.
2.
Indicate by percentage, the contribution of each participating individual member
to your group project. You will be using one form for each component of your
project.
3.
The percentage given to any participating individual member can vary between 70%
to 130%.
4.
Total group contribution must average out to 100%. (Add each contribution and
divide by the number of people in your group, this must equal 100%).
5.
A percentage of 0 MUST be given to group members who do not participate, for any
reason whatsoever, in the production of this project.
6.
If a 0 percentage is assigned to a group member, the average of 100% for the
group will be determined by excluding this member.
7.
Consider such aspects as:
-time spent in individual preparation before meetings.
-attendance at meetings.
-contribution of ideas (content), as opposed to simply doing what they are
told.
-telephoning, arranging meetings, etc.
-willingness to participate (eagerness, enthusiasm).
-participation in writing any of the components.
-participation in organizing for the typist or doing the actual typing (Since
this is NOT a typing class, typing the report CANNOT satisfy an individual's
sole contribution.
-would you be willing to work with these people on future projects?
-EACH PERSON IN YOUR
GROUP MUST PARTICIPATE OR RECEIVE A ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT
50%--60%--70%--80--90--100%--110%--120%-130%-140%-150%
Almost
Fair Share
Very Large
No Contribution
Contribution
Contribution
Names:
Contribution
1. _________________
_______
2._________________
_______
3._________________
_______
4._________________
_______
5._________________
_______
Average Contribution 1 0 0 %
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