PART (A)
This assessment requires analysis of a real-world case. You are to design a research strategy for the SCHOOLIES case,. Your research proposal should not be written as an academic essay, but in a business style as if you were a marketing research firm pitching for this contract. However, you must still reference the sources used to justify your assertions.
Use 1.5 line spacing, and either ARIAL or TIMES NEW ROMAN 12 point font.
The research proposal should be structured as follows:
1. In your own words, outline the management decision problem (MDP) statement/question, the marketing research problem (MRP) statement/question, and research objectives. Provide a brief rationale for your MDP and MRP (2 pages maximum).
2. Describe your proposed research design, utilizing mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative), to address the MRP (3 pages maximum).
3. Provide a sample of your data collection instrument, such as a focus group moderators guide or a questionnaire. You do not need to prepare an entire questionnaire. Provide examples of the type of questions recommended to address your research objectives (1 page maximum).
4. Describe your proposed sampling plans, data collection procedures, and data analysis techniques, for both your qualitative and quantitative stages (2 pages maximum).
5. Acknowledge the key limitations of your research design (1 page maximum).
(2500 words) 10 pages approx.
in details and headings (part A)
1.Cover page
2.Exec summary
3.Table of content
4.Problem statement {total 2 pages}
-Background:
-Decision Marketing Key Words:
-Management Decision Problem:
In the case of Schoolies Week the management decision problem is:
should …..
-Marketing Research Problem:
To determine …
Rationale paragraph, (image, marketing principles)
– Research objectives: ( 3 objectives required )
1.
2.
3.
Research design: (3 pages use mixed methods)
Objective 1 = qual explanation, method (focus group)
Objective2= quant explanation, identify the perception measure, method??
Objective 3 =
5.WCF/ example data collection survey example
6.Sampling plan (qual, quant) 2 pages
7.Data collection
-qual,
-quant)
data analysis:
-qual,
-quant)
8.Limitation (1 or2 pages)
-Justify
-Cross sectional
PART (B) 2 pages maximum):
This section of your report is not in any way related to the case study information. Rather, it has been included to enable you to demonstrate to the reader your ability as a marketing researcher to undertake data analysis. From the PASW (formerly SPSS) file AMN403 Assessment 3 data set Semester 1 2013, which has been uploaded to Blackboard, undertake and report the following data analyses
Independent-samples t-tests to determine any significant statistical differences between international students and domestic students for Question 5 items: 1 to 20.
Analysis of variance (ANOVA) to determine any significant statistical differences by YEAR STARTED DEGREE for Question 5 items: 1 though to 20.
Bivariate correlation coefficient matrix to identify any STRONG and significant associations between item 20 and items 1 to 19
Problem statement
Background
‘Schoolies’ week is a major tourism attraction event, which takes place annually at the Gold Coast, Australia. The event, which attracts many sponsors and participants, is usually attended by students who have completed their Year 12 (the final year at high school). The following is the event’s problem statement.
Management Decision Problems
What can be done to reduce ‘Shoolies’ negative publicity?
What innovations can be introduced to reduce ‘Schoolies’ harmful behavior?
What actions can be taken to avoid violence and public drunkenness and predatory sexual behavior by older males, during ‘Schoolies’ occasions?
How can the negative perception of the members of the community against ‘Schoolies’ be changed?
What actions can be taken to curb the media’s negative publicity of the ‘Schoolies’?
What information can be gathered to justify the financial commitments of ‘Schoolies’?
What actions can be taken to show the locals that ‘Schoolies’ is a worthy public project?
Justification
Since the ‘Schoolies’ events were started in 1975, many negative behaviors have resulted in the events’ negative publicity, and actions needs to be taken to address this problem, if the event is going to get public good will. This negative publicity has been as a result of negative behaviors, such as drunkenness, which cause civil disturbances in the main street. As such, the actions that should be undertaken to rescue the good name of this project, should focus on changing the behavior of the students who participate, because this is the root cause of problems. Despite its perceived social economic benefits, the role of the state government as a financier of the event has faced many hurdles because some groups, including the members of the opposition have argued that the event is largely benefiting the private sector such as the hotels along the beach, hence not worth the sponsorship. This calls for a deliberate action by the government to ensure that the real benefit of the event to the members of the public is evident, to justify its financial commitment.
Marketing Research Problem (MRP) questions/statement
Why do the media and the public consider ‘Schoolies’ as a negative project that is not worthy commitment of public resources?
Why do the youth who attend the ‘Schoolies’ engage in negative behavior?
Why does the opposition find the budgetary allocation on ‘Schoolies’ as not worthy?
What are the benefits of holding ‘Schoolies’ events?
What are the factors that encourage volunteers to support ‘Schoolies’
What are the social economics benefits of ‘Schoolies’ to the locals?
Justification
Schoolies has become so popular to the extent that other similar events have started to operate, and this means that the event holders must undertake deliberate marketing strategies to ensure the event remains competitive, to avoid losing clientele to the rival organizers. In this regards, it has become critical to collect the information on the causes of the problems that the event is currently facing, such as what has caused its negative publicity; as well as the reason that could lead to its success, such as encouraging of volunteers support, among many others.
Research objectives
To encourage more volunteers to support ‘Schoolies’;
To find justification for financial commitment of’ Schoolies’;
To find the causes negative behaviors during ‘Schoolies’ events;
To find ways of ensuring ‘Schoolies’ competitive advantages.
Proposed mixed method to address MRP
The proposed Research design
This study will take the form of both qualitative and quantitative approaches (mixed methods). The quantitative and qualitative research methodologies will be used to expediently differentiate contrasting research strategies, which will essentially depend on the nature of the research question or the problem being examined. As Gay (1996) explicates, quantitative and qualitative techniques presents corresponding aspects of the scientific study method, whereby the quantitative approaches are concerned with testing of hypothesis (primary deduction) while qualitative approaches are concerned with generating of hypothesis (primary induction).
The complementary use of qualitative and quantitative methodologies has gained popularity as they are used in formulating wide innovations in science and social research. This provides a better array of perspectives and insights and allows substantiation of the results by different methods of triangulation, which boosts the general validity of findings and improves the usefulness of the study.
The participants will be sent an invitation to take part in the focus group whereby the objective of the study will be explained comprehensively. The qualitative research interview will be conducted to identify the expectations and needs of the students during the event. Furthermore, focus group will be used to extract the participants’ feelings, attitudes, reactions and experiences in a manner that is not possible with the ordinary interview. This includes one-on-one interviewing and observations of the participants with respect to issues that affect Schoolies.
An opinion survey will be designed in the form of a questionnaire, which shall also be used as a measuring instrument. Berg (1998) provides that use of questionnaires to perform surveys is one of the most common methods of collecting data, which can be used to measure important issues that affects the marketability of a product or service, including beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, characteristics, opinions, and expectations among many others. As such, the use of a questionnaire will be suitable for measuring different issues that affect holding of Schoolies every year.
To further assist in collection data, an interview will be conducted to identify the expectations and needs of the stakeholders, which will entail the expectations and needs of managers of the firms that benefit from Schoolie. Kvale (1983) has provided that a qualitative research interview can be used to collect information that explains more about the real-life situation of the of the respondents, which in this case stands for needs and expectations, with regards to the inference of the meaning of the descriptive phenomena, which in this case stands for the market issues that affect Schoolie . The purpose of the qualitative research interview will also include collection of information regarding the likes and dislikes of the respondents, the knowledge of the respondents, the thoughts and attitudes of the respondents as well as their experience (Bless & Higson, 1995).
An open-ended approach allows the respondents to give answers in a flexible manner, which also allows the researcher to ask inquisitive questions, which enhances follow-up. This approach is the most common form of interviewing because its open-ended design allows respondents to give detailed responses, hence speaking volumes of their experiences and perspectives. For the purpose of this study, and due to the importance of getting detailed and unbiased information from the respondents, the researcher will also make use of a standardized open-ended interview. The idea of allowing the respondents to give their opinions and experiences in as much detail as they wish to allow easy coding of data since it is extremely difficult for the researcher to identify common themes from the open-ended questions.
Before data collection, the researcher will conceptualize and consider the ideas, but in accordance with the suggestions of Neuman (2003), creation of new processes and new ideas during data collection will be important. The data that will be collected will have to be purposefully focused on answering the research questions, a concept that was echoed by Creswell (2005). In addition, the forms that will be used for data collection will be designed in accordance with the research questions as well as the information that will be collected during the interview.
Data collection instruments – questionnaire
The following questionnaire was filled by the students:
What is your age?
What is your gender?
Male
Female
When did you start attending Schoolies?
2013
2012
2011
2010
Before 2010, please specify
Which place did you attend your Schoolies?
Port Macquarie
Gold Coast
Byron Bay
Cruise
Whit Sundays
Other, please specify
Where did you get the information about Schoolies?
Friends
Newspapers
Television
Family members
Magazines
Past Schoolies
Others, please specify
When you first attended Schoolies, did you find it as you expected? If no, give reasons.
Did the negative publicity by the media affect your decision regarding Schoolies in any way?
Do you believe that the media has given the true picture of Schoolies? Give reasons.
Do you think the government is justified in continuing with its funding of schooling?
Why do you think students engage in negative behaviors when they attend Schoolies?
What strategies do you think can be put in place to stop negative behaviors during Schoolies?
Do you think the Schoolies benefits the community in any way? If not, who do you think benefits from the events?
If you were to attend another Schoolies, what improvements would you like to find?
Would you give money to your children to attend Schoolie in the future? If no, why?
Do you have any additional comments about Schoolies, you would like to make?
Sampling plan, data collection procedures and data analysis
The researcher will use purposive sampling for the qualitative study and simple random sampling for the quantitative part. Simple sampling will be selected for the quantitative part because no complexity is involved in the selection process. A purposeful sampling (also called judgmental sampling) is based on the fact that the researcher is capable of selecting the participants who are effectively suited to meet the purpose of the study. This method of sampling will ensure that an extensive and thorough assessment is conducted and hence the researcher will be able to obtain a better understanding of the strategies that can be undertaken to ensure running of Schoolies is successful. In the selection of purposive sampling, it is conceived that sampling for proportionality is not of the essence; furthermore, purposive sampling is ideal for reaching the targeted sample in a speedy manner (Neuman, 2003).
The populations in question will have different groups of participants, who will take part in the opinion survey. A total of 100 students who attend the event will be targeted for the quantitative study, which will be conducted through a survey. These students will be selected from the current years’ Schoolies. To facilitate collection of data from the firms that benefits from the event along the beach, focus groups, which will involve selection of managers of those firms, will be conducted in a customized manner. The participants of the focus groups will be selected through a purposive sampling technique, which is considered to be more convenient for this study (Terre & Durham, 1999)……………………………………………….
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