MKT4460 Group Assignment 2

25 Points

This assignment is a continuation of the group task 1. Consider the grocery store scenario that was mentioned in group assignment 1. In group assignment 1, you were given the task to identify the type of problem (discovery-oriented problem), figure out the probable factors that might be affecting the store’s sales and develop a research problem using a box and arrow diagram. Now you proceed to the next step of the marketing research process where you will need to design a study to identify what might be the probable cause/s of the decline in sales. For looking at the different causes, consider the box and arrow diagram given in the next page. Note the following things about the box and arrow diagram before you start answering the questions below:

i) If the arrow’s head is towards a box that means the variable in the box (where the arrow’s head is) affects the variable in the box from where the arrow originated. E.g. “Revenue/Sales” is affected by “Number of shoppers/customers”.

ii) The boxes in grey are the variables you as a firm/owner can directly affect which can further affect other variables in the model. E.g. You can improve “customer service” through employee training programs, which can lead to an increase in “Customer satisfaction” which can increase the number of “Returning customers” and in turn increasing overall the “Number of shoppers” visiting the store and that can finally increase “Sales”.

iii) There is a hierarchy of the variables such that we have started from the broadest ones and then went to finer one. For designing the study consider any one of the grey boxes and the corresponding box where the green arrow from the grey box goes (e.g. safety and cleanliness     customer satisfaction) and then answer the following:

1.   What is your dependent variable, factor and factor levels? What type of factor is it? (4 points)

2.   Explain your research study and mention what type of research study are you going to use to test the relationship between the two variables and why? (Hint: consider the following questions: Are you going to consider a control cell? How many and what levels of the factor/Independent variables are you going to test? Are you going to manipulate factor levels?) (12 points)

3.   Why did you consider this study design (and not the other designs mentioned in the slides and the videos) to be the most appropriate to test the research problem you chose? (4 points)

4.   Show the experimental design of the research study you have developed (using “X’s” and “O’s’”). (5 points)

Notes:

•   There is no one right answer to the above questions.

•   Follow a logical path.

•    Don’t quote definitions from the slides or copy and paste from the slides. I am interested to see your effort and understanding.

•    Provide the names of all your group members who participated and your group number. Those who don’t participate will not receive points for the assignment.

•   Upload your solution under assignment 2 as a word file on Canvas.