Importance of Research in Business Management: Case Studies Analysis

This article analyzes case studies in various subject areas of business management such as marketing, HRM, strategy, and tourism management. It focuses on the specific problems, research questions, information objectives, and subject areas relevant to each case study.

BUS703 Managing Research: Task 1 Answer Sheet
Name:
Student Number:
Date of Submission
Answer 1: Tyre Retailer
Answers Max
Marks
1.1 Problem and management decision (what is the specific problem or issue to be investigated?
What is the company seeking to find out? What do they not know, what management decisions
will be made?)
The specific problem which the case visits in the lack of customer centred ambience. The case
study mentions that the counter of the tyre outlet was too high for the female customers who
formed most of its retail customers. The counter had magazines which were about trucking and
content that appealed to the male customers. An analysis of this description would reveal that
the waiting counter of the tyre retailing outlets was not designed for female customers who
were important sources of its retail business (Olavarrieta and Villena 2014).
The company, through its CEO sought to find out the reason for its dwindling turnover and profit.
The management of the firm sought to dig into the factors which were responsible for the
demeaning market share.
The management of the firm was not aware that the layout of the counter and the lack of
appropriate seating arrangements for customers were repelling female customers.
The management would decide to bring about certain changes in the layout of the counter to
make it friendlier to customers. The first change would be lowering the height of the waiting
counter which would make it possible for the customers to speak to the staff more easily. The
second change which the management would bring about is, making sitting arrangements in the
waiting area where the customers would wait. The third change which the management of the
firm would bring about in the layout is that it would keep fashion magazines as well so that the
female customers would also get to read while waiting (Rangus and Slavec 2017). These changes
in the layout of the waiting counter would make the ambience of the tyre company more
appealing to the customers and enable the firm generate more business.
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1.2 Research question (What is the specific research question they should focus on? What
information is required to answer the management problem?).
The specific research question which the case study would focus on would be:
What is the relationship between the layout of retail outlets and business generation?
The researcher would obtain required the information form secondary secures of information
like articles, books and magazines. He can also gain information about the importance of the
ambience in creating customer satisfaction by surfing the internet. The researcher can also
converse with people to gain information on the relationship between customer satisfactions.
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1.3 (Information/Research) Objectives (Given the research question, what are the smaller sub-
questions or information objectives related to this research question that should be answered?
As a guide, minimum of three and no more than six).
The smaller sub questions which the case study and its analysis should answer are:
1. How is staff behaviour responsible for business generation?
2. How is diversity management important in bring about customer satisfaction?
3. What is the importance of retail businesses towards business generation in business
organisations?
4. What is the relationship between customer satisfaction and market position a business
organisation possesses?
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1.4 What is the subject area of business management that is relevant to this problem? (ie what
is your parent discipline e.g. marketing, HRM, strategy etc) and what are the keywords to use
when conducting a literature search of research that has been done about this issue? (about 10
words)
Subject area: Marketing, strategy, HRM
Keywords: Customer satisfaction, retail business, market competitiveness, profits
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Answer 2: Singaporean Management Consulting Company
Answers Max
Marks
2.1 Problem and management decision (what is the specific problem or issue to be investigated?
What is the company seeking to find out? What do they not know, what management decisions
will be made?)
The specific problem which the case study would address would be the importance of innovation
for the business organisations to adapt the market changes and sustain in the competition.
The management consulting company was seeking to gain information about the perception of
the employees working in it about the prevailing innovation climate.
It is evident form the discussion that the management of consulting firm was ignorant about the
perception of its staff regarding the innovation. The apex managers wanted to find out the extent
to which the staff of the firm held innovation important to adapt to the macroeconomic
conditions and sustain in the market (Visnjic, Wiengarten and Neely 2016).
The management of the firm, as mentioned in the case study would decide to create an
organisational ambience which would stimulate conception of new ideas and innovation
cantered around the expectations of the customers (Cheng, Yang and Sheu 2014).
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2.2 Research question (What is the specific research question they should focus on? What
information is required to answer the management problem?).
The specific research question which the study would aim to answer would be:
What is the significance of innovation towards adaptation and sustenance of business
organisations?
The researcher can gain information about the importance of innovation by consulting
secondary sources of information like newspapers, magazines and books. He can also converse
with people involved in bringing about innovation in organisation which they serve.
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2.3 (Information/Research) Objectives (Given the research question, what are the smaller sub-
questions or information objectives related to this research question that should be answered?
As a guide, minimum of three and no more than six).
The secondary questions which the study would answer would be:
What is the importance of innovation in business generation?
What role does the staff play in bringing about innovation?
How is innovation responsible for new product development?
Does innovation necessitate organisational changes?
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2.4 What is the subject area of business management that is relevant to this problem? (ie what
is your parent discipline e.g. marketing, HRM, strategy etc) and what are the keywords to use
when conducting a literature search of research that has been done about this issue? (about 10
words)
Subject area: HRM, Marketing
Keywords: Innovation, new product development, human resource management, organisational
change.
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Answer 3: Fast Moving Consumer Good (FMCG) Supply Chain
Answers Max
Marks
3.1 Problem and management decision (what is the specific problem or issue to be investigated?
What is the company seeking to find out? What do they not know, what management decisions
will be made?)
The specific problem with which the business is dealing with is the importance of supply chains
towards sustainability and competitive advantage of business operations (Ottman, J., 2017).
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3.2 Research question (What is the specific research question they should focus on? What
information is required to answer the management problem?).
What is the importance of supply chain in high organisational performances?
The researcher would gain information on supply chains and its relevance to the business. He
should in particular stress on supply chains in the FMCG sector (Stephen, A.T., 2016).
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3.3 (Information/Research) Objectives (Given the research question, what are the smaller sub-
questions or information objectives related to this research question that should be answered?
As a guide, minimum of three and no more than six).
What is the relationship between supply chain management and productivity in business
organisations?
What is difference between the role of supply chains in manufacturing industry compared to
service industry?
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3.4 What is the subject area of business management that is relevant to this problem? (ie what
is your parent discipline e.g. marketing, HRM, strategy etc) and what are the keywords to use
when conducting a literature search of research that has been done about this issue? (about 10
words)
Subject area: Supply chain management and marketing
Keywords: Supply chain management, marketing, sustainability and profit generation
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Answer 4: Health Festival
Answers Max
Marks
3.1 Problem and management decision (what is the specific problem or issue to be investigated?
What is the company seeking to find out? What do they not know, what management decisions
will be made?)
The specific problem which the case study would address is the importance of aligning needs and
expectations of customers with the product offerings of an event. The alignment of the two
aspects hold key to successful marketing and generation of revenue (Solomon et al. 2014).
The company is seeking to find out the importance of considering expectations of customers in
order to encertain effective execution of events.
The management of the event managing organisation was not aware about the ignorance
regarding importance of tourist motivation which prevailed among the stakeholders of the
tourist destination like local hotels and tourist serving firms (Liang, Wang and Xu 2016).
The management of the event organisation would decide to train and mentor these local firms
which served the tourists to market the destination in order to motivate tourists visit it.
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4.2 Research question (What is the specific research question they should focus on? What
information is required to answer the management problem?).
Specific question: How is tourist motivation important in achievement of business generation in
tourism based events in tourist destinations?
The researcher would gain information about from books and articles pertaining to tourism. He
should read travel and tourist magazines. He can also go and converse with the local tourism
firms (Mariani et al. 2014).
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4.3 (Information/Research) Objectives (Given the research question, what are the smaller sub-
questions or information objectives related to this research question that should be answered?
As a guide, minimum of three and no more than six).
The additional questions are:
What is the importance of marketing in tourism?
What role does promotion play in marketing mixes of tourism companies and events?
What application does STP have in the tourism industry?
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4.4 What is the subject area of business management that is relevant to this problem? (ie what
is your parent discipline e.g. marketing, HRM, strategy etc) and what are the keywords to use
when conducting a literature search of research that has been done about this issue? (about 10
words)
Subject area: Tourism management, hospitality management, marketing
Keywords: Tourism, marketing, profits, event management
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Scenario 5: Human Resources
Answers Max
Marks
5.1 Problem and management decision (what is the specific problem or issue to be investigated?
What is the company seeking to find out? What do they not know, what management decisions
will be made?)
5
5.2 Research question (What is the specific research question they should focus on? What
information is required to answer the management problem?).
5
5.3 (Information/Research) Objectives (Given the research question, what are the smaller sub-
questions or information objectives related to this research question that should be answered?
As a guide, minimum of three and no more than six).
10
5.4 What is the subject area of business management that is relevant to this problem? (ie what
is your parent discipline e.g. marketing, HRM, strategy etc) and what are the keywords to use
when conducting a literature search of research that has been done about this issue? (about 10
words)
Subject area…………………………………
Keywords…………………………
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References:
Cheng, C.C., Yang, C.L. and Sheu, C., 2014. The link between eco-innovation and business performance: a
Taiwanese industry context. Journal of Cleaner Production, 64, pp.81-90.
Liang, M., Wang, M. and Xu, S., 2016. The Study of Temple Tourism Brand Marketing—Taking Guangxiao
Temple as an Example. Chinese studies, 5(03), p.88.
Mariani, M.M., Buhalis, D., Longhi, C. and Vitouladiti, O., 2014. Managing change in tourism destinations:
Key issues and current trends. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 2(4), pp.269-272.
Olavarrieta, S. and Villena, M.G., 2014. Innovation and business research in Latin America: An
overview. Journal of Business Research, 67(4), pp.489-497..
Ottman, J., 2017. The new rules of green marketing: Strategies, tools, and inspiration for sustainable
branding. Routledge.
Rangus, K. and Slavec, A., 2017. The interplay of decentralization, employee involvement and absorptive
capacity on firms' innovation and business performance. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 120,
pp.195-203.
Solomon, M.R., Dahl, D.W., White, K., Zaichkowsky, J.L. and Polegato, R., 2014. Consumer behavior: Buying,
having, and being (Vol. 10). London: Pearson.
Stephen, A.T., 2016. The role of digital and social media marketing in consumer behavior. Current Opinion
in Psychology, 10, pp.17-21.
Visnjic, I., Wiengarten, F. and Neely, A., 2016. Only the brave: Product innovation, service business model
innovation, and their impact on performance. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 33(1), pp.36-52.