BUS703 Managing Research: Defining Research Problems & Objectives

This assignment provides solutions to several business scenarios by defining the core problem, formulating relevant research questions, outlining research objectives, and identifying relevant subject areas and keywords for literature review. The scenarios cover a tyre retailer facing market share decline, a Singaporean management consulting company seeking to foster innovation, an FMCG company aiming to maintain supply chain agility, a tourism organization promoting a health festival, and a healthcare facility addressing employee absenteeism and detachment. Each scenario includes a detailed breakdown of the problem, corresponding research questions to guide the investigation, specific research objectives to achieve, and relevant keywords for conducting a literature search. This assignment showcases a structured approach to problem-solving and research design in various business contexts. Desklib offers a wide range of such solved assignments and past papers to aid students in their studies.

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 well-known tyre retailer in Australia aims at investigating the reason behind 25% decline in
their market share year on year.
The Company is seeking to find the reason to their decreasing market share that inspite of selling
well-known brands such as Good Year and Dunlop. Majorly the customers of the Company are
female cash customers and the Company had inappropriate ambience to cater to them, which
resulted in their dissatisfaction. The Company stores had high retail desks and moreover,
magazines were mainly truck and cars which failed to attract female customers. The Company’s
stores provided ambience which suited only tall men customers, such as truck drivers.
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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?).
 What is the reason behind customer dissatisfaction?
 What ways the retailer caters to their customers?
 What is the customer segment of the Company?
 How does the ambience of the retail stores affect customers?
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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).
Research Objectives;
 To ascertain the reason behind customer dissatisfaction
 To analyse ways the retailer caters to their customers
 To determine in details the customer segment of the Company
 To understand the ambience of the retail stores impact on customers
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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 ……………
Keywords…… Service Strategy or store layout in retail..……………
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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 Singapore Management Consulting Company needs to determine staff and employee
perception on adopting innovative climate.
Management needs to decide supporting staff role such that cost-effective evidence-based
method could allow establishment of in-house research method.
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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?).
Research Questions
 What factor can allow competitiveness to the Management Consultancy Company?
 How can innovativeness contribute to the Company?
 In what ways staff’s perception matters to adopt the process of innovation?
 How can cost effective methods be adopted for in-house innovation?
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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).
Research Objective
 To determine factors which can allow competitiveness to the Management Consultancy
Company
 To understand ways in which innovativeness contribute to the Company
 To analyse staff’s perception while adopting the process of innovation
 To analyse cost effective methods be adopted for in-house innovation
10
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………Strategy…………………
Keywords……………Innovation, Organization Climate………
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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 FMCG Company need to continuously devise ways and means such that its Laundry and
Home Care division is able to sustain to cost pressures by maintaining supply chain initiatives.
The Company has been able to establish ways for its FMCG and branded goods product to
achieve success, however for its Laundry and Home Care division it needs to maintain agility,
which can pose a challenge.
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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?).
Research Questions
 How can a FMCG Company derive agility in its supply chain?
 How can the FMCG business provide competitiveness to its Laundry and Home Care
products?
 In which manner can staffs contribute towards Laundry and Home Care products to
maintain its agility?
5
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).
Research Objectives
 To establish ways in which a FMCG Company can deliver agility in its supply chain
 To understand ways in which the FMCG business provide competitiveness to its Laundry
and Home Care products
 To understand ways staffs contribute towards Laundry and Home Care products to
maintain its agility
10
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 ………………………
Keywords………Agility, Marketing, Competitiveness…………………
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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 tourism organization is unaware regarding motivations of international tourists in attending
particular festivals. The Company has to be made aware off the varied tourism marketing
strategies and aligned them to visitor’s needs and demands. There needs to be conducted
analysis of socio-demographic factors to assess needs of tourists.
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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?).
Research Questions
 What is the aim of the tourism organization?
 What is the focus of the health festival being hosted in the region?
 What are the factors which determine motivations for international travellers?
 How can festivals be adequately marketed?
5
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).
Research Objectives
 To understand the aim of the tourism organization
 To analyse the focus of the health festival being hosted in the region
 To determine the factors which determine motivations for international travellers
 To ascertain ways in which festivals be adequately marketed
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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……Marketing……………………………
Keywords………Tourism Marketing or Travel and Tourism 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?)
The CEO of a health care facility wants to analyse the reason behind frequent absenteeism and
detachment of employees and staffs. The management is facing challenges related to its
employees being absent, from fatigue, burnout, or work-related stress. In presence of programs
to address the issue, it is possible to tackle this problem and overcome it as well. There is a IT
system which employees need to learn also they need to treat their patients appropriately and
not as customers.
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5.2 Research question (What is the specific research question they should focus on? What
information is required to answer the management problem?).
Research Questions
 What issue majorly impacts staffs and employees working at health care facilities?
 What is the factors related to frequent absenteeism of staffs and employees?
 What programs implemented can result in better employee/ staff morale?
 How can employees and staffs be motivated?
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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).
Research Objectives
 To analyse issues impacting staffs and employees working at health care facilities
 To understand the factors related to frequent absenteeism of staffs and employees
 To determine programs implemented can result in better employee/ staff morale
 To ascertain ways by which employees and staffs be motivated
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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……Human Resource Management……………………………
Keywords…………Employee Engagement, Employee Motivation, Employee Stress Management,
Healthcare Management ………………
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