Student Reflection: Business Research Methods Assignment Analysis

This assignment presents a student's reflective analysis of their work on a business research methods assignment. The student details their learning journey, focusing on secondary research and the influence of social media marketing on consumer buying behavior. The reflection covers the initial lack of knowledge regarding consumer decision-making processes, research methodologies, and the evolution of marketing strategies. It highlights the shift from traditional marketing to the dominance of online platforms, particularly social media, and its impact on consumer behavior. The student analyzes the buying patterns of different demographics, including the younger generation and women, and the importance of providing detailed product information to informed consumers. The reflection also discusses the research gaps, the limitations of the study, and the practical application of the acquired knowledge in a professional setting. Overall, the student emphasizes the significant learning experience gained through the assignment, underscoring the crucial role of social media marketing in modern business models.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD
Business research method
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD
Reflective
I have conducted the first and the second part of the assignment and has been able to
gain knowledge regarding the use of social media and buying behaviour of the consumers. I
have conducted the secondary research, which has helped me to understand the difference
between the theories and the practical use of the data of the theories. Social media marketing
has taken over the tradition form of marketing and the companies in the market are
incorporating the social media marketing in to the business model of the organizations. I have
realised that social media has the competition in the market to be more intense as it has
decreased the switching cost of the products. The market trends are fluctuating and the
companies are trying to incorporate unique selling propositions to their products to grab the
attention of the consumers in the market.
During conducting the literature review I have analyzed various articles which has
thrown light on the type of the consumers in the online platform. Even though there are large
number of users in the online platform not all of them are capable of influencing the buying
behaviour of other consumers. I had gained knowledge about the online insiders, the social
clickers, and the impact of each of them on the purchase decisions of the consumers. I have
researched secondary data by reviewing various articles and journals which has provided me
with the perspective of various authors. I have been able to understand that Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram is being sued by the multinational companies for promoting their products.
There are consumers who are regularly follow the updates of various products on the
company social page which is a major source of information for the buyers. I have realized
that majority of the buyers in the online platform are of the younger generation and they have
in depth knowledge about the use of the online for making purchase decisions and actual
purchase of the products. I have seen a new trend in the market where everyone is looking for

2BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD
thorough information about various products, the consumers in the present day has become
more critical about the analysis of the product and they evaluate a lot of information and
options before making their purchase decisions. However, the buying behaviour of the
consumers are affected by demographics which may include gender and age.
After analyzing, the secondary data I have found out that purchasing behaviour of
women are very diverse from the purchase behaviour of men. The products that are popular
among the men are not that popular among the women. Thus, it can be seen that the
companies are using different approaches for grabbing the attention of the consumers. This
study has helped me to understand the consumer buying decision process and the post buying
process. I have gained an in-depth knowledge about the whole and how it can be used for the
benefit of the organizations. Initially I had no knowledge about the consumer decision
making process before the commencement of the research but I have to gain considerable
amount of information about the factors that affect the buying decision of the consumers.
Initially I had no idea about the objective and aim of the research. I had no idea about the
research methodology and the format of a proposal. I had researched a lot of papers on the
internet which has helped to identify the various ways of approaching a literature review and
research proposal. I had learned about the research philosophies and research approaches
which has helped to identify the appropriate approach for conducting this research
philosophy. I had no understanding about sampling and the methods that are used for the
primary analysis of the data. It was difficult to understand the various techniques and to
choose the appropriate ones for establishing the existing theories. I was able to gather a lot of
information about the existing theories which will help me further ahead in this field of
research. It took me a lot of time to identify the objective and the topic for the research. The
selection of the topic and the objective of the project is one of the major factors which ash
helped me in developing the hypothesis of the project and outlining the various theories that

3BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD
will have to be included in the literature review. I have gained knowledge about the various
statistical tool which will help me further in similar type of projects.
Thus, I can say that this study has been a learning experience for me and I have been
able to gain immense knowledge about the buying behaviour of the consumers and the impact
of the social media marketing. I had no idea that social media marketing has become an
essential part of the business model of every organization and it is less expensive than the
traditional form of media. The social media has changed the perspective of the consumers but
I could have never imagined that the impact will be of such magnitude. There lot of research
gaps which are associated with this topic. This topic is a wide topic and I have not been able
to cover every aspect of the study. Culture and values of each community is different and it
can be considered as a major factor for influencing the buying behaviour of the consumers.
However, this research topic is unable to analyse and establish this factor.
Thus, I can conclude by saying that this has been a great learning experience for me
and I will be able to further utilize this knowledge in evaluating other projects which are
related to this topic. When I join an organization, I will be able to utilize this knowledge to
meet the goals and objectives of the organization in which I will work. However, the most
important thing that I have learned is that traditional form media is dead and son will become
obsolete and overall promotion of the products will be dependent on the online media.