Business Research Reflection Report: Perceived Quality Impact

This report is a reflection on business research conducted to understand the influence of perceived quality on customer choices within the retail industry. The student learned the importance of creating a unique image to gain a competitive advantage and the significance of differentiated marketing strategies. Key takeaways include the strategic importance of product and service quality, the application of SERVQUAL dimensions, and the impact of store image on customer perception. The research also covered strategies that competitors cannot replicate, such as differentiation and modifications. Furthermore, the report delves into consumer behavior, the characteristics of frequent and non-frequent shoppers, and the elements of service quality. The reflection also discusses the research methodology, including research questions, research design, sampling techniques, and data collection and analysis methods. The student developed knowledge about the importance of a research question, sampling methods, data collection techniques, and time management using Gantt charts, all of which will enhance their professional growth.

Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH
Business research

BUSINESS RESEARCH 2
Reflection report
This research was beneficial to me to gain the understanding about the perceived quality and its
influence on customer choices in retail. I have learned that retail manager should create a unique
image in the mind of shoppers to get competition benefits in the retail industry. Hence, it was
significant for me to understand the purchasing decision of customers (Flanagin, et. al., 2014).
As a result, I can make effective marketing strategies to attract more customers and this will
improve my professional career.
During this research, I have also learned that company should emphasize on differentiated
marketing strategies to beat the competition in the retail market. Further, it makes sure the
company to effectively run in the existing rivalry. In this way, it has developed my marketing
skills as I am competent to build new marketing strategy in an organization. Another thing that I
have learned from this research is the quality of products and services. I have pointed that quality
is a strategic element to get competitive benefits hence organization should give priority to this
strategy. It is also assessed that quality of products facilitates a better position to offer high
extent of satisfaction and creating desired loyalty (Subramanian, et. al., 2014). This strategy was
effective to me to develop the strategy in an organization to get competitive benefits in long-
term.
This research has also developed my understanding regarding SERVQUAL dimension which is
used to measure the level of service quality. This dimension measures the quality on the basis of
different factors named empathy, assurance, responsiveness, tangibles, and reliability (Orel and
Kara, 2014). Therefore, it enables me to measure the level of service quality within an
organization.

BUSINESS RESEARCH 3
During this research, I have also observed that image of the store relies on the entire perception
of customers towards the store. Moreover, It is analyzed that can provide a positive experience to
customers to build the distinct image in their mind towards the store. This is beneficial to me to
create a positive image in customer’s mind towards the stores in future. I have also developed
my knowledge regarding strategies that cannot be replicated by the competitors such as
differentiation, and modification in product, service, and price. It is significant for me to develop
competitive strategies within an organization. As a result, it will aid me to enhance my
professional growth in long term. I have also developed my understanding about two broader
concepts such as functional features and psychological features. In this way, I have learned that
psychological features represent the belief of the shopper that can be steadily changed by
functional level features of the store. Moreover, the functional level of features entails the
location, convenience of the store, and layout of the store (Oliver, 2014). These broader concepts
are beneficial to me develop a distinct image in the customer’s mind towards their products and
services.
From this research, I have learned that consumer behavior is the integration of obtaining the
consumers and disposing of the products with utilization as well as delivering services. I have
gained an understanding that consumer behavior is the mixture of mental, physical and emotional
practices by which people select, purchase, use and dispose of the products and services which
can satisfy their desires and needs (Kallweit, et. al., 2014). This concept is effective for me to
develop effective strategies due to having depth understanding consumer behavior, as a result, it
would enhance my professional growth.
During this research, I have also pointed that there are certain non-frequent and frequent
shoppers for the existing departmental stores. These consumers can be younger and educated as

BUSINESS RESEARCH 4
well as have relatively high level of income. Hence, now I am able to become a good marketing
manager within an organization.
Moreover, I have analyzed that there are different elements of service quality that has recognized
by the customer to assess the effectiveness of value proposition. I have also focused on the
research methodology part which was beneficial to assess the information about the perceived
quality and its influence on customer choices in retail in a systematic manner. I have also created
knowledge about the importance of research question within a research. I have analyzed that
research question is used to provide a guiding standard for assessing the appropriate relevant
literature as compared to engaging in confusion due to diversity aspects associated with the
perception of service quality and preferences of customers (Floyd, et. al., 2014).
From the research, I have gained an understanding that process of research design is
implemented for building the research methodology. This is used to facilitate the methodological
design for resolving the research issue. Consequently, it would be beneficial to develop effective
research methodology about the further research issue in future. Under this research, I have
pointed that there are different elements that should be included in research methodology named
sampling, data collection, research activity, and data analysis (Das, 2014). This would be
beneficial to develop the effective research design regarding research issue in future, as a result,
it would enhance my professional career.
I have also developed my knowledge about different techniques of sampling named probability
and non-probability techniques. In this way, I have learned that probability sampling is a process
when each participant of the population has an equal opportunity of being selected in the survey
thorough questionnaire. Along with this, I have observed that non-probability sampling is
depending on the selection of respondent as per the specific precedent (Flanagin, et. al., 2014).

BUSINESS RESEARCH 5
These sampling methods were beneficial to enhance my research skills as I am competent to
select the participants for getting the information about research issue.
From this research, I have built my knowledge regarding data collection method. In this way, I
have learned that there are two methods of gathering information named primary and secondary.
There are different sources is used to gather the information through these methods. For
example, the survey is used to collect the fresh information whereas secondary data can be
gathered through different academic journals, academic publication, textbook and online and
offline sources. I have also pointed that data analysis is used after collecting the data. In this
way, statistical data is used to present the information through different charts, graph, and
column diagram. In the last, I have learned that Gantt chart is used to estimate the time schedule
for completing the research (Cantallops and Salvi, 2014). Hence, this research is beneficial to me
to grow in future due to developing different skills.

BUSINESS RESEARCH 6
References
Cantallops, A. S., and Salvi, F. (2014) ‘New consumer behavior: A review of research on
eWOM and hotels’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 36, pp. 41-51.
Das, G. (2014) ‘Linkages of retailer awareness, retailer association, retailer perceived quality and
retailer loyalty with purchase intention: a study of Indian food retail brands’, Journal of Retailing
and Consumer Services, 21(3), pp. 284-292.
Flanagin, A. J., Metzger, M. J., Pure, R., Markov, A., and Hartsell, E. (2014) ‘Mitigating risk in
e-commerce transactions: perceptions of information credibility and the role of user-generated
ratings in product quality and purchase intention’, Electronic Commerce Research, 14(1), pp. 1-
23.
Floyd, K., Freling, R., Alhoqail, S., Cho, H. Y., and Freling, T. (2014) ‘How online product
reviews affect retail sales: A meta-analysis’, Journal of Retailing, 90(2), pp. 217-232.
Kallweit, K., Spreer, P., and Toporowski, W. (2014) ‘Why do customers use self-service
information technologies in retail? The mediating effect of perceived service quality’, Journal of
retailing and consumer services, 21(3), pp. 268-276.
Oliver, R. L. (2014) Satisfaction: A behavioral perspective on the consumer. UK: Routledge.
Orel, F. D., and Kara, A. (2014) ‘Supermarket self-checkout service quality, customer
satisfaction, and loyalty: Empirical evidence from an emerging market’, Journal of Retailing and
Consumer Services, 21(2), pp.118-129.
Subramanian, N., Gunasekaran, A., Yu, J., Cheng, J., and Ning, K. (2014) ‘Customer satisfaction
and competitiveness in the Chinese E-retailing: Structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to
identify the role of quality factors’, Expert Systems with Applications, 41(1), pp. 69-80.