Reflective Writing: Business Research HI6008S_T3_2017 Holmes Institute

This reflective paper details a student's learning experience in a business research course, focusing on relationship marketing. The student discusses the effectiveness of the learning experience, breaking it down into research topic and process, and evaluates the learning process by highlighting gains in topic identification, objective formulation, literature review, research methodology, and research ethics. The reflection describes the learning process, emphasizing topic selection, literature review, methodology selection (qualitative approach, questionnaire, interview), and ethical considerations. The student found the learning process valuable for its knowledge of research methodologies, literature review, and ethical boundaries. The reason for selecting the topic was the gap in existing literature on relationship marketing. The student anticipates using this knowledge in future career endeavors, both in academic and non-academic fields, particularly in strengthening marketing approaches.

Running head: REFLECTING WRITING
Reflecting Writing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1REFLECTING WRITING
Introduction
One can perceive the utility of reflective writing as it conveys the writer’s perspective.
It offers the readers to understand the perspective the researcher conducted the particular
research and the message that is being conveyed through the research. It helps in giving the
readers a concrete direction and enables them to maintain the track the research wants to
communicate. The importance of the reflective paper is the procedural framework it
communicates to the readers for understanding the steps taken by the researcher to develop
the conclusion message forwarded in the research paper. Moreover, it can also help in
understanding the background information as the benefits the research paper provides to the
readers and the possible gain that can be attained utilising paper. Further, it can also
communicate the gain researcher acquired by conducting the research. This reflective paper
will focus on the benefits attained by the researcher from the research and the process utilised
for the completion.
Effectiveness of Learning Experience
I have considered breaking down the learning experience into two broad categories
that are research topic and process. Both the categories of experience according to my
knowledge was useful and I can thank the course work for providing me the opportunity. The
topic helped me gaining in-depth conception of the relationship marketing that has recently
raised and utilised by the organisations in gaining competitive adventure. Research process
on the other hand helped me understanding the steps required in carrying out a business
research. The value of the research lies with the experience as this enabled me to develop
knowledge regarding various considerable factors involved in a research. For instance, I got
to know about the importance of research ethics and how it is possible to restrict the research
within the limits of ethical boundaries. The topic on the other hand conveys valuable

2REFLECTING WRITING
information as the data collected from the research helped me strengthening my knowledge
about the relationship marketing, importance and the process of establishment of the same.
Evaluation of the learning process
This research taught me the process of conducting a research. This involves the
learning on the identification of the research topic, objective formulation, literature review,
hypothesis formulation, question formulation, research methodology, research ethics and
limitations. In-depth knowledge in these particular fields that I gained through the research
will help me in conducting future research in the course, program or even future carrier. Now
will be able to conduct business research assigned in the course and program with ease and
with greater chances of success. The knowledge from the research methodology will help me
in identification of the required methodology necessary for the particular research. The
experience gained from the literature review will guide me in identifying the appropriate and
relevant literatures in the future work. Research ethics on the other hand will guide me to
conduct the researches maintaining the limitations of ethical dilemmas. I can link the utility
of this knowledge in my future career, as it will help me conducting market research that will
again provide in-depth idea of the market trends. I can then better serve the organisation with
the marketing strategic formulation for gaining competitive advantage. The skills gained from
the interview method will help me in my general life as it developed my communication
skills and the approach of formulating questions. I hence can extract greater knowledge in the
desired field. The developed analysis and interpretation skills on the other hand will help me
understanding the given topic by interpreting the variables involved in the case. On the other
hand, knowledge gained on the particular topic of relationship marketing will help me in my
future career by guiding the organisation accordingly, as I now understand the value of the
same in contemporary market.

3REFLECTING WRITING
Description of the learning process
The learning process as mentioned earlier provided a great deal of knowledge and was
divided into several steps. The first step of the learning process was the topic selection. I had
to read a large number of literature for determining the topic that has the possibilities to be
worked on. The recent development of the marketing concept limits the number of literature
available in the market that can provide in-depth knowledge. This interested me to conduct
on the same for understanding the importance and how various factors involved helps in
gaining the desired outcome in the competitive market. Knowledge provided in the research
paper will help the readers in implementation of the same. The second step was the literature
review that required studying a great number of existing literature on the selected topic. I then
identified the gap in the literature after going through the large number of literature that gave
direction to my research. The next step was the methodology selection. The data I desire to
gather required qualitative approach as it helped me understanding importance of relationship
marketing and the factors directing the same. Questionnaire and interview method was
utilised in the method for gaining primary data. The large amount of data required sampling
that limited it to a smaller segment. The process utilised in the case is random sampling
method, which helped in holding the validity and authenticity of the collected data. The data
was supported by the use of secondary data from journal articles. The research was then
supported with the implementation sequential method that helped in conducting the research
according to the research plan. This further helped in formulating the time schedule in the
planning process. Lastly, the knowledge of ethical boundaries received from the course
helped me upholding the ethical stance in the research.
Usefulness of the Learning Process

4REFLECTING WRITING
The usefulness of the learning process lies within the knowledge it provided me. This
according to my understanding it of high value. The process taught me to both identify the
topic and objective as well for giving the research a focus. Understanding of this section is
important as it provides direction of the research. The purpose of the objective is to
communicate the desired outcome of the research. The knowledge gained from the literature
review enriched my knowledge of article selection and review of the same for understanding
the message communicated in the existing literature. I learned that the peer reviewed journal
article selection are the best sources of knowledge due to its authenticity and validity. The
next knowledge gained from the learning process is the research methodology. This is
considered as the backbone of a research. This guides the research from data collection to
data analysis adopting a particular research approach required in particular research
depending on the outcome desired. This learning process provided me in-depth knowledge of
the possible research methodologies one can select conducting a business research.
Formulation of the period in the next stage is the time scale planned for carrying out the
process. This provided idea of the time required for completion of the research. Lastly, the
research ethics enriched me with the knowledge of considerations that needs attention while
conducting the research. It is to ensure the safety of the stakeholders included in the research.
Reason for performing the activity
The business research was a compulsory part of the course. However, selection of the
research topic and approach required rested on me. The primary reason that I can attribute for
selecting the particular topic is the gap in the existing literature. Relationship marketing is a
new approach of marketing taken by the contemporary market leaders for gaining and
holding the leading position in the existing market. This values the customer satisfaction and
incorporate the customers in the process of determining the product to be delivered to the
customers. This further helps in delivering customer focused products that helps the company

5REFLECTING WRITING
in attracting greater number of customer in the target market. However, due to the recent
development of the marketing strategy, limited number of research exist on the same, which
creates the need for greater understanding of the matter. Hence, I chose to conduct the
research focusing on the importance of the marketing strategy and the factors involved in the
process that will enable the readers under the implementation process of the strategy.
Qualitative research methodology on the other hand selected for getting desired outcome as it
helps in extracting in-depth information of the strategy as perceived by the respondents
involved. This helped in drawing outline of the factors involved in the process and the
importance of the overall process as perceived by the market leaders.
Utility of the learning in Future Life
The learning experience that I gathered form the research can possibly be divided
under two broad categories. The first one is the research topic itself. The as discussed in the
earlier section, the selected topic of the research was that role of relationship marketing. This
is a marketing strategy came up in the recent decade for gaining competitive advantage in the
market. Understanding of the same will help me in my future carrier as I have developed in
depth knowledge on the utility of relationship marketing and its importance. I will be utilising
the knowledge gain in the organisation I will be attached for strengthening the marketing
approach by considering relationship marketing for the same. The second experience is the
research process itself. The course enabled me to gain insight on the process of conducting
research that I will be utilising in my future research work in both academic and non-
academic fields.