Research Proposal: Starbucks Customer Satisfaction vs. Competitors

This research proposal aims to investigate and enhance Starbucks' customer satisfaction levels in Australia compared to its competitors. The study outlines the research problem, which centers on the significance of customer satisfaction for business growth and sustainability. The research objectives include exploring the concept of customer satisfaction, identifying methods to measure it, addressing challenges faced by Starbucks, and formulating strategies to overcome these challenges. The research questions delve into the meaning of customer satisfaction, measurement methods, influencing factors, effective strategies, and ways to enhance customer satisfaction compared to competitors. The methodology involves an interpretivism philosophy, descriptive research, and a mixed-methods approach utilizing primary and secondary data collection, including a survey questionnaire with 90 customers from various coffee shops. The time schedule spans 10 weeks, and the proposal includes a detailed questionnaire and references. The evaluation of feedback section summarizes key findings, such as the influence of social media, the importance of product quality, and the positive experience of customers, and the recommendations to improve the business.

Running Head: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Research Proposal

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Table of Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Research problem/research statement....................................................................................................3
Research aim and objectives..................................................................................................................4
Research questions................................................................................................................................4
Research methodology..........................................................................................................................5
Time schedule.......................................................................................................................................6
References.............................................................................................................................................7
Appendixes............................................................................................................................................8
Research Questionnaire.........................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
The research topic is” to enhance Starbucks customer’s satisfaction level as compare to their
competitors”. Starbucks is a popular organization to provide Coffee, Consumer Products,
Fresh Food, and Handcrafted Beverages. There are three kinds of consumer goods that are
provided by a company such as coffee and tea, ready‐to‐drink, Starbucks Ice Cream.
Starbucks is launched in eight years ago in Australia. The key partners of Starbucks are their
employees. It considers three major things to perform their business responsibility in the
market such as environmental stewardship, community involvement, and ethical sourcing
(Krueger, et al., 2014).
There are major competitors of Starbucks in Australia such as McDonald's, Local coffee
shops, and Gloria Jens. It uses higher price in low quality that becomes a major issue for the
company. Australia is a multicultural place that can create the complexity to attract customers
towards the goods and services of the company. Starbucks will primarily target the 60% men
and women that are amid 25-40 and attracted by contemporary store design. Secondary target
customers include the 40% adult who comes under the 18-24. I will target a different area of
Australia where Starbuck is situated like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. In addition to
this, for this research study, $15,000 and 10 weeks will be required to complete the research
activities in a systematic way (Bodie, 2013).
Research problem/research statement
Customer satisfaction becomes a major issue for an organization in existing business
situation. Since the customer satisfaction plays a significant role to improve the financial
condition of the company. Moreover, the customer satisfaction can influence the growth as
well as productivity of the organization. In addition to this, it can be said that the customers
are a valuable asset for the company, therefore, it is mandatory to the company for satisfying
the potential customers by making a positive relationship with them. In the current business

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scenario, the organization faces high competition to satisfy the customers in specified time
and cost. Hence, enhancement of customer’s satisfaction level could be significant to meet
the business goal. At the same time, it will be also important to make sustainability in the
marketplace. Along with this, the major objective of this research study is to measure the
ways to enhance the level of Starbucks customers as compare to its competitors (McQuarrie,
2015).
Research aim and objectives
The major aim of this research study is to enhance the level of Starbucks customers as
compare to its competitors.
 To explore the meaning and concept of customer satisfaction.
 To identify the ways to measure the customer's satisfaction level.
 To address the challenges that will be faced by Starbuck in context of customer
satisfaction.
 To find out the strategies to eliminate the customer satisfaction challenges.
 To identify the ways to enhance the customer satisfaction level as compared to the
competitors.
Research questions
 What is the meaning and concept of customer satisfaction?
 How the customer’s satisfaction level will be measured?
 Which factors will affect the level of customer’s satisfaction?
 Which strategies will be effective to overcome the challenges of the level of
customer’s satisfaction?
 What are ways to enhance the customer satisfaction level as compared to the
competitors?

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Research methodology
For this research study, interpretivism philosophy will be used by the researcher to perform
the research activity along with collect the data systematically. This philosophy will support
to gain the conceptual knowledge towards the research issue. It could be effective for the
researcher to provide the appropriate tools and techniques to obtain the reliable result about
the research dilemma. The researcher will use descriptive research method because this
research is subjective in nature. It facilitated the researcher to make conceptual understanding
about the research topic (Nunan, et al., 2013).
In this research study, the researcher will use both data collection method named primary and
secondary data collection method. In addition, the primary data collection will use by the
researcher to pool the fresh and appropriate information about research dilemma. In
additionally, through secondary data collection method researcher will pool conceptual
knowledge about research (Monette, et al., 2013). For this research study, mixed research
methodology will be used by researcher take to advantages of both qualitative and
quantitative research method. Due to this, the researcher will facilitate to gather the data from
respondent’s regarding the research dilemma. Along with this, the qualitative method will use
to make a theoretical knowledge about research (Thorne, 2016).
Besides this, the quantitative method will be supportive present the data by using a statistical
method to meet research objectives. In this research study, the researcher will imply
probability sampling method with random sampling as compare to the non-probability
method because of the research qualitative in nature. In addition to this, it can also be said
that the probability sampling method enabled the researcher for randomly chose the
respondents without any biases to react on the questionnaire (Wang, et al., 2014). Moreover,
this research will conduct through survey through a questionnaire where 90 customers will
choose by researchers from McDonald, Costa Cofee, and Dunkin Donuts. They will choose

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from different urban areas to know views and opinion of the different region regarding the
experience of product and services in such organizations (Bailey, et al., 2017).
Time schedule
Table 1: Research plan
Research activities Estimated Time
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Research dilemma
Research aim and objectives
Data collection
Questionnaire Plan
Selection of sample size
Data analysis
Report writing
Final submission
The above table demonstrates that data collection method can take more time period as
compared to the other research activities.

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References
Bailey, J. S., & Burch, M. R. (2017). Research methods in applied behavior analysis. UK:
Routledge.
Bodie, Z. (2013). Investments. USA: McGraw-Hill.
Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2014). Focus groups: A practical guide for applied
research. USA: Sage publications.
McQuarrie, E. F. (2015). The market research toolbox: a concise guide for beginners. USA:
Sage Publications.
Monette, D. R., Sullivan, T. J., & DeJong, C. R. (2013). Applied social research: A tool for
the human services. USA: Cengage Learning.
Nunan, D., & Di Domenico, M. (2013). Market research & the ethics of big
data. International Journal of Market Research, 55(4), 505-520.
Thorne, S. (2016). Interpretive description: Qualitative research for applied practice (Vol.
2). UK: Routledge.
Wang, J., Sánchez-Roselló, M., Aceña, J. L., del Pozo, C., Sorochinsky, A. E., Fustero, S., &
Liu, H. (2014). Fluorine in the pharmaceutical industry: fluorine-containing drugs
introduced to the market in the last decade (2001–2011). Chem. Rev, 114(4), 2432-
2506.

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Appendixes
Research Questionnaire
The research question for this research is discussed as below:
Please identify your gender
A. Female
B. Male
C. others
Please mark your age
A. 18-21
B. 22-32
C. 33-43
D. 43 or more
Is it your initial experience at Starbucks?
A. Yes
B. No
Please provide your experience with Starbucks?
A. Less than 1 year
B. 1-3 years
4-7 years
D. 7 years or more
Which product do you most like?
A. Tea
B. Coffee quality
C. Other products
Where did you hear about Starbucks?

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A. Store Appearance
B. Social Media
C. Friends
D. Others
What is the reason behind the selection of Starbucks?
A. Fresh products
B. Health Products
C. Quality products
D. Lower price with fast delivery
How would you rate the product quality of your personal experience?
A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Neutral
D. Fair
E. Poor
How did you experience the waiting time of Starbucks?
A. Very short
B. Short
C. Medium
D. Long
E. Too long
What do you think about the payment procedure of Starbucks?
A. Very fast
B. Fast
C. Medium

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D. Long
E. Too long
Did you select the menu or build your own meal?
A. Own Meal
B. Menu
What is the reason behind to select this option please describe it?
How did you select your meal?
A. Menu
B. Starbuck app
C. Menu panel
D. Other
Would you suggest Starbucks to others?
A. Yes
B. No
Please provide recommendations for improvement?
Evaluation of feedback
From the feedback of customers, it is analyzed that most of customers have heard about
Starbucks through social media. It is also addressed that customers have selected the
Starbucks due to offering quality products as compare to their substitute products. It is also

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addressed that customers have excellent experience with Starbucks. It is also found that the
waiting time of Starbucks is very short that can be beneficial to make positive relationships
with consumers. Additionally, it can also illustrate that customers have menu option to take
product and services of Starbucks. Customers suggested to others for taking product and
services of Starbucks because it offers the quality based product in less time. It is also
identified that Starbuck can use modern technology to get a favorable result in long-run. In
addition, it is analyzed that the payment process of Starbuck is very fast that will enable the
customers to use product and services of Starbucks in long-term.