TLH251: Research Methods for the Service Sector: Portfolio Assessment

This document presents a comprehensive portfolio on research methods tailored for the service sector. It encompasses a range of qualitative research techniques, starting with an interview checklist designed to gather demographic and satisfaction-related data. The portfolio then delves into participant observation, providing an observation checklist and a detailed research diary extract, along with a commentary analyzing the observation's strengths and limitations. A visual methodologies practical is included, featuring an analysis of an advertisement campaign from Moxy Hotels, interpreting its message and target audience. Further, the portfolio contains a coded interview transcript, complete with a transcript key, offering insights into qualitative data analysis. Finally, the portfolio concludes with a major project proposal, outlining the introduction, aims, methodology, and analysis for a comprehensive research project within the service sector.

TLH251 Assessment Research
Methods for the Service
Sector
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Contents
An Interview Checklist....................................................................................................................3
Participant Observation...................................................................................................................3
Observation checklist...................................................................................................................3
Research diary extract..................................................................................................................4
Commentary................................................................................................................................4
A Visual Methodologies Practical...................................................................................................5
Background..................................................................................................................................5
The image....................................................................................................................................6
Analysis/Interpretation................................................................................................................6
A Coded Interview Transcript.........................................................................................................7
Transcript key..............................................................................................................................7
Coded Interview Transcript.........................................................................................................7
Major Project Proposal..................................................................................................................18
Tittle of the proposal..................................................................................................................18
Introduction and Rationale........................................................................................................18
Research Aims and Objectives..................................................................................................18
Research Methodology..............................................................................................................19
Research Analysis......................................................................................................................20
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................21
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Assessment 1: Portfolio: Qualitative
An Interview Checklist
Theme (Main
Question)
(Specific Topics and Issues) Follow up questions
Demographic
background
 Age
 Gender
 Annual income
 Marital status
Visiting
patterns
 Daily visitors
 Visitor’s age group
 Tourists vs. local
visitors
 How many people visit Hylton Castle in
a day?
 What age group of people most visit
Hylton Castle?
 Are tourists visitors, the main visitors of
Hylton Castle?
Satisfaction  Visitor’s satisfaction  How can you describe visitors experience
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 Visitor’s interest in
visitor attraction
in Hylton Castle?
 What type of questions visitors ask you
about Hylton Castle?
Motivation  Motivation to visit
 Elements of visitor
attraction
 What motivates people to visit Hylton
Castle?
 Are there any other aspects from cultural
heritage in Hylton Castle?
Participant Observation
Observation checklist
 To observe a group of at least 3 people
 To be able to hear communication between people who are being observed
 To be able to access their activities
 To distantly understand purpose of visit
 To distantly understand satisfaction of their visit
Research diary extract
The participant observation is conducted by observing a group of 4 middle aged people
from a distance. No communication between the investigator and participants was undertaken.
The observation was 4 hours long and was conducted at the ground area of Hylton Castle, where
the access for researchers is free.
A group of 4 people who all seemed to have an expertise in cultural heritage walked into
the ground of Hylton Castle and started to wonder why the castle itself is closed. One of the
member of the group was observed to be engaged in a short communication with the staff
members of castle and an information was overheard that the castle has been closed for
renovation but their group is free to investigate the castle from the ground. Out of 4 participants,
one was female and other three was male. All of the participants had a notes diary in which they
were copying the abstract notes about the castle which were written outside the board of the
castle. After an hour of silent admiration of castle by the participants, they finally settled on the
ground and started discussing about the requirement of renovation of the castle. By observing
and over hearing the participants, it was interesting to know that they were investigating the
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castle too for their doctorate degree. After 2 and half hour of discussions about the castle and
how the castle is a small but important heritage property, the group decided to eat and hang out a
nearby restaurant which is highly famous for its cultural food. The group was then followed till
the restaurant and an interesting fact was identified that the restaurant is main point of interest for
people who visits this heritage site. The restaurant is known as Castle Fry is less than a kilometre
away from the Hylton Castle.
Commentary
The participant observation was undertaken at a visitor attraction of Hylton Castle where a
group of 4 people was observed for 4 hours long. Between the observation, I did not participate
in any kind of communication with the participants in order to observe real and unbiased
activities of participants. I only “observed” and not participated in between the group of 4 people
which levied an implication on the data as all the communication between the group was not
possible to be overheard.
The setting of research project was open and the internal area of castle was closed and
inaccessible due to renovation purposes. As this investigation was entirely based on observation,
the behavioural aspects of participants were not accessible that can include their motivation to
visit this visitor attraction and their personal perception regarding Hylton Castle. The access of
the field was not required to be accessed as the ground area of Hylton Castle was free for
investigators and this information was gained from the website of Hylton Castle. Due to the free
access of the field, the implication of easy observation was benefitted.
At the time of the participant observation, I was experiencing mixed feelings. The group of
people who were being observed were seemed to be middle aged people with lots of experience
regarding heritage and culture which initiated a feeling of captivation. A feeling of nervousness
was developed when it was identified that the group of people were also investigators who were
investigating for the doctorate degree and were not the tourists.
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A Visual Methodologies Practical
Background
The image is a part of advertisement campaign produced by Moxy hotels. The purpose of
producing this image is to advertise the environment of Moxy which let people to have fun and
experience fun time with their friends. The campaign or image attached above is developed to
target youth who are willing to do experience unpredicted surprises and want to attend great
parties as they are the prime audience of this advert. This image overall represents the
atmosphere which a visitor will experience at Moxy.
The image
The image is divided into various tiny bits which represents the experience of fun, great
parties which people can enjoy while staying at this hotel. The image is a combination of tiny
images and text. An image in the campaign image representing the in room concert facility
provided by Moxy hotels. Other than this image, there are 5 additional images which are
representing the food, indoor and outdoor parties which people can have at Moxy hotels. The
colour pallet which has been used in this campaign image is bold as there is a use of two
contrasting colours (Black and Pink) which highlights the name of the brand. Other than this, the
image is showcasing people who are the previous guests of their hotels and the activities
showcased in the image is primarily related to parties. Apart from the tiny bits of the campaign,
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the image overall showing the potential experience which visitors at this hotel can gain. This
image has few signs which represents the venue and time of the livestream.
The front page of the image is advertising the “in room” concert service of Moxy hotel
along with the livestream details of the concert. The back of the campaign image has 5 tiny
images and text reflecting the unique proposition of Moxy Hotels which makes it completely
different than a home. This page is intended to show that Moxy is a place where guests can be
carefree and can let go to have fun.
The slogan of the campaign image is “MOXY it’s no place like home”. This slogan sends a
message to their targeted audience that at MOXY, you don’t have to worry about everything like
you do at your home as it is an escape for them where they can come and let go all their worries
to have great party and fun with their friends.
Analysis/Interpretation
The advertising campaign conveys the message to their intended audience that Moxy is a
boutique hotel that has the social heart of hostel; at this hotel, people does not have to be
sophisticated and be careful about everything as they can have fun here with their friends and
make memories for life time. The brand image which this advertisement conveys is that Moxy is
a hotel for youth guests that like to party and wants to have an escape from their regular boring
life. The slogan of this campaign has a great impact on the brand image of this hotel as where all
other hotels market their accommodation by saying their accommodation is just like their home
to communicate the comfort; the slogan of Moxy communicates that Moxy hotels are nothing
like home and are away from comfort zone.
The image does not have address of the hotel accommodation but it does not have any
implication on overall image.
A Coded Interview Transcript
Transcript key
A: VW campervan
A1 – benefits of VW campervan
A2 – Demerits of VW campervan
B: Amanda
B1 - Thoughts of Amanda for VW campervan and camping
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C: Experiences in VW campervan
C1 – Good experiences
C2 – Not so good experiences
Coded Interview Transcript
***********Original Transcript*******************
NOTES: Michael Archer- 45minute Interview discussing VW Campervan ownership.
Researcher (Bold) Respondent (Regular)
What attracted you to the idea of owning a VW
campervan?
Michael: Well for me it was more like a holiday home, a
portable camp and chill with the family. The VW
aspect was more to talk Amanda into it. My
partner just for the record.(Laughs) Basically she
thought it was cool and they are cool and all of those
things, but it was more a vehicle to go on holiday in
so like looking at caravans well didn’t appeal, and I
could see it as a second vehicle.
So what you’re saying is you wouldn’t have liked a
different type of vehicle?
No it would have to be something that could be used as a
car as well.
So not the big American retirement van?
No well the VW’s my mate had one and it’s a car and a
van and its cool and exciting isn’t it. It’s that whole
thing, there’s a buzz about it. People talk about it, so
that would be the initial reason.
Does the idea come from research, or just off the
top of your head to get it?
Well we went on a caravan holiday and we sat in this
caravan and we thought this is cool; we will just have
barbeques and just drink beer. Just chill out George
(Their son) was only 7 weeks old and everything was
dead easy going and slow the pace reminded us of
when we went travelling to Asia and this was the life,
but on the doorstep. Somewhere we could go on a
weekend, every weekend just to get away from the
city. Then Amanda wanted something mobile and
then the VW was a compromise.
Did you give it a name?
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It didn’t have a name when we got it. Our initial idea in
the July 2009 and we didn’t get it for 10 months of
waiting, painstaking waiting and it didn’t have a name
we thought Ulysses or, the registration was UCU34l. It
was a TV program, Ulysses (Pronounced
dramatically). Most of them are girls names so we
decided in the end to call it Jenny because that’s what
Forrest Gump (the movie) calls his boat.
Does that represent travelling or something?
Just liked the name.
Did giving it a name help with attachment to it?
Well they are mostly girls and it’s like naming a ship. I
thought there was a slight cultural difference of the
people who got them; the Dubbers who had names
were different from those who hadn’t.
In what way?
I don’t know.
You’re allowed to say what you think?
It seems that if you really knew VW then you didn’t name
it. So at first we didn’t name it, we haven’t had
anything and called it a name. Even George’s teddies,
his rabbit are rabbit.
Not a sentimental old fool then? (researcher
laughs)
So where you brought up with camping?
Yes well we had definitely camped, with cubs and stuff like
that and school camp at the lakes which was cool. Err
then with the lads trying to get in campsites when we
were 16, sleeping in fields. Walking through fields of
bulls and swampland and stuff and waking up in the
morning with this guy on his quad going get off my
field and we were like oh no. We went camping then,
we went walking then. We had a break then returned
to it with mates and realised that you could just sit
and eat and drink as much as you wanted and it was
great, you could just get as drunk as you wanted and
that was fine. We didn’t really go camping me and
Amanda but then when we had a kid; it really seemed
to make sense and still does. That is the lifestyle that
I want my family to have.
Do you think that’s more a boy thing or just
general?
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What with camping, I guess stereotypically yes. Like its
roughing it and Amanda doesn’t want to rough it,
whereas maybe when she was younger she would of,
but she’s 30. I liked mucking in, getting wet, getting
dirty whereas Amanda didn’t like that about the
camping. There will be girls that don’t enjoy it and
girls who do, but as a general rule boys like getting in
a mess and most girls don’t. The idea of getting wet
and sitting in a leaky tent brings out survival instincts
in me. My cousin and his wife goes camping, well
glam ping actually they put a carpet in their tent. I
suppose you’re forced to make you own
entertainment in a way. You’re forced as a couple to
be together, well not forced but you’re on a campsite
and it’s a relaxed ‘holiday’ atmosphere.
So do you think it’s a relaxing experience?
Relaxing?
Well it’s an idea that you go camping to relax and
people do.
Yes but it’s full of tasks to get to the relaxing bit. Like
relaxing is over there but you have to do a lot to get
to it. Like the whole alphabet. To get to the z. Then
when you sit down it’s like right what do I do now. So
everything’s done, all you need to do is just do the
dishes. But there’s actually nothing to do. Not like at
home.
Is it trying to get away from that?
Yes for me it is actually. That’s still why I would like a
static caravan as well. Somewhere to go, to chill out
and get drunk (laughs)
In terms of feelings about the van, can you describe
that?
Over the massive and ridiculous 10 months it took to
procure the van and we even got a loan to get it.
Then when it did arrive we were like this is a mistake
because we had been so long waiting and we had to
find extra money too. At first I was a bit negative
about it, although Manda was excited and I was oh I
don’t know what this is going to be like. That was my
feeling all the way up to getting it, but then when I
got it I did fall in love with it. Very much fell in love
with it. It only took sitting in it, driving in it and having
a glass of wine in it to think this is brilliant. This is cool
you know it belonged to us and I had never owned
anything quite like it, that was worth that much. I
don’t own a house I just have a mortgage. Yeah it was
mine and I fell in love with it. We would obsess about
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buying things for it. It was like a person. Strange that.
But it had its own character which is probably why
people name them. If a name had come to us we
probably would have named it but it was like what
does it need? George our son had a lot of needs and
so did it. Things you could get for it like accessories.
We bought everything, the curtains, the pans and the
electrics. I thought about it, went and looked at it on
the street when I woke up in the morning. Go and just
sit in it, it’s yours you can be possessive over it.
Is ownership part of it or could you have just hired
one?
No, when it’s yours you look in other peoples vans and go
how practical is it, where would you sleep all of these
questions. As soon as you had your own it was like
this is brilliant, I don’t care where I am going to sleep.
It was more look at this I am in my van. There’s an
excitement and something I really enjoyed.
Did this feeling stay with you for the duration of
having the van?
Yeah definitely, just very attached to it.
Do you think it’s an aesthetic thing? I mean I know
there’s more to it than that but....
Yes it’s the age of it, that its original, it’s got a history and
it looks nice but it’s quite simple. It’s got eyes on the
front, a face. Whoever designed it thought I want to
live in this I will put a sink there, I will put the beds
there etc, it’s clever and a lot of thought has gone
into it. It’s like you feel like you have got something
special and whether it’s done through the perception
of it. People say they fall in love with them and that’s
what happens. I suppose if I had a Ferrari I would fall
in love with that but not necessarily in the same way.
Are you in love with your car?
No. I don’t really like it. When I first got it I thought oh its
okay, I have a new car. Now I dislike it. I wouldn’t be
bothered if it was nicked, albeit for financial reasons.
The van (whoa) I left it somewhere and thought I
hadn’t locked the door and just panicked about it and
couldn’t think about anything else until I got back to
the van and the door was locked. Then I love my bike
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at the minute so maybe I am a bit like that. The
campervan did stay with me.
When you say history, do you mean cultural history
or its own history?
It hadn’t any improvements really so, so it’s original so
you imagine what people were like who used to live in
it and there is that whole community. You don’t go
anywhere without someone speaking about it. That
makes the cycle of you enjoying it, being part of
something the reason you think it is special is
because you drive along the road and kids smile at it
and people look at it and wave at you. You drive past
everyone in their normal cars and it doesn’t matter
that its costing a fortune to drive or goes really slow
(Laughs0 or really noisy or stinks of oil, when your
sat at the lights and someone else in their car that’s
probably cost 20 grand and you just go HA!
Do you attribute the features of the van to yourself,
your personality?
I think the van is the van itself and it’s just that you, like I
was the driver of that van. You do personalise them
over time. But we didn’t have ours long enough. Eight
ball gear stick or whatever. Got a little fire
extinguisher. We didn’t want to put flowers on it or
change the look as it was a recent resprays so it
looked lush. I felt like a bus driver. It is strange but
you do feel on show when you drive them
Does it create an atmosphere for your life?
For the time you spend in them. I think that’s the appeal
of them that when you in them you relax, something
changes like it’s not the only thing that that happens
with. Especially if it’s yours. It’s like you look at a fire
and you think that’s beautiful it gives you a certain
feeling, or looking out into the ocean gives you a
certain feeling. Like the campervan you just chill out
it’s your domain.
When you’re driving do you feel relaxed?
Not always when I am driving. It can be a nightmare. You
can’t get it in gear or anything like that can you? You
can’t get stressed or lose you temper with it either or
it won’t let you drive it. When you stop its relaxing. It
depends where you are driving of course. I tried to
use mine for work. It was to see if I could do it, use it
for work but it was ridiculous in the winter in the
campervan. So it was just a joke. I had a fleece
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