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Technical Assessment and Product Concept
(still searching information about ballpens)
Market Assessment, Product Development, Testing and Validation
Research Objectives
A. The perception of the target market regarding the strengths and weaknesse
of our 4P’s in both comparative and absolute perspectives
A. 1. Product/ services, innovation, expertise
A. 2. Price, value-for-money
A. 3. Place or distribution channels
A. 4. Promotions, advertising, public relations
B. The perception of the target market regarding the performance of our
customer services according to their 4C’s
B. 1. Customer solution, presence of after-sales service
B. 2. Cost, bulk-buying discounts, speculations of inferior quality due to cheap pricing
B. 3.Convenience, accessibility, ease of payment and chance of price-haggling
B. 1. Communication, efforts to understand to and listen from the customers
C. The relationship of III-A and III-B to potential demand (e.g. setting a
meeting, service inquiry and quotation requests) and effective demand (e.g. actual order of the service, level of cooperation, maintaining relationships) of LSM services
D. Conclusions, recommendations and implementation guidelines to current
workforce trend, target markets and strategic outlooks
In addition to this, the researcher is prepared to construct a marketing strategy plan which management can follow in their decision-making on the long-term. This plan is an additional deliverable which can be used in dynamic manner. The integrated approach of the researcher to the problem and objectives that management needs to resolve is its core advantage to other potential and alternative outside researchers.
Research Design
The nature of grounded theory is to collect as many ideas as possible, analyze them to figure possible problems and conduct investigation for theory to emerge (1967). In this view, not only interview but also desk research is important as to suffice the need of grounded approach to test the emergence of the theory from additional data ( 1999). The researcher wanted to gain in-depth in sight about the research problem that this design becomes useful. When it comes to sample, a negative case () will be excluded rather it will be the task of the researcher to find samples suited to the needs of the research to construct a relevant theory.
Audiotape will be used in recording interviews while taking-down notes and highlighting will be used in doing desk research. Common mistakes from interviews are asking in a confirmatory way in which extreme ideas of the interviewee are not accounted for and failure to ask them to maximize findings. In this view, there is a need to formalize the interview atmosphere in such a manner of avoiding limiting the findings as well as to prevent adverse attitudes during interviews. The desk research will also serve to smooth the rough edges of the interviews. It will confirm, evaluate or dispute the data gathered during interviews which are incidentally affected by distortion of answers relevant to the research problems (1999).
To make the case palpable (), certain excerpts from the interviews will be shown. In this view, writing transcripts on the interview allows accurate and direct use of the material in the report. However, this advantage is limited by the inability of transcripts to show non-verbal actions of the interviewee that can affect its answers to certain questions. To avoid researcher bias during data collection and interviewing, the research will identify the researcher’s self-reflection and its implications in the research. As the study will be carried with certain goals at hand, largely on finding theories about the research problem, the researcher is the most crucial element of the sample. He has the control over interview and desk data.
However, there are some questions of validity and limitations. Interviewees can disclose information in a manipulative manner either to save their interest or interest of their clients. Since the study will heavily rely on financial and performance information, interviewees can distort their answers to hinder adverse impressions from interviewer and prevention of negative effects to business and credibility. To prevent these biases, the researcher will assure interviewees that the data is intended to serve them better especially on celebration preparations. In addition, the data will be explained to be used to rationalize the current market base of the company.
When it comes to reliability, the study will adapt triangulation (interview and observation) technique to enhance its reliability (1999). Thus, reliability can be multiplied though mechanically recorded data during desk research. The researcher will also make sure that the steps undertaken in the interview and browsing proper will be included and made explicit for user’s reference. In terms of enhancing validity, the same technique is necessary. It can also be tested when future similar study is conducted and compared with the initial. Collaboration should also be prevented due to too much time spends with interviewees that may defeat validity. To prevent the mental modes of the researcher to distort reality, member checking can be used.
Exploration is a method used to refine understanding of new or ill-defined phenomena (1999) and it can guide the research question and resolution towards consensus. Observations from this method are made in context that makes the researcher, people and phenomena being studied and possible findings a part of an “open, interactive and fluid situation”. This condition is a large support in our use of grounded theory and maximizes potential learning. These methods together with those that are suggested by LSM will be used by the researcher to come-up with formidable methodology and design. As observed, statistical approach is not present in the marketing study to prevent cost and time constraints from ruining the objectives of the study.
Data collection will be performed using audiotape while other interviewees will be complemented with telephony for distant interview. There will be prepared set questions for each concerned interviewee. This will be handed to concerned customers and faxed to distant interviewees one week before the actual interview. Two audiotape recorders will be used during the interview to avoid loosing data in case one audiotape is defective. In addition, necessary documents that interviewees can provide will be reproduced for reference. The interview is intended to be informal to give the best environment for answering questions. However, the researcher will not hesitate to confirm for numerical data (e.g. number of orders, volume of orders, attitudes in getting the services) to avoid invalid analysis later.
Introduction to the Market
As observed below, the Gantt chart of the promotional plan shows when a supporting activity should be carried out with highlighted 9 suggesting the end of the plan and final evaluation of the its effectiveness. The plan will start on developing plan objectives and weighing its forecasted costs and benefits for the manufacturer. Basically, the plan goals would be increased in repeat and first-time customers, increase in revenues/ profits, positive feedbacks from the promotions, unique products from competitors, lean but mean supply chain, lower overhead and inventory costs and efficient logistics. To achieve these, there is a need to understand important aspects of the activities to assure their success and positive net contribution to the plan.
The planning phase will be headed by the business manager with other head departments of the manufacturer including each outlet supervisors at least twice a week. All ideas concerns will be taken with the decision of the business manager being the final. He is also responsible for constructing key priorities and the plan itself with the aid of respective department heads for financial, logistics, operational and maintenance information and expertise. Assuming that the plan is according to those presented in the Gantt chart, Activity 2 will be carried by department/ division heads with the support of outlet supervisors and coordination of marketing leader. This will be done in an integrated manner to maximize benefits within the system. The intention to implement Activity 3, 4 and
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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