AGC FORM (PROPOSAL)
SECTION 1: STUDENT TO COMPLETE
NAME:
SANDRA STEVENS
I.D. No:
360777M
ENROLMENT/START DATE (mm/yy):
PROGRAMME:
MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
MODULE:
THE PROPOSAL
LOCAL RESOURCE CENTRE
EIE
MALTA
STUDENT DECLARATION: In submitting work to the University you are agreeing to the following statement:
“I declare that this assignment is my own work, that all sources of reference are acknowledged in full and that it has not been submitted for any other course“.
SECTION 2: TUTOR’S COMMENTS
Ability to construct a project with clear, coherent and well defended research
questions/ objectives
Discussion of the relation between your proposed research and previous research
Discussion and justification of proposed methods
Ability to evaluate the implications and limitations of your study
Ability to construct a realistic and comprehensive timetable for research
Overall Comments:
Second Marker Additional Comments (Optional):
SECTION 3: TUTOR’S COMMENTS – Ethical Review Process:
Ethics Approval Decision Route:
(Delete as appropriate)
None Required (student not doing research on live human subjects)
Automatic
Committee [School] [Faculty] [University]
Does this Project have Ethics Approval?
(Delete as appropriate)
Yes
No
Comment:
Tutor marking this assignment
Type surname and initial here
Date of marking
Mark Awarded
Grade Awarded
School of Management
Dissertation Proposal Pro-Forma
Instructions:
This document consists of two sections:
(1) The Proposal Template
(2) The Ethics Approval Form (part A and part B)
Students are required to complete both sections and together these sections form the Dissertation Proposal.
If your research involves studying live human beings you will need to complete the Ethics Approval Form. Failure to complete the Ethics Approval Form, when required to do so, will result in your work being returned unmarked. No field research with live human beings can be undertaken without receiving Ethics Approval and achieving a pass grade on the proposal.
Before you submit this Proposal please make sure that you have completed all of the following steps:
Read the latest Dissertation Guidelines on Blackboard.
Read and considered the Support materials and additional notes on Blackboard.
Discussed your ideas with a Dissertation Tutor via Blackboard or the workshops.
Discussed with a Blackboard Tutor issues concerning part B of the Ethics Approval Form (if required).
Advice on completing this Proforma:
Download the word file document to your computer.
Open the file and save the file with a new name.
Remove the “instructions” and the “notes” to each section in the Pro-Forma.
Insert your text within the boxes provided.
Read and complete Section 2.
Save and print your document. Retain a copy for your records.
Submit your proposal.
Section 1: The Proposal Template
Your Name, Programme of Study, Student Number, Centre & Intake.
Please identify any University of Tutors with whom you have discussed your proposal and the forum you used (e.g. workshops/Blackboard)
Blackboard – Support Forums
Title (max. 15 words)
Investigating the importance of technology in enhancing customer relationships in banking
Abstract (max. 200 words)
In today’s environment, competition in the banking industry is aggressive. New financial services providers are continuously emerging. Quality of service can make a difference in the marketplace. Banks must find the right balance between personal contact with customers when delivering services and technologically delivered services, if they want to retain customers and market share in the long run.
The aim of this research is to find out whether there needs to be a balance between over use of technology at the expense of personal contact to service delivery, and the need for providing customers with some technological training instead of assuming that they will automatically accept and use the technology. The research will also address the extent to which technology enhances the service provided and the customers’ preferences of the different service delivery channels. This research will investigate the views of personal customers, business customers and bank staff in relation to the use of different banking technologies.
For example, one could ask whether introduction of automated and Internet banking were positively accepted by customers and are thus delivering enhanced service quality. Another question would be related to who receives any benefit, if any, from the use of IT – customers, employees or Banks?
Introduction (approx. 200 words)
Research Question and Sub-questions
The main question which this study will investigate is:
To what extent does the use of technology in banking enhance the service offering and what are the customers preference of the different service delivery channels?
The sub-questions are:
1. What do different customers want and expect from different forms of service delivery?
2. What are the customers’ attitudes to the different technologies in the services offered?
3. What are the perceived advantages and disadvantages involved?
Why is this question interesting?
I am presently a Bank employee within a technology-driven department. Our main contact with customers is over the telephone, via e-mail or through Internet banking. On many occasions our customers have complained that they miss that personal interaction which they used to get through their trusted relationship officer at the branch. On the other hand, the more sophisticated customers complain that the Bank has not yet adopted or fully adopted the appropriate technology to fulfill their banking exigencies, especially the younger generation, technical people and business customers which continuously use the Internet or deal with foreign banks or companies.
The banker’s role is changing due to technological developments and changing needs and expectations of customers. Improved service quality and provision, with the appropriate balance between human input and technology, will enable Banks to retain customers and market share for longer.
Relation to previous research (approx. 400 words)
Development of technology extended access to banking related services or facilities and also reduced errors and removed routine and time consuming processes.
However, Bitner (2001:375-9) states that “Whilst technology can save time and money and eliminate errors, thereby addressing certain issues associated with changing cultural and social trends, it can also minimise direct customer interaction and any associated service value to be gained.”
According to Smith (1987) technology was originally introduced by banks to reduce costs, however, it can also be targeted to enhance different functions.
Prendergast and Marr (1994:18-26) stated that “Telephone banking facilities allow non-cash transactions to be carried out, which would have required a visit to the branch earlier.” Internet banking also allows customers to perform tasks when and where it is most convenient to them. In this respect, Dabholkar (1996:29-51) suggests that direct contact with such technology also gives customers a feeling of greater control.
Good perceived quality occurs when expectations are met, as suggested by Gronroos (2001) and Zeithaml et al. (1993). Therefore, it is important that there is communication between branch staff and marketing staff so that advertising promises are met. High expectations that are not met create perceptions of a lower quality service (Gronroos, 2001). However, according to Oakland (2000), if expectations are exceeded, long term customer loyalty and repurchase are likely to occur.
Grand and Schlesinger (1995) suggest that the difficulty comes in identifying individuals’ motivating factors and harnessing them in the right way. No matter which service delivery channel is used, the service provider or service user relationship must be nurtured at all costs.
Customers’ acceptability of IT enabled services is important. There are segments of customers who are simply not interested or ready to use technology. (Parasuraman and Colby, 2001). While, adopters of technology-based services will tend to be convinced by ease of use and convenience (Moutinho and Meidan, 1989).
According to O’Donnell et al. (2002), both business banking and corporate customers place greater importance on personalised interaction than any technological interaction, rating it as either “very important” or “extremely important”. Similarly, Tyler and Stanley (2001) suggest that the “old fashioned” human relationship between the bank manager and corporate customer is regarded as the natural and preferred way of doing business.
From the literature reviewed so far, it is evident that in such a competitive industry, relationships with customers have to be developed and maintained at all costs, irrespective of the service delivery channel.
Proposed methods (approx. 400 words)
Information or opinions will be sought from personal customers, business customers and bank employees through the use of questionnaires. The aim is to obtain data from both the service user and the service provider.
2 samples for both personal and business customers between the ages of 20 & 35 and 35 & 60 will be chosen. Both samples will then be divided equally by gender. A total of 100 questionnaires will be sent by post.
Questions will be focused on the type of transactions usually made, use of IT-based services, reasons for usage/non-usage, frequency of usage, which services are they satisfied or dissatisfied of and why, overall satisfaction of the services, extent of their awareness of new service developments, likelihood to recommend the services to others and overall relationship with the Bank.
Questionnaires to bank employees both in the business and personal services will be sent through the Bank’s internal mail or via email. A sample of 10 clerical and 10 managerial in the business services, and 10 clerical and 10 managerial in the private services will be chosen.
Questionnaires will concentrate on testing whether new practices were taking customers away from the branches and type of customer feedback received on IT-based services. Ideas will be sought as to how technology could be used to enhance the Bank-customer relationships, how customers may be helped to use technology more effectively and how confident they feel in stimulating such developments.
A covering letter will accompany each questionnaire with a prepaid return envelope. This letter will provide an introduction of myself and explain the purpose of the study, provide my contact address, e-mail address and numbers, assure respondents of the confidentiality of their replies, provide the date by when a reply is required and finally, thank all respondents and invite further comments, suggestions and questions.
Further research will be carried out through consultation of books, journals and magazines. Secondary data may complement primary data collected, may confirm, modify or contradict my findings and allow to focus attention on analysis and interpretation, as suggested by Blaxter et al. (2001). Secondary data will support primary data collection to show a clearer picture of the technology’s effect on the customer, banker and relationship between them.
Reflections (approx. 500 words)
Potential practical and empirical obstacles
The main consideration is the library facilities. The e-library of the University of Leicester is useful, however, to benefit for more relevant books, journals and literature searching, I have applied to access the library of the University of Malta. The use of the library is for reading purposes only, therefore, research can only be carried out inside the library. It will be necessary to visit the library during the week after work or on Saturdays.
It may be necessary to follow up on the questionnaires and this may take more time than expected.
There is potential time constraint that may affect the progress of the work. In order to minimise this risk, collection of data will start immediately in order to cope with the schedule.
Conceptual and theoretical problems and difficulties
“While interacting with respondents, they might not be aware of the terminology or detail of the topic of research, and they might be reluctant to ask.” (Ghauri, P. and Gronhaug, K., 2002)
Respondents may have little motivation to reply or may be irritated or uncomfortable by the whole process. The language used in questionnaires will be as simple as possible so that willingness of respondents to provide correct answers to the questionnaires will not be affected.
From my 12 years of banking experience I understand and believe that improvement in technology in services offered by the Bank was necessary due to the fast increasing competitive sector and the changing needs and expectations of customers. I also believe that certain customers may need some technological training instead of the Bank assuming that they will automatically accept and use the technology. However, I’m confident that I can approach the project with an open mind and be careful not to allow my opinion/views to influence my judgement when analysing and interpreting the research results.
Ethics
According to Ghauri and Gronhaug (2002), “there is the danger that business research, if not aware of ethical issues, might lose respect and credibility.”
Zikmund (2000) state that “the results should be presented in a way that they do not cause embarrassment, disadvantage or harm to any of the participants.”
Also, “Any misinterpretation of data will lead to misleading results and is ethically wrong.” (Ghauri, P. and Gronhaug, K., 2002).
I will assure respondents of the anonymity and confidentiality of this research. No names will be mentioned in the dissertation and also will do my utmost to ensure that their identities are not inadvertently revealed.
Position as regards to the political field
Collecting accurate data for analysis is very important. Respondents’ feedback will be kept confidential and most importantly will not be divulged to the organisation/superiors.
Access to customer data required for the questionnaires will be requested from Management.
Fortunately, most of the research can be done through secondary data.
Therefore, political reflection is not worrying.
Conclusion (max. 200 words)
The aim of this research is to identify whether it is required to find a balance between use of technology and personal contact to service delivery and provide customers with some technological training instead of assuming that they will automatically accept and use the technology, to which extent the use of technology will enhance the service provided, and what are the customers’ preferences of the different service delivery channels. This research will investigate the views of personal customers, business customers and bank staff in relation to the use of different banking technologies.
The customers are the reason why the Bank is in business, therefore, the business direction should be focused on satisfying and exceeding customers’ needs and expectations. In this highly competitive industry, improved service quality and provision, with the appropriate balance between human input and technology, will enable Banks to retain customers and market share for longer.
It will be necessary to read more on methodology to understand more the research and analysis techniques. I will start working on the literature search. In the meantime, I will prepare and finalise the questionnaires so that these are sent to the respective respondents as soon as possible. The next step will be to sort, interpret and analyse the data and start drafting the dissertation.
Timetable (approx. 100 words, or a one page diagram)
The following shows the key activities and how they will be scheduled:
Task
May ’08
June ’08
July ’08
August ’08
Proposal Submission
31st
Reading on methodology and research techniques
2nd – 30th
Literature search
2nd
31st
Questionnaires
2nd – 14th
Proposal result
20th
Collection of primary data
16th
12th
Sorting, interpretation and analysis of data
30th
16th
Writing up the draft dissertation
12th
16th
Updating draft to final dissertation
30th
16th
Review of dissertation
18th – 29th
Submission of dissertation
30th
Note: The bank allows a period of 30 days study leave to finalise the dissertation.
References
Berry, L.L. and Parasuraman, A. (1991), Marketing Services: Competing Through Quality, New York: The Free Press.
Bitner, J.M. (2001), “Service and technology: opportunities and paradoxes”, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 11 No. 6, pp. 375-9.
Blaxter, L., Hughes, C. and Tight, M. (2001), How to Research, 2nd Edition, Open University Press, Buckingham.
Dabholkar, P.A. (1996), “Consumer evaluations of new technology-based self-service options: an investigation of alternative models of service quality”, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 29-51.
Daft, R.L. (2003), Management, 6th Edition, South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning.
Ghauri, P. and Gronhaug, K. (2002), Research Methods in Business Studies – A Practical Guide, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, UK.
Grant, A.W.H. and Schlesinger, L.A. (1995), “Realize your customers’ full profit potential”, Harvard Business Review, pp. 59-72.
Gronroos, C. (2001), Service Management and Marketing, A Customer Relationship Management Approach, Wiley, Chichester.
Hellriegel, D., Jackson, S.E. and Slocum, J.W., Jr. (2003), Management: A competency based approach, 9th Edition, South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning.
Moutinho, L. and Meidan, A. (1989), “Bank customers’ perceptions, innovations and new technology”, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 22-7.
Oakland, J. (2000), Total Quality Management, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford.
O’Donnell, A., Durkin, M.G. and McCartan-Quinn, D. (2002), “Corporate banking in the UK: personal versus remote interaction”, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 20 No. 6, pp. 273-84.
Parasuraman, A. and Colby, C.L. (2001), Techno-Ready Marketing: How and Why Your Customers Adopt Technology, Free Press, New York, NY.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1985), “A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research”, Journal of Marketing, pp. 41-50.
Prendergast, G. and Marr, N. (1994), “Towards a branchless banking society?”, International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management, Vol. 22 No. 2, pp. 18-26.
Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2003), Research Methods for Business Students, 3rd Edition, Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall.
Smith, C.P. (1987), Retail Banking Technology, International Business Communications, London.
Tyler, K. and Stanley, E. (2001), “Corporate banking: the strategic impact of boundary spanner effectiveness”, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 246-60.
Zeithaml, V.A., Berry, L.L. and Parasuraman, A. (1993), “The nature and determinants of customer expectations of service”, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 1-12.
Zeithaml, V.A., Parasuraman, A. and Berry, L.L. (1990), Delivering Quality Service – Balancing Customer Perceptions and Expectations, New York: The Free Press.
Zikmund, W.G. (2002), Business Research Methods, 6th Edition, The Dryhen Press, USA.
Appendices (optional)
Section 2: University of Leicester School of Management – Initial Ethical Review Form
This form is designed to ensure that the School operates an ethical review process that falls within the University guidelines (see university website, http://www2.le.ac.uk/institution/committees/research-ethics/). Any student who is undertaking research on live human subjects[1] needs to fill in this form.
If your answer is no to all the questions in Part A overleaf, ethical approval is automatic and providing you receive a passing grade for your proposal you may continue with your study.
If your answer is yes to ANY of the questions on Part A, you need to fill in part B of this form. You are encouraged to discuss why you have answered yes with a Tutor on Blackboard prior to submission of the proposal. Upon submission, your proforma will be marked and then reviewed by the Chair of the Departmental Research Ethics Committee, and/or a meeting of the full committee. You will be informed of the decision, together with any comments, as soon as possible. If your proposal raises more complex issues, we will require a fuller report and a meeting of the full committee. If this committee finds it difficult to make a decision, we may pass this on to the University Research Ethics Committee. However, in the vast majority of cases, we hope to resolve any issues though consultation at School level.
Initial Ethical Review Question:
Please read the following two statements and tick the box for the statement that most accurately represents your research intentions.
Student Statement.
Student Action.
Statement 1
I have read the above information. I confirm that my research does not involve the study of live human beings.
You do not need to complete Part A of this form. Ethics approval is not required.
Statement 2
I have read the above information. I confirm that my research does involve the study of live human beings.
Please proceed to complete Part A of this form.
You are only required to fill in part A of this form if your research involves studying live human beings. In cases of automatic ethics approval or where no ethics approval is necessary please allow 8-10 weeks from receipt by the University for the return of your grade. In instances where part B of the Ethics Form is completed you should allow 8-14 weeks. Proposals that are received without the completed Ethical Review Form will be returned to the student unmarked.
Secondary Ethical Review Form: Part A
Please answer all of these questions by ticking yes or no in the box provided
Yes
No
1.
Does the study involve participants who are particularly vulnerable or unable to give informed consent? (e.g. people under the age of 18, people with learning disabilities, students you teach or assess)
£
Q
2.
Will it be necessary for participants to take part in the study without their knowledge and consent at the time?
£
Q
3.
Does the study involve audio or visual recording of people in public places?
£
Q
4.
Will the study involve the discussion of sensitive topics? (e.g. sexual activity, drug use, illegal activities, death, whistleblowing)
£
Q
5.
Are drugs, placebos or other substances to be given to the study participants or will the study involve invasive, intrusive or potentially harmful procedures of any kind?
£
Q
6.
Will blood or tissue samples be obtained from participants?
£
Q
7.
Is physical pain or psychological stress from the proposed project likely to cause harm or negative consequences beyond the risks in normal life?
£
Q
8.
Will the study involve prolonged or repetitive testing?
£
Q
9.
Will financial inducements (other than expenses) be offered to participants?
£
Q
10.
Will the study involve recruitment of patients or staff through the NHS?
£
Q
If your answer is yes to any of these questions, please fill in Part B as well.
Leicester University School of Management
Secondary Ethical Review Form: Part B
In no more than a page –
Explain why you ticked yes to one or more of the questions on Form A, and how you plan to address the ethical issues raised.
You will need to do this in consultation with a Dissertation Tutor on Blackboard. Please identify which Tutor you discussed these issues with.
Blackboard Tutor’s Name:
——————————————————————————————————-
Assessor’s Comments (to be completed by the markers of the proposal)
Assessor’s Name:
Assessor’s Signature:
Date:
[1] “live human subjects” refers to people, human participants. For example, in most cases if you are using questionnaires, interviews or observation you will be studying ‘live human subjects’.
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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