Summary for the course Academic Competences Marketing ("ACCO"). The course is part of the premaster Marketing Management and Marketing Analytics on Tilburg University. This summary can be used to learn/practice for the exam or for more information to write a research proposal.
It also includes a ...
Defining a business problem
Step 1 of research: Define the business problem
1. When does a business problem occur?
When there is a gap between the desired state of the company and the actual state of the
company. Two types of problems:
1. The actual situation is seriously wrong and needs to be solved as soon as possible.
Example: AH boycotts Unilever’s products. So Unilever loses a lot of sales because
AH doesn’t sell her products anymore. Unilever needs to solve this asap.
2. The actual situation is not seriously wrong but can be improved.
Example: Pfizer may increase profits by having its sales reps approach doctors
differently. The actual situation is not seriously wrong, but can be improved.
2. What makes a GOOD business problem?
1. Feasibility: is it doable? (Possible)
Checklist to determine whether a business problem is feasible or not:
- Is the problem demarcated (not too big; ingekaderd)?
- Can the problem be expressed in variables?
- Are you able to gather the required data? (existing or new data)
2. Relevance: is it worthwhile to be solved? (important)
Two ways:
1. Managerial relevance (Somebody should benefit from having the problem solved).
- Checklist:
* Who benefits from having the problem solved?
> Managers from one company or managers of one industry or multiple
industries.
> End users (consumers, investors, tax payers, …)
> Public policy makers (government, EU, …)
2. Academic relevance (The problem may not already been solved).
- Checklist:
* Completely new topic:
> No research available at all, although the topic is important (WHY is it
important.
* New context:
> Prior research is available but not in the same context.
* Integrate scattered research:
> E.g., different studies have focused on different IVs/moderators; consequently,
their relative importance is not clear. ->
Example: Doing a research for a new product on the market, this can be
done by analysing industries for big/small companies etc. Than you may
research which of the two categories of that previous research are the most
important for launching a new product on the market.
* Reconcile contradictory research
> Solve the contradictions through introducing one or more moderators.
(If two researches say the opposite of each other, than you may research
which of the factors determine that the statements in the researches are
true or not.)
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, Formulating a problem statement & research questions
Step 2 of research: Formulate the problem statement
1. What makes a good problem statement?
You have defined your business problem. You need to reform your manager-focused
business problem into a research-focused problem statement.
Preliminary research will help you reform. Preliminary research consists of two types of
information: background information of the organization and back ground information of
the topic you are focussing on. This information can be found in extant literature (=existing
literature).
The problem statement is the general question you try to answer in your research.
Checklist to determine whether it is a good problem statement or not:
1. Formulated in terms of:
Variables, and
Relations (between the variables)
2. Open-ended question (=a question that can’t be answered by yes or no)
3. Stated clearly/unambiguously (=it can only be interpreted in one way)
[ It’s managerially and academically relevant]
2. What makes good research questions?
Checklist to determine whether it is a good research question or not:
o Should collectively address the problem statement.
o First theoretical (questions), then practical research questions:
In the same order as they will be addressed in your research report.
o Stated clearly/unambiguously.
Research questions help to answer the ‘overarching’ problem statement, step by step.
1. Theoretical research questions
These questions are typically framed using the expressions between the (…):
Context question (e.g., “What is…”)
Only if context (is very specific) and needs elaboration.
Conceptualization question(s) (e.g., “What is …”)
Only for the key variable(s) that need(s) elaboration.
Relationship questions (e.g., “Which variables …”; “How does … affect …”; “Hoe does the
effect of … on … depend on …”)
All relationships in the problem statement should be covered.
2. Practical research questions
Relationship questions (e.g., “To what extent …”)
To what extent does X affect Y?
What is the (relative) magnitude (=size, or in Dutch: omvang) of the relations?
Implication question
= how does the company/industry you research for can use the results / what can
managers to with the results of your research / how will it help managers make
important decision.
How can practitioners implement your results?
Open question
Learn the e.g.’s (between brackets) by heart! If you precisely use this on the exam, this is
preferred!!
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