bmr pilot exam q 2011 1 v3 am

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IMM Graduate School of MarketingMay 2011 Pilot Examination BMR201

EXAMINATION : BASIC MARKETING RESEARCH 2 (BMR201)

DATE : MAY 2011 PILOT EXAMINATION

TIME ALLOWED : 3 HOURS

TOTAL MARKS : 100

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. Please refer to the examination rules and regulations as found in the examinationanswer book.

2. Answer ALL the questions.

3. Read all questions carefully to determine exactly what is required beforeattempting to answer.

4. Set your answers out in a systematic way under appropriate headings and

sub-headings.

5. Number your answers clearly.

6. IMPORTANT: Indicate the questions attempted by drawing a circle around thequestion number as provided on the front cover of the answer book.

NOTE:

Examination answer books are the property of the IMM GSM and may not beremoved from the examination hall.

Answers to examination questions should not include appendices in the form ofpersonal notes to the examining panel.


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Answer ALL the questions

The CEO of ABC Retailers has contacted you as a marketing researcher to conduct

a research project about the satisfaction of customers who shop at ABC. ABC is ahuge clothing retailing business that owns 237 outlets in major shopping centres inSouth Africa and the rest of Africa. The company has an annual turnover of morethan R4.2 billion, but lately sales have dropped. The Board of Directors suspectthat the drop in sales can be linked to lower levels of customer satisfaction.Customer satisfaction is viewed as the extent to which ABC Retailers fulfils theneeds, desires and expectations of its consumers. Customer service level is veryimportant to ABC and sales staff have been made aware of the fact that the companysees it as how rapidly and dependably ABC can deliver what the customer wants.

QUESTION 1 [25]

Although the CEO has been instructed by the Board of Directors to implement theresearch project he first needs to clear the research project with the executivemanagement committee and he also needs to find the budget for the research. Asan independent marketing researcher you are required to present an initialexplanation about the proposed research project to the executive committee. In yourpresentation you are required to explain the following:

1.1 To what extent can the executive committee regard the marketing researchproject as a scientific project? Explain the nature of the science base of

marketing research in such a format that non-marketing management peoplewill understand what is meant by it. (12)

1.2 As the researcher you are convinced that ABC Retailers should be informedabout the important characteristics of acceptable research. Include a memo toexplain to the executive management committee what the most importantcharacteristics of acceptable research are. (13)

QUESTION 2 [25]

ABC Retailers is considering the use of a qualitative data collection technique known

as focus group interviews. However, the executive management committee is notwell informed about it. You are required to prepare an explanation for the executivemanagement committee about the following aspects of the focus group technique asa qualitative research technique:

2.1 What are the typical assumptions that must be taken into consideration whenchoosing a qualitative research approach? Explain the assumptions in such aformat that non-marketing managers will understand it. (10)

2.2 Briefly explain the nature of focus group interviews. What are some of theadvantages and disadvantages of focus groups? In terms of what ABC

Retailers is requiring for establishing the levels of customer satisfaction, would


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you recommend a focus group technique? Give adequate reasons for youranswer. (15)

QUESTION 3 [50]

Eventually ABC Retailers rejected the qualitative approach and has settled on aquantitative research project using a typical questionnaire about the satisfaction ofcustomers who shop at ABC. You are about to embark on the project but you arealso considering doing an M Phil Marketing Research degree at the IMM GraduateSchool of Marketing, using your research project at ABC retailers. The IMMGraduate School of Marketing requires you to produce a formal research proposalabout your proposed research that must be submitted in the format as describedbelow. In formulating the proposal you are welcome to draw on your knowledge ofbasic marketing research, as well as on your knowledge about other modules thatyou have been exposed to in your studies. The research proposal must be submittedas a formal academic document presented in a full sentences and paragraph format.

Please note that the IMM Graduate School of Marketing does not allow the use ofbullets in research proposals.

In formulating your proposal please keep in mind that your reader at the IMMGraduate School of Marketing will be a senior academic who will be different to theexecutive management committee member at ABC Retailers. Your writing stylemust reflect the difference in readership.

Title of research projectFormulate a short but appropriate title for the proposed research project. (1)

Introduction( page)The introduction provides the IMM Graduate School of Marketing with thebackground information needed to understand the proposed research. It will mainlydescribe the context of the proposed study and it will introduce the reader to thetopic. (3)

Problem statement (half page)The statement of the research problem should include an explanation why thespecified problem or area of research is worth investigating. Try to convince thereader of the importance of the proposed research project. End your problem

statement with the formulation of some appropriate research questions. (8)

Purpose and research objectives (one paragraph)Following from the above, formulate one overarching purpose of the proposedresearch and then produce some clear research objectives. The research objectivesshould be in line with the purpose of the research. (8)

Literature review( page)The literature review consists of the collection of secondary data and it plays animportant part in the inductive research process that is to understand the topic andrelated theory that it forms part of. Explain in your proposal the importance and

characteristics of secondary data, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of


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secondary data. What types of secondary data will you collect? What referencingsystem will you use? Give examples of the referencing system. (12)

Questionnaire design (1 pages)In this section you must specify and justify the proposed method of measurement

which is a typical customer survey questionnaire. Design the full questionnaire thatis appropriate to the purpose of the research and include the questionnaire in thissection. In designing the questionnaire you must keep the guidelines in mind thatare provided in the recommended textbook: Wiid, J., and Diggines, C. 2009.Marketing Research. Cape Town: Juta. (18)

EXAM TOTAL: 100

bmr pilot exam q 2011 1 v3 am

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