RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PROPOSAL

Research Proposal for BBA

(Hons)
Contents
1.1 Preface.....................................................................3
1.2 Background of study................................................3
1.3 The purpose of the study.........................................3
1.4 Proposed Approach..................................................4
1.5 Objectives/ Aims......................................................4
1.6 Introduction to the topic..........................................4
1.7 Departments of Interest..........................................5
3.1 The Financial plan....................................................5
3.2 BREAKING DOWN 'Financial Plan'............................6
3.3 Objectives of Financial Planning..............................6
3.4 Importance of Financial Planning.............................7
3.5 Human Resource Plan..............................................7
3.6 Employee satisfaction..............................................8
3.7 Employee loyalty:....................................................9
3.8 Wages and benefits systems:................................10
3.9 Operational Plan....................................................10
3.10 Example of Operational Plans..............................11
1

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PROPOSAL

3.11 Marketing Plan.....................................................12

3.12 Elements of Marketing Mix:.................................13
4.1 Data collection Techniques and Data analyzing.....15
4.2 Data Sources.........................................................16
4.3 Research Procedure...............................................17
4.4 Timetable:..............................................................17

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Preface
All of the work to be presented henceforth will be conducted in the
premises of the company to be researched on. I will be the lead
investigator for the research and I will be responsible for all major
areas of concept formation, data collection and analysis, as well as the
majority of manuscript composition. The whole project will be
measured through the questionnaire, the data will be analyzed,
interpreted and the results will be obtained.

1.2 Background of study

I am currently a student of BBA Level 2 and have studied a various
modules during these 2 Years of my study including Marketing, Human
Resource Management, Organizational Behavior, Accounting, Finance,
Numeracy and Statistics, Business Communication, Business
Administration, E-Commerce, Economics etc. Now as a part of my
course, it requires a Research Methodology, which I will be currently
working on.
Hardees first restaurant in the MENA area opened its doors in 1981,
and the chains popularity soon echoed throughout the region. In fact,
so successful are Hardees operations in the Middle East that they
represent the brands most fruitful venture outside the United States,
with over 260 outlets in Kuwait, Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab
Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Kazakhstan.

1.3 The purpose of the study

This proposal is to conduct a survey on Hardees and its members as
well as Its Various Departments.
The purpose of this survey is to solicit the perceptions and opinions of
Saudi Aramco for educational and informational needs. Specifically,
this survey will:

To assess the factors of people choosing the junk over nutritional

food
Understand a complete insight of the business and peoples how
they work to achieve their goals.

1.4 Proposed Approach

Our methodology to develop survey instrument will combine literature
review and a focus group discussion (FGD) process. Survey questions
will be designed after a careful review of related literature. In addition,
a focus group interview will be conducted. The purpose of the focus
group would be to gather and explore perceptions, thoughts, opinions
and feelings about the Company. These participants are involved in
and are knowledgeable about the company. The findings of the
literature review and the inputs from the focus group interview will be
synthesized to develop the results.

1.5 Objectives/ Aims

The objectives for this assignment are to:
Review and refine our understanding of the goals, objectives, and
expectations.
To see the customer satisfaction level.
To study the perception of customers regarding the products &
services

1.6 Introduction to the topic

a) Research Methodology Definition
It is the process used to collect information and data for the
purpose of making decisions about research. The methodology
may include publication research, interviews, surveys and other
research techniques, and could include both present and
historical information.

b) Research topic

I will conduct my study in the premises of Hardees, an

American-based fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE
Restaurants Holdings, Inc.("CKE") with locations primarily in the
Southern and Midwestern United States. The company has
evolved through several corporate ownerships since its
establishment in 1960 in North Carolina.
In April 1997, CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., the parent
company of Carl's Jr., paid $327 million to Montreal-based Imasco

Limited for Hardee's. The merger created a chain of 3,828

restaurants - 3,152 Hardee's outlets in 40 states and 10 foreign
countries and 676 Carl's Jr. outlets, primarily in California.

1.7 Departments of Interest

Operation Plan
Financial Plan
Marketing Plan
Human resource plan

2. SCOPE AND
LIMITATIONS
Scope:
The scope of the project is to study the structure, competition and the
consumer behaviour of Hardees. In the project I will also learn about
the level of satisfaction of the employees working in Hardees, but my
main emphasis is regarding the consumer behaviour and the
marketing strategies is aimed at Hardees

Limitations
Time constraints of the semester require less time than may be ideal fo
r an ethnographic study.
By being in the organization for only a limited period
there are bound to be aspects of leadership practice, organisational cul
ture and team
communication that will not be revealed during my observations.
Being an outsider may also limit what is revealed to me. The team me
mbersmay be guarded in their conversations around me, especially in
my in Presence

3. LITERATURE REVIEW
3.1 The Financial plan
A 'Financial Plan' is a comprehensive evaluation of an investor's current
and future financial state by using currently known variables to predict
future cash flows, asset values and withdrawal plans.
Most individuals work in conjunction with an investment or tax
professional and use current net worth, tax liabilities, asset allocation,
and future retirement and estate plans in developing the plan. These
will be used along with estimates of asset growth to determine if a
person's financial goals can be met in the future, or what steps need to
be taken to ensure that they are.

3.2 BREAKING DOWN 'Financial Plan'

While there is no specific template for a financial plan, most licensed
professionals will include knowledge and considerations of the client's
future life goals, future wealth transfer plans and future expense
levels. Extrapolated asset values will determine whether the client has
sufficient funds to meet future needs.
A good financial plan can alert an investor to changes that must be
made to ensure a smooth transition through life's financial phases,
such as decreasing spending or changing asset allocation. Financial
plans should also be fluid, with occasional updates when financial
changes occur.
Financial Planning is the process of estimating the capital required and
determining its competition. It is the process of framing financial
policies in relation to procurement, investment and administration of
funds of an enterprise.

3.3 Objectives of Financial Planning

Financial Planning has got many objectives to look forward to:

a. Determining capital requirements- This will depend upon

factors like cost of current and fixed assets, promotional
expenses and long- range planning. Capital requirements have to
be looked with both aspects: short- term and long- term
requirements.
b. Determining capital structure- The capital structure is the
composition of capital, i.e., the relative kind and proportion of
capital required in the business. This includes decisions of debtequity ratio- both short-term and long- term.
c. Framing financial policies with regards to cash control,
lending, borrowings, etc.
d. A finance manager ensures that the scarce financial
resources are maximally utilized in the best possible
manner at least cost in order to get maximum returns on
investment.

3.4 Importance of Financial Planning

Financial Planning is process of framing objectives, policies,
procedures, programs and budgets regarding the financial activities of
a concern. This ensures effective and adequate financial and
investment policies. The importance can be outlined as

Adequate funds have to be ensured.

Financial Planning helps in ensuring a reasonable balance

between outflow and inflow of funds so that stability is
maintained.

Financial Planning ensures that the suppliers of funds are easily

investing in companies which exercise financial planning.

Financial Planning helps in making growth and expansion

programmes which helps in long-run survival of the company.

Financial Planning reduces uncertainties with regards to changing

market trends which can be faced easily through enough funds.

Financial Planning helps in reducing the uncertainties which can

be a hindrance to growth of the company. This helps in ensuring
stability and profitability in concern.

3.5 Human Resource Plan

In a rapid competitive business environment, the procedures of
outlining

the

role,

function

and

process

of

Human

Resource

Management (HRM) within a dynamic and uncertain environment are

ongoing for many decades. Due to its diverse origins and many
influences,

HRM

covers

essential

aspects

of

central

concern

in organisations such as individual, practice, educational theory, social

and organisational psychology,

sociology,

industrial

relations,

and organisational theory (Sunderland and Breeding, 2005)

Kotler defined marketing as, A social and managerial process by which

individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through
creating and exchanging value with others and marketing consist of
actions taken to build and maintain desirable exchange relationships
with target audiences.
The sole aim of HRM is to guarantee that the firm human capitals are
being

used

in

the

fullest

capability

to

produces

the

greatest organisation results that meets with the firm needs Nader
Maiden, (2003) and Gilley and Gilley, (2007). Therefore, the philosophy
of empowering employees capabilities is coined to the conception
that HR is extremely crucial for sustainable competitive advantage
and organisational success
in organisation is

(Koch

&McGrath,

also crucial because its

2003).

HR

assist managers and

employees through a change process (Hendry, Jones, Arthur &

Pettigrew, 1991).
Businesses can gain enormous competitive advantages when their
employees are used effectively to drawing on their expertise and
ingenuity to meet clearly defined objectives. When organisation recruit

the most effective, capable, committed and flexible people; and

managed

and reward

competencies
immensely

and
(Price

them

efficiency
A.,

execute organisational goals

accordingly
would

help

their
the

2007).

Managers

depend

on

the

performances,

firm

productivity

that
HR

tactfully

practices

to

deliver excellences so that they can achieve the utmost business

performance (Becker, B. and Gerhard, B., 1996).
However, the HRM field has been isolated and misunderstood by many
researchers and practitioner, failing to realise that without employees
there would be no functioning organisation Argot, Civilly and Reagans
(2003). As employees remain the most expensive and reliable asset of
the organisation, the practices of HR will remain a vital area of
discussion (Becker, B. and Gerhard, B., 1996).

3.6 Employee satisfaction

Employee satisfaction is the individual satisfaction as a professional
person, that is, the individual has an effect on his attitude.
Organization member to its operating characteristic is the cognitive
evaluation, employees get through the more realistic values and
expectations of the gap between the value obtained after the meeting
whether or not all aspects of work attitudes and emotional responses.
It involves the work of the degree of organizational commitment and
work motivation is closely related (Sari, L. M., & Judge, T. A., 2004).
Superior-subordinate communication is an important influence on job
satisfaction in the workplace, in which the way a subordinate perceives
a supervisor's behaviour can positively or negatively influence job
satisfaction. Nonverbal messages play a central role in interpersonal
interactions

with

respect

to

impression

formation,

deception,

attraction, social influence, and emotional expression (Burgeon, Biller,

& Woodall, 1996).

3.7 Employee loyalty:

Employee engagement is personified by the passion and energy
employees have to give of their best to the organization to serve the
customer.

Engagement

is

characterized

by

employees

being

committed to the organization, believing in what it stands for and

being prepared to go above and beyond what is expected of them to
deliver outstanding service to the customer. Engaged employees feel
inspired by their work, they are customer focused in their approach;
they care about the future of the company and are prepared to invest
their own effort to see that the organization succeeds (Cook, 2008).

Engagement can be summed up by how positively the employee:

Thinks about the organization;

feels about the organization;

Proactive in relation to achieving organizational goals for

customers, colleagues and other stakeholders.

Employee loyalty can be divided into active and passive loyalty. The
former refers to the subjective staff loyal to the company with the
desire (Cook, 2008). This desire is often due to a high degree of
organization and employee goals and now there are consistent with
organizational

help

for

employees,

self-development

and

self-

realization factors. Passive loyalty is when the employees themselves

do not wish to remain in the organization, but due to some constraints,
such as high wages and welfare, transportation, etc., have to stay in
the organization. Once these conditions disappear, the staff can no
longer feel organizational loyalty (Cook, 2008).

3.8 Wages and benefits systems:

Salaries and benefits in the eyes of employees affect their loyalty is
one of the important factors. Money is not the most important, but no
doubt a very important, whether corporate or professional loyalty,
loyalty is established on the basis of material, good pay system to
ensure the basic material needs of the employees, will have good
professional loyalty, and corporate loyalty (Cook, 2008).

3.9 Operational Plan

An operational plan can be defined as a plan prepared by a
component of an organization that clearly defines actions it will take to
support the strategic objectives and plans of upper management.
However, to fully understand operational plans, we should first look at
the overall planning process within a business.
This diagram shows three levels of planning:
Type of
Plan

Created
By

Strategic
plan

Top
Entire
manageme
organization
nt

Mission of the
Very broad
company, future
and
goals and
general
ambitions

Tactical
plan

Single area of
Mid-level
the business as
manageme a whole (e.g. a
nt
division of the
company)

Specific actions
to support or
work towards
the strategic
plan

Specific
actions
and ideas,
but not
very
detailed

Specific plans
for low level and
day-to-day
activities and
processes that
will support and
enable the
tactical plan

Extremely
detailed
(who,
what,
where and
when)

Scope

A unit within a
single area of
Low-level
the business
Operation
manageme (e.g. a
al plan
nt
department
within a
division)

Includes

Level of
Detail

Let's summarize the characteristics of an operational plan. First, it

assumes that upper management has prepared both a strategic plan
and a tactical plan. This means that lower management should have a
clear sense of what they are trying to achieve. They just have to come
up with a detailed plan to make it happen!
Second, the operational plan is limited to only one part of the
organization. For example, a large corporation (strategic plan) has a
manufacturing division (tactical plan) that produces products A, B and
C. Each product is manufactured in a separate plant run by a plant
manager who prepares a separate operational plan.
Operational plans can be subdivided into two categories:

Single-use plans address only the current period or a specific

problem.
o An example would be a plan to cut costs during the next
year.

Ongoing plans carry forward to future periods and are changed

as necessary.
o An example would be a long-term plan to retrain workers
instead of layoffs.

3.10 Example of Operational Plans

Congratulations, you have just been appointed plant manager for
product C! The division manager (your new boss) has just informed you
that part of the corporate strategic plan is to increase the return to
shareholders over the next five years. The division manager's tactical
plan to support the corporate goal has three parts. First, he wants to
cut costs by ten percent over the next year. Next, he also wants to
avoid layoffs and to increase production by three percent. He asks you
to prepare an operational plan for your plant that will show him what
you will do to help him achieve these goals. He wants to know very
specifically what actions you will take, when these actions will occur
and who will perform them. He also wants to know if you will require
any additional financial resources or manpower to implement your
plan.
Let's get started by looking at the tactical plan items and trying to get
some ideas about what you can do:
To Cut Costs Ten Percent Single-use Resources Required

or
Ongoing
Improve plant workflow

Single-use

Efficiency study, machine

relocation costs, training
costs

Acquire faster or more

efficient machinery and
equipment

Single-use

Purchase and installation

cost

Reduce inventory levels

Single-use

Production study, supplier

interaction, training costs

Reduce production waste

Single-use

Efficiency study, training

costs

Improve materials handling

Single-use
procedures

Efficiency study, training

costs, new equipment

3.11 Marketing Plan

The term marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals
depends on knowing the needs and wants of target markets and
delivering the desired satisfactions. It proposes that in order to satisfy
its organizational objectives, an organization should anticipate the
needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than
competitors.
Marketing is a very important activity for the organisation. In marketing
a lot of sub activities are performed. Marketing includes the activities
like identification of demand, research, market segmentation, product
development, launching of products, modification of products, deletion
of products, product design, pricing, different types of pricing,
promotion of products and services, sales promotion, personal selling,
publicity, public relations, adverting, distribution of products and
services, consumer behaviour, internal and international market

coverage, branding, packaging, labelling and many other activities. For

easy understanding and proper planning of activities, the marketing
activities are divided into four areas for products. These are product,
pricing, promotion and placement. For services the groups include
product, price, promotion, placement, people, process and physical
evidence. In the research study the topic is related to promotion of
products. Without creating awareness the customers would not come
to know about the company existence in the markets, products and
services they produced and features of their products and services.
The messages regarding the products, company, features of their
products and services are to be communicated by using different
promotion methods. One of the methods is sales promotion and it
covers the scope of the study.

3.12 Elements of Marketing Mix:

Marketing mix is the combination of the elements of marketing and
what roles each element plays in promoting products and services and
delivering those products and services to the customers. The elements
of the marketing mix are also referred to as the 5 P's of marketing. In
the beginning for years together marketers accepted the 4 P's of
marketing.
(a) Product
The product is a combination of tangible and intangible aspects of the
products offered by the manufacturer to the customers. It can be
defined as a bundle of satisfaction and dissatisfactions offered by
company to the customers at a point of time. Their physical attributes
what they do, how they differ from your competitors and what benefits
they provide. The products can be classified as durable and non-

durable, consumers and industrial goods, perishable and nonperishable, finished and semi-finished etc.

b Price
Price means the monetary value of the product has been fixed for
exchange purpose. The price is the amount a customer pays for the
product. It is fixed after considering various factors such as market
share, competition, material costs, product identity and the customer's
perceived value of the product. The business may increase or decrease
the price of product if other stores have the same product. It is through
price the company gets its money back in business. It should be fixed
in such a way the company is in position to recover the costs and earn
profits also. If it is fixed very low then it may be difficult to come to
the breakeven point and if fixed very high then it may have deterrent
effect on the sale.

c Promotion
The promotion concept is applied for products or services and to the
business. The promotion include all communications a marketer used
in the market for his products of services to create awareness,
persuade the customers to buy and retain in future also. For
improvement in the position of sales or progress of business this
method is used. The message is given to target group regarding the
features and benefits of the products or services to the target
customers. Without communication the features, benefits and schemes
would not be known to the customers and objectives of in launching of

products or services and increasing sates would not be completed.

When communication creates awareness then only the interest would
be created and customers would take the decision for buying.

d Placement
Place represents the point or location where the product is made
available to purchase. It is required that the products and customer
should be available at a point then only the sales would be possible. If
not then the sale does not taken place. This term is used for
distribution channel. It can include any physical store as well as virtual
stores on the Internet. Place is not exactly a physical store where it is
available Place is nothing but how the product takes place or create
image in the mind of customers. It depends upon the perception of
customers. The products or services should reach to the customer that
channel is called distribution channel of placement.
The above definitions indicate the following characteristics:
a It involves more than one person.
b It deals with transmission of both facts and feelings.
c There are various medium of communication.
d A business organization has continuity. Hence the process of
communication is also a continuous one.
e The effectiveness of communication to a very large extent
depends upon the required understanding of what is being
received and then responded. The sharing of understanding is
possible only when the person, for whom the message is
meant understands it in the same sense in which the sender of

the message wants him to understand. Thus communication

involves something more than mere transmission of message
and physical receipt thereof. The correct interpretation and
understanding of the message is important from the point of
view of organizational efficiency. As such, the greater
than degree of understanding present in the communication, the
more is the possibility that human action will proceed in the
direction of achieving organizational

4. METHODOLOGY
4.1 Data collection Techniques and Data
analyzing

Questionnaires:
The questionnaire will require respondents to fill out the form
themselves regarding the information needed. Data will be
analyzed from the proposed Questionnaire.

Interviews:
Interviews will be conducted with the employees of the company
to find out important details of the various departments.
Direct observations:
Direct observations will help learn the minute details of the way
the company operates and its various strategies.

Primary data:
Qualitative Data
Telephonic Interviews, Personal Interviews, Close group
discussions & Participant Observation.

 Quantitative Data
Interview with the CEO of the company, Managers and other
company officials, Questionnaires & Visuals.

Surveys
I will conduct a survey to Hardees in order to observe the
environment, relationship between employees and relationship
between management and employees.

4.2 Data Sources

Personal papers
Letters
Diaries and journals)
Photographs & paintings, sketches, original maps, etc.
Advertisements, posters, and banners
Memoirs
Genealogy records
News footage (newsreels, videotapes or audiotapes, etc.)
Newspaper articles written at time of the event
Speeches which are contemporaneous with the event
Oral histories
Minutes of meetings related to the event

 Vital records
Computer software, e-mail archives, web documents, etc.

4.3 Research Procedure

1. Conduct a literature review.
2. Observe the group, focusing mostly on conversations at team meeti
ngs, especially those conversations in which the group addresses chan
ges to their work processes and issues of team relationships and identi
ty(ies).
3. Interview team members to clarify and provide insight into conversa
tions. I will attempt toconduct these interviews shortly after conversati
ons of interest. While the interviews will notbe formal or structured, th
e kinds of questions I will ask include the following.
4.
The general strategy for the interviews is to start off with broad questio
ns
& follow up on the interviewees responses, to capture her or his meani
ng & to avoid imposing my meanings on the interviewee.

4.4 Timetable:
Prepare proposal by 1st May
Complete literature review by 15 May
Complete fieldwork by 22 May
Complete analysis by 29 May
Complete final report by 31 may
Give presentation on 2 June

5. RESULTS AND
FINDINGS
This Research methodology will Result with following findings:

Qualitative & report interesting observations. Also Enhancing the

observation power and concentration

Descriptive generalize from (real-life) examples

Models structure a problem area: ask good questions

Techniques invent new ways to do some tasks. Including

Implementation techniques

Develop ways to select from alternatives

System embody result in a system. using the system

Both for insight and as carrier of results

Empirical develop empirical predictive models from

Models observed data

analytic develop structural models that permit formal

models analysis

6 CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations
The

following

recommendations

can

be

draw

for

the

further

development of the Hardees Hardees should always provide emphasis on customer demand.
It should always satisfy the dealers demand and arrange product
availability.
It should always pay heed to the dealers growth rate, take
initiatives to recover gap and always monitor their activities.
Hardees should restructure its sales system. It can restructure
through employing more SOs, day to day sales and delivery
system, enrich end-user activists activities, frequent market visit,
better communication with distribution.
Its general sales procedures like taking order, preparing invoice,
categorization of invoice, preparing rout plan, lining products for
loading, final check and loading of vehicles should be fast
customer oriented.

Conclusion
The petroleum market is very much competitive although Hardees
holds the major market share. But the growth rates of the competitors
and expansions of companys product to rural continent are great
challenges for Hardees. Its true that Hardees is very prominent in the

market because of its high quality products, better customer response,

variety of products, competitive price rate etc.
The worlds need for energy is growing, but so too is our ability to meet
that demand. Hardees strategic direction is closely linked with the
needs and aspirations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and is
summarized in the companys Corporate Strategic Direction; to deliver
maximum financial contribution to the enterprise and to promote
development of the local economy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

7. REFERENCES

Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone else's work or

ideas and passing them off as one's own. Therefore to avoid
plagiarism I would like to list the references Ive used for this
project
1. http://www.hardees.com/
2. http://www.rigzone.com/news/oil_gas/a/115515/Is_Saudi_Aramco_Beco
ming_a_Role_Model_for_Corporate_Social_Responsibility#sthash.FxjAn9
ZS.dpuf
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Aramco
4. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-20/what-future-saudi-aramco
5. Valerie, M. (2006). Oil Titans: National Oil Companies in the Middle
East. London: Chatham House.
6. Azzam, Y. S. (2006). Saudi Aramcos Initiatives in Export Refining &
Integrated Petrochemical Projects. Presentation to MEED Conference,
10-11
7. International Monetary Fund, (2012). International Financial Statistics.
8. Kotler, P., P. Foertsch, W., & Michi, I. (2006). B2B brand management.
Berlin: Springer.
9. Barney, H. (2009) Strategic Management and Competitive Advantage,
Concepts. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 28-63.

Laima Ali
BBA Level 2
SCI