Business Research

University of West Georgia

MKTG 3808-01 Fall 2008
CRN 81670 Section 01 MW 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM Richards Business Room 102
Instructor: Dr. Deborah J. Webb Office Hours: M, W 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
3:15 PM – 3:30 PM
4:45 PM – 5:30 PM
Th 12:00 PM –
3:00 PM
Office: Richards Business Room 168
Phone: (678) 839-5027 e-mail: dwebb@westga.edu
Pre-requisites: Enrollment in this course requires compliance with the College of Business Policy for
Major Status and completion of ECON 3402 or MATH 2063 and CISM 2201 with a grade of D or higher or
consent of the Marketing & Real Estate Department Chair, Dr. Salil Talpade.
While ECON 3406 (Stats II) is not a prerequisite, students tell me it is helpful. If you feel you need to refresh
your memory of statistics, please see Chapter 17 - Determination of Sample Size: A Review of Statistical
Theory. Also, don’t forget the Math and Statistics Labs are available. Please let me know if you have questions.
Required Text:
Zikmund, William G. (2003), Business Research Methods. Mason, OH: Thomson South-Western. (including
SPSS Student Version software bundle)
Powerpoint Presentations
Course Description:
This course is designed to meet the rapidly growing need for a systematic approach to the business research
process, and its implementation in terms of strategic decision making. Both primary and secondary sources of
information are considered along with research design, measurement, sampling, data collection, processing,
analyses and interpretation.
Student Learning Goals:
Upon successfully completing the course, the student should
1. Have knowledge of the key terms and concepts in the business research process. (LG 2)

2. Be able to analyze business situations, and apply basic quantitative skills to solving business problems
and developing effective strategies. (LG 2)

3. Recognize how diversity, ethical, global and multicultural considerations affect the business research
process and decision-making. (LG 5)

4. Have knowledge about a variety of secondary sources of information including on-line data banks, the
internet and the web, and be able to collect and analyze relevant information from these sources (LG 3).

5. Have knowledge about primary research, including research design, sampling procedures, measurement
issues, development of a data collection instrument, and data collection, processing, analyses and
interpretation. (LG 2)

6. Be able to use the SPSS-PC software to analyze and interpret the results (LG 3).

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7. Be able to effectively communicate the results of a research project in an oral presentation and as a written
paper. (LG 1)

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Course Orientation: We will use a variety of learning methods to study the interrelationship between theory and
practice as applied to business. The class will be a mixture of discussion, lecture, team work on research project,
along with related individual and team assignments. I will lecture on occasion where the topic is amenable to that
approach. However, I have found that an interactive approach works best. This means that every student must
be prepared to participate every class period. While I encourage voluntary participation, I will call on
individuals who are reticent to participate for whatever reason. Failing to be prepared for class, can, therefore,
not only be unproductive and damaging to your participation grade, but also embarrassing. Please help me keep
this from occurring by always being prepared and making a meaningful contribution to our class experience.
Student Responsibilities:
1. Attend class, prepared to discuss and apply concepts from assigned readings. This includes having the
text, handouts, data files and other materials readily available and well organized for class. In many cases,
we will use class time to apply the concepts from the required readings in lieu of lecture or discussion of
concepts. This presumes you have already studied the concepts and are ready to apply them in class.
2. Be responsible for the readings assigned in class and in the course syllabus, whether or not the material is
explicitly covered by the instructor during class. In addition to readings, everything presented in class by
the instructor, guest speakers or other students will be considered for inclusion on exams.
3. Contribute to class discussions.
4. Turn in or meet all assignments on schedule.
5. Team assignments should be completed and reviewed by all team members before being submitted to
me. My assumption for grading is that team work reflects the best effort of all team members. Teams
should also make a sincere effort to resolve questions regarding the completion of assignments using the
resources of all team members and class materials before taking the easier route of asking me – this is
essential for the development of critical thinking, problem solving and team building skills.
6. Students who miss class (or any portion of a class) are responsible for the content missed. While I am glad to
assist students who may need help with a particular concept or assignment, such assistance is not designed to
replace class time. Any student who misses class should take steps to get notes, assignments, copies of
handouts, schedule changes, etc. from another student(s). If additional assistance is needed, please see me
during office hours. Class time is valuable and will not be used to go over material for students missing class.
Class material will only be retaught/reviewed when judged appropriate for the class as a whole.
7. Always Engage in Academic Honesty: Students are expected to recognize and uphold standards of
intellectual and academic integrity. The University assumes as a basic and minimum standard of conduct in
academic matters that students be honest and that they present for credit only the results of their own efforts
for that course. Students should be familiar with the University's policy on issues such as:
· Plagiarism,
· Cheating on Examinations,
· Unauthorized Collaboration,
· Falsification,
· Multiple Submissions. It will be considered an act of academic dishonesty for a student to submit
work done in any other class for credit toward the completion of this course.
Failure to comply with these standards will result in a zero for that portion of the grade, as a minimum
sanction. Lack of knowledge of this policy is not an acceptable defense to any academic dishonesty charge.
8. Adhere to University Policies: It is your responsibility to be aware and follow all guidelines and policies
as presented in the University Bulletin.
9. Professional behavior is expected in the classroom and lab. All students are expected to treat each other, the
instructor, and guests with courtesy at all times. Side conversations are inappropriate whether the instructor
or another student is speaking. Comments regarding course difficulty, class dismissal time, etc. are also
inappropriate. Talk to the instructor privately if you have a concern.
10. All students are expected to work with their team when given class time to do so.
Leaving class early or any activity, including using a computer, for any purpose other than
accomplishment of your team project are inappropriate behavior and will result in a reduction

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of your participation grade.

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Course Evaluation: The calculation of course grades will be based on the following percentages:
Exam 1 15%
Exam 2 15%
Exam 3 15%
Exam 4 15%
Team Research Project 30%
SPSS and Other Assignments/Participation/Attendance 10%
Please Note: No extra credit or curving of grades will be included in the course evaluation.

Exams:
Examinations will be designed to test your understanding of business research by allowing you to demonstrate
your mastery of concepts, principles and terms used by research professionals. In addition, you will be
expected to integrate and apply these concepts, principles and terms to research problems. Exams will be some
combination of multiple choice, matching, essay and/or application questions. Grades on all written
communication will be based on content, structure, spelling and grammar. Exams will cover assigned
readings, assignments and additional materials covered in class.
Exam and Due Date Policies:
Make-up exams will not be given except under highly extenuating, nonacademic circumstances and with
prior approval by the instructor. In the rare situation of a student who cannot take an exam at the time
scheduled, a makeup exam will be arranged only if two conditions are met: (1) there is an emergency which
the student discusses with me before missing the exam and (2) documentation of the emergency situation is
provided. These same two conditions must be met for any late assignments to be accepted. Students not
abiding by these policies will receive a zero.

Team Research Project:

Businesses today are requiring self-directed teams to deal with many of the complex and difficult decisions
managers face. They expect new employees to be able to work effectively on these teams, which requires
experience and skills. Employers expect applicants for college-entry level jobs to have acquired these skills
during completion of their course requirements. Thus, the team project is intended to reinforce materials and
provide first hand experience with research concepts and activities, enhance team building, and written and oral
communication skills. All portions of the projects are graded rigorously, because students have the
resources of a team and an entire term to work on them.

Each class member must identify a research project s/he wishes to work on and form teams of 4 or 5
students. Submit a list of team members with contact information to me by Friday, August 29th, in an
Excel spreadsheet via email attachment. Please indicate on the list the Team Captain (Coordinates Team)
and Team Secretary (Keeps minutes of each team meeting). The Excel spreadsheet should include the
following headings: Team Member Name, MyUWG email, telephone number. Minutes should include date,
time, location, and duration of the meeting, team members present and team members absent (and why), topics
discussed, decisions agreed upon, deliverables to meeting and by whom, resource allocation decisions – team
member assignments and deliverables for next meeting, etc.

Teams may choose to conduct either a basic or applied business research project. The topic may come from
accounting, economics, finance, management, marketing or any other area of business. I am also open to topics
outside the realm of business. Each team will conduct both primary and secondary research, prepare periodic
updates on project progress via team minutes, and prepare a final written and oral presentation. Supplemental
materials are attached to this syllabus to aid in the successful completion of other aspects of your team projects.

The paper should be approximately 10 - 15 typed, double-spaced pages (excluding Appendices). At least two
appendices are required: (1) clean copy of final survey; (2) typed minutes of team meetings. Other appendices
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may also be useful in presenting your project processes or results. The class presentations should last
approximately 15 minutes and allow for a 10 minute Q&A. Presentations do not have to follow the
organization of your paper. The idea is to effectively communicate the findings of your research. Creative
presentations are encouraged. All team members are expected to actively participate in and thoroughly
understand all aspects of the research project. All team members are required to participate in the
presentation and be prepared to field questions from the audience, including me, about any part of the
project.
Team members will evaluate the individual members of the team based on each one's contribution (Peer
Evaluation Form attached). The peer evaluations should fairly represent the contribution of each team member.
The project grade will be lowered for any member who by consensus did not contribute equitably to the
project. With this in mind, you should choose your team mates very carefully and wisely! For example, I
find students often choose friends or whoever is sitting near them in class, these are often not the best choice
criteria for choosing team mates for a project. Students should also look at their schedules carefully. If one
person has a night class on Monday, and another student plays a sport that travels on Tuesday, and a third
person has a part-time job on Wednesday and Thursday, then it will be difficult to find a time for team
meetings. Successful teams meet at least once a week from the very beginning of the semester.
Using some of the criteria for ideal team members suggested by Ms. Hope Corrigan at Loyola College in
Maryland will help in proactively choosing members for a successful team experience. I’ve added italics.
Ideal Team Member Criteria
1. Able to use the library resources to collect information
2. Attends all team meetings
3. Comfortable using PowerPoint (and SPSS)
4. Communicates well with other team members
5. Respectful of other team members
6. Displays an analytical business style (including knowledge of statistics)
7. Gives constructive feedback
8. Has strong presentation skills
9. Meets assigned deadlines
10. Open to ideas from other team members
11. Organized
12. Enthusiastic attitude about the team assignments
13. Productive team member
14. Volunteers for tasks
15. Sets realistic deadlines
16. Shares the responsibility for team assignments
17. Submits quality work
18. Takes on a leadership role
19. Comes to team meetings prepared
20. Writes well and can edit other student's work
Choosing strong team members will also help you to avoid the pitfalls I have see plague other groups including
social loafing, also known as free riding, and the divide and conquer approach to the project. Social loafing is
when one or more of the team members is not pulling his/her fair share of the work load and will not be
tolerated. Free riding can reduce a student’s project grade to as low as 50%. As stated above, all team members
are responsible for all parts of the project and accountable for the performance of the entire team. Another
strategy I often see leading to very poor performance on the team project is when teams divide the project up
into parts and assign a student(s) to each part and then merge the parts into one document to turn in for credit.
This will not work! The paper should read as if it is of “one mind”. Major deductions are made to any part of
the project when it is evident that it was completed using any variant of the divide and conquer approach.
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Assignments and Participation:
Your attendance and active participation in class are an integral part of the learning experience for you and your
classmates. The class benefits from your relevant questions, insights and experiences. Both the quantity and
quality of participation will be taken into account. Participation will be based upon how well you are prepared
for class, your contribution to making the class a better learning environment, and the value and insight you
demonstrate in class discussions and team work. In addition, both out of class and in class assignments will be
made throughout the semester, which are designed to provide you with first hand experience with various
research activities (including SPSS) and to enhance understanding of the course material. Assignments may be
graded on the following scale: +, - or 0, which correspond to full, half or no credit, respectively, or given a
standard numerical grade. As noted above, make-up assignments can only be made under extenuating,
documented circumstances just like exams.

If you are not in class, you cannot participate, therefore, each unexcused absence lowers your
participation grade. Students missing more than 3 classes may be administratively withdrawn from the
course by the instructor for excess absences. Administrative withdrawals follow the same grading
guidelines outlined in the registration bulletin.

Notes:
• All class email communications with me should be through your MyUWG account (University Policy).
• The course syllabus provides a general plan for the course. However, deviations may be necessary.
It is your responsibility to stay informed of any changes that are made.
• The PowerPoint Slides located on the Marketing and Real Estate’s Home Page under my name are
provided as an aid not a substitute for the text or class attendance. Please be aware that the PowerPoint
Slides online will not cover all of the material or exercises covered in class. http://www.westga.edu/
%7Emktreal/webbwebpage.htm
• Please come to class on time and turn off all electronic devices that emit sounds and noises that may
interrupt the class (e.g., cell phones, pagers, watch alarms, etc.). Text messaging or other forms of using
cell phones for entertainment during class are not professional and will not be tolerated.
• Be sure to save your SPSS files frequently and to keep multiple current copies. Be sure all team
members have the latest copy of your SPSS files. This insures that all teams are able to use any class
time devoted to projects productively. Teams are expected to coordinate and any student(s) not able to
use class time productively because they do not have the SPSS files or any other team materials they
need will have their individual participation grade lowered.

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Business Research MKTG 3808-01 Fall 2008 Dr. Deborah J. Webb
Tentative Course Schedule

Week One Introduction / Orientation / Team Project Information / SPSS Introduction

M August 18 Chapter 1 The Role of Business Research
W August 20 Chapter 3 Theory Building

Week Two Chapter 4 The Research Process: An Overview

M August 25 Chapter 5 Ethical Issues In Business Research
W August 27 Chapter 6 Problem Definition and the Research Proposal
F August 29 August 29 – Team Sign-Up Sheets Due (via email attachment in Excel)
Week Three
M September 1 September 1 – Have a Nice and Safe Labor Day! – No Class
W September 3 Chapter 7 Exploratory Research and Qualitative Analysis
F September 5 LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR SPRING GRADUATION
Week Four Chapter 8 and Appendix 8A, 8B Secondary Data
M September 8 Guest Speaker: Susan A. Smith Head of Acquisitions Irvine Sullivan Ingram Library
W September 10 September 10 - Exam One (Chapters 1, 3-8)
Week Five Chapter 13 Measurement and Scaling Concepts
M September 15 Chapter 20 Basic Data Analysis: Descriptive Statistics and SPSS
W September 17 Chapter 21 Univariate Statistics and SPSS

Week Six Chapter 22 Bivariate Analysis: Tests of Difference and SPSS

M September 22 Chapter 23 Bivariate Analysis: Measures of Association and SPSS
W September 24 Chapter 24 Multivariate Analysis (pp. 573-579, 585-589) and SPSS

September 29 – Exam Two (Chapters 13, 20-24 and SPSS Analyses)

Week Seven
Chapter 9 Survey Research: An Overview
M September 29
Chapter 10 Survey Research: Basic Methods of Communication with Respondents
W October 1
October 3 - Research Proposal Due via email as Word attachment (1-3 pages in
F October 3
length, see exhibit 6.6 and supplemental instructions below)
October 6 – Research Proposals Returned to Teams
Week Eight Chapter 14 Attitude Measurement
M October 6 Chapter 15 Questionnaire Design
W October 8 October 8 – Survey Questionnaires Due
October 8 – LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW WITH A GRADE OF ‘W’
Week Nine October 13 – Survey Questionnaires Returned to Teams
M October 13 Chapter 16 Sampling Designs and Sampling Procedures
W October 15 October 15 - Exam Three (Chapters 9, 10, 14-16)
F October 17 October 17 – Corrected Survey Questionnaires Due
October 20 – Corrected Survey Questionnaires Returned to Teams
Week Ten
Chapter 18 Fieldwork
M October 20
Chapter 19 Editing and Coding: Beginning to Transform Raw Data into Information
W October 22
Building a Variable File and Creating a Data File in SPSS

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 Distribute Questionnaires / Data Collection
Week Eleven October 27 – SPSS Variable File Due (via email attachment)
M October 27 Chapter 11 Observation Methods
W October 29 Chapter 12 Experimental Research
Week Twelve
M November 3 Team Project Work
W November 5 Team Project Work
Week Thirteen November 10 – SPSS Data File Due (via email attachment)
M November 10 Team Project Work
W November 12 Team Project Work
Week Fourteen
M November 17 Team Project Work
W November 19 Team Project Work

Week Fifteen November 24 – Written Team Projects Due at Beginning of Class

M November 24 Team Presentations
W November 26 November 26 Happy Thanksgiving! – No Class
Week Sixteen Team Presentations
M December 1 Team Presentations
W December 3 December 3 – Peer Evaluations Due

Final Exam Final Exam (Chapters 11, 12, 18, 19, SPSS Analyses and Interpretation)
F December 12 Friday, December 12 from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

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 Business Research Project (MKTG 3808)

1The Research Paper

The paper should be approximately 10 – 15 typed, double-spaced pages using 12 point Times Roman font (not
counting the executive summary, references and appendices). Please number your pages. Do not have the
paper bound – a staple holding the pages together is sufficient. Supplementary materials can be attached to
the paper with a large clip. Although your paper can include additional sections if you like (e.g., research
limitations), your paper must include at least all of the sections described below.

I. Title Page - Descriptive title of project and authors’ names.

II. Executive Summary - (1 page) Presents a clear and succinct overview of your paper. Includes a
general description of your objectives and procedures, your major findings and interpretations, and
major suggestions that you make in the report. This summary is like a long (i.e., more than one
paragraph) abstract. It should clearly position your paper for the reader. This section should be the last
one written.

III. Introduction - (1 to 2 pages) Introduces the focal topic; states the purpose of the research; convinces the
audience that (a) the topic is important and (b) the research conducted contributes to a better
understanding of the topic of interest. Here you must cite relevant literature (i.e., Articles from sources
that illustrate the importance of the topic or relate in some way to your topic).

IV. Literature Review / Background - (2 to 4 pages). Presents the existing knowledge on the issues that
are relevant to your topic from existing research (i.e., secondary research), relates this existing
knowledge to your specific area of interest, and identifies the specific sub-questions or issues that you
have studied. In many cases, these can be presented most clearly in hypothesis form. Some of your
hypotheses must deal with measures other than demographics. Therefore, your qualitative research
should be completed before developing your survey. Each issue/hypothesis presented here should
have a corresponding results section.

V. Research Methodology and Results - (3 to 4 pages)

Procedures: Clearly describes the procedures used for gathering the data to study your topic. This
should include the method, sample, population, and measures used along with a justification of why they
were chosen. You are required to use at least one published scale from the academic literature, even if
your project is applied research. With the exception of the demographics, most measures should be at
least interval level and include more than one item.

Results: Outlines the findings of your primary research relevant to your topic of interest. Write up your
results in explicit form. For example, report frequencies and percentages in this section. In addition to
reporting means for your variables (if appropriate), describe any segment-based differences you found
(or expected, but did not find). Test each hypothesis using the appropriate statistical test, describe the
methods that you used, and report the findings resulting from those tests. Make sure that the findings
that you report match the objectives that you intended to meet, the issues you intended to address, and
the hypotheses that you intended to test. Tables are often useful for displaying results.

Discussion: Here’s where you interpret your findings. This section should relate to the concepts that
you have already discussed in the literature review. Here you are applying these concepts specifically to
interpreting your results. Be sure to present your ideas in explicit and concrete terms so the reader is
sure of what you mean. What were your most important and/or interesting findings? Do your findings
correspond to the findings of other researchers?
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VI. Implications (1 to 2 pages) Discusses the implications of your study for practitioners or public policy
makers. Based on what you have learned from your findings, offer creative suggestions for developing
business strategies to address or “solve” the issues/problems that you have studied. In other words, how
could the information presented in your paper be used by decision makers to develop more efficient
and/or effective strategies or programs? Be as specific as you can.

VII. References - List all the references that you cited in the paper or consulted in your analysis. A general
rule of thumb to avoid plagiarism: If you have to look something up to write about it (i.e., if it’s not
general knowledge), it should be referenced. Be sure to follow the Chicago reference style (see
attached Reference Style Sheet or UWG’s Ingram Library Reference Website).

Overall, make sure that your paper is consistent across sections and that all sections “fit” together. Did
you address your issues with your research? Do you use the same concepts discussed in your literature
review to analyze your findings? Do your conclusions and recommendations follow logically from your
findings? I know that this is often difficult with team papers. However, spending some extra time to
ensure that the paper is consistent and well-organized will really improve your paper.

Also, be sure to give me the surveys you have collected, since the IRB requires they be retained on file
for 3 years and I don't anticipate any of you being here that long!

VIII. Appendices – Include a clean copy of the questionnaire and a typed copy of the team meeting minutes
at a minimum.

The Research Presentation

The class presentations should last approximately 15 minutes and allow for a 10 minute Q&A. The goal of your
presentation is to effectively communicate your ideas and findings to the audience. Therefore, your
presentation does not have to follow the format of your paper. In fact, creative presentations are encouraged.
Remember that the content of your presentation is very important. If you need equipment from our audiovisual
department that is not available in the classroom, you will need to let me know as soon as possible so I can
schedule it while equipment is still available.

The Research Project Evaluation

Research Proposal Evaluation (5%) See Paper Evaluation below.

Survey Evaluation (10%) Are most of your measures at least interval level? Are you using established scales,
and, if so, are you using them properly? Are you gathering the data needed to test your research hypotheses?
Do your questions meet the criteria discussed in the text and class? Do you have an appropriate survey title?
Have you provided adequate and clear instructions for the respondents? Does your survey look clean and
inviting? Did you thank your respondents? Are there any formatting, grammatical, or typographical errors?

Paper Evaluation (50%) The paper will be graded in terms of two factors: (1) Content (How well do you
cover each of the required sections? Are your objectives and hypotheses clearly stated? Is your data handled
properly? Were proper research techniques followed? Are you using your statistical methods correctly? Are
the conclusions and recommendations clear and consistent with your findings?) and (2) Clarity (Is your paper
well-written and clearly organized? Is it readable? Is it complete? Is it cohesive? Are there grammatical or
typographical errors?)

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Presentation Evaluation (35%) The presentation will be evaluated by your other class members and I on three
factors: (1) Content (Do all the presenters understand the topic in depth? Is useful information included? Are
research methods applied correctly and in a meaningful way?), (2) Clarity (Can the presentation be easily
understood?), and (3) Professionalism and interest (Are the presenters organized? Have they rehearsed? Is the
presentation persuasive and interesting?). I try to go with the class evaluation, because most of you will be in
professional positions that require evaluation of others in the future. When it is obvious that students have not
taken the evaluation process seriously, I veto the class grade and make an assessment that may not include the
class grade or may be an average of the class grade and mine. For example, when students obviously give a
much higher evaluation than is merited simply because they like the members of the group, for reciprocation on
their presentation grade, the presentation was entertaining, but lacking content, etc.

Overall Evaluation The proposal, survey, paper and presentation evaluations will be calculated using a
weighted average for each component for a total project grade. Total project grades are multiplied by the
student’s project participation percentage determined by peer evaluation and my personal observations to
determine individual project grades. As stated in the syllabus, the team paper and presentation grade will
be lowered for any member who by consensus did not contribute equitably to the project. (This can be
very unpleasant for everyone involved -- including me. So, let’s really work hard on our team dynamics to
avoid this situation.)

I look forward to reading your papers and seeing your presentations. I hope this will prove to be an interesting
and fun learning experience for everyone.

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 Focus Group Interview Instructions
Business Research MKTG 3808

Focus groups are discussed on pages 117 – 121 of the text (Zikmund 2003). You will need to study these pages
carefully in preparation to conduct focus groups. Remember: Qualitative research is done to inform
quantitative research, so your focus group analysis should help in the development of your survey. This
means the focus group must be conducted in a timely manner and analyzed before survey development.

1. After developing your Research Proposal you should have a solid understanding of your project to enable
you to develop a moderator’s discussion guide (example on p. 121). This should be done in collaboration
with the whole team and client, if appropriate.

2. You will need to choose 8 – 10 members of your target population to participate in each focus group. Then,
set up a time and place for the focus group to take place.

3. The focus group must be videotaped. Video cameras can be checked out from Learning Resources for a 24
hour period. You will need written request signed by instructor including date/time of pick-up.

4. The focus group should last at least 20 minutes. During the focus group, one member of your team will act
as the moderator; one member will videotape the focus group; all others should record responses (take
notes).

5. The focus group should be analyzed by the team for content and reported in a brief paper and turned into the
instructor. Remember this is exploratory research that is to be used to inform the development of your
survey. In particular, themes may emerge, certain words may be commonly applied by the focus group
members that may help in the wording of your questions, issues are likely to arise that you have not thought
of before, so analyze the videotaped recording of the focus group carefully as a team.

6. Turn in a copy of your Focus Group Interview on DVD (Learning Resources can help you convert your tape
to DVD; costs approximately $2.00; takes up to 7 days)
a. Focus Group should be in QuickTime or some other format that can be easily viewed on a computer.
b. Include at least one team member’s e-mail address on the DVD (written in permanent marker).

7. Report your exploratory research, basic findings and how it informed your research in your final project.

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 Supplemental Research Proposal Instructions
Business Research MKTG3808

Your research proposal guides your research project. The better your research proposal, the better your final
project is likely to be. A good research proposal is time intensive and requires both quality and quantity of
input from all team members. Caution: Do not wait until the last minute!

First, rather than making your proposal appear as Exhibit 6.6, please make them double-spaced, 12 inch Times
Roman font, 1 inch margins. It may be up to 3 pages.

Exhibit 6.6 provides a very simplistic research proposal, particularly in the areas of Purpose of the Research,
Data Gathering, Data Processing and Analysis. In addition to what is suggested in Exhibit 6.6, also include the
following in your research proposal:

Purpose of the Research

As we have discussed in class this always appears deceptively simple!

The purpose of the research should not be finalized until after secondary research has been conducted to
be sure that the topic has not already been studied and to inform your investigation. For applied research,
the purpose of the research should be reached in mutual accord with the client, which often requires several
meetings or other forms of information exchange that take time. Even if there is no client, applied research
often requires investigation into the problem/opportunity with those knowledgeable about the topic. Only after
these activities have been undertaken should the purpose of the research be finalized. Then,

1. Clearly state the general purpose of the research

2. Provide the reasons why the topic should be studied.
3. Clearly state three or four research objectives informed by your secondary and exploratory research.
4. Clearly state at least one hypothesis for each of your objectives that are supported by your secondary and
exploratory research. Note: These can not all deal with demographic variables.
Research Design
Follow questions and example in text. Be sure that the sample questions you offer enable you to test your
hypotheses. At least one established scale from the academic literature is required. With the exception of
demographic variables, most of your measures should be at least interval level and include a minimum of three
items.
Sample Design
Follow questions and example in text. Be clear about the sampling frame and how respondents will be chosen.
Remember: A convenience sample is not a random sample.
Data Gathering
Be specific about how your team will actually gather the data.
Data Processing and Analyses
5. State the statistical test that you will use to test each of the hypotheses offered in the Purpose of the
Research section. Refer to Chapters 20 -24 in your text to determine the appropriate tests. Remember at a
minimum your project should included the following tests:
a. Descriptive statistics
b. Univariate statistics (included, but not limited to, a chi-square test for goodness of fit and a t-
test)
c. Bivariate analysis (including, but not limited to, a t- or Z test; correlation)
d. Multivariate (including, but not limited to, a multiple regression analysis)
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 REFERENCE STYLE SHEET
REFERENCE CITATIONS WITHIN THE TEXT
1. Citation in the text should be by the author's last name and year of publication, enclosed in parentheses
without punctuation: "(Kinsey 1960)." If practical, the citation should stand by a punctuation mark.
Otherwise, insert it in a logical sentence break. If you use the author's name within the sentence, there is
no need to repeat the name in the citation; just use the year of publication in parentheses, as in "...The
Howard Harris Program (1966)."
2. If a particular page, section, or equation is cited, it should be placed within the parentheses: "… (Kinsey
1960, p. 112)." For multiple authors, use the full citation for up to three authors; for four or more, use
the first author's name followed by "et al." (no italics). A series of citations should be listed in
alphabetical order and separated by semicolons: (Donnelly 1961; Kinsey 1960; Wensley 1981).
REFERENCE LIST STYLE
1. References are to be listed alphabetically, last name first, followed by publication date in parentheses.
Use full first name, not just initials. The reference list should be double spaced on a separate page. Use
two hard returns between each reference.
2. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of their references. Check them carefully. There must be a
reference for every citation, and a citation for every reference. Do not include uncited works in the
reference list, and be sure that you have included a complete reference for every citation.
3. Single- and multiple-author references for books:
Donnelly, James H. and William R. George (1981), Marketing of Services. Chicago: American
Marketing Association.
4. Single- and multiple-author reference for periodicals (include author's name, publication date, article
title, complete name of periodical, volume number, month of publication, and page numbers):
Wensley, Robin (1981), "Strategic Marketing: Betas, Boxes, or Basics," Journal of Marketing, 45
(Summer), 173-82.
5. Single- and multiple-author reference for an article in a book edited by another author(s):
Nevin, John R. and Ruth A. Smith (1981), "The Predictive Accuracy of a Retail Gravitation Model: An
Empirical Evaluation," in The Changing Marketing Environment, Kenneth Bernhardt et al., eds.
Chicago: American Marketing Association, 150-73.
6. If an author appears more than once, substitute four hyphens (this will appear as a 1-inch line when
typeset) for each author's name (do not use underlines):
Fornell, Claes and David F. Larcher (1981a), "Evaluating Structural Equation Models with
Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error," Journal of Marketing Research, (February), 39-50.
----and---- (1981b), "Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error:
Algebra and Statistics," Journal of Marketing Research, 18 (August).
7. If two or more works by the same author have the same publication date, they should be differentiated
by letters after the date. The letter also should appear with the citation in the text:

15
 Day, George (1981a), "Analytical Approaches to Strategic Market Planning," in Review of Marketing
1981, Ben Enis and Kenneth J. Roering, eds. Chicago: American Marketing Association.
----(1981b), "The Product Life Cycle: Analysis and Applications Issues," Journal of Marketing, 45
(Fall), 60-67.
8. References to unpublished works, such as doctoral dissertations and working papers, should be included
in the references list as follows:
Coughlin, Maureen (1980), "Fear of Success: Reaction to Advertising Stimuli and Intention to
Purchase," doctoral dissertation, City University of New York.
9. Websites and URLs should be included in the references list as follows:
Doe, John R. and Mary Smith (2000), "Learning from the Web," (accessed June 2, 2000), [available at
insert URL here].

Source: http://www.marketingjournals.org/jm/ms_stylespecs.php accessed 11/16/07

16
 Business Research (MKTG 3808)
Helpful SPSS Sites

In addition to the SPSS Tutorial and Help, listed below are websites that may prove helpful to you as you learn
SPSS. Thanks go to Bill Artley, who was a student in the FA07 Business Research class. If you have not
already started familiarizing yourself with SPSS using the SPSS Tutorial and Help, you really need to get
started. Bill said these sites were of immeasurable help to him and his team. I hope you find them as helpful as
they did!

Dr. Webb,

Here are a few of the better SPSS online "manuals" I have found.
I'll let you know if I come across any others that I think are worth looking at.

Written instructions:
http://employees.csbsju.edu/rwielk/psy347/spssinst.htm
http://www.wku.edu/geoweb/techcrse/usespss.htm
http://www.indiana.edu/~statmath/stat/spss/win/index.html

Video Instructions:
http://opl.apa.org/TeacherTour.aspx
http://calcnet.mth.cmich.edu/org/spss/toc.htm
http://www.stat.tamu.edu/spss.php
http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/modules/default.htm

A list of various sites with more information is at:

http://www.psychwiki.com/wiki/Want_help_using_SPSS%3F#Online_tutorials_about_SPSS

Thanks,
Bill

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 MKTG 3808
Peer Evaluation Form

Your Name _________________________________ Team _____ ______

ALL EVALUATIONS ARE CONFIDENTIAL. PLEASE RETURN THIS EVALUATION

FORM TO ME BY Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 at the latest.

PART I. In this section list your duties and the parts of the project you were responsible for.
Report on all tasks connected with team project activities this semester including problem
definition, survey instrument development, sampling, data collection, editing, coding, analysis,
interpretation, written report, oral presentation, etc.

Responsibilities _______________________________________________ ____

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________ _

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Date and time of Absences from Team Meetings and Reason(s)

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

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PART II. In this section rate yourself and each team member on contribution level based on two
criteria: a) level of effort extended and b) value added to the team. Place a check mark in the appropriate
box for each person.

EFFORT LEVEL: Participation, attendance, work load, etc.

Team Member Name Outstanding Strong Average Low Contribution No Contribution

Contribution Contribution Contribution

VALUE ADDED: Insights, skills, facilitation, leadership, etc.

Team Member Name Outstanding Strong Average Low Contribution No Contribution

Contribution Contribution Contribution

PART III. Please add any additional comments that might be helpful in evaluating the contribution of
you and your team members. Write the comments below. If you need additional space, feel free to add
comments on a separate sheet of paper.

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