Outline Metode Penelitian Manajemen.

Semester Februari- Juni 2015

Retno Tanding Suryandari
Research Project Part I
Objective:
The goal of this project (part I) is to gain hands-on experience in exploratory research. Specifically, it is about
identifying, collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and presenting basic information and making decisions in a real-life
setting. You will conduct an exploratory study - primarily secondary data and qualitative research such as focus
group and word association, to describe and analyze various aspects of your project - e.g., the focal respondents,
consumers, their needs, market data, competition, and other information relevant for your project. This
information will also be used to develop a survey that will be used to collect data to be later in Part II of the
project.
Due dates: See the syllabus.
Instructions:
Essentially, you will gather and use information and data for getting a good understanding of your project. Based
on the information gleaned from this secondary data first create a business model some understanding of
consumers/firm, market dynamics, market size, etc. Then, you will analyze your information and formulate
marketing research questions or problems. The project requires a thorough and exhaustive exploration of
secondary data sources, evaluation of these data sources, collection of relevant data from these sources,
conducting quantitative research, and arriving at some key marketing decisions. This will be followed by
formulation of research questions and questionnaire design. If you are done with your research questions and
bring it to me or to the class (earlier than the due date), then we might be able to conduct exercises in class to
practice designing questionnaires for your research questions.
During this process you want to accomplish several things:
1. Identify the research objectives, based on your clients information. What do you want to accomplish with this
project?
2. Explore and examine various secondary data source (both internet and library based). Exactly how many
sources you should look at it is up to you. If you bring what you have found and talk to me about it, I might
be able to give you some guidelines, but the decision about which data source and how many will have to be
made by you.
3. Conduct some qualitative studies focus group and word association, etc.
4. Review these pieces of information and data. It is not enough to identify the data/information source. You
need to internalize the information.
5. Decide which data or information is relevant and useful. Once again, this is your decision. If you bring what
you have found and talk to me about it, I might be able to help you decide through a question and answer
session, however, the decision about what is relevant and useful is up to you.
6. Collect that relevant and useful data or information. You may put the actual printouts at the end as
appendices. However, the pertinent and relevant data and information must be included as a part of your
project document in the form of tables, charts, etc.
Remember that you will experience a lot of uncertainty during this process. You may not have all the
information needed for making various decisions. You may not even know whether the information is
reliable or not. I want you to understand that this is reality. If businesses can have all the information
needed for decision-making and the information is reliable, then there will be no need for managers i.e.,
computers can be programmed to make decisions. Managers are needed because we can make decisions
with incomplete and imperfect information. So uncertainty is part of this process. I want you to learn to
deal with it by actually making decisions under such uncertainty, right here, during this semester.
7. Interpret and present the data, information and your findings in a manner that makes sense from a business
perspective. In addition to presenting the tables, charts, etc. you also have to translate these charts, and tables

Outline Metode Penelitian Manajemen.

Semester Februari- Juni 2015
Retno Tanding Suryandari
into information and decisions. In other words, explain to the reader what the charts and numbers mean.
Please use language carefully. There will one point deduction for each grammar and spelling mistake.
8. Identify the research questions. This is the most important part of this report. After collecting all of the
secondary data and qualitative studies, what are the questions for which you didnt find answers? Remember,
these are not managerial questions, but rather information that is needed to satisfy the research objectives.
Be careful about the objectives and research questions/goals. They need to be precise and not too verbose.
9. In summary, the goal of this project is to expose you to various secondary data sources; exploratory
research tools and techniques; the process of collection, analysis and interpretation of secondary data and
information; and the process of making decisions using data and information. Another goal is to enhance
learning by applying what is being discussed in the classroom. In addition, a final goal is to expose you to
the decision-making uncertainty faced by managers in industry and let you experience the process of
making decisions under such uncertainty, with imperfect and incomplete data and information.
You may work in groups (maximum size 6). Please turn in a typed report including the information and analysis
outlined below. The report will be graded on Completeness,
Use of secondary data resources,
Quality of analysis,
Logical flow of presentation using data/information,
Written presentation, and
Language (grammar and spelling).
At this stage, you may like to look at any secondary data (internet, newspaper, journals, business magazines,
electronic data sources, and others) source. Be sure to list all references used at the end and use these
resources in your document. Be sure to explain where necessary and simply report if explanation is not
required.

Outline Metode Penelitian Manajemen.

Semester Februari- Juni 2015
Retno Tanding Suryandari
Outline of the Report (Part I):
This outline is purposefully vague. You must make the decision as to the types of questions you can answer with
the given data set and which questions are most relevant. I have given you some direction as to specific questions
you might ask. We may also discuss other possible questions in class as we learn about the relevant statistical
analysis techniques, so it will behoove you to make it to class for additional guidance along these lines.
I.
II.
III.
IV.

Cover page
Contents page
Brief introduction state of marketplace, key definitions, and key industry issues (size, growth, etc.)
Objectives?

V.

Background (examples of some key topics that need to be discussed - these are not exhaustive, but merely
examples):
What is key issue or the problem? Why is it important?
Market data? Other information?

VI.

Analysis using both secondary data and qualitative information

What are some of the key findings? Remember, these may be trends in related industries or other
similar activities.
Other key and relevant issues.
Note that you might take information reported in the previous section and analyze it here (e.g.,
extrapolate growth rates or shifts in market share and analyze growth or costs in related
industries.
Findings from qualitative research.
Summary of key issues leading to the identification of a list of relevant research problems.
* This list is not all-inclusive. Do not report your findings as a laundry list of answers to these questions!
Also remember that visual aids (e.g., tables, charts, etc.) could help in this section.

VII.

Conclusions.

VIII.

References

Additional Hints:
Be careful about language, spelling, and grammar. I will deduct up to a full letter grade for excessive
mistakes in any of these areas.
Be sure to back up your statements with supporting data and analysis (be sure to cite any references).
Unsubstantiated statements will cost you points.
There is no set page requirement, but I guess a maximum of 15 pages should do it. This is in addition to
tables, appendices and relevant computer printouts. As a guideline, you should double-space paragraphs and
single space bulleted items that go past one line. Double space between separate bulleted items.
It may be a good idea to use a direct and to-the-point writing style (possibly with bullets) rather than long
paragraph style. However, make sure your report flows smoothly. A good way to do this is to have a brief
summary paragraph at the beginning of each major heading discussion to indicate what the section is about
and communicate relevant general information.
There will be a copy of a previous report in the main office for review. Feel free to check this out. Remember,
however, these projects were conducted in a different class and had different objectives. It may not be perfect,
or exactly the style I want, etc.)

Outline Metode Penelitian Manajemen.

Semester Februari- Juni 2015
Retno Tanding Suryandari
Research Project Part II
Objective:
The goal of this part (II) is to gain hands-on experience in descriptive research. Specifically, it involves
re/formulation of marketing and marketing research goals, formulation of hypotheses or research questions,
knowledge of variables and constructs involved, understanding of scales used for measurement, identification of
appropriate statistical tests (difference and association), and analysis using these tests (using SPSS),
interpretation, and presentation of your findings in a written and oral format.
Due date: See the syllabus.
Instructions:
After conducting the exploratory research on various problems faced by your client organization, your team is
now being asked to provide relevant recommendations for the organization, based on the primary data (collected
using a survey attached). This project revolves around making marketing decisions using primary data.
The project requires a thorough and exhaustive knowledge of the topic (acquired during the Part I of this
project). This will help you in the formulation (or reformulation) of research questions and hypotheses. If you
are done with your research questions and bring it to me or to the class (earlier than the due date), then we might
be able to conduct analyses related exercises in class.
This process should involve the following steps:
1. Collect data using the survey designed based on part I.
2. Review the data set, making sure you understand what was measured and how it was measured and get a feel
for what kinds of questions you might be able to answer or recommendations you might be able to make. The
decision about what is relevant and useful is part of the learning process and will have to be made by you.
3. You may have to conduct more exploratory study - secondary data as well as other exploratory study
techniques, if needed (beyond part I). You have been exposed to the exploratory research tools and
techniques, including personal interviews, etc. Use all that you know and I am quite sure that you can achieve
a lot. Based on your understanding of the industry, you need to formulate marketing research question or
problem and using the primary data arrive at answers to these research questions or test the hypotheses.
4. Formulate research questions or hypotheses that will help you in your marketing planning process.
5. Analyze the data using SPSS and making sure that your analysis is appropriate, relevant and useful.
6. Interpret and present the results and your findings in a manner that makes sense from a business perspective.
In addition to providing tables, charts, etc. you also have to translate these charts and tables into information
and decisions
Note: As with Part I, you will experience a lot of uncertainty during this process. If businesses can have all the
information needed for decision-making and the information is accurate and reliable, then there will be no
need for managers i.e., computers can be programmed to make decisions. Managers are needed because we
can make decisions with incomplete and imperfect information. So uncertainty is part of this process. You
have the chance to practice dealing with it by actually making decisions under such uncertainty, right here,
during this semester.
This is where primary data and statistical analysis comes in. It should help bring some semblance of certainty
into future uncertainty. In order to do this you will have to select the right variables for the right test. It is not
easy, but if you think like a decision maker then the statistics should fall into place. This project should help
sharpen your skills in decisions making using hard data as against pure speculation and gut feeling. Imagine
two scenarios, one where a manager goes to his/her boss or client with ideas and plans without sound logic
and hard data, and other where the same plan is backed by sound logic, hard data and tests of significance.

Outline Metode Penelitian Manajemen.

Semester Februari- Juni 2015
Retno Tanding Suryandari
You can guess which manager will succeed in getting approval, and I hope you will strive towards being that
type of manager.
In summary, the goal of this project is to expose you to activities involved in descriptive research primary
data, analysis, interpretation and decision-making. Another goal is to enhance learning by applying what is
being discussed in the classroom. In addition, a final goal is to expose you to the decision-making uncertainty
faced by managers in industry and let you experience the process of making decisions under such uncertainty,
using data and statistical analysis.
You may work in groups (maximum 4 people) or by yourself, but it is a lot of work. You do not have to stay in
the group you worked with for Part I, however, I would like to be informed of any change in group composition
Please turn in a typed report including the information and analysis outlined below. The report will be graded on:
Completeness.
Appropriate use of primary data, statistical analyses, interpretation and decisions made.
Relevance of research questions investigated
Quality of analysis, interpretation, and recommendations (including justification)
Logical flow of presentation and readability, and.
Language (grammar and spelling)up to a letter grade deduction for sloppy mistakes!
A project that adequately covers the material is considered a B (80-89 points), while an A (above 90 points)
project is one that exceeds expectations. A C (70-79 points) paper is one that has some shortcomings, while a
D paper is seriously inadequate. I assign percentile points for the projects.

Outline Metode Penelitian Manajemen.

Semester Februari- Juni 2015
Retno Tanding Suryandari
Outline of Complete Report (Part II)
Note: This outline is purposefully vague. You must make the decision as to the types of questions you can
answer with the given data set and which questions are most relevant. I have given you some direction as to
specific questions you might ask. We may also discuss other possible questions in class as we learn about the
relevant statistical analysis techniques, so it will behoove you to make it to class for additional guidance along
these lines.
I.
II.
III.

Cover page
Contents page
Executive summary

IV.

A condensed version (no more than 5 pages) of Part one will be the first section of this report. At this
stage you may have to revise your contents page, executive summary, and may be parts of brief
introduction.

V.

Research Objective/question: what is the purpose of this part of report, what general issues can be
addressed, and what is (are) the key research objective(s) you have decided to focus on? Examples of
possible research objectives include: Why would anyone bother about the project topic or problem?
Research Questions are normally a list of information focused questions that need to be answered in order
to achieve the overall objective stated above. These could also be stated as hypotheses. We will discuss
possible examples in class as we progress, but it will be up to you to decide what questions to ask, how
deep into those questions to go, and how to organize your report around them. I suggest that you outline
the data analysis and findings part of your paper in terms of these questions. In order to make specific
recommendations regarding the project topic, what do you need to know first? Organize the list of
questions into key topic areas that will lead logically to your recommendations at the end.

VI.

Methodology and Data: Overview of sampling issues that you can infer from the data (i.e., sample size,
composition, etc.) Attach a summary copy of the survey in the appendix (be sure to refer to it in the text).

VII.

Data Analysis and Findings: This will be a large part of your paper. I recommend that you use a major
heading of Data Analysis for this section and then organize the rest of the discussion with subheadings
as described in point V above (i.e., by research question). For each research question or set of related
questions you should do the following:
i. State the hypothesis
ii. Describe what is being tested if necessary
iii. Indicate the appropriate statistical test
iv. Report results and interpret the meaning in a user-friendly manner.
Discuss implications if relevant. I suggest that you do not go on to make specific recommendations but
wait for the next section.
Note: In this data analysis section, you might find tables, charts, and graphs useful to summarize the
data in the report. However, you should still attach the actual SPSS printouts from your analysis in an
appendix at the end (NOT in the body of the report). When discussing specific findings in the report, be
sure to refer to the appropriate printouts in the Appendix (e.g., see Table 1a) and highlight with a
highlighter or bold text the key numbers of interest on the printout. You must attach the relevant
printouts from SPSS even if you use summary charts and graphs so that I can check to see you pulled
the right number, interpreted the results correctly, etc.

VIII.

Conclusions and Recommendations: Summarize the key findings from the analysis section and draw
conclusions that will result useful recommendations. Examples include segmentation issues, promotion

Outline Metode Penelitian Manajemen.

Semester Februari- Juni 2015
Retno Tanding Suryandari
issues, product/service mix issues, etc. Essentially, you are making recommendations regarding what
anyone should do to in order to achieve the objectives you identified earlier. Remember to justify this
priority. This section has to be based on findings from both Part I and II of your report.
IX.

Limitations of the Research: Discuss any problems you might have identified with the research that
indicate caution should be used in interpreting or acting upon the data. Also identify gaps in the current
research and provide future research direction (to fill this knowledge gap). For example, what type of
questions do you wish had been asked on the survey so you could provide a better picture or
recommendations? What customers do you wish you had data for?

X.

References: You may have used information in your introduction section or in analysis (e.g., drawing from
information from your Part I). Be sure to report those cites here.

XI.

Appendix: This should include all SPSS printouts referenced in the text, in a relatively easy to read
format (use titles; omit non-essential components of the printout, etc). Be sure to highlight the key
numbers of interest (i.e., what was discussed in the text). Tables should be numbered in order of when
they appear in the text.

Additional Hints:
Be careful about language, spelling, and grammar. I will deduct up to a full letter grade for excessive
mistakes in any of these areas.
Be sure to back up your statements with supporting data and analysis (be sure to cite any references).
Unsubstantiated statements will cost you points.
There is no set page requirement, but Id guess a maximum of 20 pages should do it. This is in addition to
tables, appendices and relevant computer printouts. As a guideline, you should double-space paragraphs and
single space bulleted items that go past one line. Double space between separate bulleted items.
It may be a good idea to use a direct and to-the-point writing style (possibly with bullets) rather than long
paragraph style. However, make sure your report flows smoothly. A good way to do this is to have a brief
summary paragraph at the beginning of each major heading discussion to indicate what the section is about
and communicate relevant general information.
There will be a copy of a previous report in the main office for review. Feel free to check this out.
(Remember, however, these projects were conducted in a different class and had different objectives. It may
not be perfect, or exactly the style I want, etc.)
****************************