MAKING THE

Stages in the Research

Process
Formulate Problem
Determine Research Design
Determine Data Collection Method

Design Data Collection Forms

Design Sample and Collect Data

Analyze and Interpret Data

Prepare Written/Verbal Report
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website, in whole or in part. Churchill Brown Suter/Basic Marketing Research
The Problem Formulation
Process
STEP ONE: MEET WITH CLIENT
Get as much information as possible from the manager
with respect to the problem/ opportunity at hand

Ask questions such as:

1. What caused you to notice the problem?
2. What factors do you think have created this
situation?
3. What is likely to happen if nothing changes in the
next 12 months?
4. What do you hope to accomplish using marketing
research?
5. What actions will you take?
 TWO BASIC SOURCES OF
MARKETING PROBLEMS
UNPLANNED CHANGES
• How will firm respond to new technology or new products introduced by
competitors, change in demographics or lifestyles of consumers
• Oriented towards the past and is reactive.
• SERENDIPITY OR CHANCE IDEAS (may come from complaint letters)

PLANNED CHANGES
• Introduction or development of new products, more effective pricing and
promotion
• Oriented towards the future and is proactive. It is the change that firm wishes to
bring about—the basic issue is HOW.
The Problem Formulation
Process
STEP TWO: CLARIFY THE PROBLEM/ OPPORTUNITY
Get precisely to the heart of the problem. Provide a different
perspective of the problem/ opportunity.
The Problem Formulation
Process
STEP THREE: STATE THE MANAGER’S DECISION PROBLEM

A decision problem is simply the basic

problem/ opportunity facing the manager
for which marketing research is intended
to provide answers
The Problem Formulation
Process
STEP THREE: STATE THE MANAGER’S DECISION PROBLEM

DISCOVERY-ORIENTED DECISION PROBLEM

• A decision problem that seeks to answer “what” or
“why” questions about a problem/ opportunity. The
focus is generally on generating useful information.

STRATEGY-ORIENTED DECISION PROBLEM

• A decision problem that typically seeks to answer “how”
questions about a problem/ opportunity. The focus is
generally on selecting an alternative course of action.
Tell whether the decision problems are discovery-oriented or
strategy-oriented. Give one possible research problem for each of the
following decision problems.
__________1.
DISCOVERY Why have sales of my brand decreased?
__________2.
DISCOVERY Is my advertising working?
__________3.
STRATEGY What pricing strategy should I choose for a new
product?
__________4.
STRATEGY Should I increase the level of expenditures on
print advertising?
__________5.
STRATEGY How can I increase in-store promotion of
existing products?
__________6.
STRATEGY Should I change the sales force compensation
package?
The Problem Formulation
Process
STEP THREE: STATE THE MANAGER’S DECISION PROBLEM
The Problem Formulation
Process
STEP FOUR: DEVELOP POSSIBLE RESEARCH PROBLEMS
A research problem is a restatement of the decision problem in
research terms. It states specifically what research can be done to
provide answers to the decision problem.
DECISION PROBLEMS POSSIBLE RESEARCH PROBLEMS
Discovery-Oriented (WHAT? WHY?)
1. Why are store revenues so low? a. Investigate current customer satisfaction
b. Assess target market perceptions of store and
competitors
c. Determine target market awareness

2. What needs do our customers have that are currently d. Investigate customer lifestyles
not being met? e. Determine customer problems with existing products
f. Measure customer satisfaction

Strategy-Oriented (HOW?)
3. How do we increase store traffic? g. Investigate effectiveness of different sales promotion
h. Determine consumer response to two proposed ad
campaigns
i. Measure consumer preferences for new store layouts.

4. How should we introduce a new product? j. Run test market to determine consumer preferences
for different package size
k. Determine if product sampling promotions lead 15%
initial purchase rate.
 The Problem Formulation
Process
STEP FIVE: SELECT RESEARCH PROBLEM(S) TO BE ADDRESSED
Figure out which research problem(s) to pursue given the normal
resource constraints facing managers. The researcher must know the
profitable areas of research.
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

Statement of the Problem and

Objectives

Significance of the Study

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Review of Related Literature

Theoretical Framework

Scope and Limitations of the Study

Operational Definition of Terms

1. Rationale of the Study
2. Statement of the Problem and Objectives
3. Significance of the Study
4. Review of Related Literature
5. Theoretical Framework
6. Scope and Limitations of the Study
7. Operational Definition of Terms
 Rationale OF
A. RATIONALE of the
THEStudy
STUDY
• This is a brief explanation of why your research topic is worthy of
study and may make a significant contribution to the body of already
existing research.

ANSWERS QUESTIONS:
• What is the current situation of the industry?
• What is the background of the study? Explain the gaps in the
environment that will be realized or determined in the research.
• Why is the research being done?
• What is the purpose of your research?
 Rationale of the Study
• Start with a prelude of the research problem in
Macro Approach
• Use statistics or literature that can present state
of the problem to rationalize the research
(employ a reason in doing research)
• State CLEAR reasons in pursuing the topic
• Present the context in which topic is viewed on
Micro Approach and area of investigation
• Cite briefly the setting of the study with
historical description, participants/ respondents
 Statement of the Problem
and Objectives
• Simply where all the questions pertaining to finding results of the
proposed topic or problem can be found
• A research problem is basically the situation that is in need of a
solution, improvement, or alteration of what is currently happening
and what the researcher ought for things to happen (Burns and
Grove, 1997).
• Research questions should provide answers that explain, describe,
identify, predict or qualify conclusions for the research (Brink, 1994)
• What are the objectives of my research?
• What do I expect to discover or learn from this research?
Statement of the Problem
and Objectives
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
• State the research problem in interrogatory form
• Start the research problem with a short
introductory paragraph on the intent of the study
• Close with the main research question

OBJECTIVES:
• Clear, definite, and measurable statement or
objectives (intentions)
• Show intentions of research (infinitive to +
research action word)
• Serve as point of reference in reporting findings
 Significance of the Study
• Discuss the importance of the research to individuals, institutions or
organizations
• How will the findings of your research contribute to important
stakeholders in the society or in the business?
 Significance of the Study
• Present the contributions of research to
various sectors
a. To the field
b. To the business
c. To the society
d. To government/ organizations
e. To future researchers
• Address the theoretical and practical
significance
• Explain in PARAGRAPH FORM addressing each
sector in relating importance of the study
findings
D. REVIEW OF RELATED
Review of
LITERATURE Related Literature
• It focuses on a specific topic of interest to you and includes a critical
analysis of the relationship among different works, and relating this
research to your work.
• Takes into account the different published journals and other written
work that has already delved into the same topic that the researcher
is studying
• A literature review must go beyond just summarizing professional
literature, a critical analysis of the relationship among different
published works and relate it to the researcher’s own work.
Review of Related Literature
ASK THESE QUESTIONS TO VALIDATE IF ONE HAS A WELL COMPOSED
LITERATURE REVIEW
• What is the specific thesis, problem or research question that my literature
review helps to define?
• What is the scope of my literature? What types of publication am I using?
• Have I critically analyzed the literature I use? Do I follow a set of concepts
and questions and comparing items to each other in the ways they deal
with them?
• Will the reader find my literature review relevant, appropriate, and useful?
Review of Related Literature
• Comprehensive, understandable, up-to-date and
relevant
• Follow research trails
a. HUMAN TRAIL (interviews and primary sources)
b. PAPER TRAIL (secondary materials by foreign and local
authors, printed documents)
c. ELECTRONIC TRAIL (cyber, CDs, AV)
• Synthesize collated information and integrate ideas
(DO NOT CUT AND PASTE) relevant to your study
• DOCUMENT SOURCES and AVOID PLAGIARISM
• Use theses/ dissertations/ research journals in locating
studies related to your own topic
• Summarize findings of study in citation of related
studies
 Review of Related Literature
✓ Provide an overview near the beginning of the review
✓ State explicitly what will and will not be covered
✓ Specify research question and purpose/ significance
✓ Aim for a clear and cohesive essay that integrates the key details of the
literature and communicates your point of view
✓ Use subheadings and transitions to improve the flow of your paper
✓ Consider reviewing studies from different disciplines separately
✓ Write a conclusion for the end of the review. The conclusion needs to make
clear how the material in the body of the review has supported the
research topic in the introduction
✓ Check the flow of your argument for coherence
 Theoretical Framework
The Theoretical Framework is a collection of interrelated concepts. It
guides your research, determining what things will you measure and
what relationships to look for.
Theoretical Framework

• Discuss the elements of the cited

theory/ theories as applied in the study
• Replace concepts of the theories with
STUDY VARIABLES
• Explain the relationships of the
variables founded on the theory
• Draw the conceptual diagram showing
study variables
Scope and Limitations of the
Study
• State the extent of mode of investigation
(variables included in the study)
• State limits of the locus (location and
sampling)
• State limits of the subject matter covered
(focus)
• Weaknesses of the study beyond control of
the researcher
• State inability/ restrictions of the study in
generalizing the findings
Scope and Limitations of the
Study
• Scope refers to the concern or what/ who is included in the study
• Delimitation deals with what/ who is excluded in the study
• What the researchers can control that would inexplicably affect their
research problem and subject matter
• Identification of researcher’s boundaries in terms of subject, facilities,
area, time frame, and issues
Operational Definition of
Terms
• NOT DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS but define based on literature cited
with relevance to the study
Example: PRICE VALUE. The utility derived from the product due to the
reduction of its perceived short term and long term costs (Sweeney & Soutar,
2011)
(Write this in the reference: Sweeney, J.C. &Soutar, G.N. (2001). Consumer
Perceived Value: The Development of a Multiple Item Scale. Journal of
Retailing, Vol.77, 203-220.)
• LIMIT to important terms/ concepts/ variables used in the study
• Arrange terms ALPHABETICALLY