University of Lethbridge
Faculty of Management
Management 3220Y
Marketing Research Project Guidelines
Objective
The primary objective of this project is to gain experience using the basic methods of
market research by applying them to a real-life business management decision situation.
Project description
Students will work in teams of four or five to complete a market research project for a local
business or organization. Teams will be formed the second week of class and some time will
be given in class to work on the project. The project involves contacting a local business or
organization and defining the research problem, designing the project, collecting primary and
secondary data, analyzing the data, and writing a comprehensive research report. Given that
the information provided both by the business and generated through the report should
remain confidential, a presentation to the class is not required.
Businesses that work best for this project tend to be small business to consumer
enterprises rather than those involved in business to business. It is easier too if the target
market is well defined and readily accessible.
Because this project constitutes a large percentage of the grade for this course (i.e. 50%), and
because it is not the sort of project that can be left until the last two weeks of the semester it
must be completed in 3 phases. It is also crucial that the team develop a time line for
completion of phases.
Phase One: Research Objectives and Design (15% of the final grade)
Phase one is perhaps the most crucial phase since it will guide the rest of the research project.
It has been said that “a problem well defined is half-solved.” In this phase you must define
the problem clearly and state the objectives precisely. Defining the problem can be one of the
most difficult parts of the research. An incorrectly defined problem can lead to incorrect
research objectives and consequently a poor decision. Not only is it important for the right
problem to be identified, but also the definition should be specific. Many people define
symptoms of the problem as the problem (for example, declining sales) instead of the
defining the real problem (for example, declining quality).
This phase therefore involves contacting a local business or organization to understand the
nature and context of the business problem and to agree with them on what will be done, and
whether there are any particular people to be included or excluded in the research. The
organization will need to provide relevant background information on the problem as well as
the company's knowledge and understanding of the market at the moment. See the section
below on expectations for information on what they and you should expect from the
relationship
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In this phase you must also specify the information needed to solve the problem and the
methods and procedures for acquiring that information, i.e. the research design. Research
designs may be identified as exploratory, descriptive and causal. Exploratory research is
used to gain ideas and insights to help define the problem and suggest hypotheses. It is
particularly helpful in breaking broad, vague problem statements into smaller, more precise
problem statements. Typically, it involves colleting secondary data, interviewing experts,
pilot surveys, and qualitative research such as focus groups, interviews and observation.
Descriptive research, in contrast, is concerned with describing the characteristics of certain
groups, to estimate the proportion of people who behave in a certain way, or to make
predictions. Usually conducted after exploratory research it is marked by well-formulated
hypotheses, and usually involves a pre-planned structured design and the collection of data
through surveys. Descriptive information is often useful for predictive purposes, but the
causes (reasons why) of what is being predicted improves understanding. Causal research
tests relationships of causal factors to the effects predicted. “Does X cause Y?” For example,
does a lower price cause an increase in sales? Exploratory research often involves
experiments, and is not a requirement for this project.
Completion of Phase One involves writing a short (maximum 7 pages) research proposal
and should provide the following
1. A brief history of the organization (no more than one page).
2. A brief background to the business or management decision problem. Most
marketing research is done because information is needed to help make a
decision. Often the organization is at a crossroads where a decision needs to be
made to act or not to act, or to act one way rather than another. What is required
at this stage is a brief (no more than one page) outline of the more immediate
circumstances that has led the organization to this decision crossroad.
3. A concise statement of the management decision the organization faces. (No more
than two sentences).
4. A discussion of alternative courses of action the organization could take. A
restaurant facing declining patronage could, for example, decide to offer specials,
change the menu, increase advertising, or even do nothing. What to do requires
information on why sales are declining but discussing alternative choices will
help you to understand the nature of the problem and the information required. In
this example for instance, you would want to know if the decline in patronage is
due to high prices, limited menu, or perhaps because people are unaware of the
restaurant. (No more than ½ a page)
5. A statement of the overall research objective. What sort of information, in
general, is required to help make the management decision. No more than two
sentences.
6. A list of subsidiary objectives, i.e. additional information that is required. (no
more than ½ a page)
7. A discussion of hypotheses about the information you will gather (e.g. the
restaurants declining patronage is because the menu is too limited). (No more than
½ a page)
8. A general discussion of how you propose to gather the necessary information, and
in what order. For example, do you plan to hold a focus group or in-depth
interviews; what sources of secondary information will you use? Do you plan to
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conduct a survey, how many people do you plan on surveying, where and when;
do you plan to pre-test the survey. Basically, what do you propose to do. (No
more than one page)
9. A schedule or time line with deadlines for the phases of the project and the
various tasks that need to be done, and who will be responsible for them. (no
more than ½ a page)
10. A budget. The purpose here is to give you some idea of the actual costs of doing a
research project. Give yourselves a reasonable hourly wage (check industry
standards); estimate the number of hours you will work on the project. Add in any
other anticipated expenses, e.g. printing, etc. Since you don’t have an office to
maintain you don’t have to add in any general overhead expenses. Keep track of
the actual number of hours each of you spend on the project and compare this
with your estimate. Include this as an appendix in phase III. (no more than ½ a
page)
Summary of Phase One
 Clearly define the marketing problem through discussion with the business
decision maker
 State the research objectives giving a clear idea of the single overall objective
 Background to the market
 Specify the information needed to solve the problem
 Outline the research steps to be taken
 Select the sample
 Develop a project plan and budget
 Deliverable is a short (maximum 7 pages) research proposal.
The phase one document should be looked upon as a working document that will change
as a greater understanding of the problem is achieved and more information acquired.
Phase Two: Detailed Data Collection Plan
By the time phase two is due all exploratory research, such as interviews or focus groups,
as well any secondary research, such as reviews of the literature, published results of
similar research etc., should have been completed. Phase two, which is worth 10% of the
final grade, involves a summary of the results of this research as well as the development
of a questionnaire and sampling plan. The nature of the research objectives and
information needed along with the nature of the target population will determine who you
select to gather the information from, how you select them, and what sort of information
you will collect. This section should therefore explain the sample, instruments, and
procedures used, and the data collected. The questionnaire should be pre-tested before it
submitted or administered to the target sample. Time will be provided in class for this.
Feedback from the class will help to fine tune it. This section should be 5-7 pages long
and should also include a revision of the phase one proposal based on feedback received
and any changes in the plan that may have occurred. It should also contain a coding sheet.
Summary of Phase Two
 Summary of any exploratory or secondary research
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Identify the target population
Determine the sampling frame
Select the sampling procedure
Include a moderator’s guide, and in-depth interview questions if applicable.
Questionnaire
Coding sheet
Phase Three: Analysis and Report (25% of the final grade)
All that should remain after completing phase two is the actual collection, processing,
analysis and interpretation of the data, and the write up of the final report. The
deliverable for phase three is a comprehensive report based on the sum of the research
and analysis. This section should be 10-15 pages long. The total project should not
exceed 30 pages double-spaced, excluding any appendices (e.g. copies of questionnaires
used, computer output etc.). Again, it should include revisions based on feedback of
phases one and two. Don’t forget to change the future tense to the past tense.
With regards to the analysis, begin by looking at the data. What questions can be asked
of it? What information can be gleaned from it by manipulating it? Look for associations.
Do any of the variables need to be transformed? Create frequency tables and pie charts
using SPSS to make it easily understandable. Remember, the report, although it will be
graded, is really for the organization it is done for. It therefore must be readable. This
means that the statistical information must be condensed.
The most valuable aspect of the report for the organization will be your results. Instead of
just summarizing them, the report should present the results in such a way that they can
be used directly as input into decision-making. Wherever appropriate, conclusions
should be drawn and recommendations that management can act upon should be made.
Recommendations should be based on your understanding and analysis of the situation
and the data collected. The report for management should emphasize the strategic aspects
of the research project rather than the operating details.
The final report must also have a cover letter. The cover letter should provide details of
the enclosed research report, who is responsible for the report, and who is receiving
copies. You should also thank them for allowing you to do the work and indicate that you
are happy to answer any questions arising from it. The company needs to sign-off on the
final report so you should also ask them to sign the letter or the report to indicate that
they have received a copy. A suggested format for the report is presented below.
Expectations
The research team will have to meet with the decision maker(s) initially to get agreement
in principle to proceed with the project, to help you understand the marketing
management decision problem, and to help you to define the market research project.
They should also be expected to provide you with background information on the
company and industry, recommend industry experts or other people you could talk to,
and also possibly provide you with internal secondary data, (or access to it) such as sales
reports, accounting records, operation reports etc. that may help to understand the
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problem and/or design the research problem. It is not unreasonable for them therefore to
require the team members to sign a non-disclosure form. You should let them know that
there is no requirement to present the results to the class but that the instructor will read
and mark the report. If required I am happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement as well.
The decision maker(s) should expect to meet with you at least three times for about two
hours each time. The first time will be to enable you to explore and understand the
management decision that needs to be made. The second time will be to discuss your
plan of action, and third time to present the report. Although not a requirement for this
course, it is also not unreasonable for the organization to ask you to make a presentation
to them.
Evaluation
Phase One
2 marks
2 marks
2 marks
2 marks
3 marks
1 mark
2 marks
1 mark
15 marks
Background info on company leading to decision crossroads
Statement of management decision faced
Statement of research/project problem
Objectives
Information needed
Hypotheses
Plan of action
timeline, budget.
Phase Two
2 marks
2 marks
5 marks
1 mark
10 marks
Summary of any exploratory or secondary research
Sampling frame and procedures
Questionnaire suitability, design, structure, accuracy
Coding sheet.
Phase Three
5 marks
5 marks
10 marks
5 marks
25 marks
Cover letter and Executive Summary
Spelling, punctuation, and grammar
Analysis and Results
Conclusions, Limitations, Recommendations
Sample Report
Table of Contents
Cover letter
Executive Summary
 Define the Problem concisely
 Describe approach briefly
 Major findings
 Conclusions
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Recommendations
Problem definition
 Background to the problem
 Secondary data summarized
 Statement of the problem
Approach to the problem
 Broad approach taken to the problem
 Theoretical foundations
 Research questions and hypotheses
Research design
 Details of how the research was conducted
 Information needs
 Data collection and secondary sources
 Data collection from primary sources
 Scaling techniques
 Questionnaire development and pre-testing
 Sampling techniques
Data analysis
 Methods used
Results
 Presented at aggregate level
 Also at market segment, geographic etc level.
 Geared to problem
 And to information needs
 Presented in tables and graphs
 Main findings discussed in text
Limitations and Caveats
 Due to time, budget etc.
 Limitations due to error types (e.g. sampling non-sampling)
 How far can results be taken
Conclusions and Recommendations
 In light of problem being addressed
 Based on the results and conclusions the researcher may make recommendations
to the decision makers.
Exhibits/Appendices
 Questionnaires
 Statistical output
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