SALEM STATE COLLEGE School of Business
BUS 563 Principles and Methods of Business Research
Dr. C. F. Warren, course instructor
PROTOCOLS for LIBRARY ASSIGNMENT/CASE STUDY
[supplement to BUS563 course syllabus]
Assignment Objectives:
A. To impart both a theoretical and practical understanding of the issues and the approaches involved in gathering, interpreting, and/or
treating business data;
B. To furnish some understanding of--and tools for—problem identification and problem-solving within the business, industry, non-profit, or
service sectors;
C. To further develop students’ communications, organizational, analytical, and research skills for use within a business environment.
Protocols [to be read by student before preparing and submitting any written assignment]:
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Library exercise and Written case study [as shown on course syllabus] are due at class in person on date indicated on syllabus;
late submissions carry a point penalty. Submissions via campus mail or by Internet are not allowed.
Video case studies [keyed to textbook] are shown informally in-class as noted and chiefly are for class discussion.
The Library Utilization Task is for 100 possible earned points; the written case study carries a total score of 200 possible points.
The case study abstract/accompanying data/related question[s] is found in the final pages of Wm. Zikmund, Business Research
Methods,7th ed. The case study is tied primarily to specific chapters--as is noted below--or to topic area as your written analysis
ought to reflect. First read chapter highlights! Other text chapters may have relevance as well!
Submittals must be typed, responsive, literate, and carefully proof-read. See: www.drwarren.info, Writing that Works, 3rd ed.,
or Toby Fulwiler and Alan R. Hayakawa’s Pocket Reference for Writers. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2005 for help with
writing, style, and grammar/punctuation issues.
Do not put your own name on your paper! Instead, use a pseudonym—place this name/date on each page.
Leave a 1.5” left-hand margin on each sheet; entire paper must be double-spaced + should range 6-9 stapled pages.
Be consistent; use a manual of style. The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York: MLA, 2003 is
simplest for many--but Kate Turabian, Chicago, and APA all are acceptable. Consult T. Fulwiler and A. Hayakawa’s Pocket
Reference for Writers. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2005 for proper formatting of Works Cited entries (and for
parenthetical citations); it contains formatting rules for the 3 major styles: MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style.
Whenever utilizing sources other than the course textbook or your own independent thoughts, be sure to include
parenthetical insertions within the text of your paper for such outside sources and also to employ a Works Cited section at end of
your paper that includes properly-formatted entries according to the style manual being used by you. Failure to properly cite
the sources of ideas, facts, theories, or language other than your very own constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism also
includes your own paraphrasing of another’s ideas or words, without properly acknowledging the source. Deliberate or
unintentional, plagiarism is academic dishonesty and is grounds for dismissal.
Observations or arguments made must flow logically. Defend your position and try to refute other viewpoints or possibilities!
Facts [and/or examples] must be concisely offered and should support your assertions/analysis.
You may cite statistical tools or applicable statistical processes that you feel are relevant to your analysis; however, when doing
do, please explain/define these [and support their cited applicability] for your reader in the form of properly-formatted Notes.
If utilized, please attach/label any applicable Instruments, Tables, Graphs, Charts, Boxplots, Histograms, etc.
Make a copy before submitting your paper! Have fun, but be as comprehensive as is practical in devising your response!
WRITTEN CASE [your written analysis to be submitted at class on date due; consult course syllabus]:
CASE STUDY 19: OMAR’S FAST FREIGHT
[pages 667-70]
Abstract: The personnel manger at a regional truck transportation company decides to conduct a survey concerning shift work,
satisfaction with the immediate supervisor, identification with the work organization, and drinking alcohol on the job.
Objective: The purpose of this case is to allow a student to discuss a survey research design and to carefully [that is, numbered item
by numbered item or by item group] and critically evaluate a questionnaire. Be sure to assess its potential effectiveness--including
strengths, weaknesses, and recommended improvements [if any]. This case draws heavily upon issues and concepts raised in
Chapters 10, 14, 15, and some of 16 [and upon any other pertinent principles or issues raised elsewhere in this course].
 Respond by evaluating (with sufficient detail while citing any pertinent issues involved) the questionnaire shown in your textbook.
You may wish to tackle your analysis of this survey by each numbered item. Carefully answer both questions.
Video Cases can be found on other side…….
IN-CLASS Video Cases
►Prior to the in-class viewing of each video case, please carefully read the case overview—and its accompanying discussion items—
all cases [but Envirosell] also are described in the rear of the course textbook: Part VII of Zikmund’s Business Research Methods, 7th ed:
VIDEO CASE 3 [see p. 629]; Ben & Jerry’s [this video case draws upon issues in your textbook, especially Chapters 1, 4, and 5]:
Background: Ben&Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., the Vermont-based manufacturer of ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet markets innovative flavors
made from fresh Vermont milk and cream. B&J’s product strategy is to differentiate its super premium brand from other ice cream brands. The brand
image reflects high quality, uniqueness, and a bit of amusement. Its all-natural flavors have unique names. For example, Chubby Hubby has
chunks of chocolate-covered peanut butter-filled pretzels in a rich vanilla malt ice cream. Other names in the Company’s line of ice creams include
Cherry Garcia, Dilbert Totally Nuts, Chunky Monkey, and From Russia with Buzz.
Objective: The purpose of this case is to present a situation that shows how understanding the customer has helped managers choose the right
business strategy. The case asks one to think about business research as a way to develop brand names and packaging strategy.
Discussion item/Question: What role does business research play in new product/brand name development for a company like B&J’s?
VIDEO CASE 8 [see p. 633]; Trading Cards Group [this case draws upon concepts/issues raised in Chapters 7, 9, and 11]:
Background: A sports card manufacturing company wants to know more about 9 and 10-year old boys who buy baseball cards, basketball
cards, and other types of cards for collecting. It wishes to investigate how these young consumers buy, trade, and use trading cards.
Objectives: This video case allows the student to view a focus group and to evaluate many aspects of it.
Discussion items/Questions: [1] How do you evaluate this Interviewer’s abilities/ effectiveness? Her handling of these pint-sized panelists?
[2] What particular problems [including sources of error] might occur in a focus group of children?
[3] Outline what you would like to learn in the focus group; what types of questions would you ask these boys?
VIDEO CASE; Envirosell, Inc. [video shows a workplace application of observation methods—Chapter 11; duration 10 mins.]
Company background: Founded in 1979 as Environmental Analysis & Planning Consultants, the firm changed its name in 1989 to Envirosell, Inc.
Envirosell specializes in behavioral research—specifically in the retail environment. Envirosell’s specialty is examining consumer-shopping
behavior—and it has done this for Fortune 500 companies [including banks, stores, restaurant chains, as well as consumer product companies].
Envirosell has offices in New York, Milan, Sydney, and Sao Paulo [Brazil], with some 30% of total company revenue generated off shore. Paco
Underhill, its founder, sees himself as a “retail anthropologist.” [Underhill’s acclaimed book is entitled Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping; Simon
& Schuster, 1999]. Envirosell has16 full-time and p-t staff members in its New York City headquarters. It annually films between 50k-70k shoppers.
Although Envirosell is a for-profit institution, Envirosellers regard themselves as consumer advocates and thrill to see the results of their world-wide
work in stores, showrooms, restaurants, banks, urban streets, airports, and shopping malls. According to Envirosell’s website, “Life is about casting
shadows and we are proud of ours.”
Video content: The managing director, research director, and senior analyst share information from several observational studies done in banks—
as well as in music, general merchandise, and other retail environments. Envirosell strives to understand what people buy and how to get them to
buy more. Managing Director Underhill describes the process as an exercise in Zen; analysts watch video or time-lapsed still images repeatedly
looking for clues that often emerge only in the tenth viewing. The video touches on many issues as the Envirosell contributors describe the types of
research they do/did, how these studies were conducted + reported to the client, and what Envirosell wants to see as result of its involvement.
Discussion of issues: [1] In what scenarios is an observation study superior to a communication study for studying behavior?
[2] The environments in which observation studies are conducted?
[3] How are Envirosell’s studies conducted?
[4] What business areas an Envirosell study might impact?
[5] How is observation information is presented to a client?
VIDEO CASE 9 [see p. 634]; V8 [this video case draws upon concepts and issues covered especially in Chapters 10, 12, 14 and 16]:
Background: V8 is a 100% vegetable juice drink produced and marketed by the Campbell Soup Company. V8--made from concentrate with
added ingredients—provides a full serving of vegetables and is a natural source of betacarotene. V8’s ingredients include tomato juice from
concentrate, reconstituted vegetable juice blend [made from water and concentrated juices of celery, carrots, beets, parsley, lettuce,
watercress, and spinach), salt, Vitamin C, flavoring, and citric acid. V8 contains no fat or cholesterol, and it is a great source of Vitamins A
and C. For many years V8 had a large share of the tomato and vegetable juice market. However, sales began to slip so the Company
decided it needed to conduct consumer research that would enable it to develop a new advertising campaign.
Objective: This video case displays a study that has the development of advertising copy as its ultimate goal.
Discussion items/Questions: [1] What research objectives should marketers at V8 establish?
[2] What research methods would be the most appropriate to accomplish objectives?
College Policy Statements:
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Salem State College assumes that all students come to the College with serious educational intent and expects them to be mature responsible individuals who exhibit
high standards of honesty and personal conduct in their academic life. All forms of academic dishonesty are serious offenses against the College community.
Salem State College will apply sanctions when student conduct interferes with the College’s primary educational objectives.
Salem State College is committed to providing equal access to the educational experience for all students in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
and the Americans with Disabilities Act and to providing all reasonable academic accommodations, aids, and adjustments. Any student who has a documented disability
requiring an accommodation, aid, or adjustment should speak immediately with the instructor--so that appropriate provisions can be made. Students with disabilities
[who have not previously done so] should provide documentation to—and schedule an appointment with—the Office for Students with Disabilities to obtain appropriate
services.