Master ofBusiness Administration (MBA)

ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET

Program / Master ofBusiness Administration / UWIC MBABATCH-01
ModuleNumber / MBA 404 / ModuleTitle / Research
Methods / Semester- 02
Assessment / Assignment01–Individual Assessment
AssignmentTitle / CaseStudy –Researchmethodology
Lecturer
Student Name / Student
Number
DateHanded Over / 17th July, 2011 / DueDate / 21stAugust, 2011
DateSubmitted / Pass/Re- Submission
Assessor’sFeedback
FinalGrade / A
70+ / B
60-69 / C
50-59 / D
40-49 / E
35-39 / F
-35%
Assessor’sName
Assessor’s Signature / Date Assessed :
Student SignatureComments

Master ofBusiness Administration (MBA)

Research Methods

Second semester,2011

AssessmentI(Individual)-Case Study–Research Methodology

WeightageofAssessment:20%of totalmarks

Report:1000words

AMSharp,MyraappearsatJason’shomeoffice.Asshepressesthedoorbell,shehears furniturebeingwrestledacrossthefloor.“It’sopen,”hollerstheJason.InsideJasonhas clearedfurnitureandpictures fromsouthwallandhasleanedthe sheetofplywood againstthatwall.“There’scoffeedoughnuts”,Hesays.“Butgivemeahandwiththis”. Thisisarollofbrownwrappingpaper.Thetwoofthemworktogetherandunrollthehand tohandlepaperlefttorightacrossthetoptwofeetofplywood,cutit,andtackdownit’s cornerssoitcoversthetophalfoftheply-twochairsinfrontthechartboardandforfive minutesstareinsilenceatitsawfulblankness.JasonhaslearnedalotaboutMindWriter. BeginningwithavisittotheinternetandanintensesearchthroughMindwriter’sachieves beforetheirAustintrip,followedbythemeetingsinAustin,heknowstheproductissold through computer superstores and independent mail order companies. He also has learnedthatMindWritershipsabout5,000portable/laptop computerspermonth.The productissuccessfulyetconstrainedbythesamesupplystoragesasthe restofthe industry.Personalcomputermagazineshavebeenconsultedfortheirannualsurveyson service,repairandtechnicalsupport.Overallcustomersatisfactioncomparisonshave beenobtainedfrompublishedsources.TheexploratorysessionsinAustinrevealedmuch aboutthecompleteCareprocess.Myrasummarizes theinformationunderthelabel”CC Process”.Whencustomersexperienceamalfunction,theycallan800number.Thecall canteranswers service,supportandorderingquestions.Technicalrepresentativesare trainedto

Take thename,phone, addressandMind Writer model number.

Listentothecustomerandask questions todetectthenature oftheproblem. Attempttoresolvethe problemiftheycanwalkthecustomerthroughcorrective steps wood.

Thentheystart onthelower leftsideoftheplywood andrepeattheprocess until theboard is fullycovered.

Master ofBusiness Administration (MBA)

Acrossthetopofthefirstsheet,Myrawrites,“Satisfactionwiththeservicedepartment”. Todaytheyfocusontheeasiesttaskandleavethecustomerprofilepilotstudyforlater. Besides,GracieispressedforanswersonhowtheCompleteCarerepairprogrammeis beingreceived.Ifsheisresponsiveonthesmallerproject,theyaresuretheywillgetthe OKfor themoreambitious one.

Theyhelpthemselvestocoffeeanddoughnuts;pullifunabletoresolvetheproblem,the representativeprovidesareturnauthorizationcodeanddispatchesapackagecourierto pick uptheunitbefore 5.00pm.Theunitis delivered to Austinfor service thenext morning.TheCompleteCarerepairfacilitycallsthecustomeriftherepairinformationis incomplete.Theunitisrepairedbytheendofthatdayandpickedupbythecourier.The callcenterthenupdatesitsdatabasewithservicerecordinformation.Ifallgoeswell,the customerreceivestherepairedunitby10amthefollowingmorning,48hoursafterMind Writer received thecustomer’s original problemcall.

When Myra finishes, Jason begins to rough out the known “problems”. There are employee shortages at the call center and difficulties getting the new technical representativestrained.Thecourierisunevenexecutingitspickupanddeliverycontract. MindWriterisexperiencingpartsavailabilityproblemsforsomemodels.Andoccasionally unitsarereturnedtothecustomereithernotfixedor damagedinsomeway.Jason believesthismeanstheserviceareaisnotdoinganadequatejob.ButMyraassertsthat problemscouldbeintheoriginalpacking,inhandling,orevenfromactivitiesrelatedto takingtheboxes onandoff theshippingpallets.

Questions:

1. Definetheresearchproblem

2. Setresearchobjectives.

3. Explain theresearchmethodologyinternsofpopulationandsamplesize and data collection

Evaluation criteria

1. Clear description ofproblemdefinition(40marks)

2. State clearlyand conciselythepurposeof the study(30marks)

3. Clear description ofmethodsofdata collection includingpopulation size, samplesize(30marks)

REPORT STRUCTURE

Master ofBusiness Administration (MBA)

 / PaperSize / :A4
 / WordCount / :2500words
 / PrintingMargins / :LHS;RHS:1Inch / 25mm
 / BindingMargin / :½Inch 12mm
 / HeaderandFooter / :1Inch
 / Printing / :SingleSided
 / Basic FontSize / :12
 / LineSpacing / :1.5
 / FontStyle / :Arial/TimesNewRoman
 / Presentation / :BoundDocument

ImportantInformation for Students

The assignmentshould besubmittedas aSOFT COPYin awordformat ONLY

(CD ONLY) as wellasHARD COPY on or beforetheduedate.

Pleasenotethatplagiarismistreatedasaseriousoffenceandthereforethework youproduce mustbeindividualandoriginalalthoughmayworkingroupsin someinstances (Pleaserefer to StudentHandbook onPlagiarismCheating).

Allsourcesofinformationmustbereferenced using “Harvard referencing” where

areference listingshouldbeincluded attheend oftheassignment.

Pleasenotethatthesubmissiondategiven for this assignmentis the finaldatethat youcanhandovertheassignment.Nolatesubmissionsareallowed.(Pleaserefer to theStudentHandbook onAssessments- LateSubmissions).

Pleaserefer to StudentHandbookonAssignments–Re-submission.