Question and Feedback of the Poster Presentation

On 23th of May, there were a Final Year Project Poster Presentation held in the lobby and student lounge. I'm going to the presentation to know more about the way and method of those senior in doing the Final Year Project. In the poster presentation, i has meet one of the senior which the research topic of us has the similarity from the independent variable, the relational performance. The question i was ask to the senior is how does she collect the data for the relational performance. She has answer me that she collect the data through distributed 250 of questionnaire to the interview target.

The second i would ask is in how to write a good and attractive literature review for the Final Year Project. The senior has given the advise to me by telling me to read more and search more journal article which is similar with my research study. She also tell me that, to write a good literature review, i need to read more than 30 journal.

Judging A Research Study

After the advise that has given by Associate Professor Dr. Lo May Chiun  on my research topic, i has decide to have a little change on my research topic. In the research topic, i will focus on the implementation of relationship marketing of organization and the relational performance. the industry area i will focus on is the computer retailing industry.

The journal article that I has found for at the CAIS which is related to the field of my interest is the " Performance Measures and the Rationalization of Organizations." This journal article was wrote by Barbara Townley, David J. Cooper and Leslie Oakes on 2003. This journal was included in the Organizational Studies, Vol 24(7), 2003, 1045-107, and published by SAGE Publications.

In judging a research study, the first criteria is the review of previous research. In this research study, the literature review has supported by more than 60 of references about the Provincial Government of Alberta, Canada. This has shown that the data and information for the research study is enough to get a accurate results. Next, we will see is that the statement of problem and the purpose of research has been clearly stated. According to the author, the problem statement of the research study is to illustrates how an initial enthusiasm by managers for the performance management initiatives was replaced with scepticism and cynicism. The purpose of the study also to show how the potential of reasoned justification was frustrated in practice, through a growing disparity between a discourse of reasoned justification performance measurement.

The theoretical and conceptual framework of the research study is  focus on the relationship between the organization and the manager and, political, morality, also the sense of belonging of manager towards the company. The method that were using in this research study is by using the quantitative method, which is face to face interview with 143 manager. The analysis of the research study has been done measure the performance through different level, which is individual, branch or unit, division, ministry, and government. The results has show that the hypothesis in the conceptual framework are been accepted, which  the relationship between the organization and the manager and, political, morality, also the sense of belonging of manager towards the company will influence n initial enthusiasm by managers for the performance management initiatives was replaced with scepticism and cynicism.

In the conclusion of the research study, this study has contribute in the way to found out the factors that could influence initial enthusiasm by managers for the performance management initiatives was replaced with scepticism and cynicism and avoid for happening. Overall, this research study has done well and for the future research the target of interview can switch to the manager in private sector.

Ethnographic Study In Marketing

What is the ethnographic study? According to Brian (2011),  ethnographic study can be defined as both qualitative research process or method (one conducts an ethnography) and product (the outcome of this process is and ethnography) whose aim is cultural interpretation.


Organization use the ethnographic study to gain and collect the data which are related to the culture and the   behavior of the customer. The different of demographic background will lead to different culture and perception of the customer. Organizations will need the ethnographic study to collect the related data of customer so there can know their target of customers and also maintain the valuable customers.

The advantage of undertaking the ethnographic study is the researcher will able to gain more comprehensive perspective from the ethnographic study compare to others forms of research. Besides that,it is also appropriate to behavior that are best understood by observing them within their natural environment (McGraw Hill, 2008). The challenge of undertaking the ethnographic study is the subjective of the observation of researcher. Different background of  people will have different perspective. The background of the researcher may cause the observational bias and the out coming result will no be accurate.

Different between Fact and Theory

          The characteristic of fact is it was real and has been prove which unable to change it and it suitable and ready for the observation. The fact is well- known and has been tested with many time and with the same result. The example of facts is we cannot breath and keep survive if we do not have oxygen.  While theory is the the explanation to what has been observed. Usually the hypotheses testing is used to help in to decide the accept or reject of the theory. For example, the brand of the product will affect the customer satisfaction. In some situation the theory maybe can be accept but in some situation the theory are be rejected.

Theoretical Framework

         Based on Uma Sekaran, the theoretical framework is a conceptual model of how one theorizes or makes logical sense of the relationships among the several factors that have been identified as important to the problem. In theoretical framework, the theory has been form and the variable will be identify. There are four types of variable which is the dependent variable, independent variable, moderating variable and intervening variable. the use of variable is to help in testing the acceptability of theory that form through the hypotheses testing.

Narrow Down of Research Topic

          

Wisma Saberkas

One TJ Shopping Complex

          To narrow down the research topic, first i will choose the specific geographical area for my research. The reason of me to choose Kuching as my research geographical area because i found that the computer retailing industry has great potential in Kuching and the number of computer retailing are growth by year. In Kuching, there are two shopping complex in Kuching are having large amount of computer retailing shop, which is Wisma Saberkas and One TJ Shopping Complex. When the customer want to purchase the computer and the computer accessories, the place they will first consider is Wisma Saberkas and One TJ Shopping Complex. This is because they have more choice when purchasing computer since computer is shopping product, the consumer really need more choice in comparing.

          After choosing the geographical are for my research, i will start to choose the sample for the research. The size of my sample is 150 people who between age 20-45. The reason i choosing the sample between age 20-45 because they are the customer who will always have to purchase the computer products and accessories for different purpose, for example, academic and working needed. The customer between 20-45 have more power of buying and willingness to spending time in purchasing the computer products and accessories.

Type of Research

          The type of my research study is deduction. Deduction is the process by which we arrive at reasoned conclusion by logical generalization of a known fact. In the beginning of the research, i will firstly to do the observation which to observe the change of factors that will affect the level of satisfaction of customer. After having the observation on the phenomena, i will have the preliminary information gathering. In gather the related information so i will know more about what is happening. I will conduct a unstructured interview with the related people, for example, the manager of the computer shop,and the customer who purchase the computer product. Besides that, i will also doing the library research to gather the related information.

          

          Next, i will start to develop the theory. The theory formulation are based on the information that has gathered in previous and theoretical of the change in consumer behavior will be form. In theory formulation, the variable will be identify also. After theory formulation, the the hypothesizing process will take part. In this stage, the hypothesis to test the theoretical will be form. 

          After the development of hypotheses, the further specific data will be collected. The data of the variable need to be obtain to do the hypotheses testing. Next, is the data analysis. Int his stage, the data has collected previous will use to analysis the hypotheses to determine whether to accept or reject the hypotheses. The method of the data analysis will be choose based on the number of variables in the research. The last stage is the deduction, which is the process of arriving at conclusions by interpreting the meanings of results of the data analysis. In the last stage, we will see whether the theory we has form in previous can be accept or not based on the accept or reject of the hypotheses testing. 

Dimension of Research

         According to the dimension of research that has discussed in class, the dimension of research basically can be divided into three part, which is the purpose of study, the use of research, and the time dimension in research. Understanding the dimension of the research topic could help us to perform better in doing the research and make sure we are in the right path.

Dimension: Research Purpose

         The dimension of research purpose of my research topic is exploratory. This is because in this research topic, i was familiar with the basic facts, setting and concern, for example, the basic fats that product characteristic will affect the level of satisfaction of customers. Besides that, a general mental picture of conditions has been create in this research topic. This research has formulate and focus questions for future research, for example, what is the factors that affect the customer satisfaction level in computer retailing? A new idea has been generate in this research, which mention that the building a long term relationship with customer can increase the level of satisfaction of customers and bring profit to company in long term period. The feasibility of this research also ha been conducted. The technique for measuring and locating future data will be develop in this research.

Dimension: Use of Research

         The dimension for use of research of my research topic is basic research, also known as fundamental research. In this research, the out coming result can be use as the sources of most new scientific idea and the new way of thinking about the world. This is because this research is focusing on the new thinking of marketing, which is the relationship marketing compare with traditional marketing in affect the satisfaction of customers. In business research context, this research also help the business in solving the problem that may occur in organizations and will be useful for application in business. This research could help the business of computer retailing to know the factors that are influence customer satisfaction and decide its that suitable applying relationship marketing in their business.

Dimension: The Time Dimension in Research

         The time dimension in my research is cross-sectional studies. This is because the date of my research study only have to gather once, the period of time to gather data maybe is in days or weeks. The advantage of this time dimension is cheap and simply, for example,using questionnaire for gather the data. The disadvantage if this time dimension is if the change and process of social behavior cannot be capture since the data are gather in once only.

Problem Identification in Research Topic

         The relationship marketing has now become a new trend in the business world. Unlike the traditional marketing which only focus on how to get the customer, relationship marketing also focus on keeping the existing customer and growing the value of the customer by building long term relationship with customers. In this research topic, i will identify and analysis the factors which will improve customer satisfaction based on two major category, which is the relationship marketing from the aspect building relationship and traditional marketing from the aspect 4P. 

Relationship Marketing

Traditional Marketing

         Even the relationship marketing is become a new trend in globalization business world, but it seems like the practice of relationship marketing in Kuching is not famous and well know. The customers nowadays have higher awareness of their option when purchase product compare to before. The customers satisfaction nowadays not only affect by the product characteristic, but also affect by the service provided by the retailing outlet, for example, after sales service. This can see more clearly in computer retailing. This is because the computer not only will facing a hardware problem, but also software problem that need a good service. 

Purpose of Research Topic

          The research topic i has choose is "Improve Customer Satisfaction in Computer Retailing: Factors Identify and Analysis Approach". The reason for me to choose this research topic is to identify and analysis the factors to know the factors that are most concern by customers. This is important to know what factors that are most concern by customer and will affect the customer satisfaction most. This research will focus on the customer purchasing decision on the shopping product, which is the computer products and accessories. This is because the shopping product is unlike the others type of products, the price of the shopping products are higher than the convenience products and customer will need to have more time to consider and the customer will try to find as much information as they can when considering the purchase decision. We need to define the factors that will affect the satisfaction of customer and improve the satisfaction of customer for building the long term relationship by customer retention and loyalty. Besides that, the  world now is almost cannot separate with computer. Computer not only help in business in doing the daily works, but also important for the high school student and university student in doing their assignment, so the demand of computer product of customers has been increased also.

Research Topic for Final Year Project

          The topic i interest to do for my Final Year Project is "Improve Customer Satisfaction Computer Retailing: Factors Identify and Analysis Approach". In this research, i will identify and analysis the factors which influencing customer satisfaction and compare the factors that has been identify by define their importance according to the research result.

Customer Satisfaction as concern in business for long term profit.

Computer Retailing 

What is Research?

         What is research? According to Uma Sekaran, "research is a simply process of finding solutions to a problem after a through study and analysis of the situational factors". Research  is a very important because through the research we can improve the quality of our daily life and increase the effective and efficient of our daily work  by finding the solution of problem that we are current facing. In business field, research can bring a great potential of benefit to company. The manager of company can use the research to identify the problem occur in internal of the company and use the research to analyses the needs and wants of the market and decide the strategy of marketing implement in the related area. The company also use the research to gain the customer feedback and some others relevant data  in produce a new product or service. In the other hand, research can help a company to be more effective and efficient and increase the revenue and profit of the company. 

What is Research?

Introduce of Myself

             My name is Choong Chee Hou, matrix number is 26117. I'm come from Kuching Sarawak. Now i was second year student of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. My main course if Marketing. I was attend the Tuesday class of course Research Methodology for Economics and Business.

                                The front view of Faculty of Economic and Business