Do the project assigned below, following the step‐by‐step process outlined: Compile a bibliography on any one of the following topics, or any other topic of interest to you, from a business perspective: (a). service quality; (b). product development; (c). open‐market operations; (d). information systems; (e). manufacturing technology; (f). assessment centers; (g). transfer pricing. From this bibliography, select five to seven references that include books, academic journals, and professional journals. Based on these five to seven references, write a literature review using different forms of citation, as described in the appendix. Appendix: Online databases: Databases contain raw data stored in a variety of ways. Computerized databases can be purchased that deal with statistical data, financial data, texts, and the like. Computer network links allow the sharing of these databases, which are updated on a regular basis. Most university libraries have computerized databases pertaining to business information that can be readily accessed. Some of the databases useful for business research are listed below: 1. ABI/INFORM Global and ABI/INFORM provide the capability to search most major business, management, trade and industry, and scholarly journals from 1971 onward. The information search can be made by keying in the name of the author, periodical title, article title, or company name. Full texts from the journals and business periodicals are also available on CD‐ROM and electronic services. 2. The Business Periodicals Index (BPI) provides an index of business and management periodicals, and is available online and on CD‐ROM. 3. Dow Jones Factiva products and services provide business news and information. The collection of more than 14000 sources includes the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Dow Jones and Reuters newswires, and the Associated Press, as well as Reuters Fundamentals, and D&B company profiles. 4. EconLit is a comprehensive index of journal articles, books, book reviews, collective volume articles, working papers, and dissertations. 5. The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS) is an online resource for social science and interdisciplinary research. IBSS includes over 2.5 million bibliographic records relating to the four core social science subjects of anthropology, economics, politics, and sociology. 6. PsycINFO is an abstract database of psychological literature from the 1800s to the present. PsycINFO contains bibliographic citations, abstracts, cited references, and descriptive information of scholarly publications in the behavioral and social sciences. 7. RePEc (Research Papers in Economics) is a collaborative effort of volunteers in 63 countries to enhance the dissemination of research in economics. The heart of the project is a decentralized database of working papers, journal articles, and software components. 8. SSRN (Social Science Research Network) is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of social science research and is composed of a number of specialized research networks in each of the social sciences. 9. Web of Stories contains video archive of interviews with today’s greatest scientists, writers, filmmakers, and craftspeople about their work. Once‐only registration required for a personalized view of the website. 10. World Development Indicators (World Bank) is a database, produced by the World Bank, containing statistical data from 1970 onwards on the economic and social development of 223 countries. The following databases can also be accessed through the Internet: Business and Industry Database, Guide to Dissertation Abstracts, Periodicals Abstract, Social Science Citation Index, STAT‐USA. Note: A cumulated annotated index to articles on accounting and in business periodicals arranged by subject and by author is also available. The Lexis‐Nexis Universe provides specific company and industry information including company reports, stock information, industry trends, and the like. On the Web: Some of the many websites useful for business research are provided below. General: Bureau of Census: http://www.census.gov/ Business Information on the Internet: http://www.rba.co.uk/sources/. A selection of key business Information Sites on the Internet, compiled by Karen Blakeman. Business information on the Internet: http://www.crosscut.net/research/business.html. Using the Internet for college research, maintained by Terry Dugas. Business Researcher’s Interests: http://www.brint.com/interest.html Businessweek Online: http://www.businessweek.com/. The journal Businessweek online from 1995 until now. China & World Economy: http://www.iwep.org.cn/wec/ Company Annual Reports: http://www.annualreports.com Corporate Information: http://www.corporateinformation.com/. Starting point to find corporate information from around the world. Economic Journals on the Web: http://www.oswego.edu/˜economic/journals.htm Euromoney Publications: http://www.euromoney.com/. The journal Euromoney online from 1995 until now. Registration required. European Business Directory: http://www.europages.com/home‐en.html Eurostat: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat. Eurostat is the site of the Statistical Office of the European Community. It provides direct access to the latest and most complete statistical information available on the European Union, the EU members, the euro‐zone, and other countries. Fortune: http://www.fortune.com/. Also contains the Fortune 500 List (500 American companies and 500 global companies with financial data and their home pages). Forbes Magazine: http://www.forbes.com/forbes/. The journal Forbes Magazine online from August 1997 until now. FT.com. TotalSearch: http://news.ft.com/home/europe. FT.com’s TotalSearch gives you access to more than ten million free newspaper and magazine articles alongside results gathered from leading online news sources. TotalSearch also incorporates a definitive web guide in association with Business.com, a leader in business website classification. You can search in the Financial Times, the Guardian, and Wall Street Journal from 1996 until now, or you can refine your search for the Finanical Times only. globalEDGE: http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/ibrd.asp. A directory of international business resources categorized by specific orientation and content. Each resource has been selected and reviewed by the globalEDGE TM Team. I.O.M.A.: www.ioma.com/ioma/direct.html. This site links to business resources that include financial management, legal resources, small business, human resources, and Internet marketing. Kompass: http://www.kompass.com/. Addresses and business information of 1.5 million companies worldwide. List of Economics Journals: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_economics_journals NASDAQ Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com STAT‐USA: http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Reference‐Shelf/Data.shtml Wall Street Executive Library: http://www.executivelibrary.com/. Business sites on newspapers, magazines, government, financial markets, company and industry, law, marketing and advertising, statistics, etc. Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/public/us Accounting: ARN: http://www.ssrn.com/update/arn/. The Accounting Research Network (ARN) was founded to increase communication among scholars and practitioners of accounting worldwide. ARN encourages the early distribution of research results by publishing abstracts of top quality research papers in three journals: Auditing, Litigation and Tax Abstracts, Financial Accounting Abstracts, and Managerial Accounting Abstracts. The journals publish abstracts of articles dealing with empirical, experimental, and theoretical research in financial and managerial accounting, auditing, and tax strategy. ARN is a division of the Social Science Research Network (SSRN). Accounting terminology guide: http://www.nysscpa.org/glossary AuditNet: http://www.auditnet.org/. A global resource for auditors. Internal Auditing World Wide Web (IAWWW): http://www.bitwise.net/iawww/. A warehouse of information and knowledge pertaining to the internal auditing profession and functions across all associations, industries, and countries. Management: Academy of Management: http://www.aomonline.org Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/ Society for Human Resource Management: www.shrm.org Sloan Management Review: http://sloanreview.mit.edu/ Financial economics: Behavioral Finance: http://www.behaviouralfinance.net/ CNN financial network: http://money.cnn.com The Financial Economic Network (FEN) is a division of the Social Science Research Network (SSRN): http://www.ssrn.com/update/fen/ FINWeb: http://finweb.com/. FINWeb is a financial economics website managed by James R. Garven. The primary objective of FINWeb is to list Internet resources providing substantive information concerning economics and finance‐related topics. MFFAIS: http://www.mffais.com/. Mutual Fund Facts About Individual Stocks. A reference site that shows you (among other things) which and how many mutual funds sold shares in a specific company. And the only one that lists more than just the top ten fund holders of a company. Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia: http://www.morningstar.com/ Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services provides market intelligence in the form of credit ratings, research: http://www.standardandpoors.com/en_US/web/guest/home Marketing: The Marketing Science Institute is a nonprofit, membership‐based organization dedicated to bridging the gap between academic marketing theory and business practice: http://www.msi.org/ Links to academic marketing journals: http://www.sfu.ca/˜mvolker/biz/journal1.htm Know This: http://www.knowthis.com/. Marketing virtual library, offering an objective and unbiased resource for marketing basics, market research, Internet marketing, marketing plans, advertising, and much more………………
> What is the trickle-down effect? List some reasons why it is no longer as valid as it used to be.
> Summarize some of the major approaches we can use to understand fashion from the perspectives of psychologists, economists, and sociologists.
> What is the difference among the terms fashion, a fashion, and in fashion?
> Is it practical to assume that people age 55 and older constitute one large consumer market? How can marketers segment this age subculture? What are some important variables to keep in mind when we tailor marketing messages to this age group?
> What are some of the positives and negatives of targeting college students? Identify some specific marketing strategies that you feel have been either successful or unsuccessful at appealing to this segment. What characteristics distinguish the successes
> Go to www.margaritaville.com, www.fblegacy.com, and www.anime.com. What techniques learned in the chapter is used by these websites to attract their audiences? What evidence of ethnicity do you observe? Is there anything “cultish” about the websites? If
> Religious symbolism appears in advertising, even though some people object to this practice. For example, a French Volkswagen ad for the relaunch of the Golf model showed a modern version of the Last Supper with the tag line, “Let us rejoice, my friends,
> When they identify and target newly divorced couples, do you think marketers exploit these couples’ situations? Are there instances in which you think marketers may actually be helpful to them? Support your answers with examples.
> Discuss the pros and cons of the voluntarily childless movement.
> Research suggest that social class influences how much compassion people show to others who need help. For example, one study reported that luxury car drivers were more likely to cut off other motorists instead of waiting for their turn at the intersecti
> Thorstein Veblen argued that men used women as “trophy wives” to display their wealth. Is this argument still valid today?
> Describe the progressive learning model and discuss why this perspective is important when marketing to subcultures.
> How do you assign people to social classes, or do you at all? What consumption cues do you use (e.g., clothing, speech, cars, etc.) to determine social standing?
> What consumption differences might you expect to observe between families characterized as underprivileged versus those whose income is average for its social class?
> What are some of the obstacles to measuring social class in today’s society? Discuss some ways to get around these obstacles.
> Sears, JC Penney, and Walmart tried hard in recent years to upgrade their images and appeal to higher class consumers. How successful have these efforts been? Do you believe this strategy is wise?
> Go to www.maxlang.com. How much would you pay for a belt for casual or business wear? How much does Max Lang charge? Is Max Lang selling belts or status? How can the Max Lang website overcome problems such as sizing and the desire to personally see prest
> Should members of a religious group adapt marketing techniques that manufacturers customarily use to increase market share for their secular products? Why or why not?
> Geodemographic techniques assume that people who live in the same neighborhood have other things in common as well. Why do they make this assumption, and how accurate is it?
> How do religious subcultures affect consumption decisions?
> What roles do status symbols play in purchase decisions?
> How are Gen Yers different from their older brothers and sisters?
> What is cultural capital, and why is enrolling in an etiquette class a way to accumulate it?
> Ask students to use a product example (i.e., food products, automobiles) to illustrate how the marketer might promote to youths to take advantage of the influence they exert on family purchase decisions.
> What are boomerang kids?
> How does the worldview of blue-collar and white-collar consumers tend to differ?
> What are some of the problems we encounter when we try to measure social class?
> This material can be used to illustrate how reference groups also have status symbols. 1. Using the “4A’s” framework in Figure 12.1, analyze the considerations that went into the development of the Gillette Guard razor for the Indian market? 2. Are comp
> Charles Bradley is a Finance student who loves to play the stock market in his spare time. He likes the thrill of rapid price movements and he knows that if he can catch the right price to buy and sell he will make lot of money. Charles has a strong inte
> Given the situations below, (a). Discuss with reasons, whether they will fall into the category of Applied or Basic research, and (b). For scenario 1 explain with reasons, who will conduct the research. Scenario 1: Companies are very interested in acqui
> What is epistemology and why is it important to know about different perspectives on research and how it should be done?
> Academic researchers usually develop more complex and elaborate models than applied researchers. Discuss this statement.
> Develop a conceptual model for the scenario below. Incidence of smoking in movies has started to increase again, after having declined for several decades. According to the National Cancer Institute smoking is seen in at least three out of four contempo
> Discuss the following statement: The hallmarks of scientific research do not/cannot apply to inductive research.
> The exact purpose of a critical literature review depends on the research approach that is taken. Discuss this statement.
> When is applied research, as distinct from basic research, useful?
> For what specific purpose is Basic Research important?
> Why should a manager know about research when the job entails managing people, products, events, environments and the like?
> Give two specific instances where an external research team would be useful and two other scenarios where an internal research team will be deployed, with adequate explanations as to why each scenario is justified for an external or internal team.
> Research in behavioral finance has shown that overconfidence can cause investors to underreact to new information. What is the dependent variable in this case?
> A manager of an insurance company finds that “fear appeals” in commercials are positively associated with consumers’ behavioral intentions to insure their house. This effect is particularly strong for people with a high inherent level of anxiety.
> A marketing manager believes that selecting physically attractive spokespersons and models to endorse their products increases the persuasiveness of a message.
> An investor believes that more information increases the accuracy of his forecasts.
> A marketing manager believes that limiting the availability of a product increases product desirability. What is the dependent variable here?
> Avatars are virtual characters that can be used as representatives of a company that is using the Internet as a distribution channel. For instance, avatars can be used as shopping assistants, website guides, or as identification figures. A manager of an
> You are interested in how person–organization fit relates to employees’ affective commitment and intention to stay with an organization during the early stages of a strategic organizational change.
> Define the problem statement (the why and the what) in the following situation: Employee loyalty Companies benefit through employee loyalty. Crude downsizing in organizations during the recession crushed the loyalty of millions. The economic benefits of
> How would you go about doing literature survey in the area of corporate social responsibility?
> A typical examples of causal research questions is: “What is the effect of reward system on productivity?” And What is the problem here, according to the researcher? And what is a possible solution to the problem, according to the same researcher?
> Offer a clearly focused problem statement in the broad area of corporate culture, job satisfaction or risk-seeking behaviors of investors.
> Describe a situation where research will help you as a manager to make a good decision.
> The problem definition stage is perhaps more critical in the research process than the problem solution stage”. Discuss this statement.
> For the topic you chose to work on for the project in Chapter 4, do the following: ● Go through the computer‐generated bibliography again. ● Define a problem statement that, in your opinion, would be most useful for researchers to investigate. ● Carry ou
> The Mobile Phone Company has been named as the most complained about mobile phone Company, narrowly beating 3G, which has shot to the top of the table as the worst landline provider. According to the latest figures from the regulator, Ofcom, the Mobile P
> 1. Develop a theoretical framework for the following situation and state one testable hypothesis in the null and the alternate. A school administrator is interested in finding how the threatened teachers’ strike can be averted. He knows that pay demands
> Several situations are given below. For each situation, respond to the following research design questions. a. What would be the nature of the study that would be designed - Exploratory, descriptive, or hypothesis-testing? b. Give reasons for your answer
> Make up three different situations in which motivation to work would be an independent variable, a mediating variable, and a moderating variable.
> A manager finds that off‐the‐job classroom training has a great impact on the productivity of the employees in her department. However, she also observes that employees over 60 years of age do not seem to derive much benefit and do not improve with such
> A recent study has investigated the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the market value of the firm. This study developed and tested a conceptual framework, which posits that (1) customer satisfaction mediates the relationship between CSR
> In 1864 Henricus Laroche started making high-quality chocolate in his kitchen in Ooigem, Belgium. Henricus learned his trade at a famous chocolate shop in Paris, and he and his wife began to make chocolate in bars, wafers and other shapes soon after Henr
> A production manager is concerned about the low output levels of his employees. The articles that he has read on job performance frequently mention four variables as being important to job performance: (1). skills required for the job, (2). rewards, (3
> Create a diagram to illustrate the relationships between the relevant variables in Exercise 5.9 and develop five different hypotheses.
> A store manager observes that the morale of employees in her supermarket is low. She thinks that if their working conditions are improved, pay scales raised, and the vacation benefits made more attractive, the morale will be boosted. She doubts, however,
> Failure to follow accounting principles causes immense confusion, which in turn creates a number of problems for the organization. Those with vast experience in bookkeeping, however, are able to avert the problems by taking timely corrective action. List
> You want to investigate the specific effects of specific emotions on customers’ behavioral responses to failed service encounters across industries. Discuss the design decisions that you as a researcher will make to investigate this issue, giving reasons
> You want to examine how exposure to thin or heavy models in advertisements influences a person’s selfesteem. You believe that the effect of exposure to models in advertisements depends on the extremity of the model’s thinness or heaviness. Discuss the de
> A foreman thinks that the low efficiency of the machine tool operators is directly linked to the high level of fumes emitted in the workshop. He would like to prove this to his supervisor through a research study. 1. Would this be a causal or a correlati
> Describe a situation where you used research in order to inform thinking, decisions, and/or actions in relation to a personal issue of interest such as buying a new mobile phone or going to the movies. Provide information about the purpose of your resear
> Explain giving reasons which is more important – applied or basic research.
> Why is it important to be adept in handling the manager-researcher relationship?
> Explain the processes of deduction and induction, giving an example of each.
> One hears the word research being mentioned by several groups such as research organizations, college and university professors, doctoral students, graduate assistants working for faculty, graduate and undergraduate students doing their term papers, rese
> Why do we still have transform the following problem statement into a researchable topic for investigation? The introduction of flexible work hours has created more problems than it has solved.
> Below are three scenarios. Indicate how the researcher should proceed in each case; that is, determine the following, giving reasons: a. Type of research question (exploratory, descriptive, or causal). b. The extent of researcher interference. c. The s
> Discuss the interrelationships among the research questions of a study (exploratory, descriptive, and causal), study setting (no contrived or contrived), researcher interference, research strategy, and time horizon of study.
> Why is the unit of analysis an integral part of the research design?
> A field study is often more useful than a lab experiment.” Discuss this statement
> Is a field study totally out of the question if one is trying to establish cause and effect relationships?
> Why is it important to consider basic research design issues before conducting the study and even as early as at the time of formulating the research question?
> What are the basic research design issues? Describe them in some detail.
> Daniel Lourenço is a Portuguese student of International Business. Born in Reguengos de Monsaraz, he is an active sportsman, excelling in football and swimming. As a young man Daniel developed a keen interest in aviation. He read everything he was able t
> For the following case: a. Identify the problem b. Develop a diagram representing the conceptual model c. Develop the hypotheses. Concerned about her current customer base, manager Andersen started to think of factors that might affect the attractiveness
> In recent decades, many service markets have been liberalized. For this reason, incumbent service firms are facing new competitors and must address customer switching. You are discussing the determinants of customer switching with a service firm manager.
> It is advantageous to develop a directional hypothesis whenever we are sure of the predicted direction. How will you justify this statement?
> There is an advantage to stating the hypothesis both in the null and the alternate; it adds clarity to our thinking about what we are testing. Explain.
> In an applied research context you do not need to explain the relationships between the variables in your conceptual model. Discuss this statement.
> Good models are complex. What’s more, a good model should include both moderating and mediating variables. Discuss this statement.
> Develop a theoretical framework for the following case. Once given, perks are extraordinarily hard to take away without sapping employee morale. The adverse effects of these cuts far outweigh the anticipated savings in dollars. Research has shown that wh
> Because literature survey is a time-consuming exercise, a good, in-depth interview should suffice to develop a theoretical framework. Discuss this statement.
> Why is appropriate citation important? What are the consequences of not giving credit to the source from which materials are extracted?
> After studying and extracting information from all the relevant work done previously, how does the researcher know which references, articles, and information should be given prominence in the literature survey?
> The (over)consumption of calories is one of the most important determinants of the obesity problem in Europe and the United States. Governments promote the consumption of healthy alternatives and try to support consumers in making healthy choices, for in
> What is the purpose of the literature survey?
> Should a researcher always find information on structural and job characteristics from those interviewed? Give reasons for your answer with examples.
> Why is it important to gather information on the background of the organization? Whys is it important to review the literature on your topic?
> Describe the functions of preliminary data gathering.
> Below is the gist of an article from BusinessWeek. After reading it: a. identify the broad problem area b. explain how you would proceed further. Two years ago, Electronic Arts, the second-largest U.S. video game company, ran on promises. Developers pitc
> Define ‘problem’ and provide an example of a problem you have encountered in your daily life. Discuss how you have used research to solve this problem.
> Discuss the most important differences between positivism and constructionism.
> If research in the management area cannot be 100 percent scientific, why bother to do it at all? Comment on this question.
