Objectives of the course Final Assignment:
Market research as an applied field, should help firms deal with tangible and identifiable marketing problems or opportunities. The current assignment aims at firming up research concepts and tools by applying the latter to market related problem solving tasks. Consequently, the assignment will provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate a well-rounded comprehension of the multiple issues related to problem solving through market research rigour.
Description of the Assignment:
The current Pope Francis is determined to spread the word of Mercy throughout the world by promoting the organization of a worldwide “Jubilee” not only in Rome but throughout the world. It is nonetheless expected that the bulk of visitors will flock Rome from December 2015 on through December 2016.
As the success of the Jubilee will hinge on the arrival of millions of tourists from all over the world over an extended period of time, your project will be geared to identifying key attributes of a touristic product (core, fair participation, augmented which includes other attributes you will define) which will guarantee a high level of satisfaction on the part of foreign nationals. You will be able to tap into the likes of your fellow students to develop a panel of foreigners which will resemble the tastes and demands of yet other foreigners. You will use non statistical sampling and theoretical saturation to establish an adequate sample size.
For all the reasons stated before, you will work on developing
A) a panel of foreigners representing the most active Jubilee 2015 nationalities (top 5) AT LEAST 20. B) definition of core and augmented product attributes for one main target segment.
C) top five Italian venues (i.e. Vatican, Catacombs, Colosseum, Roman Basilicae plus some other sites
like Assissi, Norcia etc)
D) ethical issues related to the data collection and solutions you worked out…
E) an indication on how you assure for reliability and validity of the research design.
The student must identify his/her own research problem (with Lecturer approval – Week 10), describe and discuss the overall seven-step research process in practical terms, and actually conduct his/her own mini- research project, starting with problem formulation and including secondary research and primary research from the research briefing to actual data collection, hypothesis, research design, data analysis and final research report.
This is an academic piece of work: your case report is expected to link theory and practice.
You should take care to ensure that the work you submit has a high standard of presentation. You must acknowledge all sources of information and evidence using the Harvard Referencing System.
The report will count for 75% of the final grade given for the Market Research course.
Structure of the assignment
Cover page.
It includes the course name, the project title, the students’ full name, the lecturer’s full name and the submission date.
Table of contents.
It includes all the headings with appropriate page numbers, including the References and the Appendices.
Executive summary. Introduction.
It introduces the reader to the case you are going to present.
Analysis.
(see under “Description of the assignment”)
Conclusions.
They draw key insights from the case analysis, summarize the main features of the company presented and propose future development for its business and organisational solutions.
References.
Referencing and Bibliography: Harvard System
Format
The case report is expected to consist of approximately 2,000 words +/-10% in total not counting tables or inserts, introduction and conclusions. The report should be prepared as a neatly typed Word document (Times New Roman, 12 points), with double spacing and page numbering. Tables or data taken from other sources may be included in one or more Appendices. All sources must be referenced in the text and a full list of references (including visited websites) must be provided, in compliance with the Harvard Referencing System.
Structure of the Assignment:
An introductory discussion / rationale for the choice of his/her research topic and a summarizing conclusion of the student’s research project.
There should be seven sections in the document, one for each of the seven stages of any research project –
Problem Formulation / Research Design Determination / Data Collection Method Determination / Data Collection Form Design / Sample Design and Data Collection / Analysis and Interpretation of Collected Data / Preparation of Final Research Report.
It is expected that the document bibliography will go beyond the course textbook (see indications in textbook Endnotes).
Students are reminded to use valid and peer-reviewed references to support their work. Websites should only be used if they represent an established source and only for facts and figures. Students should make the most of academic and practitioner books and articles.
The discussion in each section should link the appropriate theory to the specific student project being conducted, noting any “exceptions” to the theory which may be justifiable for the student project at hand – thus providing a well-rounded overall course review document.
The assignment tasks are directly related to the following learning outcomes:
1. Evaluate and explain concepts and issues in market research
2. Systematically consider the ethical issues and good practice when conducting market research.
3. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the different types of data collection methods available, and be able to effectively manage and utilise this information
4. Effectively interpret, analyse and design a market research proposal. (assessment: individual project)
Consequently, in the current assignment, students will be tested on the following skills:
• Report writing skills
• The ability to work independently
• Analysis skills
• Research Design skills
• Research skills
• Information retrieval skills
Assessment Criteria:
Capacity to clearly explain the rationale behind the project
1. Appropriate analysis, use and critical evaluation of secondary research
2. Capacity to design and implement all steps of primary market research
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR PROMOTIONAL DISCOUNT DISPLAYED ON THE WEBSITE AND GET A DISCOUNT FOR YOUR PAPER NOW!
