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Looking for someone who can compile information from various team memebers into one paper along with completing a introduction and conclusion. Paper needs to be completed by Noon 12/2 CST.
The details are as follows:
Completethe cumulative Business Research Report in no more than 1,400 words by collaborating with your team to include the following:
- Revised tables or figures based on prior instructor feedback
- The description or interpretation for the tables or figures
- Summary of Learning Team results
- Answers to the research questions
- Research challenges
- Steps to minimize challenges in future research
- Rationale for the survey items
Analyzethe implications of the team’s results in relation to the business.
Recommendavenues for future research based on your research results, challenges, and implications.
Formatyour Business Research Report consistent with APA guidelines.
Looking at the brand of smart phone the over whelming majority consists of iPhones with Samsung second and Blackberry third. Taking the combination of Samsung and Blackberry is 55% of the total iPhone selections. This question is represented by 84% of the total sampling pool as 18 respondents skipped this question. This is consistent with current analysis stating “if a physical keyboard and a focus on communications above everything else are a deal-breaker for you, then the Apple’s iPhone will never fit your needs” (iMore, 2013, p. 1). Concluding the Blackberry would be of choice for these users. Based on the results it is apparent these features are not at the top of the list of our respondents.
The next question is an understanding of the use of the smart phone selected. In this analysis 97% of the respondents responded with 59% of them using their smart phone for personal use. Forty-one percent selected business with the comparison of this selection being marginally different. It is safe to assume with a larger sampling pool the mix would be equivalent as a mix use of business and personal.
The next question is the satisfaction with their current smart phone selection. 97% of respondents answered this question with three skipping. Looking at these details it reveals 38% of respondents strongly agree that they are satisfied with their current smart phone. This shows 88% total are satisfied and 5% not satisfied and 6% remaining neutral. This reveals of the respondents of iPhones, Samsung, and Blackberry users, the majority are satisfied with their selection.
Understanding from the previous question that 88% are satisfied this next question dives into whether these respondents have looking into another smart phone and their features. Sixty-one percent strongly agree or agree with this statement. Even though 88% are satisfied, these respondents are still aware of the market and various competitors and features.
Further expansion is the next question of if these respondents are thinking of switching to another smart phone brand. Fifty-six percent said no, 21% said yes, and 23% are neutral. This is also very informative that of 88% satisfaction and 61% are looking; 21% of them are thinking of switching. Either this 21% from the prior question are in the looking or not looking area. It seems to make another decision it would require the user to review other brands. There is a slow trend showing that even with a high satisfaction level, there are questions left unanswered if some of those users are looking and willing to switch. In other surveys, “42% of iPhone owners had owned an iPhone previously while 43% of Samsung owners had previously owned an Android phone” (Forbes, 2013, p. 1) This builds that of users willing to move there is a proved theory that Samsung converts basic of non-feature phone users and Apple gets Android users to convert to iOS (Forbes, 2013).
Of the respondents that would switch 63% would switch because of features. Other areas at 50% or less of features include applications, reliability, cost, and compatibility with other products. Features is the number one driver of change and would be the number one are for smart phone manufactures to remain focused on to drive business in their respective brand.
This next question understands the importance of brand image when choosing a smart phone. 35% agree and 39% disagree with 26% neutral. There is not enough data here to represent a definitive selection.
The importance of overall popularity if the smart phone becoming the respondents selection brand reveals 30% agree, 46% disagree, with 24% neutral. This is another question that appears to be a disagreement but the swing of the 24% neutral could change this assumption with this sample selection.
Expanding on popularity the question was also asked about friend’s opinions. 33% say their friend’s opinions are important, 44% are not, with 23% neutral.
Looking at the overall survey sample data with 100% respondents answering, 42% are 35 to 44 as the majority. Thirty-four percent are 45 or older and 25% below 34. Looking at a broader analysis complete by Edison Research it is inconsistent that the largest age group of smart phone users are 18-34.
References
Forbes. (2013). Apple and Samsung who could in the smartphone war. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2013/08/20/apple-and-samsung-who-could-win-the-smartphone-war/
.
Google. (2013). Smartphone users age 2013. Retrieved from
https://www.google.com/search?q=smartphone+users+age+2013&espv=210&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3qKbUsytDpXroAT-kIF4&ved=0CDsQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=798#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=mLsm72Mte2OnGM%3A%3BzVzEKfMB0GQrEM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fheidicohen.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252FEdison_Research_Arbitron-Smartphone-Ownership-by-Age %3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fheidicohen.com%252Fcontent-marketing-the-multi-screen-consumer%252F%3B892%3B570
.
iMore. (2013). iPhone vs. android vs. blackberry vs. windows. Retrieved from
http://www.imore.com/iphone-vs-android-vs-blackberry-vs-windows-phone-which-phone-should-you-get
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Monkey, S. (n.d.). Survey Monkey. Retrieved 11 24, 2013, from Smart Phone Brand Loyalty Survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.net/analyze/usR0XS_2F41iIdXLvFulGEwFI_2F0R8R0mRSfKvKXwRGZxE_3D
Business Research Project Part II
: Business Problem and Research Question 1
9
Business Research Project Part II
Business Problem and Research Questions Part II
James Copeland, Victor Dionisio, Brian Donaldson, Vickie Dufault and Andrea Johnson
QNT/561 Applied Research and Business Statistics
University of Phoenix
Instructor – Dr. Joseph Hamel
November 4, 2013
Business Research Project Part II
Apple has found multiple flaws with a number of their popular products, including issues internally through their financial reporting. They are fighting through their financial reporting issues, such as the allegations of tax fraud; however, the issues with its customers and products appear to be most important. It is Apple’s line of products and the opinions of its customers who are vital to the organization’s success. In particular, the area of focus is research with the iPhone.
The iPhone has long held a significant margin over the Android market but in recent years that gap has been narrowed. Apple is interested to see the reasons behind consumers choosing more Android phones. This research plan is a commitment to finding these reasons through the use of surveying Smart Phone users. In the following summary, this research plan will further detail the questions of the survey, the sample chosen as well as how we will access them, the collection process as well as the format of the survey.
Articulation of the Research Problems and Objectives
The first stage of the research plan is the articulation of the research objectives and problems. The objective of this plan is to identify the problems faced by Apple and discovering the ways to minimize those problems. Another objective is to have a better understanding of the people’s perception about the company’s products and their likings and disliking. The company is facing several problems, such as problems with their operating system, dissatisfaction among the customers regarding the price, product quality, allegations of tax fraud, and dilemmas in dealing with its suppliers and distributors.
Description of the Problem
According to many users the new operating system of Apple iOS 7 is a downgrade from its previous versions. It is known that Apple charges a higher price for its products. Apple is trying to get access in China and their high price and other compatibility problems both are detrimental to their expansion plan in China. Apple is currently facing allegations of tax fraud by the Federal government, and they are fighting the investigation. The company is also facing problems in dealing with its suppliers and distributors because many of them do not abide by the labor rules of the company (Worth, 2013).
Research Plan
This step contains several distinct components, and this is a one of the more complex steps. One of the major components is to decide where to collect the information. Such information is crucial in completing the research and making business decisions. Apple will construct a sampling plan that ensures the collection of data that is representative of the overall population. The overall research plan includes the selection of research approach and the instruments to collect data. After developing the sample plan Apple will figure out how to contact and communicate with the participants to collect relevant information. Then, information will be collected as par requirement. After analyzing the data or information the findings will be presented or disseminated. These findings will be used to make decisions (Kotler, 2003).
Collection of Information
First, Apple will have to fix the timetable within which the research will be completed. Then the company will determine the markets to collect the information from. After choosing the research method Apple will go for the collection of information. As both quantitative and qualitative information are required so, quantitative market research methods like surveys and statistics and qualitative methods like in-person interviews; focus group discussions will be conducted.
Analyzing the Information and Disseminating the Results
After collecting the information, it will be analyzed using various methods for a greater understanding. After analyzing the information the output or result will be disseminated. Apple should focus on assessment of the findings, and they must be very clear about their intentions on using this information. The overall research will be within the framework of Apple’s research objective.
Making the Decision
The previous steps will be done to accomplish the objectives of the company and to make decisions. The company is facing several problems or dilemmas and the purpose of this research is to find out the solutions of those problems. After completing the research, Apple should be able to make decision that will be helpful in minimizing or eliminating the problems.
Considerations
This research plan is not a fixed one. It will evolve over time, and it may require up gradation. Apple may choose to change their research methodology, data collection techniques, communication strategies, etc. Other important things to consider is the timetable within which the research should be completed and the budget.
The Survey
The initial survey is intended to investigate the risk to Apple of Smart Phone users to switch their device to a competitive device. In ascertaining this risk, three main areas are investigated: the user’s intention, the degree to which action has been taken to switch, and some of the influences on that switch decision. The derived survey questions are below.
The survey uses multiple choice (both single-choice and multiple-choice) and Likert scale questions. The Likert-style questions have been structured to have a consistent answer profile, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree to improve accuracy of responses (Cooper, 2011). These answers can be assigned numerical values to enable statistical analysis. This analysis can be seen later in this paper.
1. What brand of Smart Phone do you currently use?
IPhone
Samsung
Blackberry
Other (please specify other type or NONE if you do not have a Smart Phone)
2. What do you use your Smart Phone for most?
Business
Personal
3. I am satisfied with my current Smart Phone.
Selections: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
4. I have looked into other Smart Phones and their features.
Selections: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
5. I am thinking of switching to another Smart Phone brand.
Selections: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
6. What would you say is the main reason you would switch Smart Phone manufacturers?
Features
Applications
Reliability
Cost
Compatibility with other products
7. Brand image is important to me when I choose a Smart Phone.
Selections: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
8. The overall popularity of a Smart Phone is important in my Smart Phone choice.
Selections: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
9. My friends’ opinions are important to me when I choose a Smart Phone.
Selections: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree
10. What is your age?
Selections: 18 to 24;25 to 34;35 to 44;45 or older
Population and Samples
Population and samples for this research project would consist of iPhone users. These users would be new to the iPhone and also a selection based on term of use to range from beginner to expert. Apple’s customer base ranges through many ages, locations, sex, and demographic so a wide range of samples will need to be selected to capture a true representation of the Apple population. According to Weebly businesspeople and adults are among the top percentile of iPhone users and of Apple’s target market (Weebly, 2013). These areas will need to have a higher concentration in the sample selection than children, teenagers, and a college student more prone to Apple’s other suite of products (Weebly, 2013).
Selection
The primary sample market for the survey would be any iPhone user; however, as the research team is composed of a number of demographic and geographic groups, the colleagues, and acquaintances of the team will be used as the sample population. Via an electronically distributed survey, these subjects will be approached to take the short survey.
An electronic, Internet-based survey is a desirable method of Internet already, so the mechanics of an online survey will not hinder results. Second, by presenting the survey electronically, it efficiently screens out low-technology subjects not within the targeted population. For example, a mail survey would be an inefficient way of reaching iPhone users.
The main advantage of an Internet-based survey is cost. Given that the distribution lists will be furnished by the research team itself, the lists will have no cost. Further, there are numerous online survey firms who provide limited, free access.
Data Collection Process
The primary source of data that will be collected for our research will consist of Smart Phone users. These users will consist of new iPhone users as well as long-time users. The research instrument that will be used will be through the survey method. This will give insight regarding the stability of Apple’s customer base as well as the important factors necessary to keep its end users loyal to the product.
In the course of the data collection process, there will be a secondary source of information that will consist of previous end users of past iPhone versions, also known as other Smart Phone users. Again, the research method of choice will be through survey. Conducting the survey with previous end users will be through the Internet with e-mail obtained through Apple’s customer base as a viable option. Obtaining market research with previous iPhone customers will give insight into the reasons for why a previous iPhone user is no longer using the product as well as information as to what current Smart Phone they are using.
Survey Format
The survey questions are in a multiple choice answer format. Some questions are bases on how much a person agrees such as strongly agree, or strongly disagree; this is based on the Likert style of questioning. There are also questions more specific, such as why the consumer would switch phones, such as the brand. The idea behind this format is to make it user friendly, as easy to use as possible while providing the information needed for the research.
Survey Distribution and Collection
The survey will be distributed over an electronic format, such as the Internet. The target consumers for this survey are users of Smart Phones. Smart Phone users are more familiar and comfortable with the use of the Internet as the platform for the survey questions. The results will be collected at the end of the survey period; the results are automatically collated and analyzed by the survey team.
Conclusion
Understanding the various flaws within the Apple product line and the fight through their financial reporting, there are allegations of tax fraud. The most important of these are the issues with their customer base. Apple holds the opinions and satisfaction of its customers in a high regard. After reviewing this area the plan, survey questions, population, sample, selection, data collection, and the administration of the project are complete. Apple will be able to move forward and understand the reasons customers are choosing more Android phones.
References
Cooper, D.R. (2011). Business Research Methods. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Kotler, P. (2003). Marketing Management (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc., Prentice Hall.
Weebly. (2013). Apple Inc’s target market. Retrieved from
http://appleinccasestudy.weebly.com/apples-target-market.html
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Worth, D. (2013, october). Retrieved November 2013, from v3.co.uk: http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/analysis/2301290/apple-ios-7-problems-and-complaints-more-issues-raised
The method of delivery for the survey was Survey Monkey, an online surveying tool. The first challenge arose with a decision. The group needed to decide if a pre-made survey could be used or not (Cooper, 2011). In the end, although there were brand loyalty surveys available, the group decided to custom-write our own survey. This enabled us to build the questions to specifically probe the research questions being investigated.
The second challenge for the iPhone survey was that the online survey’s first, categorizing question “which brand of smart phone do you use?” had a flaw. It allowed people to choose more than one answer. This confused the data and made drawing conclusions on those multi-phone users impossible. This was remedied in the analysis by excluding those people from the survey. Since it was a small percentage (about 4%), it did not affect the results significantly.
To remedy this in the future, all possible answers to the question should be considered before distributing the survey. Luckily, an online survey allows error-proofing to ensure this type of issue is not repeated. In future iterations of this survey, this should be corrected. Another, low-technology solution would be to reword the question as “Which brand of smart phone do you use most?”. Also, the other questions in the survey would have to be slightly adjusted to take this into account.
Another challenge with the survey was the conflation of issues between the non-iPhone users and the users of other smart phones. For example, when asking if the user is likely to switch, common sense, given recent news developments surrounding Blackberry’s future, indicates that Blackberry users would be contemplating switching more than Samsung users. Yet these two groups are treated as essentially equal. Drawing individual conclusions about these groups is not realistic. Thus, this was resolved by combining the two groups and comparing that large group with the Apple group.
Another challenge for the research in this case is that people’s phone have become more than mere products in many ways. The users become familiar and comfortable with a certain brand, and they can become quite attached to them. It is also possible that the general attachment level between iPhone, Samsung and Blackberry users is different. This may skew the results for the survey.
Another issue facing this poll is the research question itself. Attempting to ascertain the intent of iPhone users is a challenge. Questions about intent are always difficult to accurately penetrate. Measuring intent before an action actually occurs is a challenge. For example, political polls always face the issue that just because someone says they are going to vote one way does not necessarily mean that they will vote that way on election day.
This applies to the iPhone survey as well. The survey attempts to address this question by asking if they have taken any action into researching other phones or not. Further, probing research is recommended to address this.
Another challenge in this research was that mobile phone plan providers play a major part in people’s phone decision. For example, if someone is very near to the end of their contract, they are likely to be investigating competing phone brands more aggressively. To understand this effect, an ongoing, rolling polling process could be put in place at the mobile phone providers to investigate people’s intent near the time of their contract renewals. Obviously, though, this would be a complicated and costly undertaking.
Finally, there is a general stickiness to Apple users’ tendencies; that is, there is a high proportion of them who are unlikely to switch at all. Part of this is aesthetic, and part of this applications-based. A major part of the Apple users’ tendencies, though, is that they have infrastructure engaged in their Apple experience. iTunes is the backbone software of the Apple user system, and switching brands means that this seamless, effective system is eliminated. Just the prospect of this change may mean Apple users are unlikely to change.
This stickiness may have skewed the results. Perhaps there is a baseline unwillingness of a significant portion of Apple users to even consider changing, and all the features, peer-pressure and industry trending have limited effect on those users.
In general, it is recommended that more research be conducted to inform us of the actual intent of Apple users; although, this survey represents a good start.
