MBA 510 - Learning Team - Research and Decision Making

Solution Preview

See attached Word document for solution.

Learning Team -Research and Decision Making Assignment
Introduction
After completing the "Managing Research Design" simulation, our Learning Team is making an attempt to answers on some of the question which needs to address as a team assignment. The questions are:
a. In trying to determine where to locate its outlets in India, CoffeeTime had to analyze considerable data. Given this data, what does CoffeeTime really know about the various locations in India? What doesn't CoffeeTime know that it might learn from further research?
b. How do the limitations of the data available to CoffeeTime affect the validity and reliability of the data?
c. As the Manager for Business Development, what further data would you like to see before deciding where to locate CoffeeTime outlets in India? How should CoffeeTime obtain a random sample?
d. No amount of research ever provides a decision maker with a complete picture. Given the secondary data available to CoffeeTime, what decision-making strategies would you recommend as the Manager for Business Development?
e. Research always has limits. Discuss three or four constraints placed on CoffeeTime in the scenario. How should CoffeeTime address these constraints?
Primary Data analysis
CoffeeTime really only knows what the researchers have told it- things like, income differentials amongst various towns, coffee buying habits (including frequency) and age bracket dispersion (again based by towns). Looking at these items solely, any decisions going forward would probably be based on previous actions in the U.S., where CoffeeTime was presented with similar information.
CoffeeTime might learn how well its competition (indirect or otherwise) is doing in their respective markets. Research (by CoffeeTime) that tracked or reviewed competitor sales, promotions, marketing, profits, etc. would indicate how well the competition's research was accomplished.
Validity and reliability of data
Data can be reliable and not valid but it cannot be valid and not reliable (University of England, 2006). CoffeeTime is faced with the issue of a constrictive budget. This budget has forced CoffeeTime to select only select cities within the country of India. The scenario leads you down the path to only research the highly affluent and ...