Dianne Marie O.

Samante

MBA

CHAPTER 1
Assignment 1:
1) Research in Action: Global big brother system?
a. Are there ethical dimensions to location tracking as a research
tool?
The use of information technology has ethical, social and
political issues. With regard to ethical issues, the aspect
of information rights, property rights, system quality and
accountability and control has to be considered in using
location tracking as a research tool. Responsibility and
accountability in using the data gathered by use of
location tracking has to be clearly defined and taken into
consideration.
There are ethical principles such as Kants Categorical
Imperative and Descartes rule of change that could be
used as guide in making decisions. Kants Categorical
Imperative asks the question If everyone did this, could
the organization or society survive? and Descartes rule
of change states that: If an action cannot be taken
repeatedly, it is not right to take at all.
2) Research in Action: Conducting global research
a. Can you think of some other problems that might be
encountered in international marketing research?
Problems that might be encountered in international
marketing research include the need to align the
research with market growth opportunities outside the
industrialized nations. The difference between developed
and developing nations has to be considered. The
cultural and regional differences have to be taken into
account in the conduct an international marketing
research. Another possible problem is coming up with a
sound and timely research considering the research is
conducted internationally.
b. Are there countries where conducting business research is
more important than in others? Any countries where research
is not needed?
Business research is important for all industries but it is
heavily concentrated in North America, Europe and
Japan. (http://people.stern.nyu.edu/sdouglas/rpubs/imr.html)
Developing countries still need to conduct researches.

3) Continuing Case: Samouels and Ginos Restaurants

a. Is a research project needed? If yes, what kind of project?
Yes, a qualitative business research is needed.
b. What areas should the research focus on?
The research should focus on the customers and their
preferences as well as on the target objective of the
restaurant.
4) Discussion and Application Activities:
a. How do you think the emergence of the computer since 1945
has affected the field of business research?
Advances in computer technology helped reduce the time
required to collect data across geographic distances. The
use of technology enriches the type of stimuli that can be
used in collecting data. This has made research easier
with the use of different technological advancements
such as the computers, scanners and systems that
assist research studies. Nonetheless, there are
limitations to it as well to include the accuracy of data
gathered through the internet.
b. Explain how a company like NH Hotels might be able to use
data mining.
Data mining is the process of analyzing data from
different perspectives and summarizing it into useful
information to improve revenues and cut costs. A data
mining software is used to analyze data in large
relational databases.
(http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty/jason.frand/teacher/technologies/
palace/datamining.htm)

Data mining will help NH Hotels, company with 400

hotels in 26 countries around Europe, America and
Africa, in terms of determining the relationship of the
factors such as price, service positioning, staff skills,
customer demographics and economic indicators. These
data will be useful in improving its marketing strategies
and services in the different hotels they have situated in
different countries.
c. Suppose you wished to start an entrepreneurial venture
involving the manufacture of portable fax machines in Turkey
for export to the UK. List at least five areas in which business
research may provide information that will allow for better
decision making as you begin this venture.

 Areas to consider are: 1) expenses/cost in terms of

manufacturing and exporting, 2) marketability of the
product, 3) availability of supplies, 4) availability of
manpower in Turkey, and 5) ready market to sell the
portable fax machine.
d. Suppose a company wished to do a research project that tested
whether or not a level of management could be removed from
the entire organization without any serious negative
consequences. Should this project be conducted by in-house
researchers or by outside consultants?
Outside consultants should conduct the research project
on whether or not a level of management could be
removed from the entire organization given the type of
research to be conducted. Further, in consideration of
avoiding biases and conflict of interest it would be
advisable to hire outside consultants.
CHAPTER 2
Assignment 2:
1) Research in Action: How should Tesco define its problem?
a. How should Tesco define its problem?
How effective is the convenience store type approach in
the US market?
2) Continuing Case: Phil Samouel
a. Do lower prices result in higher sales?
A business may benefit from lowering its prices but this
would depend on the behavior of its customers and
clients in said market.
b. Are there other generalizations about restaurant operation you
can think of that Phil should examine to improve his business?
Phil should examine the thinking that lower prices mean
lower quality of service and product.
3) Continuing Case: Research proposal for Samouels Greek cuisine
restaurant
a. Could this theory be useful to Phil and his family in trying to
increase the number of customers?
Yes, the Hierarchy of Effects Model theory could be
useful for the restaurant to increase the number of its
customers.

b. Could this theory help them to understand why some of the

menu items are not selling well?
In terms of understanding the salability of its menu
items, the aforementioned theory would take time as the
process or stages of hierarchy has to be undergone first.
c. Are there some other theories you can think of that would be
useful in improving the restaurants operations?
The lower the cycle time per customer, the more guests
that can be accepted.
d. Should qualitative, quantitative or both kinds of research be
conducted?
Both qualitative and quantitative research should be
conducted considering the concerns that have been
established for the employee assessment and customer
assessment.
4) Ethical Dilemma: Burgoyne Research, Ltd.
a. Who do you agree with?
I agree with Jean-Charles Chebat in saying that it is
more unethical to disclose the results of work conducted
on behalf of another client. The first client paid for the
results and the second client also deserves first hand
data as they are also paying clients.
5) Discussion and Application Activities
a. Suppose you work for a major consumer goods company. One
of the products that you represent is salad dressing. A
competitor is beginning a test market involving a new spicy
ranch flavor. Their salespeople are going from store to store
placing it on the shelves. Your boss asks you to go to these
stores and buy all the salad dressing. Why might he or she ask
you to do this? What would be your reaction? Consider the
ethical implications of this behavior?

b. What are normative decision rules? Are they theory? How can
they be used by business researchers?
Normative decision rules explains what someone should
do when faced with a situation described by a theory.
Theory is a set of systematically related statements that
can be tested empirically.

c. Why is theory important in the design of business research

studies?
Theories provide key inputs in the conduct of research
thus, helping in coming up with the question/problem
and predictions expressed in the hypothesis of the
research. Theories are developed through accumulated
research studies and it would be difficult for the
researchers to formulate a study without a theory to
base it on.
CHAPTER 3
Assignment 3:
1) Research in Action- Click & Tell?
Ethical dimensions have to be considered when
conducting research studies and with the use of data
gathered.
2) Research in Action- Electric Shock and the Rigged Trial
a. Are there ethical implications with this research?
Researchers have ethical obligations including the
disclosure of the research to the subject/participant
however, complete disclosure might also influence the
result of the study.
b. Suppose the researcher left the room and came to you, the
observer, and offered you a chance to take the trainees place.
You are told that the previous person has become ineffective
and a replacement is needed for the experiment to proceed.
Would you help?
No. After witnessing the experiment my reaction would
be different from that of the previous person given that I
already have an idea of what will be happening.
Researchers has to posses impartiality, mental
independence, professionalism, objectivity and has to be
anticipative of risks related to the research.
c. Suppose you were told that the research assistant had to leave
the room and asks you to become the teacher. Would you
cooperate and shock the trainee for incorrect responses? Would
these changes affect the ethics of the experiment?
No, I will not agree to be the teacher. Witnessing the
effect of the experiment would influence the way I would
deliver my role as teacher. Moreover, it would not be
fair for the study.

d. Suppose you are told that the experiment is over and that in
reality, the trainee was only pretending to experience pain. In
actuality, no shocks were administered. Indeed, the key
dependent variable was your behavior. For example, did you
agree to take the place of one of the participants? Or, how long
did it take before you expressed concern for the poor trainee?
How does this change the ethics of the experiment?

3) Research in Action- Establishing International Research Standards

a. Are the provisions of this document sufficient to meet todays
needs for business researches?

4) Continuing Case- Samouels Greek Cuisine

a. Are there any ethical considerations that need to be explored
with the employee survey?
Disclosure of data gathered.
b. What about the customer survey?
Don't use the data from the other client. Both clients
deserve to have new researches independent of the
other.
c. If yes, what are the considerations and how should they be
dealt with?

d. Should Phil develop a code of ethics for his restaurant? What

about an ethics checklist?
Code of ethics is not necessary.
Ethics checklist is not necessary.
It is enough to have a solid orientation and imposition of
company policy, norms, culture and implementing rules
and regulations.
5) Discussion and Application Activities
a. Several recent studies raise questions about student integrity,
such as discussed in the Research in Action box entitled Are
the brightest and the best the most ethical. Do you believe
there is a relationship between the ethical behavior exhibited by
a university student and the ethical behavior he/she will exhibit
in the business world? Prepare a one page position statement
that either agrees or disagrees with the statement that
unethical university students will make unethical business
people.

b. How might the balancing act depicted in Exhibit 3-1 help

ensure that human resources are not treated unfairly in Exhibit
3-1 help ensure that human resources are not treated unfairly
even if there are few employees of questionable moral character
involved in decision making?

c. Find information on a current event that questions the ethics of

some business. Could researchers have played a role in
preventing this now?

d. What steps do you believe business researchers should take to

ensure that research participants fulfill their ethical obligations
in the research process?