The Happy Mobile Phone Company

QUESTION 1
The Happy Mobile Phone Company

The Happy 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 Phone Company was the most complained‐about mobile provider
– with 0.15 complaints per 1,000 – in the last three months of 2014. It saw its
complaint figures rise substantially in the last quarter of 2014. The company wanted
to pinpoint the specific problems and take corrective action.
Researchers were called in, and they spoke to a number of customers, noting the
nature of the specific problems they faced. Because the problem had to be attended
to very quickly, they developed a theoretical base, collected relevant detailed
information from a sample of 100 customers, and analyzed the data. The results
promise to be fairly accurate with at least an 85% chance of success in problem
solving. The researchers will make recommendations to the company based on the
results of data analysis.
a. From the case study above, explain whether the research meets the hallmarks of
scientific investigation.
(20 marks)
ANSWER
• The study meets the basic criterion of purposiveness

• But not a rigorous
study
• The replicability and generalizability criteria also
suffer.
• With customer complaints mounting, 85% confidence level may not
suffice.
• Unless the researcher knows the theoretical base, they cannot be sure that
criterion of parsimony is met.
b. Would case studies be considered as scientific research? Why or why not?

i. Case studies not considered as scientific research ii. They do not subscribe to
most of the hallmarks of scientific research iii. They are not rigorous iv. Testability
and replicability are difficult since each case situation is unique
v. Generalizability is virtually non-existent since each case situation is unique.
(5marks)
QUESTION
2
a. Explain FOUR (4) reasons why is it important to gather information on the

background of the organization?
(16 marks)
Answer:
• To offer the researcher several

clues
• Assess how the other companies operating in similar types of environment in
the industry might be different and in what way.
• The background factors offer the researcher a good idea of how the philosophy
and culture of the company are shaped, and to what extent they can be changed,
if necessary.
• Collecting background information also helps to focus on critical issues and
raise appropriate questions during the interview process.
b. Elaborate any TWO (2) elements of the research process?
(4 marks)
Answer:
• The problem statement is a critical

aspect
• The theoretical framework and hypotheses are more important parts of the
research process.
• Good research design helps in findings reliable answers to the problem that is
investigated.
c. List FIVE (5) functions of preliminary data gathering
(5 marks)
QUESTION
3
a. Literature survey is a time-consuming exercise. Therefore, a good, in-depth

interview should suffice to develop a theoretical framework. Discuss this
statement. (15 marks)
b. Under which circumstances would you prefer observation as a method to collect

data over other methods of data collection such as interviews and questionnaires?
(10M)
ANSWER
• Observation allows the researcher to gather behavioral data without asking

questions. People can be observed in their natural work environment or in the lab
setting, and their activities and behaviors or other items of interest can be noted,
recorded, analyzed, and interpreted.
• Apart from the activities performed by the individuals under study, their movements,
work habits, the statements made and meetings conducted by them, other –
environmental -- factors such as layout, work-flow patterns, the closeness of the
seating arrangement, and the like, can also be noted.
• In observational studies, it is also relatively easy to discern situational factors such
as the weather (hot, cold, rainy), the day of the week (midweek as opposed to
Monday or Friday), and other factors that might have a bearing on, for example,
productivity, the sales of a product, traffic patterns, absenteeism, and the like. These
factors can be recorded and meaningful patterns might emerge from this type of
data.
• Another advantage of observation is that is possible to observe certain groups or
individuals -- for example, very young children and extremely busy executives -- from
whom it may be otherwise difficult to obtain information.
• The data obtained through observation of events as they normally occur are
generally more reliable and free from respondent bias.
Questions base on questionnaire
i. Discuss any TWO (2) advantages and THREE (3) disadvantages of posting
invitations to participate in survey on social networks, discussion groups, and chat
rooms using mail questionnaires.
(15 marks)
Answer:
Advantages:
A big advantage of online survey research is that it makes the most of the ability of
the Internet to provide access to groups and individuals who would be difficult, if not
impossible, to reach through other channels.
A second advantage of online questionnaires is that a wide geographical area can
be
covered in the survey. A (link to the) questionnaire is sent to the respondents, who
can
complete them at their convenience, in their homes, and at their own pace. The
automatic processing of the surveys saves further costs, time, and energy.
Disadvantages:
When conducting online research, researchers often encounter problems with regard
to sampling. For instance, self-selection and extremely low response rates make it
difficult to establish the representativeness of the sample and to generalize the
findings,
because those responding to the survey may not at all represent the population they
are
supposed to.
Posting invitations to participate in a survey on social networks, discussion groups,
and chat rooms is often perceived as rude or offensive. Many people consider this
type of posting to be “spam”, and the researcher may be flooded with e-mails from
angry members of a virtual community.
A final disadvantage of electronic questionnaire is that any doubts the respondents
might
have cannot be clarified.
ii. The response rates to online questionnaires are typically low. Suggest FOUR (4)
ways,
what can Nicki do to increase the response rate to his survey?
(8 marks)
Answer:
 Sending follow-up mails
 Electronic questionnaires are also expected to meet with a better response
rate when respondents are notified in advance about the forthcoming survey
 A small monetary incentive is also an effective technique to increase
response rates.
 Ask someone to help distribute the survey
iii. Nicki’s questionnaire starts with questions seeking personal information of the
respondents. However, some researchers ask for personal data at the end rather
than the
beginning of the questionnaire. Discuss both viewpoints. (9M)
Answer:
 Personal information might be sensitive. Information of a very private and
personal
nature such as income, state of health, and so on, if considered at all necessary for
the
survey, should be asked at the end of the questionnaire, rather than the beginning.
 such questions should be justified by explaining how this information might
contribute to
knowledge and problem solving, so that respondents do not perceive them to be of
an
intrusive or prying nature.
 Postponing such questions to the end will help reduce respondent bias if the
individual is
vexed by the personal nature of the question.
iv. Nicki has conducted face-to-face interviews to determine the attributes relevant to
his
study. Discuss any THREE (3) advantages and THREE (3) disadvantages of face-
to-face interviews. (18 marks)
Advantages
 Face-to-face interviews provide rich data, offer the opportunity to establish
rapport with the interviewees
 help to explore and understand complex issues.
 Many ideas ordinarily difficult to articulate can also be brought to the surface
and discussed during such interviews.
Disadvantages
 face-to-face interviews have the potential for introducing interviewer bias
 can be expensive if a large number of subjects are involved.
 Face-to-face interviews are best suited to the exploratory stages of research
when the researcher is trying to get an overarching view of the concepts or
the situational factors.

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QUESTION 1

The Happy Mobile Phone Company

• The study meets the basic criterion of purposiveness

b. Would case studies be considered as scientific research? Why or why not?

a. Explain FOUR (4) reasons why is it important to gather information on the

• To offer the researcher several

b. Elaborate any TWO (2) elements of the research process?

• The problem statement is a critical

c. List FIVE (5) functions of preliminary data gathering

a. Literature survey is a time-consuming exercise. Therefore, a good, in-depth

b. Under which circumstances would you prefer observation as a method to collect

• Observation allows the researcher to gather behavioral data without asking

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