ASSIGNMENT

Course Code : MS-66

Course Title : Marketing Research
Assignment Code : MS-66/TMA/SEM - II/2016
Coverage : All Blocks
Note: Attempt all the questions and submit this assignment on or before 31st October, 2016
to the coordinator of your study centre.
1. a) What do you understand by the term Marketing Research? Why it is necessary for firms
to seriously consider and undertake research activities on a continuous basis? Elaborate with
suitable example of your choice.
b) Make a visit to any firm/company from you location on you are associated with and try to
study how marketing research activities are being initiated, conducted and implemented in
the firm. Report your observations and offer your recommendations accordingly.
2. a) What is research design? Briefly discuss the four types of research design. You are
familiar with. Illustrate each of these methods accordingly.
b) In the entire research process, data collection is the key activity which enables to archive
the set research objectives. Critically discuss and evaluate the above statement with suitable
illustration.
3. a) Discuss the various sources of collecting primary data and secondary data for a
marketing research project.
b) What is sampling? Discuss the major sampling techniques available to the researcher for
undertaking a research project. Comment on their limitation.
4. a) Design and construct a suitable questionnaire for the following:
i) Primary survey to be conducted to study the customer satisfaction among motorcycle
owner.
ii) Television viewing habits among senior citizens (retired and elderly)
iii) Commuters perception and amenities offered by state road transport organizations.
b) Distinguish qualitative research and quantitative research with suitable illustrations.

Answer
1. a) What do you understand by the term Marketing Research? Why it is necessary for firms
to seriously consider and undertake research activities on a continuous basis? Elaborate with
suitable example of your choice.
Ans.: Marketing research is "the process or set of processes that links the producers,
customers, and end users to the marketer through information — information used to identify
and define marketing opportunities and problems; generate, refine, and evaluate marketing
actions; monitor marketing performance; and improve understanding of marketing as a

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process. Marketing research specifies the information required to address these issues,
designs the method for collecting information, manages and implements the data collection
process, analyzes the results, and communicates the findings and their implications."
It is the systematic gathering, recording, and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data
about issues relating to marketing products and services. The goal of marketing research is to
identify and assess how changing elements of the marketing mix impacts customer behavior.
The term is commonly interchanged with market research; however, expert practitioners may
wish to draw a distinction, in that market research is concerned specifically with markets,
while marketing research is concerned specifically about marketing processes.
Marketing research is often partitioned into two sets of categorical pairs, either by target
market:
 Consumer marketing research, and
 Business-to-business (B2B) marketing research
Or, alternatively, by methodological approach:
 Qualitative marketing research, and
 Quantitative marketing research
Consumer marketing research is a form of applied sociology that concentrates on
understanding the preferences, attitudes, and behaviors of consumers in a market-based
economy, and it aims to understand the effects and comparative success of marketing
campaigns. The field of consumer marketing research as a statistical science was pioneered
by Arthur Nielsen with the founding of the ACNielsen Company in 1923.
Thus, marketing research may also be described as the systematic and objective
identification, collection, analysis, and dissemination of information for the purpose of
assisting management in decision making related to the identification and solution of
problems and opportunities in marketing.
The central idea behind marketing is the idea that a firm or other entity will create something
of value to one or more customers who, in turn, are willing to pay enough (or contribute other
forms of value) to make the venture worthwhile considering opportunity costs. Value can be
created in a number of different ways. Some firms manufacture basic products (e.g., bricks)
but provide relatively little value above that. Other firms make products whose tangible value
is supplemented by services (e.g., a computer manufacturer provides a computer loaded with
software and provides a warranty, technical support, and software updates). It is not
necessary for a firm to physically handle a product to add value—e.g., online airline
reservation systems add value by (1) compiling information about available flight
connections and fares, (2) allowing the customer to buy a ticket, (3) forwarding billing
information to the airline, and (4) forwarding reservation information to the customer.
Plans are needed to clarify what kinds of strategic objectives an organization would like to
achieve and how this is to be done. Such plans must consider the amount of resources
available. One critical resource is capital. Microsoft keeps a great deal of cash on hand to be
able to “jump” on opportunities that come about. Small startup software firms, on the other

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hand, may have limited cash on hand. This means that they may have to forego what would
have been a good investment because they do not have the cash to invest and cannot find a
way to raise the capital.
Most manufacturers would prefer to have their products distributed widely—that is, for the
products to be available in as many stores as possible. This is especially the case for
convenience products where the customer has little motivation to go to a less convenient
retail outlet to get his or her preferred brand. Soft drinks would be an extreme example here.
The vast majority of people would settle for their less preferred brand in a vending machine
rather than going elsewhere to get their top choice. This is one reason why being a small
share brand in certain categories can become a vicious cycle that perpetuates itself.
For most manufacturers, wide distribution is not realistically obtainable. In food product
categories, for example, the larger supermarkets can carry a large number of brands. Smaller
convenience stores and warehouse stores, however, are likely to carefully pick a few brands.
After all, if convenience stores were to carry as many products as supermarkets, the purpose
of having a neighborhood store with easy entry and exit would be defeated.
In a very small number of cases, some manufacturers prefer to have their products
selectively, or even exclusively, distributed. This is usually the case for high prestige brands
(e.g., Estee Lauder) or premium quality image brands (e.g., high end electronic products) that
require considerable before and after sales service.
b) Make a visit to any firm/company from you location on you are associated with and try to
study how marketing research activities are being initiated, conducted and implemented in
the firm. Report your observations and offer your recommendations accordingly.
Ans.: Organizations are facing exciting and dynamic challenges in the 21st century. In the
gloabalized business, companies require strategic thinking and only by evolving good
corporate strategies can they become strategically competitive. A sustained or sustainable
competitive advantage occurs when firm implements a value – creating strategy of which
other companies are unable to duplicate the benefits or find it too costly to initiate. Corporate
strategy includes the commitments, decisions and actions required for a firm to achieve
strategic competitiveness and earn above average returns. The goals of corporate strategy are
challenging not only for large firms like Microsoft but also for small local computer retail
outlets or even dry cleaners.
Strategy”, narrowly defined, means “the art of the general” (the Greek stratos, meaning ‘field,
spread out as in ‘structure’; and agos, meaning ‘leader’). The term first gained currency at the
end of the 18th century, and had to do with stratagems by which a general sought to deceive
an enemy, with plans the general made for a campaign, and with the way the general moved
and disposed his forces in war. Also was the first to focus on the fact that strategy of war was
a means to enforce policy and not an end in itself. Strategy is a set of key decisions made to
meet objectives. A strategy of a business organization is a comprehensive master plan stating
how the organization will achieve its mission and objectives.
Strategy refers to a complex web of thoughts, ideas, insights, experiences, goals, expertise,
memories, perceptions, and expectations that provides general guidance for specific actions

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in pursuit of particular ends. Nations have, in the management of their national policies,
found it necessary to evolve strategies that adjust and correlate political, economic,
technological, and psychological factors, along with military elements. Be it management of
national polices, international relations, or even of a game on the playfield, it provides us
with the preferred path that we should take for the journey that we actually make.
In the globalized business, companies require strategic thinking and only by evolving good
corporate strategies can they become strategically competitive. A strategy of a business
organization is a comprehensive master plan stating how the organization will achieve its
mission and objectives. Strategy is significant because it is universal. It helps corporate to
keep pace with changing environs, provides better understanding of external environment,
minimizes competitive disadvantage by forcing to think clearly about mission, vision and
objectives of enterprise. It improves motivation of employees and strengthens decision-
making. It forms the basis for implementing actions. Strategy can be classified based on
hierarchy into four levels: corporate level, strategic business level, functional level and
operating level. The approaches to strategy making are: the Chief Architect approach, the
delegation approach, the collaborator or team approach and the corporate intrapereneur
approach. Strategy making is an ongoing process involving activities like defining vision,
mission and goals, analyzing organization and environment and matching them to decide
suitable actions and objectives, and implementing with a review system.
Most successful companies like General Electric have found internet mentors to tutor their
managers to world wide web. The company has launched its financial network
www.gefn.com in the year 2000 for its consumers. Also the company advertises heavily in
Olympics. Launch of Apna PC is a strategic decision. The leader in PC business HCL Info
systems has launched one PC below Rs.10, 000 (its sticker price is Rs.9, 990). It has
committed to manufacture one million of them every year and expand its dealer network from
800 to 3,000. This strategy is to tap the small businesses and lower income classes in urban
and rural India. Even the software probably will not be from Microsoft but from smaller
companies. But the company has to take of piracy and copyright the software also.
2. a) What is research design? Briefly discuss the four types of research design. You are
familiar with. Illustrate each of these methods accordingly.
Ans.: A research design is the plan of a research study. The design of a study defines the
study type (descriptive, correlational, semi-experimental, experimental, review, meta-
analytic) and sub-type (e.g., descriptive-longitudinal case study), research question,
hypotheses, independent and dependent variables, experimental design, and, if applicable,
data collection methods and a statistical analysis plan. Research design is the framework that
has been created to seek answers to research questions.
The research design shows that the researcher is able to tackle the research problem in a
coherent and explicit way.
There are many ways to classify research designs, but sometimes the distinction is artificial
and other times different designs are combined. Nonetheless, the list below offers a number
of useful distinctions between possible research designs.

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  Descriptive (e.g., case-study, naturalistic observation, survey)
 Correlational (e.g., case-control study, observational study)
 Semi-experimental (e.g., field experiment, quasi-experiment)
 Experimental (experiment with random assignment)
 Review (literature review, systematic review)
 Meta-analytic (meta-analysis)
Other research types include action, causal, exploratory, historical, mixed-method and
philosophical research.
Sometimes a distinction is made between "fixed" and "flexible" designs. In some cases these
types coincide with quantitative and qualitative research designs respectively, though this
need not be the case. In fixed designs, the design of the study is fixed before the main stage
of data collection takes place. Fixed designs are normally theory driven; otherwise it is
impossible to know in advance which variables need to be controlled and measured. Often,
these variables are measured quantitatively. Flexible designs allow for more freedom during
the data collection process. One reason for using a flexible research design can be that the
variable of interest is not quantitatively measurable, such as culture. In other cases, theory
might not be available before one starts the research.
Research in whatever field of inquiry has four purposes, i.e. describing, explaining and
predicting phenomena and ultimately controlling events:
Describing and explaining: This is the attempt to understand the world we live in. Research
is concerned with acquiring knowledge, establishing facts and developing new methods. The
way this understanding is shown is through the theories developed and their efficacy at
explaining the world in which we live.
Prediction: In research, predictions are usually stated as hypotheses, i.e. clear unambiguous
statements which can be subjected to scientific verification or refutation. When the
hypotheses are accepted or rejected, we are able to make generalizations or theories
concerning various situations. We are able to say that given these conditions then this is
likely to happen.
Control: This follows from our knowledge and the successful verification of hypotheses.
Control represents the way in which research can be applied to real problems and situations,
thus helping us to shape our environment. When we understand the relationship between
variables we are able to control our environment to suit our interests.
Historical Perspectives: Man is the unique product of his creation and evolution. In contrast
to other forms of animal life, his more highly developed nervous system has enabled him to
develop sounds and symbols that make possible the communication and recording of
questions, observations, experiences and ideas. Man’s greater curiosity has led him to
speculate about the operation of the universe and other forces beyond his control. Over the
years he begun to develop what seemed to be plausible explanations.

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b) In the entire research process, data collection is the key activity which enables to archive
the set research objectives. Critically discuss and evaluate the above statement with suitable
illustration.
Ans.: Research in simple terms, refers to a search for knowledge. It is also known as a
scientific and systematic search for information on particular topic or issue. It is also known
as the art of scientific investigation. Several social scientists have defined research in
different ways.
In the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, D. Slesinger and M. Stephension (1930) defined
research as "the manipulation of things, concept or symbols for the purpose of generalizing
to extend, correct or verify knowledge, whether that knowledge aids in construction of
theory or in practice of an art".
According to Redman and Mory (1923), defined research is a "systematized effort to gain
new knowledge". It is an academic activity and therefore the term should be used in a
technical sense. According to Clifford Woody (Kothari 1988) research comprises "defining
and redefining problems, formulating hypothesis or suggested solutions; collecting,
organizing and evaluating data; making deductions and reaching conclusions; and finally,
carefully testing the conclusions to determine whether they fit the formulating hypothesis".
Thus, research is an original addition to the available knowledge, which contributes to its
further advancement. It is an attempt to pursue truth through the methods of study,
observation, comparison and experiment. In sum, research is the search for knowledge, using
objective and systematic methods to find solution to a problem.
The objective of research is to discover answers to questions by applying scientific
procedures. In the other words, the main aim of research is to find out truth which is hidden
and has not yet been discovered. Although every research study has its own specific
objectives, research objectives may be broadly grouped as follows:-
1. to gain familiarity with or new insights into a phenomenon (i.e., formulative research
studies);
2. to accurately portray the characteristics of a particular individual, group, or a situation
(i.e., descriptive research studies);
3. to analyse the frequency with which something occurs (i.e., diagnostic research
studies); and
4. to examine a hypothesis of a causal relationship between two variables (i.e.,
hypothesis-testing research studies).
Research methods include all those techniques/methods that are adopted for conducting
research. Thus, research techniques or methods are the methods the researchers adopt for
conducting the research operations.
There are two main approaches to research, namely quantitative approach and qualitative
approach. The quantitative approach involves the collection of quantitative data, which are
put to rigorous quantitative analysis in a formal and rigid manner. This approach further
includes experimental, inferential, and simulation approaches to research. Meanwhile, the
qualitative approach uses the method of subjective assessment of opinions, behaviour and

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attitudes. Research in such a situation is a function of the researcher's impressions and
insights. The results generated by this type of research is either in non-quantitative form or
in the form which can not be put to rigorous quantitative analysis. Usually, this approach
uses techniques like depth interviews, focus group interviews, and projective techniques.
A research related to some abstract idea or theory is known as conceptual research.
Generally, philosophers and thinkers use it for developing new concepts or for reinterpreting
the existing ones. Empirical research, on the other hand, exclusively relies on observation or
experience with hardly any regard for theory and system. Such research is data based. They
often come up with conclusions that can be verified through experiment or observation. They
are also known as experimental type of research. Under such research, it is important to first
collect facts, their source and actively do certain things to stimulate the production of desired
information. In such a research, the researcher must first identify a working hypothesis or
make a guess of the probable results. Next, he/she gathers sufficient facts to prove or
disprove the stated hypothesis. Then he/she formulates experimental designs, which
according to him/her would manipulate the individuals or the materials concerned, so as to
obtain the desired information. This type of research is thus characterized by the researcher's
control over the variables used to study their effects. Empirical research is most appropriate
when an attempt is made to prove that certain variables influence the other variables in some
way. Therefore, the results obtained using the experimental or empirical studies are
considered as one of the most powerful evidences for a given hypothesis. Other types of
research: The remaining types of research are variations of one or more of the afore-
mentioned methods. They vary in terms of the purpose of research, or the time required to
complete it, or based on some other similar factor. On the basis of time, research may either
be in the nature of one- time or longitudinal research. While the research is restricted to a
single time- period in the former case, it is conducted over several time-periods in the latter
case. Depending upon the environment in which the research is to be conducted, it may also
be laboratory research or field-setting research, or simulation research, besides being
diagnostic or clinical in nature. Under such research, in-depth approaches or case-study
methods may be employed to analyse the basic causal relations. These studies usually
conduct a detailed in- depth analysis of the causes of things or events of interest, and use very
small samples and a sharp data collecting method. The research may also be explanatory in
nature. Formalized research studies consist of substantial structure and specific hypotheses to
be verified. As regards historical research, sources like historical documents, remains, etc.,
are utilized to study past events or ideas.
It also includes philosophy of persons and groups of the past or any remote point of time.
Research is also categorized as decision-oriented and conclusion-oriented. In the case of
decision-oriented research, it is always carried out for the need of a decision maker and
hence, the researcher has no freedom to conduct the research as per his/her own desires.
Whereas, under conclusion-oriented research, the researcher is free to choose the problem,
redesign the enquiry as it progresses and even change conceptualization as he/she wishes to.
Further, operations research is a kind of decision- oriented research, because it is a scientific
method which provides the executive departments a quantitative basis for decision-making
with respect to the activities under their purview.

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3. a) Discuss the various sources of collecting primary data and secondary data for a
marketing research project.
Ans.: Market research can be classified as either primary or secondary research. The
difference is quite simple, yet there is often confusion around this topic.
In a nutshell, primary research is original research conducted by you (or someone you hire) to
collect data specifically for your current objective. You might conduct a survey, run an
interview or a focus group, observe behavior, or do an experiment. You are going to be the
person who obtains this raw data directly and it will be collected specifically for your current
research need. Conversely, secondary research involves searching for existing data that was
originally collected by someone else. You might look in journals, libraries, or go to online
sources like the US census. You will apply what you find to your personal research problem,
but the data you are finding was not originally collected by you, nor was it obtained for the
purpose you are using it for. I hope that makes sense. If not, read on for some examples and
a little more detail.
Primary Market Research: Primary research is research that is conducted by you, or
someone you pay to do original research on your behalf. In the case of primary research, you
are generating your own data from scratch as opposed to finding other people’s data. You
might choose to gather this data by running a survey, interviewing people, observing
behavior, or by using some other market research method. Here’s a quick example that
explains primary vs. secondary market research.
Secondary Market Research: Sometimes called “desk research” (because it can be done
from behind a desk), this technique involves research and analysis of existing research and
data; hence the name, “secondary research.” Conducting secondary research may not be so
glamorous, but it often makes a lot of sense of start here. Why? Well, for one thing,
secondary research is often free. Second, data is increasingly available thanks to the Internet;
the US Census and the CDC (health data), for example, are two great sources of data that has
already been collected by someone else. Your job as a secondary researcher is to seek out
these sources, organize and apply the data to your specific project, and then
summarize/visualize it in a way that makes sense to you and your audience. So, that’s what
secondary market research is all about. The downside, of course, is that you may not be able
to find secondary market research information specific enough (or recent enough) for your
objectives. If that’s the case, you’ll need to conduct your own primary research (hey, what a
perfect segway!).
Sources of Secondary Data: Secondary data comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There
are plenty of raw data sources like the US Census, Data.gov, the stock market, and countless
others. Internal company data like customer details, sales figures, employee timecards, etc.
can also be considered secondary data. Published articles, including peer-reviewed journals,
newspapers, magazines, and even blog postings like this count as secondary data sources.
Don’t forget legal documents like patents and company annual filings. Social media data is a
new source of secondary data. For example, the New York Times collected Twitter traffic
during the 2009 Super Bowl and produced this stunning visualization of comments
throughout the game. Secondary data is all around us and is more accessible than even. It is

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increasingly possible to obtain behavioral data from secondary sources, which can be more
powerful and reliable than self-reported data (via surveys and focus groups).
b) What is sampling? Discuss the major sampling techniques available to the researcher for
undertaking a research project. Comment on their limitation.
Ans.: Sampling is a process used in statistical analysis in which a predetermined number of
observations are taken from a larger population. The methodology used to sample from a
larger population depends on the type of analysis being performed, but may include simple
random sampling or systematic sampling. Sampling is the process of selecting units (e.g.,
people, organizations) from a population of interest so that by studying the sample we may
fairly generalize our results back to the population from which they were chosen. Let's begin
by covering some of the key terms in sampling like "population" and "sampling frame."
Then, because some types of sampling rely upon quantitative models, we'll talk about some
of the statistical terms used in sampling. Finally, we'll discuss the major distinction between
probability and Nonprobability sampling methods and work through the major types in each.
Examples of Sample Tests for Marketing: Every business attempts to sell a product or
service to a market niche. A company samples individuals in a particular market niche to find
out what they need and what problems they want to solve. The results of the sample help the
business serve the needs of people in the market niche.
Two major principles underlie all sample design: the desire to avoid bias in the selection
procedure and to achieve the maximum precision for a given outlay of resources. Sampling
bias arises when selection is consciously or unconsciously influenced by human choice, the
sampling frame inadequately covers the target population or some sections of the population
cannot be found or refuse to co-operate.
Random, or probability sampling, gives each member of the target population a known and
equal probability of selection. Systematic sampling is a modification of random sampling. To
arrive at a systematic sample we simply calculate the desired sampling fraction and take
every nth case.
Stratification increases precision without increasing sample size. There is no departure from
the principles of randomness. It merely denotes that before any selection takes place, the
population is divided into a number of strata, then a random sample is taken within each
stratum. It is only possible to stratify if the distribution of the population with respect to a
particular factor is known, and if it is also known to which stratum each member of the
population belongs. Random stratified sampling is more precise and more convenient than
simple random sampling. Stratification has the effect of removing differences between
stratum means from the sampling error. The best basis would be the frequency distribution of
the principal variable being studied. Some practical problems limit the desirability of a large
number of strata: (1) past a certain point, the "residual" variation will dominate, and little
improvement will be effected by creating more strata (2) a point may be reached where
creation of additional strata is economically unproductive. Sample sizes within strata are
determined either on a proportional allocation or optimum allocation basis.

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Quota sampling is a method of stratified sampling in which the selection within strata is non-
random. Therefore, it is not possible to estimate sampling errors. Some argue that sampling
errors are so small compared with all the other errors and biases that not being able to
estimate standard errors is no great disadvantage. The interviewer may fail to secure a
representative sample of respondents in quota sampling, e.g. are those in the over 65 age
group spread over all the age range or clustered around 65 and 66? Social class controls leave
a lot to the interviewer's judgments. Strict control of fieldwork is more difficult, i.e. did
interviewers place respondents in groups where cases are needed rather than in those to which
they belong.
A quota interview on average costs only half or a third as much as a random interview, the
labour of random selection is avoided, and so are the headaches off non-contact and call-
backs, and if fieldwork has to be quick, perhaps to reduce memory errors, quota sampling
may be the only possibility. Quota sampling is independent of the existence of sampling
frames.
The process of sampling complete groups or units is called cluster sampling. Where there is
sub-sampling within the clusters chosen at the first stage, the term multistage sampling
applies. The population is regarded as being composed of a number of first stage or primary
sampling units (PSU's) each of them being made up of a number of second stage units in each
selected PSU and so the procedure continues down to the final sampling unit, with the
sampling ideally being random at each stage. Using cluster samples ensures fieldwork is
materially simplified and made cheaper. That is, cluster sampling tends to offer greater
reliability for a given cost rather than greater reliability for a given sample size. With respect
to statistical efficiency, larger numbers of small clusters is better - all other things being equal
- than a small number of large clusters.
4. a) Design and construct a suitable questionnaire for the following:
i) Primary survey to be conducted to study the customer satisfaction among motorcycle
owner.
ii) Television viewing habits among senior citizens (retired and elderly)
iii) Commuters perception and amenities offered by state road transport organizations.
Ans.: The design of a questionnaire will depend on whether the researcher wishes to collect
exploratory information (i.e. qualitative information for the purposes of better understanding
or the generation of hypotheses on a subject) or quantitative information (to test specific
hypotheses that have previously been generated).
India is one of the largest manufacturers and producers of two-wheelers in the world. India
stands next to Japan and China in terms of the number of two-wheelers produced and
domestic sales respectively. This difference was achieved due to many reasons like restrictive
policy followed by the Government of India towards the passenger car industry, growing
demand for personal transport, ineffectiveness in the public transportation system etc. The
Indian two-wheeler industry made a minute establishment in the early 50s when Automobile
Products of India (API) started manufacturing scooters in the country. In the last few years,
the Indian two wheelers industry has been spectacular growth the country stands next to china

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and Japan in terms of production and sales respectively. Majority of Indians especially the
youngster prefer motorbikes rather than cars. Capturing a large share in the two wheelers
industry, bikes and scooters cover major segment. Bikes are large variety of two wheelers
that are available in the market, known for the most recent technology and improved mileage
Indian bikes, mopeds stand for style and class for everyone in India.
When it comes to marketing, seniors are a tough crowd. Puffery is wasted on them. They've
seen it all when it comes to advertising. Today's octogenarian grew up listening to radio
jingles and watching six decades of commercial television. As we mature, we become much
more savvy consumers and are more likely to ask ourselves "do I really need this?" than, say,
a 14-year-old. It also goes without saying but is especially true for older adults: Avoid
stereotyping in your promotional efforts, and make sure your sales force is not condescending
or impatient. Research shows us that TV viewing does increase after age 55 - although all
media usage, including television, decreases among the oldest members of society, those over
age 84. It seems that for the younger old, at least, TV is an important window to the world
and a basis for shared experience for seniors.
Public transport systems are known to be sustainable modes in terms of space and energy
efficiency, and environmental and social benefits. A good networked public transportation
system with time-bound schedules, reliable services, comfort, competitive travel times and
affordable prices, are some of the required traits for providing sustainable transport services
and commuter satisfaction. The objective of the proposed study is to measure gap between
commuters’ expectations of urban bus transport services and the actual service quality
provided. The SERVQUAL framework, which is a multi-item instrument used for measuring
service quality, is used to measure gap between commuters’ expectations of urban bus
transport services and the actual service quality provided. Bangalore Metropolitan Transport
Corporation (BMTC), which is among the few profit-making urban public bus transport
organization in India, is taken as the case study for understanding the said gap. While the
services of BMTC are very competitive among any other urban public bus transport
organization in the country, they are still to reach the desired level of passenger mode share
that will enable them to provide sustainable mobility solution to the commuters in Bangalore.
The statistical analysis of the results shows that the expectations are higher than perception,
particularly with respect to empathy dimension. The results of this study may help
organizations like BMTC to bridge the gap between commuters’ expectations and actual
service quality and to work towards developing sustainable services.
b) Distinguish qualitative research and quantitative research with suitable illustrations.
Ans.: Many times those that undertake a research project often find they are not aware of the
differences between Qualitative Research and Quantitative Research methods. Many
mistakenly think the two terms can be used interchangeably.
Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of
underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem or helps
to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Qualitative Research is
also used to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive deeper into the problem.
Qualitative data collection methods vary using unstructured or semi-structured techniques.

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Some common methods include focus groups (group discussions), individual interviews, and
participation/observations. The sample size is typically small, and respondents are selected to
fulfill a given quota.
Quantitative Research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or
data that can be transformed into useable statistics. It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions,
behaviors, and other defined variables – and generalize results from a larger sample
population. Quantitative Research uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover
patterns in research. Quantitative data collection methods are much more structured than
Qualitative data collection methods. Quantitative data collection methods include various
forms of surveys – online surveys, paper surveys, mobile surveys and kiosk surveys, face-to-
face interviews, telephone interviews, longitudinal studies, website interceptors, online polls,
and systematic observations.
Qualitative research typically is exploratory and/or investigative in nature. Its findings are
often not conclusive and cannot automatically be used to make generalizations. However, it is
indispensable in developing a deep understanding of a given thematic complex and sound
rationale for further decision making. Quantitative research is essential for providing a broad
base of insight on which typically a final course of action is recommended.
Sample selection in qualitative research is usually based on a smaller number of not-
necessarily representative cases. Respondents are frequently selected with the expectation
that they fulfill certain criteria. In quantitative research, sample selection seeks out a large
number of cases that are expected to best represent the population of interest. Individual
respondents are selected at random.

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