This chapter represents the methodology that the process is used to collect the primary data for

the purpose of this research. The structure of the methodology chapter is given in figure 3.1. This
methodology chapter focuses the followings:

 Research aims and objectives;

 Research design that consists of exploratory research; descriptive research and
explanatory research;
 Data collection procedure is divided into primary and secondary data. Primary data is
collected by using qualitative and also quantitative method, it also represents the rationale
for choosing qualitative and quantitative method;
 Survey design includes the interview design and questionnaire design;
 Sampling procedure comprises of several steps e.g. define the population of interest,
determine whether to sample, select the sampling frame, choose a sampling method,
determine sample size and implement the sampling procedure.
 Data analysis represents the qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
 Limitation of the research focuses the problem that the researcher faced during the
primary data collection.

Figure 3.1: Structure of the methodology chapter:

1) To review literature about strategy, marketing, branding and

how sales promotion strategy can be effective regarding
increasing sales.
2) To identify the main objectives of the sales promotion strategy
set by KFC.
3) To identify the main reasons for the growth of sales promotion
Research aims and
objectives:

Research design: (a) Exploratory research

(b) Descriptive research
(c) Explanatory research

(a) Secondary data:

Internal Sources
Data collection External Sources
(b) Primary data:
Qualitative Research
Quantitative research

Survey design Questionnaire design: Quantitative for customer and staff.

Interview design: Qualitative for restaurant general manager.

Step 1: Define the population of interest

Step 2: Determine whether to sample

Sampling
Step 3: Select the sampling frame

Step 4: Choose a sampling method

Step 5: Determine sample size

Step 6: Implement the sampling procedure

Data analysis Qualitative data analysis and quantitative data analysis

Limitation of the
The problems that are faced during primary data collection.
research
3.2 Research aims and objectives:

The aim of this dessertation is to provide the answer of “How can a sales promotion strategy
increase sales”? In this perspective the following objectives have been set:

1) To review literature about strategy, marketing, branding and how sales promotion
strategy can be effective regarding increasing sales.
2) To identify the main objectives of the sales promotion strategy set by KFC.
3) To identify the main reasons for the growth of sales promotion strategy of KFC.
4) To investigate the effectiveness of sales promotion strategy of KFC.
5) To investigate the ineffectiveness of sales promotion of KFC.
6) To investigate the measurement of the effectiveness of sales promotion strategy used by
KFC.
7) To provide recommendations to KFC in order to improve the effectiveness of the sales
promotion strategy that is used by this fast food company to increase sales.

3.3 Research design:

In creation of the research design the researchers must need to think about the purpose of the
research (Wilson, 2003). Also to assume the research questions, it is certainly needed to think
about the purpose of the research. The type of research purpose mostly used in the literature of
research methods is the threefold one of the exploratory, descriptive and explanatory (Saunders
et al., 2007).

An exploratory study is an important means of finding out about what is happening, about
seeking new insights, asking questions and assessing phenomena in a new light (Robson, 2002).
It is also valuable in clarifying understanding of a problem. There are three main traditions of
conducting exploratory research: (a) searching of literature, (b) conducting expert in the subject
interview and (c) interviewing focus group (Saunders et al. 2007). Exploratory research will be
useful when it is required to obtain an initial understanding of customer attitudes, emotions,
preferences and behaviours. Exploratory research is also beneficial to establish priorities among
research questions and to learn about the realistic problems of carrying out further research
(Wilson, 2003).

The descriptive research aims to represent a precise profile of persons, events or situations.
(Robson, 2002). This research might be an extension of, or an indication to, a piece of
exploratory or explanatory research. It is useful to obtain a clear picture of the phenomena on
which it is necessary to collect data prior to collection of the data (Saunders et al. 2007).
Actually descriptive research signifies that what is happening in the market. Descriptive
information is gathered through descriptive research. Examples of descriptive information are:
(a) the proportion of the population, (b) the customers’ approach towards an organisation’s
products, (c) the level of responsiveness of a particular advertising promotion, (d) the extent to
which the satisfaction of customers with the delivered service, etc. (Wilson, 2003).

Explanatory research represents the study that establishes a situation or problem in order to
explain the casual relationships between variables (Saunders et al. 2007).For example, (a)
relationship between income and expenditure, (b) relationship between awareness of advertising
and purchasing behaviour etc. (Wilson, 2003).

3.4 Data collection:

In answering the research question and also meeting the research objectives it is essential to
consider initially the possibility of reanalysing data that have already been gathered for some
other purposes and also thinking of gathering new data specifically for that purpose (Saunders et
al. 2007). There are two types of data need to be collected e.g. secondary data and primary data.

3.4.1 Secondary data:

The data that is previously generated for some reasons other than the recently research project is
called secondary data (Wilson, 2003). Secondary data are collected by two basic sources:

Internal Sources: The data which are produced by the organization itself is called internal
source, for example, accounting records, sales-force reports, reports from previous marketing
research studies, information from customer loyalty cards, information in the internal marketing
information system, customer complaints records and etc. (Lancaster, 2002, Wilson, 2003).
External Sources: The data which are produced by sources outside the organization is called
external sources, for example, Government reports, newspapers, periodicals, the internet and the
published research reports (Lancaster, 2002, Wilson, 2003).

Secondary data can be gathered at a tiny proportion of the cost and time involved in primary data
collection, for this reason many studies use secondary data. It is most usually collected prior to
the primary research as:

(a) it may facilitate to simplify or redefine the research requirements as part of a series of a
exploratory research. Information about customer behaviours may be collected from the
internal data held on held on customers and therefore internal data can explain which
customers or which behaviours should be more researched;
(b) without the necessity for further primary research secondary data can actually satisfy the
research needs. Within or outside the organization, somebody may have previously
addressed indistinguishable or very related research questions;
(c) about the potential problems and difficulties the researcher can be alerted by the
secondary data. From the previous research studies secondary data may identify
complications in accessing respondents (Wilson, 2003);
(d) a source of data is usually provided by the secondary data that is both permanent and
available in a form that may be checked relatively easily by others (Denscombe, 2007)

There are some number of disadvantages regarding to the accuracy of the data and also
application to the research project (Wilson, 2003). These are as follows:

(a) secondary data may be provided for a purpose that does not match the need;
(b) right to use may be difficult or costly;
(c) aggregation and explanation may be inappropriate;
(d) no actual control over the data superiority;
(e) preliminary purpose may affect the data presentation (Saunders et al. 2007).

In this research, secondary resouces are taken from relevant books, journals and also from
internet.

3.4.2 Primary data:

The data which is collected by a programme of observation, qualitative or quantitative research,
either separately or in combination is called primary data (Wilson, 2003). These are described
below:

3.4.2.1 Qualitative Research:

Qualitative research represents an unstructured research approach with a limited number of

cautiously selected individuals to generate non-quantifiable insights into behaviour, motivations
and attitudes (Wilson, 2003). Qualitative research is open-ended, in-depth and unstructured
responses that are signs of the person’s opinion and view on the subject. It interprets about the
people in the sample are like, their outlooks, their thoughts, the dynamics interaction of their
feelings and facts, their attitudes and opinions, and their follow-on actions. (Ghauri & Cateora,
2005).

Advantages of qualitative research:

(a) Qualitative research provides the prospect of flexibility (Bryman and Bell, 2007).
(b) Great care is engaged in the selection of the respondents due to the time and efforts.
(c) The researcher gets deeper and more penetrating insights into topic.
(d) This research is concerned with the more understanding things (Wilson, 2003).

Disadvantages of qualitative research:

(a) Qualitative research is too impressionistic and subjective.

(b) This research is too difficult to replicate.
(c) The scope of the findings of this research is restricted.
(d) It represents small number of individuals who are not automatically representative of
huge population.
(e) There is a lack of transparency (Bryman and Bell, 2007). Bryman and Burgess, 1994
stated that the qualitative data analysis procedure is normally unclear.

Rationale for choosing qualitative method:

Qualitative approach is selected because it is more flexible to facilitate respondents to make
known and express their own views or to examine their activities. This approach is looking for
summarizing the behaviour, experiences and feelings of the respondents in their own word and
circumstance. It is dependent on the set of facts and related methods from the broad area of depth
psychology. So, this method may be deeper and penetrates the superficial when the respondent
presents their expressions (Malhotra and Birks, 2006).

Qualitative research interview has been selected to take an interview with the restaurant general
manager (RGM) in this research because the respondent can express his feelings, beliefs,
attitudes, idea, motivations on the selected topic in his own views. In structured interview, it is
not possible to get answer from the respondent’s own vision.

3.4.2.2 Quantitative research:

Quantitative research represents a structured research approach with a sample of the population
to generate quantifiable insights into behaviour, motivations and attitudes (Wilson, 2003).
Quantitative research is mostly used as a synonym for any method of data collection (e.g.
questionnaire), or the process of data analysis (e.g. graphs or statistics) that generates or uses
numerical data. (Saunders et al. 2007).

Advantages of quantitative research:

(a) Quantitative research can be replicated more easily and also direct comparison can be
prepared among the results.
(b) It represents a large number of individuals (Wilson, 2003).
(c) This research is usually highly structured, that’s why investigator can easily examine the
precise concepts and issues of the study (Bryman and Bell, 2007).

Disadvantages of quantitative data:

(a) Data collection process is normally less flexible (Wilson, 2003).

(b) The measurement procedure is not real and involves spurious sense of exactness and
accuracy.
(c) The analysis of relationship among variables provides a static view of social life which is
not dependent of people’s lives.
 (d) The research is more dependent on instruments and measurements hinder the correlation
between research and everyday life (Bryman and Bell, 2007).

Rationale for choosing quantitative method:

Quantitative approach is selected because structured questionnaire refers to the level of

standardization and a comparison can be made among the results. A variety of questions
regarding activity, intentions, attitudes, perceptions, awareness, and motivations, social and
demographic characteristics can be asked to the respondents. In this method, questionnaire is
comparatively simple, data collection is consistent due to the answers are limited to the
alternatives stated. There is variability in the results in unstructured questions, but the use of
fixed-response questions lessens the variability in the end result (Malhotra and Birks, 2006).

Quantitative research approach is selected for customers and also for staff in this research
because sometimes customers and staff are unwilling to response the question in depth; some
customers and staff are quite, they prefer to response by multiple choices than speaking and they
expect structure questions so that they have alternative choices to response easily. More
responses can be achieved by quantitative method.

Distinctions between quantitative and qualitative research:

Several writers have explored the differences between qualitative and quantitative research.
Table 3.2 represents the distinction between qualitative and quantitative research.

Table 3.2 Differences between quantitative and qualitative research:

Qualitative Research Quantitative Research

Depends on meanings expressed through Depends on meanings derived from numbers.
words.
Collected works results in non-standardised Collected works results in numerical and
data requiring classification into categories. standardised data.

Analysis is conducted by the use of Analysis is conducted by the use of diagrams

conceptualisation. and statistics.
Source: Adapted from Dey (1993); Healy and Rawlinson (1994); Saunders et al. 2007.

3.5 Survey design:

Survey is the most ordinary method for primary data collection and represents the administration
of questionnaires. When survey needs to be planned, there are four major issues need to be
considered e.g. selection of communication method, maximizing response to a survey,
questionnaire design and phrasing of questions (Lancaster, 2002).

3.5.1 Questionnaire design:

A questionnaire is normally useful to collect data on the behaviour (e.g. past, present or
intended), demographic information (e.g. age, gender, occupation, income), level of knowledge,
perceptions, attitudes and opinions of the respondents (Lancaster, 2002). A questionnaire has
three main objectives e.g. (a) it should interpret the information required into a set of precise
questions, so that respondents can and will answer; (b) it should prompt respondents to complete
the interview and (c) response error should be minimizes (Malhotra, 2004). In this research
quantitative method has selected for customers and also for staffs. In appendix-1 questionnaire
for customers is divided into two sections:

Section A: Socio and demographic information.

Section B: Customers’ perceptions on fast food and sales promotion strategy.

Section A, socio and demographic information represents the gender, age, education level,
occupation, income, marital status and nationality of the customers. Section B, customers’
perceptions on fast food represents how customers feel about KFC food and what is their
impression about sales promotion of KFC.

In appendix-2 questionnaire for staff is also divided into two sections:

Section A: Socio and demographic information.

Section B: Staff’s opinion about KFC and sales promotion strategy.

Section A, socio and demographic information represents the gender, age, education level,
marital status and nationality of the staff. Section B represents staff’s opinion about KFC and
how does sales promotion work, how much they get responses from customers on sales
promotion deal and etc.

3.5.2 Interview design:

A purposeful conversation among two or more people is an interview (Khan and Cannell, 1957).
An interview is used to help for collecting valid and reliable data that should be consistent with
the research questions, objectives, purpose and strategy (Saunders et al. 2007).

There are several types of interview. In qualitative research interview, the answer is much more
detailed and rich, and questions can be varying according to interviewees, replies and the
wording of question and interviewing is much more flexible (Bryman and Bell, 2007). For this
reason, qualitative research interview has been selected in this research to take an interview with
the restaurant general manager (RGM). A relationship between interview questions and research
questions is given in figure 3.2.

Figure 3.3 Relationship between interview questions and research questions.

Interview Questions Research questions

1) What are the main objectives of sales promotion strategy
of KFC?
2) What are the main reasons for the growth of sales
promotion strategy of KFC?
3) What is the ineffectiveness of sales promotion of KFC?
4) How can strategic effect of sales promotion of KFC be
achieved?
5) How can you make sales promotion of KFC more
profitable?
6) How can you measure the effectiveness of sales
promotion strategy of KFC (e.g. research, sales
promotion audit etc.)?
1) How can strategy be defined and what are
the generic approaches to strategy?
2) What are the strategic roles of branding in
the fast food restaurants market?
3) How can marketing communications play a
vital role in the development of brand?
4) What are the effective and ineffective sales
promotion strategies?
5) How can KFC make sales promotion
strategy effectively to increase sales?

Source: Created by the researcher.

3.6 Sampling:
Sampling is an essential and inevitable part of human affairs. It is sometimes probable and
realistic to take a survey; with the purpose of learning each member of the population of
attention. (Lancaster, 2002). In developing a sampling plan the procedure can be summarised
into six steps in figure 3.4.

Step 1: Define the population of interest

Step 2: Determine whether to sample

Step 3: Select the sampling frame

Step 4: Choose a sampling method

Step 5: Determine sample size

Step 6: Implement the sampling procedure

Figure 3.4: The sampling process. Source: Adapted from Wilson, 2003.

Step 1: Define the population of interest:

The population of interest represents the target population or the total group of people that are
examined by the researcher to study and obtain information. Precise explanation of the
population of interest is the basic step in the sampling process (Wilson, 2003). In this research,
the main sample will be staffs, restaurant general manager of KFC, Marble Arch and customers.

Step 2: Determine whether to sample:

A sample occurs when data is collected from each member of the population of interest. For
interviewing every single person, cost, time and effort are necessary (Wilson, 2003).

Step 3: Select the sampling frame:

The sampling frame is a full list of the population of interest from which the individuals are
selected by the researcher for addition in the research (Wilson, 2003). According to Edwards et
al. (2007), it is need to be careful of the possible problems of using existing database. The
sampling frame should be complete, accurate, and up to date as possible. If the list is incomplete
or inaccurate, it is not possible for each case in the individual to have a chance to select. So,
sampling frame is very important (Bryman and Bell, 2007).

Step 4: Choose a sampling method:

Sampling method can be categorised into probability and non-probability sampling.

Probability sampling:

Probability sampling method represents a sample that uses an objective procedure of selection or
a sample that is selected by using random selection, resulting in each member of the population
having an acknowledged possibility of being selected. Probability sampling aims for keeping
sampling error to a minimum (Wilson, 2003; Bryman and Bell, 2007).

Advantages of probability sampling:

(a) The data is more definitive than indicative. The results of the survey are projectable to the
total population (adding or deducting sampling error).
(b) The sampling error may be computed.
(c) The researcher may be confirmed about collecting data from a relatively representative
group of the population of interest (Wilson, 2003).

Disadvantages of probability sampling:

(a) The costs, time and effort of the researcher have increased because of the rules for the
respondent selection and the sample design (Wilson, 2003).

Non-probability sampling:

Non-probability sampling method represents a sample that uses a subjective procedure of

selection or a sample that is mot selected by using random selection so that every number of the
population of interest being unknown (Wilson, 2003; Bryman and Bell, 2007).

Advantages of non-probability sampling:

(a) The cost is some less than probability sampling.

 (b) The flexible procedures are required in the selection of the respondents.
(c) Sample sizes are expected to be smaller.
(d) The most important respondents can be targeted by the researcher (Wilson, 2003).

Disadvantages of non-probability sampling:

(a) The data is more indicative than definitive.

(b) Sampling error may not be computed.
(c) The researcher is not confirmed about the degree to which the sample is representative of
the population from which it is drawn.
(d) It is necessary to make certain assumptions by the researcher about the groupings within
the population of interest (Wilson, 2003).

Step 5: Determine sample size:

Sample size consists of a number of elements to be integrated in the research. The decision about
the sample size is complex and comprises of several qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Sample size is dependent on the nature of research methods. For qualitative research method, the
sample size is frequently small and for quantitative research method, the sample size is normally
large (Malhotra, 2004). On the basis of this above statement, in this research purpose, only RGM
(Restaurant General Manager) is selected for qualitative research and 20 staffs and 40 customers
(total 60 respondents) are selected for quantitative research. Among 40 customers 20 are inside
the KFC and 20 are outside the KFC, because customers inside the KFC may have positive
perceptions, but in the outside of the KFC, not all customers have positive approaches.

Step 6: Implement the sampling procedure:

After determining sample size and selecting sampling procedure the researcher must select the
members of the sample and begin the survey. A sample is required to make intrusion about the
population of interest rather than reporting on the description of the sample (Wilson, 2003). In
this research, sample is selected on the basis of the interest of the respondents.

3.7 Data analysis:

The procedure of qualitative analysis normally occupies the enlargement of data categories,
distributing units of original data to suitable categories, identifying relationships within and
between categories of data, and developing and testing hypotheses to produce well-grounded
summary (Saunders et al., 2003). In analysing quantitative data, there are three main steps are
needed to be considered: Step 1: Coding; Step 2: Data entry and Step-3: Tabulation and
statistical analysis (Wilson, 2003).

The qualitative data is analysed on the basis of the relationship between literature and findings.
The quantitative data is analysed via computerized tool e.g. Microsoft excel and also represented
by using table and diagram.

3.8 Limitations of the research:

The main limitation of this research is time and effort. Due to triangle sampling process it has
taken long time to contact with restaurant general manager, staff and customers. RGM was in
holiday, that’s why researcher had to wait for interview and staff does not want to speak before
finishing their jobs because of not getting permission from shift manager. So, more time and
efforts were required to collect primary data.

3.9 Summary:

This chapter started by research aims and objectives and research design. For the purpose of the
research design, mainly exploratory study has selected and also some descriptive and
explanatory researches are chosen. This chapter also represents the data collection procedure
including primary and secondary data. In this research, qualitative research method has selected
for the restaurant general manager (RGM) and quantitative method has selected for staff and
customers for the purpose of primary data collection. Survey design is presented in this chapter
that consists of questionnaire design and interview design. After that this chapter focuses the
sampling process and sampling is selected on triangle basis e.g. RGM, staff and customers.
Finally, this chapter represents data analysis procedure and limitations of the research.