Mahindra Project Report

Roll NO.
-14003
For
MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA
SUBMITTED BY:
ARSHDEEP KAUR
SUBMITTED TO:
THE DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
FACULTY OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
DELHI-110007
AS
PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT
OF THE DEGREE OF
Master of Science in
Applied Operational Research
University of Delhi, South Campus
New Delhi – 110021
SESSION 2011-2012
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DEPARTMENT OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
FACULTY OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF DELHI
DELHI-110007
Name of the Student : ARSHDEEP KAUR
Date of Commencement of the Project : 15 th March 2012
Date of Submission of the Project : 30 th April 2012
Title of the Project : CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR
Name of the Organization : MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA
Project Mentor (Organization) : Mr. R.K CHAUHAN
Supervisors from the teaching faculty : Dr. (Mrs.) Preeti Wanti Srivastava
Dr. Chandra K. Jaggi
Dr. P.C. Jha
Dr. Pankaj Gupta
Dr. K.K Aggarwal
Dr. Ompal Singh
Dr. (Mrs.) Anu Gupta Aggarwal
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CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Project Report titled “ANALYSING THE

CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOR FOR MAHINDRA SUV’S”
is my original work carried out at “MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA”
in the year 2012 and this has not been submitted to any other
University or Institution for the award of any Degree or Diploma.
ARSHDEEP KAUR
M.Sc. Applied Operational Research
Department Of Operational Research
Faculty of Mathematical Sciences
University of Delhi, south campus
Delhi-110021
Prof. Preeti Wanti Srivastava

Head,
Department Of Operational Research
Faculty of Mathematical Sciences
University of Delhi
Delhi-110007
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Acknowledgement
First and foremost, I would like to express my Sincere thanks to Mr. R.K Chauhan,
HR, MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA his guidance and support throughout the course
of the project.
I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. (Mrs.) Preeti Wanti

Srivastava, Head, Department Of Operational research, university of Delhi, Delhi-
1100007 for providing me an opportunity to undertake this project. This project
would not have been possible without the able guidance of the faculty members of
my department. I owe a sense of gratitude to Dr. Chandra K. Jaggi, Dr. P.C. Jha,
Dr. Pankaj Gupta, Dr. K. K. Aggarwal, Dr. OmPal Singh, and Dr. (Mrs.) Anu
Gupta Aggarwal for their encouragement and guidance to complete this project.
Finally I would like to thank my parents and my colleagues for their all time
support and encouragement.
(Arshdeep Kaur)
Master of Science (Semester- IV)
Applied Operational Research
Department of Applied Operational Research
University of Delhi South Campus
New Delhi- 110021
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INDEX
1. Operational Research
1.1. Introduction
1.2. Definition
1.3. Methods
1.4. Application
2. Company Profile
3. Marketing
3.1. Nature
3.2. Decision making
3.3. Marketing strategy
3.4. Facts of marketing
4. Consumer awareness
4.1. Consumer behavior
4.2. Customer satisfaction
5. Survey methods
5.1. Types of survey
5.2. Sampling
5.3. Questionnaire designing
5.4. Methods of collection of data
6. Sample Size
7. Research Objective & Methodology
8. Statistical Data Analysis
9. Factor analysis
9.1.1. About factor Analysis
9.1.2. Factor Analysis Methodology
9.1.3. Factor Analysis Interpretation
10. Recommendation
11. Conclusions
12. Bibliography
13. Questionnaire
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INTRODUCTION TO OPERATIONAL RESEARCH
Origin and Development of Operational Research

The term, Operations Research was coined in 1940 by McClosk y and Trefthen in a
small town Bowdsey, of the United Kingdom. The new science came into existence in
military context. During World War II, military management called on scientists from
various disciplines and organized them into teams to assist in solving strategic and
tactical problems associated with allied military effort, because they were simply too
complicated to expect adequate solutions from any one individual, or even a single
discipline and to discuss, evolve, and suggest ways and means to impro ve the execution
of various military projects. By their joint efforts, experience and deliberations, they
suggested certain approaches that showed remarkable progress. This new approach to
systematic and scientific study of operations of the system was called the operations
research or operational research (abbreviated as O.R.).
After the war many of the scientists who have been active in the military O.R.
groups turned their attention to the possibilities of applying a similar approach to civilian
problems. Some returned to the universities and provided a sound foundation for many of
the techniques that had been developed earlier and also developed new techniques. And
in 1950, Operational Research received recognition as subject worthy of academic
studies.
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Definition of Operational Research
The word “Operation” can be defined as some action that we apply to some
problems or hypothesis and the word “Research” is an organized process of seeking out
facts about the same. So sometimes it is called “Science of use”, “Quantitative common
sense”, and “scientific approach to decision making problem”.
Some good Operations Research definitions are:
• Operations Research is the discipline of applying advanced analytical methods to

help make better decisions. By using techniques such as mathematical modeling to
analyze complex situations, operations research gives executives the power to make more
effective decisions and build more productive systems.
• O.R. is the professional discipline that deals with the application of information
technology for informed decision-making. It aims to provide a rational bases for decision
making by seeking to understand and structure comp lex situations and to use this
understanding to predict system behavior and improve system performance. Much of this
work is done using analytical and numerical techniques to develop and manipulate
mathematical and computer models of organizational systems composed of people,
machines, and procedures.
• O.R. draws upon ideas from engineering, management, mathematics, and psychology
to contribute to a wide variety of application domains; the field is closely related to
several other fields in the "decision sciences" -- applied mathematics, computer science,
economics, industrial engineering, and systems engineering.
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Models in O.R.
A model in O.R. is a simplified representation of an operation or a process in which only
the basic aspects or the most important features of a typical problem under investigation
are considered. Constructing a model aids inputting the complexities and po ssible
uncertainties attending a decision making problem, into a logical framework amenable to
comprehensive analysis. Such a model clarifies the decision alternatives, their anticipated
effects, indicate the relevant data for analyzing the alternatives, a nd leads to informative
conclusions. In short, a model is a vehicle used to arrive at a well structured view of
reality. A mathematical equation may be considered to be a mathematical model in which
a relationship between constants and variables is represented. A model which has the
possibility of measuring observations may be called a quantitative model.
Classification of Models
Although the classification of models is a subjective problem they may be distinguished
as follows:
Models by degree of abstraction
These models are based on the past data/information of the problems under consideration
and can be categorized into
a) Language models
b) Case studies
Models by function
These models consist of:
a) Descriptive models: A descriptive model simply describes some aspects of a situation
based on observation, survey, questionnaire results or other available data. The result of
an opinion poll represents a descriptive model.
b) Predictive models: Such models can answer „if and what‟ type of questions i.e., they
make predictions regarding certain events. For example, based on survey results
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television networks attempt to explain and predict the election outcome before all the
votes are actually counted.
c) Normative models: These models provide the “best” or “optimal” solutions to the
problem subject to limitation on the use of resources. These models provide
recommended courses of action. For example, in mathematical programming, models are
formulated by optimizing the given objective function, subject to certain restrictions and
non negativity of the decision variables.
Models by Structure
a) Iconic models: Iconic models retain some of the physical properties and characteristic
of the system they represent. An iconic model is either in an idealized form or a scaled
version of the system. In other words, such models represent the system as it is by scaling
it up or down. Examples of iconic models are blue prints of a home, globes, photographs,
drawing, atoms, etc. iconic models are easy to observe, build, and describe but difficult to
manipulate and not very useful for the predictions. Commonly these models represent a
static event.
b) Analogue models: Analogue models are more abstract than iconic models. They are
built by utilizing one set of properties to represent another set of properties. For example,
a network of pipes from which water is running could be used as a parallel for
understanding the distribution of electric current. Graphs and maps, parallel in various
colors are analogue models, in which different color corresponds to different
characteristics. A flow process chart is analogue model which represents the order of
occurrence of various events to make a product.
c) Mathematical or symbolic models: These models are mo re abstract in nature. They
employ asset of mathematical symbols to represent relationships which can be
represented in a physical form. These models are more general and precise.
d) Simulation models: These models also have a mathematical structure but are not
solved by applying mathematical techniques to get a solution. A simulation model is
essentially computer assisted experimentation on a mathematical structure of real life
problems in order to describe and evaluate behavior under certain assumptions over a
period of time.
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Models based on degree of certainty
a) Deterministic models: If all the parameters, constants, functional re lationships are
assumed to be known with certainty when the decision is made, then the model is said to
be deterministic. Thus, in such a case the outcome associated with a particular course of
action is known. That is for a specific set of input values there is a uniquely determined
output which represents the solution of the model under conditions of certainty. Linear
programming models are examples of deterministic models.
b) Probabilistic (stochastic) models: Models in which at least one parameter or de cision
variable is a random variable is called probabilistic models. These models reflect to some
extent the complexity of the real world and the uncertainty surrounding them.
c) Dynamic models: In a dynamic model, time is considered as one of the variable s and
admits the impact of changes generated by time in the selection of optimal courses of
action. Thus, a sequence of interrelated decisions is made to achieve the optimal course
of action to optimize the given objective.
Models by extent of generality
a) Specific models: When a model presents a system at some specific time, it is known as
a specific model. In these models, if time factor is not considered, then they are termed as
static models and dynamic models otherwise.
b) General models: Simulation and heuristic models fall under the category of general
models. These models are mainly used to explore alternative strategies which have been
over looked previously. These models do not yield any optimum solution to the problem
depending on the assumptions based on past experience.
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METHODOLOGY OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH
The systematic methodology developed for operations research study deals with
problems involving conflicting multiple objectives, policies, and alternatives. O.R. in the
final analysis is a scientific methodology which is applied to the study of operations of
large complex organization and activities with a view to assessing the overall
implications of various alternative courses of action, thus providing an improved basis for
managerial decision.
Then O.R. approach to problem solving consists of the following six steps:
1. Formulation of the problem : It involves analysis of the physical system, setting

up of objectives, determination of restriction constraints against which decision should be
adopted, alternative courses of action and measurement of effectiveness.
2. Construction of a mathematical model : After formulation of the problem, the
next step is to express all the relevant variables of the problem into a mathematical
model. A generalized mathematical model might take the form: E = f( xi , yj )
3. Deriving the solution from the model: Once the mathematical model is
formulated, the next step is to determine the values of the decision variables that optimize
the given objective function. This deals with the mathematical calculations for obtaining
the solution to the model.
4. Validity of the model: The model should be validated to measure its accuracy.
That is in the order for a model to be useful, the degree to which it actually represents the
system or problem being modeled must be established. A model is valid or accurate if (a)
it contains all the objectives, constraints, and the decision variables relevant to the
problem, (b) the objectives, constraints, and the decision variables are all relevant to, or
the actual part of the problem, and (c) the functional relationships are valid.
5. Establishing control over the solution: After testing the model and its
solution, the next step of the study is to establish control over the solution, by proper
feedback of the information on the variables which deviated significantly. As soon as one
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or more of the control variables change significantly, the solution goes out of the control
in such as situation the model may accordingly be modified.
6. Implementation of the final results: Finally, the tested results of the model are
implemented to work. This would basically involve a careful explanation of the solution
to be adopted and its relationship with the operating realities. This stage of O.R.
investigation is executed primarily through the cooperation of both the O.R. experts and
those who are responsible for managing and operating the system.
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APPLICATIONS OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH
Some of the industrial /government / business problems which can be analyzed by

O.R. approach have been functional area wise as follows:
Finance, budgeting and investment
(a) Cash flow analysis, long range capital requirement, dividend policies, investme nt
portfolios.
(b) Credit policies, credit risks and delinquent account procedures.
(c) Claim and complaint procedures.
Marketing
(a) Product selection, timing, competitive actions.
(b) Advertising media with respect to time and cost.
(c) Number of salesman, frequency of calling of accounts etc.
(d) Effectiveness of marketing research.
Physical distribution
(a) Location and size of warehouses, distribution centers, retail outlets etc.
(b) Distribution policy.
Purchasing procurement and exploration
(a) Rules for buying.
(b) Determining the quantity and time to purchase.
(c) Bidding policies and vendor analysis.
(d) Equipment replacement policies.
Personnel
(a) Forecasting the manpower requirement, recruitment policies and assignment jobs.
(b) Selection of suitable personnel with due consideration of age and skills, etc.
(c) Determination of optimum number of persons for each centre.
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Production
(a) Scheduling and sequencing the production run by proper allocation of machines.
(b) Calculating the optimum product mix.
(c) Selection location and design of the sites for the production plant.
USES OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH

Formulation of industrial problems may be generalized into different groups of
classical problems, the package program for which is available for mechanization and
manual solutions.
Various problem of optimization can be brought to the model of linear program for which
solution is available. While formulating the problem, the class of the problem is to be
decided and the parameters are to be defined accordingly.
Inventory control, production planning, product mix, transportation problem, etc., are
very common to the industries. The cost reduction with the help of these tools is very
much powerful in comparison to any other conventional method. We can enumerate the
advantages of these techniques as:
i. Optimum use of production factors: linear programming techniques indicate how a
manager can most effectively employ his production factors by more efficiently selecting
and distributing these elements.
ii. Improved quality of decision: the computation table gives a clear picture of
happenings within the basic restriction and the possibilities of compound behavior of the
elements involved in the problems. The effect on the profitability due to changes in the
production pattern will be clearly indicated in the table. For e.g. simplex table.
iii. Preparations of future managers: these methods substitute a means for improving
knowledge and skills of your manager.
iv. Modification of mathematical solution: O.R. presents a possible practical solution
when one exists, but it is always a responsibility of the manager to accept or modify the
solution before its use. The effects of these modifications may be evaluated from the
computational steps and tables.
v. Alternative solution: O.R. techniques will suggest all the alternative solution available
for the same profit so that the management may decide on the basis of its strategies.
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COMPANY PROFILE
HSTORY OF MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA AUTOMOTIVE

Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) was established in 1945 as Mahindra & Mohammed. Later on,
after the partition of India, one of the partners - Ghulam Mohammad - returned to Pakistan,
where he became Finance Minister. As a result, the company was renamed to Mahindra &
Mahindra in 1948.
M&M started its operation as a manufacturer of general-purpose utility vehicles. It assembled

CKD jeeps in 1949. Over the passing years, the company expanded its business and started
manufacturing light commercial vehicles (LCVs) and agricultural tractors.
Apart from agricultural tractors and LCVs, Mahindra & Mahindra also showed its dexterity in
manufacturing army vehicles. Soon, it started its operations abroad, through its plants set up in
China, the United Kingdom and the USA.
M&M partnered with companies prominent in the international market, including Renault SA,
International Truck and Engine Corporation, USA, in order to mark its global presence. M&M
also started exporting its products to several countries across the world. Subsequently, it set up
its branches including Mahindra Europe Srl (based in Italy), Mahindra USA Inc., Mahindra
South Africa and Mahindra (China) Tractor Co. Ltd.
At the same time, M&M managed to be the largest manufacturer of tractors in India, by holding
leadership in the market of the country, for around 25 years. The company is an old hand in
designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing tractors as well as farm implements. It
made its entry to the passenger car segment in India, with the manufacture of Logan (mid-size
sedan) in April 2007, under the Mahindra Renault collaboration.
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Soon after the considerable success of Logan, M&M started launching a wide range of LCVs and
three wheelers as well as SUVs including Scorpio and Bolero. In the present time, Bolero has
gained immense popularity in India. It is one of the most opted vehicles in its class.
MAHINDRA BOLERO
Mahindra Bolero is one of the most successful and popular utility

vehicle of the Mahindra and Mahindra Group. The car is robust in
appearance and it has been elegantly designed, keeping in mind the
conditions of the Indian roads.
Mahindra Bolero is also among the best fuel-efficient cars of India as the manufacturer has
equipped it with a 2500 cc diesel engine with5- speed transmission.
MAHINDRA SCORPIO
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited launched Mahindra Scorpio as its

first Sports Utility Vehicle in India in 2002.
This SUV has redefined the expectations for the design of SUVs
with its sturdy looks and powerful performance, the sophisticated
interior design adds to the further glory to the appearance.
MAHINDRA INGENIO
Mahindra & Mahindra is planning to launch a new multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) to take on the
Toyota Innova and the Chevrolet Tavera in both the individual buyer and taxi segments.
Mahindra has currently named the project Ingenio. The vehicle is expected to hit the market
in2009
MAHINDRA RENAULT LOGAN
Much awaited Mahindra-Renault Logan has been launched in India. This compact sedan is a
spacious, practical and affordable vehicle. The outlook of Logan is impressive and the basic
version is a value for money, however the top-end versions are a bit high on price. The
prominent feature of this car is its performance, interiors and economy.
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MAHINDRA XYLO
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited launched their latest Multi Utility

Vehicle (MUV) “Xylo” in India on January 13, 2009. The car
boasts of having all the luxurious features that are seen in today’s
sedans, with the ample space of a utility vehicle. Xylo's muscular
stance contributes to its commanding road presence. Fully packed
with the latest features, the MUV is sure to impress Indian consumers and provide a stiff
competition to the other vehicles within its class.
Performance Of Mahindra XYLO

Under the hood of Mahindra Xylo lies a 4-cylinder turbocharged, mEagle diesel engine, which
generates a power of 112bhp @ 3800 rpm and a peak torque of 24 kgm @ 1800-3000 rpm. The
powerful engine is developed on the NEF CRDe platform and is mated to 5-gears manual
transmission. The car accelerates from rest to 60 km/h in just 5.8 seconds.
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MILSTONE, AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
M&M’s 61st year was studded with a number of noteworthy achievements,
prestigious prizes and glittering awards.
DUAL HONOURS FOR CHAIRMAN MR. KESHUB MAHINDRA
Chairman, Mr. Keshub Mahindra was awarded the “Business Visionary Award 2006”
instituted by the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai.
Chairman, Mr. Keshub Mahindra was also awarded the prestigious IBS Kolkata Lifetime
Achievement Award for his ‘unparalleled contribution to industrial growth and social and
economic development of the community’.
The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India’s (ICFAI) India Business School (IBS)
presented it, Kolkata, at the Strategy Summit 2007, held in Kolkata.
SLEW OF HONOURS FOR MR. ANAND MAHINDRA

Mr. Anand Mahindra, VC & MD, Mahindra Group, received a number of prestigious awards in
2006-07, including:
o The prestigious CNBC Asia Business Leader of the Year Award for the Year 2006 as well as
the CNBC TV India “Business Leader of the Year Award”.
o The ‘CEO of the Year’ award at the India Brand Summit 2006 co-sponsored by Business
Standard and ITM Business School in association with Times Now and DNA newspaper.
o The LMA Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 award, instituted by the Ludhiana Management
Association (LMA).
o The Most Inspiring Corporate Leader of the Year’ Award by NDTV Profit
o The NDTV Profit – Car & Bike Award 2007 for Automobile Man of the Year.
o Mr. Anand Mahindra was also nominated as a Member of the Council of the Executive
Committee of the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) of the Govt. of India. He was
featured in the list of 50 Most Influential Indians in Business Week’s edition dated August
13, 2007
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 HIGHEST CRISIL RATING FOR M&M
 M&M has received the highest Governance & Value Creation rating, CRISIL GVC Level
- I from CRISIL for the ability to create value for all stakeholders, while adopting sound
corporate governance practices.
 DUN & BRADSTREET AMERICAN EXPRESS CORPORATE
AWARDS 2006
Mahindra & Mahindra was rated as the leading Indian company in the Automobile - Tractors
sector in the ‘Dun & Bradstreet – American Express Corporate Awards 2006’. The Automobile
Sector comprises of three categories – Passenger Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles and Tractors.
These awards recognize the virtues of size and growth in the awards methodology. M&M ranked
No. 1 in these two segments in the premier Dun & Bradstreet India publication, India’s Top 500
Companies 2006.
MAHINDRA RECEIVES AMITY HR EXCELLENCE AWARD

Mahindra & Mahindra was honored with the Amity HR Excellence Award at the Fourth Amity
Global HR Summit 2007 held at the Amity International Business School, Noida. The Amity HR
Excellence Award recognized Mahindra as one the most admired companies across the global on
account of its innovative strategies for Human Resources Management and Development.
GLOBAL HR EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR M&M

Mahindra & Mahindra won the Global HR Excellence Award for Innovative HR practices
(Manufacturing Sector), in the Asia Pacific HRM Congress, held in Mumbai. These awards
recognize organizations and individuals who have embraced change, encouraged constructive
challenges and demonstrated entrepreneurial skills in the corporate world.
M&M WINS BOMBAY CHAMBER GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN

AWARD 2006-07
M&M was presented with the coveted Bombay Chamber Good Corporate Citizen Award 2006-
07 at a glittering ceremony held to celebrate the Chamber’s 172nd Foundation Day on September
21, 2007. Mr. Bharat Doshi, Executive Director, M&M Ltd. and Mr. Rajeev Dubey, Member of
the Group Management Board and Chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra CSR Council, received the
award on behalf of the company.
This Award recognizes and honors conspicuous achievement by corporate organizations by way
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of service to the civic community, in addition to outstanding operational performance. It takes
into account several parameters, including Business Performance, Corporate Interests, Employee
Welfare, Customer and Stakeholder Satisfaction and Social Investment.
GOLDEN PEACOCK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CORPORATE

GOVERNANCE
Mahindra & Mahindra won the coveted Golden Peacock Award for Excellence in Corporate
Governance 2006. This award validates the company’s ‘Best-in-Class’ corporate governance
practices and reflects its transparent and ethical dealings with stakeholders across the entire value
chain. It recognizes the Management’s commitment to the highest standards of corporate conduct
and its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility as a distinct activity that helps build
commendable social values and adds to the ethical fiber of the organization.
BEST AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING SUPPLY CHAIN

EXCELLENCE AWARD
Mahindra & Mahindra has been awarded as the organization with the “Best Automotive
Manufacturing Supply Chain Excellence”. The awards were presented by India Times
Mindscape (Times of India Group) along with the Business India Group at the Express,
Logistics & Supply Chain Awards held in Mumbai on September 28, 2007. A. C. Neilson is
accredited with the research for the award nominees and winners.
HIGH RANKINGS FOR MAHINDRA

M&M was ranked second in the prestigious e Most Trusted Car Company in India study
conducted by TNS. M&M scored 127 points, just seven points below the top ranking company,
according to a TNS communiqué.
 M&M was ranked 14th in The Economic Times prestigious ‘ET 500’ list of top achieving
companies in India. The company has moved up four ranks from last year. To quote from
the ‘ET 500’ write-up: “M&M’s ‘art-to-part’ strategy of diversification into the auto parts
value chain and its plans for new platforms for utility vehicles and joint venture with
Renault for Logan have led to a gain in ranks.”
 M&M was ranked 22nd in Business India’s annual survey of the country’s top companies
- Super 100
 M&M was ranked 31st in Business Today’s annual survey of India’s most valuable
companies
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MILESTONES OF MAHINDRA AND MAHINDRA
YEAR ACHIEVMENTS
1947 In October, the first batch of 75 Utility Vehicles (UVs) imported in CKD
condition from Willys overland Export Corporation.
1949 Lease of 11,071 Sq. yards at Mazagaon from British India Steam navigation.
The first Willys Overland Jeep built in India at the Assembly Plant , Mazagaon,
Bombay (now Mumbai).
1954 Manufacture of Vehicles undertaken in collaboration with Kaiser Jeep

Corporation and American Motors Corporation.
1962 Indigenous content of Jeep goes up to 70 per cent. To centralise manufacturing

operations, 137 acres of land purchased at Kandivli.
1965 FC 150 Petrol Trucks introduced.
1967 Two wheelers drive Utility Vehicles introduced. The 101" wheel base and Metal
Body UVs introduced. Indigenous content goes up by 97 per cent.
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1969 The start of vehicles export. Export of total 1200 UVs along with spare parts to
Yugoslavia. Exported also to Ceylon, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia.
1970 The contracts to export of 3304 vehicles, mainly to Yugoslavia and Indonesia
concluded.
1971 Separate R&D section set up.
1974 Maxi miller campaign launched for the conservation of fuel. CJ 4A was
introduced with new transmission and axle ratio. Collaboration agreement with
Jeep corporation (subsidiary of AMC, Detroit).
1975 FC 260 Diesel light truck and CJ 500 D Diesel was introduced with MD 2350
Diesel Engine.
1979 The Government of India approves in principle, technical collaboration with

Peugeot (France) for the manufacture of XDP 4.90 Diesel Engine.
1981 The Nasik Trucks Assembly Plant and Peugeot Engine Assembly Plant at
Ghatkopar inaugurated. NC 665 DP Mini Truck rolls out from Nasik Assembly
Line.
1983 FJ 460 model was introduced with 4-speed gearbox. Engine plant at Igatpuri
formally inaugurated by Mr. Jean Boillot, President of Automobiles Peugeot of
France for the manufacture of 25,000 Peugeot and Petrol engines.
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1985 The New Mahindra Vehicle-MM 540 was launched in Bombay. NC 640 DP with
4 speed gearbox and Mahindra MM 440 was introduced.
1986 CJ 640 DP Vehicle introduced.
1987 MM 540 DP metal Body Wagonette introduced.
1988 M&M signed a MoU with Hyderabad Allwyn Nissan Limited to form Mahindra
Nissan Allwyn Ltd., as its associate company with LCV operations in Andhra
Pradesh.
The CJ 340 DP model was introduced. M&M and Peugeot announced their tie
1989 up for the manufacture of Peugeot 504 pickup truck, BA 10 gearboxes and
latest XD 3 diesel engines. M&M acquired automotive pressing unit at Kanhe,
from Guest Keen Williams Ltd.
1991 Introduced CJ 500 DI model with MDI 2500 A direct injection diesel engines.
M&M bags order to export 10,000 CKD kits. Commander range of models: 650
DI, 750 DP/HT were also launched with tremendous market response.
1993 The Mahindra Armada was launched
Mahindra Nissan Allwyn Ltd. (MNAL) was merged with M&M and
1995 Zaheerabad LCV operations becoming part of Automotive Sector. FJ series of
LCVs were shifted from Nasik to Zaheerabad. Igatpuri Engine Plant received
ISO 9002 certificate.
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1996 The new LCV model Cabking DI 3150 & Mahindra Classic vehicles were
launched. New Commander 5 Door Hard Top introduced.
Commercial production of the Ford Escort commenced at Nasik Plant. License

1997 & Technical Assistance Agreement signed with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
for Manufacture of SL Body at Zaheerabad (Voyager with XD 3 and BA 10).
Kandivli and Nasik plants received ISO 9002 certificate from RW-TUV.
1998 Die shop Inauguration at Nasik Plant 2-8/8/97. Voyager was launched by the
Chairman at Zaheerabad Plant on 12/11/97
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WHAT IS MARKETING
Nature of Marketing
What is marketing? Perhaps the best way to understand the multifaceted and wide
ranging field of Marketing is to look at its various aspects.
i) Marketing requires an understanding of consumer’s needs and wants.
ii) Understanding consumer’s needs and wants requir es a constant analysis and
knowledge of the market.
iii) Marketing involves matching a product to a specific market.
iv) Marketers must understand what consumers are buying.
v) Marketers must be aware of how well the needs of consumers are or can be satisf ied by
the competition.
vi) Marketing recognizes the overall objectives of the firm and develops strategies that
meet those objectives within the capabilities of the firm.
An understanding of what consumers need is useless unless it is connected to what
company provides. The more specifically a given product matches the needs of its
intended market, the more likely it is to succeed, having a great technology or product is
not enough to guarantee success. Knowledge of the market and skillful marketing effort s
are critical. The commercial validity of a product is determined by its ability to attract
customers. A company must understand who those customers are and what their wants
and needs are, and then it can develop a product based on the technology to meet those
needs. By presenting the solution to consumer needs, a company can find a niche in the
market.
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines Marketing as:
The performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from
producer to consumer or user.
These activities include the decisions and actions of buyers and sellers in a market, or a
situation in which there is a transfer of goods and services. In broader terms, Marketing
relates to business activities through which human needs and wants are satisfied. The
Marketing concept is considered the satisfaction of customers needs while meeting the
objectives of the organization. Marketing involves gathering information from customers
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and potential customers to identify the wants and needs of specific groups of customers,
then developing the product to satisfy those needs. Other crucial aspect of Marketing are
creating a distribution system that effectively gets the company’s products to its
customers and developing strategies for communicating information to customers about
what the company offers.
Decision about the elements of marketing

For all decisions marketers must consider the overall environment in which their
business organization operates. Important factors include not only the legal, cultural,
political, and economic environments of the overall society but also the company‟s
corporate environment and the financial constraints in which it operates.
Marketing research is the phase of Marketing concerned with obtaining usable
information, to make it more effective it is necessary to define carefully what information
is required to make a better decision. After defining the problem, the marketers specify
the source of information to be collected and analyzed. Consumer research is another
important aspect of Marketing research, concentrates on buyer behavior.
Segmentation is also an important aspect of Marketing. The consumers who need product
category are diverse; not everybody will want the same thing from the product category,
will want to buy it in the same place, and is interested in the same kinds of features or
services. On the other hand it is not realistic to offer a unique product for each customer.
There are group of customers with similar sets of needs, and the market can be divided
into such groups. This concept is known as Market Segmentation.
MARKETING STRATEGY
All four elements of the Marketing mix are closely related in formulating the Marketing
strategy.
Marketing planning involves establishing objectives for marketing activity, determining
and scheduling the steps necessary to achieve the objectives, and then allocating the
necessary resources.
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Marketing strategy includes the activities of finding a competitive advantage, planning
for the company’s growth, analyzing the company’s portfolio and allocating the
company’s resources.
Marketing control involves a careful monitoring of the results of the Marketing plan to
ensure that the plan is achieving the objectives that were set and that it is cost effective.
FACTS OF MARKETING
These are diverse facts of Marketing, but the tasks of Marketing remain the same: to
understand the customer, know who is involved in making a purchase decision, and then
develop a Marketing mix- product, price, distribution system, and communication- that
will satisfy those customers.
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CONSUMER AWARENESS
The need for empowerment of consumers as a class cannot be over emphasized
and is already well recognized all over the world. The advancement of technology and
advent of sophisticated gadgets in the market and aggressive marketing strategies in the
era of globalization have not only thrown open a wide choice, for the consumer but all
the same also rendered the consumer vulnerable to a plethora of problems concomitant to
such rapid changes. There is an urgent and increasing necessity to educate and motivate
the consumer to be wary of the quality of the products, and also the possible deficiencies
in the services of the growing sector of public utilities. In short, the consumer should be
empowered with respect to his rights as a consumer. He should be equipped to be vigilant
with a discerning eye so as to be able to protect himself from any wrongful act on the part
of the trader. In order to be able to position the consumer in such a state, there is every
need not only to evolve legal remedies but also provide reliable and exhaustive
information, which he can access without much effort and expense. Recognizing the
importance of the problem, the Government of India and State Government have initiated
steps to introduce dispute redress mechanism by way of Consumer Protection Ac, but a
lot more has to be done in the area of creating awareness on the part of the consumer to
facilitate his seeking suitable remedy wherever there is a need. This becomes more
important in the rural areas, where there is wide spread illit eracy.
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ABOUT CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
What is consumer behavior?

Consumer Behavior is defined as
The study of the buying units and the exchange processes involved in a acquiring,
consuming, and disposing of goods, services, experiences, and ideas.
This simple definition contains a number of important concepts. First, note the inclusion
in the definition of the word “exchange”. Consumer is inevitably at the one end of
exchange process in which resources are transferred between two parties. For example, an
exchange takes place between a doctor and a patient: the physician tr ades medical
services for money. Other resources- such as feelings, information, and status- may also
be exchanged between the parties. Exchange process as a fundamental element of
Consumer Behavior. Exchanges occur between Consumers and Firms. Again looking at
the definition, the term “buying units” rather than consumers. This is because purchases
may be made by groups as well as individuals. In fact, an important study area for
Consumer researchers is organizational buying behavior.
The exchange process involves a series of steps
i) Acquisition phase
ii) Consumption phase
iii) Disposition phase of the product or service.
Acquisition phase:
Researchers analyze the factors that influence consumer’s product and service
choices. Indeed, most of the researchers have focused on the Acquisition phase. One
factor associated with the search for and selection of goods and services is product
symbolism- i.e., people often acquire a product to express to others certain ideas and
meanings they have about themselves.
.
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Consumption phase:
Consumption phase researchers analyze how Consumers actually use a product or
service and the experience they obtain from such use. The consumption experience is
extremely important for service industry. In some industries, such as rest aurants,
amusement parks, and rock concert promotions, the consumption experience is the reason
for purchase.
Disposition phase:
Disposition phase refers to what Consumers do with a product once they have
finished using it. In addition, it addresses Consumer satisfaction levels after purchasing a
good or service. When Consumers have unrealistic expectations of a product, they are
unlikely to realize anticipated outcomes, and they will probably be highly dissatisfied .
Consumer Behavior is a young discipline. It incorporates theories and concepts from all
behavioral sciences, so that when studying the Acquisition, Consumption, & Disposition
of products, services, and ideas, one has to explore the discipline of Marketin g,
Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Demography, and Economics.
Why study Consumer Behavior?

Understanding Consumers and consumption process brings a number of benefits,
among them the ability to assist managers in their decision making, provide market ing
researchers with a knowledge base from which to analyze Consumers, help legislators
and regulators create laws and regulations concerning the purchase and sale of goods and
services, and assist the average Consumer in making better purchase decisions. Moreover,
studying Consumer Behavior will enhance your understanding of psychological,
sociological, and economic factors that influence all human behavior.
Reasons for studying Consumer Behavior
. Consumer analysis should be the foundation of marketing ma nagement. It assist
managers to:
 Design the Marketing mix.
 Segment the market place.
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 Position and differentiate products.
 Perform an environmental analysis.
 Develop market research studies.
 Consumer Behavior should play an important role in the development of public
policy.
 The study of Consumer Behavior will enable one to be a more effective
Consumer.
 Consumer analysis provides knowledge of overall human Behavior.
 The study of Consumer Behavior provides three types of information:
 A Consumer orientation.
 Facts about Human Behavior.
 Theories to guide the thinking process.
 Three research perspectives on Consumer Behavior
A key feature of the field is its research base. As a social science, Consumer Behavior
employs research methods and procedures from psychology, sociology, economics, and
anthropology. To generalize, research in Consumer Behavior is organized according to
three research perspectives that act as guides in thinking about and identifying the factors
that influence consumer acquisition behavior. These three perspectives are: -
 The Decision-Making Perspective
 The Experimental Perspective
 The Behavioral Influence Perspective
Types of Buyers
Buyer Behavior is a complex topic precisely because it deals with people. People
are complex, unpredictable, and at times even irrational. They are also unique. No two
buying situations are exactly alike because the buyers are not exactly alike. Yet all buyer
behavior is goal oriented; people are trying to satisfy particular needs when they purchase
and consume products and services. It is marketer’s task to recognize the needs of the
particular buyer and attempt to satisfy them. In every buying situation, the a ctual decision
to buy is made by a decision-making-unit (DMU). There are three basic DMUs, this
classification is based on the process of buyer behavior, not on the products consumed:
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Individual consumers: The decision to buy is made by the individual, and the
purchase is used to satisfy a personal need. Many buying decisions are made, and many
products are consumed by an individual consumer.
Households: Many times, a product is used by, and perhaps purchased by, a group of
consumers who form a Household. Example is a family meal.
Organizations: Businesses, Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations are all formal

Organizations. DMUs in organizations are composed of a number of members with
different roles to play.
Roles of Buyers
While individual consumers make buying decisions for themselves, the purchase of
households and organizations are the results of group decision-making-processes by
DMU. The role of buyers is that of:
 Initiator
 Purchaser
 Decision maker
 Influencer
 Gatekeeper
The initiator recognizes the need for a purchase and puts the rest of the buying process in
motion. Someone actually performs the activities of purchasing the product. However the
question comes “Is the purchaser also the decision maker” often they are not the same, in
the decision making the entire DMU may be involved while the purchase is done by only
one person. Also the purchaser may have been requested by another household member to
make a purchase so there may be influencer for the purchase. A gatekeeper is a person
who controls a flow of information, there by controlling whether or not a potential
customer hears about a product. This role can be especially critical in the organizational
setting.
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The buyer decision
The understanding buyer behavior is the keystone to developing successful Marketing
strategies; marketing managers must have a clear understanding of the process by which
buying decisions are made, whether by individual consumers, by households, or by
organizations. The steps in the buyer decision process:-
Problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision,
and post purchase evaluation.
The steps in the buyer decision process

Problem recognition:
Consumer Behavior is rarely aimless. It is goal-oriented Behavior, even though the goals
may not be explicit to the buyer. Its objective is to contribute to the maintenance or
improvement of the Consumer’s quality of life. Consequently, there must be some
stimulus that initiates the buyer decision process. The mo st productive way for a marketer
to look at this stimulus is as a Consumer Problem. A problem is Consumer’s need or
want. In broader terms, it is anything that makes it more difficult or impossible for a
buyer to achieve some objective. Consumers recognize a problem in a number of ways.
Some of the common ways are:
- A currently used product or brand isn’t performing properly.
- A buyer wants to do something but can’t find a product that will do it.
- A buyer hears about or sees a product that seems to have features superior to the one
currently used.
- It is hard to find or purchase a preferred product.
- The buyer is running out of a product that is generally kept on hand.
It is important to look at Consumer problems from the standpoint of the marketer. Can
the company make a product that will solve this problem for a sizeable segment of
Consumers? Even if there is no perceived need for a new product, can it produce one that
solves the problem better.
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Information search
If the problem is a stimulus that leads the buyer to engage in the decision process,
the next step the buyer is likely to take is to begin to search for and accumulate
information. It is easy for marketers to assume that Consumers want to acquire a great
deal of information. After all, marketers reason, Consumers will make better decision if
they have all relevant information. In fact, buyers may not make better decisions when
they have large amounts of information. Usually, however, Consumer does not seem to
acquire enough information to cause confusion. In some cases, little or no information
search took place even though the purchase seemed ¡°important¡±-it was being purchased
for the first time, it was expensive, or a lot of choices were available. These
characteristics suggest when the purchase is somewhat risky; information is obtained to
reduce risk. When little risk is present, it is not surprising that buyers do not spend large
amounts of time acquiring product-related information. Other factors that affect the
amount of information search include the availability of information and such variables
as experience, time and financial resources available, education, occupation, age, and
beliefs about market place.
Sources of information
There are two major sources of information available to buyers- the mass media, and
personal sources.
The mass media: The mass media are all around us-from billboards to magazines to
radio and television-and carry advertising. The average American has the opportunity to
be exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of ads on any given day. The mass media
provide the greater quantity of information. The sheer volume of mass media advertising
has produced clutter, or the existence of large numbers of commercial messages, which
makes it difficult for any one communication to receive significant attention that would
lead consumers to recall it and to take intended action.
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Personal sources: Buyers perceive information from personal sources as being
credible. Persons whose opinions are highly valued and frequently sought out are called
opinion leaders or influentials. They tend to be outgoing individuals who are
knowledgeable about the product and who like to try new things. The personal sources
generally provide the higher quality, or more credible, information.
Methods of information search

Buyers have a variety of ways they can go about acquiring information. The search
can be internal versus external or active versus passive.
Internal search versus External search: Internal search involves retrieving

information from the individual’s own memory. This is obviously a quick and easy way
to search for information and is usually the first kind of search. If it is satisfactory, the
search may stop there. The less the buyer knows about the product, the more he or she
may use External search. The External search covers the mass media or personal sources
discussed.
Active search versus Passive search: Active search is undertaken when the buyer
has inadequate or conflicting information or when the buyer is nearing a decision and
wishes to confirm the correctness of decision. Exposure to information not actively
sought is passive search. Most mass media advertising fits into this category. The issue
for marketers is how to make passively received information, such as television
commercials, compelling enough to the passive recipient, such as television viewer, that
he or she will remember the information.
Factors that Influence Consumer Behavior
The factors that influence Consumer Behavior are divided into two categories-
 Internal Factors
 External Factors
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Internal factors:
At the care of any individual’s Consumer Behavior is his or her own psychological
makeup. There are number of concepts from fields of psychology and social psychology
that are critical to an understanding of Consumer Behavior. The Internal Factors include
the psychological factors as
Needs and Motives
Personality Perception
Learning
Attitudes
External Factors:
The overall society in which a Consumer lives has considerable effect on
Consumer Behavior. The beliefs and values and indeed, the world view that an individual
holds are learned and transmitted within the societal framework. The effect of those
values is often difficult to assess because they are deeply, almost unconsciously, held.
They are also enduring, changing slowly, even in the face of major technological and
social change. The various socio-cultural factors, then have a tremendous effect on
people’s behavior as consumers. The external factors can be categorized as
Socio-cultural factors
Societal values
Economic factors
The media
Reference groups
Demographic characteristics
Age
Gender
Income
Educational level
Occupation
Social class
Ethnic group
Place of residence
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ABOUT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
It is a well known fact that no business can exist without customers. In the
business of website design, it is important to work closely with your customers to make
sure the site or system you create for them is as close to their requirements as you can
manage. Because it is difficult that you form a close working relationship with your
client, customer service is of vital importance. What follows are a selection of tips that
will make your clients feel valued, wanted and loved.
1. Encourage face-to-face dealings:

This is the most important daunting and downright scary part of interacting with a
customer. If you are not used to this sort of thing, it can be very nerve-wrecking
experience. Rest assured, though, it does get easier over time. It is important to meet your
customers face-to-face at least once or even twice during the course of project.
My experience has shown that a client finds it easier to relate to and work with someone
they have actually met in person, rather than a voice on phone or someone typing into an
email or messenger program. When you meet them, be calm, confident and above all,
take time to ask them what they need. I believe if a potential client spends over half the
meeting doing talking, you are well on your way to a sale.
2. Respond to messages promptly and keep your client informed:

This goes without saying really. We know how annoying it is to wait days for a
response to an email or phone call. It might not always be practical to deal with all
customers.. queries within the space of a few hours, but at least email or call them back
and let them know you have received their message and you will cont act them about it as
soon as possible. Even if you are not able to solve a problem right away, let the customer
know you are working on it.
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3. Be friendly and approachable:
A fellow site pointer once told me that you can hear a smile through the phone.
This is very true. It is very important to be friendly, courteous, and to make your clients
feel like you are their friend and you are there to help them out. There will be times when
you want to beat your clients over the head repeatedly with a blunt objec t- it happens to
all of us. It is vital that you keep a clear head, respond to your clients. wishes as best as
you can, and at all times remain polite and courteous.
4. Have a clearly defined customer service policy:

This may not be too important when you are just starting out, but a clearly defined
customer service policy is going to save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. If a
customer has a problem, what should they do? If the first option doesn’t work, then
what? Should they contact different people for billing and technical enquiries? If they are
not satisfied with any aspect of your customer service, who should they tell?
There is nothing more annoying for a client than being passed from one person to
another, or not knowing who to turn to. Making sure they know exactly what to do at
each stage of their enquiry should be of utmost importance. So make sure your customer
service policy is present on your site or anywhere else where it may be useful.
5. Attention to detail:
Have you ever received a happy birthday email or card from a company you were
a client of? Have you ever had a personalized sign up confirmation email for a service
that you could tell was typed from scratch? These little niceties can be time consuming
and aren’t always cost effective, but remember to do them. It makes the customer feel
welcomed and wanted.
6. Anticipate your client’s needs and go out of your way to help them out:
Sometimes it is easier said than done! However, achieving this supreme level of
understanding with your clients will do wonders for your working relationship.
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7. Honour your promises:
When you promise something deliver it. Clients do not like to be disappointed.
Sometimes something might not get done or you might miss a deadline through no fault
of your own. Projects can be late, technology can fail, and sub-contractors don’t always
deliver on time. In this case a quick apology and assurance that it will be ready as soon as
possible wouldn’t go a miss.
Conclusion:
Customer service is a practiced art that takes time and effort to master. All you
need to do to achieve this is to stop and switch roles with the customer. Treat your
customers like your friends and they will always come back.
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SURVEY METHODS
The survey is a non-experimental, descriptive research method. Surveys can be

useful when a researcher wants to collect data on phenomena that cannot be directly
observed (such as opinions on library services). Surveys are used extensively in library
and information science to assess attitudes and characteristics of a wide range of subjects,
from the quality of user-system interfaces to library user reading habits. In a survey,
researchers sample a population. Basha and Harter (1980) state that "a population is any
set of persons or objects that possesses at least one common characteristic." Examples of
populations that might be studied are 1) all 1999 graduate of GSLIS at the University of
Texas, or 2) all the users of UT General Libraries. Since populations can be quite large,
researchers directly question only a sample (i.e. a small proportion) of the population.
Types of Surveys
Data are usually collected through the use of questionnaires, although sometimes
researchers directly interview subjects. Surveys can use qualitative (e.g. ask open -ended
questions) or quantitative (e.g. use forced-choice questions) measures. There are two
basic types of surveys: cross-sectional surveys and longitudinal surveys.
Cross-Sectional Surveys
Cross-sectional surveys are used to gather information on a population at a single point in
time. An example of a cross sectional survey would be a questio nnaire that collects data
on how parents feel about Internet filtering, as of March of 1999. A different cross -
sectional survey questionnaire might try to determine the relationship between two
factors, like religiousness of parents and views on Internet filtering.
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Longitudinal Surveys
Longitudinal surveys gather data over a period of time. The researcher may then analyze
changes in the population and attempt to describe and/or explain them. The three main
types of longitudinal surveys are trend studies, cohort studies, and panel studies.
Trend Studies
Trend studies focus on a particular population, which is sampled and scrutinized
repeatedly. While samples are of the same population, they are typically not composed of
the same people. Trend studies, since they may be conducted over a long period of time,
do not have to be conducted by just one researcher or research project. A researcher may
combine data from several studies of the same population in order to show a trend. An
example of a trend study would be a yearly survey of librarians asking about the
percentage of reference questions answered using the Internet.
Cohort Studies
Cohort studies also focus on a particular population, sampled and studied more than once.
But cohort studies have a different focus. For example, a sample of 1999 graduates of
GSLIS at the University of Texas could be questioned regarding their attitudes toward
paraprofessionals in libraries. Five years later, the researcher could question another
sample of 1999 graduates, and study any changes in attitude. A cohort study would
sample the same class, every time. If the researcher studied the class of 2004 five years
later, it would be a trend study, not a cohort study.
Panel Studies
Panel studies allow the researcher to find out why changes in the population are
occurring, since they use the same sample of people every time. That sample is called a
panel. A researcher could, for example, select a sample of UT graduate students, and as k
them questions on their library usage. Every year thereafter, the researcher would contact
the same people, and ask them similar questions, and ask them the reasons for any
changes in their habits. Panel studies, while they can yield extremely specific a nd useful
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explanations, can be difficult to conduct. They tend to be expensive, they take a lot of
time, and they suffer from high attrition rates. Attrition is what occurs when people drop
out of the study.
Instrument Design
One criticism of library surveys is that they are often poorly designed and administered
(Busha and Harter 1980), resulting in data that is that is not very accurate, but that is
energetically quoted and used to make important decisions. Surveys should be just as
rigorously designed and administered as any other research method. Meyer (1998) has
identified five preliminary steps that should be taken when embarking upon any research
project: 1) choose a topic, 2) review the
literature, 3) determine the research question, 4) develop a h ypothesis, and 5)
operationalization (i.e., figure out how to accurately measure the factors you wish to
measure). For research using surveys, two additional considerations are of prime
importance: representative sampling and question design. Much of the following
information was taken from the book Research Methods in Librarianship: Techniques
and Interpretation by Charles H. Busha and Stephen P. Harter.
Representative Sampling
A sample is representative when it is an accurate proportional representation of the
population under study. If you want to study the attitudes of UT students regarding
library services, it would not be enough to interview every 100th person who walked into
the library. That technique would only measure the attitudes of UT students who use the
library, not those who do not. In addition, it would only measure the attitudes of UT
students who happened to use the library during the time you were collecting data.
Therefore, the sample would not be very representative of UT students in g eneral. In
order to be a truly representative sample, every student at UT would have to have had an
equal chance of being chosen to participate in the survey, this is called randomization.
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If you stood in front of the student union and walked up to students, asking them
questions, you still would not have a random sample. You would only be questioning
students who happened to come to campus that day, and further, those that happened to
walk past the student union. Those students who never walk that way would have had no
chance of being questioned. In addition, you might unintentionally be biased as to who
you question. You might unconsciously choose not to question students who look
preoccupied or busy, or students who don't look like friendly people. This would
invalidate your results, since your sample would not be randomly selected.
If you took a list of UT students, uploaded it onto a computer, t hen instructed the
computer to randomly generate a list of 2 percent of all UT students, then your sample
still might not be representative. What if, purely by chance, the computer did not include
the correct proportion of seniors, or honors students, or graduate students? In order to
further ensure that the sample is truly representative of the population, you might want to
use a sampling technique called stratification. In order to stratify a population, you need
to decide what sub-categories of the population might be statistically significant. For
instance, graduate students as a group probably have different opinions than
undergraduates regarding library usage, so they should be recognized as separate strata of
the population. Once you have a list of the different strata, along with their respective
percentages, you could instruct the computer to again randomly select students, this time
taking care that a certain percentage are graduate students, a certain percentage are
honors students, and a certain percentage are seniors. You would then come up with a
more truly representative sample.
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Question Design
It is important to design questions very carefully. A poorly designed questionnaire
renders results meaningless. There are many factors to consider. Babbie gives the
following pointers:
• Make items clear (don't assume the person you are questioning knows the terms you are
using).
• Avoid double-barreled questions (make sure the question asks only one clear thing).
• Respondent must be competent to answer (don't ask questions that the respondent won't
accurately be able to answer).
• Questions should be relevant (don't ask questions on topics that respondents don't care
about or haven't thought about).
• Short items are best (so that they may be read, understood, and answered quickly).
• Avoid negative items (if you ask whether librarians should not be paid more, it will
confuse respondents).
• Avoid biased items and terms (be sensitive to the effect of your wording on
respondents).
Busha and Harter provide the following list of 10 hints:

1. Unless the nature of a survey definitely warrants their usag e, avoid slang, jargon, and
technical terms.
2. Whenever possible, develop consistent response methods.
3. Make questions as impersonal as possible.
4. Do not bias later responses by the wording used in earlier questions.
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5. As an ordinary rule, sequence questions from the general to the specific.
6. If closed questions are employed, try to develop exhaustive and mutually exclusive
response alternatives.
7. Insofar as possible, place questions with similar content together in the survey
instrument.
8. Make the questions as easy to answer as possible.
9. When unique and unusual terms need to be defined in questionnaire items, use very
clear definitions.
10. Use an attractive questionnaire format that conveys a professional image
Questionnaire construction
A questionnaire is a series of questions asked to individuals to obtain statistically

useful information about a given topic. When properly constructed and responsibly
administered, questionnaires become a vital instrument by which statements can be
made about specific groups or people or entire populations.
Questionnaires are frequently used in quantitative marketing research and social research.
They are a valuable method of collecting a wide range of information from a large
number of individuals, often referred to as respondents. Adequate questionnaire
construction is critical to the success of a survey. Inappropriate questions, incorrect
ordering of questions, incorrect scaling, or bad questionnaire format can make the survey
valueless, as it may not accurately reflect the views and opinions of the participants. A
useful method for checking a questionnaire and making sure it is accurately capturing the
intended information is to pretest among a smaller subset of target respondents.
Questionnaire construction issues
• The research objectives and frame of reference should be defined beforehan d, including
the questionnaire's context of time, budget, manpower, intrusion and privacy.
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• The nature of the expected responses should be defined and retained for interpretation
of the responses, be it preferences (of products or services), facts, belie fs, feelings,
descriptions of past behavior, or standards of action.
• Unneeded questions are an expense to the researcher and an unwelcome imposition on
the respondents. All questions should contribute to the objective(s) of the research.
• The topics should fit the respondents’ frame of reference. Their background may affect
their interpretation of the questions. Respondents should have enough information or
expertise to answer the questions truthfully.
• The type of scale, index, or typology to be used shall be determined.
• The types of questions (closed, multiple-choice, and open) should fit the statistical data
analysis techniques available.
• Questions and prepared responses to choose from should be neutral as to intended
outcome. A biased question or questionnaire encourages respondents to answer one way
rather than another. Even questions without bias may leave respondents with
expectations.
• The order or “natural” grouping of questions is often relevant. Prior previous questions
may bias later questions.
• The wording should be kept simple: no technical or specialized words.
• The meaning should be clear. Ambiguous words, equivocal sentence structures and
negatives may cause misunderstanding, possibly invalidating questionnaire results.
Double negatives should be reworded as positives.
• If a survey question actually contains more than one issue, the researcher will not know
which one the respondent is answering. Care should be taken to ask one question at a
time.
• The list of possible responses should be inclusive. Respondents should not find
themselves with no category that fits their situation. One solution is to use a final
category for “other”.
• The possible responses should be mutually exclusive. Categories should not overlap.
Respondents should not find themselves in more than one category, for example in both
the “married” category and the “single” category – there may be need for a “not living
with spouse” category.
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• Writing style should be conversational, yet concise and accurate and appropriate to the
target audience.
• Most people will not answer personal or intimate questions.
• “Loaded” questions evoke emotional responses and may skew results.
• Presentation of the questions on the page (or computer screen) and use of white space,
colors, pictures, charts, or other graphics may affect respondent's interest or distract from
the questions.
• Numbering of questions may be helpful.
• Questionnaires can be administered by research staff, by volunteers or sel f-administered
by the respondents. Clear, detailed instructions are needed in either case, matching the
needs of each audience.
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METHODS OF COLLECTION OF DATA
Method Benefits
Postal
• This method has a low cost.
• Survey participants can choose to remain anonymous.
• It is not labor intensive.
Telephone
• Questionnaires can be conducted swiftly.
• Rapport with respondents
• High response rate
Electronic
• This method has a low cost, and on most surveys costs
nothing for the participants and little for the surveyors.
• Questionnaires can be conducted swiftly.
• Survey participants can choose to remain anonymous.
• It is not labor intensive.
• Questions can be more detailed, as opposed to the limits of
paper or telephones.
Personally
Administered
• Questions can be more detailed, as opposed to the limits of paper or telephones.
• Rapport with respondents
• High response rate
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Types of questions
1. Contingency questions - A question that is answered only if the respondent gives
a particular response to a previous question. This avoids asking questions of people that
do not apply to them (for example, asking men if they have ever been pregnant).
2. Matrix questions - Identical response categories are assigned to multiple
questions. The questions are placed one under the other, forming a matrix with response
categories along the top and a list of questions down the side. This is an efficient use of
page space and respondents’ time.
3. Closed ended questions - Respondents’ answers are limited to a fixed set of
responses. Most scales are closed ended. Other types of closed ended questions include:
 Yes/no questions - The respondent answers with a “yes” or a “no”.
 Multiple choice - The respondent has several option from which to choose.
 Scaled questions - Responses are graded on a continuum (example: rate the
appearance of the product on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most
preferred appearance). Examples of types of scales include the likert scale,
semantic differential scale, and rank-order scale
4. Open ended questions - No options or predefined categories are suggested. The
respondent supplies their own answer without being constrained by a fixed set of possible
responses. Examples of types of open ended questions include:
 Completely unstructured - For example, “What is your opinion of

questionnaires?”
 Word association - Words are presented and the respondent mentions the first
word that comes to mind.
 Sentence completion - Respondents complete an incomplete sentence. For
example, “The most important consideration in my decision to buy a new house is
. . .”
 Story completion - Respondents complete an incomplete story.
 Picture completion - Respondents fill in an empty conversation balloon.
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 Thematic apperception test - Respondents explain a picture or make up a story
about what they think is happening in the picture
Question sequence
• Questions should flow logically from one to the next.

• The researcher must ensure that the answer to a question is not influenced by
previous questions.
• Questions should flow from the more general to the more specific.
• Questions should flow from the least sensitive to the most sensitive.
• Questions should flow from factual and behavioral questions t o attitudinal and opinion
questions.
• Questions should flow from unaided to aided questions.
• According to the three stages theory (also called the sandwich theory), initial questions
should be screening and rapport questions. Then in the second stage yo u ask all the
product specific questions. In the last stage you ask demographic questions.
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SAMPLE SIZE
The formula for sample size calculation is:
s = z*z*p*(1-p)/(e*e)
Here, s=the sample size
Z = the number relating to the degree of confidence one wishes to have in the result
p = an estimate of the proportion of the people falling into the group in which we are
interested in the population
e=the proportion of error we are prepared to accept
Take z=1.64 for 90% confidence
e=5.5% or .055
p=.65
Putting in these values in the above formula, I get my sample size to be 258.2016 or 258
(approx).
Hence my sample size is 203.
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RESEARCH OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY
I. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objectives of this study are as follow:

1. To study the consumer behavior about Bikano Namkeens.
2. Conclusions and Recommendations to the company on the basis of analysis done and
consumers surveyed.
B. STRATIFIED RANDOM SAMPLING DESIGN
II. METHODOLOGY
The methodology adopted for collecting data and sample design is given below:
COLLECTION OF DATA
For collecting Primary Data from the users, a questionnaire was designed. This questionnaire
was administered to the consumers who already have taken life insurance policy & some random
population. Sample questionnaire is attached below.
SAMPLE SIZE: 203
SURVEY AREA: DELHI
MODE OF SURVEY: PERSONALISED INTERVIEWS.
C. TIME FRAME: 15th March to 30th April
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DATA
ANALYSIS
53 | P a g e
Personal details:
ii) Age
Age Frequency Percentage

18-24 84 41
24-34 60 30
35-44 54 26
45-54 4 2
55& above 2 1
Total 203 100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
18-24 24-34 35-44 45-54 55& above
INTERPRETATION:
Here it can be see that almost 41% of respondent are of age group 18-24. Beyond
that 30% respondent are of age group 24-34 and 26% respondents are of age group
35-44. While a very few respondents out of total number of respondents fall under
remaining age groups.
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iii) Gender
Gender Frequency Percentage
Male 109 54
Female 94 46
Total 203 100
Gender
46
54
Male
Female
Interpretation:
Here, majority of respondents amongst the sample size of 203 is male.
46% respondents were female.
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iv) Marital Status
Marital status Frequency Percentage
Unmarried 127 63
Married 75 37
Others 1 0
Total 203 100
Marital status
0
37
Unmarried
63 Married
Others
Interpretation:
Here, majority of respondents amongst the sample size of 203 is unmarried ie 63%.
And only 37% respondents were married.
.
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v) Occupation
Occupation Frequency Percentage
Student 15 7
Govt service 58 29
Private service 83 41
Home maker 35 17
Self employed 8 4
Other 4 2
Total 203 100
Occupation
4 2 7
17 Student
29
Govt service
Private service
Home maker
41
Self employed
Other
Interpretation:
Here majority of people who were surveyed, belong to private service, 29 %
respondents belong to government service and 17% respondents were home maker.
While a few of the sample of 203 fall under the category of student and others.
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vi) Household Income
Income Frequency Percentage
2-5 lacs 27 13
5-10 lacs 57 28
10-15 lacs 60 30
15-20 lacs 48 24
20 & above 9 4
Total 203 100
30
25
20
15
10
0
2-5 lacs 5-10 lacs 10-15 lacs 15-20 lacs 20 & above
Interpretation:
Majority of people, who were surveyed, had their annual household income in the
range of 10-15 lacks. Approximately 28 % of the respondents fall under the range
of 5-10 lacks, 24% in the range of 15-20 lacks and very few had their income in
the range of 2-5 lacks and above 20 lacks.
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Ques. 1:Which type of car you prefer more?
Frequency Percentage
Sedan 84 41
Hatchback 36 18
Monster 18 9
SUV 65 32
Total 203 100
Which type of car you prefer

more?
32
41
Sedan
Hatchback
9 Monster
18 SUV
Interpretation:
A majority of respondents prefer to have sedan, 32% ,18% and 9% of the
respondents prefer to have SUV, hatchback and Monster respectively.
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Ques. 2: How many cars do you have?
One 91 45
Two 71 35
Three 31 15
More than three 10 5
Total 203 100
How many cars do you have?
5
15
45 One
Two
Three
35
More than three
Interpretation:
45% of the respondents opted for just one car while 35% have opted for two cars
and very few opted for three or more cars.
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Ques. 3: Do you think it is essential to have a SUV?
Yes 115 57
No 88 43
Total 203 100
Do you think its is essential to have a

SUV?
43
57 Yes
No
Interpretation:
Majority of respondents said that it is essential to have a SUV.
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Ques. 4 Do you have SUV?
Yes 67 33
No 136 67
Total 203 100
Do you have SUV?
Yes
No
Interpretation:
Majority of respondents do not have SUV and only 33% of respondents have.
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Ques. 4a: If no, Are you thinking to purchase SUV in near
future?
Yes 86 63
No 50 37
Total 136 100
If no, are you thinking to purchase

SUV in near future?
37
Yes
63 No
Interpretation:
Majority of people who haven’t SUV are thinking to purchase SUV in near
future.
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Ques.5 Kindly specify your reason for purchasing SUV.
Requirement 55 32
Social Status 15 9
Fondness 49 29
Spacious 81 48
Distant Travelling 75 44
Perceived Safety 34 20
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Interpretation:
Major factors which influence the respondents to have SUV or to purchase
SUV in near future are Spacious , Distant Travelling and Requirement.
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Ques. 6 Which SUV brand you prefer?
Tata 37 18
Suzuki 24 12
Hona 77 38
Mahindra 77 38
Hyundai 35 17
Others 23 11
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Tata Suzuki Hona Mahindra Hyundai Others
Interpretation:
Approximately equal number of respondents who were surveyed opted that
they prefer to have SUV of Honda and Mahindra. 18% and 17% respondents
prefer to have Tata and Hyundai respectively and few opted for Suzuki and
other brand.
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FACTOR ANALYSIS
Overview
Factor analysis is used to uncover the latent structure (dimensions) of a set of variables. It
reduces attribute space from a larger number of variables to a smaller number of factors and as
such is a "non-dependent" procedure (that is, it does not assume a dependent variable is
specified). Factor analysis could be used for any of the following purposes:
 To reduce a large number of variables to a smaller number of factors for modeling
purposes, where the large number of variables precludes modeling all the measures
individually. As such, factor analysis is integrated in structural equation modeling (SEM),
helping create the latent variables modeled by SEM. However, factor analysis can be and
is often used on a stand-alone basis for similar purposes.
 To select a subset of variables from a larger set, based on which original variables have
the highest correlations with the principal component factors.
 To create a set of factors to be treated as uncorrelated variables as one approach to
handling multicollinearity in such procedures as multiple regression.
 To validate a scale or index by demonstrating that its constituent items load on the same
factor, and to drop proposed scale items which cross-load on more than one factor.
 To establish that multiple tests measure the same factor, thereby giving justification for
administering fewer tests.
 To identify clusters of cases and/or outliers.
 To determine network groups by determining which sets of people cluster together (using
Q-mode factor analysis, discussed below)
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A non-technical analogy: A mother sees various bumps and shapes under a blanket at the
bottom of a bed. When one shape moves toward the top of the bed, all the other bumps and
shapes move toward the top also, so the mother concludes that what is under the blanket is a
single thing, most likely her child. Similarly, factor analysis takes as input a number of
measures and tests, analogous to the bumps and shapes. Those that move together are considered
a single thing, which it labels a factor. That is, in factor analysis the researcher is assuming that
there is a "child" out there in the form of an underlying factor, and he or she takes simultaneous
movement (correlation) as evidence of its existence. If correlation is spurious for some reason,
this inference will be mistaken, of course, so it is important when conducting factor analysis that
possible variables which might introduce spuriousness, such as anteceding causes, be included in
the analysis.
Factor analysis is part of the multiple general linear hypothesis (MLGH) family of procedures
and makes many of the same assumptions as multiple regression: linear relationships, interval or
near-interval data, untruncated variables, proper specification (relevant variables included,
extraneous ones excluded), lack of high multicollinearity, and multivariate normality for
purposes of significance testing. Factor analysis generates a table in which the rows are the
observed raw indicator variables and the columns are the factors or latent variables which
explain as much of the variance in these variables as possible. The cells in this table are factor
loadings, and the meaning of the factors must be induced from seeing which variables are most
heavily loaded on which factors. This inferential labeling process can be fraught with difficulty
as diverse researchers impute different labels.
There are several different types of factor analysis, with the most common being principal
components analysis (PCA). However, principal axis factoring (PAF), also called common factor
analysis, is preferred for purposes of confirmatory factory analysis in structural equation
modeling.
Key Concepts and Terms
 Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) seeks to uncover the underlying structure of a

relatively large set of variables. The researcher's à priori assumption is that any indicator
may be associated with any factor. This is the most common form of factor analysis.
There is no prior theory and one uses factor loadings to intuit the factor structure of the
data.
 Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) seeks to determine if the number of factors

and the loadings of measured (indicator) variables on them conform to what is expected
on the basis of pre-established theory. Indicator variables are selected on the basis of
prior theory and factor analysis is used to see if they load as predicted on the expected
number of factors. The researcher's à priori assumption is that each factor (the number
and labels of which may be specified à priori ) is associated with a specified subset of
indicator variables. A minimum requirement of confirmatory factor analysis is that one
hypothesize beforehand the number of factors in the model, but usually also expectations
about which variables will load on which factors (Kim and Mueller, 1978b: 55). The
researcher seeks to determine, for instance, if measures created to represent a latent
variable really belong together.
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 Factors and components: Both are the dimensions (or latent variables)
identified with clusters of variables, as computed using factor analysis. Technically
speaking, factors (as from PFA -- principal factor analysis, a.k.a. principal axis factoring,
a.k.a. common factor analysis) represent the common variance of variables, excluding
unique variance, and is thus a correlation-focused approach seeking to reproduce the
intercorrelation among the variables. By comparison, components (from PCA - principal
components analysis) reflect both common and unique variance of the variables and may
be seen as a variance-focused approach seeking to reproduce both the total variable
variance with all components and to reproduce the correlations. PCA is far more common
than PFA, however, and it is common to use "factors" interchangeably with
"components."
68 | P a g e
Types of Factoring
 Principal components analysis (PCA): By far the most common form of factor
analysis, PCA seeks a linear combination of variables such that the maximum variance is
extracted from the variables. It then removes this variance and seeks a second linear
combination which explains the maximum proportion of the remaining variance, and so
on. This is called the principal axis method and results in orthogonal (uncorrelated)
factors.
 SPSS 11 procedure: Select Analyze - Data Reduction - Factor - Variables (input

variables) - Descriptives - Under Correlation Matrix, check KMO and Anti-image to get
overall and individual KMO statistics - Extraction - Method (principal components) and
Analyze (correlation matrix) and Display (Scree Plot) and Extract (eigenvalues over 1.0)
- Continue - Rotation - under Method, choose Varimax - Continue - Scores - Save as
variables - Continue - OK.
 Canonical factor analysis, also called Rao's canonical factoring , is a different

method of computing the same model as PCA, which uses the principal axis method.
CFA seeks factors which have the highest canonical correlation with the observed
variables. CFA is unaffected by arbitrary rescaling of the data.
 Principal factor analysis (PFA): Also called principal axis factoring, PAF, and
common factor analysis, PFA is a form of factor analysis which seeks the least number of
factors which can account for the common variance (correlation) of a set of variables,
whereas the more common principal components analysis (PCA) in its full form seeks the
set of factors which can account for all the common and unique (specific plus error)
variance in a set of variables. PFA uses a PCA strategy but applies it to a correlation
matrix in which the diagonal elements are not 1's, as in PCA, but iteratively-derived
estimates of the communalities (R2 of a variable using all factors as predictors; see
below).
 PFA and SEM: PFA is preferred for purposes of structural equation modeling
(SEM). PFA accounts for the covariation among variables, whereas PCA accounts for the
total variance of variables. Because of this difference, in theory it is possible under PFA
but not under PCA to add variables to a model without affecting the factor loadings of the
original variables in the model. Widaman (1993) notes, "principal component analysis
should not be used if a researcher wishes to obtain parameters reflecting latent constructs
or factors." However, when commonalities are similar under PFA and PCA, then similar
results will follow.
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Factor Analytic Data Modes
 R-mode factor analysis. R-mode is by far the most common, so much so that it is
normally assumed and not labeled as such. In R-mode, rows are cases, columns are
variables, and cell entries are scores of the cases on the variables. In R-mode, the factors
are clusters of variables on a set of people or other entities, at a given point of time.
 Q-mode factor analysis, also called inverse factor analysis , is factor analysis which
seeks to cluster the cases rather than the variables. That is, in Q-mode the rows are
variables and the columns are cases (ex., people), and the cell entries are scores of the
cases on the variables. In Q-mode the factors are clusters of people for a set of variables.
Q-mode is used to establish the factional composition of a group on a set of issues at a
given point in time.
The Q-mode has the special problem of negative factor loadings. In conventional factor analysis
of variables, a negative loading indicates a negative relation of the variable to the factor. In Q-
mode factor analysis, a negative loading does not have a clear meaning. One common approach
is to consider all cases with negative loadings as being in a cluster of their own.
Factor loadings
The factor loadings, also called component loadings in PCA, are the correlation
coefficients between the variables (rows) and factors (columns). Analogous to Pearson's r, the
squared factor loading is the percent of variance in that variable explained by the factor. To get
the percent of variance in all the variables accounted for by each factor, add the sum of the
squared factor loadings for that factor (column) and divide by the number of variables. (Note the
number of variables equals the sum of their variances as the variance of a standardized variable
is 1.) This is the same as dividing the factor's eigenvalue by the number of variables.
In SPSS, the factor loadings are found in a matrix labeled Factor Matrix if PFA is requested, or
in one labeled Component Matrix if PCA is requested, or one labeled Pattern Matrix if an
oblique rotation is requested.
The sum of the squared factor loadings for all factors for a given variable (row) is the variance in
that variable accounted for by all the factors, and this is called the communality. In a complete
PCA, with no factors dropped, this will be 1.0, or 100% of the variance. The ratio of the squared
factor loadings for a given variable (row in the factor matrix) shows the importance of the
different factors in explaining the variance of given variable. Factor loadings are on the basis for
imputing a label to different factors
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Communality
Communality, h2, is the squared multiple correlation for the variable using the factors as
predictors. The communality measures the percent of variance in a given variable explained by
all the factors jointly and may be interpreted as the reliability of the indicator.
When an indicator variable has a low communality, the factor model is not working well for that
indicator and possibly it should be removed from the model. However, communalities must be
interpreted in relation to the interpretability of the factors. A communality of .75 seems high but
is meaningless unless the factor on which the variable is loaded is interpretable, though it usually
will be. A communality of .25 seems low but may be meaningful if the item is contributing to a
well-defined factor. That is, what is critical is not the communality coefficient per se, but rather
the extent to which the item plays a role in the interpretation of the factor, though often this role
is greater when communality is high.
Communality for a variable is computed as the sum of squared factor loadings for that variable
(row). Recall r-squared is the percent of variance explained, and since factors are uncorrelated,
the squared loadings may be added to get the total percent explained, which is what communality
is. For full orthogonal PCA, the communality will be 1.0 for all variables and all of the variance
in the variables will be explained by all of the factors, which will be as many as there are
variables. In the communalities chart, SPSS labels this column the "initial" communalities. The
"extracted" communality is the percent of variance in a given variable explained by the factors
which are extracted, which will usually be fewer than all the possible factors, resulting in
coefficients less than 1.0. For PFA, however, the communalities for the various factors will be
less than 1 even initially. Communality does not change when rotation is carried out, hence in
SPSS there is only one communalities table.
Eigenvalues
Also called characteristic roots. The eigenvalue for a given factor measures the
variance in all the variables which is accounted for by that factor. The ratio of
eigenvalues is the ratio of explanatory importance of the factors with respect to the
variables. If a factor has a low eigenvalue, then it is contributing little to the explanation
of variances in the variables and may be ignored as redundant with more important
factors.
Thus, eigenvalues measure the amount of variation in the total sample accounted for by
each factor. Note that the eigenvalue is not the percent of variance explained but rather
a measure of "amount," used for comparison with other eigenvalues. A factor's
eigenvalue may be computed as the sum of its squared factor loadings for all the
variables. Note that the eigenvalues associated with the unrotated and rotated solution
will differ, though their total will be the same.
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Trace
Trace is the sum of variances for all factors, which is equal to the number of variables
since the variance of a standardized variable is 1.0. A factor's eigenvalue divided by the
trace is the percent of variance it explains in all the variables, usually labeled percent of
trace in computer output. Computer output usually lists the factors in descending order
of eigenvalue, along with a cumulative percent of trace for as many factors as are
extracted.
Factor scores
Also called component scores in PCA, factor scores are the scores of each case (row) on
each factor (column). To compute the factor score for a given case for a given factor, one
takes the case's standardized score on each variable, multiplies by the corresponding
factor loading of the variable for the given factor, and sums these products. The SPSS
FACTOR procedure saves standardized factor scores as variables in your working data
file. By default it will name them FAC1_1,FAC2_1, FAC3_1, etc., for the corresponding
factors (factor 1, 2 and 3) of analysis 1; and FAC1_2, FAC2_2, FAC3_2 for a second set of
factor scores, if any, within the same procedure, and so on. Although SPSS adds these
variables to the right of your working data set automatically, they will be lost when you
close the dataset unless you re-save your data.
Criteria for determining the number of factors
: A common rule of thumb for dropping the least important factors

from the analysis. The Kaiser rule is to drop all components with eigenvalues under 1.0.
Kaiser criterion is the default in most computer programs.
The Cattell scree test plots the components as the X axis and the
corresponding eigenvalues as the Y axis. As one moves to the right,toward later
components, the eigenvalues drop. When thedrop ceases and the curve makes an elbow
toward less steep decline, Cattell's scree test says to drop all further components after
the one starting the elbow. Scree plot example
: Some researchers simply use the rule of keeping enough

factors to account for 90% (sometimes 80%) of the variation.
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Rotation Methods: Rotation serves to make the output more understandable and is
usually necessary to facilitate the interpretation of factors. The sum of eigenvalues is not
affected by rotation, but rotation will alter the eigenvalues of particular factors.
No rotation is the default in SPSS, but it is a good idea to select a rotation method,
usually varimax. The original, unrotated principal components solution maximizes the
sum of squared factor loadings, efficiently creating a set of factors which explain as
much of the variance in the original variables as possible. The amount explained is
reflected in the sum of the eigenvalues of all factors. However, unrotated solutions are
hard to interpret because variables tend to load on multiple factors.
Varimax rotation is an orthogonal rotation of the factor axes to maximize the variance of
the squared loadings of a factor (column) on all the variables (rows) in a factor matrix,
which has the effect of differentiating the original variables by extracted factor. That is,
it minimizes the number of variables which have high loadings on any one given factor.
Each factor will tend to have either large or small loadings of particular variables on it.
A varimax solution yields results which make it as easy as possible to identify each
variable with a single factor. This is the most common rotation option.
Assumptions
inclusion of irrelevant variables in the correlation matrix being factored will affect, often
substantially, the factors which are uncovered. Although social scientists may be
attracted to factor analysis as a way of exploring data whose structure is unknown,
knowing the factorial structure in advance helps select the variables to be included and
yields the best analysis of factors. This dilemma creates a chicken-and-egg problem.
Note this is not just a matter of including all relevant variables. Also, if one deletes
variables arbitrarily in order to have a"cleaner" factorial solution, erroneous conclusions
about the factor structure will result. See Kim and Mueller, 1978a: 67-8.
-5) note that ordinal

data may be used if it is thought that the assignment of ordinal categories to the data do
not seriously distort the underlying metric scaling. Likewise, these authors allow use of
dichotomous data if the underlying metric correlations between the variables are
thought to be moderate (.7) or lower. The result of using ordinal data is that the factors
may be that much harder to interpret.
Note that categorical variables with similar splits will necessarily tend to correlate with
each other, regardless of their content (see Gorsuch, 1983). This is particularly apt to
73 | P a g e
occur when dichotomies are used. The correlation will reflect similarity of "difficulty"
for items in a testing context, hence such correlated variables are called difficulty
factors. The researcher should examine the factor loadings of categorical variables with
care to assess whether common loading reflects a difficulty factor or substantive
correlation. See the discussion of levels of data.
Linearity. Principal components factor analysis is a linear procedure. Of course, as

with multiple linear regression, nonlinear transformation of selected variables may be a
pre-processing step, but this is not common. The smaller the sample size, the more
important it is to screen data for linearity.
Multivariate normality of data is required for related significance tests. PCA and
PFA, significance testing apart, have no distributional assumptions. Note, however, that
a less-used variant of factor analysis, maximum likelihood factor analysis, does assume
multivariate normality. The smaller the sample size, the more important it is to screen
data for normality. Moreover, as factor analysis is based on correlation (or sometimes
covariance), both correlation and covariance will be attenuated when variables come
from different underlying distributions (ex., a normal vs. a bimodal variable will
correlate less than 1.0 even when both series are perfectly co-ordered).
(for PFA but not PCA): the unique factors should be uncorrelated with
each other or with the common factors. Recall that PFA factors only the common
variance, ignoring the unique variance. This is not an issue for PCA, which factors the
total variance.
assumption is not met, the "garbage in, garbage out" (GIGO) principle applies. Factor
analysis cannot create valid dimensions (factors) if none exist in the input data. In such
cases, factors generated by the factor analysis algorithm will not be comprehensible.
Likewise, the inclusion of multiple definitionally-similar variables representing
essentially the same data will lead to tautological results.
-high intercorrelations are not mathematically required, but

applying factor analysis to a correlation matrix with only low intercorrelations will
require for solution nearly as many principal components as there are original
variables, thereby defeating the data reduction purposes of factor analysis. On the other
hand, too high intercorrelations may indicate a multicollinearity problem and colinear
terms should be combined or otherwise eliminated prior to factor analysis. KMO
statistics may be used to address multicollinearity in a factor analysis, or data may first
be screened using VIF or tolerance in regression.
74 | P a g e
t have face validity and/or be rooted in theory.
It is notoriously difficult to assign valid meanings to factors. A recommended practice is
to have a panel not otherwise part of the research project assign one's items to one's
factor labels. A rule of thumb is that at least 80% of the assignments should be correct.
75 | P a g e
Factor Analysis
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
Fuel_efficiency 203 3.00 5.00 4.1429 .48163
Value_for_money 203 2.00 5.00 4.1034 .49165
Brand_Image 203 3.00 5.00 3.9458 .63870
Engine_capacity 203 3.00 5.00 3.5961 .64821
Engine_power 203 3.00 5.00 4.1379 .37322
Availability_of_diff_variants 203 3.00 5.00 4.0148 .57573
Safety 203 3.00 5.00 4.6502 .48832
Quality 203 3.00 5.00 4.3300 .48178
Resale_value 203 2.00 5.00 4.0837 .56101
Comfort 203 3.00 5.00 4.4581 .50929
Looks 203 3.00 5.00 4.6207 .56197
Service 203 3.00 5.00 4.1379 .42297
Maintainance 203 3.00 5.00 4.1921 .48496
Market_share 203 2.00 5.00 3.3793 .75712
Understanding_customer_needs
203 2.00 5.00 3.9901 .48737
Interiors 203 2.00 5.00 3.9901 .32987
Mileage 203 4.00 5.00 4.6946 .46172
Space 202 3.00 5.00 4.5693 .50633
Design 203 2.00 5.00 4.0049 .29006
76 | P a g e
KMO and Bartlett's Test
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .662

Bartlett's Test of Sphericity Approx. Chi-Square 2513.895
Df 171.000
Sig. .000
Kaiser –Meyer –Olkin (KMO)
The KMO measure of sampling adequacy is an index used to examine the appropriateness of
factor analysis. High values between (0.5 and 1) indicate factor analysis is appropriate. Values
below 0.5 imply that that factor analysis may not be appropriate.
In this case which is 0.662, hence above factor analysis is appropriate.
Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity
Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity is a test statistic used to examine the hypothesis that the variables are
uncorrelated in the population.
77 | P a g e
Total Variance Explained
Extraction Sums of Rotation Sums of Squared

Initial Eigenvalues Squared Loadings Loadings
% of Cumulative % of Cumulative % of Cumulative
Component Total Variance % Total Variance % Total Variance %
1 5.059 26.627 26.627 5.059 26.627 26.627 4.582 24.115 24.115
2 2.992 15.748 42.375 2.992 15.748 42.375 2.936 15.455 39.569
3 2.062 10.855 53.230 2.062 10.855 53.230 2.058 10.832 50.402
4 1.861 9.793 63.023 1.861 9.793 63.023 1.933 10.173 60.574
5 1.240 6.525 69.548 1.240 6.525 69.548 1.638 8.622 69.196
6 1.187 6.250 75.798 1.187 6.250 75.798 1.254 6.601 75.798
7 .872 4.589 80.387
8 .765 4.027 84.414
9 .702 3.695 88.109
10 .465 2.450 90.559
11 .378 1.992 92.551
12 .314 1.654 94.205
13 .270 1.421 95.626
14 .218 1.147 96.773
15 .193 1.015 97.788
16 .151 .797 98.584
17 .128 .671 99.256
18 .085 .447 99.702
19 .057 .298 100.000
78 | P a g e
The first panel gives the values based on initial eigenvalues.The Extraction Sums
of Squared Loadings group gives information regarding the extracted factors or
components.The “Total” column gives the amount of variance in the observed
variables accounted for by each component or factor.
The above Scree Plot explains the change in variation at each factor. The scree plot
suggests that the 6 factor solution contributes the larger part of the data since from
component number 7 the curve has become almost flat with a little change in the
variation contributed.
79 | P a g e
Component Matrixa
Component
1 2 3 4 5 6
Market_share .928
Service .854
Maintainance .824
Resale_value .802
Value_for_money .621
Quality .542 .318 -.354 -.430
Safety .315 .768
Engine_capacity .330 -.739 .373
Looks .734
Space .729 .351
Mileage -.506 .637
Engine_power .834
Understanding_customer_needs .453 .354 .599
Comfort .445 .585 -.344
Availability_of_diff_variants .315 -.569 -.553
Brand_Image -.459 .424 .565
Fuel_efficiency .562
Interiors .312 .359 .627 -.401
Design .460 .708
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.
a. 6 components extracted.
80 | P a g e
Rotated Component Matrixa
Component
1 2 3 4 5 6
Market_share .902
Service .884
Maintainance .717 .378
Resale_value .711 .402
Value_for_money .690
Brand_Image -.645 .491
Safety .789
Looks .778
Engine_capacity -.767 .384
Space -.451 .658 .315
Mileage -.524 .531 .338
Comfort .308 .682
Fuel_efficiency .606
Engine_power .565 .546 .368
Interiors .862
Understanding_customer_needs .719 .435
Availability_of_diff_variants .871
Design .843
Quality .476 .427 -.497
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.

Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.
a. Rotation converged in 19 iterations.
This is the table that is required to interpret or summarize the results. This table
reports the factor loadings for each variable on the factors or components after
rotation. Each number represents the partial correlation between the item and the
rotated factor.
81 | P a g e
Component Transformation Matrix
Compon
ent 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 .919 .058 .272 .266 .066 -.055
2 -.115 .966 .003 .137 .187 .006
3 -.305 -.231 .334 .679 .497 .184
4 -.165 .088 .846 -.174 -.446 .144
5 .014 .050 -.313 .518 -.639 .471
6 .147 .004 -.025 -.389 .326 .849
82 | P a g e
Component Transformation Matrix
Compon
ent 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 .919 .058 .272 .266 .066 -.055
2 -.115 .966 .003 .137 .187 .006
3 -.305 -.231 .334 .679 .497 .184
4 -.165 .088 .846 -.174 -.446 .144
5 .014 .050 -.313 .518 -.639 .471
6 .147 .004 -.025 -.389 .326 .849
Extraction Method: Principal Component

Analysis.
Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser
Normalization.
The factor transformation matrix describes the specific

rotation applied to our factor solution.
83 | P a g e
Above is the graphical representation of the variables in the component space.
84 | P a g e
FACTOR ANALYSIS INTERPRETATIONS
Respondents were asked to rate few attributes. They were requested to rate each
attribute on a scale of 1 to 5 where the ratings can be interpreted as under:
1 2 3 4 5
Not Important Slightly Average Important Very Important
Important
The 19 variables were reduced to 6 components (factors) on running factor analysis

through SPSS. These factors are free from redundancies.
After successfully running Factor reduction the next step is to interpret the results.
This is achieved by inspecting the pattern of high and low loadings of each of the
factors on the variables.
All the attributes with high values of factor loadings within a particular factor are
grouped into that particular factor. In this way factor analysis is done.
Factor 1 is called the “market value”. It consist of following attributes:
ATTRIBUTES FACTOR LOADING MEAN

Market share .902 3.3793
Service .884 4.1379
Maintenance .717 4.1921
Resale value .711 4.0837
Value for money .690 4.1034
Quality .476 4.3300
Mean for factor1=4.037, hence market share, service , maintenance , resale value , value
for money and quality has been given extermely importance by the people while
purchasing a SUV.
The highest value of factor loading for “market value” suggests that it is highly correlated with
the derived factor under which it falls.
85 | P a g e
Factor2 is called the “features”. It consists of the following attributes.

Safety .789 4.6502
Looks .778 4.6207
Space .658 4.5693
Mileage .531 4.6946
Mean for factor2 =4.6337, hence above attributes has been given importance by the people
while purchasing a SUV.
The highest value of the factor loading for “safety” suggests that it is highly correlated with the
derived factor under which it falls.
Factor3 is called the “priorities of customer”. It consists of the following

attributes.

Brand image .491 3.9458
Engine capacity .384 3.5961
Comfort .682 4.4581
Fuel efficiency .606 4.1429
Engine power .565 4.1379
Mean for factor3 =4.05616, hence above attributes has been given average importance by the
people while purchasing a SUV.
The highest value of the factor loading for “comfort” suggests that it is highly correlated with
86 | P a g e
Factor4 is called the “interiors”. It consists of the following attributes.

Interiors .862 3.9901
Understanding customer needs .719 3.9901
Mean for factor4 =3.9901, hence above attributes has been given slight importance by the
people while purchasing a SUV.
The highest value of the factor loading for “interiors” suggests that it is highly correlated with
Factor5 is called the “Availability of different variants”. It consists of the

following attributes.

Availability of different .871 4.0148
variants
Mean for factor5 =4.0148, hence above attribute has not been given importance by the people
while purchasing a SUV.
Factor6 is called the “Design”. It consists of the following attributes.

Design .843 4.0049
Mean for factor6 =4.0049, hence above attribute has been given extremely unimportance by
the people while purchasing a SUV.
87 | P a g e
Ques. 8 : Are you aware of Mahindra SUV?
Yes 165 81
No 38 19
Total 136 100
Are you aware of Mahindra SUV?
19
Yes
No
81
Interpretation:
Majority of respondents were aware of Mahindra SUV’S .Few respondents were
unaware.
88 | P a g e
Ques. 9: How you come to know about Mahindra SUV?
Internet 73 42
Television 93 53
Magazine 58 33
Newspaper 55 32
Word of mouth 53 30
Exhibition 15 9
Others 22 13
How you come to know about Mahindra

SUV?
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Interpretation:
A majority 53% of respondents opted television is the main source by which
respondents come to know about Mahindra SUV’S.42% opted internet as the
second main source.
89 | P a g e
Ques10. In the past month, how frequently you have seen
the advertisement of Mahindra SUV?
Haven’t seen Occasionally Regularly

Television 54% 30% 16%
Internet 36% 42% 22%
Magazine 27% 49% 24%
Newspaper 36% 39% 25%
100%
80%
60% Regularly
Occasionally
40% Haven’t seen
20%
0%
Television Internet Magazine Newspaper
Interpretation:
Above figure shows how often they had saw the advertisement of Mahindra
SUV’S
90 | P a g e
Ques11: Please answer the following.
Yes Somewhat No Can’t say
Was advt 26% 53% 11% 10%
appealing?
Will you like to 28% 20% 23% 29%
talk to someone
abt this advt?
Do you have 33% 31% 11% 25%
positive response
to the advt?
Would you like 32% 16% 23% 29%
to see similar
advt. in future?
Are you more 17% 23% 23% 37%
likely to buy
Mahindra SUV
now?
60%
50%
40%
30% Yes
20% Somewhat
10% No
0% Can’t say
Was advt Will you like Do you have Would you Are you
appealing? to talk to positive like to see more likely
someone abt response to similar advt. to buy
this advt? the advt? in future? Mahindra
SUV now?
Interpretation:
Out of people who were surveyed, majority of people said that advertisement is somewhat
appealing and most probably they will not talk about advertisement with others. Although mostly
people have positive response towards the advertisement and like to see the similar
advertisement in future but respondents were not clear whether they are more likely to purchase
Mahindra SUV or no
91 | P a g e
Ques. 12: Do you have a Mahindra SUV?
Yes 23 34
No 44 66
Total 67 100
Do you have a Mahindra SUV?
34
Yes
66 No
Interpretation:
Out of respondents which have SUV, only 34% respondents have Mahindra
SUV.
92 | P a g e
Ques13: What is the reason for not preferring Mahindra SUV?
Percentage
High price 33
Poor quality 13
High maintainance cost 27
Bad feedback from others 25
Lack of accessibility 26
Reason for not preferring Mahindra

Suv's
26 High price
33
Poor quality
25 High maintainance cost

13
Bad feedback from others
27
Lack of accessibility
Interpretation:
As seen from the pie chart, high price is major factor for not preferring
Mahindra SUV. Remaining factors such as high maintenance cost, bad
feedback from others and lack of accessibility were also the factors for not
preferring the Mahindra SUV’S
93 | P a g e
Ques14: What is the reason for preferring Mahindra SUV?
Factors Percentage
Brand image 50
Price 35
Quality 38
Design 53
Service 12
Well advertised 26
Resale value 18
Maintainance 38
Reason for preferring Mahindra SUV'S
38 50 Brand image
18 Price
26 35 Quality
Design
12 Service
38
Well advertised
53
Resale value
Maintainance
Interpretation:
Design and brand image are the main factors that had influence the
respondent to prefer Mahindra SUV’s over other brands.
94 | P a g e
Ques 15: Which Mahindra SUV you prefer to have or you have?
Percentage
Scorpio 33
Bolero 17
XUV 53
Xylo 14
Others 0
Which Mahindra SUV you prefer to

have or you have?
0
14
33
Scorpio
Bolero
XUV
53 17
Xylo
Others
Interpretation:
XUV is the most popular SUV of Mahindra as majority of respondents opted
for it.
95 | P a g e
Ques 16: What is the perception about Mahindra Suv?
Below average 20 10
Average 33 16
Good 125 62
Very good 25 12
Total 203 100
Perception about Mahindra SUV
12 10
16
Below average
Average
Good
62 Very good
Interpretation:
A majority as good as 62% found the Mahindra SUV’S as quite good. If the
company were to identify the pitfalls in their product and undertake remedial
measure, thus it will lead to more good word of mouth publicity.
96 | P a g e
Ques 17: Do you think Mahindra SUV able to attract today’s
generation?
Yes 48 24
No 59 29
Can’t say 96 47
Total 203 100
Do you think Mahindra's SUV's able

to attract todays generation?
24
47 Yes
No
29
Can’t say
Interpretation:
47% of the respondents said that Mahindra SUV’S able to attract today’s
generation
97 | P a g e
Ques 18: On a scale, 0 -10 where 0 means extremely unlikely and
10 means extremely likely, how likely is it you recommend
Mahindra SUV to your friend or your colleage?
Extremely 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Extremely
Unlikely- likely-
0 10
Percentage 1 2 5 24 20 12 18 8 6 3 1
25
20
15
10
Interpretation:
24% of the respondents said that it is 30% likely that they will recommend
Mahindra’s SUV’S to a friend or colleagues. However, few people even said
that it is extremely unlikely that they will not recommend to anyone else
because their expectation for Mahindra SUV’S was not very satisfactory.
98 | P a g e
RECOMMENDATION
1. Mahindra Company has to implement good customer relationship management

strategy that enhances customer satisfaction level.
2. The company can for the undertake R&D to improve the existing feature which field help
increase in the customer satisfaction.
3. The company should promote about the entire feature offered by it.
4. As majority of the customer give opinion that they are satisfied is the factor, services and
design of the product of the company should taken not only maintain the existing
standard but also enhance them.
99 | P a g e
CONCLUSION
1. Mahindra SUV’S has a very good market share in the DELHI and NCR for the SUV
segment.
2. The company is offering good services, which is reflected on the satisfaction of the
customer.
3. Majority of the customer are satisfied with the design, quality, low maintenance cost of
the vehicle.
4. Design and brand image are the main factors that had influence the respondent to
prefer Mahindra SUV’s over other brands.
100 | P a g e
Bibliography
 Philip Kotler 12th edition Marketing Management

 Marketing Research by Aaker
 www.mahindrabolero.co.in
 www.automobile.com
 www.mahindra&mahindra.com
 www.google.com
 www.indiaindustry.com
 www.marketingsurveys.com
101 | P a g e
QUESTIONNAIRE
I , Arshdeep kaur, a student of M.Sc Applied Operational Research, am doing a project of

“Mahindra & Mahindra ” as a part of my course curriculum. Project title:
“CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR for MAHINDRA SUV’S”.
I assure that all information given by you will be kept confidential.
Personal Details:
Name: ___________________________
Age:
- - - -54
Gender:
Marital Status:
Education:
-
Occupation:
- udent
Annual Household Income:
1. Which type of car you prefer more?
2. How many cars do you have?
3. Do you have a SUV?
102 | P a g e
4. Do you think it is essential to have a SUV?
4a. If no, Are you thinking to purchase SUV in near future?
5. Kindly specify your reason for purchasing SUV?

Spacious
Distant travelling perceived safety
6. Kindly rate the following ATTRIBUTES/SERVICES according to their importance

levels that influences or will influence your decision to purchase SUV.
1 2 3 4 5
Not Important Slightly Imp Average Important Very Important
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
6. Availability of d
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
103 | P a g e
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
16
1 2 3 4 5
17
1 2 3 4 5
18
1 2 3 4 5
19.Interiors
7. Which SUV brand you prefer ?
8.Do you have Mahindra SUV?
9. Which Mahindra SUV do you have or prefer to have ?
104 | P a g e
10. Are you aware of Mahindra SUV?
11. How do you come to know about Mahindra?
12.In the Past month, how many times have you seen the advertisement of Mahindra cars
in India?
3- Regularly
2- Occasionally
1- Haven’t seen
Tick what is appropriate according to you!!!!
S.No Media 3 2 1
1 TV
2 Internet
3 Magazine
4 Newspaper
5 Other
13. Please answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the following regarding the advertisement.
YES Somewhat Can’t NO
say
The advt. appealing to your eye?
Would you like to talk to someone else about this advt?
Did you have a positive reaction to the advt?
Would you like to see similar ads in future?
Are you more likely now to buy Mahindra car products?
105 | P a g e
14. Why do you prefer Mahindra car products instead of other brands? (You may
choose more than one)
Price
Brand Name
Service
Well Advertised
Design
15. What is your reason for not preferring Mahindra car products? (You may choose
more than one)
High Price
Poor Quality
Lack of accessibility
Bad feedback from others
Poor Quality
16. What is your perception about Mahindra’s car product?
17. Do you think that cars of Mahindra are capable to attract today’s generation?
18. On a scale of 1-10, where 0 means extremely unlikely and 10 means extremely
likely, how likely is it that you will recommend Mahindra bolero to a friend or
colleague ?
Extremely 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Extremely
Unlikely- likely-
0 10
19. Please give your suggestions regarding Mahindra SUV’S?
106 | P a g e

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Roll NO.

MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA

Name of the Student : ARSHDEEP KAUR

Date of Commencement of the Project : 15 th March 2012

Date of Submission of the Project : 30 th April 2012

Title of the Project : CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR

Name of the Organization : MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA

Project Mentor (Organization) : Mr. R.K CHAUHAN

This is to certify that the Project Report titled “ANALYSING THE

Prof. Preeti Wanti Srivastava

I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. (Mrs.) Preeti Wanti

Origin and Development of Operational Research

• Operations Research is the discipline of applying advanced analytical methods to

1. Formulation of the problem : It involves analysis of the physical system, setting

Some of the industrial /government / business problems which can be analyzed by

USES OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH

HSTORY OF MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA AUTOMOTIVE

M&M started its operation as a manufacturer of general-purpose utility vehicles. It assembled

Mahindra Bolero is one of the most successful and popular utility

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited launched Mahindra Scorpio as its

MAHINDRA RENAULT LOGAN

Mahindra & Mahindra Limited launched their latest Multi Utility

Performance Of Mahindra XYLO

DUAL HONOURS FOR CHAIRMAN MR. KESHUB MAHINDRA

SLEW OF HONOURS FOR MR. ANAND MAHINDRA

MAHINDRA RECEIVES AMITY HR EXCELLENCE AWARD

GLOBAL HR EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR M&M

M&M WINS BOMBAY CHAMBER GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN

GOLDEN PEACOCK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CORPORATE

BEST AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING SUPPLY CHAIN

HIGH RANKINGS FOR MAHINDRA

1954 Manufacture of Vehicles undertaken in collaboration with Kaiser Jeep

1962 Indigenous content of Jeep goes up to 70 per cent. To centralise manufacturing

1965 FC 150 Petrol Trucks introduced.

1971 Separate R&D section set up.

1979 The Government of India approves in principle, technical collaboration with

1986 CJ 640 DP Vehicle introduced.

1987 MM 540 DP metal Body Wagonette introduced.

1993 The Mahindra Armada was launched

Commercial production of the Ford Escort commenced at Nasik Plant. License

Decision about the elements of marketing

What is consumer behavior?

Why study Consumer Behavior?

Organizations: Businesses, Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations are all formal

The steps in the buyer decision process

Methods of information search

Internal search versus External search: Internal search involves retrieving

1. Encourage face-to-face dealings:

2. Respond to messages promptly and keep your client informed:

4. Have a clearly defined customer service policy:

The survey is a non-experimental, descriptive research method. Surveys can be

Busha and Harter provide the following list of 10 hints:

A questionnaire is a series of questions asked to individuals to obtain statistically

Questionnaire construction issues

 Completely unstructured - For example, “What is your opinion of

• Questions should flow logically from one to the next.

The formula for sample size calculation is:

Here, s=the sample size

interested in the population

e=the proportion of error we are prepared to accept

Take z=1.64 for 90% confidence

Hence my sample size is 203.

I. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objectives of this study are as follow: