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Study on Customer Preference

for Biscuits in India
[BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODOLOGY]

Ankit Singh | BRM | November 13, 2022

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INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

1.1 Introduction to Research

MEANING OF RESEARCH
The word “research”
originated from the old French
word “researcher” meaning to
search and search again. It
implies repeating a search for
something and implicitly
assumes that the earlier search
was not exhaustive and
complete in the sense that there is still scope for improvement. Research in common
parlance refers to a search for knowledge. It may be defined as a scientific and
systematic search for pertinent information on a specific topic/area. Research is the
art of scientific investigation. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English
defines research as “a careful investigation or inquiry, especially through search for
new facts in any branch of knowledge”. Redman and Mory define research as “a
systematized effort to gain new knowledge”. Some people consider research as a
movement, a movement from known to unknown. It is a voyage of discovery.
Research is a scientific approach to answering a research question, solving a problem,
or generating new knowledge through a systematic and orderly collection,
organization, and analysis of information with the ultimate goal of making the
research useful in decision-making. Systematic research in any field of inquiry
involves three basic operations-
1. Data collection refers to observing, measuring, and recording information.
2. Data analysis: It refers to arranging and organizing the collected data so that we
may be able to find out what their significance is and generalize about them.
3. Report writing: It is an inseparable part and an outcome of a research study. Its
purpose is to convey the information contained in it to the readers or audience.
In this context, legal research is defined as ‘systematic’ finding law on a particular
point and making advancements in the science of law. It involves a systematic search
of legal materials, and statutory, subsidiary, and judicial pronouncements. For making
advancement in the science of law, one needs to go into the ‘underlying principles or
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reasons of the law’. These activities warrant a systematic approach. An approach

becomes systematic when a researcher follows the scientific method. Research is
systematic because it follows certain steps that are logical in order. These steps are-
➢ Understanding the nature of the problem to be studied and identifying the related
area of knowledge.

➢ Reviewing literature to understand how others have approached or dealt with the
problem.
➢ Collecting data in an organized and controlled manner to arrive at valid decisions.
➢ Analyzing data appropriate to the problem.
➢ Concluding and making generalizations.

Thus, legal research is the process of identifying and retrieving information necessary
to support legal decision-making. It includes each step of a course of action that begins
with an analysis of the facts of a problem and concludes with the application and
communication of the investigation results. Characteristics of Research is a process
through which we attempt to achieve systematically and with the support of data the
answer to a question, the resolution of a problem, or a greater understanding of a
phenomenon. This process has eight distinct characteristics. Research…
1) Originates with a question or problem.
2) Requires a clear articulation of a goal.
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3) Follows a specific plan of procedure.

4) Usually divides the principal problem into more manageable sub-problem.
5) Is guided by e specific research problem, question, or hypothesis.
6) Accepts certain critical assumptions.
7) Requires the collection and interpretation of data in attempting to resolve the
problem that initiated the research.
8) Is by its nature, cyclical; more exactly, helical.

OBJECTIVES/PURPOSES OF RESEARCH
The principal objective or purpose of research in any field of inquiry is to add to what is
known about the phenomenon under investigation through the application of scientific
methods. The purpose of the research is the following-
i. Exploration
ii. Description
iii. Causal Explanation
iv. Prediction
Exploration: Exploration is finding out about some previously unexamined phenomenon.
It is particularly useful when researchers lack a clear idea of the problems they will meet
during the study. Through exploration, researchers –
• Develop concepts more clearly
• Establish priorities
• Develop operational definitions
• Formulate research hypotheses, and
• Improve the final research design.
Explorative studies tend toward loose structures to discover future research tasks. One
might think, for example, of initiating exploratory research in the following situations –
• Crime is increasing in the city at an alarming rate, the reasons for which remain
unknown. The problem is ambiguous and what is happening is to be cleared.
• A new product is to be marketed, but the manufacturer remains in worry if the product
will be accepted by the people or not.
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Description: Description refers to the data-based information-gathering activities. The

situations and events which are described through studies are referred to as descriptive
studies. Descriptive studies try to discover answers to the questions of who, what, when,
where, and sometimes how. A descriptive study may be feasible in the following cases –
• What are the characteristics of the people who are involved in city crime? Are they
young? Middle-aged? Poor?
• Who are the potential buyers of the new product? Men or women? Urban people or
rural people?
Causal Exploration: An explanatory study goes beyond description and attempts to
establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables. It explains the reason for the
phenomenon that describes the study observed. Thus, if a researcher finds that communities
having higher family sizes have higher child death, s/he is performing a descriptive study.
If a researcher is explaining why it is so and tries to establish a cause-and-effect
relationship, s/he is performing an explanatory study. Such studies are also called causal
studies. The following examples fit causal studies –
• Why people are involved in crime? Can we explain this as a consequence of the present
crisis in the job market? Or for lack of parental care?
• Will buyers be motivated to purchase the new product in a new container? Can
attractive advertisements motivate them?
Prediction: Prediction seeks to answer when and in what situations the event will occur if
it can be provided a plausible explanation for the vent in question. In addition to being able
to explain an event after it has occurred, it will be able to predict when the event will occur.
Hence, the research objective of a given research study may fall under either of the
following broad categories. To…
❖ Gain familiarity with a phenomenon or achieve new insights into it.
❖ Portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, situation, or group.
❖ Determine the frequency with which something occurs or with which it is associated.
❖ Test the causal relationship between two or more two facts or situations.
❖ Know and understand a phenomenon to formulate the problem precisely.
❖ Describe accurately a given phenomenon and test hypotheses about relationships
among its different dimensions.
Some others objectives of research may be spelled out as follows. To…
➢ Provide solutions to complex problems;
➢ Investigate laws of nature;
➢ Make newcomers;
➢ Develop new products;
➢ Save costs;
➢ Improve our life and
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➢ Human desires.

1.2 Research Methods

For a clear perception of research, one
should know the meaning of the scientific
method. The scientific method is the
pursuit of truth as determined by logical
considerations. The ideal of science is to
achieve a systematic interrelation of facts.
The scientific method attempts to achieve
this ideal by experimentation, observation,
logical arguments from accepted
postulates, and a combination of these three in varying proportions. The scientific method
is based on certain basic postulates which can be stated as follows. It…
✓ relies on empirical evidence,
✓ utilizes relevant concepts,
✓ is committed to only objective considerations,
✓ presupposes ethical neutrality,
✓ results in probabilistic predictions,
✓ is made known to all concerned through replication, and
✓ aims at formulating the most general axioms.
Thus, the scientific method implies an objective, logical and systematic method, i.e., a
method free from personal bias or prejudice, a method to ascertain demonstrable qualities
of a phenomenon capable of being verified, a method wherein the researcher is guided by
the rules of logical reasoning, a method wherein the investigation proceeds in an orderly
manner and a method that implies internal consistency.
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1.3 RESEARCH TYPES

It is beneficial if you can classify a research study under a specific category because each
category or type of research uses a specific set of procedures. There are two ways of
classifying research –
➢ One way is to classify research based on its purpose and
➢ The other is to classify research based on the method employed in the research.
Taking purpose as the basis of classification, research is considered to be three types –
Basic, applied (including Developmental research), and Evaluative. The other basis for
classifying research is the method it employs. The research method is characterized by the
techniques employed in collecting and analyzing data. Based on methods, research can be
classified as historical, descriptive, correlational, ex-post facto, and experimental.
Basic Research: When the solution to the research problem has no apparent applications to
any existing practical problem but only to the scholarly interests of a community of a
researcher, the research is called basic reach. Basic research attempts to generate and
expand the fundamental knowledge about the social world. It has no practical value or has
little impact on action, performance, or policy decisions. Basic researchers are more
detached and academic in their approach and tend to have their views. An example of pure
research is - a social researcher in a developed country who has investigated if there is any
relationship between religion and occupation. If we attempt to see if the relationship found
in developed countries is also present in developing countries, we are doing basic research.
Pure basic research is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to acquire new
knowledge without looking for long-term benefits other than the advancement of
knowledge. Strategic basic research is experimental and theoretical work undertaken to
acquire new knowledge directed into specified broad areas in the expectation of useful
discoveries. It provides the broad base of knowledge necessary for the solution of
recognized practical problems.
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Applied Research: Variously known as action research, operations research, social

research, and decision-linked research, is a type of research that covers a wide range of
social science areas. Applied research is inspired by the need for social action and aims at
finding a practical solution for an immediate problem of sociality making optimal use of
the available resources. The problem-solving nature of applied research means it is
conducted to reveal answers to specific questions related to action, performance, or policy
needs. An example that demonstrates what the applied research is - has been observed that
in Bangladesh, the proportion of women who are delivered through the Caesarian section
is very high. It is suspected that small height is one of the risk factors for difficult deliveries.
A study may therefore be conducted to verify if this is the case. Evaluative Research: It is
concerned with the evaluation of such occurrences as social and organizational programs
or interventions. Evaluative research attempts to-
• Assess implemented activities;
• Examine the effects of activities;
• Assess short-term effects;
• Determine the impact of a program, and
• Evaluate the success of the intervention.
The use of the principles of experimental design is fairly entrenched in evaluation research,
but other approaches have merged in recent years. An example is cited - Goiter is high, and
prevalent in many parts of Bangladesh. UNICEF, Bangladesh initiated a lipiodol injection
campaign in some selected Thana in 1989. After two years, the impact of this campaign
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was evaluated. The results were compared with another area where no such campaign was
launched.

Historical Research: It is that which utilizes historical sources like documents, remains,
etc. to study events or ideas of the past, including the philosophy of persons and groups at
any remote point in time. The purpose of historical research is to arrive at conclusions
concerning trends, causes, or effects of past occurrences. This may help in explaining
present events and anticipating future events.

Descriptive Research: It includes case studies, surveys, and fact-finding inquiries of

different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is a description of the state of
affairs, as it exists at present. The main characteristic of this method is the researcher has
no control over the variables; s/he can only report what has happened or what is happening.
Descriptive research studies deal with collecting data and testing hypotheses or answering
questions concerning the current status of the subject of study. It deals with the question
‘of what is of a situation. It concerns determining the current practices, status, or features
of situations. Another aspect of descriptive research is that data collection is either done by
asking questions from individuals in the situation (through questionnaires or interviews) or
by observation. The market study on people's choices is mostly descriptive research.

Correlational Research: Descriptive and historical researches provide a picture of events

that are currently happening or have occurred in the past. Researchers often want to go
beyond mere description and begin discussing the relationship that certain events might
have with one another. The most likely type of research to answer the relationship among
variables or events is called correlational research. It aims at determining the degree of
relationship between two or more quantifiable variables. Secondly, the relationship thus
determined could be used for making predictions. A high value of relationship, however,
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does not signify a cause-and-effect relationship which must be verified through

experimental study. This research is often conducted to test the reliability and predictive
validity of instruments used for division-making concerning the selection of individuals
for the likely success in a course of study or a specific job. Some authors consider this
research as a type of descriptive research since it describes the current conditions in a
situation.

However, the difference lies in conditions studies. A correlational study describes in

quantitative terms the degree to which the variables are related.

Ex-post Facto Research: There is some research where both the effect and the alleged
cause have already occurred and are studied by the researcher in retrospect. Such research
is referred to as Ex-post Facto (after the fact). Kerlinger (1973) defines Ex-post Facto
research as: “Systematic empirical inquiry in which the scientist does not have direct
control of independent variables because their manifestations have already occurred or
because they are inherently not manipulable”. Thus, in ex-post facto research or causal-
comparative research, the researcher has no control over the variables or s/he cannot
manipulate the variables (independent variables) which cause a certain effect (dependent
variables) being measured. Since this type of study lacks manipulation of variables, the
cause-effect relationship measured is only tentative. Some authors categorize Ex-post facto
studies into the category of descriptive research. Though it too describes conditions that
exist in a situation, it attempts to determine reasons or causes for the current status of the
phenomena under study. The procedures involved in this study are quite different from
those in descriptive research.

Experimental Research: We already know that correlational research can help establish
the presence of a relationship among variables but does not give us any reason to believe
that variables are causally related to one another. How does one find out if the
characteristics or behaviors or events are related in such a way that the relationship is a
causal one? Two types of research can answer this: (1) quasi-experimental research and (2)
experimental research. Experimental research is where participants are assigned to groups
based on some selected criterion often called treatment variable. Quasi-experimental
research is where participants are pre-assigned to groups based on some characteristic or
quality such as differences in sex, race, age, neighborhood, etc. These group assignments
have already taken place before the experiment begins, and the researcher has no control
over which people will belong to each group. The primary characteristic of experimental
research is the manipulation of at least one variable and control over the other relevant
variables to measure its effect on one or more dependent variables. The variable (s) which
is manipulated is also called an independent variable, a treatment, an experimental variable,
or the cause. Some examples of independent variables could be temperature, pressure,
chemical concentration, type of material, and conductivity. Experimental research will
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always have two or more groups for comparison on the dependent variables. It is the only
type of research that can establish truly cause and effect relations.

Some Other Types of Research

Analytical Research: In analytical research, the researcher has to use facts or information
already available, and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.

Quantitative Research: It is based on the measurement of quantity or amount. It applies

to phenomena that can be expressed in terms of quantity.

Qualitative Research: It is concerned with the qualitative phenomenon, i.e., phenomena

relating to or involving quality or kind. For instance, when we are interested in
investigating the reasons for human behavior (i.e., why people think or do certain things),
we quite often talk of “Motivation Research”, an important type of qualitative research.
This type of research aims at discovering the underlying motives and desires, using in-
depth interviews for the purpose. Attitude or opinion research i.e., research designed to
find out how people feel or what they think about a particular subject or institution is also
qualitative research. Qualitative research is especially important in the behavioral sciences
where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human behavior.

Conceptual Research: It is related to some abstract idea(s) or theory. It is generally used

by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.

Longitudinal Research: From the point of view of time, we can think of research either
as one-time research or longitudinal research. In the former case, the research is confined
to a single period, whereas in the latter case the research is carried on over several periods
Historical research, case study, and genetics comes under the longitudinal approach of
research.

Cross-Sectional Research: This type of study is designed to look at a variable at a

particular point in time. Longitudinal studies involve taking multiple measures over an
extended period, while cross-sectional research is focused on looking at variables at a
specific point in time. Experimental research and survey are examples of cross-sectional
research. Clinical or Diagnostic Research: Clinical or diagnostic research follows case-
study methods or in-depth approaches to reach the basic causal relations. Such studies
usually go deep into the causes of things or events that interest us, using very small samples
and very deep probing data-gathering devices.

Baseline/Benchmark Survey/Research: A baseline survey is a research in which data on

pre-project socio-economic and business aspects are generated to facilitate the assessment
of the future impact of project intervention. A baseline survey is conducted in the absence
of available published data on various socio-economic and business aspects.
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Impact Assessment: The research, which is undertaken to measure the quantitative

benefits derived out of project intervention and qualitative changes that occurred due to
project intervention, is known as impact assessment research. This type of research also
provides information for identifying the negative impact of the project.

Feasibility Studies: This type of research is undertaken before starting any business
enterprise or any business-related project. This type of research is done to assess the
technical, economic, market, and financial viability of the project. The issue of whether the
project is socially desirable and environmentally acceptable is also taken into
consideration.

Research can also be classified as conclusion-oriented and decision-oriented. While doing

conclusion-oriented research, a researcher is free to pick up a problem, redesign the inquiry
as s/he proceeds, and is prepared to conceptualize as s/he wishes. Decision-oriented
research is always for the need of a decision maker and the researcher in this case is not
free to embark upon research according to his/her inclination. Operations research is an
example of decision-oriented research since it is a scientific method of providing executive
departments with a quantitative basis for decisions regarding operations under their control.

1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

What is the research methodology?
Research methodology is a way of
explaining how a researcher intends to
carry out their research. It's a logical,
systematic plan to resolve a research
problem. A methodology details a
researcher's approach to the research to
ensure reliable, valid results that address
their aims and objectives. It encompasses what data they're going to collect and where
from, as well as how it's being collected and analyzed.

Why is a research methodology important?

A research methodology gives research legitimacy and provides scientifically sound
findings. It also provides a detailed plan that helps to keep researchers on track,
making the process smooth, effective, and manageable. A researcher's methodology
allows the reader to understand the approach and methods used to reach conclusions.

Having a sound research methodology in place provides the following benefits:

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✓ Other researchers who want to replicate the research have enough information to
do so.
✓ Researchers who receive criticism can refer to the methodology and explain their
approach.
✓ It can help provide researchers with a specific plan to follow throughout their
research.
✓ The methodology design process helps researchers select the correct methods for
the objectives.
✓ It allows researchers to document what they intend to achieve with the research
from the outset.

Types of research methodology

When designing a research methodology, a researcher has several decisions to make.

One of the most important is which data methodology to use, qualitative, quantitative,
or a combination of the two. No matter the type of research, the data gathered will be
as numbers or descriptions, and researchers can choose to focus on collecting words,
numbers, or both.

Here are the different methodologies and their applications:

Qualitative

Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing written or spoken words and
textual data. It may also focus on body language or visual elements and help to create
a detailed description of a researcher's observations. Researchers usually gather
qualitative data through interviews, observation, and focus groups using a few
carefully chosen participants.

This research methodology is subjective and more time-consuming than using

quantitative data. Researchers often use a qualitative methodology when the aims and
objectives of the research are exploratory. For example, when they perform research
to understand human perceptions regarding an event, person, or product.

Quantitative

Researchers usually use a quantitative methodology when the objective of the research
is to confirm something. It focuses on collecting, testing, and measuring numerical
data, usually from a large sample of participants. They then analyze the data using
statistical analysis and comparisons. Popular methods used to gather quantitative data
are:

• Surveys
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• Questionnaires

• Test

• Databases

• Organizational records

This research methodology is objective and is often quicker as researchers use

software programs when analyzing the data. An example of how researchers could use
a quantitative methodology is to measure the relationship between two variables or
test a set of hypotheses.

Mixed-method

This contemporary research methodology combines quantitative and qualitative

approaches to provide additional perspectives, create a richer picture and present
multiple findings. The quantitative methodology provides definitive facts and figures,
while the qualitative provides a human aspect. This methodology can produce
interesting results as it presents exact data while also being exploratory.

Types of sampling design in research methodology

When creating a sample design, a researcher decides from whom or what they'll collect
data. They also choose the techniques and procedures they'll use to select items or
individuals for the sample. Several types of sample design fall into two main
categories:

Probability sampling

This sampling method uses a random sample from the pool of people or items you're
interested in, called the population, and is random or chance sampling. Every person
or item in the population has an equal chance of being selected. Using this method is
the best way to get a truly representative sample, and researchers can generalize the
study's results to the entire population.

Nonprobability sampling

Nonprobability sampling is not random, as the researcher deliberately selects people

or items for the sample. Researchers also refer to this method as deliberate,
judgmental, or purposive. Every person or item in the population doesn't have an equal
chance of being selected, and the results are typically not generalizable to the entire
population.
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Common data collection methods

Once a researcher has finalized their population sample, they need to decide how to
collect data. There are several options for data collection, and the best research method
to use will depend on the research topic, methodology, type of data, and population
sample.

Although there are many ways to collect data, people often broadly group them in
these ways:

• Interviews: Researchers can carry out interviews in a structured, semi-structured,

or unstructured format, depending on how formal the questions are.

• Surveys: Surveys can be online or in-person and have either free-answer, essay-
style questions, or closed, multiple-choice style questions. Depending on the data
required, a survey could also use a mixture.

• Focus groups: Focus groups have interviewees give their thoughts, opinions,
perspectives, and perceptions on specific topics. A moderator usually leads the
group to help guide the discussion and ensure everyone has a chance to share their
thoughts.

• Observations: Direct observation involves observing the spontaneous behavior of

participants without interference from the researcher, while participant observation
is more structured, and the researcher interacts with the participants.

• Documents and records: Researchers collect data such as published reports and
official documents of international bodies, government agencies, or private
institutes and internal records such as employees' payroll, raw material quantities,
and cash receipts.

Common data analysis methods

Researchers use different data analysis methods depending on whether the data is
qualitative or quantitative. For example:

Qualitative data analysis

Qualitative data is usually in spoken or written information, such as interview

transcripts, video, and audio recordings, notes, images, and text documents.
Qualitative data analysis involves identifying common patterns in participants'
responses and critically analyzing them to achieve research aims and objectives.
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The most commonly used qualitative data analysis methods are:

• Content analysis: This is one of the most common methods used to analyze
documented information and is usually used to analyze interviewees' responses.

• Narrative analysis: Researchers use this method to analyze content from several
sources, including interviews, observations, and surveys. It focuses on using
people's stories and experiences to answer research questions.

• Discourse analysis: This method analyzes spoken or written language in its social
context and aims to understand how people use language in day-to-day situations.

• Grounded theory: This method uses qualitative data to discover or construct a

theory explaining why something happened. It uses a comparative analysis of data
from similar cases in different settings to derive explanations.

Quantitative data analysis

Quantitative data analysis involves turning numbers into meaningful data by applying
rational and critical thinking. Most researchers use analytical software to assist with
quantitative data analysis. The first stage of analyzing quantitative data is validating,
editing, and coding. Once completed, the data is ready for analysis.

The most commonly used quantitative data analysis methods are:

• Descriptive analysis: This method uses descriptive statistics like mean, median,
mode, percentage, frequency, and range to find patterns.

• Inferential analysis: This method shows the relationships between multiple

variables using correlation, regression, and variance analysis.

Factors to consider when choosing a research methodology

Here are some factors to consider when choosing a research methodology:

• The research objective: Consider the research project objective. When researchers
know what information, they require at the end of the project to meet their
objectives, it helps them select the correct methodology and research method.

• Significance of statistics: Another factor to consider is whether you require

concise, data-driven research results and statistical answers. Or whether the
research questions require an understanding of reasons, perceptions, opinions, and
motivations.
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• Nature of the research: If the aims and objectives are exploratory, the research
will probably require qualitative data collection methods. However, the research
will require quantitative data collection methods if the aims and objectives are to
measure or test something.

• Sample size: How big does the sample need to be to answer the research questions
and meet the objectives? The sample size can determine your data-gathering
methods, such as whether to use in-person interviews or smaller samples or online
surveys for larger ones.

• Time available: If there are time constraints, consider techniques like random or
convenience sampling and tools that allow for data collection in a few days. If
there's more time available for data collection, in-person interviews and
observations are possible.
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2
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY LAB

2.1 HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

Hardware: Intel or AMD processor running at 1GHz or higher

Memory: 512MB RAM 158 recommended

Minimum free drive space: 450MB CD-ROM drive

Super VGA (800x600) or a higher-resolution monitor

For connecting with SPSS Statistics Base Server, a network adapter running the TCP/IP
network protocol

Software: Internet Explorer 6 or above

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2.2 SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

Windows:

Operating system:
• Windows 7 (SP 1), Windows 8, Windows 10 (32-Bit-or 64-Bit-Version each)
Configuration:
• Processor with 2GHz or higher.
• 4 GB RAM or more, for 64-bit clients at least 8 GB.
• 4 GB free hard disk space
Display:
• 1024*768 or higher

Mac:
Operating system:
• macOS Sierra 10.12 and higher
Configuration:
• Processor with 1,6 GHz or higher.
• 8 GB RAM or more.
• 4 GB free hard disk space.
Display:
• 1024*768 or higher
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2.3 INTRODUCTION TO SPSS

Data analysis is one of the most flourishing fields
right now as businesses around the world are trying
to make sense of their data. However, there are
several data analysis tools available in the market. In
this article, we are going to discuss the Statistical
Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS): one of the
most-used statistical analysis tools.
In this article, we’re going to explore:
o Overview of SPSS
o Functions of SPSS
o Benefits of SPSS
o Limitation of SPSS

2.3.1 Overview of SPSS

What is SPSS Software?

It is a suite of software programs that analyzes scientific data related to the social
sciences. SPSS offers a fast-visual modeling environment that ranges from the smallest
to the most complex models. The data obtained from SPSS is used for surveys, data
mining, market research, etc.
SPSS was originally launched in 1968 by SPSS Inc., and IBM acquired it in 2009.
SPSS is popular because of its simplicity, easy-to-follow command language, and well-
documented user manual. Government entities, educational institutions, survey
companies, market researchers, marketing organizations, health researchers, data
miners, and many others use it for analyzing survey data.

What are the Core Features of SPSS?

The core functionalities offered in SPSS are:

• Statistical program for quantitative data analysis – It includes frequencies, cross-

tabulation, and bivariate statistics.
• Modeler program that allows for predictive modeling. It enables researchers to
build and validate predictive models using advanced statistical procedures.
• Text analysis helps you derive insights from qualitative inputs through open-ended
questionnaires.
• Visualization Designer allows researchers to use their data for a variety of visual
representations.
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Apart from the above four functionalities, SPSS also provides data management
solutions. Its data management solutions like FHIR enable researchers to perform case
selection, create derived data, and perform file reshaping.

SPSS features that make it a must-have analysis tool:

SPSS is a popular tool for research, experimentation, and decision-making. It is one of

the most widely used statistical software worldwide in the world for its attractive
features. Here are some of them:

1. Using SPSS features, users can extract every piece of information from files for the
execution of descriptive, inferential, and multiple variant statistical procedures.
2. Thanks to SPSS’ Data Mining Manager, its users can conduct smart searches,
extract hidden information with the help of decision trees, design neural networks
of artificial intelligence, and market segmentation.
3. SPSS software can be used to solve algebraic, arithmetic, and trigonometric
operations.
4. SPSS’s Report Generator feature lets you prepare attractive reports of
investigations. It incorporates text, tables, graphs, and statistical results of the report
in the same file.
5. SPSS offers data documentation too. It enables researchers to store a metadata
directory. Moreover, it acts as a centralized information repository about the data –
such as relationships with other data, its meaning, origin, format, and usage.

Statistical methods that can be leveraged in SPSS:

• Descriptive Statistics – It includes methodologies such as cross-tabulation,

frequencies, and descriptive ratio statistics.
• Bivariate Statistics – It includes methodologies such as means, nonparametric
tests, correlation, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
• Predicting numeral outcomes such as linear regression
• Methodologies such as cluster analysis and factor analysis which are great for
predicting for identifying groups

TWO SPSS TYPES YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

There are two SPSS types:

1. Variable View
2. Data View
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Variable View
➢ Name: It is a column field that accepts a unique ID that helps in sorting the

data. Some of the parameters for sorting data are name, gender, sex, educational
qualification, designation, etc.
➢ Label: It gives the label and allows you to add special characters.
➢ Type: It is useful to differentiate the type of data that is being used.
➢ Width: The length of the characters can be measured here.
➢ Decimal: It helps us understand how to define the digits required after the
decimal.
➢ Value: The user enters the value here.
➢ Missing: Data that is unnecessary for analysis will be ignored.
➢ Align: As the name suggests, it is for alignment-left or right.
➢ Measure: It measures the data that is being entered into the tools, such as
cardinal, ordinal, and nominal.
Data View
The data view is displayed as rows and columns. You can import a file or add data
manually.

1.1 SPSS BY INDUSTRY: USE CASES

SPSS statistics is one of the most commonly used statistical analysis tools in the business
world. Thanks to its powerful features and robustness, its users can manage and analyze
data and represent them in visually attractive graphical forms. It supports a graphical user
interface and command line, thereby making the software more intuitive.

SPSS makes the processing of complex data pretty simple. It is not easy to work with such
data, and it is also a time-consuming process.

Let us see four of the major industries where SPSS is primarily used.
1. Market Research
Businesses want actionable insights using which they can make tough and effective
business decisions. There are tonnes of data generated by businesses, and scanning them
manually is not the right way to analyze them.
22

• For market researchers who are looking for a reliable solution that will help them
understand their data, analyze trends, forecast, plan, and arrive at conclusions, SPSS
is the best tool out there.
• By using sophisticated statistical analyses, SPSS helps market researchers get
actionable insights from your customer data. Thanks to its powerful survey data
analysis technology, it is possible to get accurate information about market trends.
• Perceptual mapping, preference scaling, predictive analysis, statistical learning, and
a bunch of other advanced tools such as stratified, clustered, and multistage
sampling help with the decision-making process.
2. Education
Educational institutions have to bear the pressure of enrolling students and retaining them
each year. Not to mention the fact that they need to attract new students every year. This is
where SPSS comes in.
• More than 80% of all US colleges are currently using SPSS software.

• SPSS software’s ability to focus on patterns lets them identify the chances of a
student’s future success. It uses a combination of factors that tells them about
students who are at risk.
• The institution’s faculty can use SPSS software to analyze a plethora of complex
data sets to uncover hidden patterns.
3. Healthcare
We need to solve a lot of issues to provide great healthcare. In healthcare institutions,
outdated practices in patient delivery and misaligned incentives for caregivers are some of
the biggest issues. This is where analytics can be a lifesaver, literally at that. Applying
SPSS’ statistical analysis for healthcare delivery has several use cases.
• When it comes to the healthcare sector, the data of patients is sacrosanct. Not only
can wrong data result in terrible outcomes, but they are also timely, sensitive, and
instant.
• With the help of SPSS, healthcare organizations can implement a patient delivery
program using data. It will not only drive better patient outcomes but also reduce
the costs involved.
• For data sets that have complex relationships, univariate and multivariate modeling
techniques can be used.
23

4. Retail
The retail industry relies heavily on analytics for everything from initial stock planning to
forecasting future trends. Customers have a lot of leverage when it comes to retail products,
thanks to the advent of social media, forums, and review sites.
Customers are taking their decisions based on the brand’s reviews online. So, retail
businesses must give the best that can be offered. Thankfully, statistical analysis is a savior
for the retail industry.

• Retail businesses generate a lot of data and it needs to be collected, analyzed, and
converted into actionable insights. By using the data effectively with SPSS software,
businesses will end up providing excellent experiences for their customers.
• SPSS analysis lets retailers understand their customers, provide them with the right
solutions and deliver them using the perfect channels.
• From understanding how different segments of customers behave to why they make
certain buying decisions, everything can be found with the help of SPSS analysis.
• Using the previous spending and behavior patterns, SPSS statistics will profile
customers. By leveraging this data, it will come up with customer preferences and
give them an analysis of what makes customers turn from casual browsers into
shoppers.
5 Ways SPSS Predictive Analytics Benefits All Industries

1. Improves customer satisfaction

When businesses reduce the time taken to investigate fraud or can predict issues even
before they occur, customers are the ones who will benefit immensely from it.
With the help of SPSS Predictive Analytics, marketers can segment their offerings to
different sets of customers.
By doing so, customers will only get the right offers they are looking for, and such
personalization increases the satisfaction of customers.
2. Increases ROI
Predictive analytics increases the profitability and efficiency of an organization.
With predictive analysis, businesses will not indulge in activities that will not increase
their bottom line. Instead, they will concentrate on what is utmost necessary.
Consequently, they will reduce the costs involved in going after mundane activities.
3. Defend against risks effectively
Risks can be detrimental to the good health of businesses. They will concentrate more
on alleviating the risk rather than focusing on what’s pivotal at that point for the
organization.
24

With the help of predictive analytics using SPSS, businesses can identify the
vulnerabilities earlier so that they can find out which risks that are acceptable and which
are not.
4. Saves money
By using SPSS analysis, businesses can save a lot of money.
For example, customers in the banking and insurance industries saved more than $2.4
million as they thwarted a motor insurance fraud syndicate within four months of using
the SPSS tool.
5. Avoid problems before they happen
One of the biggest advantages of using SPSS software is its ability to predict the
frequency of operational failure or downtime.
Downtime has a significant impact on the bottom line of an organization and will affect
how customers perceive the brand.
SPSS software helps predict costly issues before they occur as it optimizes production
line uptime and decreases downtime.

2.3.2 Functions of SPSS

The core functionalities offered in SPSS are:

• Statistical program for quantitative data analysis – It includes frequencies, cross-

tabulation, and bivariate statistics.
• Modeler program that allows for predictive modeling. It enables researchers to build
and validate predictive models using advanced statistical procedures.
• Text analysis helps you derive insights from qualitative inputs through open-ended
questionnaires.
• Visualization Designer allows researchers to use their data for a variety of visual
representations.
Apart from the above four functionalities, SPSS also provides data management solutions.
Its data management solutions like FHIR enable researchers to perform case selection,
create derived data, and perform file reshaping.

SPSS features that make it a must-have analysis tool:

SPSS is a popular tool for research, experimentation, and decision-making. It is one of the
most widely used statistical software worldwide in the world for its attractive features. Here
are some of them:
25

6. Using SPSS features, users can extract every piece of information from files for the
execution of descriptive, inferential, and multiple variant statistical procedures.
7. Thanks to SPSS’ Data Mining Manager, its users can conduct smart searches, extract
hidden information with the help of decision trees, design neural networks of artificial
intelligence, and market segmentation.
8. SPSS software can be used to solve algebraic, arithmetic, and trigonometric operations.
9. SPSS’s Report Generator feature lets you prepare attractive reports of investigations.
It incorporates text, tables, graphs, and statistical results of the report in the same file.
10. SPSS offers data documentation too. It enables researchers to store a metadata
directory. Moreover, it acts as a centralized information repository about the data –
such as relationships with other data, its meaning, origin, format, and usage.

Statistical methods that can be leveraged in SPSS:

• Descriptive Statistics – It includes methodologies such as cross-tabulation,

frequencies, and descriptive ratio statistics.
• Bivariate Statistics – It includes methodologies such as means, nonparametric tests,
correlation, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
• Predicting numeral outcomes such as linear regression
• Methodologies such as cluster analysis and factor analysis which are great for
predicting for identifying groups

2.3.3 Benefits of SPSS

The statistical analysis tool makes it possible to import and export data files from other
programs. Some of its data handling procedures are excellent, as its ability to merge files,
no matter whether it is the same subjects and different variables or different subjects and
the same variables, is excellent.

In SPSS, users are not forced to work with syntax, even though syntax files can be saved
and modified as needed. When there are saved syntax files, it helps immensely with
documentation and also gives an idea of how the new variables were calculated and how
values that were missing were handled.

✓ It offers reliable and fast answers

✓ It’s dynamic and has useful tables and graphs
✓ Since it offers a wide variety of languages, a lot of people can access
✓ Effective data management
✓ Doesn’t require a lot of effort to start using the software
✓ Useful for both quantitative and qualitative data
✓ The chances of errors are little with SPSS
✓ One of the easiest statistical tools to analyze data
26

✓ SPSS users can select the graph type which matches their data distribution
requirement

2.3.4 Limitations of SPSS

One of the biggest disadvantages of using SPSS is that you cannot use it to analyze a big
data set. There are certain fields where there is a huge trove of data present. In such
industries, using SPSS might not be the best option out there.

If researchers collect data using faulty or biased methods, then the resulting statistical
analysis will not give the right answers. If the gap between the sample and the actual
population is negligent, then there is no issue. But if the difference is big, then it will
produce misleading data.

When researchers do not measure the exact thing they want to measure, the SPSS
analysis will not fail.

One more issue with using a statistical analysis tool such as SPSS is that it ends up giving
you simple answers for complex issues.

2.4 SCREENSHOTS & DESCRIPTION

2.3.1 Opening of SPSS
2.3.2 Details of Menu
2.3.3 Details of View
2.3.4 Preparation of Questionnaire
2.3.5 Data Collection
2.3.6 Coding of Data
2.3.7 Tabulation of Data
27

3
Study on Customer Preference for Biscuits in India

3.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC

Increasing health consciousness has led to biscuit

consumption across all age groups. Although the amount
of intake varies from person to person, its importance in
human nutrition has never been questioned. Biscuits
contain many nutrients, vitamins, and minerals,
including calories, proteins, and vitamins.
Approximately Rs.15,000 Cr is spent on the bakery
industry in India, one of the country's largest processed
food industries. Over 82% of all bakery products are
produced by the two major industries, biscuits and bread. In 2004-2005, bakery products
were made at a rate of 50 lakh tons with an estimated value of Rs.69 billion. The bakery
industry is characterized by low margins and high division. Growth is driven by volume,
brand loyalty, and strong distribution networks. Branded and non-branded biscuit
manufacturers compete fiercely today. As a means of retaining their existing customers
and attracting new ones, companies must determine the tastes and preferences of their
customers and the reasons for buying biscuits.

More about Biscuit:

Biscuits are baked foods made of flour and shaped into shapes. A biscuit is typically
unleavened and hard in most countries. In addition to sugar, chocolate, icing, jam, ginger,
and cinnamon, they are usually sweet. Also, they can be savory, like crackers. A biscuit
can be a sandwich biscuit, digestive biscuit, ginger biscuit, shortbread biscuit, chocolate
chip cookie, chocolate-covered marshmallow treat, Anzac biscuit, biscotti, or speculaas.

Almost all hard sweet biscuits are called "cookies" in North America, while "biscuits" refer
to a soft, leavened quick bread similar to a less sweet scone. Hard flour-based baked animal
feed can also be referred to as "biscuit".
28

In most of the world outside North America, a

biscuit is a small baked product that would be called
either a "cookie" or a "cracker" in the United States
and sometimes in Canada. Biscuits in the United
Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and Ireland are usually
hard and maybe savory or sweet, such as chocolate
biscuits, digestives, hobnobs, ginger nuts, rich tea,
shortbread, bourbons, and custard creams. The term
"cookie" typically refers to only one type of biscuit
(the sweeter baked dough typically containing chocolate chips or raisins); however, it may
also locally refer to specific types of biscuits or bread.

In the United States and some parts of Canada, a "biscuit" is a quick bread, somewhat
similar to a scone, and usually unsweetened. Biscuits may be referred to as either "baking
powder biscuits" or "buttermilk biscuits" if buttermilk is used rather than milk as a liquid.
A Southern regional variation using the term "beaten biscuit" (or in New England "sea
biscuit") is closer to hardtack than soft dough biscuits.

In Canada, the term "biscuit" can simultaneously refer to what is commonly identified as a
biscuit in either the United Kingdom or the United States. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary
describes each word about the other; "biscuit" can mean "Brit. a cookie", whilst "cookie"
can mean "N. Amer. a small sweet biscuit". "Tea biscuit" is also a standard Canadianism
for the "North American" biscuit.

Biscuits for travel

The need for nutritious, easy-to-store, easy-to-carry, and long-lasting foods on long
journeys, in particular at sea, was initially solved by taking live food along with a
butcher/cook. However, this took up additional space on what were either horse-powered
treks or small ships, reducing the time of travel before additional food was required. This
resulted in early armies' adopting the style of hunter-foraging.

The introduction of the baking of processed cereals including the creation of flour provided
a more reliable source of food. Egyptian sailors carried a flat, brittle loaf of millet bread
called dhourra cake while the Romans had a biscuit called buccellum. Roman cookbook
Apicius describes: "a thick paste of fine wheat flour was boiled and spread out on a plate.
When it had dried and hardened, it was cut up and then fried until crisp, then served with
honey and pepper."
29

Many early physicians believed that most medicinal

problems were associated with digestion. Hence, for
both sustenance and avoidance of illness, daily
consumption of a biscuit was considered good for
health.

Hard biscuits soften as they age. Early bakers attempted

to create the hardest biscuit possible to solve this
problem. Because it is so hard and dry, if properly stored
and transported, navies' hardtack will survive rough
handling and high temperature. Baked hard, it can be
kept without spoiling for years as long as it is kept dry.
Hardtack was baked four times for long voyages, rather
than the more common two. To soften hardtack for
eating, it was often dunked in brine, coffee, or some
other liquid or cooked into a skillet meal.

The collection Sayings of the Desert Fathers mentions that Anthony the Great (who lived
in the 4th century AD) ate biscuits and the text implies that it was a popular food among
monks of the time and region.

At the time of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the daily allowance on board a Royal Navy
ship was one pound of biscuit plus one gallon of beer. Samuel Pepys in 1667 first
regularised naval victualling with varied and nutritious rations. Royal Navy hardtack
during Queen Victoria's reign was made by machine at the Royal Clarence Victualling
Yard at Gosport, Hampshire, stamped with the Queen's mark and the number of the oven
in which they were baked. When machinery was introduced into the process the dough was
thoroughly mixed and rolled into sheets about 2 yards (1.8 m) long and 1 yard (0.9 m) wide
which were stamped in one stroke into about sixty hexagonal-shaped biscuits. This left the
sheets sufficiently coherent to be placed in the oven in one piece and when baked they were
easy to separate. The hexagonal shape rather than traditional circular biscuits meant a
saving in material and was easier to pack. Biscuits remained an important part of the Royal
Navy sailor's diet until the introduction of canned foods. Canned meat was first marketed
in 1814; preserved beef in tins was officially added to Royal Navy rations in 1847.

Confectionery biscuits

Early biscuits were hard, dry, and unsweetened. They were

most often cooked after bread, in a cooling bakers' oven;
they were a cheap form of sustenance for the poor.

By the 7th century AD, cooks of the Persian empire had

learned from their forebears the techniques of lightening
and enriching bread-based mixtures with eggs, butter, and
30

cream, and sweetening them with fruit and honey. One of the earliest spiced biscuits was
gingerbread, in French, pain d'épices, meaning "spice bread", brought to Europe in 992 by
the Armenian monk Grégoire de Nicopolis. He left Nicopolis Pompeii, of Lesser Armenia
to live in Bondaroy, France, near the town of Pithiviers. He stayed there for seven years
and taught French priests and Christians how to cook gingerbread. This was originally a
dense, treaclely (molasses-based) spice cake or bread. As it was so expensive to make,
early ginger biscuits were a cheap form of using up the leftover bread mix.

With the combination of knowledge spreading from Al-

Andalus, and then the Crusades and the subsequent spread of
the spice trade to Europe, the cooking techniques and
ingredients of Arabia spread into Northern Europe.
By medieval times, biscuits were made from a sweetened,
spiced paste of breadcrumbs and then baked (e.g., gingerbread),
or from cooked bread enriched with sugar and spices and then
baked again. King Richard I of
England (aka Richard the
Lionheart) left for the Third Crusade (1189–92) with "biskit of
muslin", which was a mixed corn compound of barley, rye, and
bean flour.

As the making and quality of bread had been controlled to this

point, so were the skills of biscuit-making through the craft
guilds. As the supply of sugar began, and the refinement and
supply of flour increased, so did the ability to sample more
leisurely foodstuffs, including sweet biscuits. Early references
from the Vadstena monastery show how the Swedish nuns
were baking gingerbread to ease digestion in 1444. The first
documented trade of gingerbread biscuits dates to the 16th century when they were sold in
monastery pharmacies and town square farmers’ markets. Gingerbread became widely
available in the 18th century. The Industrial Revolution in Britain sparked the formation of
businesses in various industries, and the British biscuit firms of McVitie's, Carr's, Huntley
& Palmers, and Crawford’s were all established by 1850.

Chocolate and biscuits became products for the masses, thanks to the Industrial Revolution
and the consumers it created. By the mid-19th century, sweet biscuits were an affordable
indulgence and business was booming. Manufacturers such as Huntley & Palmers in
Reading, Carr's of Carlisle, and McVitie's in Edinburgh transformed from small family-
run businesses into state-of-the-art operations.

— Polly Russell in the Financial Times, 2018.[24]

31

British biscuit companies vied to dominate the market with new products and eye-catching
packaging.[24] The decorative biscuit tin, invented by Huntley & Palmers in 1831, saw
British biscuits exported around the world.[24] In 1900 Huntley & Palmers biscuits were
sold in 172 countries, and their global reach was reflected in their advertising.[25]
Competition and innovation among British firms saw 49 patent applications for biscuit-
making equipment, tins, dough-cutting machines, and ornamental molds between 1897 and
1900.[24] In 1891, Cadbury filed a patent for a chocolate-coated biscuit.[24] Along with
local farm produce of meat and cheese, many regions of the world have their own distinct
style of biscuit due to the historical prominence of this form of food.

3.2 LITERATURE REVIEW

In this, we are going to study different research on similar topics by different researchers.

➢ A research study on “Consumers’ Awareness and Preferences towards Biscuits”

was conducted by Dr. R. S. Velmurugan (Assistant Professor of Commerce,
Karpagam University, Coimbatore) and Mrs. V. Suganthi (Assistant Professor of
Commerce, Vidyasagar College of Arts & Science, Udumalpet) on July 2013. The
researchers studied how consumers of all ages consume biscuits due to health
consciousness. Today, biscuit manufacturers face stiff competition from both
branded and non-branded companies. Manufacturers must identify the type of
biscuit that customers prefer and ascertain the factors that influence the type of
biscuit that customers prefer to succeed on the market, attract new customers, and
retain existing customers. This study was conducted in Pollachi Taluk of
Coimbatore District. A well-structured interview schedule has been used to collect
the data required for the study. The results of this study indicated that most
consumers prefer cream biscuits and that they watch television advertisements to
find out what biscuit brands are available. Most consumers consume biscuits daily
and prefer to buy them from bakeries. Moreover, children play an important role in
32

the purchase of biscuits. Consumers are familiar with Parle-G biscuits and prefer to
purchase them because of their quality.

➢ A research study on “A STUDY ON CONSUMER PREFERENCE TOWARDS

BRITANNIA BISCUITS IN MADURAI” was conducted by Dr. V. Suresh Babu
(Ph. D Research Scholar of PG & Research Department of Commerce, Mannar
Thirumalai Naicker College, Madurai) and G. Chinna Durai (Assistant Professor of
PG & Research Department of Commerce, Mannar Thirumalai Naicker College,
Madurai) on April 2016. The researchers studied how the present study is intended
to investigate the factor influencing consumer preference towards Britannia biscuits
regarding Madurai. The study also seeks to identify the degree to which consumer
preference varies with age, education, occupation, or other, characteristics.
Britannia biscuits, consumer satisfaction, brand, convenience sampling, BBCo,
dairy products. To analyze the profile of Britannia Biscuit Industries Limited,
Calcutta, and to recommend improvements to improve the preference of
consumers. India's biscuit industry started in the middle of the 19th century and
increased rapidly after the Second World War. There are more than 31 units in the
organized sectors and many small-scale sectors involved in biscuit production.
Britannia Industries Limited, with an investment of Rs. 295, started manufacturing
biscuits in 1918. It now produces over 1,00,000 biscuits annually and over 60,000
tons of bread and cake with 4 production units, over 5800 employees, and 21
franchise manufacturers. Consumers prioritize Price, Ingredients & Attractive
Packages while primary attention is given to increasing quality, adding nutrition,
and other energetic elements. The variability of preference towards Britannia
biscuits factors is very much, and it is concluded that preference is influenced by
personal and social factors. Consumer preference towards Britannia biscuits in
Madurai is high as a whole, and there is greater scope for Britannia Industries
Limited to market its product and create better preference among its consumers.

➢ A research study on “A STUDY ON CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR

TOWARDS BISCUITS” was conducted by Dr. Yashmin Sofat (Assistant Professor
of A.S. College, Khann), Dr. Sanjeev Kumar (Associate Professor of A.S. College,
Khann), and Amandeep (Student of Commerce, Vidyasagar College of Arts &
Science, Udumalpet) on June 2016. The researchers studied how as the king of
markets in the present competitive marketing environment, consumers play a
crucial role in the success of any business organization. Without consumers, a
company will not be able to reach its goals and run successfully. In strategic market
planning, consumer buying behavior has become an integral component. It is
helpful to characterize and differentiate the various perspectives on consumer
33

behavior to develop a framework for studying Bonn Biscuits’ consumer behavior.

It discusses various factors such as packaging, pricing, availability, quality, brand,
etc., that affect the behavior of customers when consuming biscuits. Additionally,
the authors shed light on how customer behavior is affected by the different
categories of different brands. An author administered a survey questionnaire to
100 customers as part of their research. Analyzing primary data using chi-square
and Likert scales has been the method of choice for analyzing the collected primary
data. Based on the Likert scale results, biscuit consumers are highly sensitive to
availability, brands, and quality.

➢ A research study on “A Comparative Study on Consumer Buying Behaviour

between Parle and Britannia” was conducted by Sayan Mukherjee (PRINCE SHRI
VENKATESWARA PADMAVATHY ENGG. COLLEGE), S. SATHIYA
NAVONA (Student of School of Management Adamas University, West Bengal)
Sourav Chatterjee (Student of School of Management Adamas University, West
Bengal) and Nilanjan Ray (Associate Professor of School of Management Adamas
University, West Bengal) on November 2018. A comparative study of Parle and
Britannia is conducted in this research. As part of the study, we will assess the
quality of Parle and Britannia biscuits available to consumers, determine awareness
levels and preferences among retailers and customers for various biscuit segments,
and find out how satisfied retailers are with Parle & Britannia's services, compare
companies (Parle, Britannia) based on retailer feedback regarding their services,
schemes, and practices. A total of 200 respondents provided primary data. As well
as consumers and retailers were surveyed in the city of Kolkata. The majority of
consumers consume Parle's glucose, cream, and crispy biscuits. Marie biscuits,
cashew biscuits, and butter biscuits are well received by Britannia consumers. Most
respondents (90%) are willing to recommend Britannia Good Day biscuits over
Parle-G to their friends and relatives after the major findings of the study.
According to the research, demographic variables such as age group, gender, and
occupation have less impact on customer satisfaction. As a result of the research,
most customers were satisfied with Britannia Good Day biscuits with respect to
their chosen factors compared to Parle's Parle-G biscuits.
➢ A research study on “CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ON PURCHASING DECISION
OF BISCUITS” was conducted by R. Vijayalakshmi (Ph.D. Research Scholar,
Department of Commerce, Alagappa University, Karaikali-04) and Dr. T. R.
Gurumoorthy (professor, Department of Commerce, Alagappa University,
Karaikudi-04 *Corresponding Author) on January 2019. Researchers studied how
this research aims to investigate the consumer's buying decision when it comes to
Fast Moving Consumer Goods. For a tea break in the morning and evening, biscuits
are a delicious food to enjoy. Since people consume a variety of biscuits, bread,
rusk, cakes, and dairy products, biscuits are moving fast on the market. The
consumer buying decision in biscuits must therefore be thoroughly studied.
34

Furthermore, the study reveals why people buy biscuits. As part of the study,
consumer buyer decision in purchasing Fast Moving Consumer Goods is examined,
especially in the case of biscuits, and also the level of customer satisfaction with
FMCGs products is examined. Using convenience samplings, the study was
conducted. A structured questionnaire is used to collect data from 40 respondents
who frequently consume FMCGs; collected data is analyzed using statistical tools
including simple percentages and Chi-Square tests.

➢ A research study on “A STUDY ON CUSTOMER PERCEPTION AND

SATISFACTION TOWARDS UNIBIC COOKIES about MEKA
ENTERPRISES” was conducted by R. PRIYANKA (PRINCE SHRI
VENKATESWARA PADMAVATHY ENGG. COLLEGE), S. SATHIYA
NAVONA (PRINCE SHRI VENKATESWARA PADMAVATHY ENGG.
COLLEGE) and MRS. S. RATHIKA (PRINCE SHRI VENKATESWARA
PADMAVATHY ENGG. COLLEGE) in 2019. The researchers studied how Today
the business environment is rapidly changing and companies need to know about
consumer's preferences & tastes. A study was undertaken to find out the perception
of consumers for purchasing Unibic cookies, the most preferred brands of cookie
products, and consumer satisfaction level regarding Unibic cookies. Customer
satisfaction measures how well products and services meet or surpass customer
expectations. Brand awareness is the degree to which consumers are familiar with
particular brands. Highly advertised brands are viewed as superior by consumers,
even if they contain the same ingredients or are manufactured in the same factory.
In consumer information processing, all the senses are engaged, and sensation,
attention, interpretation, and retention occur. Selective perception occurs when a
person lingers & gives mental processing capacity to a product or brand. The U.S.
food system is made up of farmers, industries that supply equipment and chemicals
to farmers, and marketing industries that link farms to consumers. The food
industry is highly diversified, with manufacturing ranging from small, traditional,
family-run activities to large, capital-intensive, and highly mechanized industrial
processes. The food industry has a large influence on consumerism, and
organizations such as the AAFP have been criticized for accepting donations.
Distribution centers can run more efficiently, throughput can be increased, costs
can be lowered, and manpower can be better utilized. Meka enterprises are one of
the whole selling/distributing companies that export Unibic Cookies to more than
10 countries, including Australia, North America, the UK & Europe, Asia, the
Middle East, and New Zealand. To know the perception of customers for
purchasing Unibic cookies, and to suggest suitable measures to improve customer
satisfaction. Vesna Zabkar explored the relationship between visitors' perceptions
of the quality of a tourist destination, satisfaction with their experience, and
35

behavioral intentions using structural equation modeling. A survey of 245 French

e-grocery customers reveals that they are interested in unattended delivery, but their
willingness to pay is not related to distance from the store, shopping duration, or
shopping pleasure. Christopher P. Holland, this paper provides an empirical
typology of online decision-making purchasing behavior. Four archetypes of online
consumers were introduced based on extensive video analysis. Unibic Cookies may
use innovative packaging methods, concentrate on the advertisement, and give
attractive gifts to kids. The field survey helps me acquire more practical knowledge
relating to the research, and this research project improves my analytical
knowledge. The research paper entitled, "A study on customer perception and
satisfaction towards Unibic cookies, " concluded that most customers were satisfied
with Unibic cookies.

➢ A research study on “A STUDY ON CONSUMER PREFERENCE OF

BRITANNIA BISCUITS IN PALAKKAD CITY” was conducted by Dr. P Kannan
(Assistant Professor & Research Guide of Sree Narayana Guru College) and Ms.
Srividya NR (Mphil Scholar Sree Narayana Guru College *Corresponding Author)
on March 2019. The researchers studied how Consumer perception helps the
company to end the consumer strategy, and the company focuses on the consumer.
Consumer satisfaction is satisfying in all means like product quality, product price,
quantity, promotion, Retailer's ship, etc. Britannia company industries are one of
the largest industries food industries in India. It is located in Kolkata, Delhi,
Chennai, and Mumbai. Britannia is used worldwide it used by all people. Her study
will analyze the consumer perception of the product based on the different age
groups and will help the company improve the service to the consumer. Benefits
are intangible, heterogeneous, and perishable and require a distinct framework for
quality explication and measurement. Mr. Zeithaml et al. (1993) explored the gap
between customer expectations and perceptions of service quality and proposed that
there are two comparison standards: desired service and adequate service. This
study assesses the diagnostic power of two service quality scales and finds that the
SERVPERF scale provides a more convergent and discriminating valid explanation
of the service quality construct. Consumer satisfaction and perception need in every
product in marketing. The company should care for the customers based on their
usage and satisfaction. This study used survey methods and a structured
questionnaire to analyze the consumer level of preference towards Britannia
products. The data was collected from both primary and secondary sources and was
analyzed using Percentage analysis and Garrett Ranking Method. A study was done
on 150 Britannia biscuits in Palakkad town to find out how consumers felt about
the biscuits. The study showed that 56.7% preferred the biscuits for their taste,
24.7% for their quality, 12% for their price, and 4% for their quantity. Consumers
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bought biscuits due to advertisements, discounts, samples, recharge coupons, and

Lucky draw. The majority eighty-five (56.7%) consumers preferred Britannia for
its taste, Ÿ Fifty-one (34%) of the biscuit consumers provided 100 to 150 (in Rs.)
per month Ÿ Vast majority i.e. one hundred and thirty-one (87.3%) consumers are
buying Britannia brand for its good taste Ÿ Forty-nine biscuit consumers (32.7%)
indicated buy more save more as the promotional activity Ÿ Majority biscuit
consumers (55.3%) are satisfied with product quality and quantity Ÿ Consumers
preference of Britannia is computed using Garrett ranking method shows the first
rank towards Brand Image and last rank for recommendations by friends and
relatives. The result shows that Consumers expected Britannia to improve the
quantity of the package, the taste, and the packaging, while some suggested
improving the product line through promotional measures and introducing new
products with packing attraction and better taste. Today, advertising is a major part
of the marketing strategy for biscuit products. Britannia is an active promoter with
different techniques like using celebrities, playing cartoons, and so on.

➢ A research study on “BRAND AWARENESS – A STUDY AMONG BISCUIT

CONSUMERS IN MADURAI CITY” was conducted by Dr. Devi Meenakshi. K
(Assistant Professor (Sr,) English Department, School of Social Sciences and
Languages, VIT Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India) and Dr. R. Geetha (Assistant
Professor, Commerce Department, School of Social Sciences and Languages, VIT
Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India) on March 2020. The researchers studied how most
people take products manufactured by wheat in India. A study on the consumer
brand awareness of biscuits is a worthy endeavor to draw valid inferences in these
aspects. Biscuits manufacturing companies provide various benefits to the Indian
economy. Consumers decide the success or failure of any product by evaluating the
products based on price, quality taste, and so on, according to their order of
preferences. People of India live in a different financial, cultural and psychological
environment, and they consume several biscuit products to satisfy their wants. They
only select or reject a particular brand of biscuits in the given situation. The
manufacturers of biscuits launch new varieties and confuse the consumers with a
range of product lines. The researchers try to know the validity of brand awareness
among consumers. This study collected primary data from consumers of biscuits
and secondary data from books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and the internet.
Madurai city limit is divided into four regions, and 300 respondents were selected
from each region. The male and female respondents were stratified according to
each region, and the survey was conducted among these 300 respondents. There is
no significant relationship between the age of the respondents, their sex, literacy
level, occupation, marital status or income, and their levels of opinions about the
brand of biscuits. People who prefer biscuits belong to different age groups. Young
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people prefer more biscuits compared to old people. Male and female consumers
of biscuits were surveyed in Madurai. 59 percent were male and 41 percent were
female. The biscuit consumers have different educational qualifications. The highly
literate and elite consumers buy biscuits after making a cost-benefit analysis basis.
Consumers who have occupations earn and spend more money on buying biscuits.
More than two-fifths of the respondents belong to the private sector. The marital
status of the respondents shows that 60 percent of the respondents are married and
40 percent are unmarried. The Chi-square test was used to measure the opinion
levels of the respondent's brand awareness towards biscuits in Madurai city. For
testing the hypothesis, the x 2 value has been calculated and compared with the
table value of x 2 located from the x2 table for the desired level of confidence. If
the x 2 value is less than the table value, the hypothesis is accepted. There is a
significant difference in opinions between sexes, literate and nonliterate consumers,
married and single consumers, and those with higher incomes. The survey
conducted among the biscuit consumers shows that more than half of the
respondents are male, more than two-fifths are aged between 20 and 40, more than
one-fourth have undergraduate education, and more than three-fifths are married.
Consumers can buy unbranded biscuits, which will not affect their health, and will
give them more employment opportunities to the people. Biscuits manufacturing
companies provide various benefits to the Indian economy. People who buy biscuit
items belong to different age groups, income groups, and educational levels, and
they are very cautious about the hygiene of the product.

➢ A research study on “A STUDY ON CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND

SATISFACTION ON PARLE BISCUITS AT VIJAYAWADA” was conducted by
Ms. M. Lisha Joseph (Reg No: 1951H04, III BMS, Maris Stella College,
Vijayawada) and Dr. H. Kanaka Durga (HOD, Department of Commerce and
Management Studies Maris Stella College, Vijayawada) on January 2022. The
researchers studied how during the pandemic; Parle biscuit sales increased due to
consumer preference for Parle biscuits. A wide range of consumer preferences is
influenced by quality, price, taste, advertising, and peer influence. Modern
businesses must understand consumer preferences and provide them with
satisfaction. Because of Covid-19, there was a nationwide lockdown in March
2020, which led to a huge demand for biscuits. Mothers with children under 10
years of age have been provided with a questionnaire and a google form.
Satisfaction levels were measured using pie diagrams. Researchers found that it’s
not a clear picture of satisfaction. Some results were neutral also.
1. Most of the respondents prefer Parle biscuits over other brands.
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2. Consumption of the biscuits was high because people bought more during the
lockdown, made new dishes, and hoarded food, as a result snacking occasions
in India went up.”
3. The main factor for the increase in sales was that the company targeted the
rural areas before the lockdown.

3.3 THE OBJECTIVE OF MY RESEARCH

In this study, the following objectives were pursued:

• In order to determine what types of biscuits consumers prefer;
• In order to identify the brand chosen by the consumer; and
• In order to determine what factors influence consumers' preference for biscuits