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Explanation of the Research Design and Methods That will be used to address Maruti Suzuki’s Business Problem

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Explanation of the Research Design and Methods That will be used to address Maruti Suzuki’s Business Problem

Introduction

Maruti Suzuki is one of India's largest passenger car producers; however, the company has seen a decline in its resources over the recent past. The above can be attributed to its shrinking market share, which results from poor product management, poor data collection, and research by the company and the lack of observation of consumer trends in their products. Unless the company can understand its problems and challenges, it cannot formulate measures and solutions to regain its position in the automobile industry in India and globally. The organization needs to conduct an in-depth analysis of its problems to formulate a revival strategy.

Theories on the problems that Maruti Suzuki is experiencing

Maruti Suzuki has been associated with poor product management that has led it to fail in maintaining its competitive advantage against its business rivals in the automotive industry. Business continuity is dependent on several variables, including product development, quality of work, creativity, and efficient growth. The management is tasked with ensuring that all of these variables are met to ensure the business is productive. Several studies have been conducted that reveal how poor product management has affected businesses.

Top of the list of the theories on the problems that Suzuki Maruti faces is the lack of applying the scientific management theory in the management of its products. The company's management failed to ensure that there is continued innovation and research beyond the locality to the global arena to develop insights on how to develop their products. The last theory that explains the Suzuki case is the Product management theory. The theory emphasizes the development of a product to its best quality. Maruti Suzuki did not develop its product per this theory. The research that the company conducted was insufficient, and its developers lacked innovation to ensure that the product was of the highest quality. Suzuki was not keen on monitoring consumer behaviors. This, in turn, impacted their marketing strategies. Consequently, they ended up losing to new entrants like Hyundai and Tata.

The Research Design to Address Maruti’s Business Problems

In addressing the main problems that Suzuki Maruti faces a qualitative research will be carried out. The qualitative research will utilize three qualitative data collection methods; action research, individual interviews, and case study methods. There are four main advantages of the qualitative approach that make it ideal for studying Maruti Suzuki’s problems.

Top on the list is that the qualitative approach provides insight specific to the industry under study. Besides innovation and product manager, the main reason Maruti has failed in its operations and profitability is that it did not understand the needs and preferences of automobile customers. Considering that the qualitative approach focuses on people's views in the addressing of a phenomenon, the qualitative data collection methods will make it easier for the company to understand its customers.

The second advantage of the qualitative research approach is that it is an open-minded method of researching. The qualitative approach allows researchers to mine the actual data that someone can provide. The approach emphasizes accessing the emotional data that drives decision-making responses (Rahman, 2017). Buying vehicles is a detailed commitment, and for that reason, customers spend much time brainstorming on the vehicle they desire to purchase. By understanding the decision making responses, Maruti Suzuki will be halfway done to solve its problems.

The third reason is that it has flexibility. A qualitative approach is not a rigid structure for conducting research. According to Kalu and Bwalya (2017), the qualitative approach seeks authentic data and emotional responses. Due to the flexible nature of the approach, researchers are permitted to conduct follow-ups on any answers to generate more complexity and depth. Unlike a quantitative approach that allows for zero deviation, the qualitative approach allows for deviations, given that the deviation contributes to the study in place. Considering that Maruti Suzuki is seeking to understand where it went wrong and how it went wrong, they should explore all possible options; the qualitative approach provides such an avenue.

The last advantage of the qualitative approach that makes it appropriate for Maruti’s problem study is that it can be based on available data, incoming data, or other data formats. The approach does not require a specific format or pattern for data collection. The reporting of information in a qualitative approach is based on both the quantity and quality of data. The approach offers researchers an opportunity to gather new data more so if they find that the data they have access to is not appropriate or is not generating useful results. Maruti is trying to revive itself, and for that reason, it must explore all possible options and solutions; the qualitative approach is the best approach that the company can take.

Action Research

Action research refers to various investigative, evaluative, and analytical research methods designed to diagnose problems and weaknesses in processes, institutions, and organizations (Ivankova & Wingo, 2018). The method allows researchers to analyze problems and consequentially formulate solutions for the problems quickly and efficiently. In Maruti's case, the researchers can observe how other automobile manufacturers in the nation and globally conduct their operations. Through observations, the organization will compare its processes with other automobile manufacturers and consequently identify processes that they are not doing right. Through the identification, it will be possible for the organization to formulate solutions that will see its revival.

Individual Interviews

In the individual interview method, researchers or interviewers talk with respondents for 30 minutes to an hour. The majority of qualitative researchers prefer individual interviews because they allow researchers to gather information on the phenomena under study and probe the beliefs, attitudes, experiences, and desires of the interviewees (Polak & Green, 2016). Through probing, researchers gain more in-depth insight into what is being studied (Gray et al., 2020). Using the individual interview method, Maruti Suzuki’s researchers will interview motor vehicle dealers, employees of Maruti Suzuki, automobile customers, and other vehicle brand manufacturers. The questions asked will be geared at providing answers that will help Maruti identify its mistakes and weaknesses and the strengths and the opportunities that Maruti’s competitors are leveraging. By doing so, the organization will identify measures to implement to ensure that they become profitable once more.

Case Study

The case study method is an in-depth, up-close, and detailed examination of cases on the phenomenon under study. In using the case study method, researchers go through various documented cases to identify themes and patterns that can be used to explain a phenomenon (Krusenvik, 2016). For Maruti’s case, the researchers will go through the different cases documented on successful vehicle manufacturers. The researchers will review Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes, the Landrover, BMW, and the Volkswagen brand. The brands mentioned above have been in existence for long, and they have remained profitable throughout. By studying the top performers in the automobile industry, Maruti will learn how the brands have remained successful despite the many changes that have riddled the automobile industry. Also, Maruti will recognize its weaknesses and consequentially develop mechanisms and measures to propel them to profitability.

ethical considerations involved in using the qualitative research design

All the data collected will be purely used for research purposes and remain confidential. The data will remain free to withdraw from respondents from the study. No personal name or organizational names that may bring conflict of interest in the research will be included. The research will remain in the custody of Maruti Suzuki, with all rights reserved. Additionally, only relevant data will be collected by the researchers, solely for the study. The researcher will remain clear of any subjectivity in analyzing the data and preventing anything that will be harmful to the participants.

In honoring the APA principles in human research, the study will have to obey the APA principle of following informed-consent rules. Three standards are going to be enforced in this study. The first standard is the human relation standard. The human relation standard focuses on ensuring no discrimination in the study and that the best approaches are used when interacting with humans to make them as comfortable as possible (Pietilä et al., 2020). The second standard that will be enforced is the privacy and confidentiality standard. The standard will be in place to ensure that people's rights and confidential rights are observed. In meeting the above requirement, the research findings will not be publicly shared or published without all participants' consent. The third ethical standard that will be enforced is the research and publication standard that emphasizes that consent should be obtained from the participants before the publication of the research is done.

Adherence to the code of ethics in the handling of this research will be for primarily two reasons. The first reason is to ensure that the research is carried out legally and ethically. According to Reid (2018), ethics are vital in every aspect of research across the world. The second reason is that the adherence will validate the research; the research will be of more value if the findings are realized ethically. adherence to the code of ethics will ensure that the research not only follows a research framework but as well follows an ethical framework

While it is challenging to predict beneficence in a qualitative study, the researcher will ensure ensured the researcher procedures were followed strictly to bring out a beneficial outcome. All the possible consequences of the study will be considered to minimize potential harm and reduce intentional harm. The researchers will only conduct the study after the benefits of the study outweighed the benefits. The researchers will respect the privacy of all the respondents who will participate in the study. The researchers will respect the view of those respondents who will not be willing to provide personal information. The interview questions to be used will be developed in a way that the respondents will provide honest opinions. This will help to reduce bias and enhance the reliability of the study. The data obtained will remain stored on the organization's servers encrypted. The relationship developed between the researchers and the respondents will only be used to provide information for the study and not for any other purposes. After three years, the data will be destroyed, including any backups, whether in the cloud or other storage devices.

References

Gray, L. M., Wong-Wylie, G., Rempel, G. R., & Cook, K. (2020). Expanding qualitative research interviewing strategies: Zoom video communications. The Qualitative Report, 25(5), 1292-1301. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/openview/c264828516f288b941ad22c63c576706/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=55152

Ivankova, N., & Wingo, N. (2018). Applying mixed methods in action research: Methodological potentials and advantages. American Behavioral Scientist, 62(7), 978-997. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0002764218772673

Kalu, F. A., & Bwalya, J. C. (2017). What makes qualitative research good research? An exploratory analysis of critical elements. International Journal of Social Science Research, 5(2), 43-56. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jack_Bwalya/publication/319679032_What_Makes_Qualitative_Research_Good_Research_An_Exploratory_Analysis_of_Critical_Elements/links/59b938e3458515bb9c485528/What-Makes-Qualitative-Research-Good-Research-An-Exploratory-Analysis-of-Critical-Elements.pdf

Krusenvik, L. (2016). Using case studies as a scientific method: Advantages and disadvantages. Retrieved from https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1054643&dswid=7882

Pietilä, A. M., Nurmi, S. M., Halkoaho, A., & Kyngäs, H. (2020). Qualitative Research: Ethical Considerations. In The Application of Content Analysis in Nursing Science Research (pp. 49-69). Springer, Cham. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-30199-6_6

Polak, L., & Green, J. (2016). Using joint interviews to add analytic value. Qualitative health research, 26(12), 1638-1648. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1049732315580103

Rahman, M. S. (2017). The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches and Methods in Language" Testing and Assessment" Research: A Literature Review. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(1), 102-112. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1120221

Reid, A. M., Brown, J. M., Smith, J. M., Cope, A. C., & Jamieson, S. (2018). Ethical dilemmas and reflexivity in qualitative research. Perspectives on medical education, 7(2), 69-75. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40037-018-0412-2