Week 8

To build on the trustworthiness of the research, there were two main things that were done. The first thing is getting an outsider to review and examine the research process. Whenever a third party is introduced to a research process the research has to be conducted in a manner that is simple enough for the third party to understand and to explain if there is a need. The second way in which trustworthiness is built in qualitative research is through the recording of the research process. Recording allows other parties to examine whether the research was conducted correctly and offers an opportunity for the research to be replicated. To ensure trustworthiness in the study, the researcher recorded all data collection and data analysis processes. All interviewers will be recorded after they consent to the process.

Credibility refers to the quality of being trusted and believed in. In checking for the credibility of the research, methods triangulation was used. Different data collection methods will be used to check the consistency of the findings. One threat to the credibility of the study is the study population. The population was from one age group, mid-adults. The researchers utilized an open-ended interview session to drive the bias out.

Generalizability refers to the generalization of research findings. For generalization purposes, data was collected from a diverse population to ensure that the findings are transferable to as many different populations as possible. One of the main threats to transferability is poor data collection methods. If biased data collection methods are used then it is not possible for the results to be replicated and for the research findings to be generalized. To ensure that the above threat was eliminated, the researchers documented the context of the participants.

Dependability refers to the reliability and consistency of research findings. In establishing dependability, the study was used to ensure that it had as little bias as possible and that it is reliable. A marketing research advisor reviewed all documents. In addition, the whole research process was documented in a research paper that detailed the data collection process as well as the analysis process. From the paper that act as a report, the researcher offers a sequence of events that can be replicated to confirm the research findings.

Confirmability in qualitative research refers to the degree in which research findings can be corroborated or confirmed by other people. In establishing the research confirmability, an audit trail was established. The audit trail detailed the data collection methods and procedures as well as the research methodology. Through the audit trail, it is possible to confirm whether the research was done in the right manner as well as whether the research findings are a representation of the research.

Action Plan

The last step of the market research process is the development of an action plan. After trends and insights are identified, the next step is for the coffee shop to make use of the research data. Based on the results and recommendations of research, an organization can decide to ignore the recommendations or implement them. If the decision is to implement the recommendation, then an action plan must be formulated to guide the process. The action plan should detail who is responsible for the implementation, how long the implementation is going to take, and the expected outcomes of the implementation.

In the case of my shop, the results of the research reveal that the majority of coffee consumers love cappuccino and Americano. Also, the least liked coffee is espresso. Bearing the above in mind, a bulk of the marketing machinery should be directed towards marketing cappuccino and Americano so that the coffee shop gets to sell the two types of coffee as much as possible. To ensure that the correct marketing strategy is implemented, the head of marketing will lead the marketing of the two types of coffee. The duration of the marketing campaign is three months. Three months will be sufficient for the coffee shop to build its customer base by 20% due to the marketing strategy implemented.

Conclusion

A business stands to benefit a lot by understanding what moves their customers. Through research, businesses like my coffee shop get to understand trends in the industry that they operate in. For any business to succeed in its market research, it has to consider the five steps of the market research process.

References

Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., ... & Kumar, V. (2020). Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research: Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 102168. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168

Appendix A

Demographics of the participants