Research Request Agreement Report - Marketing Research

(A) Background (What information do you have?)

The events that led to the manager’s decision problem. While the events may not directly affect the research that is conducted, they help the researcher understand the nature of the problem more deeply.

10 points

(B) Decision Problem (What is the fundamental problem that your client faces?)

The underlying question confronting the manager. A brief discussion of the source of the problem should be included, along with a discussion of whether the problem is discovery oriented or strategy oriented.

10 points

· Planned vs. unplanned change

Did the problem happen due to planned change or unplanned change? Why?

· Strategy vs. discovery

Is the problem a discovery-oriented or a strategy-oriented problem?

· Decision problem

(C) Research Problem(s)

(How will you interpret the decision problem in research terms?）

The range of research problems that would provide input to the decision problem. Please stay exhaustive first and list as many relevant research problems as possible. Then, you need to provide an overview of costs and benefits of covering each research problem. Last, you need to pick the research problem(s) that you plan to address given the time and resource you have and explain why.

15 points

· Alternative research problems

The range of research problems that you provide

· Evaluation of alternatives and research problems selected

The explaination of costs and benefits of covering each research problem. What information will you be able to get from covering each research problem? How will addressing each help to tackle the decision problem?

· Consistency with decision problem

You need to make sure that each research problem you raise stay closely relevant to the decision problem that you have identified

(D) Use ( What is the information that you are able to OBTAIN from the research problem(s) that you have selected)

Reiterate what information can be obtained from investigating the research problem. Try to stay ABSTRACT here. For example, you can state that by investigating the research problem you select, you are able to figure out consumer awareness in the area, which can help you to determine whether low awareness of the brand has led to the slow sales of the new brand.

Supplying logical reasons to ensure that the information is valuable to tackle the decision problem.

7.5 points

(E) Targets and Subgroups ( From whom will I obtain the information I need?)

The groups from whom the information must be gathered. Specifying these groups helps the research design an appropriate sample for the research project. Notice that sometimes more than one group is necessary.

7.5 points

Total points

50 points