Research paper assignment
JunieT43
YourName_LastName_BUSA2185_Assignment1Example.docxBUSA 2185: BUSINESS RESEARCH
Spring 2019
Research Project (Assignment 1)
Introduction (Statement of Problem, Research Topic, Research Question(s))
(25 points)
Submission and Formatting:
- Typed double-spaced lines, Times New Roman, size 12 font, 1-inch margins, letter-sized pages (8.5 x 11 inches)
- Save as a Microsoft Word (.doc/.docx) file and name your assignment in this format Name_Last Name_BUSA 2185_Assignment 1
Now it’s time to develop the focus of your project and deciding the business problem, research topic and research question(s). All sections should be written in paragraph form and properly cited using in-text citations, where necessary under the each question. Provide your written answers under each question.
Here are questions that you need to answer to build your introduction part of your research paper:
Tip: If you make any statements/presumptions that are not your own opinion, you MUST cite them.
Tip: Don’t forget to read guidelines for research project in the Attachment 1 of the syllabus (page 13)
Tip: This assignment is critical to build your paper. Since, this assignment is main input for your INTRODUCTION section.
1. Creative Title. You should start this assignment with creative title based on your research idea or research question. (2 points)
Tip: From the title, readers should be able to understand what your research is about.
The impact of brand equity on the customer loyalty of Generation Z consumers
2. Statement of Problem and Proposed Research (0.5 to 1 pages).
2.1. Describe the business problem and explain how the problem fits within a broad research area in business (or your major) (5 points)
It is necessary to create and maintain customers to gain long term profitability, but it is becoming difficult in today’s increasingly competitive business environment. For this reason, the management of brand equity is essential for any business that wants to succeed. According to Fayrene and Lee (2011), a brand is a key intangible asset of a business, and the financial worth of this entity is measured by brand equity. According to French and Smith (2013), brand equity is one of the most important antecedents to customer loyalty because it not only influences the attitude of consumers in making purchasing decisions but also the confidence in making these purchasing conditions. Customer loyalty is not all about the repetitive purchase, but also psychological commitment towards the brand. Gallo (2014) notes that acquiring a new customer can cost a business five to twenty times more than retaining one and therefore it makes financial sense for businesses to prioritize brand equity.
2.2. Why should others care about this problem? What aspect of this problem may not be well understood? (4 points)
Tip: In this two question above, you need to clearly state why should we care about this problem? Why is important today? You need to clearly state what is not well understood about this problem and what gap still exists in our knowledge of this problem?
For the past decade, most studies around customer loyalty have revolved around millennials, and rightfully so. According to Kestenbaum (2017), millennials are currently the largest generation living in the United States and collectively have an annual spending power of $600 billion. However, marketing literature has for the most part ignored Generation Z – people born between 1996 and 2011. This neglected consumer group is a sleeping giant that will not only have a huge impact on the economy but also on the consumption of goods and services. According to Randall (2018), Gen Z spend an estimated $44 billion annually on themselves and the figure is projected to rise as high as $143 billion in two years. Not to mention, they influence another large portion of purchases made by other demographic segments such as their parents. With the oldest members turning 23 this year, they will soon be graduating college, entering the workforce and gaining financial power. Gen Z is as nuanced and complex just like every generation before them and therefore the tried and tested techniques are not enough.
2.3. Statement of Proposed Research (4 points)
In full detail, describe what you aim to do with your research project during the course.
Building and maintaining brand equity has always been one of the central themes for marketing researchers. However, brand equity is moderated by other factors such as brand trust and satisfaction making these parameters worthy of consideration. This study will be focused on popular consumer products such as sneakers. Subsequent sections will attempt to conduct a literature review on the different brand components and identify a conceptual framework on how brand equity and perceived satisfaction are related to customer loyalty. Following, the study will design a research methodology which will describe the methods of data collection and analysis among the target population.
3. Research Question and Research Goals (0.5 to 1 pages).
3.1. Research Questions and Explanation (2-3 paragraphs). (4 points)
You should now attempt to state two or three specific research questions (with a question mark!) followed by a detailed explanation of what you hope to learn by the question(s) (1-2 paragraphs). (5 points)
Tip: You should limit your research question one or two clear research question that you can collect data. When you are building your research question, you need imply cause-effect relationships. What is the effect/impact of …….. on……..? How …. will affect to ……? Don’t forget each research question you should have to make literature review to investigate what was done and you should collect data to answer this question by following scientific methods.
The research questions guiding this study are as follows:
How does brand equity impact on the customer loyalty of Gen Z consumers of sneaker products?
This research question would assist in identifying the causal relationship between brand equity and customer loyalty among Gen Z consumers.
How does perceived customer satisfaction impact on customer loyalty of Gen Z consumers of sneaker products?
This research question would assist in identifying the causal relationship between perceived customer satisfaction and customer loyalty among Gen Z consumers.
3.2. Research Goals (1-2 paragraphs). Explicitly outline all of the research goals for this project. (4 points)
Tip: Try to finish this sentence for your research objective(s): The primary purpose of this research.....
Tip: Try to avoid sentences start with "I". Try to write in academic format.
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of brand equity on the loyalty of Generation Z consumers of sneaker products and the extent to which this relationship is moderated by perceived brand satisfaction. The independent variables of this study are brand equity and perceived satisfaction while the dependent variable is customer loyalty. The significance of this study is that it will offer insight that could help sneaker manufactures grasp the demands of a fresh-to-market generation who like millennials before them, are poised to shape consumer behavior and expectations for years to come significantly.
4. Provide the references that you used. (2 points)
This is a very important part of your paper, not just an afterthought. All articles that you read and include in your text must be cited. Furthermore, any articles included in your works cited page must be cited in the text. Place the sources in alphabetical order and format the citations using APA format.
Tip: Example in APA style:
Furst, Stacie A, & Cable, Daniel M (2008). Employee resistance to organizational change: managerial influence tactics and leader-member exchange. The Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(2), 453-62.
Tip: You can find major guideline in the Attachment 1 in the syllabus (page 17) or you can use Purdue OWL Online lab for help with formatting your reference list: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
References
Fayrene, C. Y., & Lee, G. C. (2011). Customer-based brand equity: A literature review. Researchers World, 2(1), 33.
French, A., & Smith, G. (2013). Measuring brand association strength: a consumer based brand equity approach. European Journal of Marketing, 47(8), 1356-1367.
Gallo, A. (2014, November 05). The value of keeping the right customers. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/10/the-value-of-keeping-the-right-customers
Kestenbaum, R. (2017, June 14). This is how millennials shop. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardkestenbaum/2017/06/14/this-is-how-millennials-shop/#7866d0c9244c
