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NCRCC Case Assignment 1
John W Bayse
Liberty University
BUSI600 – D14
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NCRCC Case Assignment 1
National Cash Register Country Club, NCRCC, found itself with an aging clientele
without sufficient new blood being infused into the membership. In an attempt to raise
membership, McMahon Group was engaged to assist with strategic planning. This paper
evaluates a potential management-research question hierarchy in contrast with the measurement
questions asked by McMahon Group.
Build the management-research question hierarchy, through the investigative questions
stage. Then compare your list with the measurement questions asked.
The management-research question hierarchy “move[s] the researcher through various
levels of questions, each with a specific function within the overall business research process”
(Cooper & Schindler, 2014, p. 108). Cooper and Schindler (2014) summarize the hierarchy as
follows:
1) The management dilemma is the symptoms or opportunity, issue, that management
wants to address.
2) The management question refines the management dilemma by asking how to
remove the symptom or take advantage of the opportunity – this helps set the scope
for the study.
3) The research questions looks for possible action items to address the issue.
4) The investigative questions helps frame the issue by addressing any additional
information the manager may need to evaluate the options.
5) The measurement questions determine what needs to be observed to gather the
needed information.
6) The management decision gives the recommendation based on the data gathered (p.
108).
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Management Dilemma. The management dilemma for NCR is how to address
declining membership. Back and Lee (2009) point out that “during an economic downturn in
2000, country clubs achieved less than 1% membership growth” (p. 528). Two thirds of
NCRCC members are either current or ex-NCR employees, but reductions in NCR employees
over time have lead to a smaller pool of potential new members. In addition, golf is considered
a discretionary luxury and difficult economic times have made top end country clubs less
attractive, especially with other less expensive options available locally for avid golfers. With
this in mind, it is important to remember “[o]ne of the important value traits is ‘perceived,’ not
‘actual,’ because the value of the same product or service may vary with customer perception of
price and quality” (p. 532). So it will be important to address the perceived value of the
membership.
Management Question. The management question is how to increase membership,
especially in the group composed of non-NCR affiliates. As ex-NCR employees are dying off,
and the pool of current employees is shrinking, the best potential for growth will come from
outside NCR.
Research Questions. Research questions include the following:
Are members satisfied with current facilities and services? How important are
current offerings and how well is the country club performing in each of the
current areas? This includes dining, golf course, social functions, private parties,
etc.
Are new facilities and/or services needed? What additional facilities/services
would attract new members? This would include items such as a swimming
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pool, tennis courts, health/fitness/spa facility, family activities, children’s
activities, year round driving range, etc.
Do non-member outings affect the perceived value of the membership? Would
members be willing to pay more to eliminate some or all of these outings?
Investigative Questions. In order to put the research questions in context, the following
investigative questions should be used:
What type of membership does member currently have? (Golf, Corporate,
Social)
What is membership status? (NCR employee, ex-NCR employee, non-NCR
affiliate)
What is age and gender?
How long have you been a member?
How close is your home or business from the country club?
Do you have any children under the age of 21?
Given the research question, how appropriate were the measurement questions?
McMahon Group chose to ask not only for how well NCRCC is doing in current efforts,
but also how important each of the areas is. This helps frame the importance of continuing
current efforts or scrapping work with no incremental benefits in order to focus on areas that
can attract new members. By putting the questions in the appropriate context, the country club
can learn not only where improvement is needed, but where future growth can occur.
In addition to questions on current offerings, the survey also asked members to ranks the
importance of potential new offerings, both facilities and services. By combining this with age
and gender demographics, NCRCC is able to determine the best opportunities for new growth.
According to Kunz and Dow (2007), “the total number of golfers in the United States has
remained fairly flat over the last five years [2002-2007], but has increased from 10 years ago”
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(p. 99). As country club growth has flattened, the ability for individual clubs to continue to
thrive will be found in their ability to evolve with the changing times.
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References
Back, K., & Lee, J. (2009). Country club members' perceptions of value, image congruence, and
switching costs: An exploratory study of country club members' loyalty. Journal of
Hospitality & Tourism Research, 33(4), 528-546.
Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2014). Business research methods (12th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Kunz, D. A., & Dow, B. L., III. (2007). Stonebridge country club: Cash ... is there enough?(case
study). Journal of the International Academy for Case Studies, 13(5), 97-110.
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