Case Study: Ramada Demonstrates its Personal Best
Ahvon Mitchell
Liberty University
BUSI600
Professor Schlutz
2/16/2025
1. Build management-research question hierarchy for Ramada
The management-research question hierarchy is a process that begins with establishing of
a management dilemma, followed by management question, research questions, investigative
questions, measurement questions, and ends with management decision. As asserted by Bell et
al. (2019), the management dilemma is the issue that calls for a business decision, and it is
normally an indication of an actual problem. From the case study provided, Ramada’s
management dilemma is the variation in number of employees employed at each of its franchise
that could possibly affect customer satisfaction. As indicated by Hair (2019), a management
question is normally a reassertion of the management dilemma in a question format. Therefore,
in relation to given scenario, the management question would be “How can Ramada enhance
customer satisfaction and quality of service all through its franchised properties?” This question
is points to the service employees offer, rather than amenities and rooms, so Ramada’s
management aims to find the primary cause by looking into its hiring process.
Research questions are structured in a manner that they address the management
question. Usually, the research question serves as the hypothesis that best outlines the research’s
objective, focusing the attention of the researcher (Bagozzi et al., 2021). In Ramada’s scenario,
some of the research questions that could be taken into consideration include: What factors
contribute to diminishing customer satisfaction within the hospitality industry? What strategies
are the industry leaders deploying to improve employee engagement and customer service? How
can Ramada implement a homogeneous tactic to employing, training, and motivating employees
throughout its franchises? What rewards and incentives are effective in keeping employees
motivated and engaged to provide outstanding customer service? How can Ramada ensure that
employees identify with and committed to new service enhancement initiatives?
Investigative questions are those intended to help resolve the identified management
dilemma. These questions must be answered adequately to address the research question, and
they should capture what the decision maker needs to know to reach an effective conclusion
concerning the management dilemma. In reference to Ramada’s case study, the investigative
questions to be evaluated may include the following: In the hospitality industry, what
characterizes high-performing employees? What forms of reward and motivation programs are
most appropriate for sustaining unfailing employee passion? How do various training methods
influence employee learning and performance? What are the employees’ perceptions on different
incentive programs, and which rewards do they value most?
Measurement questions are those that are designed to help in measuring the outcomes of
the research. Bell (2019) indicates that the primary aim of these questions is to obtain the
information needed by managers. Based on the given case study, the measurement question
would be as follows: What customer service model can we benchmark on or refer to? What
impact do new recruitment, training, and motivation programs have on retention of employees
and quality of service in general? How do ratings on customer satisfaction change following the
adoption of the Personal Best program? How do franchise managers and employees rate the
efficiency of new training and hiring techniques?
The management decision was based on the information collected, and a survey of the
company’s employees regarding their training, motivation, and incentive preferences to enhance
customer satisfaction. Precisely, the management decision was that Ramada should recruit
employees by screening for attributes revealed by Predictive Index. It should also adopt the CD-
based multi-media training approach to train employees, which allows for self and own pace
learning because of its flexibility. Finally, the motivation program to be implemented is one that
is skewed more towards rewarding employees for different reasons besides exceptional
performance.
2. Apply the research process model to the Ramada research initiative
a. Explain the role and process of exploration in Ramada’s research
Exploration played a crucial role in the identification of the primary causes of
diminishing customer satisfaction and establishing the most appropriate practices within the
hospitality industry. Ramada explored how top companies including Southwest Airlines, Disney,
and Carlson Hospitality effectively initiated employee engagement, customer service, and
motivation strategies. Moreover, the company also sought views from employees and property
managers through collaborative discussions and surveys.
b. What role did secondary data play in the exploration phase of the research?
Secondly data was fundamental in offering industry point of references and
understandings (Hair, 2019). Ramada relied on industry reports, D.K Shifflet’s customer
satisfaction surveys, and employee engagement studies to get an understanding on industry
challenges and trends. Additionally, the company also studied the hiring practices and training
methods of successful organizations to inform its new strategies.
c. What steps and phases in the process model can you match to the Ramada research?
i). Problem identification- Ramada’s recognition of the diminishing rates of customer satisfaction
within the mid-tier hotel industry.
ii). Exploratory research- using industry leaders as point of reference and gathering the views of
managers and employees
iii). Research design- undertaking collaborative discussions, structured surveys, as well as
outside reference studies
iv). Collecting data- appointing 24 researchers to collect information from 900 properties and
recording findings
v). Analysis of data – establishing patterns in trends of customer satisfaction, employee
feedback, as well as the competitors’ best practices (Bell et al., 2019)
vi). Implementation and monitoring – initiating the Personal Best program and monitoring its
success from employee participation metrics and guest satisfaction surveys.
d. What research process decisions were made? (Remember to include research by outside
suppliers.)
The research process decisions that were made include: entering into partnership with
Predictive Index to enhance recruitment practices, creating a new training program that is
interactive, multimedia-based to switch from old-fashioned video-based training,
e. What sampling methodology was used? Why was this appropriate for this study?
Purposive sampling method was used in this research. The targeted participants were
managers, property owners, and employees. Purposive sampling was ideal because it made it
certain that insights were obtained from people with direct involvement in delivery of customer
services, hence permitting for related and actionable feedback.
f. Describe the research design and discuss its strengths and weaknesses.
The research design that applied is qualitative research (Bell et al., 2019). Some of its
strengths include: it is comprehensive linking industry benchmarking, employee feedback, and
external studies; it allows for different methods of data collection ensuring all-inclusive insights;
it also allows for the participation of employees, enhancing buy-in for implementation of
programs. However, the research design has potential weaknesses including: high cost of
collecting data from visitations of 900 properties, time-intensive as it took about 6 months of
field study, high likelihood of bias in employee feedback.
g. What role did property owners/managers play in the research design?
The roles played by property owners/managers include offering insights on present
practices of hiring and training, providing feedback on the efficiency of the newly established
hiring and training strategies, supporting the implementation of new policies throughout all
franchises, and assisting in the assessment of the practicality of the suggested training and
motivation programs.
h. Why did Ramada choose to conduct the research in a nontraditional, party-like
atmosphere? What are some advantages and disadvantages of such an approach?
One of the advantages of this approach is that it generated a calm environment boosting
free and honest feedback from the employees. Secondly, it enhanced the rates of participation in
relation to use of focus groups or traditional surveys. The other advantage is that it improved
employee engagement, raising delight regarding the new initiatives (Davis, 2023). On the other
hand, the potential disadvantages of this approach are: probable challenges in sustaining focus on
the objectives of the research in the midst of the celebratory setting, potentially challenging to
collect structured and quantifiable data considering the informal discussions, and the possibility
that the employees’ responses were more socially desirable than sincere concerns.
3. How are the research findings reflected in the ultimate management decisions?
The findings of the research are reflected in the eventual management decisions in various
aspects. For instance, the company adopted a new hiring approach that is guided by Predictive
Index data, enhancing its general employee hiring process. Additionally, based on the research
findings, it was established that employees preferred incentives that reflected factors beyond
exceptional performance; and this revelation informed the companies new employee motivation
strategies. Furthermore, from the research findings, the management adopted new multi-media
training approach, replacing video-based training, and this shift contributed to increase in
employee engagement and knowledge retention. Lastly, the research underscored the
significance of involving employees in modeling improvement initiative, which was reflected in
Ramada’s consideration of active involvement of employees in various aspects of decision-
making especially in the ongoing policy changes.
References
Bagozzi, R. P., Rosa, J. A., Sawhney, K., & Coronel, F. (2021). Marketing management.
Prentice Hall.
Bell, E., Bryman, A., & Harley, B. (2019). Business Research Methods (5th ed.). Oxford
University Press.
Blumberg, B. & MacRae, C. (2024). Business research methods 5e. McGraw Hill.
Davis, D. (2023). Incentivizing employees to stay: Building businesses that attract –and keep-the
best teams. American Drycleaner, 90(3), 6.
Hair, J. F. (2019). Essentials of Business Research Methods. M.E. Sharpe.
