Running head: LEARNING TEAM B BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD PART 1

Learning Team B Business Research Method Part 1

Kristen Kelly, Kevin Fulton, Richard Fischer, Luther Laveaux, Debbie Giggey

QNT 561

November 2010

Dwayne Jones, PhD

 LEARNING TEAM B BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD PART 1 2

Abstract

The following paper is the first part of the business research project for the company Walmart

that Learning Team B will discuss over the next few weeks. Walmart provides low cost high

demand items and needs to be sure that satisfactory quality is met and sustained in the customers

view. Part one of this research will take a look at the dilemma, research question, survey design

and sample design. Part two will collect data and part three will discuss the analysis and

outcome of the research.

 LEARNING TEAM B BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD PART 1 3

Learning Team B Business Research Method Part 1

Every organization faces dilemmas that require making a decision. Dilemmas could

involve rising costs, employee turnover, declining sales or any problem specific to the

company’s industry. Identifying organizational dilemmas is rarely difficult; however, choosing

one dilemma on which to focus may be difficult (Cooper, 2006, p.57). A dilemma leads to a

management question, which in turn leads to a research question and finally a conclusion to

answer the dilemma. This paper will focus on a dilemma for Walmart, a company that “serves

customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 8,692 retail units

under 55 different banners in 15 countries” (Corporate Site, 2010, p.1).

Research Question

The dilemma Walmart faces surrounds the ability for the company to remain a discount

store but also provide high quality products in this recessionary economy. “Business research is

a process of planning, acquiring, analyzing, and disseminating relevant data, information, and

insights to decision makers in ways that mobilize the organization to take appropriate actions

that, in turn, maximize business performance” (Cooper, 2006, p.409). The research question

defines how Walmart can remain relevant for shoppers at a time in which part of the population

needs a discount store (low prices in high demand) and other markets want high quality. How

does one be everything to all shoppers?

Research Design

A non-experimental research design has been selected for this study. Cynthia Lum

(2005), a researcher at the Department of Criminology, University of Maryland, College Park of

Maryland, acknowledges that the result of non-experimental research tends to produce more

positive results than experimental research. The reason customers come to Walmart cannot be
 LEARNING TEAM B BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD PART 1 4

more obvious; for in an economic downturn, naturally customers are searching for bargains that

translate into customer satisfaction. One must often be conscious that many customers would

skip bargaining for value; Walmart low price products do embed quality and value. It is

important to pinpoint dependent variables and independent variables in this research. The

independent variable, or the variable that may be changed or manipulated for this research is the

shopper and the dependent variables, or the variable that is affected by the independent variable,

will be their responses to the survey.

Sample Design

The sample is a crucial part of the design because it is essential that you are surveying

your target group. “A sample is a part of the target population, carefully selected to represent

that population” (Cooper, 2006, p.72). Because respondents will be selected to participate in the

survey at random, a probability sample is appropriate because it is a “controlled procedure that

assures that each population element is given a known nonzero chance of selection” (Cooper,

2006, p.408). Because Walmart does not only attract low-income shoppers, it is best to make

sure the sample contains various levels of income so the data can be analyzed by low, middle,

and high class.

Low price cannot be the only reason Walmart attracts customer; for one too has to

consider demographics. It is not proven that customers with low income are the most frequent

shoppers at Walmart; however, with the high level of competition with gourmet food stores there

is an interest in food products which can be expensive.

Conclusion

According to Consumer Reports, (2010, July), “Last year shoppers spent $405 billion at

Walmart, the world's largest retailer” (p. 1). Sustaining this rate of sales can be difficult
 LEARNING TEAM B BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD PART 1 5

recognizing that the shopper has various reasons to shop. At the conclusion of this research, we

should be able to determine why customers go to Walmart to shop and their satisfaction of

product availability and quality. The economy plays a significant role in a shopper’s decision

and this research design will further explain shopping habits of Walmart shoppers.
 LEARNING TEAM B BUSINESS RESEARCH METHOD PART 1 6

References

Consumer Reports. (2010, July). Consumer Reports July 2010. Retrieved from

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2010/july/shopping/retail-

stores/overview/index.htm

Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. (2006). Business research methods (9th ed.). New York, NY:

McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Lum & Yang, (2005). Why do evaluation researchers in crime and justice choose non-

experimental methods? Journal of Experimental Criminology, Volume 1, Number 2, 191-

213, DOI: 10.1007/s11292-005-1619-x

Walmart. (2010, September). Walmart About Us. Retrieved from http://walmartstores.com/

aboutus/