1- You have received a business research report done by a consultant or your firm, a life insurance company. The study is a survey of customer satisfaction based on a sample of 600. You are asked to comment on its quality. What will you look for?
2- As area sales manager for a company manufacturing and marketing outboard engines, you have been assigned the responsibility of conducting research study to estimate the sales potential of your products in the domestic (U.S. or Canadian) market. Discuss key issues and concerns arising from the fact that you, the manager, are also the researcher.
3- An automobile manufacturer observes the demand for its brand increasing as percapita income increases. Sales increases also follow low interest rates, which ease credit conditions. Buyer purchase behavior is seen to be dependent on age and gender. Other factors influencing sales appear to fluctuate almost randomly (competitor advertising, competitor dealer discounts, introductions of new competitive models).
a. If sales and percapita income are positively related, classify all variables as dependent, independent, moderating, extraneous, or intervening.
b. Comment on the utility of a model based on the hypothesis.