You observe the following condition: "Our female sales representatives have lower customer defections than do our male sales representatives."
a. Propose the concepts and constructs you might use to study this phenomenon.
It is important to understand the difference and similarities between concepts and constructs prior to determining which ones will be best to study this phenomenon. A concept is defined as, "a generally accepted collection of meanings or characteristics associated with certain events, objects, conditions, situations, and behaviors" (Cooper, 2014, p. 50). Whereas a construct is defined as, "constructs constitute a general class of scientific concepts, including but not limited to hypothetical constructs, intervening variables, operational definitions, and other classes of theoretical concepts (e.g., technical concepts, names of apparatus, etc.)" (Nathalie, 2013, p. 23). Although these two topics have different definitions, they can be related to each other. For example, a table is an objective concept; however, an abstract concept, like personality, is called a construct.
There could be a variety of concepts on why female sales representatives have a lower customer defection than male sales representatives. First, it would be important to determine the male-to-female ratio and observe the hours both the male and female sales representatives work. Also, the number of hours each gender works. Another concept would be the average age of the male and female representatives that work at the store compared to the average age of the male and female that shops in the store.
A variety of constructs could influence why female sales representatives have a lower customer defection than male sales representatives. Some constructs could include: job satisfaction, job commitment, brand awareness, brand loyalty, service quality, and image. These would all play an abstract, instrumental role on why male sales representatives struggle to retain customers.
b. How might any of these concepts and/or constructs be related to explanatory hypotheses?
A variety of these concepts and constructs can be related to explanatory hypotheses. Explanatory (casual) hypotheses can be defined as, "an implication that the existence of or a change in one variable causes or leads to a change in the other variable" (Cooper, 2014, p.59). Therefore, a change in one of the concepts could lead to a change in the outcome that female sales representative have lower customer defections than do the male sales representatives. As Park states, "It has recently been determined that generating an explanatory hypothesis to explain a discrepant event is important for conceptual change" (Park, 2006, p. 1). Here are a few examples of explanatory hypotheses that relate to the male-to-female topic:
- An increase in the number of male sales representatives leads to a lower customer defection.
- Ensuring the number of hour's males and females work is equal; leads to an increase in male representatives retaining more customers.
- An increase in items that appeal more to males leads to a lower customer defection.
Prior to proposing an explanatory hypothesis, researchers should consider their influential impact. By looking at the concepts, constructs and variables, it can be easy to determine how the researcher is going to state his hypothesis. A hypothesis from the Bible states, "And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day." (Genesis 1: 3-5, ESV).