Research Proposal

Research Questions

Should Baigal-Ekh pharmacy open a new branch in the suburb area of the city to increase its market
share?

Rationale

Baigal-Ekh pharmacy has been operating for over 8 years. It has two branches in the inner city. They are
currently deciding whether they should open a new branch in the suburb of the city, where mostly
summerhouses are built in Ulaanbaatar. This entire research will be useful to analyze whether opening a
new branch can increase the company’s market share.

Theoretical Framework

Analysis will be made by using strategies and tools such as SWOT, PEST and Porter's five forces. These
tools and strategies will help to examine the company’s strengths and weaknesses, and to identify its
current market positioning as well as to look into the future and identify the potential obstacles. Ratio
analysis will be used in analyzing the financial performance of Baigal-Ekh.

Areas of Syllabus to be covered

 Organizational Planning Tools

 External Environment
 Ratio Analysis
 The Role of Marketing
 Marketing Planning
 Location

Methodology

Primary research:

 Interview Mrs. Angaragtuya, the owner of Baigal-Ekh pharmacy- Interview the owner to gain
more information regarding the current positioning and situation of the business and the
impending decision as well as predicted financial positioning of the company.
 Interview Ms. Solongo, the manager of Baigal-Ekh pharmacy- Interview the second person to
obtain more information and another perspective on the impending decision. We can see
whether it correlates with the first interview, thus it will be useful in carrying out the further
research.
 Surveying and investigating- Investigating the environment around the location will help to
analyze some parts of the external environments. A survey can be taken by residents of the
suburbs area. This will help to acknowledge whether there is a big or small customer demand
for the products that Baigal-Ekh sells.
Secondary research:

 Examine the company’s annual report in order to analyze the financial performance of Baigal-
Ekh Company. This can be done by using ratio analysis.
 Determine the estimated number of nearby residents that live in the suburbs area throughout
the whole year. This information can be found on the internet or in the headquarters of the
district where the suburbs area belong to.

Action Plan until September

April-May 2020 Topic Selection

2020.05.26 Submission of initial proposal

2020. 06.01-06.07 Feedback received

2020.06.08-06.12 Questionnaires of the survey

2020.06.13-06.20 Interview with the owner and the manager

2020.06.21-06.24 Surveying the residents

2020.06.25-06.27 Investigate and study the nearby environment of the location

2020.06.28-07.05 Analyze all information and gather in formation

2020.07.06-07.15 Review annual reports

2020.07.16-08.01 Complete SWOT and PEST analysis

2020.08.02-08-10 Complete Poster’s Five Forces.

Potential problems/ possible solutions

 Collecting data in secondary research might be challenging. The company might hesitate to
share their financial report. A solution to this problem can be creating a confidentially
contract/agreement.
 Limited perspective as only two managers are interviewed. A solution to this can be
acknowledging better in the reports rather than only relying more on the interview. This way,
more reliable analysis can be made.

Word count; 499