Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)

Batch: 2020-22 PGP-I Semester: II

End Term Examination, May-2021
Subject: Research Methodology (2.12)

Time: Three Hours Max. Marks 60

Q1. Case Study/Analytical Question: 20 Marks

Transitional Residence, Inc (TRI) is a local non profit organization located in Madison,
wisconsin. TRI provides assistance to homeless and very low income individuals and families
in finding emergency shelter, food, employment, transitional residence and affordable
apartment housing. These services are provided through 4 basic TRI programs.
a) The Drop-in shelter: An emergency drop-in shelter for men located at Grace Church.
b) The Hospitality House: A day shelter for homeless and very low income men and
women.
c) The Transitional Residence Programs: Provides transitional living arrangements for
families and single men for 6 months or more depending on the needs of the
individuals/family and the unit.
d) The Residence opportunity Program: Helps families in obtaining a lease. As part of its
planning, the board of directors of TRI was interested in was to conduct a survey of
organization’s paid staff, volunteers, and guests (the homeless staying at TRI they found
particularly useful, which should be revised, and what other programs or services might be of
more assistance to guests.
However the analysis of TRI’s internal statistics and other published data indicated the need
for TRI to narrow its focus. Specifically, internal information indicated the number of
agencies serving the male homeless population was decreasing. Moreover, TRI was currently
the only Madison shelter that served the male homeless population, and this community
appeared to be undeserved. In fact, the number of homeless men staying at TRI’s Drop-in
shelter had increased 89 percent, from 60% 3 years ago to 1,146 the past year. This was
partly die to the closing of other Madosin male shelters in the last 3 years. Finally, the TRI
shelter was filled beyond its capacity of 66 men per night. During the winter, there were
frequently more than 90 men staying at the Drop-in shelter on any given night, with many of
them sleeping on the hallway floor.
Given this information, the board of directors decided to use the organization’s limited
resources to focus first on the Drop-in shelter. More specifically, the board asked for an
evaluation of TRI’s current facilities and the services for the homeless as well as a
determination of what future services and facilities it should try to provide.
Questions (5+10+5) Marks
a) What is the research problem?
b) How the research can be conducted in best possible way to arrive to a solution?
c) What kind of report would you suggest for the same and why?

Q2-Q7 (Attempt any 4 out of 6, each carries 10 Marks)

Q.2. (a) Distinguish between correlation and regression. 3 Marks

(b) Ten students got the following percentage of marks in the course principles of
Economics and Statistics.
Roll No. : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Marks in Economics: 78 36 98 25 75 82 90 62 65 39
Marks in Statistics : 84 51 91 60 68 62 86 58 53 47
Calculate the coefficient of Correlation. 7Marks

Q.3. A soft drink company is doing customer research towards their newly launch mango
flavor soft drink. Help the company to design a customer preference questionnaire. Design
the questionnaire with the necessary scales.
Q.4. A national bank wants to measure its customer service level through observation
method.
(a) Describe the suitable research design for the study with explanation
(b) Describe a suitable sampling plan for this study.
Q.5. Your organisation has been asked to carry out a programme of marketing research for a
company that produces battery-powered scooters for transport around city centres. The
company wants to know if and how the public’s perceptions of its brand have been affected
by environmental concerns and increases in fuel prices.
(a) Identify 3 methods of secondary data collection by which the information, the company
requires could be gathered. Outline the strengths and limitations of each approach you
suggest in context to the situation, by citing proper explanation for the same.
Q.6. Caselet
“Vijay Auto” one of the leading automobile companies in India, lost market share to its
competitor Hero Honda in the late 1990’s. In order to regain its market share, the company
plans to find out the reason for its failure in the market. You are appointed as a research to
M/s Vijay Auto.
Questions:
(a) What type of research design would you prefer? Support your answer with reasons.
(b) State the sources through which Vijay Auto can obtain primary data.
(c) What information would you collect for this research problem?
Q.7. The sales data of a product before and after special sales promotional campaign.

               Shops                        1       2        3        4        5       6       7      8

   Before promotional          60     65      55     52     58     63      61     59

       Effect

   After promotional             65     68      52     48     55     60       68    66

        Effect

   Can the promotional campaign be judged to be a success?