SLAZ

SLAZ is a South African office supplies brand. They supply essential office supplies such as ink cartridges, paper,
and other stationary. Their products are distributed to businesses only. SLAZ has sales agents who are responsible
for sales, distribution of their products, as well as training businesses on how to use the products. Businesses can
either order SLAZ products online or directly from sales agents.

The SLAZ marketing director recently noticed a dramatic increase in customer complaints. The company is very
concerned and urgently needs to find out the reason for the decline in sales. Consequently, the marketing research
company “The Research Giants” was contracted to assist with finding out if quality and price influence customer
complaints experienced by SLAZ.

Source: This is a fictitious case study

Based on the information provided in the above case:

1. Construct a research question for this research project. (2 marks)

2. Construct ONE (1) primary objective and TWO (2) secondary objectives for the research project.
(4 marks)

3. Construct a hypothesis for each one of the research objectives mentioned in question 2. (4 marks)

4. Suppose SLAZ has requested the marketing research company, “The Research Giants”, to differentiate
between a quantitative and a qualitative methodology by considering the a) aim / purpose of the research,
b) how variables will be researched, c) form of data collected and d) the nature of the final report. This
differentiation should be applied to SLAZ. (8 marks)
Q1 MODEL ANSWER

1. Construct a research question for this research project. (2 marks)

Does price and quality influence the customer complaints experienced by SLAZ? ✓✓
OR
What are SLAZ’s customers perceptions of the price and quality of the products sold by SLAZ and how does this
influence the customer complaints experienced by the company?✓✓

Q2 MODEL ANSWER

2. Construct ONE (1) primary objective and TWO (2) secondary objectives of the research project.
(6 marks)

Primary objective:
To investigate✓ the influence of price and quality on the customer complaints experienced by SLAZ. ✓

Secondary objectives:
To determine ✓ the influence of price on customer complaints experienced by SLAZ. ✓
To determine ✓ the influence of quality on customer complaints experienced by SLAZ. ✓

Q3 MODEL ANSWER

3. Construct a hypothesis for each one of the secondary objectives mentioned in question 2. (4 marks)

NO marks if hypothesis is not relevant to research objective stated in question 2

Note: Hypotheses may differ depending on research objectives provided in question 2.

The hypothesis is an assumption or a prediction about the outcome of the research objective. An “If this,
then that” statement. E.g. If the range of products widens, sales will increase.

e.g. Research objective provided in Q2:

To determine the influence of price on customer complaints experienced by SLAZ.

Hypothesis: The lower the price of SLAZ products the lower the customer complaints experienced by SLAZ. ✓
OR
There is a relationship between the price of SLAZ products and customer complaints experienced
by SLAZ. ✓

To determine the influence of quality on customer complaints experienced by SLAZ.

Hypothesis: The higher the quality of SLAZ products the lower the customer complaints experienced by SLAZ. ✓
OR
There is a relationship between the quality of SLAZ products and customer complaints experienced
by SLAZ. ✓
Q4 MODEL ANSWER

4. Suppose SLAZ has requested the marketing research company, “The Research Giants”, to differentiate
between a quantitative and a qualitative methodology by considering the a) aim / purpose of the research,
b) how variables will be researched, c) form of data collected and d) the nature of the final report. This
differentiation should be applied to SLAZ. (8 marks)

Allocate TWO (2) marks for each consideration as applied to the case study.
PLUS allocate an additional TWO (2) marks for a final recommendation based on the considerations.
Full sentences must be used.
Note: NO marks for single words or phrases standing alone without context.

Qualitative Quantitative

Purpose / aim To understand and interpret (1 mark)
Application: The Research Giants
will need to understand and interpret if
quality and price influence customer
complaints experienced by SLAZ (1
mark)
To test hypotheses, look for causes
and effects and make predictions (1
mark)
Application: The Research Giants
need to formulate hypothesis and test
if quality and price have a positive
impact on customer complaints. (1
mark)

Variables Study of the whole, not variables (1
mark)
Application: The Research Giants
will need to study the whole context in
its entirety including the identified
variables, namely, quality, price and
customer complaints. (1 mark)
Study specific variables (1 mark)
Application: The Research Giants
will only need to study specific
variables, namely, quality, price and
customer complaints. (1 mark)

From of Data collection Qualitative such as open-ended Quantitative, based on precise

responses, interviews, participant measurements using structured and
observations, field notes and validated data-collection instruments
reflections (1 mark) (1 mark)

Application: The Research Giants Application: The Research Giants

can conduct interviews customers to can administer survey questionnaires
understand if price and quality to collect data from customers. (1
contribute customer complaints. (1 mark)
mark)

Final report Narrative report with contextual Statistical report with correlations,
description and direct quotations from comparisons of means and statistical
research participants (1 mark) significance of findings (1 mark)
Application: After the research the
final report produced by The
Research Giants needs to be a
narrative report that provides a
thorough contextual description of the
environment in which SLAZ operates
and provide direct quotations from
SLAZ’s customers who were research
participants. (1 mark)
Application: After the research the
final report produced by The
Research Giants needs to present
findings in the form of a statistical
report with correlations of the
variables under investigation (namely,
quality, price and customer
complaints). The statistical
significance of the findings need to be
reported in the final report. (1 mark)