Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to Business Research Project Part 4 Sampling Process and Data Analys.docx
Similar to Business Research Project Part 4 Sampling Process and Data Analys.docx (20)
More from humphrieskalyn
More from humphrieskalyn (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Business Research Project Part 4 Sampling Process and Data Analys.docx
- 1. Business Research Project Part 4: Sampling Process and Data Analysis Business Research Project Part 4: Sampling Process and Data Analysis Leeshon Guider, Nicola Phillips-Tate, Shelia Collins, Yekaterina Volchanskaya QNT/561 July 5, 2014 Neil Eckardt Sampling Contact, Distribution and Collection The basic idea of sampling is that by selecting some of the elements in a population, we may draw conclusions about the entire population (Cooper & Schindler, 2011).Target Corporation’s consumer base or demographics consist of younger customers and college students. The University of Phoenix student base gives us access to the university’s community and potential participants whom may have direct experience with the survey topic. The survey will be self administered; an invitation will be posted on the University of Phoenix website via “Phoenix Connect” inviting students to
- 2. participate. The survey will be created and distributed via “Own Survey.com”. The survey provider, “Own Survey” will collate results. Our team will research the reports and figures at the end of the survey period and visually present the data. Organize, Prepare, and Data Description The research mainly focused on customer satisfaction on the quality of product and services of Target. 42.9% of the respondents viewed the quality of products and services of the company as excellent. Only 28.6% percent termed the services as dissatisfactory. 71.4% of the respondents have never had their credit card number stolen. 85.7% expressed their feelings on the convenience that the use of Target credit and debit cards brings to them. 42.9% of the respondents agreed that the features of Target cards affect business (Belt, 2013). Between convenience and privacy, 57.1% look up to the convenience rather than privacy. More so, 50% that were affected by the security breach are not sure about returning to Target's stores. The survey the team conducted consists of seven questions which focused on Target’s customer satisfaction as mentioned above. There are a few questions which required a rating from 1 to 5 and a few questions which consumers indicated yes or no. As the survey results show some consumers are divided on their experience with the customer service they received from Target (#1) with a divide of 37.5% of good and excellent and 25% indicating it was very good. Their concerns about the credit/debit card security at Target (#2) indicates that 12.5% are divided about not being concerned and not sure if they should be concerned and 75% indicating they are somewhat concerned to very concerned. Question 3 shows that 75% of consumers have not have their credit card number stolen while 25% of consumers have. In regards to question 4, the ease of use while shopping with a credit/debit card 87% say yes while 13% say no. The major question to the survey (#5) is whether certain features of credit/debit card security affect the way consumers decide to do business with Target, and again there is division in the results 50% say yes, 25% say no and 25% say sometimes.
- 3. Another key question (#6) was aimed for those who were affected by the security breach and their willingness to return to Target 51.1% indicate they are not sure while 14.3% indicate one day, 14.3% indicate one year, and 14.3% indicate never again. The last question (#7), shows convenience and privacy are equally important to consumers. 1. With regards to your most recent experience with TARGET, was the quality of customer service you received: 2. In general, how concerned are you about the credit/debit card security with Target? 3. Have you ever had your credit are number stolen? 4. Do you think using your credit/debit card for shopping would make your life easier? 5. Would credit/debit card security features affect whether or not to do business with Target? 6. If you were affected by the security breach, how soon will you return to Target stores? 7. In general, which is more important to you: Convenience or Privacy? The study revealed Target as an important company to consumers. Despite the challenges that the company has experienced, consumers appreciate Target for the convenience it brings during shopping as well as the unique features in its services. It is important to note that security is a major measure of customer satisfaction in this case as portrayed in the results of the research.
- 4. References Belt, S. (2013). Target’s Credit Card breach Leads to Customer Services Nightmare. Inbound Marketing. Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/target-credit-card-breach- customer-service-nj Cooper, D. R., & Schindler, P. S. (2011). Business Research Methods (11th ed.). : McGraw-Hill. Standard Charts for Target Customers Survey. (2014). Retrieved July 2014, from Own Survey: http://www.ownsurvey.com/forms/owner/statistics.php?jsEnable dInd=Y&session_name=ssn17 25% Yes No 8 75% Yes No 2
- 5. 88% Yes No 7 13% Yes No 2 50% Yes No Sometimes 4 25% Yes No Sometimes 2 2 25% Yes No Sometimes 1-Day 1-Day 1-Mnth 1-Yr Never Again Not Sure 1 1-Mnth 1-Day 1-Mnth 1-Yr Never Again Not Sure 1 1-Yr 1-Day 1-Mnth 1-Yr Never Again Not Sure 1 Never Again 1-Day 1-Mnth 1-Yr Never Again Not Sure 4 Not Sure 1-Day 1-Mnth 1-Yr Never Again Not Sure Convenience Convenience Privacy 4 Privacy Convenience Privacy 4 1 1 2 3 4 5 2 1 2 3 4 5 3 1 2 3 4 5 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 2 5 1 2 3 4 5 3 Consumers Very Poor-Excellent
- 6. 1 1 2 3 4 5 Not Quite Sure 1 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 Not Quite Sure 3 1 2 3 4 5 Not Quite Sure 2 4 1 2 3 4 5 Not Quite Sure 2 5 1 2 3 4 5 Not Quite Sure 2 2 RUNNING HEAD: BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT PART 3: SURVEY 6 Business Research Project Part 3: Survey Leeshon Guider, Nicola Phillips-Tate, Shelia Collins, Yekaterina Volchanskaya QNT/561 June 30, 2014 Neil Eckardt In the phase three of the research project the team drafts a survey which identifies the alignment between the research questions from phase one of the project and the survey questions. The goal of the study is to establish whether the recent security/credit breach at Target has affected the loyalty of its customers. To achieve it the survey was designed. To decipher its reliability another learning team provided feedback how to make the survey more coherent and ensured the questions are in line with the overall goal for the study. The alignment of survey questions with the research questions
- 7. developed in the first phase of the project is as follows: 1. Are consumers satisfied how Target dealt with the security breach? Survey questions 1 and 7. 2. What factors affect consumers’ satisfaction in this situation? Survey questions 5 and 6. 3. Who are the satisfied consumers in terms of age, gender, length of time as a Target consumer, and the frequency of using the store credit card or other credit cards either shopping at a store or on-line? Survey questions 1, 2, 3, and 4. The following is the initial set of questions created for the survey (with feedback from the learning team D marked with yellow color) and subsequently the revised survey questions are provided. Service Quality Survey 1. With regards to your most recent experience with TARGET, was the quality of customer service you received: Very Poor Poor Average Very Good Excellent If you indicated that the customer service was poor or very
- 8. poor, would you please indicate why? 2. In general, how concerned are you about security with Target? A Little Concerned Somewhat Concerned Very Concerned Not Concerned At All Not Quite Sure If you have any concerns, please share them below. 3. Have you ever had your credit card number stolen?? Yes No 4.
- 9. Do you think using your credit/debit card for shopping would make your life easier? Yes No 5. Would security features affect whether or not to do business with Target? Yes No Maybe 6. How soon will you return to Target Stores? One Day One Month One Year Never Again Not Sure 7. In general, which is more important to you: Convenience or Privacy? Convenience Privacy
- 10. Also, in regards to security, in my opinion, this needs to be clarified as to what type of security. Do you mean personal security or credit/debit card security? Service Quality Survey (revised) 1. With regards to your most recent experience with TARGET, was the quality of customer service you received: Very Poor Poor Average Very Good Excellent If you indicated that the customer service was poor or very poor, would you please indicate why? 2. In general, how concerned are you about the credit/debit card security with Target? A Little Concerned Somewhat Concerned Very Concerned Not Concerned At All Not Quite Sure If you have any concerns, please share them below. 3. Have you ever had your credit card number stolen? Yes No 4. Do you think using your credit/debit card for shopping would make your life easier?
- 11. Yes No 5. Would credit/debit card security features affect whether or not to do business with Target? Yes No Maybe 6. If you were affected by the security breach, how soon will you return to Target Stores? One Day On Month One Year Never Again Not Sure 7. In general, which is more importance to you: Convenience or Privacy? Convenience Privacy _1465675926.unknown _1465675934.unknown _1465675938.unknown _1465675940.unknown _1465675941.unknown _1465675939.unknown _1465675936.unknown _1465675937.unknown
- 13. _1465675894.unknown _1465675896.unknown _1465675897.unknown _1465675895.unknown _1465675892.unknown _1465675893.unknown _1465675891.unknown _1465675890.unknown BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT PART 2: RESEARCH PLAN 2 BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT PART 2: RESEARCH PLAN 3 Business Research Project Part 2: Research Plan Shelia Collins, Nicola Phillips-Tate, Leeshon Guider, Yekaterina Volchanskaya University of Phoenix Applied Business Research and Statistics QNT-561 Neil Eckardt June 23, 2014 Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT PART 2: RESEARCH PLAN 1
- 14. Business Research Project Part 2: Research Plan In the second phase of the research project the team aims to identify the population and sample for the research. The team will also determine the data collection process, the format of the survey and information to be gathered as well as well as how to collect and distribute the survey. Population and Sample According to Target, the investigation determined that the stolen information includes names, mailing addresses, phone numbers or email addresses for up to seventy million individuals. The population chosen will be all seventy million consumers affected. Sampling for the research will consist of both, self administered and human administered sampling methods. “Much of the stolen data is partial in nature, but in cases where Target has an email address, the company will attempt to contact affected guests. This communication will be informational, including tips to guard against consumer scams. Target will not ask those guests to provide any personal information as part of that communication” (Target Provides Update on Data Breach and Financial Performance, 2014). For those without email addresses on file, Target will contact this group by mail and request an email address if they wish to participate online, and provide an alternative to call a toll free number to participate by phone through automated prompts. In the event, the guest prefer to receive a questionnaire in the mail, the company will mail the form as requested. Mailing as requested will save Target money because they will avoid printing unnecessary forms. The collaborative methods of sampling may be costly, but it is prevalent while striving to rebuild the customer loyalty database. Target is aware of sampling errors and is working diligently to avoid those errors. Data Collection Process Survey Format and Content It is important to develop a short customer satisfaction survey
- 15. to accurately measure customer satisfaction with the company, product, and service. It is also essential to understand the interests, goals, and upsets for the customer in order for the company to change and improve their services in order to keep their customer base. The format of the survey will be simple clear closed-ended questions to determine if the customers are truly satisfied with the overall service of the company and gain insight as to whether Target’s responds was conducted in a quick and professionally manner from the customer viewpoint. Some of the basic content to gather with the survey includes gender, age, and length of time as a Target customer, how likely the customer will remain with Target, and how likely will the customer refer the company to a friend or colleague. Using a survey tool such as the Likert-scale which uses a range from “not at all likely-extremely likely that can incorporate skip logic to allow customers to answer questions that are applicable to the services they've actually used, can provide insight into where the company can improve. Survey Distribution and Collection There are a number of ways through which the surveys can be distributed and collected, the most common ones include; mail surveys, personal interviews, interviews through phones and Internet surveys as well. However, the survey will be distributed over an electronic format, such as the Internet. Internet surveys are emerging as the most reliable because many people can be reached, the problem is that one needs Internet access in order to use it. Smart phone and tablet users are more familiar and comfortable with the use of the Internet as the platform for the survey questions. The consumers for this survey are users of debit/credit cards. The results will be collected at the end of the survey period; the results are automatically collated and analyzed by the survey team.
- 16. References James, H. (2009). Introduction to research methods. Oxofrd: Oxford University Press Likert-scale. Retrieved from https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/likert-scale/ Peter, D. (2011). The sampling approach and surveys. Nairobi: Longman Target Provides Update On Data Breach and Financial Performance. (2014). Retrieved from http://pressroom.target.com/news/target-provides-update-on- data-breach-and-financial-performance Running head: BUSINESS RESEARCH PROJECT. PART 1 1 Business Research Project. Part 1 Business Problem and Research Questions Leeshon Guider, Nicola Phillips-Tate,
- 17. Shelia Collins, Yekaterina Volchanskaya QNT/561 June 16, 2014 Neil Eckardt Business Research Project. Part 1 Business Problem and Research Questions Identification of an Organization and a Dilemma under Research Team B collectively decided to identify an organization that was faced with a dilemma. Retailer, Target experienced a security breach involving stolen credit card information, names, mailing addresses, phone numbers and/or email addresses during the holiday season of 2013 (Target, 2013) . Customers were not immediately aware because Target had to perform an investigation. The collected data of the investigation was to identify those affected and to what degree. According to the Washington Post (2014), several questions were asked and answered in order for the organization to successfully address the issues. Purpose Statement The purpose of this research project is to establish whether the recent security/credit breach at Target has affected the loyalty of its customers. Direct customers are the people, individuals, or institutions that have a higher chance of buying the products floated by an organization (Stieb, 2006). The organization strives to ensure that the customers are completely satisfied in order for them to recommend the organization and its products or services to new prospective consumers. This includes the provision of maximum security to ensure that their personal non-public information is safe and secured from any form of malicious data tampering. Organizations should therefore ensure consumer information is
- 18. protected at all levels. It is troubling to learn for the business that customers’ non-public security and credit cards information were tampered as this could translate into the customers’ loyalty weakening. This scenario also threatens the name and integrity (Reichheld & Sasser, 1990) of the organization by keeping away the prospective customers from the organization for the fear of being affected with the similar breach in the future. The organization should as a result act quickly to redeem itself and the customers from any form of loss from the breach. This also means the investing in a more robust and effective security platform must be done to safeguard their customers (Stieb, 2006). First, the numerical values of the affected need to be noted to determine the extent to which the security breach has caused damage. Also the way the consumers are affected needs to be brought in consideration which would help to cope with such situations in the future. Second, it is extremely important to know the views of the consumers and their response to the company's products in the future. The rights of customers need to be given the highest priority and it is worth noting that the customer's confidence is not lost. Hence this research is vital in revealing these basic yet very important factors that can influence business transactions. Research Questions To address the problem of the security breach, there are a variety of paths Target can take to deal with the issue; one is conducting research to identify the security weakness within the system. The Jaquith (2007) website suggests the following questions may be included in the initial research: 1. How many sites are connected directly to the core network without intermediate firewalls? 2. How many of these sites have deployed unsecured wireless networks?
- 19. 3. Starting with zero knowledge, how many minutes are required to gain full access to network domain controllers? 4. What percentage of user accounts could be compromised in 15 minutes or less? 5. What is the relative "risk score" of each application compared to the others? Customer satisfaction is a key performance indicator within the business which measures how products and services provided to consumers by companies meet or exceed customers’ expectations. Target is a retail megastore that must compete for customers; therefore customer satisfaction is a key element of the business strategy. The security breach has left many consumers to wonder if they should continue to be loyal to Target and to gage into what consumers are thinking the following questions can be proposed: 1. Are consumers satisfied how Target dealt with the security breach? 2. What factors affect consumers’ satisfaction in this situation? 3. Who are the satisfied consumers in terms of age, gender, length of time as a Target consumer, and the frequency of using the store credit card or other credit cards either shopping at a store or on-line? Conclusion It is the hope at the conclusion of this research project that information can be gained in ways to best protect consumer’s personal information and gage into how consumers feel towards an organization that may have potentially put them at risk. Should consumers stay loyal to the organization or relieve themselves from any further interactions with them? References
- 20. Jaquith, A. (2007). Sample Questions for Finding Information Security Weaknesses, CSO Online. Retrieved from http://www.csoonline.com/article/2121824/metrics- budgets/sample-questions-for-finding-information-security- weaknesses.html Jayakumar, A., Tsukayama, H.(2014). Target Breach: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/target- breach-what-you-need-to-know/2014/01/10/669a5c9c-7a10- 11e3-8963-b4b654bcc9b2_story.html Reichheld, F., & Sasser, W. (1990). Zero defection: quality comes to services, Harvard Business Review, pp 105–111. Stieb, J.A. (2006). Clearing Up the Egoist Difficulty with Loyalty, The Journal of Business Ethics, vol 63, no 1. Target. (2013). A message from CEO Gregg Steinhafel about Target’s payment card issues. Retrieved from https://corporate.target.com/discover/article/Important-Notice- Unauthorized-access-to-payment-ca