Essay Sample about Types of Research
I would choose to use the process checkpoint evaluations, the post transactional surveys, and the critical incident studies. The process checkpoint evaluations are used to analyze and evaluate whether the project is going as planned at certain points, checkpoints( Project checkpoints). An example of this could be the university making surveys mandatory at the beginning and middle of the semester to ensure that professors are doing their job correctly. The post transactional surveys are used to obtain feedback on performance, measure effectiveness of changes in delivery, assess performance, and use information for improvements. An example of this is the end of the semester survey that the university asks for. The critical incident studies are used to identify the best practices at transactional level, customer requirements as input, common service failures, and systematic strengths and weaknesses. An example of this would be having a form for students to fill out when their fellow peers or teachers or faculty do something that makes them feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
External customers vs. Internal customers
External customers are people who are not directly related to the company ( Zeithaml 28). These people use the products or services that the university offers (Kidd). The internal clients are the ones who are connected directly to the company ( Zeithaml 28). In the case of being a marketing director at a college our external customers would be the government, alumni, donors and the schools that give the college students (Samuel). All of these people have a very significant role to play in the university’s success; however, are not necessarily directly related to the institution. The internal customers would be students and all employees throughout the university (Samuel). These people are the ones who interact directly with the school and have something to gain.
Importance of my research choices
Being a college student and navigating through college, I have a lot to say and want to feel like the university really hears me. Universities should use the process checkpoint evaluations, the post transactional surveys, and the critical incident studies because they could eliminate big issues and allow for their students and faculty to feel like their voice matters. It is important because it all starts within the business, internally , meaning that the students and faculty can leave and become your external customers. If they have an experience and feel as though the school system didn’t care about their concerns, then they can focus their interest to another university and bring more money and students there.
Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Service marketing research is important due to companies using the research in the decision-making process ( Zeithaml 20). Qualitative research is research that is not involving numbers, it helps you understand in depth questions and feelings of consumers ( Zeithaml 93). An example of qualitative research is focus groups. Quantitative research is research that has numbers present. An example of quantitative research is surveys and experiments. When qualitative and quantitative research are combined it provides a better understanding of the overall consumer. It is important to have a variety of research information so that companies have adequate information to make the best decision. Some decisions that companies have to make can vary from trying to understand what customers and noncustomers are saying about the brand and their competitors to being able to measure the quantity of customers service and level of satisfaction ( Zeithaml 20). We need both exploratory data, qualitative, and descriptive data, quantitative to be able to get the information needed for analyzing the firm’s success and deciding on where to go in the future.
