Quality Products

Business research is one of the most important factors in the industry and the economy nowadays, where information about the market is key in attaining success in the business world. Knowing the what, who, when, where, and how of clients and other businesses offer a very distinct advantage for those who hold this information (Duboff & Spaeth, 2000). Quality Research Associates, a company that specializes in market research, is facing six very different cases with clients concerning their businesses, products, and services. Finding the right research method for each client is important for their success.

1. Hamptons Bank's Image Study

Janey Dean, Marketing Director of Hamptons Bank, is concerned with conducting an image study for the bank in order to determine how customers view their business. This is extremely important for banks, as customers choose banks based on their perceptions of the bank's characteristics (Barr, 2009). Quality Research Associates has not yet conducted any bank image studies; however this is an opportunity for the company to start.

The best course of action for the company is to conduct a cross-sectional descriptive research method in order to determine how customers perceive Hamptons Bank. The research findings will be used to predict how customers view the bank's image, thus requiring a descriptive research. Factors such as how customers see the bank's financial stability, reliability, bank location, personal service, and similar factors will be looked into - important factors that customers often look for in choosing a bank (Barr, 2009). The study would be aimed at current clients of the bank and customers who are actively seeking for a bank; the former to determine what clients liked with the bank and the latter to determine what customers want. Thus, a cross-sectional study would be best as the study would seek to find the current needs and wants of the customers.

2. Wesleyan College Football Team

Cayleigh Rogers, Business Manager for the Wesleyan College, is looking to set-up a football team for the college. Before pushing through with the project, the College President wants to know whether support from both the alumni community and the present students will be present.

In determining whether alumni members of the College will be willing to aid the formation of the team through solicitations to help with start-up costs, a cross-sectional descriptive research design should be employed. Starting up the football team will be a one-time cost and discerning whether or not alumni members will donate can be studied at one point in time. On the other hand, the support of present Wesleyan students can be studied using a longitudinal descriptive research. This is to measure if the students would want the formation of the football team, and how the students would react once the team is created. Studying