Message: Introduction The Kingston Department Store (KDS) is engaged in an 18-month business strategy review project. KDS is a well-established department store that has recently been extensively refurbished at a cost of £5.3 million – a considerable investment for the owners. While this had been undertaken as part of a plan to maintain and develop a customer base, initial results are disappointing in terms of company turnover and numbers of customers: turnover has not risen more than might be expected in terms of market averages and customer numbers are also not dissimilar from last year’s. This suggests something more needs to be done to increase use of the store, customer numbers and so on. A decision has already been made to introduce store account facilities, on the assumption that this will enhance customer loyalty. However, it is believed that further information about customer motivations is needed if KDS is to meet its strategic objectives. The qualitative research set out to understand how existing customers can be encouraged to use the store more often and to spend more money at the store. This assignment focuses exclusively on customers aged 45-60. Research Aim To establish motivations of this group of customers for using Kingston Department stores (KDS) and explore how they can be encouraged to spend more in the store. Research Questions 1) What aspects of the store encourage/discourage use of the store and spending amongst this customer segment? 2) What changes/new developments might encourage greater use of the store and an increase in spend with the store? 3) What kinds of competition is KDS facing? Research design For this assignment, you are asked to analyse the data in nine interviews conducted with 45-60 year-old female customers of KDS. These participants were recruited in-store on three consecutive week-day mornings in early December last year and were each taken through a structured interview in a small staff room. Some follow-up prompts were used to add depth to the interviews. Convenience sampling was used: the interviewer approached women who appeared to be aged 45-60 and interviewed the first nine that fell into the age-bracket and agreed to participate. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The assignment In the assignment you should demonstrate your ability to: · develop and apply a coding frame to interview transcripts · conduct a data-reduction exercise using the Framework approach · produce a short report of your findings and provide supporting evidence for all of your findings. You should: 1) create a coding frame 2) annotate the interview transcripts with the codes 3) create charts for the transcripts 4) use the charts to analyse the data Your assignment should consist of: 1. a report of around 2,000 words in length that: · states the research aims · gives a short, critical description of the data collection and analysis methodology · presents your findings and uses data from the interviews to support them · presents conclusions and appropriately tentative recommendations that are suitable for the management of KDS 2. an appendix that includes: · your coding frame · the interview scripts and your coding of them · your completed framework charts. Indicative marking scheme Percentage of mark for the qualitative assignment Marking criteria Coding frame 10% · Are the codes clearly specified? · Do the codes cover all the research questions? · Do the codes cover all significant aspects of the data? Coded interviews 10% · Are the code labels clear and legible? · Is it clear what portions of text the labels refer to? · Do the codes refer to appropriate portions of the text? · Has all important data been coded? · Do the codes used reflect the coding frame? Framework charts 30% · Is the content clear and comprehensible? · Is the content a valid reflection of the interviews? · Do the charts include appropriate use of all three types of content: interview quotes, paraphrasing, analyst commentary? Report 50% · Is the report clear? (grammar, structure, sense etc.) · Is the research methodology well- described and critiqued? · Are the findings based on the data? · Are the findings supported with data from the transcripts? · Does the report use the appropriate epistemological discourse (e.g. tentative conclusions; no causal attributions or use of quantitative terms; no generalisation) BQ7803 Foundations of Data Analysis and Reporting Survey 1: (Quantitative Data Analysis Assignment) In order to investigate the wealth of KDS customers and whether or not they have applied for and were granted credit with KDS, a survey using a self-completion questionnaire was employed. The questionnaire contained questions on age, years in work, type of occupation and level of education amongst other things. The relevant data are contained in the Credit.sav file; the specification of the variables is presented at the end of this document. The assignment comprises the following two parts. Part 1 You are required to: a. provide a graph representing JOBINC and interpret the information the graph conveys, b. comment on the summary statistics describing the main features and distribution characteristics of JOBINC, and c. using JOBINC or any other ratio variable, carry out significance tests on two and more than two population means. Part 2 Develop the “best” model to explain/predict JOBINC. State fully the assumptions underlying the estimation procedures used and identify any estimation problems that arise when these assumptions break down. The focus must be on interpretation of results and clearly stating and explaining any underlying assumptions. Formulae are not required! Avoid including irrelevant and unnecessary information in your assignment; supporting information may be placed in appendices. Data-set: Credit.sav The Centre for Business Research was commissioned by a department store in Kingston to assess the profile of customers who applied for account facilities. A random sample of 2260 credit applicants was drawn from the database and a postal survey resulted in 113 useable responses. The variables and their specification included in the survey are presented below. Column Variable How the variables were measured C1 id Identification C2 class Indicates whether applicant granted credit where: 1 = credit granted and 0 = credit not granted C3 sex Indicates whether applicant is male or female where: 1 = male and 0 = female C4 age Applicant’s age in years C5 jobyrs Applicant’s number of years in current job C6 jobinc Applicant’s monthly income from current job C7 jobstat Indicates job status of applicants where: 1 = management; 2 = supervisory and 3 = other C8 educ Number of years schooling C9 addinc Applicant’s additional monthly income C10 totbal Applicant’s total debt balances C11 totpay Applicant’s total outgoings C12 spinc Applicant’s spouse’s monthly income C13 mstatus Indicates applicant’s marital status where: 1 = married and 0 = not married C14 homes Indicates whether applicants are home owners or not where: 1 = owns home and 0 = does not own AN EXEMPLE OF CODING – an interview on consumer perceptions of the Twix chocolate bar Notes:  Here I have used the MSWord ‘comments’ function to do my coding  I have illustrated the coding process using just three theme-codes: “sophistication”, “reliability” and “energy”  This is not a complete interview.  Notice that I’ve also coded text that refers indirectly to each theme. For example, when the interviewee chooses to call Dairy Milk sophisticated but not Twix, this implies that Twix is not sophisticated.  Note that where two codes are relevant to the same piece of text, I’ve labelled it with both.  Although the interview technique is generally very good, there is one bad (leading) question: “So you think the Twix might be like a bit sporty or anything?” _____________________________________ […] Interviewer: I mean going back to saying you thought you were kind of a fashionable person do you feel like the packaging affects uhm what you buy really? Or do you feel more attracted to any of these then the others? Respondent: I uh I will say that the packaging does make a difference to me. Right now I’m looking at the Dairy Milk chocolate and the purple in that is alluring, it there, it is a colour that looks really classy. While the Twix everyone knows Twix adverts you know, you identify chocolates by the way they are put forwards. Bueno is the nice silky chocolate you put in your mouth and you get a little bit of crunch, it’s sophisticated, the Bueno is sophisticated in my eyes. The Dairy Milk is bog standard but the packaging definitely catches the eye. The Twix is just golden and shiny, there’s a lot of people I think that are attracted by shiny things. Interviewer: yeh Respondent: so that would definitely bring their attention, but to me I would just have Twix because it’s just a reliable brand and the adverts. At the end of the day branding and adverts just make my life because one brand I will always trust is Coca Cola in the UK because just their adverts are phenomenal. They go all out on branding and that’s why if I were to relate anything to Coca Cola in my eyes it would be Dairy Milk because the purple is brilliant. Interviewer: yeah, you said kinder Bueno is sophisticated and Dairy milk is for the average person, so what is Twix for? Who is it for? Respondent: Twix in my eyes is for the working man you know, it’s got that extra bite to it you know its filling. So it’s a quick snack that actually helps you, like Bueno is nice and light so after a fine pg. 2 dinner. Bueno, if they gave me boxes of Bueno id be like yeh, in a nice little shiny rapper Buenos I’m set for the rest of my life there. Interviewer: mhmm Respondent: but Twix is like you’re in a hurry, you’re working you know. You going traveling grab a Twix, it will help you, give you that little crunchy feeling. Interviewer: when you’re saying the working man what kind of job? Respondent: it could be anything, office worker construction worker you know? Someone who is in a hurry and you know they are having just say a sandwich and uh a bottle of water or a coke and they just need an extra little side dish with the pack of crisps. So average lunchtime mean, you would go with a Twix over the Dairy Milk of the Bueno because just it adds an extra heaviness it feels more filling. Interviewer: Okay, well uh, let's have a look at uhm, some images and I want you to try and figure out which image, or perhaps place the, the uhm, bar of chocolate, in that sort of image, what kind of situation it might be in. Respondent: Okay. [1 st Image is shown] Respondent: That's uh, Twix, yeah. She's doing exercise, needs some energy, I think the Twix bar would uh be a solid you know, energy provider, caramel chocolate. Interviewer: So you think the Twix might be like a bit sporty or anything? Respondent: Just because you know, she's got something to do, she needs some, uh, some uh, nourishment. I think Twix would provide that, with the biscuits and the carbs. Interviewer: Could Dairy Milk go with that picture? Respondent: I suppose so, but it’s just a chocolate, while Twix is more than a chocolate, really, isn’t it. Twix is, like, a snack and not just a chocolate. Interviewer: What do you mean by that? Respondent: I dunno… I suppose the Dairy Milk packaging is all smooth and luxury and that, but Twix is more matter of fact, practical… as if it’s more serious, you know? You don’t want luxury an’ all when you’re exercising, do you – you want real food! Interviewer: Real food? pg. 3 Respondent: Yeah, like bread and biscuits and stuff; but not like chocolate. Interviewer: What is it about the Twix packaging that makes it more practical. Respondent: Dunno. Maybe it’s the red that says ‘energy’… or maybe it’s the shape, which is more like it was meant to be eaten on-the- go. Interviewer: How about this one? Respondent: Oh that’s, that’s a, definitely a Bueno moment. Calm, relaxing ocean, sitting there with your feet in the water, nice wet sand. You know, go back to like, benches or, like uh, just sit down on a nice, uh, bench, chair, look out into the ocean, see the sunset, have a nice little crispy wine. Interviewer: Why do you associate that with Bueno? Respondent: I think if I was sitting in that situation and I had all three of these bars there, I was looking out into the ocean, you know, looking at the sea, seeing the sunset, if I had a choice I would definitely go for the Bueno [Smiling] because I know it's uh, calming chocolate, you know, it's got those flavours coming in. Interviewer: why not Twix? Respondent: Cos it’s not calm is it. Twix isn’t calm. It’s fiery red, energy, action – go for it! Interviewer: “Go for it”? Respondent: Yeah. You’re more dynamic if you eat Twix, cos you’re the kind of person that does things rather just sitting around being calm and going, ‘ummm, nice chocolate’! Interviewer: Okay, let's, let's have a look at another one. pg. 4 Respondent: That one, ah that’s, that's a difficult one, because, that looks like a, picture that fashion models and stuff, you know. So just from that image I'd say Dairy Milk fits in, that purple you know, everything's dulled out, Dairy Milk, perfect, say in that situation the woman would just be like, they'd have a slow movie going, just her biting it, Dairy Milk. Interviewer: Why couldn’t they be eating a Twix instead? Respondent: Cos they’re too sophisticated, too cool. People like that don’t eat Twix. Interviewer: Why not? Respondent: Cos it’s too bright, brash, in your face, you know? The colours they’re wearing – they’re sophisticated, muted colours and all that. They wouldn’t be seen dead eating a red chocolate bar! Interviewer: Okay. Respondent: She's just happy. For her I don't know what I'd suggest, She's just too happy. I'd, I'd phew, yeah I wouldn't go with the Dairy Milk cause, uh, ooh uh, I would say none of them, she's just too happy, so I don't know I'd to suggest, cause she's just plain happy. Interviewer: uh huh. Respondent: Uhh, if she was happy and going somewhere then I'd be like yeah, she's happy and going somewhere: Twix. But, as in, she's…She's already got all the joy in the world she doesn't need chocolate to add on to it. [Both respondent and interviewer laugh] pg. 5 Interviewer: Okay. Respondent: This is a nice family scene, yeah. A family scene, but it's one of those ones where you'd, you'd see each person enjoying their own chocolate, you wouldn't see them enjoying a Twix because, Twix is just an outside thing. And the Bueno, nice fire, maybe you'd enjoy a Bueno, but the Dairy Milk, I can see each person in that like Gran, Dad, Mum, me, sister, all have a bar of Dairy Milk, yeah. Interviewer: Sorry to ask so many awkward questions, but why isn’t Twix an inside thing? Respondent: I suppose because of the energy thing and the red and all that. You can’t be energy and sophisticated, or energy and inside – you’re one or the other. Interviewer: Okay well, that’s good. We're, we're gonna play a little bit, it's kind of a game, Respondent: Okay. Interviewer: In a way. So you've got the three chocolate bars in front of you, uhm, I want you to give these chocolate bars a personality. Respondent: Okay. Interviewer: Not just a personality, I want to know like what kind of jobs they work, uhm, what kind of vacations they go on, what kind of magazines they read, what kind of cars they drive. Respondent: Okay. Interviewer: Let's start with the uhm, the Twix. Respondent: Ah okay. Interviewer: You have to give Twix, if Twix was a person. Respondent: If Twix was a person, I'd say Twix was.. is, is…I, I'd say he's the working salesman, from, pg. 6 from uhm, from, from a, A View From A Bridge, he was, he was a Dad of two kids, you know, had a wife, got a home to go to, paying a mortgage, he's always on the move, and he'd have a, bog standard car, company would provide it, I don't know. I don't know, say uh, Toyota Civic, I don’t know, I'd say that yeah, I'd say a Civic. A Civics' a pretty standard car across the world, so I'd say the Twix would be a working salesman, right. Working salesman, so you wouldn't see him very often, but it's something you know that they're just there, they're always there to provide that extra bit of energy always on the move. Definitely have…two kids, yeah. Interviewer: What kind of vacation would he go on with them? Respondent: I think he'd go to uh, he'd, he'd, he'd stick to, I wouldn't say he's well off, he's, I'd say he's well off but, as in, he'd, he'd go to Europe. So yeah. And he would go, maybe, yeah, Cyprus. Cyprus is a nice vacation spot, break some plates you know, for traditions sake, just try something new, enjoy it uhm, maybe go uh, maybe go….Switzerland every five years? Every five years he goes Switzerland. France is a common place a Twix bar would go. Interviewer: What kind of things would he read? Magazines, newspapers. Respondent: Newspapers I'd say. Interviewer: What newspaper would he read? Respondent: Not the, not the Metro, I think he'd read, something more, you know, something more informative. He wants to keep up with the times, wants to know what's happening in the world, you know, not just…you know…He, he would enjoy, in my eyes he's a moving, working man, so if he had to he'd pick up a Metro, because you know, that’s the only thing you've got. But if he had time he'd probably pick up uh, on a Sunday, he'd read The Evening Standard. Interviewer: Before, you said uh, you couldn't assign it a gender but you, you instantly referred to it as a him, why do you think that? Respondent: [Shrugs] I don't know, I uh, I think uh, if I, if I were to give uh, I'd, I'd associate all these chocolates with…men because that's what, I guess, that's what I go to first. Interviewer: Uh huh. Respondent: Cause I see, I don't know I just uh, see…images in my mind, the minute I thought Twix I immediately thought, the main character from A View From A Bridge. Interviewer: What, what about Kinder Bueno then, what, what would you… Who is Kinder Bueno? Respondent: Bueno is someone who is… Kinder Bueno is uh, someone who likes to take their time, you know. They're well off, really well off I'd say, if they were a person I would say they would be uh, in my eyes someone who'd uh, wear a suit, everyday, you know. Interviewer: What kind of job do they have? Respondent: Manager of a large firm, not something like uh, like uh, normal accounting, like pg. 7 someone who's uh multiple branches you know, someone who is the CEO of the company I'd say, yeah. They, they, they, they wear suits, in my eyes if you wear a suit you've got a very high paid job you know? Interviewer: What kind of education do you think they would have? Respondent: Definitely. Definitely university, I, I would associate my, in my eyes I'd associate him with uhm, minimum undergrad degree, yeah. Minimum, and masters, maybe a PHD. But minimum, they'd have, they'd have a undergrad. Have a wife, maybe a child? Single child… Interviewer: Just one though? Respondent: Just one. Interviewer: And where do you think they would go on holiday? Respondent: Definitely places that are tropical, you know, if they lived in the UK they would definitely go to like Asia, the States, uhh Far East Asia and Central Asia, uh Middle East, you know, have a gander at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, uhh maybe Malaysia, you know, Singapore, go there for the Far Eastern parts, Hong Kong, just to have a nice little, to say, yeah I went to a, a nice little beach resort in uh Malaysia. Interviewer: Uh huh. Do you feel like they might show off a little bit then? Respondent: That depends on the person. Uh, uh, I, I'm relatively well off, but I don't Interviewer: But this is a person you're making. Respondent: I uh, in my eyes, I enjoy the finer life, but I don't go rubbing, things, and so in my eyes they'd be something like… my Father, they'd just be uh, wear a suit uh you know. Yeah, my Father. My Father defines the Kinder Bueno in my eyes. Interviewer: What kind of clothes would they wear like, brand wise? Respondent: If it's a casual day, don't uh think they mind, my Dad wouldn’t, I'd uh, I'm going to associate with my Dad, and with my, my, Kinder Bueno. He doesn't mind, he'll just wear anything, doesn't have to be a brand so long as it looks good. Interviewer: What kind of brands? Respondent: He can go from uh, I don't know uhm, on a casual day he can go from uh Ralph Lauren to uh, maybe just uh, some uh, I don't know. Interviewer: Talking, jeans? T-shirt? Respondent: Oh yeah, jeans, t-shirt, he, he wears uh khakis if it’s a casual day, but if it's uh, you know, he, he, he just wants to go out, look nice, he'd uh put on a suit, you know? Make, uh, make, pg. 8 polish his shoes. And then uh, just go walking through uh, Central London, just because, go down uh, some of the banks, meet people. Interviewer: How about Dairy Milk then? Respondent: Dairy Milk is the, just the, the office worker yeah, someone who's just, there. There's abundance of them but you, you can rely on him at the end of the day. Maybe done an undergrad degree, probably doesn't want to do a masters in my eyes Interviewer: Right. Respondent: Just wants you know, to get a job you know, sustain a family, maybe a wife, two to three kids. Interviewer: What kind of things will he read? Magazines or newspapers? Respondent: I would say, he would, he would gander at some magazines, yeah, he would uh, but he would also read some uh, newspapers. Interviewer: What kind of magazines? Respondent: I don't know, I don't really read magazines myself so. Interviewer: What kind of genre of magazine? Respondent: Uhhm.…I think he might dabble in a bit of uh, uh like gossipy stuff Interviewer: Uh huh Respondent: But at the end of the day he'd probably go back to uh serious stuff like uh Financial Times, just see what's happened, learn something new, go on vacation somewhere like uh, Europe, I think he's a Europe kind of person, Dairy Milk. Interviewer: A Europe kind of person? Respondent: Yeah. Interviewer: What job did you say? Respondent: I'd say he's a bog standard uh, office worker, you know. Interviewer: Bog standard office worker? Respondent: Yeah. Interviewer: What do you mean by that? pg. 9 Respondent: Nice little cubicle, picture of his family in one corner, filing cabinet, mouse, keyboard, relatively decent computer, working there, typing on his keyboard, yeah. Interviewer: Okay. That's good, that's good uhhm, that's everything I think, so, thanks. Respondent: Right, awesome, no problem. Interviewer: Thanks for letting me interview you. Respondent: Ah no problem.