Problem of Declining Sales. Essay Example.

Sales are one of the most fundamental aspects of the success of an institution or a company, but sometimes it does not perform as expected or require (Sales Performance International, 2017). When sales of your company decline, it should take the sales manager and other people involved the shortest time possible to detect the problem, analyze and fix it before it is too late (McConnachie, 2017).

According to me, the possible problem that the XYZ company is experiencing is poor management. According to Brian Tracy, the accurate measure of any business leader and a manager is performance (Anderson, 2013), meaning, where there is poor performance, there is inadequate leadership or management in one way or the other. Poor management scheme is the mother of issues such as no reward system, the unaccountability of staff, poor metrics among many (Metler, 2017). All these problems would undoubtedly lead to lack of accountability and confusion in the sales sector, making the company experience decrease in sales of its products/services.

Importance of Defining the Research Problem

In determining the research problem for the XYZ Company management, there is a clear path on how the problem can be solved. It explicitly provides a way in which the control of the company can design the research of the problem and conduct it properly. The firm now knows the possible issues affecting the sales department. It can now work on how it can research on the problem in all its branches, including the mechanisms, techniques, and process it can use to do the research and come up with the necessary solutions to the problem so that the companys sale may take shape as soon as possible.

Comparison of the Types of Nature of Research Enquiry

Research can be categorized based on the kind of research inquiry or the mode of data collection. Examples of research in the nature of research inquiry are exploratory, descriptive and explanatory or casual. These types have various similarities and differences.

Similarities

According to research method quality and quantity

The research methods in exploratory research are highly flexible, unstructured and qualitative. Similarly, in descriptive research, research methods are qualitative and are also quantitative. In the same way, the casual research's research method improves the quantitative structured aimed at testing hypothesis.

According to the methods of data collection

Explanatory research uses expert surveys with descriptive statistics and case study. Descriptive research also uses survey and observation similar to casual research which uses studies and experiments. They all use secondary data in the collection.

Differences

According to the uses

Exploratory research is used to gain insight into the general problem, the possible decision alternatives and relevant variables that the company considers. Descriptive research on the hand aims at providing an accurate snapshot of some aspect of the environment while the casual research addresses the why? question.

According to the findings

Exploratory results cannot be sure while those of explanatory are sure and used in decision making.

Characteristics

In exploratory, sample used is small and the information needed is loosely defined, whereas, in explanatory, sample is large and the required information is determined.

The most appropriate type of research for the XYZ Company is explanatory (casual) research. The issue to be researched on about the company is the declining of sales in all of its markets; so, an explanatory study will address the question, why is the sale of our products/services declining in all our markets? This research will be able to test on the relationship between the cause of the problem, for example, poor management with the problem itself.

Q2.

Over few years, the use of online platforms to conduct activities of institutions and companies has grown significantly (Arevalo, 2017). From online exam system in schools to online hotel reservations, this platform has had an impact on the management of these institutions.

Issues Involved

Cost

This defines much the company is going to spend in monetary value on the project. The maintenance cost of the software that is going to be used for the survey; the cost of paying the IT staff that are going to build, maintain, and run the system; and the cost of buying the machinery, for example, the computers to be used in conducting the survey.

Convenience

It concerns how the staff will use the software without experiencing difficulties. The system's user interface should be simple and easy to understand, the system must be readily available at all time and should be affordable to all workers.

The Rapidly Changing Technological Environment

The online system to be used must be able to adapt to the technological world that is changing very fast. Updates of the system should be easily incorporated.

Speed

The online system should be high-speed. The company should be able to receive the staffs opinion within the shortest period to enable them to discuss the issues raised in the survey.

Advantages of Online Data Collection

It is fast. The online data collection is so speedy that the company can get the feedback of a staff member by a click of a button, unlike the post where it has to wait for the staff to receive the survey equipment.

There is lack of geographical coverage since the online platform can reach a vast popularity worldwide unlike a post, meaning the employees can participate in the survey anywhere.

It is convenient for workers to use this means since a vast number of people can connect to the internet.

The online platform is readily available. Its accessibility is much more comfortable as compared to post method. It is easily accessible through mobile phone, computers and internet shops.

Disadvantages

The minority of the employees who are yet to connect online will not participate in the process since it only applies to the connected.

This type of data collection is not a guaranteed means since not all employees will react to the process. Most people are attracted by mostly social and entertaining features of the internet.

Its accessibility is at times expensive since not everyone can afford a mobile device that has internet connectivity. Accessing it from cyber shops too is costly.

I recommend sampling the method to be used for data collection. Sampling procedure of data collection where a portion of the employees is picked without bias and randomly to represent all the other employees. The views of the representatives are then used to show the overall look.

The sampling technique does not need much planning and therefore can be organized within the next three months before the next round. This method is also cheap, and it will cut the cost of the process. It is also less time consuming, so the employees will take the minimum time possible and get back to their work.

Q3.Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is one which involves direct interaction with sources of data. It consists of the researcher set out to go and meet the sources data or information on an immediate basis; without reading or getting it from another source done by another.

There are two main types of qualitative research which are; observation and interviewing. The basis of the view is ethnographic, and it involves collecting information from what people do instead what they say. Examples of ways in which the researcher can do inspection are through watching and video-recording people and their activity. Interviewing, on the other hand, is a method of data collection where the collector uses an open-ended and non-directive approach of asking questions to the participants. Examples of ways to carry this out are; one-to-one in-depth interview, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and group discussions.

The researcher needs to prepare adequately for the study. They put in place the requirements that they need, for example, if it was an observation type of qualitative method of collection, the researcher should have the necessary tools to handle that. He/she can carry with them a video or audio recorder, a camera, a notepad and pen and maybe some food if it's somehow distant. If it was a face-to-face method, the researcher could carry a questionnaire and a notebook and a pen.

There are also different types of observers who practice this kind of data collection. They include; complete observer- who only observe and does not participate in any activity they are researching about. There is the participant observer who makes their observation and at the same time participate in the events that are going on. The last is the full participant who takes part in the activity that they are researching and later reflects on the data collected, or another member of the research team receives the data on their behalf.

Advantages of Qualitative Research

The type of data collected is rich, detailed and in context. It happens because the data collectors experience in first hand. They take the raw data themselves and do not depend on reported or read information which at times may have been tampered with during collection, analysis or presentation.

The participant provides a degree of understanding. In the one-on-one interviews, the researcher asks for clarifications on the areas that seem confusing, and this makes the data more accurate and believable as the researcher may interview more than one person. Instances of confusion during analysis and presentation are significantly reduced by this method.

The cost per project is lower than some other forms of data collection especially when it involves research on a nearby area where the researcher does not need to pay vast amounts for travel. The researcher needs only to carry a notebook and pen, and maybe a camera. This method does not require sophisticated tools to be carried out.

This type of method uses the participants own words as they report. Therefore, it is highly valid. The voice notes may be recorded on a tape recorder for future reference and study.

Limitations

The cost of conducting this form of data collection may be slightly higher when the researcher has to travel to areas far from where they are based. They will need to pay for transport and accommodation and sometime the participants may require being paid.

Reliability of the findings may be in question since many participants would resort to not giving the correct information especially in an area touching on their personal lives. For example, one may choose to lie when asked negative questions about their community.

The participants of the research may also change from their usual behavior during the research period, may be to portray themselves in a particular way.

It is not applicable in situations where massive amounts data is required or where the geographical area to be observed is large.

Public Response to various Issues about Education

Hello, we are we are an Educational Organization aimed at improving the educational structure and giving equal chances of education to everyone in the society. Through this survey, we will be able to get information to help us in targeting our core services more efficiently. Your responses will be of great help. Please give a single answer to each question by merely using X or across your choice where is necessary. We will only use your responses for survey purposes.

Questions

Are you _male or _female?

Which group shows your age bracket?

(3-5)(5-10)(10-14) (15-18) (18-22) (above 23)

Do you go to school?

_Yes or _No

If Yes, how do you rate the services of your school?

_Highly satisfactory_Unsatisfactory

_Satisfactory_Highly unsatisfactory

_Neutral

If No, please mark the probable reason

_Una...