BRM Assignment-1

Submitted To: Prof. Bhuwandeep Singh

Submitted By: Kalpana Das

22202081
MBA 1
Section B
Q1) A recent sociometric study on obesity (similar to the one we read regarding clusters of smokers) provides a
striking example of how our social networks influence what we do. The researchers analyzed a sample of more
than 12,000 people who participated in the Framingham Heart Study, which closely documented their health from
1971 to 2003. They discovered that obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus. The investigators
knew who was friends with whom, as well as who was a spouse or sibling or neighbor, and they knew how much
each person weighed at various times over three decades so they could reconstruct what happened over the years if
study participants became obese. Guess what? When one person gains weight, close friends tend to gain weight,
too. A person’s chances of becoming obese if a close friend put on the pounds increased by 57 percent! The
friend’s influence remained even if he or she lived hundreds of miles away. The researchers speculated that the
reason for this social contagion effect is that when our best buds get fat, this alters our perception of normal body
weight so we aren’t as concerned when we put on a few pounds as well. Design a research proposal to answer "
How does social contagion work in a consumer's life?". Remember to cover topics such as  type of research,
reliability, validity, measurement scale, sample design and sample size. Make any assumptions about
population size etc.

ANS) Research proposal- Impact of social contagion in a consumer's life.

 Research Objective- The purpose of this study is to look into how social contagion affects consumers'
daily lives. The transmission of emotions or behaviours from one person to another, sometimes without
awareness, is referred to as social contagion. This study tries to comprehend social contagion's effects on
consumers and its repercussions.

 Type of research: The purpose of this study is to look into how social contagion affects the lives of
consumers. The study will employ a quantitative research design, and a survey questionnaire will be used to
gather the research's data. As a sample of more than 12,000 people who took part in the Framingham Heart
Study, which meticulously tracked their health from 1971 to 2003, will be used, the sample will be chosen
using a convenience sampling method. Both descriptive and inferential statistics will be used to analyse the
data collected.

 Reliability: The final questionnaire will first undergo a beta test with a select number of participants and
subject matter experts to make sure it is reliable. This will make it easier to assess whether the questions are
precise, straightforward, and relevant to the study goal. This will also show up any probable sources of
questionnaire errors. The outcome of this test will enable the researchers to make changes to the questionnaire
that will increase its dependability. To check the consistency of the questionnaire and the results, a retest test
reliability test can be performed on the research.

 Validity: The questionnaire will be created based on already published research and empirical data on
consumer behaviour and social contagion that has been gathered and obtained. The research's goal will be
reflected in the questionnaire, which will also provide a comprehensive analysis of social contagion's function
and effects. Experts in the field of consumer behaviour will also review it to make sure the outcome is
consistent with the data gathered, is true to it, and has a low degree of fluctuation.

 Sample Size: A known sample size of 12067 people from the general community will be selected to examine
the research on social contagion that has been conducted over the past 30 years.

 Sample Design: The study will employ a quantitative research design, and a survey questionnaire will be used
to gather the research's data. A convenience sampling technique will be used to gather the sample.

##After the research process is done, conclusion will be drawn.

 Conclusion: Descriptive and inferential statistics will be used for the analysis of the data gathered. The study's
findings would state that "close friends often gain weight as well as one individual does. If a close buddy gained
weight, the likelihood of being obese rose by 57%! Despite the friend's distance of many miles, the friend's effect
persisted. The researchers hypothesised that the cause of this social contagion effect is that when our closest
friends gain weight, it changes how we perceive what is considered to be a normal body weight, making us less
concerned when we gain a few pounds as well.
Q2) MAYO CLINIC CASE STUDY

A) The Mayo clinic would like to further strengthen their brand image and equity. Define management
decision problem.

ANS) Since they are a firm which does not do a full-on marketing campaign and the brand images depends on
word-of-mouth publicity. From the case study it should be noted that 84% of the public is aware of the Mayo
Clinic and what the clinic is associated with. Even though the company has a majority of the market share, the
company needs to strengthen the brand image and brand equity has to be an actioned oriented one with the aim
of determining why the 16% of the population does not know about the Mayo clinic. The clinic has organically
grown and has created an upholding brand image in its existing and potential customers. To further strengthen
their brand image and equity, the clinic first needs to identify areas in which they need to work on further
value creation and formulate strategies without being viewed as intense and in violation to their existing
strategies.

B) Define the marketing research problem corresponding to the management decision problem you have
defined in question 1?

ANS) The marketing research problem corresponding to the management decision problem is to identify the
strategy which will further enhance the brand perception in the eyes of consumer in order to maximize the
brand value and increase customer interaction. The onus lies on the management of the company to further
develop strategies that does not over power their existing values upon which the firm functions.

The management will need to do a competitive analysis, evaluate the cost and benefit of new and existing
strategies, assess potential risks associated with the new strategies in order to strengthen the brand perception.

C) What type of Research Design should be adopted? Why?

ANS) The research will be action and information oriented focusing on identifying ways on how to create
strategies from the information collected from the reliable sources and then executing the new forms strategies
from the interpretation of the data collected. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be used for the analysis of
the data gathered. Exploratory research can be done to understand those 16% of the population who are not aware
about the Mayo clinic. The data can be collected from external sources, via survey forms, interviews and
conversations. The researcher can also use thematic apperception and collages to gather primary data for the
research.

D) Describe the sources of secondary data that would be helpful in determining consumer preference for
health care facility?

ANS) The information that one wants to collect can already exists because it was gathered by someone else.
One can employ a third party to gather the information for the firm. Data can be gathered from a variety of
sources, including medical records, patient surveys, and administrative databases used to process payments or
handle care, depending on the measure. Literature review and empirical data can also aid in the data
collection.