Managing Research Design

Managing Research Design

Introduction

Coffee Time is a chain of coffee bars that is popular in North America and Europe. It procures and roasts some of the world’s finest coffee beans and sells a variety of blended coffee beverages and snacks. Recent trends in the global coffee have brought new products and this has enabled Coffee Time to identify India among other South Asia economies as prospect to introduce their product. Coffee Time has come up with a research design to help them to identify the cities or city Coffee Time should enter, target segment, and what revenue to expect per outlet? Base on previous experience Coffee Time will follow a two stage market that involves Secondary and Primary and Experimental research (University of Phoenix, 2008).

This paper will distinguish between knowable and unknowable data as well as secondary and primary data leading Coffee Time on the correct path in choosing locations for a business expansion. This paper will look into limitations of certain data by explaining the validity and reliability of data managers use. This paper will address several research constraints and give Coffee Time different sampling methods to use.

Determining Business Locations in India

Before an organization expands or acquires another company in a foreign country, managers at Coffee Time must research the country in discovering if any major differences and incompatibilities exists between the United States and Indian cultures. Comparative advantages that exist in India, Coffee Time must take advantage of these. Coffee Time wants to expand the business of exotic regular coffee flavors to India. After deciding which city to start a coffee bar, the company will need information on the cities population by age, gender, monthly income, and educational levels. Managers must continue to research if the firm is going to succeed in the global economy. Managers must have enough research skills to work with research specialists and be able to know what is researchable. “The managers of tomorrow will need to know more than any managers in history. Research will be a major contributor to that knowledge. Managers will find knowledge of research methods to be of value in many situations” (Cooper & Schindler, 2003, P. 24).

Given the knowable research of India, Coffee Time can narrow down to include Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Bangalore that have good economic growth and location. Deciding on location by throwing a dart on a map would be disastrous for any firm.