Quantitative methods for Business Custom Essay

Assignment Brief
Course Diploma in Business
Module Code and Title D001Quantitative methods for Business
Module Tutor Richard Welford
Assignment Type Individual Report
Weighting 50% of module total
Assignment Title Individual report investigating the mobile phone usage by the UBIC students
Distribution Date w/c 17th February 2014
Submission Date and Time Thursday 27th March 2013 by 2.00pm room 405
Word Limit 1,500 words (allowance within +/- 10%)
Presentation Requirements 12 pt Arial or Calibri typeface using standard document margins. Appropriate use of headings and sub-headings, models and tables.

Numbered pages and standard report format, including Harvard referencing. Up to a 1,500 words; supporting appendices and bibliographynot included in this wordcount.

Introduction
Ofcom’s Communications Market Report 2013 reveals how an increasing array of digital media is now vying for the attention of British public. People are streaming

videos, firing off instant messages and updating their social media status – these activities are mostly carried out using smartphones, with over half of adults (51%)

now owning these devices, almost double the proportion two years ago (27%).
A quarter (25%) of the population who owns a smart phone are regularly ‘media meshing’ – doing something else but related to what they’re watching on TV. Examples of

media meshing include talking on the phone (16%) or texting (17%) about what they’re watching, using social networks (11%) or ‘apps’ to communicate directly with

programs (3%). Younger people are most likely to use other media while watching TV (74%) with 44% media meshing.
The other major social phenomenon driven by digital devices is ‘media stacking’. Half (49%) of people use their smartphones and tabletsto surf the net (36%), social

networking (22%) or online shopping (16%) every week.
Instructions to Student:
Your task is to investigate how University of Brighton’s International College students use their mobile phones. Working individually you should:
1. Design questionnaire which reflects the overall purpose of your research. It should contain approximately 20 questions and you should use as many different

types of questions types as possible. Your questionnaire should be aimed at measuring: the type of smartphones students have, the amount of time students use their

phones for (hrs./mins), what do they use their mobile phone for (text, surfing the net, shopping, etc.). These are simple suggestions and you can create your own

questions as long as they fit the overall research brief of investigating students’ mobile phone usage habits.
2. Once you have designed your questionnaire pilot test it on 2-5 people to examine if it’s clear and understandable. Using feedback received from the pilot

testing adjust you questionnaire (layout, questions order, wording) if necessary.
3. Interview 30 UBIC students. Using Excel analyse the data you have gathered.
4. Based on the analysis of your data report your findings to in the form of professionally written report directed to the to the one of the mobile phone

manufacturing companies, making recommendations how the results of your research could be used in the future development of smartphone.
Students are expected to show application of primary observational research technique and analysis of primary data for the purpose of decision making, by covering the

following areas in their report:
o Outline the purpose of conducting primary observational research;
o The methodological approach the research, research schedule, including evaluation of reliability, validity and representativeness of chosen sampling methods

and face-to-face interview;
o Using Excel present the research findings in graphical form;
• With the aid of Excelevaluate how students use their smartphones through discussion of descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis;
• Using research findings provide realistic recommendations to smartphones manufactures on the future development of the smartphones.

Students can submit up to 3 pages of appendices to support their case study report, which should include black evaluation form, and presentation of the raw data in

Excel. A bibliography is required citing website, industry, trade and academic sources, using Harvard referencing. Students are expected to reference a minimum of

3academic sources.

The module learning outcomes can be applied as follows:
Learning outcome on module completion Task element within assignment
An ability to interpret representations and summaries of single and bivariate data relating to business Based on the analysis of your data report your findings to in

the form of professionally written report directed to the to the one of the mobile phone manufacturing companies, making recommendations how the results of your

research could be used in the future development of smartphone
Appreciation of the concepts of statistical inference in relation to business decision-making • Based on the analysis of your data report your findings to in

the form of professionally written report directed to the to the one of the mobile phone manufacturing companies, making recommendations how the results of your

research could be used in the future development of smartphone
• Outline the purpose of conducting primary observational research;
• The methodological approach the research, research schedule, including evaluation of reliability, validity and representativeness of chosen sampling methods

and face-to-face interview;
The ability to analyse output from both specialist statistical and general office software • Using Excel present the research findings in graphical form;
• With the aid of Excel evaluate how students use their smartphones through discussion of descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis;
An ability to produce representations and summaries of univariate and bivariate data relating to business • Using Excel present the research findings in

graphical form;
• With the aid of Excel evaluate how students use their smartphones through discussion of descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis;
• The methodological approach the research, research schedule, including evaluation of reliability, validity and representativeness of chosen sampling methods

and face-to-face interview;
Creation of appropriate quantitative analysis using specialist statistical and general office software. • With the aid of Excel evaluate how students use their

smartphones through discussion of descriptive statistics, and correlation analysis;
An ability to gather business data from primary and published sources • Design questionnaire which reflects the overall purpose of your research. It

should contain approximately 20 questions and you should use as many different types of questions types as possible.
• Interview 30 UBIC students. Using Excel analyse the data you have gathered.
An ability to communicate the findings from statistical analysis Based on the analysis of your data report your findings to in the form of professionally

written report directed to the to the one of the mobile phone manufacturing companies, making recommendations how the results of your research could be used in the

future development of smartphone.

Marking Criteria
Assessment Area Weighting
Subject –Specific Knowledge and understanding
• Understanding of the primary and secondary research methodologies
• Justification of sampling methodology selection
• Discourse of the validity and reliability of the sampling methodology and face-to-face interview as a primary observation method 30/
Intellectual skills
• Clear research aims and objectives are set
• Questionnaire is relevant to the research aim
• Interpretation of the raw data
• Discussion of the smartphone usage
• Comparison of the smartphone usage amongst different groups (male/female)
• Use of inferential statistics and/or extrapolation based on results
• Formulation of recommendations, based on the interpretation of the relevant data
• Clear conclusion that reflects the aims and objectives of the research
• Use of pilot testing feedback 40/
Practical Skills
• Questionnaire design (questions are clear and easy to understand, use of balanced scales; questionnaire layout; order; variety of types of questions used)
• Questions are valid and reliable
• Ability to use Excel for descriptive and correlation analysis/inferential analysis
• Ability to use Excel to construct and present data in graphical form
• Research scheme 20/
Transferable Skills
• Professional presentation of report
• Use of content table
• Does report has clear, logical structure (introduction, main body, conclusion)
• Academic writing style (is report pitched at the right audience)
• Harvard Referencing Style
• Use of academic resources (3 academic references)
• Are graphs clear, relevant and easy to interpret?
• Appropriate use of appendixes 10/
Total mark 100/