Judging A Research Study

Journal : An exploratory study of service quality in the Malaysian public service sector by Agus, A. et al.

    The journal is about the an exploratory study of service quality in the Malaysian public service sector which according to the purposed study is to discuss service quality concepts and their application more to the Malaysian public sector.
    This journal are well study but the lacks of this journal is the research sample because the researcher only focuses to  public sector department in a one Malaysian Ministry. This will bring to the unfairness to the outcome because if the researcher using randomly selected sample it will bring relevance outcome by not focusing only into one department only and we know that not every department in such company showed a good performance in their work and services. 
    The lacks of this research study also at the side of they selected parts to be analyze by the respondent which in this research, they focused to the frontline staff , why not evaluated all the employee in the organization itself? if the evaluated just focuses into one parts it will bring to the invalidity result for this research study.
    But this research study are really usefull for my topic because some parts such as the methodology used and the measurement they used are really helps me to understand more and can be applied into my research and at the same time this research study are same line in my field research which is towards the customer satisfaction towards quality service.
    
Used journal citation : Agus, A., Barker, S. and Kandampully, J. (2007). An exploratory study of service quality in the Malaysian public service sector. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 24 (2), 177 - 190

What is Ethnography ?

Ethnography...

    

     The ethnography can be easy understood by  "represent ways of studying cultures through methods that involves to becoming highly active within that cultures". which means that, the researcher have deeply involved in his/her research study within cultures by drawing the data from the observations and own predictions. For examples, in my research study which need myself to immerse with counter quality service and what the factor or cause that effect the performance of the representative by government organization and non-government organization that make them differently with each other and by doing the comparison and do the observation within 4 independent variable that have been constructed at proposal to see the result this four independent towards customer satisfactions. So, the actual result will helps me to gain understanding about what the thing really are affected this customer satisfaction and what are they really need from counter service provided by this two kind of organization.

     At the other side, Ethnography also can be understood where the researcher spend their long time/periods within a culture to study about it or the research related. Means they spend time,days or weeks to do an observation or interacting with participants of their everyday lives and this method may helps research gain an valid data or needed data to run this research information. This contrast with interview-based research, which it interaction with respondents is limited to a conventional interview or group discussion format, which is more limited time and often takes place outside the participant's own environment.

Ethnography in marketing research...

      Ethnographic is actually to study the human behavior at the context of marketing research, which it is as a wide window to interact between customer and firm product/services in the environments where usage behavior occurs. This research will helps pattern and attitudes of the behavior by the customer in the situations they unaware of what have they done and why they do it. It means if this ethnographic been apply in my proposal research study, it will be study about the customer satisfaction towards the counter quality service which the main point to be study is "customer satisfaction" and the object that I need to compared or measures is the satisfaction towards counter service which is more to the services that become a services in the environments. This research can take place in anywhere such as stores, home, on beaches and so on and there is given four type method to gain a data research which it is :-

•  In-home ethnographic market research interviews
•  On-Site ethnographic market research
•  In-store/shopalong Ethnographic interviews
•  Online ethnographic market research

The advantaged of Ethnography in market research

There are some advantages of ethnography in market research which are :-

   
    Quantitative measurement tools such survey are really used in the ethnography in market research. It is because through the survey, we can distributed our own questionnaire to determined and understand our customer satisfaction level with particular product or services. By doing this, we can easily find the focus group to determines this kind of customer satisfaction about their perception about something such product brand or services experienced before. In a metal-analysis of survey results, Ovans concluded, "People are generally not reliable predictors of their own-term purchasing behavior for any type of good"-Elliott and Jankel, 1998.  The another side benefit or advantages of ethnography in the market research is it usually often entails both observation in the culture's activities. Other than that, the ethnographic research is due to the first-hand observation involved where it is usually doing during extended period time, and from this the researcher will provided a extensive and in-depth finding about human behavior.

  Challenges of Ethnography

    
    What is the challenges of Ethnography at the side of marketing research context? Actually, the ethnography in marketing research will be faced by marketing-oriented companies, which in the planned to build up or to create the an infrastructure of the marketing strategies and sale messages will be well-aligned and this kind of thing will helps to ensures this two key point in marketing research. This circumstances, required both marketing and sales teams used internal and external process to changed or interpreted the strategy become or into tactics. The challenges if ethnography also will exist in the communication itself means in the messages itself that company given to the consumers. 

References :  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropology
                  2. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/EthnographyVid

                  3. http://www.scribd.com/doc/61507025/Hammersley

                  4. http://www.scribd.com/doc/33443122/New-Perspectives-in-Political-Ethnography

                  5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Ethnography

                  6. http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Ethnography

                  7. http://thesixteenproject.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/what-is-ethnography-section-a/

Differences between fact and theory

What is Fact ?

    Facts is actually the truthiness about something which it is haven happened before and this circumstances will provided a strong convince to be that thing or statement as truth. At other world, it can be simply understand by the something that is actually exist, real one.

What is Theory ?

    The theory can be best understanding as  the coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanations for a class of phenomena or a proposed explanations whose status is still conjectural, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact. 

Theories vs Facts

"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts" - Albert Einstein

The differences for both of factual and theories are if the path from a statement to verifiable predictions is short and uncontroversial it known as factual. Theory is a statement which can generates a wide scope of predictions, but only through some intermediate steps, such as reasoning, computations, the use of other statements.Thus the path from a theory side are to do a predictions that may not be unique and often becomes debatable or issuer. Between the extreme cases of statements that are clearly facts and those which are clearly theories there is a whole spectrum of intermediate cases. 

    "Physics is a developing logical system of thinking whose foundations cannot be obtained by extraction from past experience according to some inductive methods, but come only by free fantasy"- Einstein . Top-level theories of science are not deduced from observable facts, they are constructed by a creative act and their usefulness can be demonstrated only afterwards. 

     According to the certain experienced which have been justified or will be justify in the decision -making on the basic of the truth. also will explained more about the statement of the truth in the theory itself. As for examples, the past experienced can be known as the truth which it is have been established.  But, when it expected in future it is known as hypothetical where there is no difference between factual and theory. It is because, both are varieties of model the we use in making decisions. So, from the explanation that cuts from the other statement which have search before have give us some understanding between about facts and theory. This conditions may be useful in my research because the point is, theory are really important to be applied to any research by researcher which it is as a facts and the truth is also needed to convinced this facts that the statement is can be used in research. 

Inductive or Deductive ?

Inductive or Deductive ?

     My research topic either it can apply as the inductive or deductive type of research where it can apply as the deductive types of research. The deductive types of research references to some statement that it begin with word called 'premises' that are "assumed to be true and we can determine what else would have to be true if the premises are true". We will begin by assuming that if you think, then you must exist and work from there. With the deductive also will provided absolute of our conclusions. They must be accepted on face value or by faith or for the purpose of exploration. 

     In this situations which my topic research is about the customers satisfactions in government  counter service as my begin statement and I assumed it true to find that customers dissatisfied with the government counter service. I will use it as my theory either it is logic or not for the beginning before study or explore it deeply. 

How to narrow down my research ?

    To do my research more easier first thing I have to do is by narrow down it with specific and in small scope. According to my research topic that I has choose, I more specific it to the government sector focuses at counter service and at the small scope area at Kuching, Sarawak only. This conditions will make me easy to collected the data, observations and to study more about my research topic. 

    Referring to the past data collected before like journal, book, records and other material also will helps to do this research work smoothly and have evidence to convince our facts and theory  and then it easier to confirmation our research topic to the audience.

Dimensions of research

What is Dimensions of research ?

    The dimensions of research is understand several dimensions of research (Newman, 2000; Sekaran, 2003; Salkind 3003) : The purpose of a study, the use of research and the time in research. 

Research Purpose

   The research purpose have three types which is Exploratory, Descriptive and Explanatory . The exploratory is become familiar with the basic facts, setting and concerns. The descriptive is provide a detailed and highly accurate picture. The explanatory is test a theory's predictions or principles. My research topic can apply to the descriptive research because it also may came out with the new idea of the topic or can be provide a detailed about the topic related. The goal is to formulate more precise questions that future researcher can answers. According to my topic or issues, there is some questions that occur which is from the problems state during the government counter service for their customers.

Use of Research


    The use of research can differentiate into two type of research it is known as Basic research and Applied research. The basic research can be defined as "sources of most new scientific ideas and ways of thinking and the applied research". My issues or topic can be apply as the applied research because of this issues try to solve specific policy problems which the specific problems in my topic is customers satisfactions towards government counter service specific at Kuching, Sarawak and it will help the practitioners accomplish their tasks about the issues.

The Time Dimension in Research


    The time dimension can be found into two type which it is Cross-sectional studies and Longitudinal studies. According to my topic research it can be apply to the cross-sectional studies because it only can be done and gathered the data just once and it only take periods of time like days, weeks and months. My topic research may take a few months to accomplish it with better result.

Data Collection Techniques Used

    My data collection will used the quantitative research methods because I may used two type or many type of data collected to get a good data to evaluate my related research topic. The quantitative research methods is to gain a rounded viewpoint of customers satisfactions. There are two  way to get the data that I may use is survey and existing statistics because the existing statics will as my located research questions reference to the previous record, journal and other material and using this as my references, I will use such  as survey, analysis of complaints and compliments, observations and others related to this methods.


    

What's the interesting topic should I do?

My propose topic is....

    According to the main issue that is related to the marketing mentioned at the introduction parts, it is related to the service and specific to the customers satisfaction towards it. But which sector that I most interested to do? Did we realize it especially when we go to any government counter service, how they treat you as a customers? how about they service? This conditions make me come out with one issue topic that is interesting to propose as my topic research, which is more to the government counter quality service and compare it with the non-government counter quality service which specialize at Kuching, Sarawak and related it towards customers satisfactions.

Why must that topic?

    Determine why I interested to research that topic issues, it is because of my own experiences and others relatives experiences plus my own observations that give me idea to propose and touch more about this issues. Otherwise to convince me to do research for this topic issues because of nowadays we can see, hear and experienced it by own self about the government service especially at the customers counter service, "As far back as 2000, the Complaint Bureau of the Prime Minister's Department had received complaints regarding weaknesses in government administration including slow and ill-mannered public counter services"- New Straits Times, August and September (2000) bring the evidence that government counter service give effected to customer satisfactions towards their service.

The problems is..


    Why customers dissatisfaction with government counter service? Is there any mistaken or any deficiency during the service? The answers is "yes", there is have a deficiency that make customers feel dissatisfaction. Based on my experienced, the latest one is during my visit to Residence Office at Bintulu last few day ago, my purpose it to claim my BRM1 Malaysia at their counter, I have to wait and stand more than 30 minute to wait they serve me and the most make me feel dissatisfied is why should the workers at the customer counter service have to used high voice and with angry face serve customers mostly senior citizens who come from rural place to claims their vouchers. This conditions as one of the problems that I interested to research this issues, I want to know why should not only at the Residence Office at Bintulu but other government counter service at any area at Malaysia treat their customers that way.  As the customers, did we satisfied with it? what our perceptions towards their services? This questions may state the problems  occurs when the customers feel dissatisfied with the government counter service.

Introduction to the research

Introduction my blog research

    This blog as my beginning parts to my future research for Final Year Project, where it is also as the prerequisite to my field in Bachelor of Business Administration with Honors (Marketing). My name is Jessica Sapok Arang a second year student at University Malaysia Sarawak and I am the marketing student at Faculty of Economic and Business. Nowadays, we always faced with many type of services offered out there either it is telecommunication and utility service, business service, transportation service and more again  type of services we usually used it. But have we realize something during using the services? What about the way they treat the service? In the marketing area, service is one of the important strategy to build a customer relationship with the organizations, marketers or any related because it is related to the customer perceptions and the image of the organizations through the services the way they treat it especially in the government sector. This issue give a questions to search deeply to know and find the answers what the problems really are that make the government service make customers dissatisfaction.

What is research?

    This parts will be explained more about "what is the research about and what is the research it self", and as we know basically research is the study that you made to find the answers for the questions that existing and to find the answers the some investigating must be done in which we must have evidence and prepare for the proven to studies deeply in our research. "Research is a process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting information to answer questions" and at the other word, research is "The process of finding solutions to a problems after a thorough study and analysis" - (Sekaran,2006) and it also the "systematic inquiry that provides information to guide decision"- (Cooper & Schindler, 2001).

    Two r type of research can be known as applied research and basic research. The understanding for the applied research is to solve a particular problems faced by a particular organization, and the basic research is to better understand some phenomena as it applies to all industries or business in general. To differentiate applied research and basic research Sekaran (2006) states, "Research done with the intention of applying the result of the finding to solve specific problem currently being experienced in the organization is called applied research. Research done chiefly to enhance the understanding of certain problems that commonly occur in organization setting, and seek method of solving them is called basic or pure research".

    There are have steps process of the research which it is included :-

Research Process

1. Select topic 
2. Determine research questions
3. Design study
4. Collect the data
5. Analyze data
6. Generate findings
7. Validate findings