Question 6.10 - Business 600

Question 6.10

Use the eight design descriptors in Exhibit 6-3 to profile the research described in the chapter Snapshots.

Every organization conducts some types of research projects in order to answer the management research question. When the leadership of a business observes trends, either positive or negative, questions are asked as to why that trend is occurring. The management of the McDonald’s Corporation was no different. The trend was that society was faulting the fast food management for the epidemic of obesity. Groups of people were making the claim that the fast food products that McDonald’s is famous for were playing a large role in childhood obesity. In order to respond to these allegations, the management initiated an extensive formal research project. Senior leaders and crucial decision makers spent time collecting nutritional information regarding the corporation’s products to be able to provide detailed information. These leaders then embarked on a mission to meet with a variety of customers, special interest groups, and other cross section members of society in a field setting.

The approach that McDonald’s utilized to collect concerns and information from these different groups and members of society was a communications study style. The management decided that at each session it would use a topic discussion format. Certain topic questions would be asked, and only those topics would be discussed. With the researcher only accommodating specified topics within particular groups, it could be considered that the researchers were attempting to control the research variables. The control of the discussions also could have been due to the managements desire to be able to completely comprehend what they were hearing from each group. However, by definition, each group was the experimental option.

Upon initial examination, the purpose of the study at first seemed informational. Management was hearing society’s outcry as the company was...