Preparing to Conduct Business Research Part 1

Preparing to Conduct Business Research: Part 1

David Wagner

Dionisio Martinez

Gabe Sellers

Ian Thompson

Terry Cerami

Vincent Sanantonio

RES/351

October 29, 2015

Pete Gandomani

Preparing to Conduct Business Research: Part 1

Harley Davidson has been an American symbol within the motorcycle world for over a century. Sustaining such an iconic relevance within the motorcycle industry is not an easy feat as foreign and domestic competitors industriously strive to become the prominent manufacturer of similar motorcycles. Determining the current day generations desires is not only imperative to Harley Davidson's prosperous success and growth but to its existence. A current issue within the Harley-Davidson Company is pursuing popularity within a diverse demographic make-up of people. The research will encompass data from ("Harley Davidson", 2015) to include the make-up of Harley Davidson owners by:

• Race

• Gender

• Age

• Type of Motorcycle

Research Purpose

The common question for our research is to determine if it’s necessary for Harley Davidson to adapt its motorcycles to appeal to a larger demographic. The initial conception of the Harley Davidson motorcycle was designed to appeal to the male and military demographic. Through the evolution of society, Harley Davidson has had to introduce a larger variety of product for its expounding demographic. Harley-Davidson currently has numerous competitors from cruiser to sport bike companies that provide a lower quality but similar in exterior product for a subordinate cost. This introduces challenges for Harley Davidson as they strive to continue their profitability over their competitors without impeding on the quality the customers have become accustomed to respect and love.

Research Problem

For Harley-Davidson Inc. to ascertain if it's financially responsible for adapting its motorcycles to appeal to a larger demographic, they must first conduct unambiguous research that answers a myriad of...