Identifying and Analyzing Level of Customer Service in Saudi Arabian Firms - Research Proposal Example

Research proposal Table of Contents Research proposal Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 References 12 Introduction relationship management has been identified and recognized as a significant phenomenon in the business world. Now-a-days business organisations are deploying adequate resources towards attracting, maintaining and retaining customers. It is due to reason that customer attraction and retention is the axis point around which success of business firms depends to a wide extent. The business firms capable of yielding positive customer relationship gain strong foothold in the market place. On the other hand, business firms fail to maintain positive relationship with customers paves the path of demise and failure in the long term (Cordesman, 2009). In this context, customer service is the cornerstone on which customer relationship depends to a considerable extent. In other words, customer service determines and influences customer relationship and enables the business firms to develop positive relationship with customers. Customer service represents an integrated and comprehensive set of business processes and practices delivered by business firms to the customers. Business organisations worldwide strive to deliver an enhanced and enriched set of customer services in order to entail high customer satisfaction (Shoult, 2006). It has also been identified that customer buying decision influences by the customer service significantly. High quality and positive customer services attract customers in purchasing or availing particular products and services. On the other hand, low quality and poor customer service led the customers to switch over to other competitors. This act on the part of customers of switching over to other competitors affects image and reputation of business firms negatively. This situation of switching over other competitors prevails more significantly in case of Saudi Arabian business firms. The present research study aims at identifying and analyzing level of customer service in Saudi Arabian firms like airlines, banks, telecommunication companies, hospitals, restaurants and many more. The variables affecting Saudi Arabian consumers’ decision like price, quality, after sales services, competing offers and many more will also be discussed in the underlying study. The selection of research methods, data collection strategies and approaches will also be done in accordance with overall purpose and aims of the study. Research Problem The research problem acts as a founding stone for the study as it paves the path for organising and conducting other sections of the research process. In light of this, research problem for the present research study is: To what extent the variables like price, after sales service, competitors’ offers, etc affect Saudi Arabian consumers’ buying decision and whether the development of customer relationship management can help Saudi organizations to get competitive advantage and expand the base of their customers? Research Aims and Objectives The research aims and objectives segregate the overall research problem into sub-sections in order to solve the research problem in an easier and quicker manner. Some of such aims and objectives defined in accordance with the overall research problem are: To identify and assess the reasons behind poor customer service in Saudi Arabian business firms? What are the variables affecting consumers buying decision in the specific context of Saudi Arabia? How the development and implementation of customer relationship management can facilitate Saudi Arabian business firms in gaining competitiveness? Do the Saudi consumers perceive the importance of providing excellent customer relationship management (CRM)? To assess the importance of CRM from both companies and customers perspective? Significance of the Research The present study will prove beneficial for both customers and companies. From companies point of view, this research study will provide insight on the factors leading poor customer service. The understanding of such factors causing poor customer service will assist Saudi Arabian business firms in discovering and implementing measures for improving existing level of customer service. In other words, the research study will incline Saudi Arabian business firms towards CRM and led them towards adopting CRM as a major business strategy (Gause III, 2011). It will also prove beneficial for customers as it allows them to avail enriched and quality oriented customer service. As a result, customers will enjoy high level of satisfaction and will receive value for money benefits. Literature review This part of research study offers detailed discussion about the research topic in light of various literary sources. The literary sources include books, magazines, research papers, government publication, and so on. The detailed discussion of the research topic in light of literary sources will facilitate detailed understanding and insight about the subject areas. According to Miller & J.D (2011), consumers purchase goods and services in order to satisfy their particular needs and desires. Marketers offer different kind of offerings to the customers in order to enable them to satisfy their needs and desires in an enhanced manner. The customers pass through various stages and processes before arriving at the purchase decision. For instance, customers search for various alternatives, evaluate such alternatives and thereby take purchase decision. Besides, customers also affects from various variables like price, quality of offerings, level of after sales service, other competitors offers, and many more. These variables have significant bearings on consumers’ purchase decision. The positive framework of all such variables led the customers to purchase concerned products and services frequently. On the other hand, negative aspects of such variables force the customers to switch over to competitors offerings (Miller & J.D, 2011). In this context Weston (2008), throw light on the role of purchase variables in determining quality of customer service. The author explains that customer service is determined significantly by such variables and also affects competitiveness of business firms. Business organisations across the world are striving hard to improve the customer service level through influencing customer buying decision positively. It has been identified that business firms of Saudi Arabia are lacking somewhere in offering high quality customer service. Business firms of Saudi Arabia follows conventional and traditional pattern of offering products and services to the customers (Weston, 2008). There is lack of adequate research on the part of Saudi Arabian business firms preventing them from modifying and improving their customer service. The rapid development in the marketplace allows the business firms worldwide to identity new and improved manner of delivering customer service and thereby gaining customers attention and recognition. The rapid developments not only facilitate business firms in attracting customer attention but also enable customers in enjoying different variation and kinds of customer service (Weston, 2008). Chai (2005) agreed with the above facts and argued that Saudi Arabian business firms are reluctant in adopting and incorporating market developments and changes in their business philosophy. This reluctance on the part of Saudi Arabian business firms affects customer expectations negatively. As a result, customers suffer from low satisfaction and prevent concerned business firms from gaining competitiveness in the marketplace. This tendency of business firms also has psychological implications other than impacting customer satisfaction level. It has been identified that purchase decision is associated and impact psychological perspective of customers to a wide extent. This is so because customers live in a societal framework and consumes products and services in the midst of other society members (Chai, 2005). The level of customer service is judged and tested at each stage in this process and affects psychological perspective of customers. Any kind of pitfall or gap in the customer service creates negative psychological impact on the customers. Low self esteem, lack of shopping enthusiasm, and absence of active involvement are some of such negative psychological consequences identified in the customers suffering from poor customer services. This situation was witnessed most commonly in case of Saudi Arabian business firms whereby customer are having low self esteem and lack of shopping enthusiasm. Ali (2008) stated that poor customer service also prevented Saudi Arabian business firms from developing positive relationship with customers. The customer attraction, retention, and development strategies of Saudi Arabian business firms are far from the acceptance level and those prevailing in the business firms of other countries. As a result, competitive position of Saudi Arabian business firms is being quite weak in the international marketplace. The profitability position has also been undermined due to poor customer relationship management (Ali, 2008). Research methodology This section of research study paves path for data collection and analysis tasks in order to attain defined research aims and objectives. Proper and clearly defined research methodology is crucial for organising entire research study and process. Research design, research methods, data collection approach, sample selection and data analysis process are some of the significant aspect of research methodology need to be defined clearly. Research paradigm It lays down the path and direction in order to guide how to proceed towards solving the research problem. Positivist and interpretative are the two most commonly used research paradigms. The positivist research paradigm is used in the situation where research study aims to describe and establishing positive relationship among the research variables. In contrary to this, research study aims at exploring and investigating factors in order to analyze the situation for solving research problem uses interpretive paradigm. Interpretive paradigm directs at deriving concluding remarks and solving research problem through deep and thorough analysis. The present research study will make use of interpretive research paradigm as it will explore the reasons behind poor customer service level in Saudi Arabian business organisations. It will also analyze the factors influencing customer buying decision and results in customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction (Bergh & Ketchen, 2009). Research methods Research methods are employed for the purpose of gathering data and information about the research topic and problem areas. Primary and secondary are two kinds of research methods provide quantitative and qualitative information respectively. Both the methods will be selected and used in the research study in order to establish strong evidence base for research study. Primary methods: This method facilitates research study by collecting first hand and original information about the research topic and other related areas. The nature of providing first hand and original information is the main advantage of this method. The original information improves the reliability and validity of research results. In addition, it also provides new insight and approach to the subject areas and research topic. In light of this, present research study will adopt and use survey through questionnaire method for collecting primary information. Survey through questionnaire will include both open and close ended questions in order to collect maximum possible perspectives about the concerned topic (Gliner & Morgan, 2010). Secondary methods: Secondary methods will provide qualitative information related to research topic. The information already gathered and analyzed by other researchers will be provided by this research method. The major sources of secondary methods are case study, books, journals, research papers, and many more. The main advantage of secondary research methods relates to the wide availability of theoretical and practical information for arriving at substantial results and outcomes. This advantage led the researcher to utilise secondary research methods in the research study. In addition, information gathered through primary research methods will be evaluated and tested in light of secondary information in order to derive conclusion and results. Sample Selection and Data Collection Process Appropriate sample size and selection is extremely significant for implementing research methods properly. Survey through questionnaire will be employed and conducted with the specified number of respondents or sample size. Sample selection is also important as it will be very difficult to target and approach entire population for research study. The task of targeting entire population will entail significant amount of time, money and efforts. Due to this, it is desirable to select specified number of respondents for collecting information and completing research study within specified time frame without any wastage of time and efforts (Creswell, 2003). In respect to this, present research study will target sample size of 100 customers availing services from different business firms of Saudi Arabia like telecommunication, banks, airlines, hospital, restaurants and many more. The sample size will include all kinds of customers i.e., past and present. The customers who have resided in other western countries like UK, US, etc for one year will also be targeted by the survey process. It is due to reason that such customers can provide information related to the difference existing in the customer service level of Saudi Arabian business firms and those of western countries. Respondents will be selected randomly in order to gain maximum possible perspectives of customers related to the customer service level of Saudi Arabian business firms. Random selection also eliminates any kind of biasness and partiality in the research process and ensures equal opportunity to each kind of customers for participating in research process. It is also desirable to conduct pilot study with 5 or 7 customers in order to identify and eliminate any kind of discrepancies existing in the questionnaire at the initial stage. This pilot study will help in improving authenticity and reliability of survey process through offering a comprehensive and integrated set of questionnaire (Gliner & Morgan, 2010). Findings and analysis Data and information collected through primary and secondary data collection methods will be presented and analyzed in this section. This section will present and analyze collected information in a both theoretical and practical manner. The collected information will be depicted with the help of charts and graphs and theoretical assessment will be made in light of such practical representation of findings. The graph and charts presentation will make the task of interpreting and analyzing much easier and quicker. Apart from this, graphical representation will also help in improving credibility and comprehensiveness of research results. For this purpose, responses collected through primary research methods will be converted in numeric form and presented on the charts and graphs. This analysis and representation task of this section will help in arriving relevant research results and outcomes (Creswell, 2003). Conclusions and recommendations The conclusion and recommendation section presents another significant section of research study. The concluding remarks are drawn after collection and analysis of information in the above sections of the research study. All the above defined research process and framework facilitates the researcher in solving research problem and deriving concluding remarks and results. The concluding remarks and results help in ascertaining reasons or factors resulting in poor customer services in Saudi Arabian business firms (Creswell, 2003). In addition, it will also help in identifying kind of variables assigns high importance by the Saudi Arabian consumers in arriving at a purchase decision. On the basis of such conclusions and analysis, recommendation will be provided in order to provide improved level of customer service to Saudi Arabian consumers. Such recommendation will assist in providing new dimension and insight to Saudi Arabian business firms and gaining competitiveness across the world. Timeline This section of research study specifies the total limit available for completing the proceedings of research study. It is very crucial to have the detailed knowledge about the specified time limit as it helps in organising and managing research activities accordingly. Further, it also paves the path of gaining research results in the desired time frame and in ensuring optimum utilization of allotted resources. The total time limit for the present research study will be about 20 weeks. The segregation of research activities in this total limit is presented with the help of Gantt chart below: References Ali, A. (2008). Business and Management Environment in Saudi Arabia: Challenges and Opportunities for Multinational Corporations. Routledge. Bergh, D.D. & Ketchen, D.J. (2009). Research Methodology in Strategy and Management. UK: Emerald Group Publishing. Chai, W. (2005). Saudi Arabia: A Modern Reader. University Press. Cordesman, A.H. (2009). Saudi Arabia: National Security in a Troubled Region. ABC-CLIO. Creswell, J.W. (2003). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Method Approaches. 2nd ed. London: SAGE. Gause III, F.G. (2011). Saudi Arabia in the New Middle East. Council on Foreign Relations. Gliner, J.A. & Morgan, G.A. (2010). Research Methods in Applied Settings: An Integrated Approach to Design and Analysis. New Jersey: Routledge. Miller, S.A. & J.D (2011). The Essential MBA. SAGE. Shoult, A. (2006). Doing Business with Saudi Arabia. GMB Publishing Ltd. Weston, M. (2008). Prophets and Princes: Saudi Arabia from Muhammad to the Present. John Wiley & Sons. Read More