Compliance in Marketing - Essay Example

? Consumer Research Essay (Compliance in Marketing) Insert Insert Grade Insert 19th November Consumer Research Essay (Compliance in marketing) Part 1 Introduction Customers play an important part in any business. However, there have been developed methods of services provision where customers do not deal directly with their service providers. In such business interrelations, customers are required to act according to the regulations given by a service provider. In this business service providers and customers do not meet face to face and they, therefore, interact actively or passively through media. Examples of such businesses include education, banking services, health services like weight losses rules among others. In this kind of business interactions, lack of customers to adhere to regulations means failure. This business innovation has been faced with criticism by various individuals. There are issues that rise up concerning methods of sampling, data collections, and analysis. While some scholars agree with these methods, some others do not agree with them. Works done by Dellande and Nyer; Dellande; Gilly and Graham as well as the work of Kasabov and Warlow are examples of some works that have published about Customer Compliance Business Methods (CCBM). Analysis of these works reveals different issues of concern about methods of data sampling, data collection and analysis. In this work, I will review articles by the above authors to show strengths and weaknesses of their methods of data acquisition, synthesis and presentation. Part 2 Critical Evaluation of Articles Research work is considered well done when it ensures validity and reliability. Data also should be collected within ethical bounds. This means that it would be important to put into consideration values of the people studied (Al-Aidaros, Idris, and Shamsudin, 2011). Automated Marketing and the Growth of ‘Customer Compliance’ Businesses by Kasabov and Warlow In this article, the author presents a study of Customer Compliance Model in which he argues that members of the society are expected to receive services without question. In that way, this article does not offer a chance for a customer to suggest anything about a service they receive. This article presents a kind of service delivery that is totally automated (Kasabov and Warlow, 2009, p.31-32). As a method of data collection, this is not viable because of dynamics that are represented by different people. This method lacks the ability to handle broad problem area. This is an aspect that any research should represent for problem solving (Nouri, n.d, p.7). Access of information presented during service delivery cannot be well sampled because the method does not offer any chance of study of distribution. To be able to sample, direct contact is essential (Business Conduct, 2012). Less people are able to access automated data that would reduce reliability of data, which may by any means be obtained in a research of this nature. Automation of service makes it difficult for sampling (Greener, 2008, p.47). In giving analysis of information obtained in an automated service delivery, as advanced by Kasabov and Warlow, there are possibilities of biases. This is because some of the data obtained cannot be validated because it is based on poorly sampled sources. It makes it difficult to generalise information. This method does not give a careful consideration of ethics. First, because service providers do not request customers to respond to services provided using their views. Second, because service providers always implement their innovation without considering the views of customers (Bryman and Bell, 2007, p.143). Gaining Compliance and Losing Weight: The Role of the Service Provider in Health Care Services by Stephanie Dellande, Mary C. Gilly, and John L. Graham This article describes a research that was done through use of questionnaires, direct participation, analysis of secondary sources of data and in-depth interviews. These were used as methods of data acquisition and the data was later analysed and presented. It was research that involved direct participation of nurses and patients who gave information about weight loss. This method of data collection is approvable because customers give their views about products that are offered to them by service provider. However, this method is subject to influence by social differences between the participants. For instance, cultural and social differences affect formulation of a research design (Greener, 2008, p.33-34). In method of data collection by use of secondary sources, however, it is difficult to sample information that is obtained. On the other hand, data analysis of secondary data transfers mistakes of the primary research in analysis (Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill, 2009, p. 256). Validity of information obtained is influenced by time. Generalisation of data during analysis will offer unreliable data since primary data was not representing the group it describes in the second research. Ethics was upheld to a certain degree whereby respondents were assured of anonymity. However, during posting and in receiving completed questionnaires, it is possible to note and relate information form for a nurse as given by cover sheets before they were destroyed (Dellande, Gilly, and Graham, 2004, p.83 ; Bryman and Bell, 2007,p.138). Using Public Commitment to Gain Customer Compliance by Stephanie Dellande and Prashanth Nyer The authors of this article used a direct questioning of interviewees so that they can give information about their compliance to services provided. In their data acquisition, they noted that there was possible unreliability of information given by customers. For example, it was clear that the first response could not be perfectly similar to the second. Validity of data was dependent on the overall commitment of members of the public to the compliance to service providers’ regulation. An analysis of data would have a questionable reliability and validity since a pre-test was missed in this research. This means any trend produced in this research was considered right, which may not be always true. Also, although the research was supposed to be done twice, the authors did it once. This could be a reason that would lead to difficulty in generalisation. The authors have considered ethical predicaments of carrying out the second round of research. They found that unnecessary suspicion would cause alarm in their respondents (Dellande, and Nyer, 2007, p.254; Bryman and Bell, 2007, p.144). Part 3 In study of the three articles, there are issues that arise that each article wants to verify at the end. This is referred to as research problem (Walliman, 2011). For the article by Kasabov and Warlow, the research problem is to find out whether Customer Compliance Business Model has worked to fulfill its purpose in creating a better environment for business. The objective of the research in this article is to identify the effects of innovation of automated marketing on companies and organizations that use the method. The article tackled the research problem by evaluation of the views by proponents and opponents of the automated marketing. The article conclude the research analysis by attributing opposition experienced by Customer Compliance Business Model to the fact that it is a recent innovation and many people know little about it. According to them, the advantages of automated are covered by its unpopularity (Kasabov and Warlow, 2009, 47). In the article by Dellande, Gilly and Graham, the research problem is to establish the effects of customer compliance in health services. These researchers evaluate the possibilities of improving health by customers adhering to regulations given to them by doctors. The authors’ objective is to find out ways in which service providers can gain customers’ acceptance to follow regulations even in their absence. The main research question that these authors seek to answer is, ‘Is it possible for customers to follow regulations of the service provider without being forced?’ At the end of the research, the authors reveal through their data collection and analysis that service providers’ experience in delivery enhance compliance by customers. The more a service provider shows proficiency, the more the level of compliance the customers will show. Dellande and Nyer in their article seek to examine the responsibility of public commitment in enhancing customer compliance. These authors have come to the realisation that public commitment has a role to play in establishing a customer compliant service delivery. Their objective is to seek to establish the role customers have in delivery of services. Using their method of research, they have discovered that incentives given by service providers play a key role in making customers to comply with regulations. Part 4 The three articles have presented information using different methods of data collection. Methods used in data collection range from secondary sources, as seen in the article by Dellande, Gilly and Graham. Automated services were used in the article by Kasabov and Warlow. These articles show that different methods can be used to acquire different data. Dellande and Nyer used a method of data collection through interviews. This is seen in the way they obtained data by use of guided interviews through phones. Methods of data analysis also are different in the three articles. Kasabov and Warlow depend on comparison of automated marketing to bring about the analysis of data and give a conclusion. Dellande, Gilly and Graham analysed the data they had obtained in their research to inform their conclusion on customer compliance. Unlike Kasabov and Warlow, Dellande, Gilly and Graham did not target to compare their results with those obtained in other researches. In sampling of data, the three articles have indicated a significant difference. For example, Kasabov and Warlow’s article could not be able to sample since the automated information was accessible to all the people. Sampling in Dellande and Nyer’s; and Dellande, Gilly and Graham was made possible because the method of data collection was regulated by a limited degree of automation. Conclusion The articles analysed above are a representation of how various data can be acquired in different ways targeting to answer a similar question. According to me, these articles provide a significant and broad understanding of dynamics of obtaining data that need to be analysed. They compliment each other in giving a conclusion about customers compliance since the risks involved in any of the methods is strengthened by the use of another method. These articles are based on different theories. For example, automation of information is viewed as a means of reducing cost of attending to conflicts. Theory that data is more reliable when acquired through direct interview is assumed by the articles of Dellande and Nyer; and Dellande, Gilly and Graham. These assumptions and theories are important in research study. Kasabov and Warlow recommend that future research should put into consideration analysis of companies and organisation that have failed as a result of using automated marketing. Cross-sectional data is required to come up with analysis of data that is reliable and minimise biases in drawing of conclusions. Bibliography Al-Aidaros, A, Idris, KM & Shamsudin, FM 2011, ‘The Accountants’ Ethical Code of Conduct from an Islamic Perspective: Case in Yemen.’ Journal of Global Management, 2011. Volume 2. Number 1 pp 98-123 Bryman, A & Bell, E 2007, Business Research Methods, 3rd edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Business Conduct, 2012, the Way We Do Business Worldwide, viewed 18 November 2012, Dellande, S Gilly, MC & Graham, J L 2004, ‘Gaining Compliance and Losing Weight: The Role of the Service Provider in Health Care Services.’ The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 68, No. 3 (Jul., 2004), pp. 78-91 Dellande, S & Nyer, P 2007, Using Public Commitment to Gain Customer Compliance. Advances in Consumer Research (Volume 34) Greener, S 2008, Business Research Methods. Sue Greener and Ventus Publishing Aps, New York. Kasabov, E &Warlow, A J 2009, ‘Automated marketing and the growth of ‘customer compliance’ businesses.’ Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice, Palgrave Macmillan 1746-0166 Vol.11 No.1 Pp 30–50. Nouri, A n.d, A Study about Research and Research Methods. Arab British Academy for Higher Education. Saunders, M. Lewis, P & Thornhill, A 2009, Research Methods for Business Students, Fifth edition, Harlow, Prentice Hall Inc.London. Walliman, C 2011, Research and the Research Problem, viewed 18 November 2012, Read More