The Online Streaming Behaviour - Coursework Example

Marketing Research Report Table of content Table of content 2 Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 Background information 4 Research methods and procedures 4 Population and sample 5 Sampling Techniques 5 Data collection methods 5 Validity and reliability tests 6 Ethical considerations 7 Consent rules 7 Disclosure of financial sources 8 Data analysis and finding 8 Findings 12 Critical analysis of the research finding 12 Conclusion and recommendations 14 Limitation of study 14 15 Works cited 15 Appendixes 16 Executive Summary The main objective of the study was to determine the online streaming behavior as opposed to the traditional methods where the people used to buy DVDs. The study also sought to establish the correlation between age, education level, income and the streaming behavior. With the study being an exploration of nature, and aimed at analyzing a social phenomenon (live streaming), a qualitative study was employed. In addition to this, the quantitative research was also used for the purpose of finding the correlation between different variables. The random sampling was used in obtaining a representative sample from a group of friends. The research findings indicated that about 55% of the respondents used the laptops for online streaming. There was a correlation between age and streaming, with close to 75% of the subjects being between 18-24. The higher the income, the less likely for the subjects to engage in streaming behavior, with majority being those who earned between $10,000-$35,000. This is a demonstration that there was also a relationship between the free time, and online streaming. Those earning less were more likely to have more free time, hence being able to engage in the behavior. The conclusion of the study was that the penetration of Smartphones and the internet had played a huge role in enhancing online streaming. In terms of recommendation, there is a need to replicate the study on a larger population, in order to establish whether the findings were credible. The marketers should take advantage of the e marketing owing to the fact that it has become common phenomenon going by the statistics obtained from the study. Introduction The study aims at establishing the correlation between age, free time, income, sex and online streaming. The paper will contain the executive summary, background information, research methodologies, data analysis and findings, interpretation of findings, conclusion and recommendation and limitation of study. Background information The online streaming has become a common social phenomenon globally. In the United States close to 28 million people aged 18 and above had a Netflix app, which they used in streaming. The internet penetration and the access to Smartphones has been one of the major factors enhancing the online streaming. The plummeting cost of internet access explains why a majority of the young people choose online streaming. Factors such as convenience, reliability and quality also affect the attitude of the consumers towards online streaming. Close to 70% of the people, prefer streaming since they can watch music or video at place and time, provided they have access to internet. Age has also been a major factor that determines the streaming behavior. The older the population, the less they are likely to stream. Research methods and procedures The methodology will be conceptualized as the body of principles and rules that will facilitate the study (Silverman, 2011). It is a description of all the methods that will be employed in this study. Due to the nature of this study, both the quantitative and qualitative research design has been proposed. The main reason for using a qualitative research design is that the study is exploratory in nature, where the main focus is to establish a certain social phenomenon (streaming videos online). The qualitative study makes it possible to have a deeper analysis of the human behavior. On the other hand, though, the quantitative analysis will be used for providing the correlation between streaming with variables such as age, level of income and education. The quantitative analysis ensures that tangible data (figures) can be provided. Population and sample Population refers to the specific subjects of study that the researcher is interested. For the purpose of this study, the population of study will be a group of friends, who will be selected randomly. However, owing to the huge number of this population, a representative sample will be used. This subset of the whole population allows the researcher to conduct the study, and be able to get consistent and reliable information. In this research, the observations made from the sample will be assumed to reflect that of the entire population. A sample of 100 representatives was used in the study. The inclusion criterion is that the subjects must be familiar with streaming, and should have made at least one transaction. Sampling Techniques A researcher employed random sampling technique for the selection of a sample. The random sampling was selected owing to its ability to ensure that all the potential subjects are given an equal opportunity to participate in the study. It is a method that ensures that subjects can be selected indiscriminately from the population, which ensures that the sample obtained is unbiased. The main advantage of this method is that it ensures that the researcher can obtain a representative sample from the population. However, the method can be time consuming and expensive owing to the fact that the research may be required to list all the relevant subjects of study, before selecting them randomly. The fact that all the subjects are given an equal chance to take part in the study means the study findings are more reliable. Data collection methods The researcher seeks to use questionnaires. This data collection technique has been selected owing to their ease of use, and the fact that they are less time consuming and inexpensive. They can allow the researcher to collect information from the selected sample at once, unlike in interviewing. In this study, structured questionnaires with both closed and open-ended questions were used. The open-ended kind of questionnaire ensures that the study is focused on exploring specific social phenomena, and getting deeper understanding of human behavior. Some questions also gave the respondents an opportunity to provide more relevant information, which is of importance to the researcher. In terms of the closed questions, respondents were to respond ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or tick the relevant answers to the questions asked. While the ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ responses limit the kind of information that respondents can give, it ensures that there is consistency in the study. However, the main disadvantage is that the researcher has already predetermined the responses to the questions of the study. This means that there is a chance for biased responses. This explains why the researcher decided to use both the closed and open-ended questions. Validity and reliability tests In conducting a study, it is imperative to note that the validity and the reliability of the study instruments are ensured. This ensures that there is consistency in the results being obtained from the field, as well as ensuring that the research instruments are actually measuring what they were meant to. The reliability of the study refers to the extent to which the selected data collection tools are able to provide consistent and stable data (Silverman, 2011). This is vital as it will make the study more credible and avoids confusion. On the other hand, the validity ensures that the data collection tools are actually measuring what they were meant to. For the purpose of this study, the validity and the reliability of the research instruments will be tested through conducting a pilot study. The study will be carried out in a smaller sample, with the main aim of correcting any errors in the research instruments, as well as adjusting the questions. Ethical considerations This seeks to establish the relationship between the subjects and the researcher. The main goal is to ensure that the researcher adheres to the professional requirements while conducting the study (American Psychological Association, 2002). For the purpose of this study, the researcher will ensure that the subjects will provide information voluntarily. For instance, prior to filling the questionnaires, subjects will be required to sign a consent form. This will indicate that their participation in the study was not out of coercion, but a voluntary one. They will also not be required to write their names, to protect their identities and privacy. The following are some of the main principles upon which the study was based. Consent rules The main aim is to ensure that all the participants in the study do so out of their free will. This is in accordance with the APA’s Ethics code that states that participants need to know the duration of the study and all the procedures that will be followed. The subjects should also know what role they would be expected to play in the study (American Psychological Association, 2002). Secondly, the subjects will be informed of their rights to terminate their cooperation even after the process has begun. The researcher will also ensure that the subjects are aware of why the research is being conducted, and how they will benefit from it. However, the client can be informed of the limits of confidentiality, especially when the information they have shared can be coded, shared and archived (Sales & Folkman, 2001). Despite this, their names will not be used, but only the information they have provided. In the spirit of ensuring that the plight of the respondents is taken into consideration, the researcher will ensure that they are protected from any physical, emotional or psychological harm throughout the study. Disclosure of financial sources In the study, it is imperative that the researcher indicates who funded the research. This is important in understanding various issues, such as whether external forces may have undue influence on the research questions. In many cases, the external factors may be individuals who may be interested in ensuring that the study results favor them. This happens when such individual want to advance a given agenda. Such a research is biased, and unscientific, making it unreliable in addressing any social challenges. This is an independent research, when the researcher will meet all the financial requirements. Data analysis and finding Table 2: Streaming services commonly used Pie Chart 1: Commonly used steaming services Table 3: Primary devices used in streaming Graph 2: Primary devices used in streaming Graph 3: Physical DVDs bought Table 4: Income and Streaming Pie-Chart 2: Showing the relationship between streaming and Income Table 5: Table of Income vs. Streaming Graph 4: Education level and Streaming Findings From the analysis, about 55% of the respondents indicated that they used laptops as a primary device for streaming. The tablet was the second highest at 14%, while only 12% used the Smartphones. In the question of education and online streaming, the research finding indicated that about 74% of students with some college education level were more likely to stream. However, as the level of education increased, the streaming reduced, with only 3% of the graduate school students likely to stream. On the question of how many physical DVDs/videos the responds had purchased in the past 3 months, about 68% had not made any purchases. Only 2% of the respondents had purchased above eight DVDs within the last 3 months. There was an inverse relationship between the level of income and streaming. According to the respondents close to 92% of those earning below $35,000 were streaming, while only 8% earning above $36,000 streamed. In terms of age, the research indicated that 75% of those between 18-24 were more likely to stream. However, the number decreased with age with only 3% of those between 65 years streaming. Critical analysis of the research finding From the data, it was found that close to 75% of the respondents aged between 18-24 were more likely to participate in online streaming. This could be explained from the fact that such age bracket is made up of students, who are not very busy with family life and careers compared to the older generation. The amount of free time that one has therefore does determine the online streaming behavior. The increase in income did not have a direct relationship with the online streaming. The more one earned, the less they were likely to participate in online streaming. However, one of the biggest questions would be why between the ages of 18-24, who earned little income were more likely to be online streamers. The explanation for this is that the cost of internet has been plummeting, making it affordable to many. With the technological development, the streaming speed has also been enhanced, meaning that the consumers can be able to watch the movie or music without any interruptions. From the research, it was found that close to 55% of the respondents used laptops in their streaming. The research findings disapproved the common belief that the Smartphones are commonly in online streaming. While the cost of the Smartphones has plummeted, it does not seem to affect the tastes and preferences of the consumers. However, the research indicated that there has been an increased usage of tablets, with 14% of the respondents using it. The new technological advancement, explains why Smart TVs, have also become primary devices used for streaming. The reduced number of people buying DVDs/Videos has supported the importance of online streaming. Close to 68% of the respondents did not purchase any movies. This information is imperative for the movie industry, which should aim at targeting the online users to increase their sales and profits. Further, the study indicated that the number of there was an inverse relationship between education and streaming. The more educated the people were, the less they were likely to participate in online streaming. From the study results, above 70% of those who streamed had some college education while only 3% of those in graduate school streamed. This social phenomena can be explained by the fact that those in the highest level of education are more likely to be busier. Some of them, especially those pursuing the master degree may have families and career. The customer attitudes towards online transactions have also been one of the main factors explaining why there has been increased number of those streaming. E-commerce has become a common phenomenon, where the main target groups are those below the age of 35. These are the biggest consumers, and people likely to access the internet. Currently, it is estimated that close to 1 billion people are in social media, which is vital for online marketing. Conclusion and recommendations In conclusion, the research found a correlation between ages, income, gender, education with streaming. There was also a relationship between the amount of free time that one had and streaming. However, the streaming reduced with age, education level and income. It was highest in those between 18 and 24. The purchase of physical DVDs has reduced, as many people are using online streaming to watch movies and music. However, there will be a number of recommendations. Firstly, the study should be conducted using another different population and sample. This research was based on information provided by friends of the researcher, hence may be biased. Secondly, the information should be used as a marketing tool that will assist in increasing the amount of sales. According to the research finding, online transactions have been on the increase explaining why marketers should resort to e-commerce. Limitation of study The main limitation of the study was the time constraint. The study was complex and required but the time provided was not enough to collect as much data as possible from the respondents. Secondly, there was a challenge of obtaining a representative sample. This is defined as a subset of population of study. The characteristics of the representative sample are assumed to represent that of the whole population. However, the challenge was on how to come with the right number sample. A small sample may lead to biased representation of issues on the ground. On the contrary, a very large sample will lead to lack of consistency in the research findings. Thirdly, it is estimated that there will be a challenge of obtaining reliable information from certain samples. For instance, where the information needed is sensitive, a number of respondents may not provide true information, hence affecting the reliability of the study. Works cited American Psychological Association. Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychologist, 57(12). 2002 Silverman, D. (Ed). Qualitative Research: Issues of Theory, Method and Practice, 2011 Third Edition. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi, Singapore: Sage Publications Sales, B.D., & Folkman, S. (Eds.). (2000). Ethics in research with human participants. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.2000 Appendixes Ricky Ostrofsky Jacob Kauffman Video Streaming Questionnaire 1. Do you stream videos online?  Yes or  No (If “No” please skip to question 9) 2. How many hours per week do you stream videos?  1-3  4-7  8-11  12+ 3. What is the primary device you stream from?  Laptop  Smart TV  Smartphone  Tablet  Other (Specify __________ 4. Please indicate what streaming services you have used in the past year:  Netflix  Hulu  HBO Go  Other (Specify ________ 5. Of those listed above what is your primary streaming service: ___________ 6. Please indicate your overall satisfaction for your primary streaming service by circling one: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7. How much are you currently paying for your service monthly? ­­ $ _______ 8. Please check only one: How important is each streaming factor to you? Extremely Very Neutral Somewhat Not Selection      Quality      Reliability      Speed      9. How many physical DVDs/Videos have you purchased in the last 3 months?  None  1-3  4-7  8+ 10. Please check the appropriate response to each of the following regarding yourself: Age:  Under 18  18-24  25-40  41-64  65+ Sex:  Male  Female Income:  Under $10,000  $10,000-$35,000  $36,000-$65,000  $65,000+ Education:  GED or below  High School Diploma  Some College  Bachelor’s Degree  Graduate School Read More