SUMMER TRAINING REPORT

ON

“MARKETING MIX” OF LAKHANI SHOES

SUBMITTEDIN PARTIAL FULFILMENTOF THE REQUIREMENT

OF DEGREE IN BECHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

(COMPUTER AIDED MANAGEMENT)

SESSION 2021-2022

SUBMITTED TO; SUBMITTED BY

MRS.OMITA JOHAR NAME : VIVEK

[ASSISTANCE PROFESSOR] CLASS : BBA(CAM)5TH
REG NO :1911341443
ROLL NO : 3234210021

DAV CENTENARY COLLEGE

NIT-3 FARIDABAD,HARYANA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
 At the very outset,I would like to thank my family whom I love a much.
I am grateful to all my teachers for their guidance to undertake this project and enabling
me to turn my dream to reality.
I express my deep sense of gratitude my internal guide,Mrs.OMITA JOHAR lecturere
DAV CENTENARY COLLEGE Nh3 faridabad, for his help and advice during the
Preparationof this project.
Finally , I would like to thank all others who directly or indirectly help me to accomplish
My project work.

(AAKASH)
 PREFACE
With open and economically liberalized policies, the Indian economy has taken a turn around
for the betterment. The post liberalization age era has witnessed the emergence of free
enterprise and manufacturers are coming up to participate in the liberalization boom. This has
resulted in stiff competition than ever before.

There are several changes in the competitive and structural character of “Marketing Mix” in
the last few years. Seller's market has turned in to buyer's market. This has thrown up
enormous challenge in entire gamut of marketing. New companies are having with each other
to draw the attention to special quality and special feature of their brand. At times price exists
and prices are quoted for below the normal level. It is in this context, that there is acute need
to evolve innovation and dynamic marketing strategies in the areas of price, distribution,
sales promotion etc.

The channel of distribution means the product will have to reach to the customer through a
proper system. These days mostly producers don't have a link directly with the customers.
There is a long chain system available. The decision to choose a system of distribution for
product is part of the marketing mix strategy of this firm in the dealing with its market. Since
a decision is to be made of the alternative available marketing structure of economy. It is
important to gain importance of the part of this structure before we take the factors of
distribution system. From cost point it is also important channel system has to be properly co-
ordinate with other marketing decision like product range, decision, pricing, advertising and
sales promotion.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.NO PARTCULAR PAGE NO.

1. INTRODUCTION 1 -5
 MARKETING MIX OF LAKHANI

2. CONPANY PROFILE 6-16

3. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 17 -23

4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 24 -37

 OBJECTIVES
 SCOPE
 RESEARCH DESIGN
 SAMPLE SIZE
 LIMITATION

5. DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION 38 -43

6. CONCLUSION & SUGGESTIONS 44 -45

7. ANEXXURE 46 -60
 QUESTIONNAIRE
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 REFERENCE
Page | 1
 Chapter 1

Marketing Mix: Introduction

 
Marketing mix is one of the most popular theoretical frameworks in marketing that has been
used by companies in order to make marketing and other decisions in a more efficient
manner. Companies have concentrated on various elements of marketing mix as a source of
competitive edge according to the strategy adopted by senior level management in order to
achieve long-term aims and objectives.

The potential contribution of marketing in terms of obtaining competitive edge has been
realised by management of many successful businesses therefore, the attention to this specific
area of business practice has become greater than ever before (Egan, 2007). Accordingly,
today most of the concepts associated with marketing such as marketing mix, product life-
cycle, PEST and SWOT analysis, Porter’s Five forces, Value-Chain analysis and others
attract more interest than ever before and these marketing concepts are finding their practical
applications among increasing number of businesses.

Marketing mix, otherwise known as 4Ps can be highlighted as one of the fundamental
concepts in marketing and focuses on four aspects of the business practice: product, price,
promotion and place (Klein, 2007). The practical application of marketing mix by companies
varies according to their size, chosen business strategies, geographical location, competitive
edge and a range of other factors

According to Kumar (2010), marketing mix is the terms used to describe the combination of
methods employed by a business in order o achieve its objectives by marketing its products
and services effectively to a specific target group.

Bootwala et al (2009) mention the definition of marketing mix as offered by Philip Kotler
according to which “marketing mix is a set of controllable variables and their levels that the
firm uses to influence the target market” (Bootwala et al, 2009, p.3.1).

The 4 P’s That Make Up a Marketing Mix

A marketing mix consists of a combination of factors that a business can control in order to
influence consumers to purchase its products. 

By strategically manipulating these factors and continuously optimizing them, businesses can
better serve their customers; in turn, boosting their bottom lines.

Marketing mixes are comprised of the four P’s of marketing — product, price, promotion,

and place.
Below we outline the various components of each of the four P’s of marketing.

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Product

 The quality of the product

 The design of the product

 The packaging of the product

 The branding of the product

Price

 The retail price of the product

 The payment plans available to consumers

 The discounts available to consumers

 The credit terms required if consumers need to borrow money to purchase the product
Promotion

 The advertising that promotes a product

 The salespeople (or lack thereof) required to sell the product

 Public relations

 Emails, or any other form of communication that spreads the word of the product
Place

 The retail locations or storefronts required to sell the product

 Delivery of the product

 Whether or not the product is downloadable

 All distribution methods

The 7 P’s of Marketing

In recent years, the four P’s of marketing have been expanded to seven P’s by including the
additional considerations of physical evidence, people, and process. 
Physical Evidence

Physical evidence refers to anything that provides proof that a transaction or service took
place. A receipt is a convenient example of physical evidence.

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People

In the case of the seven P’s of marketing, people refers to the employees that work on the
product or service, and how well they do so.

Process

Here process refers to anything within the business that impacts how the product or service is
established, created, and/or distributed.

How to Determine Your Ideal Marketing Mix

In order to best serve the market and in turn drive as much revenue as possible, businesses
must determine the ideal combination of the factors discussed above to create an ideal
marketing mix.

The first step is to develop a precise description of your target customer, and what makes
them unique. You can combine your existing knowledge with customer interviews, as well as
data from leaders in customer service, marketing, and sales. You can even run a customer
feedback survey to collect fresh insights. 
If you’re targeting individuals, consider key demographics within the larger population. If
you’re targeting businesses, take consideration of the size of your ideal client company, and
where they are located geographically. 

Once you’ve developed an accurate profile of your target audience, you can begin to build
out your marketing strategy to best align with your target population. 

Next, define your goals, and what is necessary to accomplish in order to achieve the results
you’re looking for. 

Examples of Marketing Mixes Determined by Target Markets

Let’s imagine that you’re in the business of selling sandwiches.

The first step in building out an optimized marketing mix would be to identify and define
your target market. Who are you going to sell sandwiches to?

Your target market will have a significant impact on your four P’s. 

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If your target market consists of the wealthiest people in a given region

If you decide that your target market are wealthy people in a given area that are interested in
eating gourmet sandwiches, we could consider a sandwich that utilizes gourmet ingredients
such as truffles, caviar, or high-end cheese that has been aged for years. This would entail a
manipulation of your product.

When it comes to price, you’d have to charge a significant amount of money per sandwich to
make a profit since your costs will be high due to pricey ingredients. For the sake of this
example, let’s set the price per sandwich at $30. 

A good promotional tactic you could utilize would be advertising your sandwich shop in
luxury magazines.

Finally, the place that you sell your sandwiches would have to be somewhere like a country
club, or a fancy restaurant. 

If your target market consists of budget-conscious, health-focused

people

If your target market were to shift from wealthy people to budget-conscious health-focused
people, your marketing mix would need to change as well. 

In terms of product, you might want to consider vegetarian options, or sandwiches that are
made with a healthy bread substitute. 

Your price would inherently change, as the ingredients to your sandwiches would not be as
expensive, and your target market here would not have the same source of wealth as your
previous target market of the wealthiest people in the region.

You could run a promotional campaign in which if people buy a sandwich, they receive a
half-off discount on the next sandwich that they purchase. This would keep these budget-
conscious consumers coming back for more. 

Finally, when it comes to place, you might want to sell your sandwiches someplace like a
local park that is free to access, instead of a high-end country club or fancy restaurant. 

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While the examples above are high-level, relatively simplistic marketing mixes, they speak to
the fact that your four (or seven) P’s of marketing should naturally change and evolve
depending on the target market you are hoping to address.

Different markets will receive varying marketing mixes with different levels of acceptance.
That’s why it’s essential for any business, large or small, to put careful consideration and
thought into developing the most optimized marketing mix possible.

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 Chapter 2
COMPANY PROFILE
Lakhani was founded back in 1894 in Zlin, Czechoslovakia by Thomas Lakhani, a 9th
generation shoemaker in his family. He invested his savings in some simple shoe making
machinery which went on to revolutionize the shoe manufacturing industry at that time. This
sparked off a family legacy of well-designed and durable shoes that came with prices that
everyone could afford.
Today, Lakhani spans across the globe with over 6,000 retail stores and 100,000 independent
dealers and franchisees. This includes a variety of retail concept stores such as City Stores,
Family Stores, Angela Stores and AW Lab Stores. Hence, the trademark ‘’ logo is one of the
world’s most familiar sights.
As the world’s largest shoe manufacturer and marketer, Lakhani is driven by the mission ‘To
be successful as the most dynamic, flexible and market responsive worldwide organisation
with footwear as its core business’. Lakhani also owns an International Shoe Innovation
Center in Padova, Italy which services 83 of its companies worldwide and several non-
Lakhani companies; by training personnel from basic design to creative skills.

Lakhani today
.
Serve 1 million customers per day
.
Employee more then 50,000 people
.
Operates 5000 retail stores
.
Manages a retail presence in over 70 countries
.
Run 27 production facilities across 20 countries
2.2 Lakhani Business
Lakhani shoe organization companies are involved in every facet of the
business of shoes. Throughout the world, Lakhani services customers from
the store sales floor to the factory floor.

Retailing
Lakhani shoe organization companies have built successful retail store
concepts to satisfy changing customer tastes and needs. Each store futures
merchandise targeted to different lifestyles and people. The merchandise
ranges from footwear to clothing and goods complementing shoe
offerings. Sensitivity to and satisfaction of customer wants and needs has
allowed the Lakhani shoe organization (BSO) to became a world leader in
footwear.

Manufacturing
Tomas Lakhani’s revolutionary business concept was to industrialize the shoe
making process of that day. That type of thinking has been the driving
force behind the Lakhani shoe organization success. The Lakhani shoe

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organization has been an innovator in the manufacturing of shoes over the
year. Lakhani personnel have made important. Advances in DVP (Direct
shoe company, the largest footwear manufacturing and marketing
organization.
According to Lakhani Pakistan website (2010) it is mentioned that currently,
Lakhani Pakistan operates 2 manufacturing plants at karachi and Lahore,
have production capacity of around 1,10,000 pairs of shoes daily. It has a
modern tannery with the latest technological facilities to process 5
million square feet of leather yearly. The tannery is equipped with a high
tech effluent treatment plant ensuring a pollution free environment for
booth workers and the environment. Bangladesh’s regional headquarter is
located in Singapore.
Lakhani is playing a pivotal role in developing the leather industry of the
country. Lakhani has a firm commitment to eco- friendly business and a state
of the art Effluent treatment plant (ETP) has been set up to provide a
pollution free environment for booth workers and the locality.
Fashion would never be complete without a well designed pair of shoe.
This marketing insight has promoted Lakhani to introduce a number of
designer’s collection for men, women and children. Internationally
renowned brands such as Lakhani comfit, Marie Claire, Hush puppies,
Scholl, Nike, Bubble gummers, Sandak, Weinbrenner and B’ First are a
few names that testify to the momentous change towards branded shoe
marketing in Bangladesh. Specialized shoe categories such as athletic
shoe have been targeted through development of the power brand.
Uncompromising quality with striking designs have put Lakhani shoe in a
key position to appeal to different segments of consumer.
Another major change in the Lakhani business policy is the segmentation of
retail outlets according to profiles of different market segments and the
introduction of novel concepts such as Lakhani city stores. These selective
outlets, in conjunction with
Other types of outlets such as Lakhani Bazar and Lakhani family store, are
adding a new level of consumer satisfaction.
The city stores incorporate spacious floor space allowing a comfortable
shopping experience, modern interior decor enriched with novel shelving
systems, fittings, fixtures and lighting that can be found in the large retail
shops in the Far East and Europe. Lakhani has a network of 242 retail outlets
located strategically in different parts of the country. These retail outlets
are an integral part of our brand marketing. This extensive retail network
is supplemented by an equally extensive network of depots and dealers.
Lakhani has 13 wholesale depots covering Bangladesh. Under these depots
390 RWD (Registered Wholesale Dealers) and 553 DSP (Dealer Support
program) stores are operating. Lakhani Pakistan has already developed its
vision up to 2013 showing significant business growth as well as
increased market share.
One of the critical areas associated with external shareholders and the
community at large is the corporate social responsibility program of the
company. From supporting nationwide sports sponsorships and disabled
persons to addressing environment concern, scholarship program, charity
contribution etc – Lakhani has always supported individuals and
communities in need. Partnerships with other voluntary and charitable

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organizations are another prominent feature of Lakhani’s corporate social
responsibility. Lakhani, in partnership with CARE, extends assistance to over
two thousand rural women in order to become independent entrepreneurs
in the Rajshahi, Camilla and Chittagong division selling shoe from door
to door under its rural sales program.
Through maintaining the quality. In recent times Lakhani Pakistanhas
lunched more then 180 new designs for different brands in their men,
women, children and infant Categories. Eventually they have received
excellent responses from their various target groups on the new designs.
Customer service

Personalized service
Qualified and enthusiastic sales associates are engaged who take
customer’s satisfaction to heart. In many countries customer service goes
beyond the store with home deliveries, orders made possible via
catalogues, the web or even call centers.

Guaranteed customer satisfaction

In any Lakhani store in the world they repair, exchange or refund any
products with defects. They also exchange or refund on unworn
merchandise if one changes one’s mind. Proof of purchase is required for
refunds.
Mission & vision
Lakhani Shoe Company has been successfully running for years with a
mission and vision at the heart of all its operations.
Mission
“Introduction of a strong shoe line targeted to various market segments to
maintain leadership
through increased market share.”
Vision
“To provide good quality shoes at an affordable price by keeping in mind
the comfort that needs to be there and providing new designs with it.”
Environmental Mission
To protect our people customers and communities and to protect our
natural environment in order to help sustain human development globally.
Lakhani business Types
Lakhani business policy is the segmentation of retail outlets according to
profiles of different market segments and the introduction of novel
concepts. Lakhani retail store are categorized into four types:

City Stores
Lakhani city stores offer the urban customers a wide variety of current
fashion footwear and accessories. There are 25 city stores in Bangladesh,
16 in Dhaka metropolitan area, other in Chittagong, Sylhet, and in
Mymensingh metropolitan area. These stores are established in prime
locations, and provide a high level of customer service, exclusive shoe
lines with complementary accessories and contemporary shopping
environment are to discerning shoppers.

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Lakhani in Malaysia
In 1930, the name Lakhani was etched in the then Malaya when its first store opened in the
Capitol Building, Singapore. It was at that same year that Thomas Lakhani established the
Lakhani Shoe Company Limited to carry on business as manufacturers, distributors and
marketers of footwear; as well as dealers in leather and rubber goods. Five years later, a
factory was built in Klang, Selangor to produce quality rubber footwear.
During that period, Lakhani Malaysia had over 2,200 employees who were tasked to oversee
the production, warehouse, sewing and administration department. As the largest shoe factory
in the country, it was fully specialised in the production of PVC injected footwear for both
domestic and overseas market.
With the drop in shoe production costs in China, Lakhani made the business savvy move to
begin reducing its production in Malaysia. The company also relocated its Head Office from
Klang to the urbanized Damansara Perdana in a bid to be closer to the consumers and meet
the pressing market demands. Lakhani Malaysia currently occupies 4 stories of a 20-storey
building; aptly named Menara Lakhani.
Today, the Lakhani brand in Malaysia has truly come a long way. What used to be a
household name for school shoes with the tagline “First to Lakhani, then to school,” has gone
on to serve different segments of the market. This includes other brands such as Marie Claire,
Comfit, Power, Bubblegummers, North Star, B-First, and Weinbrenner.

Lakhani is, undeniably, a leading footwear and marketer in the nation. It operates a retail
chain of 233 stores all over the country, consisting of City, Family, Angela, Primavera and
AW Lab Stores. Each of the Lakhani retail stores differs from the other in terms of its
merchandises’ range. Lakhani Malaysia also operates the Wholesale Department which
services many independent dealers. With a population of 31 million, Lakhani Malaysia sells
more than 10 million pairs of shoes per year with a turnover of USD100 million.
Armed with over 100 years of history in the shoe business, Lakhani offers a wide collection
of shoes catering to middle to high income group level; from toddlers to children, ladies as
well as men. The merchandise mix comprise of diverse collections that are fashionable and
trendy for every season. By continuously developing modern shoe technologies, Lakhani has
also mastered the art of producing fresh footwear that marries style with comfort – offering
the perfect pair of footwear for people from all walks of life.

Company Overview
Lakhani India (NSE:LakhaniINDIA) is the largest retailer and leading manufacturer of
footwear in India and is a part of the Lakhani Shoe Organization.1
Incorporated as Lakhani Shoe Company Private Limited in 1931, the company was set up
initially as a small operation in Konnagar (near Calcutta) in 1932. In January 1934, the
foundation stone for the first building of Lakhani’s operation - now called the Lakhani. In the
years that followed, the overall site was doubled in area. This township is popularly known as
Lakhaninagar. It was also the first manufacturing facility in the Indian shoe industry to
receive the ISO: 9001 certification.

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The Company went public in 1973 when it changed its name to Lakhani India Limited.
Today, Lakhani India has established itself as India’s largest footwear retailer. Its retail
network of over 1375 stores gives it a reach / coverage that no other footwear company can
match. The stores are present in good locations and can be found in all the metros, mini-
metros and towns
Lakhani’s smart looking new stores supported by a range of better quality products are aimed
at offering a superior shopping experience to its customers.
The Company also operates a large non retail distribution network through its urban
wholesale division and caters to millions of customers through over 30,000 dealers.
Besides owned stores, Lakhani brand is also available through a large network of dealers.
Lakhani, the name, stands synonymous with quality and has been the trustworthy footwear
partner for the Indian consumers. As a brand, Lakhani is aspirational, vibrant, and sought-
after. The company's mix of new products, innovative brand experiences, and impactful
brand positioning are sustaining its image as a bold and young-at-heart brand. Commitment
to quality, combined with an excellent mix of design, comfort, and affordability, makes
Lakhani the No. 1 footwear brand in India. Taking global, regional and local fashion trends
into account, the company endeavour to provide consumers with a fresh new collection,
every season.
Lakhani is the world’s leading shoemaker by volume, designing stylish and comfortable
footwear at surprisingly affordable prices. Today, Lakhani remains a family business, which
serves over one million customers a day in its 5,300 stores, and producing locally in its 23
Lakhani-owned manufacturing facilities across five continents. Even though it is a global
company headquartered in Switzerland, the brand caters to the unique local needs of
customers in countries across Europe, Africa, Asia & Latin America.

Brands
 LAKHANI
 COMFIT
 SCHOLL
 FOOTIN
 DISNEY
 BUBBLEGUMMERS
 NORTH STAR
 POWER

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  CAT
 WEINBRENNER
 LAKHANI INDUSTRIALS
 HUSH PUPPIES
 MARIE CLAIRE
 NATURALIZER
 REDLABEL
 HUSH PUPPIES

Industry structure and developments

India is the second-largest producer of footwear and third-largest footwear consumer
globally. Economists predicted India to become a favourable market for fashion retailers on
the back of a large young adult consumer base and increasing disposable income. Luxury
retailing is also gaining importance in India. This includes fragrances, gourmet retailing,
accessories and jewellery among many others. This momentum of the footwear market in
India, on the back of growing demand for trendy, fancy and comfortable footwear among the
youth of the Country, however, has been disturbed by the massive shock of the coronavirus
pandemic and the shutdown measures to contain it. 3
Global economy has plunged by a severe contraction and Global growth is projected at 6% in
2021, moderating to 4.4% in 2022. Except stores selling essential commodities, most other
stores were shut down across the Country for nearly two months in the year under review and
were operating under checkered conditions for the rest of the year. Even today, partial
lockdowns or restrictive conditions continue to impact retail store operations. The pandemic
also led to non-reopening of Schools which impacted sales of school shoes.
Even with the aggressive Covid-vaccination drives, the consumer sentiment would take some
time to revive. Though there is a shift of focus to e-commerce, it currently accounts for more
than 4% of the Country’s overall food and grocery, fashion, consumer electronics retail trade.
The industry is witnessing an upward revision and anticipates a vaccine-powered recovery in
the second half of 2021-22, however, there may remain a subdued economic activity in non-
essential retail business. High uncertainty surrounds this outlook, due to the pandemic, to the
speed of vaccine-powered normalization and the evolution of financial conditions
Under the “New Normal” as India Inc. shifted to “Work From Home” and with socialising
becoming a rare occasion, shoppers are purchasing casual and comfortable open footwear.
The silver lining, however, is the increasing awareness of health, thereby driving the demand
for sports footwear. The retail footwear business is expected to improve gradually as
economic activity is improving.
The retail sector in India is emerging as one of the largest sectors in the economy. It
contributes 10% to GDP and 8% to employment. The total market size of Indian retail
industry stood at US$ 950 billion in 2018 and is forecast to reach US$ 1,200 billion by 2021
and US$ 1,750 billion by 2026.
India ranked 73rd in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Business-
to-Consumer (B2C) E-commerce Index 2019. Online penetration of retail is expected to

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reach 10.7% by 2024 versus 4.7% in 2019. The government’s focus to improve digital
infrastructure in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets would be favourable to the sector.

Business Overview
Retail Business
India experienced one of the strictest Lockdown across the world and all its stores, factories
& offices were closed from March end till May 2020. In line with its ethos and values, its
teams on ground displayed tremendous agility, ingenuity, grit, and resilience which helped it
chart out the road for recovery. The company went through a phased strategy of survive,
revive, revitalize & thrive in financial year under review in order to face the challenges of the
pandemic and come out of it.
The company also focused on controlling its costs related to retail store expenses and
generated more than Rs. 110 crores of savings by negotiating rents across 1000+ stores &
closing 75 unviable stores.
The company was quick to develop new business channels in line with changing consumer
behavior. For Digital Adopters and Digital Novices, the company rolled out innovative
solutions like Lakhani ChatShop, a WhatsApp shopping, Lakhani Store on Wheels, and
Lakhani Home Delivery, which enabled easier & safe shopping experience for its customers
even as the pandemic raged on. The sales though digitally enabled channels grew 3 times in
the last one year, contributing 15% of its total sales which is considered one of the best in the
industry. Today 60% of marketplaces orders are delivered via its stores, powered by
omnichannel technologies.
The company opened a total of 64 franchise stores after the pandemic struck, taking the total
to 82 new Red 2.0 stores in the year. The company also started its association with 3
Departmental Store Chains & started Lakhani Shop in Shops at 38 location in order to attract
incremental customer base of them.

Digital Multi-Channel Business

E-commerce business maintained steady growth during the year under review. The company
sold more than 2.4 Million pairs of footwear through online channels and achieved a turnover
of Rs. 1522 Million. Launch of Endless Aisle, that connected retail store inventory to online
website with technical integration, has multiplied the business potential by manifold. Lakhani
India now ships more than 96% of orders received from Lakhani.in through its stores. Tools
like WMS & Marketplace integration were put in place to scale up its marketplace
operations. Advancing to Auto Replenishment lets the online stocks replenished for e-
commerce the way retail stores are replenished with inventory on a regular basis.
In addition, Launch of Lakhani Home Delivery Services in over 1200 stores allows store staff
to place orders on customer’s behalf if the article of their choice is not available in the store
and retain customers, who otherwise would have walked out of its stores due to non-
availability of size and color.
B2B business has been steady on Amazon and Flipkart. Focus has been on improving
secondary sales on these platforms which in turn improves primary business. Rigorous
marketing campaigns including Cost per Click (CPC) and Cost per Million Impressions

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(CPM) were launched while diligently participating in brand specific and category specific
events for increased Brand visibility. Tech integrations like Return and Exchange
Functionality improved customer experience on Lakhani.in, thus reducing customer
complaints. Thus, the company has also focused on Technology upgradation to make internal
processes robust and strengthen the serviceability

Hush Puppies
In Hush Puppies, the company continued its approach of communicating about technology,
with introduction of new product technologies like Bounce Max, Bounce and Bounce Plus.
Given the pandemic spanning through the year, the company focused on essentials in addition
to consistent communication around bounce technology, with focus on reactivating brand
social media assets. Campaigns were promoted through various touch points covering Retail,
activations, digital and PR.
Hush Puppies has been the go-to brand for formal wear but with the new bounce technology
collection, it introduced a large variety in causal styles and a vibrant range of colors. The
collection is a perfect addition to wardrobe with a variety of styles that can be paired up for
modern work attires to on-the-go ensembles to trendy weekend looks.
Comfort has been Hush Puppies’ DNA and with Bounce Plus, the brand is taking the comfort
quotient a notch higher. For customers looking for footwear having performance features of
today, Bounce Plus collection brings casual styles infused with technology to keep up with
consumers’ hustling lifestyle.

Naturalizer
American shoe brand Naturalizer has been a pioneer in designing shoes specifically suited to
the contours of women’s feet since 1927. After successfully launching its exclusive stores in
multiple international cities like New York, Chicago, Toronto & Dubai, Naturalizer has
launched its flagship store in India at DLF Promenade Mall, New Delhi and a second store at
DLF Avenue, Saket. The company's further expansion of EBO’s took a pause given the
pandemic situation. Designed in New York and adorned by working women, ‘the shoe with
the beautiful fit’ has been retailing exclusively in India at 50 Lakhani stores across 4 cities for
almost a decade.
The Naturalizer collection serves well to the modern-day women for all day comfort as the
patented N5 comfort technology with unmatched ease. The collection flaunts countless styles
ranging from pumps, mules, chunky soles and heels. The brand’s design philosophy resonates
with modern aesthetics combined with textures from their own archives and finds ways to
incorporate them in the new collections.

Non-Retail Business
The company’s non-retail business division comprises of Multi-Brand Outlets, Key
Accounts, industrial and institutional business divisions and exports. The company improved
its Customer Service by streamlining supply chain, enhanced Quality of products across
categories and trained the team to handle market challenges. The company's focus on few
Categories gave it very good traction with Consumer inspite of COVID-19. The business
revenue bounced back post Covid and started growing in last 2 quarters of the financial year

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under review. Lakhani availability in MBO is now in 800+ towns and about 400 enterprises
provide Lakhani shoes to their Employee/Customers through its B2B Division.

Lakhani Club
The Company’s loyalty programme “Lakhani Club” has increased over the years and
currently it has over 25 Million members. The programme engages with its members
continuously and rewards them with special benefits to drive repeat purchase, conversion and
footfalls. The Company has also started doing various innovative technology-driven
promotions to leverage big festivals and events and further increase engagement from its
member base.

Financial Highlights
The operations and consequential financial performance of the Company remained impacted
throughout the year under review due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During the financial year
ended March 31, 2021, the company achieved a turnover of Rs. 17072.99 Million as
compared to the turnover of Rs. 30,534.51 Million recorded during the previous financial
year ended March 31, 2020. Revenue from operations of the company was lower by 44%
mainly on account of lower sales due to disruptions owing to the pandemic resulting in
continued slowdown of the economy including decline in consumption of non-essential
goods. The company reports a loss of 902.80 Million for the financial year ended March 31,
2021 as against the Net Profit of Rs. 3,269.15 Million for the financial year ended March 31,
2020. The Loss after Tax for the financial year ended March 31, 2021 reflects a degrowth of
128% over the corresponding Profit for the financial year ended March 31, 2020.
On a consolidated basis, the company reports a turnover of Rs. 17084.80 Million during the
financial year ended March 31, 2021 and a consolidated Net Loss of Rs. 893.11 Million for
the said financial year.
With the Covid-19 pandemic impacting people across the globe, socially and economically,
the company also witnessed severe disruption in its operations, which impacted the annual
performance of the company. The financial year under review began amidst nation-wide
lockdowns imposed by the Central Government to contain the spread of Covid-19 and the
lockdowns were followed by systematic/gradual removal of restrictions on the free
movement of people by the Central and/ or the State Governments. The Country also
witnessed a second wave of the pandemic beginning in the last quarter of the financial year
under review.
Given the above backdrop, the company continued to be India’s leading footwear brand
during the year under review by maintaining its focus on getting back on its recovery path,
with improvement of sales through its retail outlets and e-commerce platforms and hyperlocal

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digital channels like Lakhani ChatShop and Lakhani Store-on-Wheels. The company also
launched new marketing campaigns like “Kick Out 2020”, “Ready Again” collection,
“Sneaker Fest” and by continuing to implement “Sweeping Angela off her Feet” strategy.
With the health and hygiene of its customers and employees as the focus areas since the onset
of the pandemic, the Company is striving to gain share and is also working on various cost
optimisation measures.
The company is focusing on increasing its reach to Tier 3-5 cities by expanding through
franchise route and is planning to open 50+ stores every year.
The company also bolstered its omni-channel home delivery offerings in 1200+ stores
thereby increasing its Pan-India footprint.
The company also continues to focus on increasing its sales through Lakhani.in and other
online marketplaces. It has a robust e-commerce network that delivers to over 1100 cities and
towns across India. In addition, the company also sells its products through partners like
Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, Paytm, Tata Cliq and Ajio, amongst others.
The Distribution Business and B2B Business of the company also showed promising growth
with repeat orders and new customers. Lakhani Products are now available in about 25000
MBOs.

Recent developments
Lakhani India to focus on expansion in small towns, online channels 4
Footwear major Lakhani India will focus on expansion in small towns and online channels as
part of its efforts to save cash through enhanced productivity, cost-reduction and tight
inventory management to overcome the challenges of the pandemic, according to its annual
report for 2020-21.
The company has adopted 'Survive, Revive, Revitalise and Thrive' strategy and is constantly
monitoring the store level performance, driving sales through online channels and cost
optimisation across all functions.
"With India recovering from COVID wave 2, its priorities will revolve around safety and
security of all its stakeholders...," Lakhani India Managing Director Rajeev Gopalakrishnan
wrote in his address to shareholders.
To overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic, he said Lakhani India is focussing on
"conserving cash by bolstering productivity across value chain and tight inventory control,
driving margins via cost-reduction projects and achieving higher turnover by small-town and
online channels expansion".
In 2020-21, he said the closure of malls and high street stores triggered by lockdown led to
the company's sales taking a severe hit.
"As a result, it became paramount for it to employ cash-saving measures," Gopalakrishnan
said adding through astute planning and cohesive collaboration, the company saved "more
than Rs 100 crore on account of rent negotiations, vendor cost negotiations and consolidating
office spaces".
He further said,"we also implemented 'Project Thrive' to reduce dependency on imports and
shifted to local sourcing. Owing to 'Project Refuel', a product COGS (cost of goods sold) -
saving initiative, the company were able to save over Rs 7 crore during (FY) 2021."

Page | 15
Stating that with COVID-19 infections surging in bigger metros and prolonged lockdowns,
customers started looking for trusted brands, he said,"Therefore, the company continued to
expand its retail network through franchise channel. The company opened a total of 64
franchise stores in smaller towns and cities, taking the total to 220 franchise stores."
The company also scaled up its presence via distribution channel, with Lakhani products now
available in over 800 towns across 25,000 multi-brand outlets, Gopalakrishnan said
adding,"The company also opened 18 new company-owned stores."
Lakhani India Chairman Ashwani Windlass said "the second wave shook the country even
harder. Expectedly, revenues for the year remained subdued due to marked decline in demand
for formal wear but the company's confidence on the path forward remains high."
On the outlook, the company said the current economic state, challenging retail environment
and new waves of pandemic pose threats to businesses across all sectors.
"The countrywide lockdowns and the 'New Normal' has led to fundamental shift in customer
behaviour and retail businesses in particular".
The company "is focused on 'Survive, Revive, Revitalise and Thrive' strategy and is
constantly monitoring the store level performance, driving sales through online channels and
cost optimisation across all functions", it added.
Lakhani India said it is strategically positioned to harness the present challenges, given the
strength of its brand, innovation capabilities, retail foothold and growing online presence in
footwear and accessories category.

References
1. ^ https://www.Lakhani.in/Lakhaniindia/a-20_s-179_c-42/about-us.html

Page | 16
 Chapter 3

Review of Literature
Lakhani Corporation (originally, and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, known as Baťa) is
a Czech multinational footwear and fashion accessory manufacturer and retailer, founded in
the town of Zlín, today in the Czech Republic. After World War II, its factories in socialist
states were nationalized, while its branches in capitalist states remained family-owned. It is
now based in Lausanne, Switzerland. The principal subsidiaries are Lakhani Europe (based
in Zlín), Lakhani North America (based in Toronto), Lakhani Asia-Pacific-Africa (based
in Singapore) and Lakhani Latin America (based in Mexico).
A family-owned business, the company is organized into three business units: Lakhani,
Lakhani Industrials (safety shoes) and AW Lab (sports style). The company is the world's
leading shoemaker by volume, and it has a retail presence of over 5,300 shops in more than
70 countries and production facilities in 18 countries.

Origins and history

The Lakhani Shoe Company was founded on 24 August 1894 in the Moravian town whose
family had been cobblers for generations. The company employed 10 full-time employees
with a fixed work schedule and a regular weekly wage.

In the summer of 1895, Lakhaniwas facing financial difficulties. To overcome these setbacks,
he decided to sew shoes from canvas instead of leather. This type of shoe became very
popular and helped the company grow to 50 employees. Four years later, installed its first
steam-driven machines, beginning a period of rapid modernisation. In 1904, Lakhaniread a
newspaper article about some machines being made in America. Therefore, he took three
workers and journeyed to Lynn, a shoemaking city outside Boston, in order to study and
understand the American system of mass production. After six months he returned to Zlín
and he introduced mechanized production techniques that allowed the LakhaniShoe Company
to become one of the first mass producers of shoes in Europe. Its first mass product, the
“Baťovky,” was a leather and textile shoe for working people that was notable for its
simplicity, style, light weight and affordable price. Its success helped fuel the company’s
growth. After Antonín's death in 1908, Lakhanibrought two of his younger brothers, Jan and
Bohuš, into the business. Initial export sales and the first ever sales agencies began

Page | 17
in Germany in 1909, followed by the Balkans and the Middle East. Lakhanishoes were
considered to be excellent quality, and were available in more styles than had ever been
offered before. By 1912, Lakhaniwas employing 600+ full-time workers, plus another several
hundred who worked out of their homes in neighbouring villages.
World War I
In 1914, with the outbreak of World War I, the company had a significant development due
to military orders. From 1914 to 1918 the number of Baťa’s employees increased ten times.
The company opened its own stores in Zlín, Prague, Liberec, Vienna and Pilsen, among other
towns.
In the global economic slump that followed World War I, the newly created country
of Czechoslovakia was particularly hard hit. With its currency devalued by 75%, demand for
products dropped, production was cut back, and unemployment was at an all-time high.
LakhaniLakhaniresponded to the crisis by cutting the price of Lakhani shoes in half. The
company’s workers agreed to a temporary 40 percent reduction in wages; in turn,
Lakhaniprovided food, clothing, and other necessities at half-price. He also introduced one of
the first profit-sharing initiatives, transforming all employees into associates with a shared
interest in the company's success (today's equivalent of performance-based incentives and
stock options).
Shoemaker to the world
Consumer response to the price drop was dramatic. While most competitors were forced to
close because of the crisis in demand between 1923 and 1925, Lakhaniwas expanding as
demand for the inexpensive shoes grew rapidly. The LakhaniShoe Company increased
production and hired more workers. Zlín became a veritable factory town, a "Baťaville"
covering several hectares. On the site were grouped tanneries, a brickyard, a chemical
factory, a mechanical equipment plant and repair shop, workshops for the production of
rubber, a paper pulp and cardboard factory (for production of packaging), a fabric factory (for
lining for shoes and socks), a shoe-shine factory, a power plant and farming activities to
cover food and energy needs. Workers, "Baťamen", and their families had at their disposal all
the necessary everyday life services, including housing, shops, schools, and hospital.
The T. & A. LakhaniShoe Company

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 Baťa's Skyscraper
 

Baťovka shoe
 

Lakhaniin Zlín

Lakhanialso began to build towns and factories outside of Czechoslovakia

(Poland, Latvia, Romania, Switzerland, France) and to diversify into such industries as
tanning (1915), the energy industry (1917), agriculture (1917), forestry (1918), newspaper
publishing (1918), brick manufacturing (1918), wood processing (1919), the rubber industry
(1923), the construction industry (1924), railway and air transport (1924), book publishing
(1926), the film industry (1927), food processing (1927), chemical production (1928), tyre
manufacturing (1930), insurance (1930), textile production (1931), motor transport (1930),
sea transport (1932), and coal mining (1932), airplane manufacturing (1934), synthetic
fibre production (1935), and river transport (1938). In 1923 the company boasted 112
branches.
In 1924, Lakhani Lakhani displayed his business acumen by calculating how much turnover
he needed to make with his annual plan, weekly plans and daily plans. Lakhaniutilized four
types of wages – fixed rate, individual order based rate, collective task rate and profit

Page | 19
contribution rate. He also set what became known as Lakhaniprices: numbers ending with a
nine rather than with a whole number. His business skyrocketed. Soon Lakhanifound himself
the fourth richest person in Czechoslovakia. From 1926 to 1928 the business blossomed as
productivity rose 75 percent and the number of employees increased by 35 percent. In 1927
production lines were installed, and the company had its own hospital. By the end of 1928,
the company’s head factory was composed of 30 buildings. Bat'a then created educational
organizations such as the LakhaniSchool of Work and introduced the five-day work week. In
1930 he established a shoe museum that maps shoe production from the earliest times to the
contemporary age throughout the world. By 1931 there were factories in Germany,
the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland and in other countries.
In 1932, at the age of 56, LakhaniLakhanidied in a plane crash during take off under bad
weather conditions at Zlín Airport. Control of the company was passed to his half-brother,
Jan, and his son, Thomas John Baťa, who would go on to lead the company for much of the
twentieth century guided by the founder's moral testament: the LakhaniShoe company was to
be treated not as a source of private wealth, but as a public trust, a means of improving living
standards within the community and providing customers with good value for their money.
Promise was made to pursue the entrepreneurial, social and humanitarian ideals of their
father.
The Lakhanicompany was apparently the first big enterprise to systematically utilise aircraft
for company purposes, including rapid transport of personnel on businesslike delivery of
maintenance men and spares to a location where needed, originating the practice of business
flying.
Lakhani-villes
Company policy initiated under LakhaniLakhaniwas to set up villages around the factories
for the workers and to supply schools and welfare. These villages include Lakhanidorp in
the Netherlands, Baťovany (present-day Partizánske) and Svit in Slovakia, Baťov (now
Bahňák, part of Otrokovice) in the Czech Republic, Borovo-Lakhani (now Borovo Naselje,
part of Vukovar in Croatia then in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia), Lakhani Park in Möhlin,
Switzerland, Lakhaniville in Lorraine, France, Lakhaniwa (Ontario) in
Canada, Lakhanituba (São Paulo), Lakhaniyporã and Lakhaniguassu (Mato Grosso do Sul) in
Brazil, East Tilbury[7] in Essex,
England, Lakhanipur in Pakistan and Lakhaninagar and Lakhaniganj in India. There was also
a factory in Belcamp, Maryland, USA, northeast of Baltimore on U.S. Route 40 in Harford
County.
World War II
Just before the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Lakhanihelped re-post
his Jewish employees to branches of his firm all over the world. Germany occupied the
remaining part of pre-war Czechoslovakia on 15 March 1939; Jan Antonín Lakhanithen spent
a short time in jail but was then able to leave the country with his family. Jan Antonín
Lakhanistayed in America from 1939–1940, but when the USA entered the war, he felt it
would be safer for his co-workers and their families back in occupied Czechoslovakia if he
left the United States. He was put on British and US black lists for doing business with
the Axis powers, and in 1941 he emigrated to Brazil. After the war ended, the Czechoslovak
authorities tried Lakhanias a traitor, saying he had failed to support the anti-Nazi resistance.
In 1947 he was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison. The company's Czechoslovak
assets were also seized by the state – several months before the communists came to power.

Page | 20
He tried to save as much as possible of the business, submitting to the plans of Germany as
well as financially supporting the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile led by Edvard Beneš.
In occupied Europe, a Lakhani shoe factory was connected to the concentration
camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.[12] The first slave labour efforts in Auschwitz involved the
Lakhani shoe factoryIn 1942 a small camp was established to support the former Lakhani
shoe factory (now under German administration and renamed "Schlesische Schuh-Werke
Ottmuth, A.G") at Chełmek with Jewish slave labourers.The prisoners, mostly from
France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, were tasked to clean the ponds from which the plant
drew the water it needed.[15] Also slave workers from the ghetto of Radom were forced to
work at the Lakhani factory for a soup a day.[16]
The Lakhanifactory was bombed by the 15th AF, 455th BG at 1235 hrs using 254 x 500 RDX
bombs (63.50 tons). The Strikes fell south in the workers dwellings and carried across eastern
half of plant layout. Numerous strikes in this section including warehouses, machine shops
and footwear production buildings.
Post-war

The now demolished Lakhani International Centre was the global headquarters during its
entire existence (1965-2004)
Tomáš's son Thomas J. Lakhani, manager of the buying department of the British Lakhani
Company, was unable to return until after the war. He was sent to Canada by his uncle Jan, to
become the Vice President of the Lakhani Import and Export Company of Canada, which
was founded in a company town named Lakhaniwa, opened in 1939. Foreign subsidiaries
were separated from the parent company, and ownership of plants in Bohemia and Moravia
was transferred to another member of the family.
After World War II, governments in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland and Yugoslavia
confiscated and nationalized Lakhani factories, stripping Lakhani of its Eastern European
assets.
In 1945, the decision was taken that Lakhani Development Limited in Great Britain would
become the service headquarters of the Lakhani Shoe Organisation. Now based in the West,
Thomas J. Lakhani, along with many Czechoslovakian expatriates, began to rebuild the
business.
From its new base, the company gradually rebuilt itself, expanding into new markets
throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Rather than organizing these
new operations in a highly centralized structure, Lakhani established a confederation of
autonomous units that could be more responsive to new markets in developing countries.
Between 1946 and 1960, 25 new factories were built and 1,700 company shops were opened.
In 1962, the company had production and sales activities in 79 countries.

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In 1964, Lakhani moved their headquarters to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 1965 they were
moved again, into an ultra-modern building, the Lakhani International Centre. The building,
located on Wynford Drive, in suburban North York, Ontario, Canada, was designed by
architect John B. Parkin.
In 1979, the Lakhani family established the Lakhani Shoe Museum Foundation to operate an
international centre for footwear research and house of a collection that was started by Sonja
Lakhani, Thomas' wife, in the 1940s. As she travelled the world on business with her
husband, she gradually built up a collection of traditional footwear from the areas she was
visiting. The Lakhani Shoe Museum is in Toronto.
Lakhani was one of the official sponsors of the 1986 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico.
Lakhani also sponsored 2014 Electronic Sports World Cup.
Czechoslovakia after

Present
After the global economic changes of the 1990s, the company closed a number of its factories
in developed countries and focused on expanding retail business. Lakhani moved out of
Canada in several steps. In 2000, it closed its Lakhaniwa factory, then in 2001, it closed its
Lakhani retail stores, retaining its "Athletes World" retail chain. In 2004, the Lakhani
headquarters were moved to Lausanne, Switzerland and leadership was transferred to Tony
G. Lakhani, grandson of Tomáš. The notable Lakhani headquarters building in Toronto was
vacated and eventually demolished to much controversy. In 2007, the Athletes World chain
was sold, ending Lakhani retail operations in Canada.[20] As of 2013, Lakhani maintains the
headquarters for its "Power" brand of footwear in Toronto. The Lakhani Shoe Museum,
founded by Sonja Lakhani, and operated by a charitable foundation, is also located in
Toronto.
Although no longer chairman of the company, the elder Lakhani remained active in its
operations and carried business cards listing his title as “chief shoe salesman.” On 1
September 2008 Thomas John Lakhani (Thomáš Jan Baťa) died at Sunnybrook Health
Sciences Centre in Toronto at the age of 93.
Lakhani estimates that it serves more than 1 million customers per day, employing over
30,000 people,[21] operates more than 5,300 shops, manages 23 production facilities and a
retail presence in over 70 countries across the five continents. Lakhani has a strong presence
in countries including India where it has been present since 1931. Lakhani India has five
factories and two tanneries. The Lakhaninagar Industrial Township in Kolkata (1930) is the
largest shoe-maker in Asia & the Mokameh Ghat tannery in Bihar (1952) is the second
largest in Asia.[22]
The business is organised in five regions: Africa (with regional office based in Nairobi), Asia
Pacific (with regional office based in Singapore), Latin America (with regional office based
in Santiago de Chile), South Asia (with regional office based in New Delhi) and
Europe/Developed Markets (with regional office based in Zlín).
In April 2019, the consumer forum in India fined Lakhani Rs 9000 (approx US$129) for
asking a customer to pay Rs 3 extra for a paper bag. The customer approached the forum
citing deficiency in services seeking a refund of Rs 3. The forum observed that it was the
brand's responsibility to provide consumers with eco-friendly bags without charging them for
it.

Page | 22
 Chapter 4
Research Methodology
When you’re working on your first piece of academic research, there are many different
things to focus on and it can be overwhelming to stay on top of everything. This is
especially true of budding or inexperienced researchers.

Page | 23
If you’ve never put together a research proposal before or find yourself in a position where
you need to explain your research methodology decisions, there are a few things you need
to be aware of.
Once you understand the in's and out's, handling academic research in the future will be
less intimidating.

Different types of research instruments?

A research instrument is a tool you will use to help you collect, measure and analyze the
data you use as part of your research.
The choice of research instrument will usually be yours to make as the researcher and will
be whichever best suits your methodology.
There are many different research instruments you can use in collecting data for your
research.
Generally, they can be grouped as follows:
 Interviews (either as a group or one-on-one). You can carry out interviews
in many different ways. For example, your interview can be structured,
semi-structured, or unstructured. The difference between them is how
formal the set of questions is that is asked of the interviewee. In a group
interview, you may choose to ask the interviewees to give you their
opinions or perceptions on certain topics.
 Surveys (online or in-person). In survey research, you are posing questions
in which you ask for a response from the person taking the survey. You may
wish to have either free-answer questions such as essay style questions, or
you may wish to use closed questions such as multiple choice. You may
even wish to make the survey a mixture of both.
 Focus Groups. Similar to the group interview above, you may wish to ask a
focus group to discuss a particular topic or opinion while you make a note
of the answers given.
 Observations. This is a good research instrument to use if you are looking
into human behaviors. Different ways of researching this include studying
the spontaneous behavior of participants in their everyday life, or something
more structured. A structured observation is research conducted at a set time
and place where researchers observe behavior as planned and agreed upon
with participants.

Page | 24
These are the most common ways of carrying out research, but it is really dependent on
your needs as a researcher and what approach you think is best to take.
It is also possible to combine a number of research instruments if this is necessary and
appropriate in answering your research problem.

Objective of the study

A research objective addresses the purpose of the investigation and types of knowledge to be
generated out of one’s investigation. Looking at the objectives of the research, one can
anticipate what is to be achieved by the study. A research objective indicates the population
of interest, the independent variable, and the dependent variable.

Many researchers state their research objective in the declarative form as a broad statement of
purpose, such as the objective of this study is to examine the relationship between the initial
salary (dependent variable) of those who are employed in NGOs (population of interest) and
their previous job experience (independent variable).

The descriptive study does not always have variables that can be designated as independent
or dependent. In such a case, the objective indicates the nature of the inquiry, the study
variables, and the population under study, as we find in the example: The purpose of this
study is to assess the women’s decision making autonomy regarding their health care, their
child’s health care, large household purchases, household purchases for daily needs, and
visits to the women’s family or relatives.

Types of Research Objectives

1. General Objective.
2. Specific Objectives.
3. Immediate Objectives.
4. Ultimate Objective.

General Objective
The general objective of a study states what is expected to be achieved by the study in
general terms.

For example, if the problem identified is the low utilization of Child Welfare Clinics (CWC),
the general objective of the study could be:

 To identify the reasons for the low utilization of Child Welfare Clinics in order to find
solutions.

Similarly, in a study on anemia in pregnancy, the general objective could be stated as:

Page | 25
  To study the changes in the hemoglobin level with an increase in the duration of
pregnancy.

Or in a study to examine the contribution of goat farming in poverty alleviation, the general
objective may be framed as follows:

 To assess the impact of investment in goat farming for poverty alleviation in rural
Bangladesh.

Specific Objectives
Given that we have rightly stated the general objectives, it is advisable to break it down into
several smaller, logically connected parts. These are normally referred to as specific
objectives.

Specific objectives should systematically address the various aspects of the problems defined
under the statement of the problem and the key factors that are assumed to influence or cause
the problems.

They should specify what you will do in your study, where this study will be done, and for
what purpose.

If formulated properly, specific objectives will facilitate the development of the research

methodology and will help the researcher to orient the collection, analysis, interpretation, and
utilization of data.

Thus in the anemia survey, just cited above, the specific objectives could be

 To determine through history, the duration of pregnancy, parity and the last birth
interval of pregnant women in the study;
 To assess hemoglobin level of the pregnant women using Sahli’s method;
 To determine the changes in hemoglobin level with the duration of pregnancy,
controlling for birth and parity.

Immediate Objectives
In addition to general objective and specific objectives, a few studies, particularly evaluative
studies, attempt to specify immediate objectives. Immediate objective serves to indicate the
focus of the proposed research in behavioral terms.

The objective should specify the following points:

 Why are we going to do the study?

 Who will conduct the study?
 When will the study be conducted?
 What are we going to study?
 Whom will the study cover?
 How will the study be conducted?

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The ‘why’ question addresses the rationale and objectives of the study.

The ‘whose’ question is designed to identify the individuals, firms, or organizations

responsible for implementing the study, while the ‘when’ question seeks to know the study
period.

The ‘what’ question addresses the issue of a statement of the problem, including the key
variables.

The ‘whom’ question seeks to answer the population to be studied.

The ‘how’ question seeks to know the methodology to be followed, including the research
design and sampling strategy to be employed.

Ultimate Objective
Most applied research studies have a statement of ultimate objective that focuses on how the
results will be used to motivate the program managers and policymakers for implementing
and executing the recommendations followed from the survey results.

In the anemia survey, the ultimate objective may be stated as follows:

It is expected that findings of the study will help in enhancing understanding of the effect of
pregnancy on hemoglobin levels of mothers and thereby guide the physicians incorrect iron
therapy for pregnant women during the different gestational periods.

In the child nutrition survey cited above, the ultimate objectives were to highlight issues that
policymakers and program managers need to address to improve the nutrition status of
children in the country.

Scope of the study

With the increase in the number of the social media users and its use in everyday
communication at the individual and the organizational levels, there has been a
corresponding increase in its incorporation in the educational development and especially
in a country like India. In view of this situation, the present study analyzes the role of
social media on the educational development of the students. To this end, the study will
also cover the changes in the usage of the social media in educational filed over the time
period ranging from 2000-2015. The scope of the study is restricted to select social media
platforms, specifically Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The empirical study in this
research is restricted to five universities located across India, wherein the opinions of 30
teachers were studied in interview sessions. Further, the study also involves an analysis of
students’ perspectives on the role of social media in education from the same university.
Therefore the scope of this study is limited to India, and more specifically to those
offering Arts and Science-related courses.

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Confirmation of the goals and the objectives of the research
The goals and objectives defined in the project scope should be aligned with the SMART
(Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timeframe) guidelines, which are:

 Specific- this involves clear specification of what the researcher wants to achieve.

It involves specifying what, why and how things will be done. This reduces the
chances of ambiguities and any misunderstanding in the future.

 Measurable- Goals should be measurable and dynamic so that constant feedback

can be generated for improvement.

 Achievable- Research goals should be achievable with the resources that are

available.

 Realistic- Goals should be easier to deliver so that complications that can hamper

the quality of the research can be avoided. Other considerations to be kept in mind
are the budget and timeline.  

 Time frame- lastly, the researcher should estimate whether the set goals can be
achieved within the given time frame or not .

Expectations and acceptance

The researcher should take into account the expectations of the research and how well the
findings of the researcher will be accepted by the reader. For instance, will the findings of
your study help in policymaking or not?

Identification of the constraints

there are always certain roadblocks in conducting research, such as environmental
conditions, technological inefficiency and lack of resources. Identifying these limitations
and their possible solutions in advance help achieve goals better.

Identifying the necessary changes

After the preliminary goals are set, the researcher must carry out some part of the
research so that necessary changes that lead to wastage of time and resources at later
stages are reduced. For example, while conducting an interview, if the researcher believes
that the sample size decided is too large or too small according to the scope of the study,
then the researcher can make the necessary changes in that in order to avoid the wastage
of the time and the resources.

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Elements of the scope of the study
Research design definition
Research design is the framework of research methods and techniques chosen by a
researcher. The design allows researchers to hone in on research methods that are suitable for
the subject matter and set up their studies up for success.

The design of a research topic explains the type of research (experimental, survey

research, correlational, semi-experimental, review) and also its sub-type (experimental
design, research problem, descriptive case-study). 

There are three main types of designs for research: Data collection, measurement, and
analysis.

The type of research problem an organization is facing will determine the research design and
not vice-versa. The design phase of a study determines which tools to use and how they are
used.

An impactful research usually creates a minimum bias in data and increases trust in the
accuracy of collected data. A design that produces the least margin of error in experimental
research is generally considered the desired outcome. The essential elements are:

1. Accurate purpose statement

2. Techniques to be implemented for collecting and analyzing research
3. The method applied for analyzing collected details
4. Type of research methodology
5. Probable objections for research
6. Settings for the research study
7. Timeline
8. Measurement of analysis

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Proper research design sets your study up for success. Successful research studies provide
insights that are accurate and unbiased. You’ll need to create a survey that meets all of the
main characteristics of a design. There are four key characteristics:

Neutrality: When you set up your study, you may have to make assumptions about the data
you expect to collect. The results projected in the research should be free from bias and
neutral. Understand opinions about the final evaluated scores and conclusions from multiple
individuals and consider those who agree with the derived results.

Reliability: With regularly conducted research, the researcher involved expects similar results
every time. Your design should indicate how to form research questions to ensure the
standard of results. You’ll only be able to reach the expected results if your design is reliable.

Validity: There are multiple measuring tools available. However, the only correct measuring
tools are those which help a researcher in gauging results according to the objective of the
research. The questionnaire developed from this design will then be valid.

Generalization: The outcome of your design should apply to a population and not just a
restricted sample. A generalized design implies that your survey can be conducted on any
part of a population with similar accuracy.

The above factors affect the way respondents answer the research questions and so all the
above characteristics should be balanced in a good design.

A researcher must have a clear understanding of the various types of research design to select
which model to implement for a study. Like research itself, the design of your study can be
broadly classified into quantitative and qualitative.

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Qualitative: Qualitative research determines relationships between collected data and
observations based on mathematical calculations. Theories related to a naturally existing
phenomenon can be proved or disproved using statistical methods. Researchers rely on
qualitative research methods that conclude “why” a particular theory exists along with “what”
respondents have to say about it.

Quantitative: Quantitative research is for cases where statistical conclusions to collect

actionable insights are essential. Numbers provide a better perspective to make critical
business decisions. Quantitative research methods are necessary for the growth of any
organization. Insights drawn from hard numerical data and analysis prove to be highly
effective when making decisions related to the future of the business.

You can further break down the types of research design into five
categories:
1. Descriptive research design: In a descriptive design, a researcher is solely interested in
describing the situation or case under their research study. It is a theory-based design method
which is created by gathering, analyzing, and presenting collected data. This allows a
researcher to provide insights into the why and how of research. Descriptive design helps
others better understand the need for the research. If the problem statement is not clear, you
can conduct exploratory research. 

2. Experimental research design: Experimental research establishes a relationship between

the cause and effect of a situation. It is a causal design where one observes the impact caused
by the independent variable on the dependent variable. For example, one monitors the
influence of an independent variable such as a price on a dependent variable such as customer
satisfaction or brand loyalty. It is a highly practical research method as it contributes to
solving a problem at hand.

The independent variables are manipulated to monitor the change it has on the dependent
variable. It is often used in social sciences to observe human behavior by analyzing two
groups. Researchers can have participants change their actions and study how the people
around them react to gain a better understanding of social psychology.

2. Correlational research design: Correlational research is a non-experimental

research technique that helps researchers establish a relationship between two closely
connected variables. This type of research requires two different groups. There is no
assumption while evaluating a relationship between two different variables, and
statistical analysis techniques calculate the relationship between them.

A correlation coefficient determines the correlation between two variables, whose value
ranges between -1 and +1. If the correlation coefficient is towards +1, it indicates a positive
relationship between the variables and -1 means a negative relationship between the two
variables. 

4. Diagnostic research design: In diagnostic design, the researcher is looking to evaluate the
underlying cause of a specific topic or phenomenon. This method helps one learn more about
the factors that create troublesome situations. 

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This design has three parts of the research:

· Inception of the issue

· Diagnosis of the issue

· Solution for the issue

5. Explanatory research design: Explanatory design uses a researcher’s ideas and

thoughts on a subject to further explore their theories. The research explains
unexplored aspects of a subject and details about what, how, and why of research
questions.

Meaning of Sampling

Sampling is a process used in statistical analysis in which a predetermined number of

observations are taken from a larger population. The methodology used to sample
from a larger population depends on the type of analysis being performed, but it may
include simple random sampling or systematic sampling .

Types of sampling design in Research Methodology

There are different types of sample designs based on two factors viz., the representation basis
and the element selection technique. On the representation basis, the sample may be
probability sampling or it may be non-probability sampling. Probability sampling is based on
the concept of random selection, whereas non-probability sampling is ‘non-random’
sampling. On element selection basis, the sample may be either unrestricted or restricted.
When each sample element is drawn individually from the population at large, then the
sample so drawn is known as ‘unrestricted sample’, whereas all other forms of sampling are
covered under the term ‘restricted sampling’. The following chart exhibits the sample designs
as explained above.

Thus, sample designs are basically of two types viz., non-probability sampling and
probability sampling. We take up these two designs separately.

CHART SHOWING BASIC SAMPLING DESIGNS

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Non-probability sampling: Non-probability sampling is that sampling procedure which does
not afford any basis for estimating the probability that each item in the population has of
being included in the sample. Non-probability sampling is also known by different names
such as deliberate sampling, purposive sampling and judgement sampling. In this type of
sampling, items for the sample are selected deliberately by the researcher; his choice
concerning the items remains supreme. In other words, under non-probability sampling the
organisers of the inquiry purposively choose the particular units of the universe for
constituting a sample on the basis that the small mass that they so select out of a huge one
will be typical or representative of the whole. For instance, if economic conditions of people
living in a state are to be studied, a few towns and villages may be purposively selected for
intensive study on the principle that they can be representative of the entire state. Thus, the
judgement of the organisers of the study plays an important part in this sampling design.
Probability sampling: Probability sampling is also known as ‘random sampling’ or ‘chance
sampling’. Under this sampling design, every item of the universe has an equal chance of
inclusion in the sample. It is, so to say, a lottery method in which individual units are picked
up from the whole group not deliberately but by some mechanical process. Here it is blind
chance alone that determines whether one item or the other is selected. The results obtained
from probability or random sampling can be assured in terms of probability i.e., we can
measure the errors of estimation or the significance of results obtained from a random
sample, and this fact brings out the superiority of random sampling design over the deliberate
sampling design. Random sampling ensures the law of Statistical Regularity which states that
if on an average the sample chosen is a random one, the sample will have the same
composition and characteristics as the universe. This is the reason why random sampling is

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considered as the best technique of selecting a representative sample.In such a design,
personal element has a great chance of entering into the selection of the sample. The
investigator may select a sample which shall yield results favourable to his point of view and
if that happens, the entire inquiry may get vitiated. Thus, there is always the danger of bias
entering into this type of sampling technique. But in the investigators are impartial, work
without bias and have the necessary experience so as to take sound judgement, the results
obtained from an analysis of deliberately selected sample may be tolerably reliable. However,
in such a sampling, there is no assurance that every element has some specifiable chance of
being included. Sampling error in this type of sampling cannot be estimated and the element
of bias, great or small, is always there. As such this sampling design in rarely adopted in large
inquires of importance. However, in small inquiries and researches by individuals, this design
may be adopted because of the relative advantage of time and money inherent in this method
of sampling. Quota sampling is also an example of non-probability sampling. Under quota
sampling the interviewers are simply given quotas to be filled from the different strata, with
some restrictions on how they are to be filled. In other words, the actual selection of the items
for the sample is left to the interviewer’s discretion. This type of sampling is very convenient
and is relatively inexpensive. But the samples so selected certainly do not possess the
characteristic of random samples. Quota samples are essentially judgement samples and
inferences drawn on their basis are not amenable to statistical treatment in a formal way.
Limitation Of The Study

Limitations due to methodological problems can be addressed by clearly and directly

identifying the potential problem and suggesting ways in which this could have been
addressed—and should be addressed in future studies. The following are some major
potential methodological issues that can impact the conclusions researchers can draw from
the research.

Issues with samples and selection

Sampling errors occur when a probability sampling method is used to select a sample, but
that sample does not reflect the general population or appropriate population concerned. This
results in limitations for your study known as “sample bias” or “selection bias.” For example,

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if you conducted a survey to obtain your research results, your samples (participants) were
asked to respond to the survey questions. However, you might have had limited ability to
gain access to the appropriate type or geographic scope of participants. In this case, the
people who responded to your survey questions may not truly be a random sample.

Insufficient sample size for statistical measurements

When conducting a study, it is important to have a sufficient sample size in order to draw
valid conclusions. The larger the sample, the more precise your results will be. If your sample
size is too small, it will be difficult to identify significant relationships in the data.

Normally, statistical tests require a larger sample size to ensure that the sample is considered
representative of a population and that the statistical result can be generalized to a larger
population. It is a good idea to understand how to choose an appropriate sample size before
you conduct your research by using scientific calculation tools in fact, many journals now
require such an estimation to be included in every manuscript that is sent out for review.

Lack of previous research studies on the topic

Citing and referencing prior research studies constitutes the basis of the literature review for
your thesis or study, and these prior studies provide the theoretical foundations for the
research question you are investigating. However, depending on the scope of your research
topic, prior research studies that are relevant to your thesis might be limited.

When there is very little or no prior research on a specific topic, you may need to develop an
entirely new research typology. In this case, discovering a limitation can be considered an
important opportunity to identify literature gaps and to present the need for further
development in the area of study.

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Methods/instruments/techniques used to collect the data

After you complete your analysis of the research findings (in the discussion section), you
might realize that the manner in which you have collected the data or the ways in which you
have measured variables has limited your ability to conduct a thorough analysis of the results.
For example, you might realize that you should have addressed your survey questions from
another viable perspective, or that you were not able to include an important question in the
survey. In these cases, you should acknowledge the deficiency or deficiencies by stating a
need for future researchers to revise their specific methods for collecting data that includes
these missing elements. 

Common limitations of the researcher(s)

Limitations that arise from situations relating to the researcher or researchers (whether the
direct fault of the individuals or not) should also be addressed and dealt with, and remedies to
decrease these limitations—both hypothetically in your study and practically in future studies
—should be proposed.

Limited access to data

If your research involved surveying certain people or organizations, you might have faced the
problem of having limited access to these respondents. Due to this limited access, you might
need to redesign or restructure your research in a different way. In this case, explain the
reasons for limited access and be sure that your finding is still reliable and valid despite this
limitation.

Time constraints

Just as students have deadlines to turn in their class papers, academic researchers might also
have to meet deadlines for submitting a manuscript to a journal or face other time constraints
related to their research (e.g., participants are only available during a certain period; funding
runs out; collaborators move to a new institution). The time available to study a research

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problem and to measure change over time might be constrained by such practical issues. If
time constraints negatively impacted your study in any way, acknowledge this impact by
mentioning a need for a future study (e.g., a longitudinal study) to answer this research
problem.

Conflicts arising from cultural bias and other personal issues

Researchers might hold biased views due to their cultural backgrounds or perspectives of
certain phenomena, and this can affect a study’s legitimacy. Also, it is possible that
researchers will have biases toward data and results that only support their hypotheses or
arguments. In order to avoid these problems, the author(s) of a study should examine whether
the way the problem was stated and the data-gathering process were carried out appropriately.

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 Chapter 5

Data Analysis And Interpretation

Data analysis and interpretation is the process of assigning meaning to the collected
information and determining the conclusions, significance, and implications of the findings.
The steps involved in data analysis are a function of the type of information collected,
however, returning to the purpose of the assessment and the assessment questions will
provide a structure for the organization of the data and a focus for the analysis.

The analysis of numerical (quantitative) data is represented in mathematical terms. The most
common statistical terms include:

 Mean – The mean score represents a numerical average for a set of responses.
 Standard deviation – The standard deviation represents the distribution of the
responses around the mean. It indicates the degree of consistency among the
responses. The standard deviation, in conjunction with the mean, provides a better
understanding of the data. For example, if the mean is 3.3 with a standard deviation
(StD) of 0.4, then two-thirds of the responses lie between 2.9 (3.3 – 0.4) and 3.7 (3.3
+ 0.4).
 Frequency distribution – Frequency distribution indicates the frequency of each
response. For example, if respondents answer a question using an agree/disagree
scale, the percentage of respondents who selected each response on the scale would be
indicated. The frequency distribution provides additional information beyond the
mean, since it allows for examining the level of consensus among the data.

Higher levels of statistical analysis (e.g., t-test, factor analysis, regression, ANOVA) can be
conducted on the data, but these are not frequently used in most program/project assessments.

The analysis of narrative (qualitative) data is conducted by organizing the data into common
themes or categories. It is often more difficult to interpret narrative data since it lacks the
built-in structure found in numerical data. Initially, the narrative data appears to be a
collection of random, unconnected statements. The assessment purpose and questions can
help direct the focus of the data organization. The following strategies may also be helpful
when analyzing narrative data.

Focus groups and Interviews:

 Read and organize the data from each question separately. This approach permits
focusing on one question at a time (e.g., experiences with tutoring services,
characteristics of tutor, student responsibility in the tutoring process).

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  Group the comments by themes, topics, or categories. This approach allows for
focusing on one area at a time (e.g., characteristics of tutor – level of preparation,
knowledge of content area, availability).

Documents

 Code content and characteristics of documents into various categories (e.g., training
manual – policies and procedures, communication, responsibilities).

Observations

 Code patterns from the focus of the observation (e.g., behavioral patterns – amount of
time engaged/not engaged in activity, type of engagement, communication,
interpersonal skills).

The analysis of the data via statistical measures and/or narrative themes should provide
answers to the assessment questions. Interpreting the analyzed data from the appropriate
perspective allows for determination of the significance and implications of the assessment.

After identifying a research topic, doing a literature background research, establishing

philosophical assumptions and focus problem, deciding on an appropriate research paradigm
and methodology with specific purpose, designing a research plan and collecting sufficient
data, the next step in the research process is data analysis and interpretation, which precedes
reporting of research. Data analysis is, therefore, a process that involves examining, and
molding collected data for interpretation to discover relevant information, draw or propose
conclusions and support decision-making to solve a research problem. This involves
interpreting data to answer research questions and making research findings be ready for
dissemination.  Data analysis also serves as a reference for future data collection and other
research activities. During data analysis (Bala, 2005):
 data collected is transformed into information and knowledge about a research
performed
 relationships between variables are explored
 meanings are identified and information is interpreted.
Like other research methods, data analysis procedures in quantitative research approach are
different from those in qualitative research approach. The general differences of data analysis
procedures between these two approaches are summarized in the Chart (Bala, 2005) and a
Table that follows:

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Below, I briefly describe some specific methods of data analysis under each approach. 

QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACH – DATA

ANALYSIS  
Statistical analysis is the usual method used in quantitative research approach. However,
quantitative data can be analyzed in several ways. Data collected has a certain level of
measurements which initially influences the analysis. The identification of a particular level
of measurement is the usually the first step in quantitative data analysis. The four levels of
measurements include (Yamashita & Espinosa, 2015):
1. nominal data: basic classification data; lack logical order - e.g. male or female
2. ordinal data: has logical order but lack constant differences between values – e.g.
Pizza size (large, medium, small)

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 3. interval data: has logical order, is continuous, has standardized differences between
values but lacks natural zero – e.g. Celsius degrees
4. ratio data: has logical order, is continuous, has standardized differences between
values, and has a natural zero – e.g. height, weight, age, length
After identifying a level of measurement, the next step is now to use a specific analysis
technique in analyzing data. There are several procedures that can be used to analyze data.
Main ones include (Yamashita & Espinosa, 2015):
 Data tabulation ( e.g. frequency distributions & percent distributions)
 Data descriptives (e.g. Mean, medium, mode, minimum and maximum values, etc.)
 Data disaggregation (tabulation of data across multiple categories)
 Moderate and advanced analytical methods (regression, correlation, variance analysis)
The above methods can be used invariably by all different true experimental, quasi-
experimental and non-experimental quantitative research strategies. 
Textual data analysis in is the usual method used in qualitative research approach. This
involves identifying patterns and themes in data collected and then examining and
interpreting these patterns and themes to draw meaning and answer research questions. The
five strategies of qualitative research mentioned–ethnography, phenomenological, grounded
theory, narrative and case studies–employ different analytical procedures. However,
preliminary and some general steps in data analysis are common to all. These include
(Yamashita & Espinosa, 2015):
1. Immediate processing and recording of data (important information, date/time details,
observations, etc)
2. Commencement of data analysis soon after collection
3. Reduction of data to meaningful information
4. “Identification of meaningful patterns and themes” via
 Content analysis achieved by:
 Coding the data for certain words or content
 Identifying their patterns
 Interpreting their meanings.
2. Thematic analysis  achieved by “grouping data into themes that answers
research problem”
Display of data which include organizing data in forms of graphics, maps, tables, etc., to
draw conclusions
“Drawing of conclusion and verification”
All the steps are should usually be accompanied by references to literature, triangulation,
keeping the research purpose on focus and constant back-and-forth analysis between and
among the steps.
In most cases, analysis in qualitative research commences with “emic” analysis (analysis
based on what a researchers knows or brings to a research study) and ends with “etic”
analysis (analysis to derive meaning based on negotiations between what a researchers knows
and what others or participants know). This means that subjectivity, training and personal
experiences of a researcher, as well as other factors may influence the research process. For
this reason, there is a need for innovative ways of research approaches to allow objectivity
and comfortability.

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Some unique analysis procedures are briefly outlined under each strategy of qualitative
research.

Ethnography Research
Ethnography theory research approach focuses analysis on processes, patterns and trends that
occur in individuals or across various groups regarding their cultural behavior but keeping in
view the purpose of a research  While achieving the steps a research analysis adopts an
iterative process in which cultural ideas that arise during active involvement during the
research study are used to write a document while bearing in mind the context, norms,
frequency and other factors (Krueger, 1994).

 
Phenomenological Research
Phenomenological theory research approach involves the process which allows the analysis
method to follow the nature of data itself. This is called emergent strategy (Walters, 2015).
Analysis focuses on the details that can be appreciated through an experience a subject lived.
Some emergent strategies may include:
 Narratives or interviews from artistic depictions, photovoice, etc., while paying
attention to aspects such as:
 Objects involved
 Activities and their results
 Time
 Descriptive elements
 Physical surroundings,
 Characters or their aspects such as relationships
 Social interactions
 Results of activities  

Grounded Theory Research

Grounded theory research approach involves the process of moving in and out of data
collection and analysis processes, a process called constant comparative analysis or
‘iteration’. After this process, a researcher begins to develop a theory regarding the questions
and data collected (Strauss & Corbin, 1994). This process of theory generating is also based
on theoretical sampling which may incorporate background research. The process of theory
generation is proceeded in three levels of data coding:
 Level 1 Data Coding(Open Coding/Memoing/Category Development)
 Involves memoing– taking notes – giving names. A research may:
 Look for language such as action verbs or gerunds and points of
dissonance which may denote an important experience or past time
 Employ biasness
 Focus on obtaining content and platform
 Use structured questions
 Read background after interview

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  Collect and let data speaks then proceed to level
  Level 2 Data Coding(Axial Coding/Collapsing/Categorizing/Renaming)
 Involves renaming and forming categories
 Ask semi-structured questions
 Level 3 Data Coding (Selective Coding /Theme & Theory Construction)
 Involves formation of themes and theories
 Results in formation of grounded theory
 The process of coding is usually a cycle
 Normally, different kinds (at least two) of interviews are used; first interview
which may include L1 Coding; second interview which may include L2
Coding (using semi-structured questions “smart bombs”); third second
interview which may include L3 Coding (using unstructured questions–smart
bombs).

Narrative Research
Narrative theory research analysis approach involves shaping, transforming, and uncovering
an experience (usually human experience) in a story format–understood through a stirring
linguistic depiction. Therefore it is characterized by in-depth discourses and may involve
subjective intuitions. Analysis process converts experiences into words in form of writing,
vernal or other communicable representation. Narrative analysis is aimed to derive a theme in
an account of one’s life.

Case Study Research

Narrative theory research analysis approach involves in-depth examination of a case under
study. Analysis is usually unusual and concurrent with data collection. It includes an iterative
process in which initial analysis of data shapes subsequent data collection and analysis. ‘The
principle data analysis method for case studies is referred to as OTTR, which stands for
“observe,” “think,” “test,” and “revise.”’ Texas State Auditor's Office, Methodology Manual,
rev. 5/95 (2015). 

DATA INTERPRETATIN  
The usual step proceeding data analysis is interpretation. “Interpretation involves attaching
meaning and significance to the analysis, explaining descriptive patterns, and looking for
relationships and linkages among descriptive dimensions. Once these processes have been
completed the researcher must report his or her interpretations and conclusions” (Krueger,
1994).

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 Chapter 6

Conclusion And Suggestion

The Conclusions and Recommendations may be combined or, in long reports, presented in
separate sections. If there are no recommendations to be made as a result of the project, just
call this section Conclusions.

The Conclusions section sums up the key points of your discussion, the essential features of
your design, or the significant outcomes of your investigation. As its function is to round off
the story of your project, it should:

 be written to relate directly to the aims of the project as stated in the Introduction
 indicate the extent to which the aims have been achieved
 summarise the key findings, outcomes or information in your report
 acknowledge limitations and make recommendations for future work (where
applicable)
 highlight the significance or usefulness of your work.

The conclusions should relate to the aims of the work:

Example 1:
Aim

The aim of this project is to design a mobile phone tower for a suburban location..

Conclusions

The mobile phone tower presented here can be erected safely in a suburban street.

It requires a total  area of no more than 2m2 l, and has the following safety features:...

Example 2:
Aim

This investigation will review the volume of passengers using the Monash University
Clayton-Caulfield inter-campus bus in order to recommend adjustments to the service if
needed.

Conclusions

Analysis of the survey data obtained in this project shows that use of the Clayton-Caulfield
inter-campus bus has increased by 24% in the past five years. It is recommended that
frequency be increased during peak usage...

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The Conclusions section below is from a level 2 Civil Engineering Alternative Designs report
presenting two designs for a an overpass bridge. Click on the coloured buttons to see the
comments.

Conclusions
Each of the two bridge designs presented in this report fulfil the criteria specified in the
project brief. Both designs incorporate round piers on piled foundations, which are used
because the soil conditions are unknown and possibly unstable. Design 1, a simple composite
I-girder bridge, has the advantage of being made of steel and thus has longer spans and fewer
piers.

Design 2, a super-T beam bridge, requires minimal formwork in the construction of its
concrete deck, is relatively easy to erect and will maintain stability during transportation and
construction. In addition, it is more economical to build and maintain. Design 2 is therefore
recommended. It offers an affordable overpass with superior durability, and fully meets the
requirements of the design brief.

Recommendations
Always address limitations and suggest how they might be overcome in future work. The
excerpt below is from the Conclusions of a report on a project investigating the effect of
pulsation on heat transfer in horizontal pipe flow.

Experimental results showed that pulsed flow without flow reversal had no significant effect
compared with steady flow. Preliminary experiments with reversed flow, however, clearly
indicated increased heat transfer. This is likely due to the large disturbances in the
hydrodynamic boundary layer when the flow changes direction. Further research is
recommended to determine the maximum achievable enhancement.

It should be noted that the experimental results do not agree with the theoretical equations.
This may be due to the deposits which developed inside the pipe, or to inconsistent
thermocouple temperature. Therefore, regular inspection of the test rig is recommended.

For a very long report, it is acceptable to present the conclusions and recommendations in
point form:

The prototype robot courier presented here has been shown to be capable of delivering
documents autonomously in an office environment. It has demonstrated the following
components of mobile robotics:

1. Localisation: The Kalman filter-based localisation algorithm achieved sub-centimeter

accuracy under normal operating conditions.
2. Environment modelling: The occupancy map was updated dynamically to include
obstacles not included in the original map.
3. Path planning: A distance transform-based path planner using obstacle transforms
produced a globally optimal local entrapment-free path to the goal.

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 Chapter 7

Annexure
An appendix can be understood as that section added at the end of of the book or report
which contains subsidiary matter relating to the main idea of document or book. It contains
data which is not very essential to explain your findings, but it supports the analysis, assists
the user to understand the research work and provides background material.

On the other hand, an annexure implies a set of legal documents or proofs which are attached
to the main document, so as to confirm the details provided in the main body.

The basic difference between annexure and appendix is that while an annexure is an addition
to the document, the appendix is an extension made at the end of the research work. Further,
an appendix is much more concerned with the main document in comparison to an annexure.

Content: Annexure Vs Appendix

1. Comparison Chart
2. Definition
3. Key Differences
4. Conclusion

Comparison Chart
BASIS FOR
ANNEXURE APPENDIX
COMPARISON

Meaning An annexure is a set of legal An appendix refers to an

documents, which are added at the extension to the research paper,
end of the report or book, to that contains information which
validate the information provided is too detailed to put in the main
in the main text. document or report.

Standalone document Yes No

Comprise of It contains relevant papers or It contains essential background

proofs that validate the main body details.
of the report, or document.

Includes News articles, reports, affidavit, Graphics, tables, charts,

etc. statistics, figures, etc.

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 BASIS FOR
ANNEXURE APPENDIX
COMPARISON

Mainly used in Business Research

Prepared by Not prepared by the author of the Prepared by the author of the
main document main document

Definition of Annexure
Annexure implies a legal document, attached to the main document, at the end to validate the
text written in the main document. It is used to provide you with information about what
items are required, along with their relevant format.

Basically, an annexure can be used in a number of ways, depending upon the purpose and
field in which it is used. It is a document which is attached to the main document, application,
appeal, report etc. It provides pertinent information, related to the subject, but maybe beyond
the context of the main document.

So, we can say that an annexure is something that is concerned with the main document,
however, it is not the part of the main body of the document. It is a standalone document,
which can be submitted even without the main document.

Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions for the purpose of
gathering information from respondents. Questionnaires can be thought of as a kind of
written interview. They can be carried out face to face, by telephone, computer or post.
Questionnaires provide a relatively cheap, quick and efficient way of obtaining
lar amounts of information from a lare sale o.
Data can be collected relatively quickly because the researcher would not need to be present
when the questionnaires were completed. This is useful for large populations when interviews
would be impractical.
However, a problem with questionnaires is that respondents may lie due to social desirability.
Most people want to present a positive image of themselves and so may lie or bend the truth
to look good, e.g., pupils would exaggerate revision duration.
Questionnaires can be an effective means of measuring the behavior, attitudes, preferences,
opinions and, intentions of relatively large numbers of subjects more cheaply and quickly
than other methods.

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Often a questionnaire uses both open and closed questions to collect data. This is beneficial
as it means both quantitative and qualitative data can be obtained.

Closed Questions
Closed questions structure the answer by only allowing responses which fit into pre-decided
categories.
Data that can be placed into a category is called nominal data. The category can be restricted
to as few as two options, i.e., dichotomous (e.g., 'yes' or 'no,' 'male' or 'female'), or include
quite complex lists of alternatives from which the respondent can choose (e.g., polytomous).
Closed questions can also provide ordinal data (which can be ranked). This often involves
using a continuous rating scale to measure the strength of attitudes or emotions.
For example, strongly agree / agree / neutral / disagree / strongly disagree / unable to answer.
Closed questions have been used to research type A personality (e.g., Friedman & Rosenman,
1974), and also to assess life events which may cause stress (Holmes & Rahe, 1967),
and attachment (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000).

Strengths
 They can be economical. This means they can provide large amounts of research data
for relatively low costs. Therefore, a large sample size can be obtained which should
be representative of the population, which a researcher can then generalize from.
 The respondent provides information which can be easily converted into quantitative
data (e.g., count the number of 'yes' or 'no' answers), allowing statistical analysis of
the responses.
 The questions are standardized. All respondents are asked exactly the same questions
in the same order. This means a questionnaire can be replicated easily to check
for reliability. Therefore, a second researcher can use the questionnaire to check that
the results are consistent.

Limitations
 They lack detail. Because the responses are fixed, there is less scope for respondents
to supply answers which reflect their true feelings on a topic.

Open Questions
Open questions allow people to express what they think in their own words. Open-ended
questions enable the respondent to answer in as much detail as they like in their own words.
For example: “can you tell me how happy you feel right now?”

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If you want to gather more in-depth answers from your respondents, then open questions will
work better. These give no pre-set answer options and instead allow the respondents to put
down exactly what they like in their own words.
Open questions are often used for complex questions that cannot be answered in a few simple
categories but require more detail and discussion.
Lawrence Kohlberg presented his participants with moral dilemmas. One of the most famous
concerns a character called Heinz who is faced with the choice between watching his wife die
of cancer or stealing the only drug that could help her.
Participants were asked whether Heinz should steal the drug or not and, more importantly, for
their reasons why upholding or breaking the law is right.

Strengths
 Rich qualitative data is obtained as open questions allow the respondent to elaborate
on their answer. This means the research can find out why a person holds a
certain attitude.

Limitations
 Time-consuming to collect the data. It takes longer for the respondent to complete
open questions. This is a problem as a smaller sample size may be obtained.
 Time-consuming to analyze the data. It takes longer for the researcher to analyze
qualitative data as they have to read the answers and try to put them into categories by
coding, which is often subjective and difficult. However, Smith (1992) has devoted an
entire book to the issues of thematic content analysis the includes 14 different scoring
systems for open-ended questions.
 Not suitable for less educated respondents as open questions require superior writing
skills and a better ability to express one's feelings verbally.

Questionnaire Design
With some questionnaires suffering from a response rate as low as 5%, it is essential that a
questionnaire is well designed.
There are a number of important factors in questionnaire design.

Aims
Make sure that all questions asked address the aims of the research. However, use only one
feature of the construct you are investigating in per item.

Length
The longer the questionnaire, the less likely people will complete it. Questions should be
short, clear, and be to the point; any unnecessary questions/items should be omitted.

Pilot Study

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Run a small scale practice study to ensure people understand the questions. People will also
be able to give detailed honest feedback on the questionnaire design.

Qustion Order
Questions should progress logically from the least sensitive to the most sensitive, from the
factual and behavioral to the cognitive, and from the more general to the more specific.
The researcher should ensure that the answer to a question is not influenced by previous
questions.

Terminology
There should be a minimum of technical jargon. Questions should be simple, to the point and
easy to understand.
The language of a questionnaire should be appropriate to the vocabulary of the group of
people being studied. Use statements which are interpreted in the same way by members of
different subpopulations of the population of interest.
For example, the researcher must change the language of questions to match the social
background of respondents' age / educational level / social class / ethnicity etc.

Presentation
Make sure it looks professional, include clear and concise instructions. If sent through the
post make sure the envelope does not signify ‘junk mail.’

Ethical Issues
The researcher must ensure that the information provided by the respondent is kept
confidential, e.g., name, address, etc.
This means questionnaires are good for researching sensitive topics as respondents will be
more honest when they cannot be identified.
Keeping the questionnaire confidential should also reduce the likelihood of any psychological
harm, such as embarrassment.
Participants must provide informed consent prior to completing the questionnaire, and must
be aware that they have the right to withdraw their information at any time during the survey/
study.

Bibliography Research Methology

In addition to the three base bibliographic sources, a number of additional sources were used
to identify appropriate materials for inclusion in the bibliography section:
1. Back-indexing of the review Transnational Associations: This was undertaken
because the UIA’s periodical publication (under different titles) has been a natural
focal point for materials relevant to the study of INGOs – either through original

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 contributions from researchers and organizations or through the UIA’s function as a
collator and re-publisher of materials of import to the international associational
community. Comprehensive back indexing from the present through 1949 has, for the
most part, been completed. Materials from the index not relevant to the present
bibliography are excluded.
Future activity: It is expected that comprehensive backindexing will continue in order
to have a complete record of articles in database format for consultation and other use.
Relevant citations will then be included in future editions of this bibliography.
2. UIA publications: UIA publications, in and of themselves, and the bibliographic
material they contain, are a valuable source of entries for the bibliography. Multiple
editions of the same publication (e.g. the UIA’s Yearbook of International
Organizations) are listed under one single entry so as to reduce the number of entries
for a single title.
Future activity: Where appropriate, archival materials will be checked for relevant
citations. Of particular note are the materials published by the UIA prior to 1940,
which may not be catalogued or cited in easily accessible sources.
3. Reports and other materials in the UIA’s possession: UIA and its staff have collected
a vast quantity of material submitted by individuals, members and organizations.
These materials include both published documents and “grey literature”. The items
themselves are cited here and are frequently a valuable source of bibliographic
information on other materials.
Future activity: Processing continues and citations will appear in future editions of
this volume.
4. Materials from international organizations and researchers: A number of international
governmental and non-governmental organizations and university professors /
researchers responded to our requests for information on relevant publications. Their
replies are responsible for providing some of the most detailed citations on current
topics. Approximately 210 entries of have been added to this section from his data.
Citations in his bibliography which are also identified in this section may actually be
higher than this as several of his articles contained large reference sections and also
because of the complementary interests of his compilation and this project.
Future activity: We will continue to contact relevant individuals and organizations for
their suggestions/assistance.
5. Traditional Research Methods: Several libraries in the Brussels region provided
resources for identifying materials for the bibliography through traditional research
methods.

Future activity: We will continue to use available resources to further develop the
bibliography.

6. Electronic Research Methodology: The Internet provides access to a large amount of

information. Direct access to publishers’ catalogues and the catalogues of libraries
around the world, as well as the on-line publication/presentation of materials and
resources from researchers and organizations, facilitated the identification of

Page | 51
 appropriate materials and also facilitated contact between the UIA and other
researchers. URLs are now included in citations.

A bibliography is a list of books and other references that an author has used in preparing
a research paper. This list may be titled Bibliography, Selected Bibliography, or Works
Consulted, depending on the style manual the author used. In these lists, the author
includes references not specifically cited in the text but consulted for general information.
If the list includes only the works cited in the text, it is called Works Cited, Literature
Cited,  or References. Although there are others, these are the most commonly used titles.

7. Bibliographies are usually placed at the end of a paper. If your research paper has
chapters, you would include a list of references at the end of each chapter for the
works cited in that chapter.

8. A special kind of bibliography, the annotated bibliography, is often used to direct

your readers to other books and resources on your topic. Such bibliographies offer a
few lines of information about each source. Your instructor may ask you to write an
informal literature review or a bibliographical essay using an annotated bibliography.
By surveying the literature broadly, you can begin to narrow down a topic for your
research assignment.

9. Here is an example of an annotated bibliographic entry in MLA style.

Example of Annotated Bibliographic Entry in MLA

Style
Waddell, Marie L., Robert M. Esch, and Roberta R. Walker. The Art of
Styling
        Sentences: 20 Patterns for Success. 3rd ed. New York: Barron’s,
1993.
       A comprehensive look at 20 sentence patterns and their variations
to
       teach students how to write effective sentences by imitating good
style.

10. Here is an example of an annotated bibliography for this chapter, using APA style.
Note that in these bibliographies, not all of the items have to be annotated.

Examples of Annotated Bibliography in APA Style

American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the
American
       Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
       APA style is used for research in linguistics; human, behavioral,
social, and
       political sciences; education; computer science and information
management;

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        business and management; and environmental and physical
sciences.

Modern Language Association. (2009). MLA handbook for writers of

research
       papers (7th ed.). New York: Author.
       MLA style is used in languages, literature, and some sciences.

UMUC Information and Library Services. (2010). Citation

resources. Retrieved
       June 16, 2011, from
http://www.umuc.edu/library/citationguides.shtml.
       Contains information about citing web and Internet sources from
proprietary
       and subscription web databases, public-access journals, and other
web sources.

11. Your bibliography may be on note cards that you can rearrange as your priorities
change or on the computer so you can print out the entire list to use when you do your
research. As you compile your notes for your research and narrow down your ideas,
your bibliography will evolve until you have the final bibliography for your research.

REFERENCES
The act of mentioning something in speech or in writing : the act of referring to something
or someonereferences to an earlier eventBob's nickname was "Elvis," a reference to the
way he styled his hair. [=people called Bob "Elvis" because he styled his hair in the same
way Elvis Presley did]See More Examples

2: the act of looking at or in something for informationThe report was filed for
future reference. [=so that people could look at it later]Reference to a map will make the
position clear.

3: a person who can be asked for information about another person's character, abilities,
etc.She listed her former teacher as a reference when she applied for the job.

Full Definition of  reference

1: the act of referring or consulting

2: a bearing on a matter : relation in reference to your recent letter

3: something that refers: such as

a:Allusion,Mention

b: something (such as a sign or indication) that refers a reader or consulter to another

source of information (such as a book or passage)

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c: consultation of sources of information

4: one referred to or consulted: such as

a: a person to whom inquiries as to character or ability can be made

b: a statement of the qualifications of a person seeking employment or appointment given

by someone familiar with the person.

c(1): a source of information (such as a book or passage) to which a reader or consulter is

referred.

(2): a work (such as a dictionary or encyclopedia) containing useful facts or information.

1. Boyle JS. Styles of ethnography. In: JM Morse, editor. Critical issues in qualitative
research methods.. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1994:159–85.
2. Coughlan M., Cronin P. and Ryan F. (2007). Step-by-step guide to critiquing
research. Part 1: quantitative research. British journal of Nursing 16 (11).
3. Creswell, JW. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design Choosing Among
Five Traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
4. Crotty, M. (1998). The Foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in
the research process. London: Sage.
5. Denzin, NK. (1978). Sociological Methods. New York: McGraw-Hill.
6. Hanson WE, JW Creswell, VL Plano Clark, KS Petska and JD Creswell. Mixed
Methods Research Designs in Counseling Psychology. Journal of Counseling
Psychology, 2005, Vol. 52, No. 2, 224–
235. http://www.preciousheart.net/chaplaincy/Auditor_Manual/13casesd.pdf
1. Johnson & Christensen. (2004). Educational Research: Quantitative, qualitative and
mixes approaches, 2nd Ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
2. Kothari C., R. (2004). Research Methodology: Methods and Techniques. New Delhi.
New Age International (P) Limited, Publishers.
3. Krueger, A. R. (1994). Focus Groups: A Practical guide for Applied Research,
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
4. L., L. Espinosa and M. Yamashita (2015). EvaluationToolkit. Evaluation Guide.
Analyze Data. Retrieved
from: http://toolkit.pellinstitute.org/evaluation-guide/analyze/analyze-qualitative-data/
5. Neuman, W. L. (2000). Social research methods. Qualitative and Quantitative
approaches (4th Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
6. Patton, MQ. (1999). "Enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis."
HSR: Health Services Research. 34 (5) Part II. pp. 1189-1208.
7. Patton, MQ. (2001). Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods (2nd Edition).
Thousand oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

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8. Strauss, A. & Corbin, J. (1994). "Grounded Theory Methodology." In NK Denzin &
YS Lincoln (Eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 217-285). Thousand Oaks,
Sage Publications.
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YS Lincoln (Eds.) Handbook of
10. Taket A. 2010. In Liamputtong L (ed). Research methods in health: Foundations for
evidence-based practice. Oxford University Press: South Melbourne.
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Holiday Shopping Trends 2021

 

Real estate market analysis: What it is & How to do it

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