DEFINING THE MANAGEMENT DECISION PROBLEM QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

OVERVIEW

After carefully reading the assigned textbook readings, please review the following:

– Case 5.1 titled “Nike: Associating Athletes, Performance, and the Brand” found at the end of Chapter 5 of the Malhotra textbook.

–  Nike’s website – http://www.nike.com

– “Has Sneaker Market Lost its Tread?” https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/12/04/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/Sneakers.aspx?hl=Nike+athletic+shoe+market&sc=0

After reviewing the above articles and taking into consideration the past chapter readings, create a Word document that addresses the assignment deliverables.

Assignment Deliverables:

1. Nike would like to increase its share of the athletic shoe market. Define the management decision problem.

2. Define/list at least 4 marketing research questions. Analyze/discuss the managerial implications of each question.

3. Develop a graphical model (some researchers call this a concept map or a cognitive map) explaining a consumer’s selection of a brand of athletic shoes.

4. Analyze/discuss the managerial implications associated with your graphical map.

5. How can qualitative research methods be used to strengthen Nike’s image?

6. Which qualitative research techniques should be used and why?

INSTRUCTIONS

· Length: this is a MBA graduate course, so submit the requisite amount of theory and analysis/discussion for each question. Cursory, short answers are not acceptable. Provide the necessary scholarly attention to these questions. A satisfactory answer will require a minimum of 1500 words for the total assignment.

· Format: current APA format

· Number of citations: 3 relevant resources excluding the course textbook

· Acceptable sources: Please search not only for trade journals such as the WSJ, Fortune and the Economist but also for academic journals such as the Journal of Sport Management, Journal of Marketing, Sloan Management Review and so forth. Searching for academic journals helps to triangulate your data and compare and contrast different definitions. In this way a more critical thinking approach can be applied