Exemplary cover page

THE ASSESSMENT OF MARKETING MIX IN PROMOTING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION (A

CASE STUDY ON ABC COMPANY)

A SENIOR ESSAY PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS

MANAGEMENT IN PARIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE REQUIREMENT OF BACHELOR OF ART
(BA) DEGREE IN MANAGEMENT

BY: …………………
ADVISOR: …………

DILLA UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT

DECEMBER, 2018
DILLA, ETHIOPIA

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The outline and elements of a research proposal
Preliminary parts
o Title page (cover page)
o Abstract
o Acknowledgements
o Table of contents
o Acronyms(optional)
Main Body
Chapter One
I. Introduction
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Research Questions/Hypothesis
1.4 Objectives of the study
1.4.1 General objective
1.4.2 Specific objectives
1.5 Significance of the study
1.6 Scope /Delimitation/ of the study
1.7 Limitations of the study(optional)
1.8 Definitions of terms(optional)
Chapter Two
II. Literature Review
Chapter Three
III. Research Methodology
3.1 Variables of the study(optional)
3.2 Research design
3.3 Research approach
3.4 Sources of data
3.5 Methods of sampling
3.6 Sample size determination
3.7 Methods of Data Collection
3.8 Methods of Data processing and analysis
Chapter Four
IV. Work plan and cost budget
4.1 Work plan
4.2 Cost budget
Ending matters
o References
o Appendix (optional)

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1. Title & cover page
o The title should be as explicit as possible and transparent
o It should be clear and short
o It should capture and reflect the content of the proposal. It should enable the readers to
understand the concepts of the study
o Try to get the title down to one line or two
N.B: See the exemplary cover page at the last part of this material.
2. Abstract:
o Is summary, which reflects the whole content of the proposal (most of the time less than 300
words?)
o Abstract should be concise, informative and should provide brief information about the whole
problem to be investigated
o The abstract of a proposal should contain the following points
Title or topic of the research
Statement of the problem and objectives
Methodology of investigation
Expected result (tentative only if a researcher starts with a formulated hypothesis)
3. Introduction
i. Background of the study
This section in research proposal should give the general background of the study and the need for
undertaking the study. It reviews the previous work to reveal what is known of the subject.
Some questions to be addressed in this part may include:
o What are current and previous studies that have been made on the issues to be studied?
o What is the present gap in knowledge and current trend?
o What makes worth studying?
o Why has the problem not been solved yet?
o What do we intend to fill the gap or solve the problem?
ii. The Rationale and/or Statement of the problem
The Rationale provides some of the reasons for doing the study and its importance. Citations from past
research may be relevant here; likewise recent political and economic events, previous efforts to solve the
problem that did not succeed can be mentioned. This section of the research proposal can be merged
with the above section or in the objective part of the proposal. In some cases where wider explanation
and justification as to the rationale of the proposed study is needed, it can be shown in a separate section.
The issues you want to cover in your research those others researchers didn’t discuss before (gap).
iii. Objectives of the study
In this section, the proposal can indicate what is expected to occur and why, suggest the variables that
determines a relationship, or provide an explanation for a phenomenon that has been observed, which
strengthens the proposal and research agenda.
Generally this section should focus on the points
o What is to be achieved by the proposed investigation has to be stated plainly and concisely
o Should be to the point and logically arranged
o Should be stated in a form which shows the relations between variables
o Must clearly state the target of the research activity, i.e., what kind of results are expected or
sought from conducting research.
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It should include;
 General objective
 Specific objective – the research questions in statement form.
iv. Significance of the proposed study
By including this section, the writer creates a rational for conducting the study and a statement why the
results will be important. A significance section elaborates on the importance and implications of a study
for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. In designing this section, one might include
o Three or four ways in which the study adds to the scholarly research and literature in the field
o Three or four ways in which the study helps improve practice.
o Three or four reasons why the study will improve policy.
v. Scope /Delimitations/ and Limitations of the study
Two more parameters for a research study establish the boundaries, exceptions, reservations, and
qualifications inherent in every study: delimitations and limitations (Castetter & Heisler, 1977). They are
found in proposals for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies.
o Use delimitations to narrow the scope of a study. For example, the scope may focus on specific
variables or a central phenomenon, delimited to specific participants or sites, or narrowed to one
type of research design (e.g., ethnography or experimental research). It should also include
theoretical and geographic scope.
o Provide limitations to identify potential weaknesses of the study. At the proposal stage, it is often
difficult to identify weaknesses in the study before it has begun. However, advisers like students to
anticipate the potential weaknesses in their studies, a student can identify limitations related to the
research methods of data collection and analysis. For example, all statistical procedures have
limitations; so also do research strategies, such as surveys or grounded theory studies. In
introductory discussions about these strategies, authors typically mention both their strengths and
their weaknesses (e.g., see Creswell, 2002)
vi. The definition of terms
Researchers define terms so that readers can understand their precise meaning. The definitions can be
elaborated in a separate section of the research proposal
Terms to Define
Define terms that individuals outside the field of study may not understand and that go beyond common
language (Locke et al., 2000). Clearly, whether a term should be defined is a matter of judgment. A rule
of thumb is to define a term if there is likelihood that readers will not know its meaning. Also, define
terms when they first appear, so that a reader does not read ahead in the proposal operating with one set
of definitions only to find out later that the author is using a different set.
Define terms not understood by readers as found in these sections:
o The title of the study
o The statement of the problem
o The research questions, hypotheses, or objectives
o The literature review
o The methods section

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 4. Literature review
Literature review means locating literature in a variety of sources, reading it carefully and thoroughly,
and organizing it into themes along with the line of investigation.
Objectives of the literature review
 To establish a familiarity with a body of knowledge and establishes credibility: A review tells a
reader that he knows the research in an area and knows the major issue.
 To show the path of prior research and how a current project is linked to it: A review outlines the
direction of research on a question and shows the development of knowledge A good review
places a research project in a context and demonstrates its relevance by making connections to a
body of knowledge.
 To integrate and summarize what is known in the area. A review pulls together and synthesizes
different results. A good review points out areas where prior studies agree, where they disagree,
and major questions remain. It collects what is known up to a point in time and indicates the
direction for future research.
 To learn from others and stimulate new ideas. A review tells what others have found so that a
researcher can benefit from the efforts of others. A good review identifies blind alleys and
suggests hypotheses for replication. It divulges procedures, techniques, and research design worth
copying so that a researcher can better focus hypotheses and gain new insights.
Types of reviewed literature can be
 Theoretical works and review
 Methodological review
 Original findings and reviews of them
It takes a researcher over year to complete an extensive professional summary review of all the literature
on a broad question. Reading or review for research could take place in three stages of the research
project. These include the following
1. At the beginning of the research: the objective here is
To check what other research has been done
To focus your idea, and
To explore the context for your project
2. During your research: with the objectives of
 keeping your interest and up to date with development
 helping you better understand the method you are using and the field you are researching
and,
 serving as a source of data
3. After your research, with the objectives of
 seeing what impact you own work has had, and
 helping you develop ideas for further research project
5. Research Methodology or Material and Methods (Methodology)
The methodologies are the core and the largest part of the scientific research proposal. The
methodologies are largely descriptive. This section is an essential prerequisite for validating the results
and hence acceptability of the proposal.
An accurate, clear and valid methodology is required so that peers can:
 replicate the experiments described in an experimental research

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  modify them with the assurance that the modification is different from the original in
particular way
 apply them under different conditions
Methodology should give full details to show how the research activity is going to be carried out. Since
this section is the largest and the most important part of the research proposal, researchers are advised to
split it in to sub-sections. Such effort makes the proposal transparent and clear to the readers as well as to
the reviewing committee and therefore, minimizes the risk of being rejected by a research committee
(examiners board).
The suggested sub-sections can be:
 Data (materials)
 Methodology (methods) used
i. Data (some authors prefer Materials)
In this subsection of the methodology, information required to attack the problem is explained. Each
variable or indicator identified by a researcher is explained and justified to show how it is relevant to the
current study. The source of the data, the site (location) of the study and time that will be included
(relevant time period) should also be specified.
ii. Methods (Methodology)
In this subsection the details of all technical matters will be explained, which includes,
iii. Method of data collection
How the data are obtained from earlier specified sources? There are different methods to collecting
primary data. All available methods are expected to be considered by a researcher and the best one is
selected. The researcher explains and justifies how his/her selection of a particular method is relevant and
appropriate to his/her study.
iv. Method of sampling
From which elements will the data be collected? The researcher has to specify the elements from which
the desired information is collected and how these elements are selected. There are different sampling
techniques. The researcher is expected to consider all of them and select the one which is appropriate for
the current study. Justification of his/her choice of a particular sampling technique is relevant here. The
sample size should also be specified with its method of sample size determination.
v. Method of analysis
How data will be processed and analyzed should be explained in this part. Particularly if the researcher
uses mathematical models like simple or multiple regression, time series or liner programming models,
he/she has to show their mathematical derivations and relations briefly to demonstrate their relevancy for
the current study.
vi. Method of presenting the outcome
Sometimes it is worth to mention how the outcome of the research will be presented to consumers
(general public). This is important if the research is not a part of a particular study program (like, master
or doctoral study).
6. Work plan/Time Budget/
A timetable explaining how the researcher expects to carry out his/her project and when each of the
important phases will be completed is helpful to both the researcher and the reviewer. It is a plan in terms
of numbers of weeks or months and expected completion dates. Commonly researcher presents it in a
table form.

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The length of time required for postgraduate study (Doctoral study) is determined by the budget of the
time presented by students. Thus, researcher should be realist in budgeting his time.

7. Cost budget
Most proposals put together with the expectation that funding will be necessary and an itemized list of
items needed to carry out the methodology is listed in some detail. A carefully developed budget reflects
the seriousness of the proposal and the degree to which it is a realistic assessment of what is needed.

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S/N Items Unit of Amount Unit cost Total cost Remark
measurement unit ETB ETB
1 Stationary expense
2 Advisor ship honorable
payment
3 Examiners
4 Backup disk CD-RW
(Sony)
5 Flash disk
6 Printing expense for
download articles &
journals
7 Printing and typing the
draft
8 Travel expense
9 Enumerators
Allowance
10 Researchers’ allowance
11 Miscellaneous expense
12 Contingency (2%)
Total

8. Reference (Bibliography)
All works cited in the proposal are listed either alphabetically or numerically at the end of the document
usually under the heading of “References “
o References: are lists of literature, which have been cited in the text of a document
There are several ways of making citation and recording references. But use the American psychological
(APA) style. Order all the references you used based on the authors name alphabet and include year of
publication, title, edition, publishing company and country.
For example:
C.R. Kothari (1990). Research Methodology, Methods & Techniques (2nd edition). Wishwa Prakashan,
Wiley Eastern Limited, New Delhi, India
9. Appendix (Annex)
It is not mandatory to have this section. If the researcher thinks that having this section will increase the
quality of the research proposal he is free to do so.
Information types provided in this section are those additional details, which are difficult to
accommodate within the standard headings
Stuffs to be included in appendix:
 Detail Questionnaires and interview schedules
 Detailed experimental design (in experimental research)
 Detailed statistical procedures
 Samples of research materials (chemical and some biological materials)
 Survey and other geographic maps