A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE USAGE OF PRINTED AND ELECTRONIC BOOKS

BASED ON THE PERCEPTION OF THE SELECTED STUDENTS OF

SAN PEDRO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMININISTRATION

A Market Research Paper Presented to the

Faculty of Polytechnic University of the Philippines

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the

Degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration,
Major in Marketing Management

BSBA MM 3-2
Apacible, Ricky Florenze I.
Apilado, Ma. Margarita P.
Certeza, Romel E.
Nethercott, Leula Jean T.
Sardino, Gladys R.
Yague, Cedrick B.

2013 October

CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

This chapter presents the introduction, conceptual and operational framework,
statement of the problem, scope and delimitation of the study, significance of the study and
the definition of terms.

INTRODUCTION

Everyone knows what book is all about. The first writing of the traditional book or
the so called printed books and be familiarized on a text books appeared to have developed
between the early 7th millennium BC and 4th millennium BC in the form or of early mnemonic
symbols which became a system of ideograms or pictographs through the simplification.
Nearly 600 years ago, printed books revolutionized the world. Ever since then, it
cultivated our culture discoveries, imaginations and intellectual progress with their power to
shake and shape ideas. Printed books are the traditional type of reading materials that we
actually adopted already before. It helps us gain more knowledge and makes our imagination
be broadened. Reading books helped us experience and enter another worlds and
dimensions through the usage of our imagination.
As years passed by, many discoveries and inventions were made. We entered the
generation wherein technology is the head of everything that helped us make the works of
everyone easier and faster. In the late 1940s, Thomas Aquinas begun to introduce the first

electronic book or the well-known e-books. Electronic book is characterized as a booklength publication in digital form, consisting of texts, images or both and produced on,
published through and readable on computers, or any other electronic devices. This type of
book made the lives of the readers more convenient. Ever since electronic books came
along, reading on the go has been easier. It would be a lot easier to manage in just
downloading all those books to our cellular phones, tablets, laptops and computers. But there
is something about printed books that we cant give up. Something about holding a book and
the acts of turning pages that for us, at least, cannot be matched with pixels on a screen. But
then electronic books are slowly subsuming the printed format as the preferred vehicle on
which the people read books. Electronic books or e-books decreased printed sale for the
first time in a roll and that continued till this year (2013).
Professionals, students, parents, all of us are readers in our every different ways. It
might be either on newspapers, magazines, textbooks or in the form of software, etc. With
these study, were about to know if the students from San Pedro College of Business
Administration most preferred type of book based on their perception, is it the traditional
book, which is the printed one? Or the electronic book influenced by the technology?

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Conceptual

framework

for

Managerial

Competencies

and

Marketing

Effectiveness in Corporate Organizations

This illustrates the managerial competencies and marketing effectiveness in

corporate organizations. The purpose is to assess the impact of managerial
competencies on the marketing effectiveness of the organization. While many empirical
works have centered on marketing effectiveness, the generalizability of its relationship
to managerial competencies (N. Gladson Nwokah, Augustine I. Ahiauzu, (2008), Journal
of Management Development, Vol. 27 Iss: 8, pp.858 878.
The purpose of this framework is to assess the impact of managerial
competencies on the marketing effectiveness of the organization. While many empirical
works have centered on marketing effectiveness, the generalizability of its relationship
to managerial competencies in the Nigerian context has been under-researched.
The implications of the results of this study are clear for scholars and managers.
This framework significantly refines the body of knowledge concerning the impact of
managerial competency on marketing effectiveness in the Nigerian context. This
framework will no doubt contribute to the body of existing literature on managerial
competency and marketing effectiveness.

Figure 1
Conceptual Framework of Managerial Competencies and
Marketing Effectiveness in Corporate Organizations

OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK
This study was based on the framework of Gladson Nwokah and Augustine I.
Ahiauzu (2008) for Managerial Competencies and Marketing Effectiveness in Corporate
Organizations.

As based from the framework of the above name, this study was able to come up
and also provides a model on the factors for the comparison of the two books, which are
printed and electronic that will be base upon the college students from San Pedro
College of Business Administration (SPCBA). Their perceptions on the legibility,
appearance, texture, cost, portability, durability, availability and environment friendly or
eco-friendly being offered by printed and electronic books to which will be the basis in
their buying decisions and consuming behavior.

The framework of this study is so very important that will serve as a guide in the
entire research as shown in Figure 2.

BOOK TYPE
(BT)

FACTORS

LEGIBILITY

PRINTED
BOOKS

APPEARANCE

COST

PORTABILITY

ELECTRONIC
BOOKS

DURABILITY

AVAILABILITY

ECO-FRIENDLY

Figure 2
Operational Framework of a Comparative Study on the Usage of Printed and Electronic
Books

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to provide a deep understanding about the perceptions of the
students from San Pedro College of Business Administration (SPCBA) regarding with
the electronic book and printed book.

Specifically, the study will answer the following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents?

1.1 San Pedro College of Business Administration
1.1.1 Age
1.1.2 Gender
1.1.3 Family Monthly Average Income
1.1.4 Civil Status

2. What do the students usually use as a reference material for their studies?

3. What do the respondents find easier to use?

4. Does the appearance affect the students usage of the books?

5. Is there an effect of cost on using either printed or electronic books?

6. Do respondents considered the portability of the two books?

7. Which do the students think more durable in terms of its usage?

8. Which do they preferred in terms of availability?

9. Do the fact of being environmental friendly still one of the students consideration
on using any from the said two books?

10. Based on the results of the study, what is the most preferred book to be used by
the students coming from San Pedro College of Business Administration?

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study was limited and only to the students from the private campus of
San Pedro College of Business Administration knowing that they have the enough
knowledge and understanding what books are and for.
Thus, their perceptions towards electronic books and printed book are very
important and helpful to this comparative study because their point of view will be the
basis of the comparison of the both books, their most preferred type of book, the and
especially the factors and reasons why their most preferred type of book is better than
the other.

Significance of the Study

The findings of the study would be useful to the following:

Students. The result will provide information what book offers more benefits to
its users and in that way, students will be advised what to use more.

Faculty. The result of the study might serve as a guide for them on what is the
students most preferred type of book in using as their reference on their studies.

E-Book/Independent Publishers. The findings of this study may help to

improve digital books / electric books that they are publishing. The result may also help
them to be informed what are the other corrective actions they may imply in order to
help their readers receive the highest satisfaction.

Businessmen. Finally, the result of the study may be given an idea to

entrepreneur whether to promote these printed books or to stay with the traditional
printed books.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For a common frame of references, the operational definitions of the following

terms are provided:

Appearance. This refers to the way in which printed and electronic book
outwardly presents itself to its readers.
Availability. The books capability of being gotten or be obtained by the buyers or
even the users.
Comparative Study. This is an analysis resulting from the comparison Printed
books and Electronic books which are based upon the point of view of the selected
college students regarding on the marketing orientation being offered by the above said
book.
Cost. This refers to the amount being paid by students before they purchase or
use books.
Durability. This refers to the two books capability to perform or compete over a
long period as by avoiding or overcoming damages.
Eco-friendly. This defines the printed and electronic books attributes of being an
earth friendly and not being harmful to the environment.
Electronic Books. This refers to a book-length publication in digital form,
consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable
on computers or other electronic devices.
Legibility. This refers to the quality of being readable of the both books.

Perception. It refers to process by which the college students translate sensory

impression into a coherent unified view about marketing orientation of printed books and
electronic books which are adequate with realities and guide them when it comes to
making decisions.
Portability. This refers to the capability of the said two books for being carry or
moved with ease made for the convenience of its readers.
Printed Book. This is the traditional type of reading material made in the form of
early mnemonic symbols which became a system of ideograms or pictographs through
the simplification.