DECEMBER 2010 EXAMINATION

GM07
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Time: Three Hours Maximum Marks : 100

NOTE : The paper is divided into two sections. Section A and Section B. There are seven
questions in Section A. Students are required to attempt any four questions from Section
A. Question No. 8 (Section B) is compulsory. Each question carries 20 Marks.

[F-Table is being provided with the question paper].

Section - A

1. (i) How are the research questions related to components of the problem?
(ii) What are the most common forms of analytical models? (10+10)

2. (i) Why is it important to minimize total error rather than any particular source of error?
(ii) Compare and contrast cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. (10+10)

3. (i) What are the criteria to be used when evaluating secondary data?
(ii) Why is it important to obtain secondary data before primary data? (12+8)

4. (i) Compare laboratory and field experimentation.

(ii) Should descriptive research be used for investigating causal relationships? Why or why
not? (10+10)

5. (i) Define finite population correction.

(ii) How is sample size affected when the degree of confidence with which a population
mean is estimated is increased from 95% to 99%? (5+15)

6. “Because non-sampling errors are greater in magnitude than sampling errors, it really
does not matter which sampling technique is used.” Discuss the statement.
(20)

7. An experiment tested the effects of package design and shelf display on the likelihood of
purchase of product of 19 cereal Package design and shelf display were varied at 2 levels
each, resulting in a 2x2 design. Purchase likelihood was measured on 7 point scale. The
results are partially described in the following table:
Source of Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Critical Value
Variation of F at α=0.05
Package design 68.76 1
Shelf Display 320.19 1
Two way interaction 55.05 1
 Residual error 176.00 40

Complete the table by calculating the mean square, F, significance of F. (20)

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Section – B

8. CASE STUDY

ABC Milk Federation, a well-known public sector milk federation in India, has a
commanding leadership position in the market for the last three and half decades.
ABCMF has 500 milk processing units. The total turnover of the company is over Rs
20,000 crores, ABCMF staff head count is 26,000. The product portfolio of the company
is milk and its by-products. For example, milk is a basic product of the company and
ghee, butter, curd, milkshake, doodhpedha, paneer, sweets, milk drinks, ice creams and
chocolates etc., are the by-products.

ABCMF’s supply chain is very strong. It has about 1.5 lakh trucks to procure milk from
every nook and corner of India and supply packaged milk to all parts of the country.
Since ABCMF is a public sector under taking, its social responsibility is greater than any
private organization. This social responsibility forced the company to procure all the
milk supplied by the farmers, though there is no requirement. Eventually, the company
was caught in the mismatch of demand and supply. Supply of milk was more than the
demand in the market.

As explained in the first paragraph, the company started producing various by products
with the excess milk which remained after supply of packaged milk to the customer.
Even after producing by-products, barrels of milk remained the excess. Milk is a
perishable product, and it can not be stored for more than two weeks with the available
technology. So, the best alternative for the company was to convert the milk into milk
powder. By producing and selling the milk powder, the company incurred loss of Rs
100/- per liter. Profits made by the company in milk and other dairy products was being
eaten away in milk powder. Year ending, ABCMF made no profit. This has been a
major problem of the company for the last one decade. The above problem drove the
company to mounting losses.

Keeping in mind the company’s responsibility towards the farmers and inevitability to
purchase milk supplied by the farmers, answer the following issues.

Questions :

8. (i) Design a research for ABCMF to solve the long pending problem.
8. (ii) If you conduct a study, who are the sample respondents for data collection?
8. (iii) If you were to be the general manager of ABCMF, what are the alternative
you would have though?
(6+7+7)

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