Not only this but Chisnall (2005) points out that discrimination can occur when secondary research is used, that it can be manipulated to obtain the desired results, for example that only certain details were taken into account and analysed whereas information that did not support the research was discounted. It can also occur that when published data is reproduced for other purposes like in this instance it can lose its original meaning. The sites investigated were not offering the same services in terms of referencing as the proposed plan, so although it was a useful exercise in determining what makes a good website and gives an insight into how useful it is, it does not provide any guidance for how feasible the proposal is.
When the research was carried out, no websites similar to the services in the proposal were found, however it does not mean that the service is not available as was found out when carrying out the employer interviews. After carrying out the primary research, the group were made aware of a third partyreferencing agency called ‘The Security Watchdog’. There is a service called ‘The Security Watchdog’ that is a third party referencing agency. Unfortunately due to time constraints no research could be done into this service, so it is unknown what the purpose or medium of this is.
3.2.3 Methods Used
As the research in to Universities was carried out, a brief description of the project was given over the telephone and they were then asked if they had a similar scheme at their University. The problem with this is that the respondent may not have exactly understood what was explained to them, or it may not have been the right person to speak to. This could have been improved by designing a short questionnaire to determine exactly what was on offer. If this was answered by the right person this would have provided more detailed and more consistent results for analysis and maybe more information for this project. The problem with this however is that other Universities may not want to answer a questionnaire and little results may still be obtained.
3.2.4 Limited Information
To gain a more reliable and accurate background it would have been useful to collate more information for analysis.
With this type of project it would be difficult to use any external research providers or research reports, to access any already completed data, such as Mintel.
“Using secondary data compiled by a commercial organization might be quite expensive.” (Ghauri and Gronhaug, p79, 2002)
In addition to this it would be difficult to find any relevant information for this project.
Researching the most popular and well known websites can highlight their advantages and what makes them a success. However, analysis of a wider range of sites and those less well known would provide a greater analysis of what constitutes a successful website.
It would have been ideal to research into a wider range of Universities across the whole country instead of focussing on those just in the North West. This could have been done in two ways; by targeting the top percentage of universities in the country and asked them if they have a similar websites for their graduates that the Students Union is proposing. Or a random sample could have been taken of all the Universities in the country. Either of these methods would provide a more reliable sample and a greater insight into the market.
4. Primary Research
There were three methods of primary research carried out for the purpose of this project:
- Student self-completion questionnaires
- Tutor self-completion questionnaires
- Employer Telephone Interviews
The time and resource constraints in this project meant that asking every MMU student and every company in the country to take part would be highly impractical. It was therefore decided and agreed by the client that 150 student questionnaires, 18 tutor questionnaires and 20 company interviews would be conducted.
4.1 Student and Tutor Questionnaires
Self completion questionnaires were chosen for the student and tutor research. This is where the respondents, both students and tutors
‘answer the questions by completing the questionnaire themselves’ (Bryman & Bell, 2003, p141).
This was thought to be the best way to conduct research , not only because it is one of the most widely used and recognised survey data collection techniques (Sauders et al, 2003) which respondents would be familiar with, but it appeared to be the easiest way to collect and analyse data on a sample of this size, bearing in mind the short time scale. However it does pose some drawbacks which will be discussed further.
For the student questionnaires a stratified random sampling was the chosen technique to use. A stratified random sample is where
‘the parent population is divided into mutually exclusive and exhaustive subset; then a simple random sample of units is chosen independently from each subset’ (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2002, p116).
A sample size of 150 student questionnaires was conducted. This was split equally between the six main faculties. This appeared to be the fairest way to obtain a full representative sample of the University population. If only business students were sampled, the results may not be reliable.
The tutors were also chosen by a stratified random sample, choosing three tutors at random from each of the six faculties using their details from the University Intranet.
4.1.1 Selection Method
There were some problems in using this method of random stratified sampling. For example a true random sample of students could not take place at each faculty, as a list of all the final year students and their contact details could not be obtained due to privacy purposes. A mail shot of questionnaires sent to all student email accounts was also impossible as the student email server was ‘down’ during the research period. Because of time constraints the questionnaires were completed in one day, this meant that only the students that happened to be attending University that day would be asked and it may be dependent on what lectures are scheduled.
However, this method of data collection proved to be successful as all the questionnaires, except one, were returned. This provided the group with a useful sample size for analysis.
The collection of tutor questionnaires was less successful as it was assumed that all tutors provided references which were not the case. This factor lowered the response rate.
4.1.2 Time Constraints
There were again implications on the amount of research carried out due to the time constraints. Although the client agreed to the number of questionnaires conducted, the sample is not a very good representation of the population. The admissions office confirmed that there are over 30,000 students at the University.
4.1.3 Questionnaire Design
The design of the questionnaire was very important as it needed to ensure the precise data was collected to achieve the objectives. The covering letter explained the purpose of the survey and is the first part that the respondents look at.
‘The message contained in a self-administered questionnaire’s covering letter will affect the response rate’ (Dillman, 2000 cited by Saunders et al p305).
It was therefore imperative to get this as concise and to the point as possible. With the feedback received it was found that some respondents may have ignored or skim read this section, especially when reading the results it became apparent that the students were not aware what the questions were relating to. This is difficult to overcome, especially when results are required on a large scale.
A structured questionnaire was designed so that all the students received the same set of questions.
The questionnaires consisted of both open and closed ended questions. Theorists suggest that the latter may
‘provide an escape route to a respondent wanting to avoid answering a question’ (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2002, p97)
this could provide inaccurate results in that the respondent may not particularly agree with any of the options which is supported by Chisnall (2001) who explains that closed questions limit the responses and do not always reflect the true opinion of the respondent. It is thought that an open provide a more honest opinion (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2002). Open ended questions may lead to an enormous variation of results; however it is the best way to find out opinions of whether or not the respondent thinks this service could be a success.
However although the results showed that the respondents’ response rate was high in the closed ended questions it was much lower in the open ended questions. Respondents left out certain questions that they were not sure of or simply because they did not want to elaborate on. The reliability of the data may have further been reduced by the respondent having insufficient knowledge or experience resulting in an ‘uniformed response’ (Saunders et al, 2003, p283). Many people did not answer the question relating to how much they would be willing to pay for this service as they were unsure what an appropriate price would be.
There was also some confusion over the ambiguity of the question asking how many times on average they had met their personal tutor. It was not clear to respondents how to answer the question. This would need to be revised if the questionnaire was sent out again and it would have been useful to conduct a pilot questionnaire to confirm the questions were interpreted correctly.
4.1.4 Accuracy of Results
Risk of bias applies to any research project. Problems may arise in finding people willing to cooperate and answer the questions honestly. As Chrisnall (2005) points out ‘co-operation in surveys is voluntary and relies largely on goodwill of informants’ (Chisnall, 2005 p140). If a lot of people refused to take part there would be a risk of inaccurate or limited data as the respondents ‘willingness does not necessarily guarantee accuracy’ (Chisnall, 2005 p140).
An incentive to complete the student questionnaires was given to encourage a high response rate, however respondents may have completed the questionnaire as quickly as possible just to apply for the prize draw. So although there was a high response rate to the student questionnaires which would imply a greater reliability in the results, there was not as much detail in the open questions as was hoped and the sample is only a small proportion of the whole student population.
The tutor research had a lower response rate, which provides less scope for analysis and less reliable results, this was due to tutor’s lack of co-operation in returning the questionnaires. A method of improving this would have been to target a greater sample of tutors to allow for not receiving all of the responses.
4.2 Employer interviews
The choice of employers was decided by the client including a few additional companies that were known personally by the group and more reliable and detailed results were expected from them. When making conclusions this had to be kept in mind as it may not be a true representation of the views of all companies and could be thought of as a bias method of selection.
4.2.1 Method Selection
Structured interviews were used when researching employers. These were done over the phone. ‘Structured interviews use questionnaires based on predetermined and standardised or identical set of questions’ (Saunders et al, 2003, p246). This allowed for two groups members to conduct the interviews and carry out a constant questioning style which would provide results that could be easily analysed against the same criteria. Telephone interviews were chosen over any other method as
‘The telephone is a useful means of reaching business respondents’ (Wright & Crimp, 2000, p79).
It would have been preferable to conduct face-to-face interviews as Wright and Crimp state that
‘Indications are that the respondents find face-to-face personal contact a more rewarding experience’ (2000, p78)
which could improve the quality of answers and information received. However, it would have been impractical to conduct this type of interview with the employers due to the time, geography and resource constraints of this project. It was considered to use questionnaires which could be sent to a wider range of employers and to improve the sample size however the
‘response rate achieved by a postal survey is likely to be low (30-40%)’ (Wright & Crimp, 2000, p81).
This could have resulted in no results being gathered and an additional time consuming task of ringing companies to chase up a response.
Structured interviews rely on the competence of the researcher to ensure that the results are valid.
4.2.2 Interview Structure
To minimise any interviewer bias, each company was asked the same set of questions in the same way. A script was read out to each client at the beginning and then the questions were asked in the same tone of voice. It is important that
‘everyone understands the question in the same manner: in other words that everyone draws on the same meaning from the question’ (Ghauri & Gronhaug, 2002, p98).
Otherwise this could lead to inconsistent results and disrupt the structure of each interview. The number of questions was kept to a minimum to keep the interview short. It was thought that companies would have limited time to answer the questions and higher quality results would be obtained. This is supported by Wright & Crimp, who suggest that ‘ideally a telephone interview should not last longer than 15 minutes’ (2000, p78). It was believed that keeping it short would minimise ‘respondent fatigue’ (Bryman & Bell, 2003, p143), which may lead to short or inaccurate answers.
There is always to some degree a chance that regardless of how concise the interview is, the employers still do not have the time.
4.2.3 Accuracy of Results
As the results from the employers are so vital to the feasibility and success of the project, there were concerns that the employers may produce answers that were likely to please. Despite the fact that the method of questionnaires was discarded, Dilman (2000) states that
‘respondents to self-administered questionnaires are relatively unlikey to answer to please you or because they believe certain responses are more socially desirable’ (cited by Saunders et al, 2003 p283).
Saunders et al go on to comment that ‘respondents to telephone questionnaires and structured interviews are more likely to answer to please’ (2003, p283). However it was thought that with a good interviewing technique and the structured questions, this could be overcome. On the other hand Chisnall (2005) argues that even an experienced interviewer can have trouble judging the inflexions of a respondent’s voice over the telephone which can lead to unreliable or misunderstood answers. This can be noted as a drawback to the research as neither of the interviewers are experienced in this matter. Once the results were analysed it appeared that this was not the case as the responses were not socially desirable.
Overall, with the constraints faced, the primary research methods used have proved to be successful. Questions may need to be revised to ensure the questions are clearer to respondents, however on the whole the questionnaires received a high response rate and the relevant data was collected. The combination of using a mixture of closed and open ended questions complimented each other. It allowed precise information and additional opinions and views to be obtained.
If this primary research was done again a reliability test could be done under the same conditions, which can then be correlated with the data already collected.
If there were no time constraints, focus groups or interviews could be carried out to students and tutors. In addition a larger sample of all the research groups should be taken.
5. Group Dynamics
When analysing the dynamics of the group three key areas can be focussed on in terms of Group Performance, Group Communication and Group Roles and the relationship between them. It must be taken into consideration though that the groups were picked at random by the University, this meant that an even distribution of skills, experience and attitudes was unlikely and this can dictate the relationships within the group and how it affects the dynamics.
5.1 Group Roles
The first few group meetings were fairly stilted and disorganised, which was partly due to the group’s unfamiliarity of both each other and the situation. Without the presence of a designated leader or project manager it became difficult for tasks to progress as there was little focus to the meetings and no one responsible for setting and keeping track of schedule. It was identified by Rijsman (1984), that when individuals work in a group then each person will take on a role. When these roles emerge it will help the members gain their individual objectives and in turn improve the functionality of the group. Although a clear leader emerged from the group, no other clear roles were taken, which is supported by Rijsman’s comment that, when there is a definite group leader the other members are more likely to take more of a maintenance role.
When teams or groups are put together it normally involves people with the right combination of skills and knowledge to perform the relevant task. As mentioned the group was based on a random selection and so with no members with specific skills it was difficult to identify these roles. Due to both the small amount of members and the similarity in skill set and academic background there was only a small representation of Belbin’s roles within the group, despite the fact that multiple roles can be taken on by an individual (Mullins, 2005). This was positive in some respects as no conflict appeared within the group at anytime and there was no struggle for power. However on the other hand the group lacked some of the creative roles, the desire to complete and it could be possible that some group members agreed with the group leader simply out of ease to avoid conflict, or they could have felt forced into it. Belbin (1981) acknowledged that team performances improve if a more diverse set of roles is taken. However Huczynski and Buchanan (2007) argue that there is little evidence to support the need for all of the roles and as found in this group, a successful working project does not require all of the roles. All of the tasks were completed and deadlines were met despite the absence of some of Belbin’s roles.
5.2 Group Communication
Supporting the strong leadership role was the communication method used in the form of a ‘star’ structure (Guirdham, 2002). This involved placing the group leader in the middle; they would then be responsible for communicating with all members of the group. The leader was responsible for arranging all meetings with the client, the tutor and group meetings. This centralised network (Mullins, 2005) provided organisation and consistency to the project, however it can be seen to put too much pressure on the group leader and result in poor performance (Mullins, 2005). Fortunately because the project was not too complex it did not suffer from using this method of communicating.
Group meetings were not held on a frequent basis but there was no need for them to be. Each member was well aware of what their task was and when it had to be completed. If there were any difficulties in completing the tasks then communication to the group leader was made via emails and phone calls, so although face to face meetings were infrequent, a certain level of communication was kept at all times.
It can be argued that the group leader held too much power and decision making ability, which could leave the other group members with a lack of motivation due to little responsibility. Huczynski and Buchanan (2005) explain a method of combating this is to set goals which gives the group members something to focus on and
“leads to higher levels of performance” (Locke, 1985, cited by Huczynski and Buchanan, p254, 2005)
however it appeared that the rest of the group were content with the delegation approach and targets to achieve and so this proved to be the best way to manage the project.
5.3 Group Performance
From the allocation of roles and communication methods, we can go on to analyse the performance and development of the group. This can be compared to Tuckman’s (1965) model of Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. The forming stage was a challenge as all of the group members were new to each other. For this project the group was formed from a random selection of individuals that were assigned together by the university. The forming stage of group development is where the individuals determine how to communicate to each other and discover the nature of the task they have been allocated. Hogg et al (1985) stated that the initial attraction between group members can determine how successfully the group will form. The attraction isn’t in terms of individual relationships, but how similar the members are in terms of working in a group environment. Due to the similarity of most group members in their role adoption, they held a similar work ethic which resulted in strong group cohesion. Due to the strong leadership of one group member and the cooperation to follow the lead by the rest of the group members, a ‘storming’ phase never occurred in the development of this group. The storming stage usually involves the group trying to reach an agreement on the demands of the task and this can cause intra-group conflict, however this is again explained by the roles of group members and supported by Argyle (1989) who
“For a group to function effectively and smoothly there has to be a certain amount of agreement on how to do things”(p115).
The outline of the task was made clear by the brief and the meeting with the client, so the objectives were swiftly realised. This made the norming and performing stage of the group development flow much more rapidly resulting in the task deadlines being met constantly.
Whilst Spreitzer et al.(1984) found such team characteristics as coordination, stability and norms related to team effectiveness, which were all present in the group however, Stevens and Campion (1994) demonstrated the need for conflict resolution skills, collaborative problem solving and performance management practices in effective teamwork which was unnecessary. The effectiveness of the group in completing the task is influenced by the communication between individual members.
The difficulties that were faced in relation to the group’s dynamics were minimal. Due to members having varying timetables, finding a slot when everyone was free proved an obstacle. However if for some reason a member couldn’t attend a meeting they were provided with a summary of the meeting and any actions that affected them.
The tasks tended to be performed on an individual basis without really working together. This didn’t prove to be a problem because the assignment allowed for members to perform their own task and then compile the work once it was complete. However if the same group was given a different objective then the workings of the group might have to change and work more as a team.
6. Client Relationship
A critical aspect of any consultancy project is the building of and maintaining of a strong client relationship. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a concept employed by companies to manage their relationships with their customers. As markets evolve and competition increases companies have recognised the importance of this concept.
By analysing the project’s client relationship management, it facilitates and enhances the skills and abilities of the team, for the purpose of generating a better understanding on building a trusting relationship, managing client expectation, understanding the client’s perspective, and evaluating the needs of the consultancy project.
The project undertaken involved a five-person team of final year students studying business at Manchester Metropolitan University and the client, which was The Manchester Metropolitan University Students Union.
6.1 Client Brief
Before meeting the client, the group were given the project brief and objectives. The brief was fairly vague in terms of its expected outcomes. It was a disadvantage to the group to receive a brief that was so low in complexity. As Davidson-Frame (2003) claims that if the project brief is low in complexity, it can increase the level of complexity of the project.
The brief did not go into as much detail as was expected and as a result the group had to meet with the client as soon as possible to get more of a feel of what the client’s needs and perspectives were. This is supported by Wickhams view that
“The formal objectives of the project will be explicit, discussed and documented; the client’s subsidiary objectives will usually be implicit.” (Wickham, 1999, p123)
For the project to be a success it was important to critically evaluate as often as possible the work that was being carried out and to consult with the client as often as was necessary. The initial needs of the project were underlined in the brief issued at the very start of the project. As the group continually consulted and evaluate the project it was evident that although the client had an initial input; the group were encouraged to generate ideas and be creative and to really take the project on. This relates to work highlighted by Fincham in 1999:
“Client- consultant relationships can take a variety of forms which include client resistance and interdependency”
Fincham, 1995, cited by Fincham 1999, p1
6.2 Client Communication
It was important to manage the communication with the client to ensure that the group did not deviate from the objectives and the client was aware of the progress of the project.
A Gantt chart was created not only for the group to keep track of tasks but also to allow the client to keep track of the group’s progress and when she should be available. Management Extra (2005) demonstrates the importance of agreeing the timing to ensure that both the client and the task owner are available when necessary. This proved to be a problem when the client had unexpected absences and the group was waiting for her approval before they could continue with the research. This is supported by Johnson’s (2005) view that clients are often very busy and can often have little time for consultations.
Although there was an initial plan to meet weekly it turned out to be impractical due to the commitments of the group and also sometimes became unnecessary. However regular contact was made by email, Bell and Smith point out the disadvantages of this method that
“Despite their obvious importance, memos and email messages are treated too casually by many” (1999, p179)
So the group made every effort to remain professional to gain the respect of the client. Callahan and Brooks go on to define communication as
“the transfer of information to the right people at the right time” (2004, p40)
due to this the group felt that it was important for one group member to be the only contact for the client so that there was no confusion and details were sent at the right time. This further supported the professionalism of the group towards the client.
6.3 Client Relationship
The importance of building a trusting relationship was evident from the start when the client deliberately got to know the members of the team through asking many questions as possible to get to know the group’s capabilities and personalities. This was an attempt by the client to get to know the group as quickly as possible.
The quote below is from The Independent Consultants Survival Guide and relates to the situation experienced by the group.
“Once a client gets to know you and your capabilities, they will feel comfortable and like having you around”
(Johnson, 2005)
The project undertaken met the needs and expectations set by the client in the brief. The group maintained a good client relationship throughout the project but there were areas that could have been improved upon. The unavoidable time restraints mentioned restricted how strong the relationship could have become. With a stronger relationship the group could have taken the project further and could have come up with more ideas and areas to research.
7. Conclusion
After analysing the methodology used in the project, the dynamics of the group and how the client relationship was managed, we can asses how the objectives of the project were achieved. Although the group carried out full and thorough research, there were many constraints which can question the reliability of some of the results. This can mainly be accounted to the unavoidable time constraints of the project. The group were organised in both their approach to work and managing the client’s needs. This could be attributed to the strong nature of the leader; however it is not apparent how the group would have reacted without this presence.
To conclude, there could be significant improvements in the methodology and sample sizes if a greater timescale and resources were available. The group dynamics were fairly positive which was reflected in the successful client relationship management.
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