Sharetha Williams
Case Study 1
Business Research Methods BUSI 600
July 13, 2013

Abstract
Penton Media is a publishing company that caters to many popular magazines such as Industry Week, Machine Design, and Restaurant Hospitality. Currently these magazines have seen declines in publication reader service cards. The purpose of these cards is for the customer to be able to order product and services through the magazine companies. What we will explore in this case study are two questions that are asked to see how Penton Media can better improve their partners. The first question is asking to build the management-research question hierarchy. The second question that is asked what ethical issues are relevant to this study? Each will be explained in this research.
1. a. The management dilemma
Penton Media, a publisher of business magazines, experiencing a decline in numbers of reader service cards being returned, showing a smaller number of reader enquiries and a decline in numbers of sales leads for advertisers.
b. The management question
How can Penton Media increase the number of reader service cards being returned by readers? How do we increase the use of publication reader service cards? Is this still a viable option to request information about a product or service?

c. The research question (s)
Instead of requesting product or service information by mail, should the publisher use other response options such as sending an e-mail, visiting an advertiser’s website, or using a toll-free telephone number?
d. Investigative questions
What kind of information do readers most often seek? What is the time frame in which information is most often sought? What response options do advertisers offer to obtain information about their products and services? Is there an emerging trend which shows that readers are changing their choice of response options? Does the declining number of service cards being returned reflect an emerging trend which shows that readers are changing their choice of response options?
e. Measurement questions
What would be your level of acceptability if Penton Media advertisers should change from the current method of requesting product or service information by mail to a method of requesting information using alternate inquiry response options such as sending e-mails, visiting advertisers’ websites, or using toll-free telephone numbers? For each outcome, indicate a number between 1 and 5 where 1 = Not at all acceptable, 2 = Slightly acceptable, 3 = Moderately acceptable, 4 = Very acceptable, and 5 = Completely acceptable.
Response options:
-------- Sending e-mails
-------- Visiting advertisers’ websites
-------- Using toll-free telephone numbers
f. Management decision
2. The researcher needs to ensure that the questions are framed in an unbiased manner so that respondents are not influenced to respond in favor of a particular option. The research design should facilitates objectivity and should not show favoritism towards any of the response options; whether it is the reader service cards, e-mails, advertisers’ websites, or the toll-free telephone numbers. Since the individuals chosen to be surveyed by a mailed questionnaire where from Pentons database, ethical issues of concern would be privacy and consent. A privacy statement could be included on the questionnaire, ensuring the privacy of the respondent and a disclosure statement included about how the information was going to be used. Consent could be assumed if the questionnaire was completed and returned with proper documentation about consent and intended use of the information gathered. In conclusion, the issues that Penton Media are facing are not issues that cannot be fixed. Penton Media will have to use all of their resources and their customers in order to get the results that they need to have this matter resolved. With honest replies and 100 percent participation from those involved this will lead to what has caused the decline.