Methodology on Brand Personality and Brand Loyalty in Fast Food in the UAE

Posted: January 4th, 2023

Methodology on Brand Personality and Brand Loyalty in Fast Food in the UAE

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Methodology on Brand Personality and Brand Loyalty in Fast Food in the UAE

Research Philosophy

Ontology and epistemology are two dissimilar ways of perceiving a research philosophy. The ontology in the research could refer to the study or science of being and it focuses on aspects of reality. Ontology in the study could also refer to the beliefs that reflect a personal interpretation by a person regarding what amounts to a fact (Blaikie 2010). Ontology in other words focuses on a key aspect of whether social groups or entities should be viewed as subjective or objective (Blaikie 2010). Objectivism shows the place of social aspects and how they relate with external social entities (Hallebone & Priest 2009). Objectivism could also imply that the social aspects and their sense have an existence that relies on social players. Subjectivism, on the other hand, implies that social phenomena are formed from the views and subsequent practices of the social actors focused on their existence (Blaikie 2010). Epistemology, on the other hand, is part of philosophy that focuses on the origin of knowledge (Bryman 2012). Epistemology particularly pays attention to the limitations, origin, and nature of knowledge, and can be viewed as the analysis of the guideline by which the examiner groups what amounts and what does not comprise the desired knowledge (Bryman 2012). Epistemology in simple words concentrates on what many believe to be the truth (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2012). A research that incorporates both philosophical aspects is likely to yield the desired outcome, and depicts the fundamental features of a qualitative or a quantitative study.

The research on brand personality and brand loyalty in fast food sector in the United Arabs Emirates (UAE) incorporates both the ontology and the epistemology. The ontological aspect in the study is it incorporates social beings, which are the operators in the fast-food sector and the consumers. The social aspects in the research are important because the study is all about them, and because their actions determine the nature of the research. The epistemological aspects in the research comprise of the sources of knowledge that provide guidance in completing the study. For example, the journal articles that help in completing the research and the knowledge from these sources constitute the epistemological aspects. The ontology and the epistemology are important because they inform about the key aspects of a research that the audience may want to know.

Research Approach

The primary variation between deductive and inductive reasoning is that deductive approach focuses on testing the existing theory, while the inductive approach focuses on creating a theory. The inductive approach shifts from general perceptions to extensive generalizations, while the deductive method moves from the expanded generalizations to particular observations (Maggetti, Gilardi & Radaelli, 2013). The inductive approach is more suitable when there is no or only little literature exist on a topic. Also, it is suitable to take the inductive research approach when only little literature exists on a topic because no suitable testable theory exists when carrying out an inductive study (Maggetti, Gilardi & Radaelli, 2013). Using the deductive research approach is suitable when the researcher has a theory or the outcome of an inductive process to begin with. A researcher must be careful when selecting between the inductive and deductive approaches to settle on a reasoning method that suits the study.

A researcher must pay considerable attention to the qualitative and quantitative approaches when conducting a study. The quantitative research deals with statistics and numbers when gathering and analyzing data, while the qualitative approach focuses on the theoretical aspect of a research, while paying attention on the meanings (Field 2005). The quantitative research confirms or tests an assumption or theory, and may create a generalized view about a topic. The quantitative method may entail carrying out observations, experiments, or surveys using closed-ended questionnaires (Field 2005). On the other hand, the qualitative research helps to understand experiences, thoughts, experiences.  The qualitative research permits the researcher to collect in-depth data on a topic that is not clear. Both the qualitative and quantitative methods are essential for acquiring different forms of knowledge.

The study seeking to indentify the impact brand personality and brand loyalty in the fast-food sector in the UAE will use the deductive reasoning as it is most suitable. The approach is more suitable because it give a researcher a base from where to start from when performing the study (Maina 2017). The existing theory in a deductive research approach provides the chance to create a hypothesis depending on the existing evidence (Maina 2017).  Nonetheless, the researcher must ensure all the premises outlined in the inductive research are valid and the conditions are clear to achieve conclusions that are true.

Research Design

The research design serves as a framework of research analysis and techniques that a researcher uses to complete a study. The researcher can choose from the various types of research designs that can help to complete the study. For example, the researcher may choose the correlational, the experimental, semi-experimental, or descriptive approach. The study will use the descriptive research design, which aims to precisely describe a fact, situation, or population (Maggetti, Gilardi & Radaelli, 2013). The descriptive research design answers questions such as how, what, where, and when. One of the reasons why the descriptive research design is suitable for the study is it provides the chance to use a broad variety of research methods to evaluate one or more variables (Bryman & Bell, 2003). For example, the descriptive research design allows the researcher to use surveys, observations, and case studies while performing the study. An advantage with the descriptive method is it permits the subject to be observed in the natural environment. The descriptive design is more suitable because it acts as an antecedent for conducting a quantitative research design. However, the researcher must consider the possible limitations of the research design, including the possible hardships of statistically analyzing the findings because the process does not involve the manipulation of data.

Research Strategy

The study will rely on various data collection methods in completing the research. One of the approaches the study will use to gather data is interviews, which entails coming up with a set of questions targeted at the participant. Preparing and conducting an interview can be a costly process if the researcher chooses to conduct an in-person interview but there are approaches to limit the cost of such interviews (Gil, Treasure, Stewart & Chadwick 2008). For example, the researcher may chose to conduct the interview through a web chat platform or over the phone. Also, the email serves as a suitable avenue for carrying out an interview because the researcher can send the questions and receive the feedback via the platform without much obstruction. Another suitable form of collecting data is observation, which entails gathering data without asking any questions (Gil, Treasure, Stewart & Chadwick 2008). The approach is subjective in nature because it requires the observer to use their judgment to assess the data, but sometimes the risk of bias affects credibility (Gil, Treasure, Stewart & Chadwick 2008). The study can use documents and records, which entail using existing data to acquire necessary data. Using secondary data is an inexpensive and efficient approach because it relies on using already completed research (Muhammad & Kabir 2016). Furthermore, the study can use the survey approach, which is a suitable approach for gathering data. The study deploys questionnaires, chiefly depending on the group or individual encounters regarding an incident or phenomenon (Pawar 2004). The researcher must analyze each aspect very carefully before settling on the most appropriate method.

The research will utilize a questionnaire with five point scale answers, which requires the respondent to either strongly agree or disagree with the question. The questionnaire will take the form of a Likert scale, which is an efficient way to measure the attitudes, opinions, and feeling of the respondents (Maggetti, Gilardi & Radaelli, 2013). The questionnaire will offer the respondents with a set of views that require them to state whether they concur or disagree with the perception. The study will benefit from the Likert scale because it makes work easier, and provides specific findings and simplifies the process interpreting the results.

Sample of the Questionnaire

1. Mudambi (2002) asserts that businesses achieve greater and satisfying outcome through branding.
2. Mudambi (2002) is confident that businesses can achieve branding through various approaches.
3. Mudambi (2002) argues that organizations can still excel if their branding approaches are not very effective, but excel in other areas such as production.
4. Brand personality according to Akin (2017) informs buyers what the company thinks about them.
5. Brand personality displays how the company would wish to serve its buyers (Akin, 2017).
6. Akin (2017) argues that understanding the concepts of brand personality increases the likelihood of developing a strong brand.
7. Maheshwari, Jacobsen, and Lodorfos (2014) believe that strengthening the brand personality according to Akin (2017) improves brand loyalty.
8. Brand loyalty based on the views by Maheshwari, Jacobsen, and Lodorfos (2014) is a sign of customer satisfaction.
9. Businesses in the fast-food sector can achieve brand loyalty without developing brand personality (Ong, Ramayah & Lee 2018).
10. Ong, Ramayah, and Lee (2018) argue that the operators in the UAE fast-food sector understand the impact of brand personality in building brand loyalty.
11. Brand loyalty according to Ong, Ramayah, and Lee (2018) gives the firm competitive advantage.
12. Brand loyalty does not determine the level of performance in all operational areas (Ong, Ramayah & Lee, 2018).
13. Brand loyalty is yet to develop in the fast-food sector in the UAE (Ong, Ramayah & Lee, 2018).
14. Lin (2020) points out that organizations are striving to know the connection between brand personality and brand loyalty to improve their branding practices.

The questionnaire will be translated to Arabic to allow all participants understand its content because the study targets the fast-food sector in the UAE where most operators and consumers are Arabic. The translations will make it easier for all the participants react to the research questions without any difficulty. Posadzki and Ernst (2019) feel that anything that could impede communication in a research could affect the credibility of the results. The questionnaire will then be printed in English afterwards.

Sampling

In order to respond to the research questions, it is unclear that the researcher should have the capacity to gather information from everyone or all cases. Thus, the researcher must select a suitable sample by following suitable steps. Furthermore, a researcher can select from the different types of sampling methods, but one must have proper knowledge of the differences to settle on the most suitable sampling approach for the study (Taherdoost 2016). Sampling is a statistical act of identifying a subgroup, usually called a sample of a large population of interest to the matter being studied for the purposes of recording statistical deductions and observations about the group (Taherdoost 2016). A researcher must settle on a sample that gives a true representation of a large population so that the deductions from the sample can be a real depiction of the group of interest (OER Services 2020). The surveyor must avoid inappropriate and biased sampling, which often result in incorrect and divergent inferences.

Settling on the right sampling method may determine the suitability and level of success in carrying the sampling process. The study in this case uses the probability sampling method in which each component of the population has similar chances of taking part in the study, and it is possible to precisely determine the opportunity (Moser & Kalton 1989). Examples of the probability sampling method include the simple random approach where all the subsets of a population has a fair chance of taking part in the study, and the systematic sampling method where the sampling frame comes from a systematic analysis, which starts from a random selection (Moser & Kalton 1989). The researcher when using the probability sampling may use the stratified and the cluster approaches, which entail dividing the sampling frames into harmonized strata to get a random sample, and dividing a dispersed population into a reasonable size for easy examination, respectively (Breweton & Millward 2001). The research in this case will target sellers and consumers in the UAE with the age group of 18 years to 40 years, and the sample size will be around 150 to 200 respondents to get a clearer view of the wider population. Otherwise, using a restricted sample size could give a false impression of the research questions. The age group of 18 to 40 years is suitable because most people around this age work in the fast-food sector, and also many others consume the products.

Validity and Reliability

Understanding the reliability and validity helps to know the quality of the research. Reliability shows the consistency of the measures while validity is about the preciseness of the measures and estimations (Straub, Boudreau & Gefen 2004; Wee & Quazi 2005). A researcher must consider reliability and validity when formulating the research design. Regarding reliability, the research will ensure that the same outcome is attained by utilizing similar methodologies under similar scenarios. Also, the study will try to achieve validity by ensuring that each component measures correctly what it ought to measure. The researcher would term the research as having high validity if it yields outcomes that relate to real aspects in the social or physical world (Linn 1989). However, the researcher should understand that reliability alone is not adequate to achieve validity, and even if the experiment is reliable that may not be the real reflection of the situation in the ground (Taherdoost 2016a). The researcher should pay considerable attention to validity and reliability if the research must yield credible results.  

The study will perform a pilot study to authenticate the validity and reliability of the research. It is an imperative phase in completing a study. The pilot study will enable the researcher to test the data collection methods, the research design and protocols, and other techniques in preparation for the larger research (Hassan, Schattner & Mazza, 2016). The pilot study, will engage other people to assess the possible problems and deficiencies and the potential factors that could harm the protocols. The pilot study is important to help all members or the study group to become familiar with the procedures, and help them make suitable decisions regarding which approach to use in completing the survey.

Bibliography

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