Reference no: EM133340070

A major aspect of your professional responsibility, as an organisational researcher at a major South African Investment House, is to monitor and analyse the official communications and pronouncements of the top executives of major South African companies at major corporate events. At the most recent (2021) annual general meeting, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a major South African food producer and fashion retailer, anonymised hereafter as ABC Limited, stated the following: "Our sales volumes in the next financial year would be a function of consumer demand, competitor activity and management of selling prices in the context of higher input costs." To establish the veracity of the CEO's prediction, you have proposed a two-stage (sequential) investigation involving, first, a qualitative approach and subsequently, a quantitative approach. Your intention is to consolidate the findings from the qualitative and quantitative stages of the investigation and then draw up a set of comprehensive conclusions and practical recommendations. The conclusions and recommendations drawn will feed into the investment note issued by the investment house.

1. Formulate a suitable title for the proposed study.

2. Specify the aim and significance of the proposed study.

3. Formulate THREE research objectives and THREE research questions for the proposed study.

4. Based on the specifications proposed for the study, discuss the appropriate ontological and epistemological orientations for the study.

5. Specify and briefly discuss an appropriate research design for the proposed study and rationalise the choice of this particular design.