Reference no: EM133189745

That paper (see the instructions) should be submitted as a proposal. 

Can the tempo of the music played in a restaurant be changed to improve sales?

Assume, for the purpose of this assignment, that you are the regional manager for an upscale restaurant chain (Smith & Wollensky).  You have heard that music tempo may have an impact on sales in certain types of restaurants.  What applied research could be conducted to determine if you should set a fast or slow (or something in between) tempo in order to optimize sales?

Thinking back on the Pyramid of Evidence, what would a controlled, randomized longitudinal study look like if you were to conduct one at one or more Smith & Wollensky locations? 

What are the independent and dependent variables?  

How would they be measured? 

In what manner would the independent variable be altered/changed (to see if a resulting change appeared in the dependent variable)?  

How would some sense of 'randomness' be included in the design?

In a three to four page paper (of text), describe an applied research study that could be conducted to answer the research question:  Can sales at Smith & Wollensky be influenced by a change in music tempo? 

To figure this out, you will need to at least peruse the foundational (e.g., basic) studies listed below.  As a group, they will describe the current thinking on the subject.  Also, each one conducted some kind of a study to reach their conclusion. And, if hard pressed, you might think about borrowing a research methodology from one of these for your Smith & Wollensky research (just remember that a study higher on the Pyramid of Evidence would be more conclusive). As the Regional Manager, you have the authority to direct various S&W locations to play music of different tempos for the study.

Here are three foundational articles in chronological order of publication.  (Since the later ones tend to cite the earlier ones, it is better to look at them in this order.)

• Milliman, R.E. (1986), The influence of background music on the behavior of restaurant patrons, Journal of Consumer Research, 13 (2), 266-289.
• Caldwell, C., and Hibbert, S.A. (2002), The influence of music tempo and musical preference on restaurant patron's behavior, Psychology & Marketing, 19, 895-917.
• Wilson, S. (2003), The effect of music on perceived atmosphere and purchase intentions in a restaurant, Psychology of Music, 31 (1), 93-112.