"The Gap" Divided: Case Background 

Only in America do counties (the equivalents of Australian local governments) have the constitutional authority to legally set minimum wages. A large shopping mall in California crosses two county lines, Santa Clara and San Jose. Not only does the county boundary cut through the shopping mall, but it also directly cuts through The GAP department store. Currently staff are being paid differently depending on which section of the store they are working. Menswear and children's wear is located on the San Jose side of the county line, whilst women's wear and accessories is on the Santa Clara side. In Santa Clara, the minimum wage is $US8.81/hour for retail staff. However, in San Jose, the average minimum pay for retail workers has been set at $US11.02/hr. There are approximately 12 employees in the store. Five of these employees are full-time, and the rest are casual. There is also a store manager, Phil, who looks after the entire store. As you might expect, there has been a significant amount of turnover from the Santa Clara side of the store. Phil is in a difficult situation - he cannot afford to pay everyone the same wages. He needs your assistance in determining the best course of action as the cost of high turnover is really hurting the business. 

Your Task 

Using the flowchart of Business Research (below) Phil would like you to present a plan that covers the following 

1). A research statement. What is the dilemma faced by the store manager? Develop a statement that addresses the concerns outlined in the above scenario. Develop 2-3 main research questions suitable for a mixed method study to help with Phil's dilemma. 

2). Selection of a mixed method research design. Based on the questions you developed above, identify a suitable mixed method research design approach that you can use to provide recommendations to Phil. You need to justify your chosen design. 

3). Selection of tools. There are several tools that one can use to collect data. Identify which tools would be appropriate for Phil to use considering your selected design. Justify your answer. 

4). Selection of the sample design. Phil wants you to get staff opinions. Discuss the sampling strategy. Identify the sample; who will you speak to and how will you get their opinions? 

5). Project Timeline. Phil is on a tight schedule and has little budget. He wants you to prepare a chart to identify the phases of your research and how much time you will need to complete each phase. 

6). Project limitations. Consider any obstacles you might encounter when conducting the research and explain how you might minimize these obstacles?