Case Study: Ramada Demonstrates Its Personal Best™ Assignment

Building the Management-Research Question Hierarchy for Ramada

The management-research question hierarchy for Ramada begins with the management dilemma of declining customer satisfaction in mid-tier hotels. According to Hizam-Hanafiah et al. (2022), effective research frameworks in franchise operations must address both corporate and individual property concerns. The management question focused on how Ramada could improve customer satisfaction across its franchised properties while maintaining consistency in service delivery: Case Study: Ramada Demonstrates Its Personal Best™ Assignment.

This translated into research questions examining the characteristics of successful service employees, methods for improving training effectiveness, and factors driving employee motivation. Patterson (2020) emphasizes that such structured approaches enable organizations to address complex service quality issues systematically while maintaining alignment between corporate goals and operational implementation.

Applying the Research Process Model to the Ramada Research Initiative

An Explanation of the Role and Process of Exploration in Ramada’s Research

The role and process of exploration in Ramada’s research was that it created room for the organization to analyze how other companies were handling their employees and customers to achieve success. In addition, exploration helped Ramada to observe other companies and develop a program that suits its needs. It is also through exploration that Ramada came up with new ideas on how to mitigate the dilemma and develop a hands-on program.

The Role Secondary Data Played in the Exploration Phase of the Research

Secondary data played a vital role in  Ramada’s research initiative as it identified the best organizations in customer service, which are Disney, Southwest Airlines, and Carlson Hospitality managers who own TGI Fridays, gaining insight into what they do to maintain low-employee turnover rates. Notably, secondary data entailed learning and borrowing from the best in terms of customer service, low employee turnover rates, employee loyalty, and commitment to the firms. It is through secondary data that the research established ways to offer strategic hiring and training of employees (Dawadi et al., 2021).

The process also captured information from the American Hotel and Motel Educational Institute to understand the concept of identifying and hiring the best employees within the industry. The institute gave information on what other companies were doing differently to ensure they hired and retained the best and referred to indicators of self-motivated performers.

The Steps and Phases in the Process Model That Can Be Matched to the Ramada Research

The process model is similar to the Ramada research as they both highlight similar stages. The stages include clarification of the research question where the researchers stated their key concerns for the research (Blumberg et al. 2014). The next phase in the process model is designing the research that entailed data collection.

In the data collection stage, the management opened a new branch, and employees voluntarily offered their suggestions without coercion. The management then collected and prepared data from the employees, after which they proceeded to analyze and interpret the data. Finally, the researchers reported insights and recommendations from the research, which is similar to the process model.

The Sampling Methodology Used And Evaluating Why It Was Appropriate for the Study

Ramada employed a census approach by visiting all 900 properties within six months. Gilmore et al. (2022) explain that while resource-intensive, census sampling eliminates bias and is particularly appropriate when organizational buy-in is crucial for success. This approach ensured comprehensive coverage and demonstrated corporate commitment to the initiative.

Description of the Research Design and a Discussion on Its Strengths and Weaknesses

The research design combined qualitative and quantitative methods through structured interviews, observational research, and survey data. According to Dawadi et al. (2021), this mixed-method approach provides both depth and breadth of insights. Strengths included comprehensive coverage and multiple data collection methods, while weaknesses involved resource intensity and potential inconsistency across research teams.

The Role Property Owners/Managers Played in the Research Design

The managers in Ramada conduct their own hiring process. Notably, each property has its own guidelines that govern the hiring process.

Why Ramada Chose to Do the Research in a Non-Traditional, Party-Like Atmosphere and the Advantages and Disadvantages of Such an Approach

The purpose of the non-traditional, party-like environment was to create a comfortable atmosphere for the employees where they would feel comfortable and offer the best responses to the research questions. The environment was further necessary as it allowed interactions between managers and employees. Nonetheless, the disadvantage of this type of setting was that the setting was significantly different, and the employees would give their responses based on that environment and not in the normal working environment.

How the Research Findings Are Reflected in the Ultimate Management Decisions

The research findings reflect the ultimate management decisions by demonstrating that employees receive high motivation. According to Ihemereze et al. (2023), the employees were cashing in exceptional points for the annual growth of rewards. Customer satisfaction rates got higher as the scores improved significantly from the range of good to exceptional (Ihemereze et al., 2023).

Finally, the employees and management of Ramada show teamwork through a united connection toward attaining the mission and vision of the organization. in addition, the entire team is geared toward Personal Best, unlike before when it was just a human resource program.

References

Blumberg, B., Cooper, D., & Schindler, P. (2014). EBOOK: Business research methods. McGraw Hill.

Dawadi, S., Shrestha, S., & Giri, R. A. (2021). Mixed-Methods research: A discussion on its types, challenges, and criticisms. Journal of Practical Studies in Education, 2(2), 25–36. https://oro.open.ac.uk/75449/

Gilmore, K. J., Bonciani, M., & Vainieri, M. (2022). A comparison of census and cohort sampling models for the longitudinal collection of user-reported data in the maternity care pathway: Mixed methods study. JMIR Medical Informatics, 10(3), e25477. https://doi.org/10.2196/25477

Hizam-Hanafiah, M., Abdul Ghani, M. F., Mat Isa, R., & Abd Hamid, H. (2022). Critical success factors of franchising firms: A study on franchisors and franchisees. Administrative Sciences, 13(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13010008

Ihemereze, N. K. C., Eyo-Udo, N. N. L., Egbokhaebho, N. B. A., Daraojimba, N. C., Ikwue, N. U., & Nwankwo, N. E. E. (2023). Impact of monetary incentives on employee performance in the Nigerian automotive sector: A case study. International Journal of Advanced Economics, 5(7), 162–186. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijae.v5i7.548

Patterson, M. (2020). A structured approach to strategic alignment between business and information technology objectives. South African Journal of Business Management, 51(1), 12. https://sajbm.org/index.php/sajbm/article/view/365/1569

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Case Study Assignment Instructions

For each Case Study Assignment, you will read the assigned case study and analyze the case scenario/research through a series of questions. The overall structure of each case is similar in that each case begins with an abstract followed by a description of the scenario/research and concludes with a discussion about the situation. The discussion is simply a series of unique questions about the case scenario that you will answer as your Case Study Assignment.

No abstract is required for the Case Study Assignment nor are an introduction or conclusion; simply type the questions as an APA style heading and respond. Ensure the following are met:

• Must be supported with at least 4 scholarly (peer reviewed) research articles in your response.
• Must be at least 900 words (the word count does not include the question text, cover page, or reference page)
• Use proper grammar, current APA format and submit in MS Word format
  

  Case Study: Ramada Demonstrates Its Personal Best™ Assignment

Each case can be found within Canvas under the respective Case Study Resources section. This section is below the assignment instructions.

The specific questions for each Case Study Assignment can be found on the following pages of the case study:

• Hero Builder’s Case Study Assignment: see case page 2
• NetConversions Influences Kelley Blue Book: see case page 4
• Ramada Demonstrates its Personal Best™: see case pages 3 & 4

View the Case Study Resources section under each Case Study page.