Understanding Superior Customer Value As Basis For Competitive Strategies In The Malaysian Automobile Market

In this research study, the aim is to identify and describe the attributes of superior customer value, which formed an important basis of building competitive strategies in Malaysian automotive industry. Art and William (1999) quoted that the attributes of superior customer value are fundamentally a blend of quality, services, and price (QSP).From consumer’s perspective, QSP have been identified as superior customer value with the resulting experiences about the goods or services provided by the Malaysian car companies. The values of QSP have been embedded in the brand image, which will influence the buying decision. It is highlighted that consumers have always craving for satisfaction in the form of promising QSP and brand that drive them in their purchasing decision-making. Most of the Malaysian car companies have their priority over their customer’s satisfaction in their organisation’s philosophy and having their success vision behind the concept of marketing. However, the research has concluded that Malaysian car companies have inclined more towards selling concept than developing a customer-oriented organisation. There are always implications that Malaysian car firms need to adopt the concept of marketing via QSP to formulate their business strategies in order to outperform their competitors in view of the liberalisation of automotive industry in Malaysia. A self administered questionnaire – to measure the respondent’s attitude, is the method of gathering information from the two separated groups of respondent in order to analyse the respondent’s attitude from consumer’s and Malaysian car firm’s perspective respectively. The descriptive research designed will be adopted in the study. Hypothesis testing and linear correlation analysis will be preformed to support the research questions. All weaknesses of the survey methods will be identified and priority is set in to omit any ineffective methods of data collection.

Chapter 1: Introduction
Objectives of the study
Research methodology
The market structure of automobile industry in Malaysia
Industry outlook
Strategic insight into communicating consumer value

Chapter 2: Literature Review
Purpose of literature review
Definition of superior customer value
The heart of customer value
Defining value proposition from firm perspective
Refining customer value triads
Quality attributes
Quality from the consumer’s perspective
Dimension of product quality
Dimension of service quality
Managing service quality
Strategic implications of quality
Price attribute
Communicating value through price
Valued-based pricing strategies
Role of Branding
What is a brand?
Branding customer experiences
Factors influence product decision
Superior customer values as bases of competitive Strategies
Price based strategies (Route 1 and 2)
Hybrid strategy (Route 3)
Added value, or differentiation strategies (Route 4)
Focused differentiation strategy (Route 5)
Failure strategy (Route 6, 7 & 8)
The marketing concept vs. selling concept

Chapter 3: Research Design
Research objectives
Hypothesis testing
Bivariate correlation analysis
Ranking analysis
The role of research design
Type of research design
Data sources
Secondary data research
Primary data research
Methods of collecting respondent data
Communication method
Self-administered questionnaire
Personal interview
Telephone interview
Observation method
Selecting an optimal method
Sampling design
Sampling method
Sampling size
Measurement of quantitative survey
Nominal scale
Ordinal scale
Interval scale
Rating scale method
Construction of questionnaires
Survey questionnaires (consumers)
Survey questionnaires (organisation)
Administration of Questionnaires
Survey questionnaires (consumers)
Survey questionnaires (organisation)
Piloting and pre-testing questions

Chapter 4: Data Analysis
Test of reliability
Hypothesis testing
Hypothesis 1: Quality is one of the core components of superior customer value
Hypothesis 2: Price is what customers pay in exchange for superior customer value
Hypothesis 3: Branding plays an important role in delivering superior customer value
Hypothesis 4: The value triad of QSP and branding can influence customer-buying decision
Hypothesis 5: The Malaysian car companies understand the importance of marketing concept
Hypothesis 6: The Malaysian car companies are not practicing marketing concept to create customer value
Bivariate correlation analysis
Ranking analysis
Other analysis
Demographic analysis
Demographic profiling Survey questionnaires (consumers)
Demographic profiling Survey questionnaires (organisation)
Important of product and service quality as one of the core components of superior customer value
Important of product Quality
Important of Service Quality
Price is what customers pay in exchange for superior customer value
Perceived benefits and price
Price as a quality cue
The role of branding from consumer’s perspective
Factors influencing consumer’s buying decision
Importance of marketing concept to formulate business strategies
Importance of marketing concepts
Bases of business strategies
Practising marketing or selling concept
Analysis of research findings
Hypothesis testing result
Bivariate correlation analysis
Ranking analysis
Other findings
Quality dimension (product and service)
Price dimension
Branding from consumer’s perspective
Factors influencing consumer’s buying decision
Importance of marketing concept as basis of business strategies
Practising marketing or selling concept

Chapter 5: Conclusion
Conclusion
Implications
Recommendation
Limitations of research study

Bibliography

Appendices
Sample survey questionnaires (consumers)
Sample survey questionnaires (organisation)
Sample covering letter

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