Reworked section.

1: Introduction/Justification/Research Question (up to 250 words) The research would be about the factors that shape the consumer perceptions towards entry level automobile products as exemplified by two passenger car marquees in two main markets and seeks to explain the rationale of differences in consumer behavior in the cultures of UK and India. The production and consumption of entry level passenger cars is a global trade and the culture acts a crucial determinant in influencing behaviors. The car industry is a major contributor to the national GDP. This needs to be a matter of academic research as well. The issue of consumer behavior regarding the purchase of entry level passenger car has long been neglected in the academic research. (Global Auto report, Scotia Bank, 2012 ). Thus keeping in mind the economic importance of the product, this research work will aid to development of better understanding of problem and the factors which shape the consumer behaviors across culturally different nations and their consumers. This comparative study across UK (London) and India (Mumbai) seeks to develop insights into the same with focus only on new and the first purchase of entry level passenger car across the youth. The rationale for this choice stems from the ignored academic interest as well as booming business potential in managing the brand across the cultures with standardized market offering. The Honda and Hyundai models across the small passenger car segment would be reviewed and considered for the study work. For the purpose of research the two car model will be incorporated. The findings can be generalized for the all the entry level cars across the production line. This leads us to the following research objectives:
Comment [AM2]: How do you mean? Comment [AM1]: Good.

To understand the role of cultural differences in influencing peoples thinking regarding small car ownership, implications for brand management marketing practices- across the Great Britain and India
Comment [AM3]: Maybe better to split!

To understand the concept of entry level small passenger car-What comprises the various approaches and the need to define the product ideology , its prospective consumers profile and the influencing variables
Comment [AM4]: Confusing!

To evaluate the factors changing public perception regarding small fuel efficient family cars
Comment [AM5]: Not specific and not relating to the broader perspective of culture

The contribution of the proposed work lies in developing a better understanding of the purchase behavior especially the determinants of consumer behavioral patterns across diverse cultures and geographies .This contrastive study across the Great Britain and India will help the brand managers understand the logic behind the diverse cultures and markets. The passenger car is a road motor vehicle, other than a motor cycle, intended for carriage of passengers and designed to seat not more than five persons (OECD,2002).The small passenger car identifies itself as compact car (American concept),small family car (British concept) and the light or kei car(Japanese concept) .The common identified dimensions of entry level small passenger car are: Small ,economic family carrier Low price and huge untapped demand Fuel Efficiency and mileage as prime characteristics Less service requirements with durability and re sale value Priced within the range of $ 32-35000
Comment [AM7]: Source? Comment [AM6]: Arent all cars motor vehicle?

The working definition for entry level small passenger car for this thesis is the small sized family car in the price range of $ 32-35000 with basic economic features and inherent fuel efficiency and mileage. This definition will serve as basis for research specification .The peoples thinking about the car ownership will be explored especially in context of economic situations in post

crisis period. The cultural influences on car purchase will be evaluated and the consequences for brand management will be understood. The cultural difference does exert sizable influence for marketing orientation development and respective brand management. These cultural influences in fact also shape the car ownership aspirations and the inherent variations across cultures. Such a variation also transforms into effective cross cultural brand equity development. Core Contribution The research seeks to understand the concept of small passenger cars, the respective target segment, the cross cultural differences, opinion of prospective people regarding car ownership and the implications for brand development. Marketing Contribution The practical marketing contributions can be classified as: The consumers perception regarding car ownership in diverse cultures of Great Britain and India The differences in cultural settings and their impact on cross cultural car purchase The vital factors for brand equity development
Comment [AM10]: Is this not too small? Comment [AM9]: Good Comment [AM8]: Source?

2: Critical Literature Review/Academic Foundation (up to 750 words) The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of factors that influence consumer buying behavior in cars. Specifically, we need to rely on the development of the insights into the process of psychological underpinnings behind the consumer behavior across diverse cultural set ups. The basis would indeed be provided by the psychological school of thinking comprising the cognitive, behavioral and trait aspects of consumer psychology. The research literature focuses on three aspects of research:

Comment [AM11]: I thought you said cultural perspective?

Exploration of motivations to consume an automobile product [ Maslows Need Hierarchy Model ( 1965 ), Theories of Motivation-Instinct Theory, Drive Theory, Warshaws Purchase intentions model ,The facets of Involvement ]
Comment [AM12]: Based on your research objectives, I cant see the need for this.

The role of culture in influencing the consumers motivations for car purchase Mowens culture consumption intersection(2001) model, Cultural Value systems and influence on possessions and holdings

The implications of this for marketing and cross cultural brand management

The review needs to take into consideration the consumers information learning and individualistic problem solving attribute, the impact of the group pressures, behaviour and attitude interlink ages, self-concept perspective and the social patterns of car consumption. The Fishbeins (1967) behavioral intention model seems relevant in evaluating the cross linkages between the buyers behaviour and intentions as well as the attitude development process. In view of the cross cultural influences working on buyers behaviour across Mumbai and the London, the definition and understanding of the linkages between culture and the consumption behaviour becomes essential. The culture does impact the consumer behaviour across the individual, group and of course the social interface. The interaction across the culture and consumer is understood across the ways and means of transfer of culture values (Mowen,2000) or as a two way interaction perspective (Solomon et al.,1995) and the Luna and Gupta model (2001) .The inter cultural consumer behaviour model (Mooij,2004) personality and culture as integral to behaviour formation. The mans distinct needs for existence are adequately captured across the Maslows need hierarchy (1965) and the Schuttes (1998) paradigms focus on the cultural variations to it across diverse cultural perspectives. The consumers possession perspective will also be explored

The corporate brand positioning is vital for understanding the dominant values and strong under currents for the global positioning with sensitivity to local aspirations. Since the cross cultural aspirations study is involved, so the relation between the culture and the consumer behaviour would be explored with the aid of branding in cultures as devised by the Park, Maclnuis approach of strategic brand image management. The brand power is hard to resist. The dimensions of global quality branding (Quelch and Hoff, 1986) incorporate: The same product or service everywhere with little or minor variations The same brand essence, identity parameters, and value offerings Using the same strategic perspective, positioning and advancement strategy Employing the similar marketing mix as much as possible
Comment [AM15]: What does all these mean for your study? Comment [AM14]: ?? Comment [AM13]: Not sure with what you are trying to say?

Majority of the internationally present automobile manufacturers have incorporated a global brand extension and assimilation initiative based on similar global advertising and promotion stance across the diverse geographies. Clearly the entry level cars do display surprisingly similarity across the markets and segments internationally, though they might differ in final end use. The point of concern is to drive the global success depending on local adoption and assimilation. The relationship between the firm and its potential consumers Research Methodology The research design is derived from the inductive and deductive under tones (Gill,1991).The inductive research relies on the researchers inference of the findings for the theory that prompted the process .The findings are fed back into the set of selected theories and the relation between the findings and domain of research is explored (Glaser and Strauss.1967). Whereas in the deductive research methodology the research action initiates with a specific theoretical basis regarding the current state of affairs regarding the world and the focus is on justification exploration for the findings. The process starts with the
Comment [AM16]: Of what?

choice of theoretical basis and then the data is collected and analyzed for arriving at findings and the implications for the theory are judged (Gill and Johnson,1991). The research design encapsulates a framework for the study to be used as guideline for collecting and analyzing the data hence collected in the process (Churchill, 1991). Aaker and Williams (1998) categorizes the three main classifications of the research design as comprising the casual, descriptive and the exploratory approach. The casual approach (Malhotra and Birks, 2000) revolves around the insistence on exploring the cause and effect relationships across the variables and for testing the assumed hypothesis. The aim of the present research work emphasizes the exploration and discovery of the cross cultural customer perceptions regarding the small entry level passenger cars across London and Mumbai. In a nutshell it nullifies the application of the casual research platform for the desired research. The exploratory research emphasizes the identification of the real nature of research problems and of formulating the relevant hypothesis for later research and tests. (Chisnall, 1997) The descriptive platform envisages the description of the situation with the aid of observational methods, case study approach or the survey methods.
Comment [AM20]: So what? Comment [AM19]: So what? Comment [AM18]: Good Comment [AM17]: You have not justified why you want to adopt the inductive & deductive approaches.

Sampling Design 1. Sample Profile: This will a mix of dealers and prospective consumers of car, selected through the simple random sampling. For the dealer it will be stratified sampling selection technique used. 2. Sample Size: Dealers 10, Consumers 50 3. Sampling Technique: Simple random sampling for the consumer and stratified sampling for the deal. Method of data collection: Structured disguised questionnaire will be developed to understand the consumer perception of global vs. Indian brands.
Comment [AM21]: Are you going to have 2 different set of questionnaires?

Sampling: This will a mix of dealers and prospective consumers of car, selected through the simple random sampling. The fieldwork would be undertaken with the structured disguised questionnaire to understand the middle class consumers perception of global Vs Indian brands. The Sample Profile comprises of dealers and prospective class conscious consumers of car, selected through the simple random sampling. For the dealer will be stratified sampling selection technique used a sample size of 10. The sample size of consumers comprises of 50. The sample can comprise any individual or the societal group from a chosen population which can be the unit of analysis for research work. A sample comprises all the elements which are central to collection of vital information for the research. The sample definition is essential for true representation of the population. Sampling culminates at the choice of study population for data collection and analysis. Method The sampling method can further be classified as one based on probability and another one on the non-probability basis of sampling. The research work intends to consider the non-probability sampling method for the data collection and analysis. The Data Collection Method Primary and Secondary Sources The two major sources of data can be categorized as comprising the primary as well as the secondary source of data. The sources of secondary data are mentioned here: The existing Literature on consumer behaviour, cross cultural influence on consumer, brand management The Automobile associations, Government publications and online content The marketing literature from the offices of entry level car manufacturers The recognized texts on branding, marketing and management The media reports from The Economist, BBC World, Auto Magazines
Comment [AM22]: Source?

As far as the primary or basic data is concerned I will focus our energies on the use of survey questionnaire to collect the best possible data for the research purpose. The Data Collection Instruments Questionnaire Design The questionnaires were used to collect the primary data on the factors which are beyond the reach of the researcher. The research objectives served as the guiding principles for the design and drafting of research questionnaire. The questionnaire method comprises the use of open ended and close ended questions for eliciting specific measured responses from the respondents. The use of questionnaire makes it easy to collect and quantify the collected data. The questionnaire designed for research work was made in concise clear cut manner to present the information in lucid manner. The pilot testing of the questionnaire was done prior to the actual data collection being undertaken. This was done to validate the success of the proposed questionnaire in effective data collection. The pilot study was carried out across some ten respondents for validating the instrument design. After validation the actual instrument was used for data collection across the sample population. Limitations 1. Sample size is not large enough to obtain absolute results. Variability may exits. 2. The study is based on the findings of single city only i.e. the Mumbai city in India and the London in Great Britain only. 3. The research is restricted to the entry level mini cars segment only. 4. The genuineness of data may be questioned. 5. The data compilation errors might lead to abnormal conclusions 6. The mode and scope of data collection can be segment specific, location specific and may have to face the emotional and attitudinal variations of segment population 7. The time shortages may also factor in compiling the conclusions
Comment [AM31]: Good Comment [AM28]: So what? Comment [AM29]: So what? Comment [AM30]: Why? Comment [AM27]: Need to link credible references. Comment [AM26]: When did you do this? Comment [AM25]: Why? Comment [AM23]: Have you done this? Comment [AM24]: ??

The data analysis would be aided with the graphical presentation tools and percentage methods .The rationale for choice of these methods is simple and time attributed approach to problem solution.