Case Analysis: Chestnut Ridge Country Club

Case Analysis: Chestnut Ridge Country Club
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Case Analysis: Chestnut Ridge Country Club
Management/Decision Problem
The management/decision problem in the Chestnut Country Club case is a decline in membership applications. As such, since the management problem is action-oriented (Iacobucci & Churchill, 2018), the management is concerned with how to address the decline. The decline in membership application is a symptom that the club is losing its market share to competitors. The board of directors suspected that Chestnut’s major competitors in the area were not experiencing the same problem. As a result, the suspected causes of the decline are internal, which indicates that there is something that Chestnut’s competitors are doing better in comparison. Based on the results of the survey, the factors contributing to the decline of membership applications were the club’s management, food prices, and the tennis court facilities. To address this problem, the management needs to revisit its food price list and offer a fairer price for their food. They may also need to change the club’s management by hiring a new club manager and improve the condition of the tennis court through renovations and the addition of new tennis courts.
Research Problem & Objectives
The research problem in Chestnut’s case is the causes of the decline in the membership application. Information on what the management needs to do to address this problem is needed, which is why the research problem focuses on identifying the underlying causes (Iacobucci & Churchill, 2018). The research needs to provide the management with information on:
* The areas that Chestnut performs poorly in comparison to its competitors in the area. These areas will indicate the underlying cause of the decline.
* How people generally perceive Chestnut Country Club. This will help the management understand why people choose to seek membership from other country clubs and consequently, the management will be able to make the right decision to attract more people.
* How to increase the uptake of membership at Chestnut. This will provide management with information on what to do to solve the problem.
Methodology
* Research Design
The management intentions were to gain insights into the causes of the decline (Case 2.5, n.d.). The researchers utilized an exploratory research design. This type of design seeks to not only provide insights but also possible courses of action (Iacobucci & Churchill, 2018). The insights include how an existing product or service can be improved to better meet customers’ demand. As indicated in the case study, the researchers aimed to provide recommendations on how the club can increase its membership application, among other things.
* Design of Data Collection
The study utilized primary data. The researchers mailed questionnaires to 85-90 members of each country club, with an expectation of about 70 responses which were sufficient for the study. Based on the mail listing provided to the researchers, the total population from Alden, Chalet, and Lancaster was 344 members. It is unclear how many members Chestnut had.
* Sample Design & Data...