Report on Feminine Car (business research methods)

Feminine Car: A concept study
BUSINESS RESEARCH METHODS
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
REPORT
ON

THE CONCEPT OF A FEMININE
CAR

BY
Mr. Abhik Tushar Das (Roll No: 20104001)
Mr. Ajay Cecil (Roll No: 20104002)
Mr. Anil Kumar Sahu (Roll No: 20104004)

UNDER THE MENTORSHIP OF
DR. SUBRAT SAHU

15-Month Executive MBA (Jan. 2011- Mar. 2012)
SCHOOL OF PETROLEUM MANAGEMENT (SPM)
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Comments:
 Abhik.dexe-mba10@spm.pdpu.ac.in
 Ajay.cexe-mba10@spm.pdpu.ac.in
 Anil.sexe-mba10@spm.pdpu.ac.in


TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Background

2. Problem Definition
a. Statement of objective
b. Hypothesis

3. Research design
a. Secondary Data
 Internet
 Literature
b. Design of collection method
 Questionnaire Design
 Survey
 Scaling Techniques
c. Sampling Process
 Target population
 Sample Size
 Sampling technique
d. Sample gathering

4. Data processing and analysis
a. Data analysis
 Assimilation using Pivot table
 Pie charts

5. Conclusion
a. Summary
b. Recommendation
b. Limitations
c. Appendix
d. References

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1. Background
The car industry in particular has always been a male domain with
manufacturers focused on the masculine aspect and building vehicles
which appeal to men. Today’s cars designs are the expression of the
thoughts of an industry dominated by men. The early 1990s, it was
quite a discovery to see women drive a car in India. It was completely a
male domain and women mostly used public transport or were led by
chauffeur - driven cars. One of the limiting factors was the kind of cars
that were available in the Indian market at that time; cars were often
bulky and difficult to drive. Today, the Indian woman has moved
beyond her traditional roles. The transition from a humble homemaker
to a tech savvy, independent, decision maker has happened and
women in India today occupy important places in the society.
Maruti brought in the small car that was easy to drive in the Indian
sub-continent. Today the latest technology adaptations like power
steering make driving very easy and enjoyable. However till date no car
manufacturer has toyed with the concept of a female-centric car, a
concept having a niche market in India where the share of women
drivers have gone up with the rise in income, education level and
aspirations.
Indian women have become an economic powerhouse. They are
career focused and ambitious with high spending power and therefore
need more choices to satisfy their personal requirements. Women are
key decision makers in 74% of decisions taken in a household.
According to recent surveys, women directly make or influence two-
thirds of car purchases. Apart from the cars that women purchase for
their personal use, women also have a major influence in purchases
made by men and are primarily involved in the decision making while

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purchasing cars for the family. These days it’s normal to find more than
one car in an upper middle class household where husband and
spouse are both working.
In car design, women may attribute different values to factors such
as car comfort, safety, convenience, exterior looks. Women may place
more value on safety, cozy interiors and increased storage for their
handbags. They may view a car as an extension of their lifestyle which
perhaps exemplifies their style quotient. Women may view cars as cute
and fun to drive, small cars with sporty looks could be more preferred
in comparison to heavy cars. Depending on the personality type,
women who like to work and party hard may feel the need to have
space for storing their party wear. In metropolitan cities, this could be a
big boon, as this translates into lesser time commuting between work
and home.
Car manufacturers could stand to gain by identifying with the needs
of women and the current car design would evolve to include those
particular needs. In general, the car design need not be completely
gender biased, by taking the middle path or by shifting more towards
the feminine side would ensure that the car is appealing to women and
also of interest to a certain percentage of men’s population. The car
market’s demographic segmentation by gender cannot be ignored
entirely while the markets mature and women become key drivers of
car sales.

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2. Problem Definition
a. Statement of objective
To understand women’s needs in terms of car design that fulfils the
specific requirements of women as drivers.
 Gauge the perception of women in terms of what they desire in a
car
 Gauge the attitude of women and how they relate with cars
 Gauge the preferences of women in the car selection process

A survey is required for identifying these needs. A bit of imagination
is required in the survey process as women have not been exposed to
the concept of feminine cars, identifying the model currently available
in the market which suits the imagination of women would give a bigger
picture of how things would pan out.

Perception

Women

Preferences Attitude

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b. Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a hypothetical statement regarding the relation
between two or more variables. They must be statements of the
relationship between variables and they must carry clear implications
for testing the stated relations.
A broad hypothesis is given below from which more focused
hypothesis may be derived “Car manufacturers have ignored the
preferences of women in car design”. By reducing the problem to a
hypothetical statement, the problem has become more focused and the
hypothesis can be tested through research methods.

3. Research design
The proposed research is of type Exploratory. The exploratory
study is required as the concept for a feminine car is the new
development of a product for a specific market segment. Very little
information being available on this topic, an understanding is to be
developed in the need for designing a female-centric car. The
exploratory study will form the basis for more in-depth studies to be
conducted in future leading to clearer objectives. Based on this
exploratory study it is possible to go for more detailed survey after
having judged the response of the respondents to the pilot survey. The
purpose of the exploratory research is to have a better understanding
of this problem.
The exploratory study will involve a questionnaire of 15 questions
where responses will be judged on their preferences in selecting a car,
how they perceive the functionality of a car and what they actually
desire in a car, in comparison to what options are already available in

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the car market. From this we have identified the variables which should
be included in our study.
On the basis of the hypothesis the preferences of women have not
been considered while designing a car. Exploratory research will
attempt to define the problem in a manner that research can be further
conducted in a detailed and comprehensive manner. Below are the
phases in the research process:

Secondary Data
Internet Literature

Collection Method
Questionnaire design Survey

Sampling Process
Sample size Sampling technique
Sample gathering
Working women Students

Process and Analyse data
Using pivot table

Conclusion
Recommendation Summary

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Comments:

a. Secondary Data
 Internet:
Data from previous projects was gathered from the internet such as
car surveys from auto magazines. The data may not be directly
relevant to the topic under study but was of immense value for planning
out the study. Some of the data available may be outdated but can be
useful for forming the basis of our study.
 Literature:
Collect literature and reviews to get a general overview of the car
market in India. Study the existing reports undertaken for assessing the
traits of car buyers, referred to auto car magazines to get an idea of the
various car models on offer and also read articles on gender biased
marketing.
Design of Collection method

 Questionnaire design:
This involved the design of the questionnaire on the basis of
the potential attributes identified as part of the car selection process,
preferences of women in the various aspects of car design such as
engine type, color etc. Research problems were listed and then the
information needed was identified. The questions were then prepared
in order to fulfill the information requirements as identified earlier. The
questions were designed with language which was easy to understand
to the respondents. The questions could be clubbed together after
identifying related variables. The questions were also designed
keeping in mind that use of statistical tools such as Factor Analysis
should be possible to give meaningful results and also for data
reduction. Below we have shown how the information was extracted in

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terms of our three key research elements. Questions are given in
appendix.
Q1. Car manufacturers have ignored the likes & dislikes of women in car design
Using LIKERT scale, the general satisfaction of women in terms of existing car models
and design is gauged here.

Q2. Q3 Q5 Q6 and Q12
Gauges the preferences of women at different stages in the car selection process
amongst other factors.

Q8 Q10 Q13 and Q15
Gauge the attitude of women and how they relate with the elements of car design

Q4 Q7 Q9 Q11 and Q14
Gauge the perception of women in terms of what they desire in a car

 Survey:
Survey method used was mainly by Personal Interviewing of the
respondents. Interview was conducted in campus and we also did
intercept at popular places like Info city (info-tech parks).
 Scaling Techniques:
Consideration should be given to the below points before
attempting to formulate a scaling technique. There is no point in
collecting data which cannot be analyzed subsequently. Also of
concern is the cost and limited time available for collecting and
analyzing data.

1) Type of information required.
2) Time and cost constraints.
3) Literary level of target respondents (for easy communication)
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4) What type of Statistical tools should be used?
5) How each question will be analysed?
6) Expected and desired response

Types of scaling used in our questionnaire design:
Nominal scale
This is a very simple scale. It consists of assignment of choices to
various alternative categories which are usually exhaustive as well
mutually exclusive. These scales are just numerical and are the least
restrictive of all the scales. It is simple and widely used when
relationship between two variables is to be studied. In a Nominal Scale
numbers are no more than labels and are used specifically to identify
different categories of responses. This questionnaire comprised mainly
nominal type as they were simple to distinguish relationship between
more than one variable.

Ordinal scale
Ordinal scales are the simplest attitude measuring scale used in
Marketing Research. It is more powerful than a nominal scale in that
the numbers possess the property of rank order. The ranking of certain
product attributes or benefits as deemed important by the respondents
is obtained through the scale.

LIKERT scale A part of ordinal scale developed by Rensis Likert. Here
the respondents are asked to indicate a degree of agreement and
disagreement with each of a series of statement. Each scale item has 5
response categories ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree.
Each degree of agreement is given a numerical score and the

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respondents total score is computed by summing these scores. This
total score of respondent reveals the particular opinion of a person.

Semantic Differential Scale A type of attitude scales with bipolar
adjectives at the far end of the scale. By measuring the score we can
know the personality type of the respondent.

b. Sampling Process
 Target Population:
The target population is the collection of elements or objects that
process the information sought by the researcher and about which
inferences are to be made. Our target population involves women
who are potential or existing buyers of cars, women who are
existing users of cars or above 18yrs which is the legally
permissible limit for drivers in India.
Essentially, our target population is young women comprising both working
women and the student population.

 Sample Size: It denotes the number of elements to be included in
the study. Due to time constraints the sample size chosen is 72.
Sample size should be in the range of hundreds for a meaningful
analysis, larger the sample size more relevant will be its inference.
For the purpose of our study we have limited the sample size to 72.

 Sampling Technique: Convenience sampling was mostly done in
our study as the respondents chosen were closest and depending
on their availability. It is a type of non-probability sampling which
involves the sample being drawn from that part of the population
which is close to hand. The researcher cannot generalize the

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results from this type of sampling as the samples are confined to a
specific location and not representative of the general population.

Stratified sampling was also used in our study to obtain
homogeneous sub groups from the population. We have divided the
respondents into female student and working women population.
When populations vary, it is advantageous to sample each
subpopulation independently. Stratification is the process of dividing
members of the population into homogeneous subgroups before
sampling. A stratified survey could thus claim to be more
representative of the population than a survey of simple random
sampling or systematic sampling.

We also used snowball sampling where existing subjects would
guide us to new respondents based on their recommendation.

c. Sample gathering
A total of 72 respondents were interviewed personally and they
were asked to fill out the questionnaire. Out of the 72 respondents
the ratio of working women to female students was 1:3.
4. Data Processing and Analysis
a. Data analysis
 Assimilate using pivot table
The data gathered from the respondents were input into MS excel.
The data was brought together and prepared for statistical analysis.
Using pivot table function the basic data was analyzed the results
were represented in pie charts as shown below.
 Pie charts
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Q1. Below chart shows that 36% of respondents believe that car manufacturers have not
considered the needs of women in the elements of car design. While only 12%
respondents are satisfied with the existing car models in terms of design. A sizeable
portion of respondents 21% were undecided.

3% 0

12%
Strongly agree
Agree
Undecided
21% 36% Disagree
Strongly disagree

Q2. Below chart shows that majority women 24% associate the image of a car with
family. A sizeable 21% associate the car with functionality and view it as a mode of
transport.

6% Mode of transport
21%
24% Status symbol
6% Speed machine
15% Family vehicle
Style quotient

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Q3. Below chart shows that majority women 30% go for exterior looks followed by
mileage 24%

Exterior looks

12%
30% Engine power

24% Mileage

6%
Cabin space

Others

Q4. Safety features and Portable wardrobe are the two most desirable features that can
be made available in the future car models

seat height
boot opener
accessories
Gear change easy
comfort/safety
automatic mirror
portable wardrobe
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

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Q5. The chart below shows that 39% of female respondents prefer to drive a sedan

6% 15%
12% Hatchback
Sedan

39% SUV
Compact

Q6. The budget for majority of respondents 33% was in the range of 4-6 lacs

less than INR 4.0 Lacs

15%

INR 4-6 Lacs
33%

INR 6-8 Lacs
24%

INR 8-10 Lacs

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Q7. The consideration for car safety features amongst the respondents was highest and
of utmost importance

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
Utmost Essential Accessory Not
important required

Q8. Cabin height was deemed to be highly underutilized by the respondents

80

60

40 rank 4
20 rank 3
0 rank 2
Front Back Boot Cabin rank 1
legroom legroom space height

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Q9. Silver and Black were the chosen colors as per the majority of respondents

12% 9%
3%

12%
18%

18%

Red Pink Blue Silver Black White

Q10. Majority of the respondents ranked “voice activated audio, video & GPS navigation
system” as the highest priority followed by “refrigerated compartment for holding cans”

Refrigerator

Portable wardrobe rank1
rank2

Vanity kit rank3
rank4
GPS/ Voice command

0% 20%40%60%80%100%

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Q11. Amongst the various models given by respondents, Maruti Swift was most popular
followed by Volkswagon Beetel and Honda city

25
Swift Beetel Beat
20
Innova Polo Wagonr
15 Jazz Audi NA
CRV Xylo Honda City
10
Santro i10 Civiv
5
Corolla Cruz Vento

0 Etios Spark Alto
1 Punto Jetta

Q12. Majority of the respondents 33% are in favor of CNG powered vehicles

6%
18%
Petrol
Diesel
33%
15% CNG
Electric

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Q13. Majority of the respondents ranked “electronic fault indicators” as their priority

80

70

60

50
Parking space
40 Open bonnet

30 Crank the car
Manual door opening
20

10

0
rank1 rank2 rank3 rank4

Q14. “soft fabric with cushion effect” was top on the list of upholstery by the respondents

Lavish
Leather
Soft fabric
Others

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Q15. Female respondents were most apprehensive about meeting with accidents as
compared to car breakdown and other factors

100%
90%
80%
70%
Breakdown
60%
Coordination
50%
Accidents
40%
30% Change flat tyres
20%
10%
0%
rank1 rank2 rank3 rank4

Summary:

1. A car as a family vehicle: Women respondents from our survey view cars
as family vehicles, rather than an extension of their individual lifestyle. As
a family vehicle, women expect that the vehicle should have seating
capacity of 4-5 passengers. Women are conscious of the family setup and
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are committed to the family. Most probably they perceive cars as an
extension of the family environment with whom they are attached rather
than their individual self.
2. Attractive looks: A lot of emphasis was put on attractive looks by the
respondents. Also from our survey it was determined that Swift and Beetle
are amongst most popular designs by the respondents. Beetle is a retro
styled car from Volkswagon’s stable and most popular amongst women
worldwide due to its cute and bug like appearance. Similarly any car
targeted at women should have a cuteness quotient.
3. Sedan: Most respondents have chosen sedans over small cars and SUVs.
Sedans are predominantly 4 door cars with separate trunk for luggage at
the rear. In the Indian car market, sedans are associated with an upmarket
image and most corporate vehicles happen to be sedans.
4. Budget: Most of the respondents prefer to spend in the range of 4 – 6 lacs.
Cars in this price will fall in the premium segment such as Hyundai’s i20
and Polo for example or an entry level sedan.
5. Safety features: Safety was of utmost importance for women respondents,
women give highest importance to car safety features in the car selection
process. Cars targeted at women should offer safety as a standard offering
rather than optional package. This finding is synonymous with the
response of women worldwide by online surveys.
6. Car roof height: Respondents feel that car roof is highly underutilized in a
car especially true for cars having tall boy design. Low car roofs are also
associated with sleek designs as seen in sports models. Moreover the
average height of women in India is less than 5ft5”.
7. Colour: Black and silver are the most popular colours amongst the female
respondents.

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8. CNG: CNG is the fuel of choice by most respondents. This means our
respondents are both price conscious and favour environment
sustainability
9. Electronic Fault Indicators: women respondents are not comfortable
opening heavy bonnets and analyzing complicated engine mechanisms to
find out breakdowns/ failures. Hence a need for electronic fault finders
which would summarize the performance of engine and associated
machinery in the car to provide a real time data on the dash board.
10. Upholstery: Women respondents have rated soft fabric with cushion like
comfort in their rating for upholstery. The upholstery should be as
comfortable as in one’s own bedroom.
11. Roadside assistance: Women respondents were most apprehensive
about meeting with accidents while driving. This concern can be alleviated
by offering roadside assistance as a standard. Roadside assistance will
also comprise changing flat tyres and cover other breakdowns.

Findings (derived from the survey):

Aspects of Car design
1 Seating space 4-5 to accommodate a family
2 Looks Attractive looks
3 Car type Sedan
4 Budget INR 4-6 lacs
5 Features Safety features as standard package
6 Car height Low height (no tall-boy designs)
7 Colour Black/ silver
8 Fuel CNG
9 Gadgets Provide electronic fault indicators
10 Upholstery Provide soft fabrics with cushion effect
11 Miscellaneous Roadside assistance cover for accidents

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Limitations
Since this Project was intended to elucidate the techniques of Business Research
Methods The scope of the project was limited to learning the concept of
Research design.

There have been a number of limitations because of which the survey may not be
truly representative as mentioned below.
 The Sample size used for the research was small.
 The Sample consisted of primarily students.
 The area was limited to College campus and the shopping places
 The responses obtained might be inaccurate or biased
 The sample of the respondents chosen for the study might not be
representative
 Analysis of the data might differ depending on the statistical tools and
techniques used

b) Recommendations:

a) The concept of a woman only car (feminine car) is nascent in India. Although
the feminine 2-wheeler market has evolved with male scooters and bikes to
women centric vehicles popularly known as SCOOTY. The bike promotions
are based on masculine needs of speed and machismo; the women
advertisements focus on easy maneuverability with a sense of liberation from
the household (4-walled barrier) that feminine society was restricted to in our
social structure.
b) Although the study findings draws our attention towards the specific attributes
desired by woman in a car, a subsequent detailed study about the market
demand for a concept of Feminine car is desirable. The aspect of market

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Comments:

demand was not covered within the scope of the survey due to time
constraints and low sample size.
c) The study is perception based among young women students (18-25year
age) and working women (within 30years of age). A much wider sample size
especially for the age bracket of 30-45year old is desirable as that sample
would be more mature and informed in terms of practicality of buying a car
rather than our sample who would be potential car owners in the near future
(after 5-10years).
d) The growing financial independence and stability of women in India will
impact on the decision making ability for women in terms of car purchase. A
unique woman centric product would do wonders in tapping the unfulfilled
needs of women. Any organization would want to leverage the concept in
taking the first mover advantage in this market. This study although
suggesting the perception should be augmented with a need based study to
complete the market research objectives.

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Comments:

Appendix: Questionnaire

1. Car manufacturers have ignored the likes & dislikes of women in car
design
(a) Strongly agree
(b) Agree
(c) Undecided
(d) Disagree
(e) Strongly disagree

2. Which of the below best matches your perception of a car? (choose
any one)
(a) A mode of transport
(b) A status symbol
(c) A speed machine
(d) A family vehicle
(e) A style quotient

3. What is the most appealing aspect to you in car design? (choose
any one)
(a) Exterior Looks
(b) Engine power
(c) Mileage
(d) Cabin space
(e) Other (please specify) _______________________

4. Which feminine feature according to you is missing in the cars
available in the Indian market?
(a) ________________________
(b) ________________________
(c) ________________________

5. Which type of car would you consider buying (choose any one)
(a) Hatchback
(b) Sedan
(c) SUV
(d) Compact (2 door)

6. The budget perceived for your car would be in the range
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Comments:

(a) <4.0 lacs
(b) 4.0 - 6.0 lacs
(c) 6.0 – 8.0 lacs
(d) 8.0 - 10.0 lacs

7. Safety features in your car is of;
(a) Utmost importance
(b) Essential
(c) An accessory
(d) Not required

8. Which space in your car do you think is highly underutilized? (rank 1
to 4, 1 has highest rank)
(a) Legroom in the front row seats as you/ driver is not very tall__
(b) Legroom in the back row seats as your family doesn’t have a
Michael Jordan__
(c) Boot-space as you generally do not carry luggage__
(d) Cabin-height (headroom) because tall boy concepts look ugly__

9. What would be the favourite colour for your car? (choose any one)
(a) Red
(b) Pink
(c) Blue
(d) Silver
(e) Other (please specify) _________

10. What are the most important accessories you would like in your car?
(rank 1 to 4, 1 has highest rank)
(a) A built in voice activated audio, video and GPS navigation
system__
(b) A pull out vanity kit with lipstick, nail polish holders (instead of
glove-box)__
(c) A portable wardrobe case for your party clothes __
(d) A refrigerated compartment for holding bottles __

11. According to you, presently which car model best serves all your
needs to the extent possible?
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Comments:

(a) _________________________
(b) _________________________
(c) _________________________
(d) No one suits my taste

12. Specify your preference in car engine type (choose any one)
(a) Petrol (low noise and maintenance)
(b) Diesel (cheaper fuel)
(c) CNG (cheap & environment friendly)
(d) Electric (cheap and convenient)

13. The most dull thing to do in car driving (rank 1 to 4, 1 has highest
rank)
(a) Open the car doors manually (wish you had automatic doors)__
(b) Crank the car (wish you had push start button)__
(c) Open the bonnet to check the level oil, coolant and battery (wish
you had electronic fault indicators)__
(d) Crammed parking space (wish you had parking sensors)__

14. What kind of upholstery would you prefer inside your car? (choose
any one)
(a) Plush like your drawing room
(b) Leather finished
(c) Soft fabric with cushions
(d) Other (please specify) ___________

15. Your biggest fear in car driving would be (rank 1 to 4, 1 has highest
rank)
(a) Having to change flat tyres __
(b) Worried about having an accident__
(c) Coordinate between steering, gears, clutch, brake and
accelerator__
(d) Car breakdown in the middle of nowhere__

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Comments:

References
Moss, G.M (2008), Gender Design and Marketing, how gender drives our
perception of design and marketing, Aldershot, England: Ashgate publications, p
22-40

Bell, J.B.(2003) Concept Car Design: Driving the Dream (Interior and Industrial
Design), Rotovision publications, pg 130-163

James Veal, A.J.V (2005) Business research methods: a managerial approach,
Longman publications, pg 45-78

Women design concept car for Volvo
(http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-03-02-ycc_x.htm)

A female designer’s perspective (http://www.lunar.com/in-search-of-the-perfect-
car-a-female-designers-perspective/) By Sandrine Lebas

Women and Cars: How Women Influence Car Design and Buying Power
(http://autos.aol.com/article/how-women-influence-car-design/)
By: Sheryll Alexander, AOL Autos

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Report on Feminine Car (business research methods)

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