era of technological advancement, June 5, 2019 postadmin Post in Uncategorized Management Name of the Student Name of the University Author Note Research Topic: How Vodafone has increased its sales with new no-lock in contract SIM and phone plans? Introduction In this era of technological advancement, consumers are opting for more and more technologically advanced devices as well as services. Due to the huge competition in the global telecommunication industry, majority of the telecommunication organizations are trying to invest more and more on innovative telecommunication services in order to gain competitive advantage in the highly competitive market (Czajkowski and Sobolewski 2016). In order to attract he target consumers and enhance their consumer base, Vodafone has launched the Red plus as well as SIM Only Plus Plans. The mentioned plans provide the consumers with the choice of a SIM only plan or a plan that includes a phone that can be paid off interest-free in 12, 24 or 36 months (Calvo-Porral et al. 2017). The mentioned plans offers more transparency for the consumers since it enables them to view what exactly the required to pay each month for the Sim card as well as for their phone (Jiráková 2017). Research aims and objectives The aim of the research is to analyse and evaluate the factors that helped to enhance their sale with the help of the new no-lock in contract SIM and phone plans. The objectives of the research paper are as follows: To identify the specific issues that consumers face while paying the monthly handset payment fees along with the monthly contract price. To analyse the benefits of the no lock contract Sim and Phone plans for the consumers To analyse the factors that encouraged the consumers to go for the mentioned plan and influencing the consumer satisfaction rate post purchasing To find out the satisfaction rate of the consumers Research questions The research questions that will be answered in the study are as follows: What are specific issues faced by the consumers while paying the monthly handset payment fees along with the monthly contract price? What are the benefits of the no lock contract Sim and Phone plans for the consumers? What are the factors that encouraged the consumers to go for the mentioned plan and the influencing consumer satisfaction rate post purchasing? What is the post purchasing satisfaction rate of the consumers? Justification for the research Considering the fact that Vodafone has been ale to experience a drastic rise in its sales after launching the no contract plans in Australia, this research aims to evaluate the factors that enhanced the sales of the company. While researching for relevant literatures associated with the topic, it has been noticed that a very limited number of literatures have been reviewed on the research topic. Hence this research will help the telecommunication organizations to understand the strategies with the help of which they can enhance their sale to an effective level. Methodology Data collection In order to conduct this research paper, both primary data collection as well as secondary data collection method will be followed. In order to collect primary data, interview of one of the chief executives of the Vodafone Company will be conducted. Along with this, a survey will be conducted outside two Vodafone store in Australia, where 10 randomly selected participants will be asked close ended questions. For secondary data collection, review of 5 academic literatures, relevant to the research topic will be conducted. Data analysis For this research, mixed data analysis method will be followed. The mixed data analysis method includes both qualitative data analysis and quantitative data analysis (Babbage et al. 2016.). Qualitative data analysis will be conducted to analyse the data obtained from literature review and open-ended interview of one chief executive of the Vodafone Company. Quantitative data analysis with the help of SPSS data analysis software will be performed in order to analyse the data obtained from the survey. Gantt chart Figure 1: Gantt chart Source (created by Author) Research Budget The budget for the proposed research is approximately $4000 in order to complete this project within the time frame (10th January, 2020) given in the Gantt chart. Purpose Estimated Amount to be spent Literature Review $1000 Data Collection $2000 Data Analysis $1000 Total Budget Estimated $4000 Figure 1: Gantt chart Source (created by Author) Expected outcome From the research, the researcher will be able to understand the factors that are responsible for the abrupt rise in the ales of the Vodafone after launching the ew no-lock in contract SIM and phone plans. The findings will guide future researchers to research on thee mentioned topic. It will also help the telecommunication managers of Australia to incorporate effective strategies to enhance their sales to a great extent. Reference List Calvo-Porral, C., Faíña-Medín, A. and Nieto-Mengotti, M., 2017. Satisfaction and switching intention in mobile services: Comparing lock-in and free contracts in the Spanish market. Telematics and Informatics, 34(5), pp.717-729. Babbage, S., Vodafone IP Licensing Ltd, 2016. SIM locking. U.S. Patent 9,425,844. Czajkowski, M. and Sobolewski, M., 2016. How much do switching costs and local network effects contribute to consumer lock-in in mobile telephony?. Telecommunications Policy, 40(9), pp.855-869. Jiráková, Z., 2017. The Impact of Switching Costs on the Customer Satisfaction-Loyalty Link: Mobile Phone Service in the Czech Republic.