key performance indicators (KPI)

The Problem Statement:

Success in the grocery retail arena in United States of America could be measured using several key performance indicators (KPI) such as turnover rates, market share which dictates a brain’s relevancy, stock value if public and growth unit or revenue rate. All mentioned KPIs are valid but the ultimate measurement tool which all will eventually lead to or, be driven by, or a derivative of is an accounting technique named Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization known as EBITDA. The purpose of this study is to quantify success or failure of the Grocery Retail Industry using specific grocery retail companies in United States between the years of Two Thousand Nine and Two Thousand Fourteen (2009-2014) using EBITDA.
Significance of the Study
In this section, please talk about the impact grocery retail has on the US Economy. To do so, you must:
o Measure and talk about the US GDP from 2009 through 2014
o Measure the portion of GDP that Grocery Retail in United States has (example Grocery retail counts for X% of the total US GDP)
o Discuss how many people may be employed by key grocery retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, Ingles, Wholefoods, Winn-Dixie etc… (as long it’s a grocery retail company based in USA)
Purpose of the Study:
The purpose of this study will be to demonstrate the little EBITDA percentage in the Grocery Retail Industry compared to the large sales volume it currently has. To do so you must talk about the followings:
o How much sales does either, the grocery industry in the US generated from 2009-2014 or how much sales a company such as Walmart generated from 2009-2014.
o Discuss the danger grocery retail faces such as minimum wage increases, such as price competition, potential foodborn illnesses such as salmonella in the produce, fresh meat and deli areas, etc….
Research Questions, Hypotheses:
Each study is bound by certain questions or hypotheses that guide the direction of the research. These should explain what is being asked or explored by the researcher and should reveal the link with the statement of the purpose. Research questions are appropriate for all studies (dissertation and applied research) and all methods (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods). Hypotheses are appropriate for quantitative studies. Problem statements are appropriate for Applied Research studies. Examples follow
Question 1:
Grocery Retail Companies with a healthier EBITDA may be prone to no acquisitions and show signs for stronger cash flow and long term growth.
Question 2:
For short investors, grocery retail companies with healthier EBITDA may not be the best fit for faster return on investments.
Review of the Literature or Information Sources
The sources for the literature review include government documents, appropriate databases, books, professional journals, previous research on the topic, dissertations, and other information about previous investigations and existing theories that form the rationale for the current undertaking. Applied research studies may also use appropriate information sources relevant to the investigation that are not from peer-reviewed journals nor what would normally be considered as a scholarly source; yet, the source may still be appropriate and relevant for the research.
Data Collection and Analysis
The type of data to be collected and the method of analyzing the data should be explained for each research question or hypothesis. This study is quantitative therefore, the statistical measures (i.e., t-test, ANOVA, chi square, etc.) should be specified for each hypothesis. Analysis of the data depends on the research design and the data to be collected (e.g., use of SPSS, NVivo, coding manuals, and statistical treatments for quantitative data).

REFERENCES
Note: This page should be titled “REFERENCES” (in bold). It should not be titled “Works Cited” or “Bibliography” or “List of References” Please note that one of the deviations of AU from standard APA is the use of single spacing for the reference list. Use a “hanging indent” in the paragraph formatting so that subsequent lines after the first are indented .5 spaces.