Market and Social Research Part 2

1
Research Process
Learning outcomes:
• Identify the steps involved in the
research process;
• Specify the components of the 'need' for
research;
• Discuss the strengths and weaknesses
of survey, observation and experimental
research techniques;
• Different types of research
• Managing a research project
Study Skills and Learning
Resources - http://www.griot.org

2
The need for research in decision making:
The marketing concept is central in marketing
thinking. It enables managers to:
•Be consumer oriented
•Stress long-run profitability
•Adopt a cross-functional perspective
•Keep customers and build relationships
•Implement a total-quality management approach
Research supports all the decision making involved
in pursuing these objectives. It takes us from:

3
The need for research in decision making:
Absolute Uncertainty Complete
Ambiguity Certainty

4
Complete plan, proposal, project mgt.
Identify the problem
Set the parameters, define terms,
understand the nature of the research
Create the research design
Select sampling procedure
Collect the data
Write up and present findings
Process and analyse the data
Monitor and follow up recommendations
Select the research methodology/data
collection techniques
ProblemsFeedback

5
Research Process
Other writers break the research process down
into eight stages from conception to completion:
•Identify the problem
•Create the research design
•Choose the research methodology
•Select the sampling procedures
•Collect the data
•Analyse the data
•Write and present the data
•Follow up

6
Research Process
Surveys, observation and experimental research
techniques:
Surveys: ‘A method of collecting primary data in which information
is quick, inexpensive, efficient and accurate means of assessing
information about a problem
Disadvantages: interviewer error, bias, sampling errors
Need to consider: budget, time frame, quality requirements of
data, difficulty of the task, stimuli needed to elicit a response,
amount of information needed, sensitivity of the topic, diversity of
informants, accessibility of informants, willingness/ability of
informants to participate

7
Research Process
Observation: The systematic process of recording the
behavioural patterns of people, objects and occurrences
as they are witnessed
Advantage: it records behaviour without relying on reports
from respondents
No distortion, inaccuracies or other response bias
Give us insights we may not get through interviewing
alone
Allow us to see the bigger picture
Allow us to see things happen
Disadvantages: records, but does not explain
Possible ethical issuesStudy Skills and Learning

8
Research Process
Experimental research design: a research method in
which conditions are controlled so that one or more
independent variables can be manipulated to test a
hypothesis about a dependent variable.
See causal research and test marketing
Can be a difficult and expensive, not always possible
in real world to isolate all the variables

9
Research Process
Types of marketing research:
•Exploratory research
•Descriptive research
•Causal research
•Conclusive research

10
Research Process
Descriptive research - the purpose of
this is to describe characteristics of a
population, a social phenomenon, a set
of experiences. Descriptive research
seeks the answers to the questions who,
what, when, where and how.

11
Research Process
Exploratory research is conducted to
clarify ambiguous problems.
Exploratory research is not intended to
provide conclusive evidence from which
to determine a particular course of
action but from exploratory research a
hypothesis may be generated for testing

12
Research Process
Researchers often state objectives in the form of a
hypothesis.
The Market Research Society defines a hypothesis as:
“Any supposition, whether based on evidence, or an
assumption made as a basis for reasoning.”
Kerling has two criteria for acceptable hypothesis.
They should be:
Statements of possible relationships between
variables
Testable

13
Research Process
Causal research - the main goal of this
is to identify cause-and-effect
relationships among variables.
Exploratory and descriptive research
normally precede cause-and-effect
relationship studies.

14
Research Process
Conclusive research - intended to
verify insights and to aid decision
makers in selecting a specific course of
action.

15
Research Process
Exploratory
research
Descriptive
research
Causal
research
‘Our sales are
declining and
we don’t know
why
Would people
be interested in
our new
product idea?
‘What kind of
people are
buying our
product?
Who buys our
competitors’
products?
What features
do buyers
prefer in our
product?
‘Will buyers
purchase more
of our product
in a new
packaging?
Which of two
advertising
campaigns is
more
effective?
Conclusive
Research
Do customers
really like X?
If they do,
then we will
give them
more of it

16
Research Process
‘
Complete Uncertainty Absolute
Certainty ambiguity
Relationship of uncertainty to types of marketing research:
Causal Descriptive Exploratory
research research research
(Problem clearly (Partially defined (ambiguous
defined) problem) problem)

17
Research Process
Research can be either:
Ad hoc – one-off, designed to address a
specific problem or a particular issue at a
specific period in time
Continuous – where the research is on-
going, possibly using the same subjects
and/or methodology

18
Research Process
A research project has to decide whether it
requires qualitative data, quantitative data, or
a mixture of both.
Neither is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. The data is only
appropriate or inappropriate depending on
the needs of the project and the terms of
reference outlined

19
TOPIC Quantitative research Qualitative research
Research
enquiry
Exploratory, descriptive, causal Exploratory and descriptive
Nature of
questions
and
responses
Who, what, when, where, why,
how many?
Relatively superficial and
rational responses
Measurement, testing and
validation
What, when, where, why?
Below the surface and emotional
responses
Understanding, exploration and
idea generation
Sample size Relatively large Relatively small
Data Numbers, percentages, means
Less detail or depth
Nomothetic (universal
principles) description
Context poor
High reliability, low validity
Statistical inference possible
Words, pictures
Detailed and in-depth
Ideographic description
Context rich
High validity, low reliability
Statistical inference not possible
Cost Relatively low cost per
respondent
Relatively high cost per
respondentStudy Skills and Learning

20
Research Process
Limitations of research – factors that inhibit it:
•Poor definition of the problem
•Lack of understanding of the brief
•Poor or inappropriate research design
•The limitations of the methods used
•Poor execution of the research itself
•Poor or inappropriate interpretation of the results
•The status of the knowledge (context and bias of
researcher)
•The use or misuse of research evidence by the
decision makers
•The time that elapses between collecting the data
and applying the findings

21
Research Process
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Research objective
3.0 Terms of reference
4.0 Approach
5.0 Issues for inclusion in the survey
6.0 Methodology
7.0 Costs and timing:
7.1 Costs
7.2 Timing
8.0 Points to consider/clarify before the research begins:
9.0 Confidentiality
10.0 Relevant previous experience
11.0 Terms of business
Appendix A: Curriculum vitae

22
Reading:
• Malhotra & Birks Ch’s 2 & 3
• McGivern Ch 2
• BUTLER,P. (1994) Marketing problems: from analysis to
decision, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 12 (2), 4
-13
• BARKER, A., NANCARROW, C. and SPACKMAN, N
(2001) Informed eclecticism: a research paradigm for the
twenty-first century, International Journal of Market
Research, 43 (1): 3-27
• CRESSWELL, J. (2003) Research Design. Qualitative,
Quantitative and Mixed Approaches. London: Sage.

Market and Social Research Part 2

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