Chapter 2
Steps of marketing research
1) Define market research problem (should be in interaction with Decision Maker)
a. Problem audit: framework for interacting with decision-maker, identifying the
under
b. 7 c’s for interaction between decision-maker and researcher
i. Communication
ii. Cooperation
iii. Confidence
iv. Candor (not be any hidden agendas_
v. Closeness
vi. Contuinity (no sporadic contact)
vii. Creativity
c. Experience surveys/key-informant techniques.
d. Lead-user suvery: with lead users of the technology
e. Secondary data analysis: data collected from some purpose other than the
problem at hand. Primary data = orginated by the researcher specifically to
address the research problem
f. Qualitative research: unstructured, exploratory research. (also pilot surveys
and case studies). Helps understand the environmental context of the problem.
- Past information and forecasts
- Resources (money + skills) and constraints (cost + time)
- Objectives = goals. 1) organizational objectives and 2) personal objectives of the
decision-maker.
a. But mostly the decision-maker does not address the right goals to the
researcher, therefore the researcher must extract these objectives.
- Buyer behavior
- Legal environment = regulatory policies and norms within organizations must
operate (taxes)
- Economic environment = income, savings, credit
- Marketing and technological skills = this affects the nature and scope of the
marketing research project.
g. Management decision problem: asks what the decision maker needs to do,
action-oriented
h. Marketing research problem: problem that entails determining what
information is needed and how it can be obtained in the most feasible way.
Information -oriented. G H linked by a conceptual map
- Common errors: 1) too broadly 2) too narrowly
- Reduce this by: start with the broad statement specific components.
2) Developing an approach to the problem
, a. Objective/theoretical framework:
i. Theory: conceptual scheme based on foundational statements that are
assumed to be true
b. Analytical model: explicit specification of a set of variables and their
interrelationships
i. Verbal model
ii. Graphical model
iii. Mathematical model
3) Research question
4) Hypothesis
5) Specification of information needed
Important as a researcher to isolate and examine the impact of self-reference criterion:
unconscious reference to one’s own cultural values.
1) Define the MRP in terms of domestic environmental and cultural factors
2) Define the MRP in terms of the foreign environmental and cultural factors.
3) Isolate the self-reference criterion (SRC) influence on the problem and examine it
carefully. Examine the differences between steps 1 and 2.
4) Redefine the problem without the SRC influence and address it for the foreign market
situation.
Ethical issues can be resolved by adhering to the seven Cs
Chapter 3
Descriptive research is conducted to describe
characteristics, estimate percentage of units,
determine the degree to which marketing
variables are associated.
Assumes the researcher already has
a lot of knowledge about the topic (for
example first an exploratory research).
Then this gives a clear specification.
Cross-sectional design: collection of
information from any given sample of population elements only once.
- Single: one sample of respondents
, - Multiple
a. Cohort: series of surveys conducted at appropriate time intervals
Longitudinal design: fixed sample of population elements that is measured repeatedly.
Sample remains the same over time. This differs from a cross-sectional because this measures
over a longer period of time, and a cross-sectional on one point.
- Panel: sample of respondents who have agreed to provide information at specified
intervals over an extended period.
- Disadvantages: 1) refusal to cooperate 2) mortality (Drop-outs) 3) payment
- Response bias: new members often biased in their initial responses.