Week 1 – Research design
Marketing research – the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis and dissemination
of information, for the purpose of improving decision making to the identification of problems and
opportunities in marketing
Marketing research suppliers
Marketing research process:
1. Problem definition: a broad statement of general problem and identification of the specific components
of the marketing research problem.
Problem audit: a comprehensive examination of a marketing problem to understand its origin and nature
(experience surveys, lead-user surveys)
Clarify the management decision problem
Take into account: background info, purpose and info needed (environmental context of the problem)
Define research problem and questions
Create mutual understanding and agreement
Confirm information value
Should guide the researcher in proceeding with the problem
,Evaluation of secondary data
2. Development of an approach
Objective or theoretical background: which variables (constructs should be investigated); based on
academic literature and general empirical findings
Theory: conceptual scheme based on foundational statements, or axioms that are assumed to be true
Objective evidence: supported by empirical findings
Analytical model: an explicit specification of a set of variables and their relationship, designed to
represent some real system or process in whole or in part (verbal, graphical or mathematical)
Hypothesis: tentative statement about relationships between two or more variables (according to
theory); can be tested empirically
Mediation effect
Indirect effects: full or partial mediation
An increase in X leads to an increase in A, which in turn leads to an increase in Y; therefore, an increase
in X leads to an increase in A
, Moderation effect
Interaction effects
As Z increases, an actor places more value on X, and hence is more responsive to X, thus increasing
the effect of X on Y
3. Research design: a framework/blueprint for conducting the marketing research project. Specifies the
details of the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure and/or solve
marketing research problems
Purpose is to design a specific study
Framework for conducting the marketing research project
Procedures for obtaining the info needed
Details of implementing the approach
Conclusive research
a. Descriptive research:
Cross-sectional design: collection of data from any given sample of population element only once
Single cross-sectional design: one sample of respondents is drawn from the target population and
information is obtained from this sample once
Multiple cross-section design: two or more samples, info is obtained once
Marketing research – the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis and dissemination
of information, for the purpose of improving decision making to the identification of problems and
opportunities in marketing
Marketing research suppliers
Marketing research process:
1. Problem definition: a broad statement of general problem and identification of the specific components
of the marketing research problem.
Problem audit: a comprehensive examination of a marketing problem to understand its origin and nature
(experience surveys, lead-user surveys)
Clarify the management decision problem
Take into account: background info, purpose and info needed (environmental context of the problem)
Define research problem and questions
Create mutual understanding and agreement
Confirm information value
Should guide the researcher in proceeding with the problem
,Evaluation of secondary data
2. Development of an approach
Objective or theoretical background: which variables (constructs should be investigated); based on
academic literature and general empirical findings
Theory: conceptual scheme based on foundational statements, or axioms that are assumed to be true
Objective evidence: supported by empirical findings
Analytical model: an explicit specification of a set of variables and their relationship, designed to
represent some real system or process in whole or in part (verbal, graphical or mathematical)
Hypothesis: tentative statement about relationships between two or more variables (according to
theory); can be tested empirically
Mediation effect
Indirect effects: full or partial mediation
An increase in X leads to an increase in A, which in turn leads to an increase in Y; therefore, an increase
in X leads to an increase in A
, Moderation effect
Interaction effects
As Z increases, an actor places more value on X, and hence is more responsive to X, thus increasing
the effect of X on Y
3. Research design: a framework/blueprint for conducting the marketing research project. Specifies the
details of the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure and/or solve
marketing research problems
Purpose is to design a specific study
Framework for conducting the marketing research project
Procedures for obtaining the info needed
Details of implementing the approach
Conclusive research
a. Descriptive research:
Cross-sectional design: collection of data from any given sample of population element only once
Single cross-sectional design: one sample of respondents is drawn from the target population and
information is obtained from this sample once
Multiple cross-section design: two or more samples, info is obtained once
