MARK 5327 Marketing Research

1. MARK 5327 Marketing Research Exploratory Research

2. Exploratory Research Agenda Questions/Opens Class Presentation – Secondary Data What is Secondary Data? Why Use Secondary Data – Benefits and Limitations Collecting secondary data Assessing secondary data Summary of Findings – A tool to use!! Class Presentation – Qualitative Research Designs Filling in the Knowledge Gaps – Qualitative Designs as Exploratory Research Understanding of Problem or Situation incomplete Focus Group Depth Interview Population not defined or inaccessible Ethnography Focus Groups Depth Interview Ethnography http://www.csun.edu/~hcchs006/gang.html Review and Wrap-up Next Time

3. Exploratory Research What is Secondary Data? Primary vs. Secondary Data (p. 123) Role(s) in the Research Process Secondary Data as an exploratory design Secondary Data Types of Secondary Data (p. 126-8) Sources of External Secondary Data (p.129-162) Advantages and Disadvantages of Secondary Data Evaluation of Secondary Data Use of Secondary Data Summarizing the Findings Meta-analysis Spreadsheet tool

4. Advantages and Disadvantages of Secondary Data Primary Data Secondary Data

5. Evaluating Secondary Data

6. Exploratory Research Sources of Secondary Data Internal Sources Ready to use Requires further processing External Sources Published materials General data in area of interest Encyclopedia of Business Information sources Government sources Census Data Other government publications Mortality and Morbidity Reports from CDC Syndicated services Yankelovich Monitor (Lifestyles – AIOs) DDB Needham Life Style Study Existing databases Library holdings

7. Exploratory Research Secondary Data as Exploratory Research “Examination of available secondary data is a prerequisite to the collection of primary data.” Secondary Data as Conclusive Research “Start with secondary data. Move to primary data only when the secondary data sources have been exhausted or yield marginal returns” May help identify the problem Helps you define the research question – the model Helps in developing an approach to the problem Helps in choosing an appropriate research design Helps to develop a set of researcher expectations and hypotheses Will help in interpreting the results

8. Exploratory Research Meta-Analysis – brief description The Spreadsheet What is The Spreadsheet? Where is it? How should it be used?

9. Exploratory Research Filling in the Knowledge Gaps Secondary literature review is complete and the researcher believes there are knowledge gaps or operational issues Research problem not understood Focus Groups The Printer Example Community Stakeholders Example Depth Interview Community Stakeholder Example Population of interest not defined or inaccessible Ethnography The Appalachia Example The Latino Gang Example www.csun.edu/~hcchs006/gang.html

10. Exploratory Research Focus Groups (p. 250-257) When is it appropriate? Helps researcher understand all or part of a research question Population of interest is well-defined and accessible What is it? An interview conducted by a trained moderator in a non-structured and natural setting with a small group of respondents chosen from the population of interest

11. Exploratory Research Who do You Want for a Moderator? Kind but Firm The moderator must combine a disciplined detachment with empathy in order to generate the required interaction Permissive Permissive in allowing for diversity of opinion but alert to signs that the group’s cordiality or purpose is disintegrating Encouraging and engaging Must be able to encourage and stimulate intense personal involvement Must also insure that unresponsive members participate Good skills in probing Must be able to exhibit incomplete understanding in attempting to have respondents be more specific about generalized comments Flexible Needs to have ability to deviate from script and improvise depending on group dynamics Sensitive Needs to be able to guide group discussion on an intellectual and an emotional level

12. Exploratory Research Checklist for Focus Group Planning Understand management problem and the research question(s) Detail the objectives for the qualitative research State objectives/questions to be answered by the focus group Develop criteria to be used for participant selection Establish compensation level Select the focus group participants Develop moderator outline Conduct focus group Close communication loop with participants Review documentation and analyze the data Summarize findings and plan follow-up

13. Exploratory Research Some Variants to Consider 2-way focus groups Patients as group reviewed by physicians as group Dual moderator One does flow, the other addresses issues Dueling moderator Mutt/Jeff technique to present 2 sides of controversial issues Respondent moderator Useful is group dynamics may be a problem Think jury foreman Client as participant Telesession group Conference call Chat room group

14. Exploratory Research Advantages of Focus Groups Synergism and Serendipity Putting a group of people together will produce a wider range of information, insights and ideas than data collected individually Snowballing A bandwagon effect where one comment can trigger a chain reaction from other participants Security Because of group composition, participants are willing to express their beliefs Spontaneity The setting gives the impression that there is no “list of questions” and responses often provide very accurate representation of respondent views Scrutiny The process allows for management observation of process Structure Wide ranges of topics Speed Data collection and analysis can proceed quickly

15. Exploratory Research Disadvantages of Focus Groups Misuse Results can easily be treated as conclusive rather than exploratory Misjudge Easy for management/client and researcher bias to influence the process Moderator Requires a very skilled person Messy Data very soft. Coding, analysis and interpretation can be very messy Misrepresentation Focus group does not represent the population a large. Care must be taken to avoid any conclusions aimed at population at large.

16. Exploratory Research

17. Exploratory Research Depth Interview When is it appropriate? Helps researcher understand all or part of a research question Population of interest is well-defined, accessible, and limited What is it? An interview conducted by an interviewer in a non-structured and natural setting 1-on-1

18. Exploratory Research Checklist for Depth Interview Planning Understand management problem and the research question(s) Detail the objectives for the qualitative research State objectives/questions to be answered by the depth interview Develop criteria to be used for participant selection Select the participants Develop interview outline Decide on data recording mechanism Conduct interview Close communication loop with respondents Review documentation and analyze the data Summarize findings and plan follow-up

19. Exploratory Research Advantages and Disadvantages of Depth Interviews Advantages Depth of insight Response attribution Free exchange of ideas Disadvantages Requires a skilled interviewer Lack of structure makes results susceptible to interviewer interpretation Data are soft and difficult to analyze and interpret High cost

20. Exploratory Research Incomplete Knowledge AND Inaccessible Population Ethnography as an alternative Need to understand Population is either not identified or inaccessible Immersion in a setting may be required – Ethnography An example – Latino Gangs

21. Exploratory Research Wrap-up We have looked at how to fill in knowledge gaps These are exploratory techniques

22. Exploratory Research Next Time We will move to conclusive research Observational and survey techniques Please read Chaps 7 (pgs. 273-82) and 5