Qualitative methods of research.
Qualitative methods of research
Some types of research do not involve numbers or analysis of past performance but, rather, finding out people's opinions, feelings, likes and dislikes, and the motivations behind their buying behaviour - in other words, the psychology underlying buying decisions. Research into these areas is known as qualitative research, and it is done in very different ways from quantitative research. Qualitative research becomes increasingly important as we try to predict further into the future, as the further we try to project, the less reliable are historic results and the more important people's opinions become.
There are problems associated with qualitative research, One is the fact that people often find it very difficult to explain their behaviour or their motivations. Another problem is that many people are reluctant to tell a researcher what makes them do what they do. Sometimes interviewees will try to guess the answers the interviewer is looking for and answer and on other occasions respondents may give answers that they believe are true but are simple versions of the true reasons.
Panel (or jury) method
A wider range of experts drawn from the field in question may make up a panel to discuss the variety of opinions put forward by the group and to come to a decision. This can be time-consuming on occasion, and is arguably only a little more accurate than the executive judgement method. The Delphi method may be used to improve forecasts further.
Delphi method
The Delphi method is not dissimilar from the panel or jury method, but attempts to remove the possibility that each individual's views may be swayed by other members of the panel and by group pressure. Panel members do not meet but each one makes predictions in isolation and these are then examined to determine results. The method works as follows.
. Each member of the panel gives his or her opinions separately and without consulting other panel members.
2. A nominated person gathers together all of the opinions. At this stage any extreme views will be discarded, and an overall impression of a possible agreement will be established.
3. The initial agreement is distributed to each panel member for further thought. The agreement will be amended at this stage as a result of the comments received.
4. The new agreement is sent back to each member for further comments. This process will be repeated as many times as necessary.
Use of surveys
The methods discussed above rely on 'expert' opinions and those of people in the trade. It ought to be more revealing to ask customers themselves, and a survey will facilitate this.
Data collection using questionnaires
A questionnaire is a systematic list of questions designed to obtain information from individuals concerning:
* specific events
* their attitudes
* their values
* their beliefs.
A good questionnaire will result in a smooth interview, giving the interviewer a precise format to follow and ensuring that he or she obtains exactly the information required in a format that is easy for the researcher to analyse later.
Effective design of the questionnaire is vital if it is to deliver the quality of information that firms require. Badly worded and poorly constructed questionnaires can mislead or confuse respondents, or may influence the respondent into giving certain replies. If questions are badly worded and do not stimulate the respondent sufficiently, important information may not be gained. If the questions are too wide-ranging, the variety of answers received may make them difficult to interpret. Questions that require personal information may make the respondent feel that they show him or her in a bad light and consequently the answers given may not be true, so techniques must be used to attempt to establish the validity of such responses. If questions are too complicated, respondents will quickly be put off and may not reply at all.
The following general points should be borne in mind when compiling questionnaires.
* Before writing any questions you should first clarify the following in your own mind - better still write the answers down and keep them in front of you as you prepare your questionnaire, to lend your questionnaire focus.
. The exact information you require and why you need it. All factors that may be relevant should be noted so that you can ensure the questions you write cover all important areas.
2. The target population you wish to examine. Make sure that this sample is representative and that you question all of the people who are likely to have relevant opinions or information. Remember that your survey findings will not be valid if your sample is not truly representative of the population.
3. Whether the questionnaire will be completed independently by the respondent. If so, the language and number of prompts and examples included need to considered. Make it as easy as possible to complete without help.
* Always start with a statement of who you are, which organisation you represent and the purpose of your research.
* Use appropriate language - that which is likely to be familiar to respondents. Take care with technical phrases which may only be understood by a few people and avoid using jargon.
* Questions need to be precise and clearly stated, so that there is no room for ambiguity or misinterpretation. Questions such as 'Do you use the Internet frequently?' are open to misinterpretation. The respondent may consider once a fortnight to be frequent usage whereas you may feel that this is fairly infrequent and daily usage would be a better description of frequent. Responses to such questions may lead to misleading results. Your question therefore should be more precise, such as 'How frequently do you use the Internet?' This might be followed by a variety of possible responses inviting the respondent to tick the most appropriate. If you are designing a questionnaire that is to be read out by an interviewer, make sure that the questions are sufficiently precise - vague questions may require the interviewer to explain or elaborate further, and this may introduce bias by leading the respondent.
* Think carefully and critically about each question to decide if each is necessary to your research. if it is not, do not include it.
* Keep the questionnaire as short as possible. Preferably there should be no more than forty questions as more can put off respondents or cause them to give hasty replies to later questions. Long questionnaires are therefore likely to yield a certain amount of inaccurate data, particularly in the later questions. One way of solving this problem is to use 'branched' questions. This uses the responses to early questions to guide respondents so that they only answer later questions that are directly relevant to them. Such a technique would include questions such as 'Do You own a video recorder? If Yes go to Question 6, if no 90 straight to Question 11., This technique can allow you to include more questions in the questionnaire without requiring every respondent to answer all of them.
* Each question should not be too long. If questions become lengthy and involved, they should be broken down into a series of questions.
* Ensure that no bias creeps into your questions that may lead your respondents to answer in ways that they feel are more acceptable. Be careful not to put ideas into their heads by quoting examples - often having been given examples, respondents cannot think of any others. Questions such as 'In your opinion, which record store (e.g. Virgin or HMV) Offers the best customer service?' can distort your results, as an unrepresentative number of people are likely to respond 'Virgin' or 'HMV'. Similarly, a question such as 'Would you agree that the service in this store is good?' may lead the respondent to agree and is therefore not a valid question.
* Try to avoid personal questions that may reveal the respondent in what they would consider to be a poor light. Respondents may give the answer that makes them look best, rather than the truth.
* Be careful not to combine two questions into one, as this may confuse the respondent. A question such as 'What is your opinion of Kellogg's Corn Flakes and other Kellogg's products?' could leave your respondent feeling bemused. They may not like the Corn Flakes but may enjoy other Kellogg's products, so will find it difficult to answer the question properly. It ...
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* Try to avoid personal questions that may reveal the respondent in what they would consider to be a poor light. Respondents may give the answer that makes them look best, rather than the truth.
* Be careful not to combine two questions into one, as this may confuse the respondent. A question such as 'What is your opinion of Kellogg's Corn Flakes and other Kellogg's products?' could leave your respondent feeling bemused. They may not like the Corn Flakes but may enjoy other Kellogg's products, so will find it difficult to answer the question properly. It would be much better to split the question into two.
* Ensure that the grammar in your questionnaire is correct - you can soon lose the respect of a respondent with poor spelling, punctuation or grammar.
* Provide example questions at the start of the questionnaire to illustrate how they should be answered. If you have different types of question, each type should have an example for the respondent to follow.
*
Be careful with open questions, as they can lead to so many different answers that they become difficult to analyse. A question such as 'What types of music do you listen to most often?' could lead to such a variety of answers that analysis becomes time consuming. You would do better to offer a comprehensive list of alternative answers that may be ticked, as this will make analysis much more straightforward. A better question might be:
Please indicate with a tick which types of music you listen to regularly (tick all that apply)
Classical Easy listening Jazz Blues
Golden oldies Popular Heavy metal Punk
Indie Rap Dance Swing
Hip hop Other (please specify).............
Conclude by confirming whether your respondent will be prepared to answer further questions if necessary. Bear in mind that you may want to ask more questions as a result of your initial questionnaire, and having a ready source of potential respondents may be very useful.
Types of questionnaire
* Structured questionnaires list questions in a logical order and specify particular answers that may be given. They give the interviewer little or no discretion concerning the order of the questions or how they are to be posed. They often contain mostly questions with pre-coded answers, and not many open-ended questions. This makes them particularly suitable to very large surveys as the results are easier to quantify. However, they are criticised for not providing in-depth responses.
* Unstructured questionnaires contain principally open-ended questions and allow the respondents to reply in whatever way they choose, with answers as long as they wish. This method will deliver in-depth responses, but will take much longer to analyse. It is probably more suited to smaller surveys.
* Checklists are used in unstructured situations where the information is gathered by discussion rather than by posing specific questions. The checklist acts as a reminder to the interviewer of areas that need to be discussed. Only experienced interviewers should use the technique.
* Self-completed questionnaires are posted or delivered directly to the respondent and left with him or her for completion. They are either posted back after completion or collected by the interviewer.
* Interviewer-completed questionnaires are used to structure either face-to-face or telephone interviews. The replies may be recorded on paper, but increasingly the answers will be input straight into a computer.
Good questionnaire layout
Putting some thought into layout will make a questionnaire easier for both the interviewer and the respondent. Make sure that the questions follow in a logical order, leading from one to another and not jumping from topic to topic, and that all the questions on a particular subject are grouped together. Start with general questions that establish an overview of the respondent's opinions or preferences, and then gradually work down to the specifics of particular areas or products. Easier questions should come at the beginning, and harder ones should come later, once the respondent feels comfortable. The principle is to put the respondent at ease early on, and you will then receive more in-depth replies to trickier questions later.
The questionnaire should be laid out attractively - it should not be cramped up with tiny print, but questions should be spread out across the page with good use of space. This is especially important in a self-completion questionnaire as, if it looks intimidating, your respondent may be put off before the start.
Types of question
* Behavioural questions prompt respondents to reveal what they have done in the past, such as what products or brands they have bought, or where they usually shop. These questions typically use the words 'Who', 'What', 'Where', 'When', 'Why', 'Which' and 'How', and they are designed to indicate what might happen to a product in the future. They should reveal likely patterns of purchasing, and may be used to determine future market size, share and trends.
* Attitudinal questions ask about the respondent's chief likes and dislikes, attitudes and opinions. The intention is to determine the motivation s of buyers, i.e. why they buy what they do, and to determine what the company may need to do to improve its products and attract more customers.
* Classification questions try to classify the respondent in terms such as age, sex, occupation, socio-economic class, particulars of home ownership and marital status. This is useful in order to make sure that the sample used is a representative one, and it may also be used to see if different buying patterns and motivations are associated with different classifications of customer. This should help with successful segmentation of the market and indicate how different segments should be approached.
Uses of different types of question
Open questions invite respondents to offer their opinions, and allow them to express themselves freely, possibly at length. Closed questions, sometimes referred to as multiple choice questions, only allow the respondent to choose from a number of given responses, and often these may be simply 'Yes' or 'No'. Some questions are referred to as 'hybrid' questions, as they contain elements of both open and closed techniques. The above example asking which types of music the respondent listens to is an example of this, as it is principally multiple choice but the final option, 'Other (please specify).................... is open-ended.
From the respondent's point of view, closed questions are much easier to answer, and they are also invaluable for the interviewer as they are easy to analyse and results may be quantified relatively simply. It is possible to use some quantitative analysis techniques on responses to such questions. Closed questions are difficult to design accurately, however - if insufficient options are given the respondent may not be able to answer. They may also lead to a certain level of bias, as naming particular responses can lead the respondent.
Open questions can lead to a wide range of replies, and consequently they could be difficult to interpret and analyse. They are simple to design, however, and will not lead the respondent. They are often used where the researcher is not sure what the response is likely to be. However, do not simply use open-ended questions because you cannot be bothered to think of a well structured, closed question; some careful thought at this stage could gather data that is much easier to analyse. A questionnaire full of open-ended questions can, in certain circumstances, give the impression that it has been thrown together in a hurry. Make sure that the open-ended question is truly the best way to ask that question, not just the easiest.
Sentence completion
With this method of questioning, an incomplete sentence is given and the respondent is invited to complete it appropriately.
When choosing a new car, the features that would most encourage me to buy are ..................................
Response or rating scales
If you need to judge the degree of the respondent's feelings on a subject, you may need to include a rating or response scale. There are various types.
Likert scales show how strongly the respondent agrees or disagrees with a statement given, and they come in the following formats:
Put a tick in the box that shows how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the following statements:
Strongly agree
Agree
Neither agree or disagree
Disagree
Strongly disagree
The HNC course has prepared me well for work
X
The lecturers at college are knowledgeable
X
The lecturers at college are approachable
X
I was well prepared for my examinations
X
Using the following scale, show how strongly you agree with this statement (please circle the appropriate response on the scale):
I feel that the HNC course has prepared me well for work
Strongly Agree Neither agree Disagree Strongly
Agree nor disagree disagree
Rank order scale questions ask the respondent to put a number beside various items in order to put them in some sort of order of preference, as in the following example:
These are all considerations when choosing where to buy a new computer Put them in rank order with 1 by the most important, 2 by the second most important and so on down to 5 against the least important.
Wide choice 2
Helpful sales staff 3
Value for money 1
After sales service 4
Quick delivery 5
An intention-to-buy scale asks respondents to indicate by ticking a box how likely it is that they will buy some item in the future.
If a text book were available covering this unit/module, I would
Definitely Probably Not Probably Definitely
buy buy sure not buy not buy
. 2. 3. 4 5.
Semantic differential scales use two words describing the opposite ends of a scale, with a series of points highlighted between. The respondents are asked to indicate where on the scale their opinion lies, for example:
Please place a cross on the following scale where your opinion lies
Danny's ice creams are
Good value ..............................................................................................Poor value
Tasty ..............................................................................................Tasteless
Well-packaged ...........................................................................................Poorly packaged
Satisfying ..............................................................................................Unsatisfying
A wide choice ..............................................................................................A narrow choice
Once the respondent has completed such a question, the points can be joined up to produce a profile of that product. Comparing replies from a number of respondents will give a good profile showing how customers view the product.
Danny's ice creams are
Good value .....................x........................................................................Poor value
Tasty ......x.......................................................................................Tasteless
Well-packaged ..................................................................x......................Poorly packaged
Satisfying ...................................................x........................................ Unsatisfying
A wide choice .....................x.....................................................................A narrow choice
Using prompt cards
Prompt cards may be used to remind respondents of particular brands or goods, and the prompts listed on the card may each have an allocated number.
. HMV 2. Virgin
2. Our Price 3. Woolworth
3. WH Smith
The respondents can answer by giving a number, making it quicker for them and also allowing ease of analysis.
Piloting your questionnaire
If time and cost constraints allow, you should pilot your questionnaire by trying it out on some test respondents. You don't need to use too many of these - 10 or 1.2 would probably be sufficient to reveal any major problems. A pilot will help to identify errors in the order of the questions or the questions themselves. It will also indicate whether the questionnaire will meet your objectives, so it is time and money well spent if it ensures that the questionnaire gives you accurate and reliable information.
Data collection using observation
Observation is simply the recording of behaviour. We observe what people are doing all the time, and formalising that activity can produce a valuable source of primary data. Using this technique it is not necessary to question the subject, and often we do not even need to ask permission to undertake the study as it is done in situations where it is possible to watch what is occurring naturally. Observation is very useful in determining where and how often customers buy certain items, and consequently it is often used to inform decisions about store layout.
Observation can be undertaken in two ways, disguised or undisguised observation. With disguised observation, the subject does not know that he or she is being observed. It may be done by using hidden cameras or two-way mirrors. With undisguised observation, the subject is aware. The advantage of the former method is that the researcher is more likely to observe genuine behaviour that is representative of the subject. The danger with the latter is that the subjects may modify their behaviour to fit the patterns that they feel are more acceptable to them or the researcher.
Data is normally collected by use of checklists and recording sheets. On the sheets are listed a number of potential behaviour patterns, and the observer marks against them as each is seen. This may simply entail a count of how many times certain things happen, or it could be that the observer wishes to determine the order in which different activities take place, in which case a number would be recorded against each activity in the order they occur. A retail company, particularly a supermarket, might be interested to know the order in which shoppers visit parts of the shop, in order to determine optimum layouts. This could easily be done by having a sheet listing all the locations in the store and requiring the observer to note a number against each to illustrate the order. A well-designed observation sheet will also have sufficient space to record any unexpected behaviour, as this may be significant.
Advantages of observation
* Observation does not always have to be done by human observers - electronic sensing or closed circuit TV and video techniques may be used. The latter is particularly useful as subjects can be observed more than once doing the same actions, so no data is missed.
* It is simple to organise, as permission does not always have to be sought.
* It does not rely on the memory or honesty of the respondent.
Disadvantages of observation
* People's attitudes to what they are doing or buying cannot be discovered.
* Customers' motivations cannot be determined simply by watching them.
* It is possible for the observer to misinterpret the behaviour of the subject and come to wrong conclusions.
* It can be time consuming, and consequently expensive, unless electronic methods are employed.
Data collection using experiment
Experimentation is used to identify causal relationships, i.e. we try to demonstrate that changes in one variable are caused by changes in another. For example, we may be able to demonstrate that increased sales (the dependent variable) are the result of changes in the packaging of the product (the independent variable). An experiment may involve consciously manipulating the independent variable and observing the changes in the dependent variable to establish whether a causal link exists. In market research, this will involve changing the independent variable and observing the reactions of a test unit. A test unit is a group of people who may be split into the experimental group, who are subjected to the changes on the independent variable, and the control group, who are not subjected to those changes but are subject to any other variables.
Field experiments
This form of experiment tests the product in real environments, in order to get a more accurate idea of what may happen. The test unit sees the product in its finished form, so these experiments can only take place after the product has been fully designed and manufactured. Three types of field experiments are commonly used:
*
in-home placement tests, where a sample group is selected to act as the test unit, given the products to use in their homes and asked to report back their thoughts, experiences and opinions by way of a questionnaire
* store tests, where a variety of retail stores are selected to stock the new item and customer reactions in terms of changes in sales patterns are noted over a period - this method is typically used for testing new in-store promotional methods such as packaging and point-of sale techniques
* Test marketing, which involves selecting a specific geographical area and launching a product there with full promotional support. The results are used to predict how sales will go when it is launched generally, and the product or promotional plan may be amended as a result prior to the full launch. This can be an expensive method and it can take a while as the firm may have to wait to establish the patterns of repeat purchase. As a result, it is often used only with goods that turn over quickly and where repeat purchase is fast, such as with new chocolate products. Cadbury, for example, test marketed the Wispa Bar in Newcastle upon Tyne before launching it nationwide.
Value and interpretation of data
Once the data has been collected and collated, the final task is to interpret the results. It is important to exercise caution when interpreting results and drawing conclusions from data, since it relates only to a sample. The more carefully the sample size and make-up has been selected, the more value the final data will have. However, the results can only ever be a guide and will never predict totally accurately. There will be a certain amount of statistical error in any results and the conclusions drawn from those results.
Research Types
Face-to-face interviews are often conducted by freelance market researchers and sometimes by employees of market research companies, but increasingly today interviews may be of a more impersonal nature, such as by telephone or through the post. We classify interviews in two ways, in terms of where they happen and how the questioning is structured.
Types of personal interview
* Street surveys are sometimes referred to as 'clipboard surveys'. People are approached in the street, often in busy town centres, and are asked to complete the survey immediately. People are often in a hurry to get somewhere or do something, so persuading people to stop can be problematic. Consequently it is important that such surveys are brief and do not require too much concentration from the respondent.
* Shop surveys take place in shops, often in the entrance, and shoppers are asked to take part in the survey as they enter or leave the store.
* Household surveys involve interviewers going from door to door asking questions. Such interviews also need to be brief.
* Hall surveys involve booking a hall and inviting respondents to attend or bringing them in from the street. Often respondents are offered free gifts or food to encourage them to take part. This format is useful if you need to show respondents something large, such as mock-ups or displays.
* Home interviews are normally prearranged with specific appointment times and they take place in the home of the respondent. Respondents will feel confident as they are on their home territory and consequently they may give more information. It is possible for such interviews to be reasonably long as the setting is comfortable.
* Business surveys are the business version of the home interview. They are always prearranged and take place on the respondent's premises.
* Advantages of face-to-face interviews are as follows.
* Skilled interviewers would argue that they are able to gauge the truthfulness of the response from facial expressions and other body language signals.
* Face-to-face interviews usually get a good response rate.
* Because it is conducted personally, the risk of inaccurate data is reduced. It is possible for the interviewer to give better explanations if the respondent is having difficulty understanding. For example, the interviewer could show a diagram, draw a picture or show a prompt card.
* The interviewer is able to judge the respondent's mood and to alter the approach accordingly to keep him or her interested, or calm a person who is becoming agitated.
Disadvantages of face-to-face interviews are as follows.
* Interviewing is costly, become not only must you cover the cost of paying researchers, you may also have to pay their travel expenses and the cost of training and/or briefing them.
* They are more difficult to organise than some of the other methods.
* Supervisors must be appointed (and paid) to ensure that the survey goes according to instructions.
* You rely on the professionalism of your interviewers and on their honesty - e.g. not to fill out any bogus responses in order to meet their interview quotas.
* It is a fairly time-consuming process.
Telephone interviews and CATI
Surveys conducted over the telephone are increasingly popular as they are so convenient for both interviewer and respondent. The interviewer can conduct the interview either without leaving the office or from home, and the respondent similarly can reply from an armchair. There is a ready supply of respondents to contact - you only need to look in a telephone directory. It is also possible to sample wide geographical areas, even abroad, very easily, and it is sometimes easier to ask and respond to sensitive questions when you do not have to look at the other person.
There are limitations to telephone interviewing. You automatically restrict your sample to those people who own telephones; admittedly this is the majority of people today, but you are excluding certain types of person, such as the deaf, those who are ex-directory, and full-time students away from home. Equally it is not possible to show the respondent prompts, and it can be difficult to build up a rapport between the interviewer and respondent. The other main problem with telephone interviewing is that so many companies are engaged in it and people become tired of being called at home and asked questions. The number of people who refuse to take part is on the increase.
Many firms now use computers to assist telephone surveys, and the interviewer will input responses directly into a computer. This technique is known as computer assisted telephone interviewing, or CATI. Inputting directly to computer can make the analysis of quantitative data very rapid and the program can be designed so that it will display only questions that are relevant to particular respondents.
Postal interviews
Postal surveys are a cheap method of interviewing, which is why almost a quarter of all surveys carried out are done by this method, but they also carry a very low response rate. Often less than 10% of questionnaires sent out are returned, usually because people simply put them in the bin along with all the other mail that they consider to be 'junk'. In order to improve response rates, firms will often include incentives, such as a free pen or a promise that all respondents will be eligible for a prize draw. It is possible to ask a large number of questions as respondents can answer at their own convenience, and it is a good way of asking personal questions as no personal contact takes place.
The problem of language is very important with postal surveys. Since you have no idea of the literacy level of the person who receives the letter, it is essential to keep the language as simple as possible. You should also bear in mind that this type of survey necessarily excludes illiterate people and those who cannot read English, so it may not always give you a representative response.
Computer-assisted interviewing (CAI)
Questions are posed directly on a computer screen and the respondent answers using the screen display. The main advantage of CAI is that no interviewer is required and analysis of data can be speedy.
Phone-in polls
A magazine or newspaper may ask readers to telephone to express their views on a particular topic, normally one of current interest. Respondents use different phone numbers to register different responses. This method has been criticised since:
* it represents only those who are interested in the topic
* it is used only by those respondents who have the money to make a call
* Only those respondents who want to express their views use it.
Experience has also shown that people who are negative towards the topic in question are most likely to call.
Focus groups
Group discussions are sometimes referred to as focus groups, and they normally involve between six and ten people who come together to discuss particular topics or products. These might be members of the public who have opinions on certain products or services, they may be drawn from a particular market segment we wish to know more about, or they could be drawn from industry. They could be used for such purposes as testing customer reactions to product changes or proposed advertisements.
A good leader for the group is essential as he or she will need to introduce the key topics for discussion, keep order and ensure that every group member has the opportunity to make a contribution. The main benefit of such groups is that new ideas and opinions can be 'bounced off' each group member to refine them and to prompt further creative thoughts. In this way a variety of opinions, and sometimes agreement views, can be obtained. It is essential that an efficient note taker is present - this could be the group leader, but it could be another person, leaving the leader free to concentrate on group dynamics and keeping the discussion focused.
Alternatively, the proceedings could be audio- or videotaped.
Reliability Of Research
To ensure the reliability of your research you must plan it carefully. Planning should follow the pattern shown in Figure 7.
Figure 7 Planning a research study
. Decide the goals of your survey and clarify options available
2. Choose your sample
3. Select the methods you will use to gather the information
4. Design questionnaires
5. Test questionnaire
6. Carry out the research
7. Analyse the data
8. Present your data
Deciding survey goals
The first task is to specify exactly what you are trying to achieve in your survey, whether it be to decide how best to launch a new product, how to revitalise an existing one, how to improve product quality, how to reduce the
level of complaints from customers, how to arrest a decline in market share, or any other aim. What is most important is that you are clear at the outset exactly what you are trying to achieve. If you are unclear what those aims are, it is likely that your results will be equally unclear. It would be helpful at the outset therefore to state the goal in the form of a question, such as:
Why are sales for the Tiger Toy falling when the general market appears to expanding?
How can we launch the new product so that the advertising will reach and affect the right people?
Beware of vague objectives such as:
"What opportunities for expansion and development lie ahead for the company?
Such a subject is immense and the researcher will have trouble deciding how to approach the survey. It is also doubtful whether any survey could give a comprehensive answer to such a question. It is better to look into specific areas and see how they can be developed.
You should keep referring back to the stated goal as you make your preparations, to ensure that what you are planning properly addresses the goal and that you are not side tracked.
Once the goal of the survey is established, you should identify a number of different approaches that might be used to solve the problem. For example, revitalising an existing product might entail advertising more heavily, changing the advertising to appeal to a wider audience, repositioning the product in the market by finding a new potential customer base, repackaging the product, examining the distribution network to ensure that it is appropriate, etc. Your survey will focus on and will attempt to choose between these options. You need to establish a hypothesis or hypotheses that your survey will test.
Karen Porter
HE Business
Marketing Intelligence
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H:\karenb\FILES 2002 - 2003\HE BUSINESS\HE BUSINESS 2002\MARKETING INTELLIGENCE\QUALITATIVE METHODS OF RESEARCH-2002.doc
Karen Porter
HE Business
Marketing Intelligence
nH:\karenb\FILES 2002 - 2003\HE BUSINESS\HE BUSINESS 2002\MARKETING INTELLIGENCE\QUALITATIVE METHODS OF RESEARCH-2002.doc
