THE RESEARCH PROCESS

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THE RESEARCH PROCESS

• Stages in the Research Process

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The Marketing Research Process
Step 1 Defining the Problem
Step 2 Determining the Research Design
Step 3 Design the Data Collection Methods
Step 4 Design the Sample and Collect Data
Step 5 Preparing and Analyzing Data
Step 6 Preparing and Presenting the Report
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Defining the Problem (Stage 1)

• What Caused the Manager to Notice the Problem?
• Unanticipated Change
• Changes in the environment
• Serendipity
• Planned Change

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Defining the Problem (Stage 1 contd)

• What information is necessary and what does the
  manager hope to learn from the research?
• Research Objectives
• Specific Questions
• -Beware of formulating the problem by the
  symptoms!!
• -You are the consultant- you need to formulate
  the problem

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Defining the Problem (Stage 1 contd)

• Conduct a Problem Audit (AKA- Situation Analysis)

• Uncontrollable Environmental Factors
• Customer Groups
• Objectives/Culture of Manager

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Translating the Decision Problem into a Research
Problem

• Decision Problem

• Research Problem

• The basic problem for which research is intended
  to provide the answer
• Examples
• Develop package for a new product
• Increase market penetration by opening new stores
• Decide which products will be sold over the
  internet

• Restatement of the problem into research terms
• Examples
• Evaluate the effectiveness of alternative package
  designs
• Evaluate prospective locations
• Determine consumers confidence in purchasing
  unseen, different product categories

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AT THIS POINT

• Need to meet with your client to determine which
  research problem(s) will be addressed.
• Once the research problems have been agreed upon
  choose the techniques to conduct the research

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Determining the Research Design (Stage 2)

• What theoretical background is useful?
• What type of design should you use?
• Depends on the research question and how much is
  known about the problem.
• Framework for the plan of study like a
  blueprint

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Developing an Approach to the Problem

• Theory
• A conceptual scheme based on statements which are
  assumed to be true
• E.g., classical conditioning, prospect theory,
  locus of control..
• Analytical Framework
• Specification of variables and their
  interrelationships
• Hypotheses
• An unproven statement about a factor or
  phenomenon of interest to the researcher

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Classical Conditioning Theory Example

• A conditioned stimulus (e.g., bell) can cause an
  involuntary response (e.g., salivation) through
  repeated parings with an unconditioned stimulus
  (e.g., food)

Unconditioned response
Unconditioned stimulus
pairing
Conditioned stimulus
Conditioned response
Do we use this theory in marketing?? What
information would we need to collect??
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Specification of Information Needed

• Focus on the analytical framework and model to
  develop hypotheses and information needed
• What specific information would we need to
  collect?

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1. Exploratory Designs

• Used when you do not have a good understanding of
  the problem and need to gain insight
• Typically for large vague problems
• Specific Uses
• Methods (typically qualitative)
• secondary data
• experience surveys
• analysis of cases
• Qualitative studies
• focus groups
• projective techniques
• observation
• depth interviews

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2. Descriptive Designs

• Used to describe market characteristics or
  functions.
• Presupposes prior knowledge
• Specific Uses
• Methods (typically quantitative)
• Longitudinal studies (true vs omnibus panels)
• Cross-Sectional analysis
• Typically survey research

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3. Causal Designs

• Used to determine cause and effect relationships
  (e.g., the effectiveness of different ad appeals
• X Y
• Method
• Experiment is the only methodology
• Requires 1.random sampling and assignment
• 2. manipulation of one or more independent
  variables
• 3. control extraneous variables
• Can take place in lab or field

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Design the Data Collection Methods (Stage 3)

• Secondary Data
• Def Statistics that already exist gathered for
  some other purpose.
• Types
• Primary Data
• Data Collection Method will depend on Design

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Designing the Sample(stage 4a)

• Sampling defined
• Need to specify
• Who is to be sampled (the target population)?
• How big should the sample be?
• Which sampling technique should be used?
• whats the difference and the implication for
  you?

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Collect Data(stage 4b)

• Method Used
• Depends on research questions and design
• Areas to address
• Two stages
• Pretesting
• Study Data collection

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Preparing and Analyzing Data (Stage 5)

• Coding
• Editing
• Analysis

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Conclusion and Report Preparation (Stage 6)

• The only tangible from the study
• interesting
• easy to read
• well documented
• managerial implications