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Research Designs
CHAPTER 2
MARKETING RESEARCH
Learning Objectives• Understanding the types of research
design.• Describe the types of research
design.– Exploratory research– Descriptive research– Causal research Discuss the nature of research
proposal. Prepare research proposal.
The Marketing Research Process
Step 1: Defining the Problem
Step 2: Developing an Approach to the Problem
Step 3: Formulating a Research Design
Step 4: Doing Field Work or Collecting Data
Step 5: Preparing and Analyzing Data
Step 6: Preparing and Presenting the Report
Research Design
• A master plan that specifies the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing needed information.
Research Design: Definition
• A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting the marketing research project. It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the information needed to structure or solve marketing research problems.
Define the Information Needed
Design the Exploratory, Descriptive, and/or Causal Phases of the Research
Specify the Measurement and Scaling Procedures
Construct a Questionnaire
Specify the Sampling Process and the Sample Size
Develop a Plan of Data Analysis
Tasks Involved In a Research Design
Today’s Topic
A Classification of Market Research DesignsResearch
Design
Exploratory Research
Conclusive Research
Secondary Data
Experience Surveys
Pilot Studies
Case Studies
See next slide
A Classification of Market Research Designs
Research Design
Exploratory Research
Conclusive Research
Descriptive Design
Causal Design
Cross-sectional Study
Longitudinal Study
Secondary Data Study
Observation
Experiment
Survey
Classification of Marketing Research Designs
Single Cross-Sectional Design
Multiple Cross-Sectional Design
Research Design
Conclusive Research Design
Exploratory Research Design
Descriptive Research
Causal Research
Cross-Sectional Design
Longitudinal Design
Types of Research Designs
Exploratory research to gain ideas and insights Newspaper facing decreasing sales to generate possible
explanation.
Descriptive research to obtain summary measures to address research questions (research objectives are clearly defined). Trends in lifestyle with respect to age, sex, etc.
Causal research for cause-and-effect connection between managerial decisions and market outcome.– How people react to a newspaper’s topic selection and
space allocation.
Exploratory Research• Usually conducted during the initial stage of the
research process• Purposes
– To narrow the scope of the research topic, and– To transform ambiguous problems into well-defined
ones
Exploratory Research Techniques• Secondary Data Analysis
– Secondary data are data previously collected & assembled for some project other than the one at hand
• Pilot Studies
– A collective term for any small-scale exploratory research technique that uses sampling but does not apply rigorous standards
– Includes• Focus Group Interviews
– Unstructured, free-flowing interview with a small group of people• Projective Techniques
– Indirect means of questioning that enables a respondent to project beliefs and feelings onto a third party or an inanimate object
– Word association tests, sentence completion tests, role playing
Exploratory Research Techniques
• Case Studies– Intensively investigate one or a few situations similar
to the problem situation
• Experience Surveys– Individuals who are knowledge about a particular
research problem are questioned
Conclusive Research• Provide specific information that aids the decision maker in
evaluating alternative courses of action• Sound statistical methods & formal research methodologies are
used to increase the reliability of the information• Data sought tends to be specific & decisive• Also more structured & formal than exploratory data
Types of Conclusive Research
• Descriptive Research– Describes attitudes, perceptions, characteristics, activities and
situations.– Examines who, what, when, where, why, & how questions
• Causal Research– Provides evidence that a cause-and-effect relationship exists
or does not exist.– Premise is that something (and independent variable) directly
influences the behavior of something else (the dependent variable).
Common Characteristics of Descriptive Studies
• Build on previous information• Show relationships between variables• Representative samples required• Structured research plans• Require substantial resources• Conclusive findings
Major Types of Descriptive Studies
Descriptive Studies
Consumer PerceptionAnd Behavior Studies
• Image
• Product Usage
• Advertising
• Pricing
Market Characteristic Studies
• Distribution
• Competitive Analysis
• Market
Potential
• Market
Share
• Sales Analysis
Sales Studies
Sample Surveyed at T1
Sample Surveyed
at T1
Same Sample
also Surveyed
at T2
T1 T2
Cross Sectional Design
Longitudinal Design
Time
Cross Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs
Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs
Cross-Sectional Longitudinal
Detecting change Worse Better
Amount of data collected Worse Better
Accuracy Worse Better
Representativeness Better Worse
Response bias Better Worse
Exploratory Research
•Secondary Data Analysis
•Focus Groups
Conclusive Research• Descriptive/Causal
Conclusive Research• Descriptive/Causal
Exploratory Research
•Secondary Data Analysis
•Focus Groups
Conclusive Research• Descriptive/Causal
Some Alternative Research Designs
(a)
(b)
(c)
Common Characteristics of Causal Studies
• Logical Time Sequence– For causality to exist, the cause must either precede
or occur simultaneously with the effect
• Concomitant Variation– Extent to which the cause and effect vary together as
hypothesized
• Control for Other Possible Causal Factors
How Descriptive & Causal Designs Differ
• Relationship between the variables– Descriptive designs determine degree of association– Causal designs infer whether one or more variables influence
another variable
• Degree of environmental control– Descriptive designs enjoy lesser degrees of control
• Order of the variables– In descriptive designs, variables are not logically ordered
Comparison of Research DesignsExploratory Descriptive Causal
Purpose ID problems, gain insights
Describe things Determine cause-and-effect relationships
Assumed background knowledge
Minimal Considerable Considerable
Degree of structure
Very little High High
Flexibility High Some Little
Sample Non-representative Representative Representative
Research environment
Relaxed Formal Highly controlled
Cost Low Medium High
Findings Preliminary Conclusive Conclusive
Which is the “Best” Research Design & Method?
• “You cannot put the same shoe on every foot.”– Publilius Syrus
• It depends on the– problem of interest, – level of information needed, – resources, – researcher’s experience, etc.
What is Descriptive Research?
• Can involve collecting quantitative information
• Can describe categories of qualitative information such as patterns of interaction when using technology in the classroom.
• Does not fit neatly into either category
What isDescriptive Research?
• Involves gathering data that describe events and then organizes, tabulates, depicts, and describes the data.
• Uses description as a tool to organize data into patterns that emerge during analysis.
• Often uses visual aids such as graphs and charts to aid the reader
Descriptive Researchtakes a “what is” approach
• What is the best way to provide access to computer equipment in schools?
• Do teachers hold favorable attitudes toward using computers in schools?
• What have been the reactions of school administrators to technological innovations in teaching?
Descriptive Research
• Refers to the nature of the research question• The design of the research• The way that data will be analyzed for the
topic that will be researched
The type of research question will determine whether descriptive research approach is appropriate to use.
Descriptive Research Advantages
• Educational research and experiences may contain many variables that cannot be realistically controlled.
• Educational research may require observations of life experiences
• Data collection may be spread over a large number of people over a large geographic area
Data Collection Methods
Surveys Interviews
Observations Portfolios
Descriptive Research1. Surveys
• May be used to reveal summary statistics by showing responses to all possible questionnaire items.
• Often provide leads in identifying needed changes
• May be used to explore relationships between 2 or more variables.
Descriptive ResearchCritical Components
Sound methodology
Well-designed data collection
instruments
Descriptive ResearchSurvey Forms
• Written questionnaires
• Personal interviews• Telephone
interviews
Factors to be considered• Sampling• Type of population• Question Form• Question Content• Response rates• Costs• Available facilities• Length of data collection• Computer assisted
techniques for data collection
Descriptive Research2. Survey Form - Interviews
• More time efficient• Allow the researcher to establish a rapport
with the respondent• Allow the acquisition of more in-depth
information• Allow for interviewer observation• Allow the interviewer to obtain visual cues• May be personal or telephone interviews
Descriptive ResearchSurvey Form – Personal
InterviewsDisadvantages• Require more staff time• Require more travel time
Descriptive ResearchSurvey Form – Telephone
InterviewAdvantagesLess expensiveLess time-
consuming
DisadvantagesLimited telephone
accessLack of
interviewer’s ability to observe the respondent and obtain visual cues
Descriptive ResearchSurvey Form – Mailed
QuestionnairesAdvantages Ability to reach large
number of people across a wide geographic area
Ease and low cost of distribution
Minimal amount of staff required
Allows respondents to respond in their time frame
DisadvantagesLower response
rateNeed to design a
survey instrument with a simple format
Descriptive ResearchSurvey Form – Mailed
Questionnaires• A letter of transmittal should accompany mailed
questionnaires.• Should state purpose and importance of research• Should state importance of responding• Should give a time frame to respond• Should include a confidentiality statement• Should include an offer to share results• Should include a thank-you note to the respondent
Descriptive ResearchCharacteristics of a Good
Survey• Good questioning techniques• Use complete sentences • Offer a limited set of answers• Interesting• Worded so that questions mean the same to all• Provide definitions for confusing terms• Uses the “I don’t know” answer very carefully
Descriptive Research3. Observational Research
Methods1. Naturally occurring behaviors observed in
natural contexts
2. Contexts that are contrived to be realistic
Descriptive ResearchObservational Research
Methods• Require direct observation of behavior• Data gathered without intermediary
instruments• Can yield a wealth of invaluable
information• Can be a complicated process
Descriptive ResearchObservational Research
Methods• Can be employed productively to support
many purposes in educational technology• Can be used to determine how people
interact with technology in various stages of design and implementation
Descriptive ResearchObservation Research Methods• How do learners interact with a specific program?• How do learners interact with a new hardware
system?
Observation makes it possible to explore the implementation of a particular technological innovation and assess the instructional outcomes.
Descriptive ResearchObservational Research
Methods• 2 Forms of Observational Research
– Structured– Unstructured
Descriptive ResearchObservational Research
MethodsStructured Observations
Rigid and controlled
Predetermined methods
Unstructured Observations
Used to determine unselective, detailed, continuous description of behavior.
Detects unintended effectsMore time consuming
because of time and labor required to collect and analyze sets of extensive observations
Descriptive ResearchObservational Research
MethodsDevelop observation formMay be paper and pencil or electronicMay use a rating scale to evaluate behaviorA 3-point rating scale is sufficient
Descriptive ResearchObservational Research
MethodsNewer Mediated Observation Techniques• Audio• Videotape• Computers provide on-line monitoring (process of
capturing characteristics of the human-computer interaction automatically)– Keystroke records– Audit trails– Logging data
Descriptive Research4. Portfolios
• Provide a descriptive measure of student work based on actual performance
• Consist of learner-created products that reflect the processes of learning and development over time
Impact and Future of Descriptive Research
• Although descriptive studies are important, most educational studies involve questions about cause.– What causes underachievement?– Will multimedia cause students to be more
motivated or lead to high achievement levels?
Impact and Future ofDescriptive Research
• Not always easy to isolate variable that will explain those causes, so descriptive research can play an important role in providing information from another perspective.
• By gathering descriptions of “what is” and comparing them to “what we would like” educators can see the area that needs to be addressed.
Impact and Future of Descriptive Research
• Descriptive Research methods have gained acceptance
• Number of descriptive studies published in research journals has increased
• Descriptive research leads to prescriptions that instructional designers and educators can heed as they consider future direction
Questions Addressed by Causal Research
* Marketing director of local soft drink company, “Will replacing TV commercial A with commercial B
lead to increase in consumer preference on our brand?”
* Chairman of a charity organization. “Will it be worthwhile to mail to previous donors an attractive and expensive brochure to solicit higher contributions this year?”
* The sales manager of a local life insurance company. “Will training in the use of computers for client
management increase agents’ sales?”
* Marketing VP of fashion chain, “Can we improve profitability of our fashion clothing line by increasing its price by 10%?”
Causality: Cause-and-EffectChange-in-X causes change-in-Y
Evidence of Causality• Concomitant variation:
– If X changes, then Y also changes.– If X does not change, then Y does not change.
• Time order: cause (X) occurs before effect (Y).
• Elimination of alternative explanation:– Could changes in Y be caused by changes in Z?
Concepts and Terminology
CausalityManipulation (experimentation)Independent variable (X, manipulated, computer skill)Dependent variable (Y, reflect the impact of independent variable, sales)Treatment Group: subject exposed to manipulation (salespeople with training)Control Group: part of sample that sees no change in independent variable (no computer training)
Validity of Experiment Internal validity: elimination of other possible causes.
–Sources: external factors (Asian crisis), maturation of subjects (agents more experienced).
–Lab experiment > Field experiment.
External validity: generalizability of results.
–Artificial situation; inappropriate sample; inappropriate time.
–Field experiment > Lab experiment:
Types of Experiments Laboratory experiment
Field experiment
Scientific investigation in which an investigator manipulates and controlsone or more independent variables and observes the dependent variable forvariation concomitant to the manipulation of the independent variables
Research investigation in which investigator creates a situation with exact conditions so as to control some, and manipulate other, variables
Research study in a realistic situation in which one or more independent variables are manipulated by the experimenter under as carefully controlled conditions as the situation will permit
Experiments are the STRONGEST Design Logic
• The “best” Research
• Design to determine CAUSAL RELATIONS
Use Experimental designs whenever possible
• Types of EXPERIMENTAL
DESIGNS:• Lab• Field Experiment• Quasi-Experimental
Uses of Exploratory Research
• Formulate a problem or define a problem more precisely
• Identify alternative courses of action• Develop hypotheses• Isolate key variables and relationships for
further examination• Gain insights for developing an approach to
the problem• Establish priorities for further research
Use of Descriptive Research
• To describe the characteristics of relevant groups, such as consumers, salespeople, organizations, or market areas.
• To estimate the percentage of units in a specified population exhibiting a certain behavior.
• To determine the perceptions of product characteristics.
• To determine the degree to which marketing variables are associated.
• To make specific predictions
Uses of Casual Research
• To understand which variables are the cause (independent variables) and which variables are the effect (dependent variables) of a phenomenon
• To determine the nature of the relationship between the causal variables and the effect to be predicted
• METHOD: Experiments
Objective:
Characteristics:
Methods:
A Comparison of Basic Research Designs
Discovery of ideas and insights
Flexible, versatile
Often the front end of total research design
Expert surveysPilot surveysSecondary dataQualitative research
Describe market characteristics or functions
Marked by the prior formulation of specific hypotheses
Preplanned and structured design
Secondary dataSurveysPanelsObservation and other data
Determine cause and effect relationships
Manipulation of one or more independent variables
Control of other mediating variables
Experiments
Exploratory Descriptive Causal
Marketing Research Proposal
• Executive Summary• Background• Problem Definition/Objectives of the Research• Approach to the Problem• Research Design• Fieldwork/Data Collection• Data Analysis• Reporting• Cost and Time• Appendices