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