GRITCommentary:EducatingtheResearcheroftheFuture
RegBakerMarketResearchInstituteInternational
UniversityofGeorgia
June13,2017
WhatdoyoubelievewillbethethreemostimportantskillsetsforasuccessfulpostgraduateMarketResearchprogramtofocusonduringthenextfiveyears?
2%
3%
3%
3%
3%
3%
4%
10%
15%
16%
2%
1%
4%
3%
3%
3%
3%
2%
11%
17%
Businessskills
Creativity
Storytelling
Statistics
Newmethods
Surveydesign
Textanalytics/bigdata
Datascience
Insightsintoaction
Criiticalthinking
Suppliers Clients
HowimportantisitthatastudentwhograduatesfromapostgraduateMarketResearchprogramhavethefollowingskills:
25%
34%
49%
52%
57%
59%
61%
73%
Mathematics
Toolsandanlaytitcsoftware
Consultative
Storytelling
Verbalandpresentation
Writingcommunication
Insightdevelopment
Criticalthinking
Percentsaying“veryimportant"
Michigan State University Master of Science Degree in Marketing Research at the Broad Graduate School of Management
Educating the Market Researcher of Tomorrow
May 19-20, 2014
Kellogg Center, East Lansing
Sponsored by: ChryslerCoca-ColaVision Critical
MarketResearchEducation– AStudyinContrasts
Past
FocusonMastery
Future
FocusonAgility“TheMasterGeneralist”
“Educationisthelightingofaflamenotthefillingofavessel.”
“Wearen’tteachingtherightstuff.”
MReducationneedsanoverhaul.
Ø Rethinkthestandarduniversitycurriculumtoproducewell-roundedMRprofessionals.
Ø Emphasizeanalytics,presentationsskills,storytelling,insightsmining,andother“softskills.”
Ø Developmini-coursestocovernewmethods.
Ø Createstrongerlinksbetweenacademicsandpractitioners.
7
BreadthofKnowledge
DepthofExpertise
“Thefoxknowsmanylittlethings,butthehedgehogknowsonebigthing.”
Tetlock,PhillipE.(2006)ExpertPoliticalJudgment:HowGoodIsIt?HowCanWeKnow? (Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress)
Hedgehog FoxSpecialized Multidisciplinary
Rigid Adaptable
Stubborn Self-critical
OrderSeeking Complexity Tolerant
Confident Cautious
Ideological Empirical
Anewbreedofresearcher
9
BCGFourStagesofConsumerInsightPerformance
TraditionalMR BusinessContribution
StrategicInsight StrategicForesight
Skills Technical Technical&business Analytic&strategicAnalytic,business,commnication&
leaderhsip
Training MRmethods&tools MRtools&buinessskillsIntegratedthinking&communications
Leadershp&communicaiton
Deliverables FindingsfromeachstudyBusiness
recommendationsIntegatedstrategyinsights Forwardlookingstrategy
Role Provideaccuratedata ProvideinsightfromdataDriveresultsforbusiness
unitsCreatecompetitive
advantageWayofworking Projectdriven Businessdriven Results(ROI)driven Futuredriven
Methods TraditionalTraditional&new
methodsExpandtoconsumerandeconomictrenddata
Expandtoconsumerandeconomictrenddata
Source:BCGConsumerInsightBenchmarking(2009)
Ittakesateam.
TheSpecialists
ThePolymath TheBusinessConsultant
Source:Chadwick,SimonandBaker,Reg(2014).“Aprèsnousledeluge?WhyweneedtopayattentiontotheneedsanddesiresofMillennialandPost-Millennialresearchers.”PaperpresentedattheESOMARCongressinNice.Amsterdam:ESOMAR.
Datascientists,computerscientists,neuroscientists,statisticians,sampleproviders,psychologists,ethnographers,graphicdesigners,surveyspecialists,etc.
Whatiscriticalthinking?
Thesystematicevaluationofdata,facts,andobservablephenomenon,distinguishingbetweenusefulandlessusefuldetails,withthegoalofdrawingreasonableconclusionsinordertosolveaproblemormakeadecision.
Ø Selectmethodologiesanddatasourcesthatfitthebusinessproblem.
Ø Systematicallyassess“thesafetyoftheevidence.”
Ø Synthesizemultiplesourcesofimperfectdata.
Ø Tellthemostimportantstoryofthedatainaconvincingway.
Source:Smith,David.2014.“Buildingtheskillsofthenextgenerationofcustomerinsightprofessionals.”ResearchWorld.November/December,32-35.
1. Emphasizescriticalthinking,insightdevelopment,andproblemsolvingoverspecificresearchskills.
2. Teachestheprinciples thatdistinguishgoodresearchfrombadresearchindependentofmethodanddatasource.
Weneedacurriculumthatdoestwothings.
FocusonAgility“TheMasterGeneralist”