151 Midterm

What method is used to conduct causal research?

Experiments

List three methods of exploratory research.

Expert surveys, Pilot Surveys, Case Studies,

What are two key differences between exploratory and descriptive research?

Exploratory is flexible often the front end of total research design and descriptive is preplanned and structured.

Differentiate between exploratory and conclusive research.

Exploratory research is to provide insights and understandings, whereas objective of concluseinve research is to test hypotheses and examine relationships. Second, in exploratory research the information needed is only loosely defined. The research process that is adopted is flexible and unstructured. The sample, selected to generate maximum insights, is small and nonrepresentative. The primary data that is collected is qualitative in nature and is analyzed as such. In conclusive research, the information needed is clearly specified. Such research is typically more formal and structured than exploratory research. It is based on large and representative samples and the data obtained are subjected to quantitative analysis. Third, given these characteristics of the research process, the findings of exploratory research should be regarded as tentative or used as input to further research, whereas the findings from conclusive research are considered to be conclusive in nature. Lastly, exploratory research is followed by further exploratory or conclusive research but conclusive research is used as input into managerial decision making.

What is the primary objective of exploratory research?

Exploratory research is typically used to provide structure and insight into the research problem.

Describe what is meant by indirect qualitative techniques.

Indirect techniques, also called projective techniques, are used to ask the respondent to interpret the behavior of others and thus add insight into personally held beliefs of the respondent.

What are the characteristics of valuable information?

Information that is relevant, accurate, reliable, valid, and current.

Why is it important to minimize total error rather than any particular source?

It is important to lay stress on minimizing the total error and not any particular one because there is tendency among some researchers to control sampling error without giving any attention to total error.

What is the first step in the marketing research process?

Problem definition: define the marketing research problem to be addressed in terms of: discussion with the decision maker(s), interviews with industry experts, analysis of secondary data, and perhaps some qualitative research.

What is the difference between problem identification research and problem solution research? Provide one example each.

Problem identification research is identifying problems that are not apparent on the surface like market potential and problem solution research solves specific marketing problems as in product or pricing. Problem identification research is undertaken to help identify problems that are not apparent on the surface and yet exist or are likely to arise in the future. Examples of problem identification research include market potential, market share, market characteristics, sales analysis, short-range forecasting, long-range forecasting, and business trends research. Problem solution research solves specific marketing problems such as segmentation, product, pricing promotion, and distribution research.

Describe one classification of marketing research.

Problem identification research is undertaken to help identify problems that are not apparent on the surface and yet exist or are likely to arise in the future. Examples of problem identification research include market potential, market share, market characteristics, sales analysis, short-range forecasting, long-range forecasting, and business trends research.

What is the difference between random sampling errors and non-sampling errors?

Random sampling error is the variation between the true mean value for the population and the true mean value for the original sample.

Describe paired comparison scaling.

a. In paired comparison scaling, a respondent is presented with two objects at a time and asked to select one object in the pair according to some criterion. b. A respondent is presented with two objects and asked to select one according to some criterion.

What is measurement?

a. Measurement is the assignment of numbers or other symbols to characteristics of objects according to certain prespecified rules. i. One-to-one correspondence between the numbers and the characteristics being measured. ii. The rules for assigning numbers should be standardized and applied uniformly. iii. Rules must not change over objects or time.

What are the three types of analytical models?

Verbal, graphical or mathematical

What are disadvantages of focus groups?

1. It is harder to correctly interpret the responses. 2. There is extreme dependence on the performance of the moderator. 3. Coding and analysis is cumbersome. 4. The group is not representative of the general population. 5. The results are subject to researcher or client bias.

Compare and contrast cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.

A cross-sectional design involves the collection of data from a sample at a single point in time and the longitudinal designs involves collecting data periodically from a fixed sample of respondents.

What are the advantages of comparative scaling?

1. Relative Advantages of comparative scales a. Small differences between stimulus objects can be detected. b. Same known reference points for all respondents. c. Easily understood and can be applied. d. Involve fewer theoretical assumptions. Tend to reduce halo or carryover effects from one judgment to another.

What are the advantages of focus groups over depth interviews? 10 things

1. Synergism - Putting a group of people together will produce a wider range of information. 2. Snowballing - A bandwagon effect often operates in a group interview, in that one person's comment triggers a chain reaction from the other participants. 3. Stimulation - Usually after a brief introductory period the respondents want to express their ideas and expose their feelings as the general level of excitement over the topic increases in the group. 4. Security - Because the participants' feelings are similar to those of the others group members, they feel comfortable and are therefore willing to express their ideas and feelings. 5. Spontaneity - since participants are not required to answer specific questions, their responses can be spontaneous and unconventional and should therefore provide an accurate idea of their views. 6. Serendipity - Ideas are more likely to arise out of the blue in a group than in an individual interview 7. Specialization - Because a number of participants are involved simultaneously, use of a highly trained, but expensive, interview is justified. 8. Scientific scrutiny - The group interview allows close scrutiny of the data collection process. 9. Structure - The group interview allows for flexibility in the topics covered and the depth with which they are treated. 10. Speed - Since a number of individuals are being interviewed at the same time, data collection and analysis proceed relatively quickly.

What are the determinants of the need for marketing research?

1. Time constraints, 2. the availability of data, 3. the nature of the decision to be made, 4. and the value of the research information in relation to costs.

When is the use of qualitative approaches applicable or preferred in research?

1. When it is difficult to develop specific and actionable decision statements or research objectives 2. When the research objective is to develop an understanding of some phenomena in greater detail and in much depth 3. When the research objective is to learn how consumers use a product in its natural setting or to learn how to express some concept in colloquial terms 4. When some behavior the researcher is studying is particularly context dependent. 5. When a fresh approach to studying some problem is needed

Clarify the distinction between the management decision problem and the marketing research problem.

A management decision problem asks what the Decision Maker needs to do but a marketing research problem on the other hand, is stated in terms that enable the researcher to gather information required by the decision maker in deciding what to do.

Provide an example of the management decision problem and a related marketing research problem.

A management decision problem would be "should the NFL open a franchise is orange county?" the related research problem would be "Would orange county residents purchase tickets and attend games?"

What is an analytical model?

An analytical model is a verbal, graphical, or mathematical representation based on some theoretical foundations.

What is the difference between basic and applied marketing research?

Applied marketing research is conducted to address a specific marketing decision for a specific firm or organization. & Basic Marketing research is conducted without specific decision in mind and it usually does not address the needs of a specific organization

What are three of the four types of projective techniques we discussed in the class?

Association techniques, completion techniques, construction techniques, expressive techniques.

What are the disadvantages of secondary data?

Because secondary data have been collected for purposes other than the problem at hand, their usefulness to the current problem may be limited in several important ways, including relevance and accuracy.

Why is it important to define the marketing research problem appropriately?

Defining the marketing research problem is the most important step because all other steps will be based on this definition.

What are depth interviews? Under what circumstances is it preferable to focus groups?

Depth interviews are conducted on a one-on-one basis to uncover underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings on a topic. In some regions, such as in the Middle or Far East, people are hesitant to discuss their feelings in a group setting. In other countries such as Japan, people think it is impolite to disagree with others publicly. In these cases, depth interviews should be used.

Describe the two main and general tasks involved in problem definition.

Discussion with the decision maker. The researcher needs to understand the nature of both the problem and the decision which management faces in order to determine the underlying information needs. Sometimes discussions with industry experts, analysis of secondary data, and preliminary research are required to identify the factors that must be considered for the proper identification of the decision problem. Translate the decision problem into a research problem.

What are two of the five important sources of information for understanding the marketing research problem?

It is the task of marketing research to provide relevant, accurate, reliable, valid, and current information in order to make sound decisions. 1. Information that is relevant and addresses the problem or issue being investigated. 2. Information that is accurate, correct, and precise.

What decisions are made by marketing managers? How does marketing research help in making these decisions?

Marketing managers make strategic and tactical decisions in the process of identifying and satisfying customer needs. They make decisions about potential opportunities, target market selection, market segmentation, planning and implementing marketing programs, marketing performance, and control. Marketing research helps the marketing manager link the marketing variables with the environment and the customer groups. It helps remove some of the uncertainty by providing relevant information about the marketing variables, environment, and consumers.

Define marketing research.

Marketing research is the systematic and objective identification, collection, analysis, and dissemination of information for the purpose of assisting management in decision making related to the identification and solution of problems (and opportunities) in marketing.

What are two inputs into the decision of whether marketing research should be undertaken?

Marketing research should be undertaken when the expected value of information it generates exceeds the costs of conducting the marketing research project.

What are the two general potential sources of error can affect a research design?

Random sampling error is the variation between the true mean value for the population and the true mean value for the original sample. non-sampling errors can be attributed to sources other than sampling, and they may be random or nonrandom: including errors in problem definition, approach, scales, questionnaire design, interviewing methods, and data preparation and analysis.

What is operationalization of a construct?

Researchers measure concepts through a process known as operationalization, which is a process that involves identifying scales that correspond to variance in the concept.

Describe rank order scaling.

Respondents are presented with several objects simultaneously and asked to order or rank them according to some criterion. This is commonly used to measure preferences for brands as well as the importance of attributes. 1. Respondents are presented with several objects simultaneously and asked to order or rank them according to some criterion. 2. It is possible that the respondent may dislike the brand ranked 1 in an absolute sense. Rank the various brands of toothpaste in order of preference.

Describe constant sum scaling.

Respondents are required to allocate a constant sum of units such as points, dollars, chits, stickers, or chips among a set of stimulus objects with respect to some criterion. Specific instructions are provided that if an attribute is not at all important, it is possible to assign zero points. If an attribute is twice as important as some other attribute it should receive twice as many points. Respondents allocate a constant sum of units, such as 100 points to attributes of a product to reflect their importance. The sum of all the points is 100. Hence, the name of the scale.

What are the advantages of secondary data?

Secondary data are easily accessible, relatively inexpensive, and quickly obtained. Secondary data can help you 1. Identify the problem. 2. Better define the problem. 3. Develop an approach to the problem. 4. Formulate an appropriate research design (for example, by identifying the key variables). 5. Answer certain research questions and test some hypotheses. 6. Interpret primary data more insightfully.

Discuss the importance of the marketing research proposal and list its main components.

The proposal is vital to the research firm since it serves as the contract between the firm and the client. A well-drafted proposal is essential to secure the business and to guide the approach to the problem, the research design, and the subsequent details of the study. Its main features include the executive summary, background material, problem definition, approach to the problem, research design, fieldwork and data collection, data analysis techniques, reporting method, cost of the project and time of completion, and appendices with additional information. • 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

Contrast validity and reliability.

The reliability of a measure refers to the extent to which the measurement process is free from random errors—the consistency, precision, and predictability of research findings. The validity of a measure refers to the extent to which the measurement process is free from systematic error—its accuracy.

Describe the three basic approaches to establishing validity

The three basic approaches to establishing validity are face or content validity, criterion validity, and construct validity. 1. Face (content) validity refers to the subjective agreement among professionals that a scale logically reflects the concept being measured. 2. Criterion validity addresses the question: "Does my measure correlate with measures of similar concepts or known quantities?" a. May be classified as either concurrent validity or predictive validity depending on the time sequence in which the new measurement scale and the criterion measure are correlated. b. Concurrent validity increases with higher correlation between two different measurements of the same marketing phenomenon administered at the same point in time. c. Predictive validity increases with higher correlation between a measured marketing phenomenon at one point in time and a predicted marketing phenomenon measured at a future point in time. d. The researcher applies the new measure at the same time as the criterion measure ► concurrent validity is relevant e. A new measure predicts a future event ► predictive validity 3. Construct validity exists when a measure reliably measures and truthfully represents a unique concept and consists of several components: a. Face or Content validity (see above) b. Convergent validity depends on consistency; highly reliable scales contain convergent validity. c. Criterion validity (see above) d. Discriminant validity represents how unique or distinct is a measure; a scale should not correlate too highly (i.e., above .75) with a measure of a different construct. e. Fit validity represents the extent to which a researcher's proposed measurement approach (how all the constructs in a study will be measured) full explains the covariation (the way each item corresponds with all other items measured) among all the items involved in the research.

What is total error?

The total error is the variation between the true mean value in the population of the variable of interest and the observed mean value obtained in the marketing research project.

What are two major purposes for which descriptive research is conducted?

To describe the characteristics of relevant groups of units such as consumers, salespeople, organizations, and market areas. To estimate the percentage of units in a specified population exhibiting a certain behavior.

Name and describe the primary scales of measurement.

a. The primary scales of measurement are nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. a. Nominal scale. This is used only as a labeling scheme where numbers serve only as labels or tags for identifying and classifying objects. The numbers in a nominal scale do not reflect the amount of a characteristic possessed by the objects, rather they are used only for identification. For example, numbers on baseball players uniforms, street names, or social security numbers. b. Ordinal scale. This is a ranking scale in which numbers are assigned to objects to indicate the relative extent to which some characteristic is possessed. It is then possible to determine whether an object has more or less of a characteristic than some other object. For example, rankings of teams for the NCAA Basketball tournament, socioeconomic status, and quality rankings. c. Interval scale. Numbers are used to rank objects such that numerically equal distances on the scale represent equal distances in the characteristic being measured. Examples include time and temperature. d. Ratio scale. This is used to identify or classify objects, rank order the objects, and compare intervals and differences. For example, height, age, and income.

Describe the four basic characteristics and levels of measurement.

a. There are four basic characteristics: description, order, distance and origin, and together they define the level of measurement of a scale. Description - 1. By description we mean the unique labels or descriptors that are used to designate each value of the scale, e.g., 1. Female, 2. Male. 2. It is important to remember that all scales possess this characteristic of description. 3. Thus, all scales have unique labels or descriptors that are used to define the scale values or response options. Order- 1. By order we mean the relative sizes or positions of the descriptors. 2. There are no absolute values associated with order, only relative values. 3. Order is denoted by descriptors such as greater than, less than, and equal to. All scales do not possess the order characteristic. 4. In the gender scale (1. Female, 2. Male) considered earlier, we have no way of determining whether a female is greater than or less than a male. 5. Thus, the gender scale does not possess order. Distance - 1. The characteristic of distance means that absolute differences between the scale descriptors are known and may be expressed in units. 2. A five-person household has one person more than a four-person household, which in turn has one person more than a three-person household. 3. Thus, the following scale possesses the distance characteristic. Origin - 1. The origin characteristic means that the scale has a unique or fixed beginning or true zero point. Thus, an exact measurement of income by a scale such as: a. What is the annual income of our household before taxes? 2. Money has a fixed origin or a true a zero point. 3. An answer of zero would mean that the household has no income at all.

What is a construct?

· A construct is a mental abstraction based on perceptions of a phenomenon; it is defined with either a constitutive or an operational definition.

What are the advantages of depth interviews over focus groups?

· Detailed probing of the individual. · Discussions on topics considered confidential, sensitive, or embarrassing. · Situations where strong social norms exist and the individual may be easily swayed by group response. · Interviews with professional people. · Interviews with competitors who are unlikely to reveal the information in a group setting. · Situations where the product consumption experience is sensory in nature affecting mood states and emotions.

What are the relative advantages of observation?

· Observational methods permit measurement of actual behavior. · The potential bias caused by the interviewer and the interviewing process is reduced or eliminated. · Certain types of data can be collected best or only by observation. · If the observed phenomenon occurs at relatively frequent intervals and is of short duration, observational methods may cost less and be faster than the communication methods.

Compare and contrast independent and dependent variables.

• An independent variable is an input to a process or analysis that influences the dependent variable. While there can only be one dependent variable in a study, there may be multiple independent variables. The Dependent The behavioral responses of consumers to the independent variables are the dependent variables with which marketing research is concerned. These include purchases, buying intentions, preferences, and attitudes.

What are the criteria to be used when evaluating secondary data?

• Specifications/ Methodology • Error/Accuracy • Currency • Objective • Nature • Dependability