International Marketing chapter 8

Nina, a marketing researcher, has gathered relevant primary and secondary data. Which step should Nina take next?

Analyze, interpret, and summarize the results of her research

How do market researchers conduct qualitative research?

By directly observing consumers

Which type of marketing research is focused on domestic operations?

Specific market information used to make decisions about the marketing mix

Primary data can be gathered from

a firm's distributors.

One advantage that online surveys have over phone and mail surveys is that online surveys can better utilize "branching," or

asking a variety of questions based on a response to an earlier question.

The lack of historical data with which to contrast current foreign data leads to ______ problems.

comparability

A questionnaire is translated from Spanish to Chinese and then back to Spanish by a different translator. The two Spanish versions are compared, differences are noted, and the original Spanish questionnaire is modified accordingly. This process is repeated, using different translators each time, until there are no differences between the Spanish and the Chinese questionnaires. This scenario exemplifies

decentering

Which of the following skills are researchers most likely to require when they access foreign marketing-related secondary data?

language skills

In which aspects of market research should decision makers be involved?

question formulation problem definition fieldwork

When using analogy to forecast demand, marketers must exercise caution because it

relies on both countries having similar factors.

Data that has already been collected by another agency is known as

secondary

Respondents usually find it difficult to formulate needs and opinions about products when

they do not understand the use of those products.

Which of the following steps should market researchers follow in foreign countries?

Adopt a skeptical attitude towards all data.

How does the lack of detailed social and economic information affect sampling?

It causes researchers to use convenience samples gathered in public locations.

Which of the following is a reason why secondary foreign data may be unreliable?

Official statistics may reflect pride rather than practical reality.

To forecast demand, marketers may use ______, which assumes that demand for a product will follow a similar pattern in all countries.

analogy

A marketing researcher interviews a large number of respondents and asks them a set of questions that are listed in a questionnaire. The respondents are required to select a response from a given set of options. In this case, the researcher is

conducting quantitative research.

Lisa, a marketing researcher, is conducting research in a foreign country. Lisa should

consider the economy and language of the target country

International marketing research

requires information to be translated into language that respondents can understand.

True or false: Market research consists solely of gathering information from or about consumers, customers, and competitors.

False

What is one possible downside to decentralization?

Large-market studies may dominate marketing decisions.

Secondary data is considered valid if it is

consistent with another set of data of known validity.

One of the problems faced by marketing researchers when selecting samples is that

postal service and mailing lists may be of poor quality

A reason for the low level of reliability of secondary data is that

fear of the tax collector affects reporting.

A marketing researcher uses an academic paper written by a professor at the University of Connecticut to derive certain findings. The academic paper is a summary of several researchers' findings. In this case, the academic paper is a ______ data source.

secondary

Research is analyzed at an individual-country level and a multicountry level because analysis of multicultural data by just one interpreter increases the risk that data will be influenced by

self-reference bias.

What are the two stages of analysis that market data must undergo?

-Organization of data into a form that addresses the client's needs. -Identification of issues present in each country.

Identify an accurate statement about marketing research.

Cultural differences can mean people will be unwilling to respond to research questions.

In the first step of the research process, marketing researchers must deal with the challenge of

converting vague or nebulous business problems into clearly defined research objectives.

In foreign markets, marketing researchers

must often emphasize different kinds of information

True or false: Market researchers should always accept primary data at face value.

False

True or false: The translation of a questionnaire into one language will suffice in all areas where that language is spoken.

False

What are the three types of market research?

General information about a country, area, and/or market Information necessary to forecast future marketing requirements Specific market information used to make decisions about the marketing mix

Which of the following is a limitation of the Internet as a research tool?

It creates a potential bias because respondents are all Internet users.

Identify an accurate statement about the Internet.

It facilitates international marketing research.

Which of the following is the most common problem faced by market researchers collecting data in foreign countries?

Language barriers

Identify an accurate statement about decentralized research management.

Local analysts assume control of the research.

What is the name for the process by which information is collected, recorded, and analyzed so that a company can make informed decisions about its marketing efforts?

Marketing research

Which of the following is a problem associated with the availability of marketing data for foreign markets?

Researchers often do not know the language in which the data is available.

Identify a use of qualitative research.

To gain insight into a market's needs and what ad messages it might respond to

Carlos is asked about a product that he has never seen or used before. In this scenario, Carlos is likely to

find it difficult to communicate meaningful opinions.

Cultural and national differences can be resolved during research design by

translating questionnaires properly.

The comparison of estimates formulated by different experts in order to predict demand is known as

triangulation.

In foreign markets, marketers should

be guided by collected data even if it does not follow the expected course.

How can researchers best overcome the language barrier issues that arise when they administer questionnaires to people in foreign countries?

by using native speakers of the target country's language to prepare the questionnaires

One of the problems faced by marketing researchers when selecting samples is that

demographic data may not be sufficient.

Qualitative research is used in part to

discover relevant questions that should undergo further investigation.

Which strategy should be employed by a company when conducting international marketing research?

It should coordinate closely with local research companies.

Identify a strategy that a company should adopt when conducting multicountry research.

It should form relationships with other companies in the target country.

Which of the following is a feature of qualitative research?

It uses open-ended questions to seek in-depth responses.

How is the lack of comprehensive marketing-related data in some countries being addressed?

Private and public groups are funding the collection of this data.

Identify the types of information collected by Unisys Corporation to make sound assessments of foreign markets.

Review of the competitive situation Summary of the technological environment Economic and demographic information Overview of market conditions Cultural, sociological, and political information

Which research methodology is most commonly used by quantitative research?

Surveys

Identify a challenge faced by international marketers who use the Internet to conduct market research.

The invasion of consumers' privacy poses legal complications.

Refrez Inc., a U.S.-based cereal manufacturer, begins selling its products in China. While people in the United States eat cereal with cold milk, the people of China eat cereal with hot milk. Refrez Inc. believed that everyone used cold milk with cereal and did not modify its product according to people's preferences. As a result, it witnessed a decline in sales in China. In this scenario, what was the obstacle to defining the research problem?

The research problem was clouded by researchers' self-reference criterion.

Identify an accurate statement about international marketing research.

The research processes and methods used across countries are basically the same.

True or false: Market researchers should involve the natives of a target country in the analysis and interpretation of the results of research conducted in that country.

True

Which country has the highest quantity of marketing-related secondary data available?

United States

In international marketing research, primary research is successful when a researcher gathers

accurate data that adequately addresses research goals.

Which three of the following are not typically gathered as part of domestic market research, but are necessary in order to assess a foreign market?

geographical characteristics cultural attributes a country's political stability

Market researchers believe that communication within organizations can be improved by

increasing employee incentives for sharing information.

According to market researchers, communication within multinational organizations can be facilitated by

increasing the frequency of communication instances.

Secondary data is considered valid if it is

internally consistent with known data sources or market factors.

Lists that carry demographic data and from which samples are to be drawn are sometimes not current. In this case, sampling becomes

less reliable

Research design tends to be successful when

local language is used perfectly in questionnaires

When people in foreign countries are unwilling to respond, marketing researchers should use _____ to gather data.

locally prominent people professionals local students

A questionnaire is translated from one language into another and then back into the original language by two additional translators. The two translated versions in the original language are then compared to the original document, differences are discussed, and the most appropriate translation is selected. This process is known as

parallel translation

Back translations are sometimes inaccurate because both languages may use the same idioms. To overcome this problem, market researchers can use

parallel translation

Data that is gathered specifically for a particular research project is known as

primary

One of the difficulties associated with defining a research problem in foreign markets is that

the problem may be clouded by researchers' self-reference criterion.

Brix Inc., a European cement manufacturer, decides to enter the Chinese market. It seeks the opinion of three experts to help forecast demand and then compares these estimates. In this case, Brix Inc. is engaging in a process known as

triangulation

When conducting marketing research in foreign markets, researchers should

use "catch as catch can" methods to obtain data.

A market researcher collects information about the sales of baby food from a commercial database. He uses the latest census, which lists the number of births in the last year, to verify this data. This case exemplifies

validation of secondary data.

How can market researchers analyze the social customs, semantics, and business customs of a country effectively?

By understanding the culture of the relevant market

How does postal service impact mail surveys in foreign countries?

It may result in significant delays in delivery and return of surveys.

Why is the first step of the research process essential in foreign markets?

The unfamiliar environment tends to cloud problem definition.

Morgan translates a questionnaire from one language to another, Lucian translates it back into the original language, and they compare the two versions in the original language. This process is known as

back translation.

The process through which a document is repeatedly translated from one language to another and back, each time by a different translator, is known as

decentering

Secondary data that has been collected in the United States

needs to be validated.

One of the problems faced by marketing researchers when selecting samples is that

social and economic information may be insufficient

Multicultural research should

strive to achieve comparable and equivalent results.

An accurate statement about secondary data in less developed countries is that

the data gathered previously may use categories that are too broad or too narrow.

The first step of the research process is especially important in foreign markets because researchers tend to

treat the problem as if it were in their home environment. underestimate the influence of local culture on a problem.

Identify a feature of quantitative research.

It provides marketers with responses that can be processed into estimates

Which of the following are problems associated with conducting marketing research in different countries?

Limited availability of appropriate research tools Cross-cultural communication Difficulty in implementing the research process Different emphases on information

Other than directly observing the market, how do most companies get their market research?

Other than directly observing the market, how do most companies get their market research?

Which problems do market researchers face when collecting primary data in foreign countries?

Respondents may be unwilling or unable to communicate. They forget to take into account cultural differences among countries. Questionnaires may be translated improperly.

Why is it difficult to conduct marketing research in foreign countries?

Respondents' answers cannot always be translated exactly.

In back translation, a document that has been translated from its original language to another language and back again is compared to

a copy of the original document.

Once a marketing researcher has reviewed the internal sources of data, the next step in the research process involves

defining the research problem and establishing specific research objectives.