Chapter 8

research process steps

1. Define the research problem and establish research objectives 2. Determine the sources of information to fulfill the research objectives 3. Consider the costs and benefits of the research effort 4. Gather relevant data from secondary or primary sources, or both 5. Analyze, interpret, and summarize the results 6. Effectively communicate the results to decision makers

decentering

A method of translation, a variation on back translation, that is a successive process of translation and retranslation of a document, such as a questionnaire, each time by a different translator. The two original-language versions are then compared, and if there are differences, the process is repeated until the second original-language version is the same as the first.

triangulation

A term borrowed from naval charting meaning using at least three differing measured of the same concept to verify the accuracy of any one method. For example, regarding forecast of demand, separate opinions of experts, sales representatives, and quantitative economic analyses might be compared

Identify an accurate statement about marketing research.

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

What are the three types of market research?

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

multicultural research

Inquiry, analysis, and study of more than two countries and cultures that takes into account differences in language, economic structure, social structure, behavior, and attitude patterns. Different methods of research may have varying reliability in different countries.

Identify an accurate statement about the Internet.

It facilitates international marketing research

Identify a feature of quantitative research.

It provides marketers with responses that can be processed into estimates.

Identify an accurate statement about multicultural research.

It should consider differences in social structures of countries

What is one possible downside to decentralization?

Large-market studies may dominate marketing decisions

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

Official statistics may reflect pride rather than practical reality.

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.

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

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

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

Respondents' answers cannot always be translated exactly

Which type of marketing research is focused on domestic operations?

Specific market information used to make decisions about the marketing mix

Which of the following is a reason for the low level of reliability of secondary data?

The fear of tax collectors adversely affects data reporting.

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.

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

United States

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

Primary data can be gathered from

a firm's distributers

expert opinion

a method of market estimation in which experts are polled for their opinions about market size and growth rates; used particularly in foreign countries that are new to the marketer

analogy

a method of market estimation that assumes that demand for a product develops in much the same way in all countries as comparable economic development occurs in each country

parallel translation

a method of translation in which two translators are used to make a back translation; the results are compared, differences are discussed, and the most appropriate translation is used. The method addresses the use of common idioms in the languages being translated.

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

accurate data that adequately addresses research goals

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

analogy

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

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

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 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

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

comparability

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

secondary data

data collected by an independent agency or individual other than the firm conducting research; often useful in market research

primary data

data collected, as in market research, specifically for a particular research project

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

demographic data may not be sufficient

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

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

from trusted research vendors from internal marketing research staff

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

Identify an accurate statement about decentralized research management.

local analysts assume control of the research

Secondary data that has been collected in the United States

needs to be validated

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

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

professionals local students locally prominent people

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

Multicultural research should

strive to achieve comparable and equivalent results

Which research methodology is most commonly used by quantitative research?

surveys

international marketing research

the form of marketing research involving two additional considerations: (1) the need to communicate information across national boundaries and (2) the challenge of applying established marketing techniques in the different environments of foreign markets, some of which may be strange or vexing milieus for the marketer

back translation

the process in which a document, such as a questionnaire, or phrase is translated from one language to another and then translated by a second party into the original language. Back translations can be used to verify that the first translation, as of a marketing slogan, has the intended meaning for the targeted audience.

research process

the process of obtaining information; it should begin with a definition of the research problem and establishment of objectives, and proceed with an orderly approach o the collection and analysis of data

marketing research

the systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing of date to provide information useful in marketing decision making

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

they do not understand the use of those products

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

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

triangulation