1. Exploratory Research: Qualitative Research
Chapter 5
Exploratory Research: Qualitative Research

2. Focus Qualitative vs quantitative research
rationale for using qualitative research
types of qualitative procedures
direct
focus groups
depth interviews
indirect
projective techniques

3. Qualitative Research unstructured exploratory research methodology
based on small samples
provides insights and understanding of the problem setting
focus on reasons and motivations

4. Quantitative Research
structured
descriptive/causal research methodology
based on large samples
quantifies the data and generalizes sample results to the population

5. Rationale for Qualitative Research
people may be unwilling to answer certain questions
people may be unable to provide accurate answers to questions that tap their unconscious
researcher may not know enough about the problem setting to design structured survey instruments

6. Focus Group Interviews
is an unstructured interview of a group of respondents by a trained moderator
value - comes from unexpected findings obtained from a free-flowing group discussion
extremely popular
many companies make major decisions using the interview findings

7. Characteristics group size: 8-12
group composition: homogeneous; prescreened
physical setting: relaxed
time duration: 1-3 hours
video transmission
moderator: establish rapport, keep the discussion moving forward, and probe when needed

8. Advantages synergism - wider range snowballing - chain reaction
stimulation - in a group setting
spontaneity - more accurate responses
flexibility

9. Disadvantages misuse - not conclusive misjudge - biased evaluation
moderator quality
misrepresentation

10. Applications of focus groups
understanding consumers’ attitudes/preferences in a product category
testing new product ideas
developing creative ideas for advertising
obtaining consumer reactions to marketing program ideas

11. Depth Interviews direct, personal interview
single respondent is probed by a skilled interviewer
unstructured
to uncover underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes, and feelings
time duration - 30 to 60 minutes

12. Techniques laddering hidden issue questioning symbolic analysis
line of questioning: product characteristics => use characteristics
hidden issue questioning
focus on personal issues (sore spots, concerns)
symbolic analysis
analyze symbolic meaning of objects by comparing them with their opposites

13. Advantages can uncover greater depth of insights
no group pressure - hence more free flow of responses
easier to administer
can meet for longer time

14. Disadvantages need skilled interviewers
quality and completeness a function of the interviewer
data are difficult to code and analyze
‘n’ will be small - time + cost
infrequently used in marketing research

15. Applications detailed probing of the respondent
discussion of sensitive issues
situations in which social norms are strong
complex behaviors
interviewing professional people
if product consumption experience is sensory in nature

16. Projective Techniques
encourage respondents to project their underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes or feelings regarding the issue of concern
by interpreting the behavior of others rather than one’s own behavior
is related to the level of ambiguity of the scenario that is interpreted

17. Association Techniques
a stimulus is presented and the respondent has to answer with the first thing that comes to mind
e.g. word association - list of words
test words are interspersed throughout the list
response latency data is also collected
logic: association allows respondents to reveal their inner feeling about the topic of interest

18. continued
analyses
frequency with which any word is given as a response
amount of time before a response is given
number of respondents who do not respond to a word at all
# of positive, negative, neutral associations

19. Completion Techniques
respondent is asked to complete an incomplete stimulus situation
sentence completion and story completion
allows capturing of subjects’ feelings better than word association tests
is not as well disguised however
story completion more difficult to interpret

20. Construction Techniques
respondent constructs a response in the form of a story, dialogue, or description
researcher provides less initial structure than in a completion technique
picture response
response to a picture reflects the respondent’s personality
can measure people’s attitude toward a brand
cartoon test

21. Expressive Techniques
respondents are presented with a verbal or visual situation and asked to relate the feelings and attitudes of other people to the situation
role playing
third-person

22. Advantages
can elicit responses that subjects may be unwilling or unable to give if they knew the purpose of the study
personal, sensitive, or subject to social norms
when underlying motivations and attitudes are operating at the sub-conscious level

23. Disadvantages require personal interviews
with highly-skilled interviewers
also need highly-skilled interpreters
serious risk of interpretation bias
analyses are difficult and subjective