1. Managing Marketing Research and Research Ethics

2. Learning Objectives
To understand what clients want from a research supplier or department.
To appreciate the role of communications in managing marketing research.
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, cost control, adherence to time schedules, maintenance of client profitability, and staff development.
John Wiley & Son, Inc

3. To become familiar with respondents’ rights.
Learning Objectives
To examine unethical practices among marketing research suppliers, clients, and marketing research field services.
To become familiar with respondents’ rights.
To discover methods by which the level of professionalism in marketing research can be raised
John Wiley & Son, Inc

4. What Do Clients Want From a Research Department or Research Supplier?
To understand what clients want from a research supplier or department.
Top Ten Things A Client Wants In A Research Company Or Department
Maintains client confidentiality
Is honest
Is punctual
Is flexible
Delivers against projects specifications
Provides high-quality output
John Wiley & Son, Inc

5. What Do Clients Want From a Research Department or Research Supplier?
To understand what clients want from a research supplier or department.
7. Is responsive to the client’s needs
8. Has high quality-control standards
9. Is customer-orientated in interactions with client
10. Keeps the client informed throughout a project
John Wiley & Son, Inc

6. To appreciate the role of communication in managing marketing research
Communications
To appreciate the role of communication in managing marketing research
Liaison
Must communicate accurately honestly and frequently with client
Should go over the project objectives, methodology, and timing with client
Client should sing off on the questionnaire
Ascertain how often the client wants progress reports
John Wiley & Son, Inc

7. Managing The Research Process
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing The Research Process
Research Management
Data Quality Management
Integrity and Quality of Data
Procedures
Time Management
Keep Project on Schedule
Two Problems
The incident rate problem
A longer-than-anticipated interview
System to Control Schedules
John Wiley & Son, Inc

8. Managing The Research Process
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing The Research Process
Costs Management
Capture data collection and other costs daily.
Daily reporting of costs to project managers.
Communicate the budget picture to clients and managers.
Quickly identify over-budget situations
Offer options to client early in the process.
John Wiley & Son, Inc

9. Managing The Research Process
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing The Research Process
Client Profitability Management
“Twenty percent of the clients generate eighty percent of the profits”.
John Wiley & Son, Inc

10. Managing The Research Process
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing The Research Process
Staff Management and Development
Create an environment that encourages risk taking, experimentation, and responsibility
Foster recognition and accountability
Provide job autonomy
Attract and support people with entrepreneurial attitudes
John Wiley & Son, Inc

11. Managing The Research Process
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing The Research Process
Connect rewards to a business result
Open your financial books
Offer diversity within your organization
Provide clear promotional paths
John Wiley & Son, Inc

12. Selecting The Right Marketing Research Supplier
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing a Marketing Research Department
Selecting The Right Marketing Research Supplier
Determine the project’s requirements
Assess the capabilities of alternative suppliers
Consider the size of the firm
Establish up front the individual who will be managing the project
John Wiley & Son, Inc

13. Managing a Marketing Research Department
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing a Marketing Research Department
Research department manager needs to become acquainted with the backgrounds of the potential vendors
Questions that should be asked to determine the stability of the company
How long has the vendor been in business?
What other companies have they conducted research projects?
What are the academic backgrounds and experiences of those persons who will be working on the project?
Does the success of the project depend on the capabilities of a subcontractor
John Wiley & Son, Inc

14. Review the quality control standards of each potential vendors
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing a Marketing Research Department
Review the quality control standards of each potential vendors
The reputations of the firms must be considered in the decision
Avoid letting price be the sole determining factor in the selection
John Wiley & Son, Inc

15. Researcher’s Challenge
To learn about the research management goals of assurance of data quality, time schedule, cost control, client profitability and staff development.
Managing a Marketing Research Department
Researcher’s Challenge
To shed their long held tradition role as a support function
To move beyond the task of simply crunching numbers and churning out results
To begin to understand the underlying business issues at stake and adjust the information they gather and how they analyze it
To reach out to other departments, building relationships and a better understanding of the issues companywide
John Wiley & Son, Inc

16. Managing Research Ethics
To review some unethical practices found among marketing research suppliers.
Ethics:
Moral principles or values generally governing the conduct of an individual or group.
Not a one-way relationship.
Research Supplier Ethics
Low-ball Pricing
Underpaying Field Services
Lack of Objectivity
John Wiley & Son, Inc

17. Managing Research Ethics
To review some unethical practices found among marketing research suppliers.
Abuse of respondents
Most common problem: lengthy interviews
Refusal rate now averages 60 percent.
Selling unnecessary research
Violating client confidentiality
Research Client Ethics
Issuing bid requests when a supplier has been predetermined
Obtaining free advice and methodology via bid requests
Making false promises
Unauthorized request for proposals
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18. Managing Research Ethics
To examine unethical practices among marketing research field services.
Field Service Ethics
Over reporting hours worked
Falsifying data
Use of professional respondents
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19. Managing Research Ethics
To examine unethical practices among marketing research field services.
Data Collection Code of Ethics—Marketing Research Association
Issues in data collection
Accuracy of statements given to respondents
Protection of respondents anonymity
Respect for the respondent’s right to refuse cooperation
The need for parental consent before interviewing children
Treating respondents with respect and not attempting to influence responses
John Wiley & Son, Inc

20. Managing Research Ethics
To examine unethical practices among marketing research field services.
Field services responsibilities
Research should be conducted per client specifications
The confidentiality of techniques, information, clients, and respondents will be protected
Multiple surveys are not administered sequentially during one interview without expressed permission
Research results are reported accurately and promptly
No misrepresentations are made with regard to qualifications, experience, skills, or facilities
Membership in the MRA is not to be used as proof of competency
John Wiley & Son, Inc

21. Managing Research Ethics
To examine unethical practices among marketing research field services.
Client’s responsibilities
Clients will provide safe products/services and disclose all product contents
Clients will provide instructions
Clients will not request activities that violate the code or are prohibited by law
John Wiley & Son, Inc

22. Managing Research Ethics
To become familiar with
respondent’s rights.
Respondent Rights
The Right to Choose to Participate
The Right to Safety
The Right to be Informed
The Right to Privacy
John Wiley & Son, Inc

23. Managing Research Ethics
Methods by which the level of professionalism in marketing research can be raised
Ethics and Professionalism
Business ethics
Employees’ needs and desires and the long-range best interests of the organization
People directly affected by company activities and their long-range goodwill and best interests (creates good publicity for the firm)
Social values and conditions for society at large that provide values, sanctions, and a social structure that enables the company to exist
John Wiley & Son, Inc

24. Managing Research Ethics
Methods by which the level of professionalism in marketing research can be raised
Challenges to professionalism
Push polls
Sales pitches disguised as research
Fostering Professionalism
Profession versus professionalism
Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO)-trade association representing full-service marketing research firms
CASRO—raising professionalism in the marketing research industry
John Wiley & Son, Inc

25. Managing Research Ethics
Methods by which the level of professionalism in marketing research can be raised
Researcher Certification
Licensing
Certification
See Exhibit 19.4 The Pros and Cons of Certification
John Wiley & Son, Inc

26. Marketing Research Supplier Management
SUMMARY
Marketing Research Supplier Management
Managing a Marketing Research Department
Marketing Research Ethics
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27. The End
Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Son, Inc
John Wiley & Son, Inc