1. 1 Chapter 4 Research Design, Exploratory Research, and Qualitative Data © 2005 Thomson/South-Western

2. 2 Figure 1: Relationship among Research Designs Descriptive Research Exploratory Research Causal Research

3. 3 Figure 2: Types of Research Designs Exploratory Research Causal Research Descriptive Research Formulate problems more precisely Develop Hypotheses Establish priorities for research Eliminate impractical ideas Clarify concepts Literature search Experience survey Analysis of select cases Focus groups Interviews Projective tests Ethnographies Describe segment characteristics Estimate proportion of people who behave in a certain way Make specific predictions Longitudinal study True panel Omnibus panel Sample Survey Provide evidence regarding causal relationships by means of: Concomitant variation Time order in which variables occur Elimination other explanations Laboratory experiment Field experiment UsesTypes

4. 4 Figure 3: Focus Groups and Depth Interviews Focus Groups Group dynamics, expect more creative Some probing Relatively inexpensive Ready industry Interviews Not influenced by others Max probing, great depth Expensive Time consuming Candid, sensitive topics Qualitative Flexible Probing Richness of data Gets at the “Why” of customers’ behaviors Generates ideas Clarifies other project results

5. 5 Unstructured Disguised Questionnaires Word Associations McDonald’s Sears Enron AT&T Coca-Cola Microsoft Nordstrom’s Hugh Grant Madonna Michael Jackson George Clooney San Francisco Mexico Japan lawyers accountants marketers consultants

6. 6 Unstructured Disguised Questionnaires Sentence Completions “I think the Nike ads that say, ‘Just do it’ are...” “I think Nike...” “When I feel a real need to treat myself, I...” “If it’s lunchtime, and I have a choice between McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s, I’ll choose ____ because...” “My favorite restaurant is ____ because...” “I hate it when my HMO...”

7. 7 Unstructured Disguised Questionnaires Story Telling 1) Man sitting behind desk 2) Logos: Symbolism Studies Acme

8. 8 Unstructured Disguised Questionnaires Story Telling 3) Write-in Dialogues 4) Cartoons work well for Children

9. 9 Research Realities 3: Customers Drawing Pictures for a Study Sponsored by a Large Florist Retail Chain* Interviewee #1: Woman, 30-39 years old. Describe yourself: I am a quiet person, I keep mostly to myself and keep out of trouble that way. When do you buy flowers?: I love flowers because they beautify the surroundings. They give me a special calm feeling of enjoyment. I give flowers to let someone know you are thinking about them. Her drawing: Describe a dream involving flowers: I would send flowers to the ladies at work with a note attached and they would all start crying at one time. How are flowers and funerals related?: All the funerals I’ve been to have flowers. I guess when you die, you will be in paradise and paradise is full of flowers.

10. 10 Interviewee #2: Woman, 20-29 years old. Husband sends her flowers because: I am sweet. Three words associated to flowers?: I love you. Compared to other gifts, flowers are: Warmest, most romantic, highest class, sexiest, most fun. Flowers remind me of: Love! Describe a dream involving flowers: Someone gets married, they are happy and I am pleased for them and I send flowers to congratulate them. Everyone likes it and they live happily ever after. How are flowers and funerals related?: I’m opposed to the idea of flowers at funeral. Flowers at funeral are sad. The tradition of sending flowers to a funeral may have come about in order to cover the smell of the body. Her drawing: Research Realities 3 continued

11. 11 Interviewee #3: Man, 40-49 years old. Describes himself as: …a loving and generous man. He celebrates all occasions with lavish and often costly gifts. He is enthusiastic about giving flowers and says they make him think about happiness and warmth. He also says: The main reason to send flowers is to apologize for having a fight. They lift the spirits, women would be happy about the flowers. Describe a dream involving flowers: : I had a dream that I send some flowers and as the person bent down to smell the flowers, a thorn cut her lips. Even though she was bleeding she called to thank me for sending her the lovely roses. His drawing: *A million Thank You’s to Sidney Levy for sharing these stories and pictures. Research Realities 3 continued