Business Research Methods

William G. Zikmund

Chapter 7: Exploratory Research and Qualitative

Analysis

Chapter 7: Exploratory Research and Qualitative

Analysis

1. Definition of Exploratory Research2. Why Conduct Exploratory Research?3. Categories of Exploratory Research4. Types of Pilot Studies

1. Definition of Explorative Research

• Initial research conducted to clarify and define the nature of a problem

• Does not provide conclusive evidence• Subsequent research expected

“The cure for boredom is curiosity, there is no cure for curiosity that kills the cat”

Qualitative versus Quantitative Research

• Purpose: preliminary versus conclusive• Samples: small versus large• Type of questions: broad range of

questioning versus structured questions• Results: subjective interpretation versus

statistical analysis

Diagnosing a situation

Discovering new ideas

Screening alternatives

2. Why Conduct Exploratory Research?

2.1. Diagnosing a situation

Situation analysis: the informal gathering of background information to familiarize researchers or managers with the decision area.

Examples for situation analysis:•Interviews with employees about their general complaints.• Asking customers’ opinions about the new advertising campaign.

2.2. Discovering new ideas• In business decision making, generating new

business ideas about new products, new investments, etc. is very critical.

• Managers, employees, customers, etc. may be consulted to develop new ideas that would never come to the minds of decision makers.

• For instance, users’ orders and complaints may help decision makers develop new alternative ideas and turn them into new product concepts.

2.3. Screening of alternatives• In business decision making, determining

alternative solutions and then the best ones among them is very critical because of time and money constraints.

• Concept testing is a tool for screening alternative solutions, especially alternative concepts of a new or revised products.

• For instance, after collecting the opinions of the customers about alternative new product concepts, the best one may be determined.

3. Categories of Exploratory Research

• Experience surveys• Secondary data analysis• Case studies• Pilot studies

3.1. Experience Surveys• Consult with carefully selected knowledgeable

experts about a particular problem to clarify the situation, not to develop conclusive evidence.

“If you wish to know the road up themountain, you must ask the man who goes back and forth on it.”

- Zenrinkusi

3.2. Secondary Data Analysis

• Preliminary review of already collected and/or reported information for a purpose other than the project at hand.

• Economical and quick source for background information

• Some sources of already reported information: literature, internet, company reports, etc.

3.3. Case Study Method• Intense and indepth investigation of one or a

few situations similar to the problem via long term observations, interviews and discussions to define the problem at hand .

• Careful study of the order of events as they occur, or relations among individuals or groups.

• Cooperation between the researcher and the subject is a must. Thus, studying rival companies’ cases is almost impossible.

• Generalization from one or a few case studies is very dangerous for decision makers.

3.4. Pilot Study

• Any small scale exploratory study that uses some sort of loose sampling.

• A small number of respondents rather than experienced people are surveyed or interviewed.

• The results will be used in the definition of the problem and also in the design of a further descriptive study.

4. Types of Pilot Studies

• Focus Group Interviews

• Projective Techniques

• In-Depth Interviews

4.1. Focus Group Interviews

Interview Process:• Unstructured• Free flowing• Group interview• Start with broad topic and focus in on specific issuesGroup Composition:• 6 to 10 people• Relatively homogeneous• Similar lifestyles and experiences

Outline for a Focus Group

• Establish a rapport• Begin with broad topic• Focus in on specific topic• Generate discussion and interaction

The Focus Group Moderator

• Develops rapport - helps people relax• Interacts• Listens to what people have to say• Everyone gets a chance to speak• Maintains loose control and focuses

discussion• Stimulates spontaneous responses

Advantages of Online Focus Groups

• Fast• Inexpensive• Bring together many participants from

wide-spread geographical areas • Respondent anonymity• Transcript automatically recorded

Disadvantages of Online Focus Groups

• Less group interaction• Absence of tactile stimulation• Absence of facial expression and body

language• Moderator’s job is different

• An indirect means of questioning that enables a respondent to project beliefs and feelings onto a third party, onto an object, or into a task situation

4.2. Projective Techniques

“A man is least himself when he talks in his own person; when given a mask he will tell the truth.”

--Oscar Wilde

Some types of Projective Techniques

• Word association tests• Sentence completion method• Third-person technique• Role playing• T.A.T.• Picture frustration version of T.A.T.

4.2.1.Word Association Test

• Subject is presented with a list of words.• Then, asked to respond, once at a time, with

first word that comes to mind.• This test helps the researcher to grasp the

true feelings of the subjects about a specific concept (e.g. a new product name).

• GREEN: Money, Lawn, …………..• CHEESE: White, Goat, ……………

4.2.2. Sentence Completion Test

•Subject is presented with an incomplete sentence.•Then, asked to complete it with first words that come to mind.•This test helps the researcher to grasp the true beliefs and assumptions of the subjects about a specific issue (e.g. prejudice, discrimination).

A man who wears a suit __________________A boss should not __________________

4.2.3.Thematic Apperception Test (T.A.T.)

•Subject is presented with a series of picture.•Then, asked to describe them.•This test helps the researcher to analyze the content of these descriptions in an effort to clarify a research problem.

4.3. Depth Interview•A relatively unstructured extensive interview used in the primary stages of the research process in order to get both the surface reactions and subconscious motivations of the subjects.

•The interviewing session may last more than hour.

•The interviewer asks many questions to the subject and probes for elaboration after the subject’s answers.

Disadvantages of Depth Interview• It takes a lot of time.

• It is based on unstructured discussions, and -if inexperienced- interviewer cannot keep the discussion within the context of the problem at hand.

• Collected information is just the subjective perceptions and interpretations of the interviewer.