Business Research Methods Chapter01

>part I
Chapter 1 Research in Business
Chapter 2 Thinking Like a Researcher
Chapter 3 The Research Process: An Overview
Chapter 4 Business Research Requests

and Proposals
Appendix 4a: Covering Kids RFP
Chapter 5 Ethics in Business Research
Introduction to Business Research

Cooper−Schindler: I. Introduction to Business 1. Research in Business © The McGraw−Hill
Business Research Research Companies, 2006
Methods, Ninth Edition
>chapter 1
Research in Business
“ For a long time, research companies have

offered efficient collection of data, as well
as timely and accurate reporting as their
primary value propositions to clients. However,
clients no longer view operational excellence
as a value proposition, but rather as a basic
expectation.
” Rick Garlick, Maritz Research
>learningobjectives
After reading this chapter, you should understand . . .
1 What business research is and how it differs from decision support

systems and business intelligence systems.
2 The trends affecting business research and the emerging hierarchy

of research-based decision makers.
3 The value of learning business research process skills.
4 The different categories of firms and their functions in the industry.
5 The distinction between good business research and research that

falls short of professional quality.
>bringingresearchtolife MindWriter
Myra Wines, director of consumer affairs for MindWriter, Inc., has been charged with the task
of assessing MindWriter’s CompleteCare program for servicing laptops. As a result, she
sent several well-respected research firms a request for proposal (RFP), and she and her
team are interviewing the last of those firms, Henry & Associates.
Newly promoted to her position, Wines has a TV jour- ously read numerous articles), confidence, and exper-
nalism and government public relations background. tise, at a level that Wines initially had not expected
She has been a MindWriter laptop owner since it came given his relatively youthful appearance. At the conclu-
on the market decades earlier and has never personally sion of the interview, Wines is leaning toward hiring
experienced a problem. She wants a research supplier Henry & Associates, but wants to confer with her team.
from whom she can learn, as well as one whom she can The next day, Myra calls Jason at his office. “We’ve
trust to do appropriate, high-quality research. chosen Henry & Associates for the MindWriter
The last interviewee is Jason Henry, managing part- CompleteCare assessment contract. Congratulations.”
ners, Henry & Associates. H&A comes highly recom- “Thank you,” accepts Jason. “You’ve made the right
mended by a professional colleague in a different choice.”
industry. H&A has gained a reputation for merging tra- “I’ve got two seats on a flight to Austin next
ditional methodologies with some creative new ap- Wednesday,” shares Myra. “Can you join me? This will
proaches. Myra is interested in exploring the firm’s be my first look at the CompleteCare facility and my
methodology for customer satisfaction studies. As first face-to-face contact with its manager. I’d like
Wines approaches Henry in the waiting area, she ex- someone along who can lay the groundwork for the
tends her hand. “Welcome to MindWriter, Jason. I’m project and understand the number crunching that’s al-
Myra Wines.” ready been done.”
Henry rises, clasping Wines’s hand in a firm hand- The phone goes silent as Jason pauses to consult his
shake. “Pleased to meet you, Myra.” PDA. Two internal meetings will need to be shifted, but
Myra directs Jason’s attention to a long corridor. MindWriter is an important new client. “Yes, I can
“My team members are gathered in our conference work that in as long as we’re back by 7 p.m. I’ve got an
room just down this hall. Let’s join them, shall we?” evening commitment.”
The interview process starts with Henry’s short pre- “Shouldn’t be a problem,” shares Myra. “Those
sentation on H&A and its capabilities. As the interview seats I mentioned are on the corporate jet. We’ll be
progresses, Henry shares some impressive results ac- back by 5:30. I’ll meet you in the lobby at the county
complished for former clients in noncompetitive indus- airstrip at 8 a.m. Wednesday then.”
tries. The last slide in his presentation features a top “A quick question,” interrupts Jason before Myra
industry award H&A recently won for its customer sat- can disconnect. “I need some idea of what’s happening
isfaction methodology. at this meeting.”
During the Q&A that follows, Henry demonstrates “The meeting is to get you started. I’ll introduce you
current knowledge of the computer industry (he’s obvi- to other people you will be working with and share
4 >part I Introduction to Business Research
>cont’d
more details about the concerns we have with the their point of view, what the problem really is at vari-
CompleteCare program,” shares Myra. ous levels of abstraction . . .”
“Fine. Can you arrange a third seat? It would be best “Listening to people. Discussing. Looking at things
to include Sally Arens from the very beginning. Her ex- from different viewpoints. Those are things I am also
pertise will be crucial to the success of the assessment very good at,” shares Myra.
program.” “Good. After we hear them out, we come to what
“Yes, you mentioned her before. That shouldn’t be a H&A is good at: Measurement. Scaling. Project design.
problem, but I’ll check and get back to you.” Sampling. Finding elusive insights. May I assume we’ll
“Then Wednesday Sally and I will plan on asking be collaborating on the report of results . . .”
probing questions and listening to discover exactly “Absolutely. I’ll call you back within 10 minutes
what facts management has gathered, what the man- about that third seat.”
agers are concerned about, what the problem is from
> Why Study Business Research?

You are about to begin your study of business research, both the process and the tools
needed to reduce risk in managerial decision making. Business research, as we use the
term in this text, is a systematic inquiry that provides information to guide managerial de-
cisions. More specifically, it is a process of planning, acquiring, analyzing, and dissemi-
nating relevant data, information, and insights to decision makers in ways that mobilize the
organization to take appropriate actions that, in turn, maximize business performance. A
variety of different types of research projects are grouped under the label “business re-
search,” and we will explore them all later in this chapter.
Assume for the moment that you are the manager of your favorite full-service restau-
rant. You are experiencing significant turnover in your waiter/waitress pool, and some
long-time customers have commented that the friendly atmosphere, which has historically
drawn them to your door, is changing. Where will you begin in trying to solve this prob-
lem? Is this a problem for which business research should be used?
Perhaps you are the head of your state’s department of transportation, charged with de-
termining which roads and bridges will be resurfaced or replaced in the next fiscal year.
Usually you would look at the roads and bridges with the most traffic in combination with
those representing the biggest economic disaster if closed. However, the state’s manager
of public information has expressed concern about the potential for public outcry if work
is once again directed to more affluent regions of the state. The manager suggests using
business research to assist in making your decision, as the decision is one with numerous
operational, financial, and public relations ramifications. Should you authorize the recom-
mended business research?
As the opening vignette and the early decision scenarios reveal, decision makers can be
found in every type of organization: businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and public
agencies. Regardless of where these decision makers are found or whether their resources
are abundant or limited, they all rely on information to make more efficient and effective
use of their budgets. Thus, in this book, we will take the broadest perspective of managing
and its resulting application to business research.
>chapter 1 Research in Business 5
>picprofile
Eleven million children in the United States go without basic health care. And they don’t need to. In 1997, a federal law funded
the establishment of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to provide health care to the children of working parents
without insurance or health care benefits. To be successful (enroll eligible children), it took an award-winning research program
to determine the best approach. Throughout this text, you’ll learn about this program, the organizations and companies in-
volved, and the highly effective integrated communications campaign that resulted in the enrollment of hundreds of thousands
of kids. For the next installment, watch for these icons.
At no other time in our history has so much attention been placed on measuring and en-
hancing return on investment (ROI). At its most simplistic, when we measure ROI we
calculate the financial return for all expenditures. Increasingly organizational managers
want to know what strategies and tactics capture the highest return. In the last dozen years,
as technology has improved our measurement and tracking capabilities, managers have re-
alized they need a better understanding of employee, stockholder, and customer behavior
in order to influence the desired metrics. Business research plays an important role in this
new measurement environment. Not only does it help managers choose better strategies
and tactics, but business research expenditures are increasingly scrutinized for their contri-
bution to ROI.
The research methods course recognizes that students preparing to manage any func-
tion—regardless of the setting—need training in a disciplined process for conducting an in-
quiry of a management dilemma, the problem or opportunity that requires a management
decision. Several factors should stimulate your interest in studying research methods:
1. Explosive growth and influence of the Internet. The explosive growth of company
Web sites, e-commerce, and electronic publications brings extensive amounts of
new information—but its quality and its credibility are increasingly suspect.
2. Stakeholders demanding greater influence. Customers, workers, shareholders, and
the general public demand to be included in company decision making; armed with
extensive information, they are more sensitive to their own self-interests than ever
before and more resistant to an organization’s stimuli.
3. More vigorous competition. Competition, both global and domestic, is growing and
often coming from unexpected sources; many organizations refocus on primary
competencies, while they seek to improve operations by reducing costs and con-
verting customers to advocates.
4. More government intervention. Government continues to show concern with all
aspects of society, becoming increasingly aggressive in protecting its various
publics by posing restrictions on the use of managerial and business research tools.
5. More complex decisions. Managers have more variables to consider in every deci-
sion, increasing the manager’s need for more and better information and for greater
insights from that information.
6. Maturing of management as a group of disciplines. The quality of theories and
models to explain tactical and strategic results in human resources, marketing,
operations, and finance is improving, providing managers with more knowledge.
7. Greater computing power and speed.
• Lower-cost data collection. Computers and telecommunications lowered the costs
of data collection, drastically changing knowledge about consumers at both store
and household levels; employees at the position, team, and department levels;
suppliers and distributors at the transaction, division, and company levels; and
machines at the part, process, and production-run levels.
• Better visualization tools. High-speed downloads of images allow researchers to
help people visualize complex concepts, which enriches measurement capabilities.
• Powerful computations. Sophisticated techniques of quantitative analysis are
emerging to take advantage of increasingly powerful computing capabilities.
• More integration of data. Computer advances permit businesses to create and
manage a data warehouse, an electronic storehouse where vast arrays of col-
lected, integrated data are ready for mining.
• More and faster access to information. The power and ease of use of today’s
computers offer us the capability to analyze more data more quickly to deal with
complex managerial problems. Yet the quantity of collected raw data overwhelms
users, necessitating a means to manage it. Early efforts to provide a flow of infor-
mation to managers used a management information system (MIS). As time
passed, the challenge of database management from an MIS perspective included
removing obstacles like resistance to use, reluctance of managers to disclose fully
their information needs and decision criteria, costs of single-user report genera-
tion, system design time, slow adaptation to changing organization structures, and
decision relevance (standard versus tailored reports).
• Advanced analytical tools for enhanced insights. Organizations increasingly
practice data mining, applying mathematical models to extract meaningful
knowledge from volumes of data contained within internal databases. Enormous
quantities of research data are reduced to relatively straightforward equations with
statistical models. Expert systems, an outgrowth of artificial intelligence, and data
mining entered the 21st century as important tools for research. Advanced ana-
lytical tools are available to answer a variety of research questions. Traditional
topics open to modeling—market share, price elasticity, the cannibalization of one
product’s sales by the introduction of another product, the effects on productivity
of changing an employee compensation system, to name a few—create decision
support models that reflect the behavior of individuals, households, and
industries. Programs that combine modeling and decision support systems
evolved in the latter part of the 20th century to provide the most utility to users.
• Customized reporting. While routine MIS reports are useful for well-structured
problems and those amenable to a standardized set of procedures, data must be
more than timely and standardized; reporting must be customized to be truly
meaningful to the user.
8. New perspectives on established research methodologies. Older tools and method-
ologies once limited to exploratory research are gaining wider acceptance in dealing
with a broader range of managerial problems.
To do well in such an environment, you will need to understand how to identify quality
information and to recognize the solid, reliable business research on which your high-risk
decisions as a manager can be based. You also will need to know how to conduct such re-
search. Developing these skills requires understanding the scientific method as it applies to
the decision-making environment. This book addresses your needs as information collec-
tor, processor, evaluator, and user.
> Planning Drives Business Research

Managers have access to information other than that generated by business research.
Understanding the relationship between business research and these other information
sources—decision support systems and business intelligence—is critical for understanding
how information drives decisions relating to organizational mission, goals, strategies, and
tactics.
Goals
A local bakery would have different goals than Nabisco, but each likely has goals related
to sales (membership), market share, return on investment, profitability, customer acquisi-
tion, customer satisfaction, customer retention, employee productivity, machine efficiency,
maximization of stock price (or owner’s equity), and so on—whether codified in a written
plan or detailed only in an entrepreneur’s brain. To assist in making increasingly complex
decisions on goals, strategies, and tactics, managers turn first to information drawn from
the decision support system, combined with that generated by business intelligence on
competitive and environmental activity.
Decision Support
The need to complete one or many exchanges with its prospective customers drives every
organization. No matter how we define an exchange—a purchase, a vote, attendance at a
function, a donation to a cause—each exchange, along with the strategic and tactical activ-
ities designed to complete it, generates numerous elements of data. If organized for re-
trieval, collectively these data elements constitute a decision support system (DSS).
During the last two and one-half decades, advances in computer technology made it possi-
ble to share this collected transactional data among an organization’s decision makers, over
an intranet or an extranet.
An intranet is a private network that is contained within an enterprise (not available to
the public at large).While an intranet typically includes connections to the outside Internet,
its main purpose is to share company information and computing resources among internal
audiences. An extranet is a private network that uses the Internet protocols and the public
telecommunication system to share an organization’s information, data, or operations with
external suppliers, vendors, or customers. An extranet can be viewed as the external por-
tion of a company’s intranet. Through both intranets and extranets parties can access pro-
prietary relational databases containing managerial decision-related information. Today,
sophisticated managers have developed DSSs where data can be accessed in real time (as
transactions are completed). Catalog managers (for example, casual clothing firm Lands’
End) know exactly what tactics generate a transaction from a particular individual within
their prospect and customer databases, as well as just how profitable each customer is to
the company and an estimate of that customer’s lifetime value to the company. Such man-
agers have a distinct advantage in strategic and tactical planning over those without real-
time access to transactional data.
Business Intelligence
As no decision exists in a vacuum, the decision maker must have a broad knowledge of the
firm’s environment. A business intelligence system (BIS) is designed to provide the man-
ager with ongoing information about events and trends in the technological, economic, po-
litical and legal, demographic, cultural, social, and, most critically, competitive arenas.
Such information is compiled from a variety of sources, as is noted in Exhibit 1-1.
It is often data from a DSS or BIS that stimulate the question, Should we do business re-
search? In the MindWriter example, this might be data collected about laptop problems
needing repair. Or, for our restaurant whose friendliness quotient is changing, it might be
customer comments collected by the wait staff.
Strategy
Knowing that it costs less to retain a customer than to capture a new one, most managers
place a high value on keeping their customers buying repeatedly. This explains why cus-
tomer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and customer assessment studies represent a signifi-
cant portion of business research studies. For example, Microsoft recently completed a
major corporate restructuring. It decided to tie its 600 managers’ compensation not to sales
and profits but to levels of customer satisfaction as measured by periodic customer satis-
faction surveys.1
Strategy is defined as the general approach an organization will follow to achieve its
goals. In an earlier example, a restaurant was receiving comments that the friendly atmo-
sphere was changing. This perception may have been the result of a change in strategy.
Perhaps the restaurant decided to switch from an atmosphere where patrons were en-
couraged to linger over their meal (occupying a table for a long period of time, not adding
> Exhibit 1-1 Some Sources of Business Intelligence
Press releases or
Recordings of public
press events
proceedings Syndicated industry
Speeches by studies
elected officials Presentations at
Press releases or
conferences Records of public
press events
Government/ proceedings
Web site of agency Regulatory
Literature
or department Competitive
searches Web site
Business
Syndicated
Clipping research
studies
services
Government
Demographic
Business
reports Intelligence Literature
searches
Business Economic
research
Government
reports
Web sites
Patent filings
Syndicated
studies
Syndicated industry Technological
Cultural &
studies
Press releases or Social
Public opinion
press events
organizations
Presentations at Literature Government
conferences search Clipping Business
reports
services research
incremental revenues with each additional course) to a new strategy of turning each table
over in a shorter time frame by changing food preparation and the menu.
A firm usually implements more than one strategy at a time. With regard to training, one
organization might train its data warehouse employees with mostly classroom activities,
while another will use on-the-job training. Another strategy might describe how an organi-
zation handles maintenance on its machines—rigorous periodic maintenance versus repairs
only when a machine breaks down. A strategy might describe how an organization can best
position its particular goods and services to fulfill customer needs. For example, Ralston
Purina might position a dog food for active, small-breed puppies versus overweight, adult,
large-breed dogs. Yet another strategy might define the general approach to establishing
brand equity—or the value of the organization’s offerings—as Häagen-Dazs did when it es-
tablished its superpremium ice-cream strategy.
The discovery of opportunities and problems and the resulting strategies is often the task
of the BIS in combination with business research.
Tactics
Business research also contributes significantly to the design and selection of tactics, those
specific, timed activities that execute a strategy. Häagen-Dazs designs its superpremium ice
cream to be rich-tasting and creamy in texture with 19 grams of fat per serving (product
tactics) and brings it out in dozens of flavors with names like “Peanut Butter Fudge
Chunk,” “Bananas Foster,” and “Vanilla Fudge Brownie” (product tactics), packaged pri-
marily in pint containers with the signature gold and burgundy colors (packaging tactic). It
distributes prepackaged Häagen-Dazs through freezer cases in grocery stores (distribution
tactic) or hand-packed drums (packaging tactic) through its own and franchised stores—
700 cafes in 54 countries, with 240 shops in the United States—as well as on cruise ships
and through other restaurants (distribution tactics).2
In our earlier example, our restaurant manager might have changed the menu (a product
tactic) so that entrees could be prepared faster (production tactic) and delivered to a table
more quickly. The manager might also have instituted a new sales program (a promotion
tactic), one that discouraged the wait staff from making small talk with patrons and re-
warded efficiency. Business research is often used to help a manager decide which of sev-
eral tactics is likely to successfully execute the desired strategy.
All of the above examples demonstrate the purposes of business research:
• To identify and define opportunities and problems.
• To define, monitor, and refine strategies.
• To define, monitor, and refine tactics.
• To improve our understanding of the various fields of management.3
Emerging Hierarchy of Information-Based

Decision Makers
While not all organizations use business research to help make planning decisions, in-
creasingly the successful ones do. Exhibit 1-2 shows an emerging hierarchy of organiza-
tions in terms of their use of business research.
In the top tier, organizations see research as the fundamental first step in any venture.
They go beyond the tried-and-true methodologies and use creative combinations of re-
search techniques to gain deep insights to aid in their sophisticated decision making. Some
even develop their own proprietary methodologies. These firms may partner with a small
group of outside research suppliers that have the expertise to use innovative combinations
of research methods to address management dilemmas. These visionary managers can be
> Exhibit 1-2 Hierarchy of Information-Based Decision Makers
• Every decision guided by business research.

• Firms develop proprietary methodologies and are
innovative in their combination of methodologies.
Top Tier • Enterprisewide access to research data and findings.
Visionaries
• Some decisions based on business research.

• Firms use tried-and-true methodologies,
Middle Tier excluding others that might be appropriate.
Standardized • Limited enterprisewide data and findings.
Decision Makers
• Most decisions based on past

experience or instinct.
Base Tier • Decisions supported with
Intuitive Decision Makers secondary data searches.
found in research firms, service firms, nonprofit organizations, and product and service
manufacturers and distributors. Minute Maid, the manufacturer that brings us fresh and
frozen juice-based products, fosters decision making at this level. Its vice president of
Consumer and Marketing Knowledge is a member of the firm’s highest strategic plan-
ning team.4 As the Minute Maid Consumer and Marketplace Knowledge model shows
(Exhibit 1-3), implementation and activation of research are the critical stages for decision
makers in this tier. Design Forum, an architectural and graphic design firm specializing in
retail design and positioning for such firms as Lexus, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonald’s, is
another firm operating at this level; every recommendation to each client is based on data
drawn from the use of extensive proprietary research.
In the second tier of the hierarchy are those decision makers that rely periodically on re-
search information. They usually turn to business research primarily when they perceive
the risk of a particular strategy or tactic to be too great to proceed without it. They rely
heavily on those methodologies that proved themselves in the last several decades of the
20th century—surveys and focus groups—often choosing the methodology before fully as-
sessing its appropriateness to the dilemma at hand. This tier is occupied by many large,
medium, and small organizations of all types. Some of the firms newly arrived to this tier
are in transition from the base tier. They have realized that failing to collect information
prior to decision making or failing to extract insight from information that has been col-
lected in their DSS puts them at a distinct competitive disadvantage.
Finally, the base tier comprises those managers who primarily use instinct and intuition
rather than formal business research to facilitate their decisions. These firms may or may
not have sophisticated DSSs or BISs. They believe themselves to be so close to customers
and distribution partners, as well as to employees and other stakeholders, that they rarely
need business research. When they do collect information, they use a limited amount of
qualitative research, often in the form of an informal group discussion or a small number
of individual interviews, to confirm their ideas. Especially in the business-to-business
arena, they often rely on feedback filtered by members of the sales force. Following guide-
lines for adequate sampling or other procedures of scientific inquiry is not fundamental
to this group. Larger firms that occupy this tier are influenced as much by organizational
> Exhibit 1-3 Minute Maid and the Role of Research

Minute Maid’s Consumer and Marketplace Knowledge team demonstrates that effective research
doesn’t end once the collected data are reported. Organizations in the top tier of research-based
decision making see activation of strategies and tactics based on research-supported insights as the
highest priority. www.minutemaid.com
Minute Maid CMK Mission

Our Mission Is To . . .
• Leverage consumer, customer and marketplace knowledge to identify,
develop and influence business strategies and tactics that will generate
growth in operating income year after year
Consumer
&M
ar
Activation
ke
tp
lac
Knowledge
e
Insight
Knowledge
Analytics
Acquisition
>snapshot
Mary Kay: Enticing Managers to Use Research-Based Decision Making
Cosmetics firm Mary Kay, like many companies facing rapidly managers have made the hard decisions: to discontinue once-
changing technology, is in transition—from relying on instinct, popular products, to introduce new fashion colors, to position
anecdotal evidence, and qualitative data to relying on quality stable products for alternative benefits. “And part of it may be
quantitative information. When Teri Burgess moved from a prod- lack of motivation. Until upper management demands that man-
uct marketing position at Mary Kay to director of marketing agers support their ideas and proposals with information from
analysis, her task was to create a database from mounds of con- research and the decision support system, no amount of
sumer data. Now that the database is as user-friendly as de- training—in how the system works and can be helpful—will
manded, she faces a new task, and one surprisingly familiar make it happen.”
to business researchers worldwide: enticing decision makers to www.marykay.com
rely on the insights available to them. “Part of the reluctance is
cultural,” shared Burgess. Without this information, seasoned
culture as by resources. Many small companies find themselves in this tier not because of
an unwillingness to use business research but based on a perception that any more formal-
ized research is too expensive to employ and that their resources won’t accommodate this
mode of decision making.
The trends of the past two decades, especially the technology that has been driving
research methodologies of data collection and dissemination, make it likely that man-
agers who do not prepare to advance up the hierarchy will be at a severe competitive
disadvantage.
> Exhibit 1-4 Who Conducts Business Research?
Business
Researchers
Internal External
Research Research
Department Suppliers
Consumer
Goods & Services Business Communication Trade
Producers Consultants
Research Firms Agencies Associations
Industrial Advertising Marketing General

Full-Service Specialist
Goods & Services Agencies Consultant Business
Research Firm Research Firm
Producers
Media Custom Methodology Public Relations General Business Business

Companies Researchers Specialists Agencies Consultant Specialties
Wholesale Proprietary Other Sales Promotion Research

Distributors Methodology Specialists Agencies Specialties
Researchers
Retail Syndicated Direct Marketing

Distributors Data Providers Agencies
> How the Research Industry Works

The picture of the research industry is one of extremes. Very large suppliers account for the
largest portion of the sales in the industry, but smaller firms and one-person shops domi-
nate when you look at the number of research firms. Exhibit 1-4 provides an overview of
the suppliers within the research industry.
Internal Research Suppliers5

Not all decision makers rely on research to make decisions. Those firms that do are likely
to have an internal research department or an individual who coordinates research initia-
tives. The structure and scope of these operations are as diverse as the management dilem-
mas that they research. They range from one-person operations, where the individual
primarily coordinates the hiring of external research suppliers, to small-staffed operations
that do some survey or qualitative studies, to large-staffed divisions that more closely ap-
proximate the structures of research companies.
Historically, in the 1960s, as business research entered a new era of quantification and
respectability, the number of firms with internal research departments grew. The research
function gained acceptance as a formal part of the organization. When the decade of the
1970s arrived, researchers were often assigned to a particular functional area (for example,
marketing or human resources) and reported directly to the executive in charge of that area.
The researchers’ influence at the strategic level was constrained by the rather narrow defi-
nition of their role—order takers who reacted to the demand for research projects and re-
ports. This perception of a researchers’ role as having limited strategic contribution
continued through the 1990s. The results of one Advertising Research Foundation (ARF)
study in 1999 indicated that “according to the CEOs surveyed, the accuracy and action-
ability of the information provided by research was thought to be low.”6
In a 2001 quantitative study conducted with the aid of the Cambridge Group, ARF
sought to identify ways to redefine the research function, thereby making it more relevant
>picprofile
For Eastman Kodak, having a world-class marketing research department meant completely restructuring the department and
redefining the department’s responsibilities. Restructuring created three focus specialties within the department: performance
management (research to help deliver long-term success and enhance the reliability of demand forecasting for products and
services), research innovation, and consumer insights (research on consumer trends and motivations, as well as translation of
the data into product and service ideas for commercial testing). Now researchers are judged not only on how data are collected
but on how well the research factors into marketing decisions. The restructured marketing research function was tested in
launching the new Kodak Plus Digital. Within its first year, this one-time-use camera that provides digital pictures on CD gen-
erated sales of $80 million. www.kodak.com
to senior management. The opinions of CEOs, senior-level managers, and researchers at

over 100 Fortune 500 companies were solicited to discover the core competencies pos-
sessed by an ideal management decision support function and to learn which decisions and
activities were most important for research support. While results from executives revealed
generally positive ratings for research, a gap still existed between researchers and senior-
level managers and CEOs on their perceptions of the researchers’ role. Based on the
executive’s responses, research began to expand into such areas as providing actionable in-
sights, reducing risk in marketplace actions, and improving return on investment.7 This
evolution of the research industry is consistent with scholar and consultant Philip Kotler’s
contention that as costs rise, CEOs and board members demand greater accountability for
decisions and expenditures.8
For budget, equipment, facilities, and expertise reasons, the trend in the industry is
clearly not to staff large internal research departments. In poor economic times, many firms
eliminate their internal research operations altogether, feeling that such services are ex-
pendable or are readily available from external suppliers. In some ways the growth in
prominence of the role of information technology manager or officer (the person who man-
ages the DSS and BIS functions) has forced the researcher to an even more subordinate
staff role. While both information technology management and research are critical, in
most organizations the two functions have little directly to do with one another.
External Research Suppliers

Within the category “research specialists,” more than 2,000 research firms operate in the
United States.9
Research Firms
Full-Service Firms Full-service researchers include some of the largest research
firms in the world and some of the smallest. Exhibit 1-5 identifies some of the largest firms.
> Exhibit 1-5 Some of the World’s Largest Research Companies
Research Revenues, 2003
U.S. Worldwide
Organization Type of Research ($ millions) ($ millions)
VNU Inc. A global leader in market research, providing measurement and $1,609.0 $ 3,045.0
www.vnu.com analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer behavior,
as well as audience measurement with several leading
brands, including ACNielsen market data.
IMS Health Inc. Provides information solutions to the pharmaceutical and health 537.9 1,381.8
imshealth.com care industries.
Information Resources Inc. Provides UPC scanner-based business solutions to the 388.0 554.3
www.infores.com consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry.
Westat Inc. Provides research to agencies of the U.S. government, as 381.6 381.6
www.westat.com well as businesses, foundations, and state and local
governments.
Taylor Nelson Sofres USA Provides custom research, omnibus studies, and attitudinal 366.3 1,290.1
www.tnsofres.com polling in a variety of industries, as well as drug sample
monitoring.
The Kantar Group Provides worldwide media research and measurement for 339.8 1,002.1
www.kantargroup.com media owners, agencies, and advertisers.
Arbitron Inc. Provides information services used to develop the local 265.7 273.6
arbitron.com marketing strategies of the electronic media and their
advertisers and agencies.
NOP World US Provides both custom and syndicated research, as well as 205.6 336.6
www.nopworld.com research-based consulting, and analytic customer
relationship management (CRM) services around the world;
noted for its RoperASW and MediaMark divisions with
specialties in media audience measurement.
Ipsos Explores market potential and market trends, tests products 176.1 644.2
www.ipsos.com and advertising, studies audiences and their perceptions of
various media, and measures public opinion trends around
the globe.
TNS NFO Provides results-oriented insights so clients may develop 166.0 171.6
www.nfow.com stronger brands and market more successful products and
services.
Synovate Provides global marketing research and consulting to business, 161.1 357.7
(formerly Market Facts, Inc.) government, and associations.
www.synovate.com
Maritz Research Provides large-scale, custom-designed research studies that 122.9 188.8
www.maritzresearch.com produce critical marketing information in the areas of
customer choice, customer experience, and customer
loyalty.
(continued)
Full-service firms are often involved in research planning for their clients from the moment
of discovery of the management dilemma or, at the very least, from the definition of the
management question. Such firms usually have expertise in both quantitative and qualita-
tive methodologies, and they often have at their disposal multifaceted facilities capable of
> Exhibit 1-5 Some of the World’s Largest Research Companies (concluded)
Research Revenues, 2003
U.S. Worldwide
Organization Type of Research ($ millions) ($ millions)
J.D. Power and Associates Conducts independent surveys of customer satisfaction, quality, $119.1 $ 144.8
jdpa.com and buyer behavior; best known for its marketing information
for the automotive and hospitality industries.
Harris Interactive Inc. A worldwide market research and consulting firm, best known 111.0 137.0
www.harrisinteractive.com for The Harris Poll ® and for its pioneering use of the Internet
to conduct scientifically accurate market research.
The NPD Group Inc. Provides tracking studies (comprehensive overview of product 96.8 117.6
www.npd.com movement and consumer behavior) in numerous industries,
including apparel, fashion, beauty, home, and electronics.
Opinion Research Corp. Provides a combination of fact-based intelligence, strategic 84.7 131.2
www.opinionresearch.com advisory services and information technology to give clients
a richer understanding of their customers and other
constituencies to measure their actions and progress; does
marketing and social issue research in more than 100
countries.
C&R Research Service Inc. Provides qualitative and ethnography studies; known for its 48.1 48.1
www.crresearch.com KidsEyez panel and research with Latino market segments.
Wirthlin Worldwide Specializes in research used to develop communication and 40.1 52

www.wirthlin.com marketing strategy, including image and reputation
enhancement, brand equity and positioning, and political
campaign strategy. Four-time winner of the David Ogilvy
Research Award.
Burke Inc. Provides full-service research and consulting services in 31.5 39.4
www.burke.com customer satisfaction, quality, and employee engagement; its
Burke Institute provides continuing education for those in the
research industry.
Total $5,252.0 $10,297.0

Total Top 50 $5,803.9 $11,495.8
Source: Data were developed from the companies’ Web sites and from “Honomichl Top 50,” Marketing News (American Marketing
Association), August 15, 2004, accessed December 29, 2004 (http://www.marketingpower.com/ama_custom_honomichl50.php).
serving a wide variety of research designs, including both fieldwork and laboratory opera-
tions. Some are capable of working in worldwide venues, while others offer their services
to only one industry or one geographic region. While these firms may have one or more
areas of noteworthy expertise, they are truly multidimensional in terms of both research
planning and execution. In a research environment where clients increasingly demand man-
agerial insights, not just research reporting, these firms are often a combination of research
and consulting operations. NFO WorldGroup is an example of a full-service research firm.
It describes itself as “marketing minds who specialize in research.”10 Taylor Nelson Sofres
Intersearch is another full-service firm. It describes its approach as, “We combine category
knowledge with research expertise in our cross-functional research teams.”11
Custom Researchers Such phrases as “ad hoc research” or “custom-designed re-

search” are often used to describe custom full-service research firms. A custom researcher
crafts a research design unique to the decision maker’s dilemma. In essence, such research
firms start each project from ground zero. This does not mean, however, that they fail to ap-
ply lessons learned from previous projects. What is implied is that such firms do not as-
sume that a given methodology is appropriate for each client’s research, even if the
research to be done is in an arena in which the research firm has considerable expertise, for
example, customer satisfaction or copy testing or product evaluation or employee motiva-
tion research. While a custom researcher might not always be a full-service research firm,
by definition, a full-service researcher would always fit into the custom research category.
Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) Intersearch describes its custom research operations this way:
“[Our custom research capability] allows us to design approaches that truly meet [the
client’s] needs if proprietary research solutions do not.”12
Proprietary Methodology Researchers A proprietary methodology is a re-

search program or technique that is owned by a single firm. It may be a slight twist on an
established methodology or may be a method developed by that firm. Firms often brand
these methodologies to establish distinction in the minds of prospective clients, as
ACNielsen did with its Homescan® syndicated panel. Proprietary methodologies often
grow from significant expertise in a given methodology or a given industry and develop
over many years and thousands of client projects.
With the development of its customer engagement methodology, The Gallup Or-
ganization has reinvented itself using the proprietary research model, moving from public
opinion pollster and custom researcher to research-based consulting firm. While Gallup is
capable of doing and still does custom research, it captures a significant portion of its rev-
enue from management consulting based on proprietary methodologies. One of its propri-
etary methodologies is called Q12. This survey methodology uses 12 questions to measure
customer engagement. Gallup uses these same questions with all clients, so Q12 serves as
a benchmark diagnostic for its subsequent consulting work. Gallup has copyrighted its
questions and the survey instrument that incorporates them to guarantee that its intellectual
property remains protected. Having a proprietary research methodology allows Gallup to
charge its clients significant premiums for its research and consulting services.13 Without
proprietary methodologies, all research firms essentially offer the same research services—
although we accept that some perform such services with far more skill and expertise than
others.
Specialty Research Firms Specialty researchers represent the largest number of

research firms and tend to dominate the small research firms operated by a single re-
searcher or a very small staff. These firms may establish a specialty in one or several dif-
ferent arenas:
• Methodology. The firms (methodology specialists) may conduct only one type of
research (for example, survey research, customer satisfaction research, ad copy
testing, packaging evaluation, focus groups, retail mystery shopping, or retail design
research).
• Process. The firms usually contribute to only a portion of the research process (for
example, sample recruiting, telephone interviewing, or fielding a Web survey).
• Industry. The firms become experts in one or a few industries (for example, pharma-
ceutical research or entertainment research or telecommunications research).
• Participant group. The firms become experts in a particular participant group (for
example, Latino-Americans, or children, or doctors, or country club golfers).
• Geographic region. The firms may operate in only one region of a country—as is
true for many mystery shopping firms—or a single country or group of countries.
One large group in this specialty research category includes firms that conduct focus
groups. These firms not only offer the trained moderators who manage the small-group dis-
cussions, many of whom hold a PhD in psychology, but also provide the sample screening
>snapshot
Yahoo!: Banner Ads Move CPG
Product managers of consumer packaged goods (CPG) are fac- targeting (Are the visitors being exposed to the ads most likely to
ing increasing pressure for strong return-on-investment metrics purchase?) and persuasiveness of the advertising (What per-
for media buys, yet they still heavily rely on advertising recall or centage of households exposed to the advertising actually pur-
click stream analysis. “The thinking is that no one goes online to chase the advertised product?). Yahoo then compares this
search out information on paper towels. But that doesn’t mean information to that on a group not exposed to the banner ads.
that Internet ads can’t significantly lift in-store sales,” explained Yahoo, with the assistance of Dynamic Logic, also provides ad-
Ken Mallon, Yahoo’s director of insights products. What was vertisers with five more metrics critical for CPG success: ad
needed were new metrics that could showcase Internet ads’ tar- awareness, brand awareness, brand favorability, message asso-
geting efficiency and sales responsiveness. Yahoo teamed its ciation with advertiser, and purchase intent.
extensive database of Internet visitors with the ACNielsen “Using the browsing patterns of high-purchase households in
Homescan panel (126,000 global households that provide ex- the Consumer Direct research to model behavior, we then apply
tensive demographic and lifestyle data and allow their purchases this knowledge to the Yahoo! database to identify 10 million
to be tracked). What resulted is Yahoo! Consumer Direct pow- households that exhibit similar browsing behavior,” explained
ered by ACNielsen. More than 40 percent of active Internet users Mallon. These Yahoo visitors see ads to which they are most
use broadband or high-speed Internet access. This enables likely to respond. Every Consumer Direct CPG client has experi-
such households to be tested for exposure to standard media enced sales lift.
banner ads and also to the more interactive rich-media ads that www.yahoo.com; www.acnielsen.com;
are increasing on the Internet. For each advertiser, Consumer www.dynamiclogic.com
Direct tracks two metrics on each test group: effectiveness of ad
procedures, the specially designed facilities, and the technical communications equipment
for making this qualitative research as insightful as possible. Specialty researchers may
also perform a subset of a methodology specialty. For example, numerous firms offer focus
group moderators but not the focus group facilities. Others provide the recruiting of focus
group participants and the facilities but not the moderators.
Firms doing observation studies constitute another subset of specialty researchers.
These researchers are often found studying retail shoppers, tracing their footsteps or
recording the amount of time a shopper spends reading labels or interacting with displays.
Envirosell and Design Forum both do observation studies: Envirosell’s research is designed
to make retail environments and processes more productive; Design Forum uses research
to create the external and internal environments that establish and reinforce the retailer’s
image. Ethnography is a type of study that combines observation and communication stud-
ies. The Context-Based Research Group describes itself as “an ethnographic research and
consulting firm.” It combines the backgrounds and skills of cultural anthropologists (more
than 3,000 around the world) with the communication and business experts to serve a di-
verse client base, including retailers, software manufacturers, food manufacturers, hotels,
pharmaceutical companies, and even proponents of social causes.14
Firms providing Web page optimization research and Web performance metrics are
an emerging group of methodology specialists. Such firms as Yahoo!, NetIQ (with
WebTrends), and NetConversions are examples of methodology specialists in metrics re-
lated to Web content development.
One of Britain’s fastest-growing research firms, MORInsight, is a specialist in employee
research. It claims, “MORInsight contains benchmarking data from over 200 employee
surveys covering a wide range of subjects from job satisfaction to employee engagement
and advocacy.”15 Mercer HR Consulting, with offices in more than 41 countries, also
specializes in employee research. Mercer claims, “Advancements in quantification and
measurement now make it possible to enhance this process by linking what employees say
to what they actually do —and measuring the impact on business performance.”16 IBM’s
operations research specialists were able to design and introduce a new Web-based
procurement auction process for Mars, Incorporated, that paid for itself in increased cost
savings in just one year and wins accolades from suppliers for “increased efficiency, trans-
parency, and fairness.”17
Collectively, specialty researchers often assist other research firms to complete projects.
One large group in the process specialist category is sampling specialists. These firms pro-
vide the screening and recruiting of probability samples for a wide range of survey studies,
as well as studies employing in-depth interviews, laboratory and in-home product testing,
laboratory experiments, home ethnographies, and so on. Survey Sampling Inc. is one of the
largest suppliers of samples for telephone, mail, and online surveys and also offers spe-
cialty samples for industrial and health care research.18 Greenfield Online specializes in as-
sisting research firms by providing online samples that fulfill a variety of characteristics.
Greenfield claims to have compiled the largest panel of opt-in participants in the online
community. It has also partnered with Microsoft to build recruited online samples drawn
from MSN.com membership.19
With the increase of online research, many researchers—especially internal research de-
partments and small custom research firms—want to offer this methodology but do not
have the capability to field such a study themselves. Qualtrics Labs, with its array of soft-
ware and service products (surveypro.com for designing and fielding simple surveys,
QuestionPro.com for more complex surveys, PerfectSurveys.com for intranet and e-mail
surveys), promises researchers without online capabilities the ability to deliver professional-
quality online survey results.20 Training Technologies, Inc., also designs, fields, tracks, and
posts survey results for researchers without the necessary technical capabilities.21
Syndicated Data Providers When managers want comparative performance and

opinion data, pitting themselves against their competitors in sales, market share, share of
voice, image as a corporate citizen or employer, or salary and benefit levels, they turn to re-
searchers that are syndicated data providers. For a substantial fee, often millions of dollars
per year, managers subscribe to receive the periodic data as well as the interpretation of
these data. A syndicated data provider tracks the change of one or more measures over
time, usually in a given industry. For example, a syndicated data provider might track prod-
uct movements through various retail outlets and wholesale environments. The tracking of
sales performance measures during promotional events like coupon drops, distribution of
product samples, special events (like the appearance of a celebrity at a charity event), and
advertising is often the key to successful strategic planning. These research firms are also
responsible for providing decision makers with measures of price elasticity. In consumer
packaged goods, the first research company to provide scanner-based tracking through gro-
cery outlets was Information Resources Inc. (IRI), in 1987.22 Other firms providing syndi-
cated research are noted in Exhibit 1-6.
Each syndicated data provider determines the frequency of data collection and reporting
based on the needs of the members in the syndicate. While some studies provide data
monthly or weekly, not all such studies are done as frequently as sales tracking studies.
Some syndicated data are collected only once per year or once every few years. Other syn-
dicated data are collected several times per year during designated collection periods. One
example is the tracking of media consumption. Nielsen Media Research is well known for
its People Meter research that mechanically records and then reveals the viewing habits of
a panel of television watchers. Data are collected four times per year during so-called
sweep weeks. These are times when the TV networks often substitute special programming
for their regular shows to increase viewership. Advertising rates for the whole season of ad-
vertising slots are determined by a show’s audience size and composition during a sweep
week. Arbitron collects similar data on radio listening habits. Typically the firm subscrib-
ing to the syndicate has full access to its data and the composite data, but not to an indi-
vidual competitor’s data.
Omnibus Researchers Sometimes the decision maker needs the answer to one or a
few questions to make a quick tactical decision, such as when it faces a crisis caused by
> Exhibit 1-6 Some Syndicated Data Providers
Company Syndicated Service What It Measures
ACNielsen Scantrack Provides sales tracking across grocery, drug, and mass
www.acnielsen.com merchandisers
Homescan Provides consumer panel service for tracking retail
purchases and motivations
Yahoo! and ACNielsen Internet Confidence Index Measures (quarterly) the confidence levels in Internet
www.yahoo.com products and services.
Scarborough Research Provides a syndicated study to print and electronic media,

(a service of Arbitron, Inc., new media companies, outdoor media, sports teams
and VNU) and leagues, agencies, advertisers, and Yellow Pages
www.scarborough.com on local, regional, and national levels—including local
market shopping patterns, demographics, media
usage, and lifestyle activities.
Millward Brown IntelliQuest Provides studies enabling clients to understand and

www.millwardbrown.com www.intelliquest.com improve the position of their technology, brands,
products, media, or channels.
Information Resources BehaviorScan Collects store tracking data used with consumer panel
www.infores.com data to track advertising influence in consumer
packaged goods.
Nielsen Media Research National People Meter Provides audience estimates for all national program
www.nielsenmedia.com sources, including broadcast networks, cable networks,
Spanish-language networks, and national syndicators.
NOP World Starch Ad Readership Studies Provides raw readership scores collected via individual
www.nopworld.com depth interview; records the percent of readers who
saw the ad and read the copy. The ad is ranked not
only against other ads in the issue but also against
other ads in its product category over the last two
years.
CSA TMO OPERBAC Provides continuous tracking of banking insurance and

www.csa-fr.com credit purchases in European markets.
DoubleClick Diameter Provides online audience measurement services for Web

www.doubleclick.com publishers, advertisers, and agencies.
Nielsen//NetRatings Measures audience data using actual click-by-click

www.nielsen-netratings.com Internet user behavior measured through a
comprehensive real-time meter installed on individual
computers worldwide (home and work).
Taylor Nelson Sofres Intersearch Global eCommerce Measures e-commerce activity in 27 countries, providing
www.tns-i.com insights into 37 marketplaces via interviews.
ORC International NHS Talkback Measures employee opinion for NHS Trusts in the United
Kingdom via phone surveys.
J.D. Power Associates PowerReport, PowerGram, etc. Publishes in-depth analytical reports on automotive, travel,
www.jdpower.com health, and other industries.
BMRB Youth TGI A biannual survey of youth aged 7–19 on purchase and
www.bmrb.co.uk media consumption habits and lifestyle behaviors.
Source: This table was constructed from descriptions published on each company’s Web site.
a product recall or the indictment of a company executive for fraud. Within the world of
survey research, several research firms provide such a service, some even with a 24- to 48-
hour turnaround. Exhibit 1-7 offers some examples. An omnibus researcher fields re-
search studies, often by survey, at regular, predetermined intervals. An omnibus study
combines one or a few questions from several decision makers who need information from
the same population. Typically, the manager pays by the number of questions, usually be-
tween $700 and $1,500 per question. Many omnibus studies are still done by phone, but as
online participants increasingly mirror the general population, an increasing number are be-
ing offered via the Internet. NOP World uses a representative sample of 1,000 adults for its
Telebus study.23 NOP contacts participants during the weekend and provides the decision
maker with feedback on Monday morning. For a firm facing a public relations crisis, the
> Exhibit 1-7 Some Omnibus Studies
Sample Turnaround (from

Company Sample Size Characteristics question to delivery) Details
Lightspeed Research 2,000 Adults 8 days No more than 5 questions,

Online Omnibus with overall survey size
www.lightspeedresearch.com 15–20 questions; $750
per question
Business Advantage 500 CAD/CAM users; NA £695

Online Omnibus Great Britain
www.bmrb.co.uk
JupiterDirect Research Up to 80,000 IT/IS experts NA $1,995 for up to 5

Online Omnibus questions
www.jupiterdirect.com
TNSIntersearchNCompass — Adults, any 2 weeks

International Phone Omnibus combination
www.tns-i.com drawn from
80 countries
Synovate 500 12- to 17-year-olds 1 week $1,500 per question

TeenNation Online Omnibus
www.synovate.com
Synovate 5,000 up to Panel participants 2 weeks Monthly, questions to fill

Data Gage Mail Omnibus 150,000 31⁄2 ⫻ 81⁄2 card
www.synovate.com (increments
of 5,000)
ICM 1,000 Persons 16 or 18 3 days Midweek and weekend;

Phone Omnibus (RDD) years old or older £400 per question,
www.icmresearch.co.uk £800 for each free-
response question
AcuPoll Worldwide — Female heads of Topline summary: Several times monthly

Name Testing; Ad household, aged 48 hours; full
Effectiveness Omnibus 18 and older report: 7 days
www.acupoll.com
NFO WorldGroup 1,000 Online Canadians, 7 days Up to 6 questions; weekly

Online Omnibus aged 18 and
www.nfocfgroup.com older
Source: This table was constructed from descriptions published on each company’s Web site.
quick turnaround is invaluable, and the data are available at a fraction of the cost of a
custom-designed study. NOP does omnibus studies with automobile drivers, parents, youth,
and other population segments in Great Britain, using telephone and online surveys as
well as face-to-face interviews. Medical Marketing Research Inc. conducts omnibus
studies with physicians in all the medical specialties, while TNS offers the PhoneBus
survey, interviewing 1,000 to 2,000 participants, twice per week, with results within four
days.24
Communication Agencies
It is difficult for an advertising agency to recommend advertising in a particular medium
(for example, television) or on a particular program (for example, Survivor or CSI) without
fully understanding the demographics and lifestyles of the viewing audiences of each show.
This explains why advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and direct marketing
agencies are heavy users of syndicated research data, especially from media industry sup-
pliers. It is even more difficult to develop a creative strategy without research on target
audience knowledge, motivations, attitudes, and behavior. Agencies are also voracious con-
sumers and providers of custom and proprietary research. Within communication agency
circles, there is some debate on whether a research division within an agency can maintain
the objectivity needed to do custom research or whether, with conflicting demands from
numerous clients, an internal research operation can be efficient and timely, so clients
sometimes request that the research needed by these communication specialists be done by
an external supplier.
Some agencies do extensive basic research to identify influences on ad recall and ad
wear-out, on ad placement effectiveness, on the effectiveness of various creative ap-
proaches (for example, celebrity endorser versus animated product as spokesperson), on
the effectiveness of communication strategies (for example, humor, violence, or sexuality
in advertising), on the ROI for various media buys, and on the comparative effectiveness
of different action stimulants (such as coupons versus samples), to name a few. For direct
marketing agencies every single client’s project is actually an experiment, with the offer,
the action stimulants, the creative strategy, or even the mailing envelope modified in split-
sample tests. All agencies do extensive copy testing as a development tool in building a
campaign and effectiveness testing with postplacement recall, knowledge, and behavior
measures. Such measures combine custom research with syndicated research to explain
why a campaign was a success.
Consultants
Business consultants offer a wide range of services at the strategic and tactical levels. All
are involved in doing extensive secondary data research for their clients. Such consultants
may also be major influencers in research design, of both custom research and the selec-
tion of proprietary models. Even when they don’t do the actual data collection themselves,
they are often involved in the interpretation of results. Depending on the size of the
firm, some consultancies conduct both qualitative studies (notably focus groups and ex-
pert interviews) and quantitative studies (usually through surveys) on knowledge, attitudes,
opinions, and motivations as they seek new opportunities or solutions to their client’s
problems.
Trade Associations
Check the comprehensive
Generally trade associations have as their purpose to promote, educate, and lobby for the list of business sources on
interests of their members. While many commission pure research that advances trade in- your CD for a list of relevant
terests, not all conduct or supply research services. trade associations.
> What Is Good Research?

Good research generates dependable data that are derived by professionally conducted
practices and that can be used reliably for decision making. In contrast, poor research is
carelessly planned and conducted, resulting in data that a manager can’t use to reduce his
or her decision-making risks. Good research follows the standards of the scientific
method: systematic, empirically based procedures for generating replicable research.
The nine criteria summarized We list several defining characteristics of the scientific method in Exhibit 1-8 and dis-
in Exhibit 1-8 profile cuss below the managerial dimensions of each.
desirable, decision-oriented
research, especially when 1. Purpose clearly defined. The purpose of the business research—the problem involved
managers perform the or the decision to be made—should be clearly defined and sharply delineated in terms as
research themselves. These
criteria create barriers to
unambiguous as possible. Getting this in writing is valuable even in instances where the
adjusting research findings same person serves as researcher and decision maker. The statement of the decision prob-
to meet desired ends. lem should include its scope, its limitations, and the precise meanings of all words and
> Exhibit 1-8 What Actions Guarantee Good Business Research?
What a Manager Should Look For in Research Done by Others or

Characteristics of Research Include in Self-Directed Research Chapter
Purpose clearly defined • Researcher distinguishes between symptom of organization’s 3

problem, the manager’s perception of the problem, and the research
problem.
Research process detailed • Researcher provides complete research proposal. 3, 4
Research design thoroughly planned • Exploratory procedures are outlined with constructs defined. 2, 3, 4, 6–15
• Sample unit is clearly described along with sampling methodology.
• Data collection procedures are selected and designed.
High ethical standards applied • Safeguards are in place to protect study participants, organizations, 5, 21
clients, and researchers.
• Recommendations do not exceed the scope of the study.
• The study’s methodology and limitations sections reflect researcher’s
restraint and concern for accuracy.
Limitations frankly revealed • Desired procedure is compared with actual procedure in report. 6, 15, 16, 21
• Desired sample is compared with actual sample in the report.
• Impact on findings and conclusions is detailed.
Adequate analysis for decision • Sufficiently detailed findings are tied to collection instruments. 16–20
maker’s needs
Findings presented unambiguously • Findings are clearly presented in words, tables, and graphs. 16–21
• Findings are logically organized to facilitate reaching a decision about
the manager’s problem.
• Executive summary of conclusions is outlined.
• Detailed table of contents is tied to the conclusions and findings
presentation.
Conclusions justified • Decision-based conclusions are matched with detailed findings. 16–21
Researcher’s experience reflected • Researcher provides experience/credentials with report. 21

terms significant to the research. Failure of the researcher to do this adequately may raise
legitimate doubts in the minds of research report readers as to whether the researcher has
sufficient understanding of the problem to make a sound proposal attacking it. This char-
acteristic is comparable to developing a strategic plan for achieving an objective before de-
veloping a tactical plan or an action map.
2. Research process detailed. The research procedures used should be described in suf-
ficient detail to permit another researcher to repeat the research. Except when secrecy is
imposed, research reports should reveal with candor the sources of data and the means by
which they were obtained. Omission of significant procedural details makes it difficult or
impossible to estimate the validity and reliability of the data and justifiably weakens the
confidence of the reader in the research itself as well as any recommendations based on the
research. This characteristic is comparable to developing a tactical plan.
3. Research design thoroughly planned. The procedural design of the research should be
carefully planned to yield results that are as objective as possible. When a sampling of the
population is involved, the report should include evidence concerning the degree of repre-
sentativeness of the sample. A survey of opinions or recollections ought not to be used
when more reliable evidence is available from documentary sources or by direct observa-
tion. Bibliographic searches should be as thorough and complete as possible. Experiments
should have satisfactory controls. Direct observations should be recorded in writing as soon
as possible after the event. Efforts should be made to minimize the influence of personal
bias in selecting and recording data. This characteristic is comparable to developing de-
tailed action plans for each tactic.
4. High ethical standards applied. Researchers often work independently and have sig- > We discuss ethical
nificant latitude in designing and executing research projects. A research design that in- research issues at
cludes safeguards against causing mental or physical harm to participants and makes data length in Chapter 5.
integrity a first priority should be highly valued. Ethical issues in research reflect important Watch for this icon
moral concerns about the practice of responsible behavior in society. throughout the text.
Researchers frequently find themselves precariously balancing the rights of their sub-
jects against the scientific dictates of their chosen method. When this occurs, they have a
responsibility to guard the welfare of the participants in the studies and also the organiza-
?
ethicalissues
tions to which they belong, their clients, their colleagues, and themselves. Careful consid-
eration must be given to those research situations in which there is a possibility of physical
or psychological harm, exploitation, invasion of privacy, and/or loss of dignity. The re-
search need must be weighed against the potential for adverse effects. Typically, you can
redesign a study, but sometimes you cannot. The researcher should be prepared for this
dilemma.
5. Limitations frankly revealed. The researcher should report, with complete frankness,
flaws in procedural design and estimate their effect on the findings. There are very few per-
fect research designs. Some of the imperfections may have little effect on the validity and
reliability of the data; others may invalidate them entirely. A competent researcher should
be sensitive to the effects of imperfect design. The researcher’s experience in analyzing
data should provide a basis for estimating the influence of design flaws. As a decision
maker, you should question the value of research where no limitations are reported.
6. Analysis adequate for decision maker’s needs. Analysis of the data should be exten-
sive enough to reveal its significance, what managers call “insights.” The methods of
analysis used should be appropriate. The extent to which this criterion is met is frequently
a good measure of the competence of the researcher. Adequate analysis of the data is the
most difficult phase of research for the novice. The validity and reliability of data should
be checked carefully. The data should be classified in ways that assist the researcher in
reaching pertinent conclusions and clearly reveal the findings that have led to those con-
clusions. When statistical methods are used, the probability of error should be estimated
and the criteria of statistical significance applied.
7. Findings presented unambiguously. Some evidence of the competence and integrity
of the researcher may be found in the report itself. For example, language that is restrained,
clear, and precise; assertions that are carefully drawn and hedged with appropriate reserva-
tions; and an apparent effort to achieve maximum objectivity tend to leave a favorable im-
pression of the researcher with the decision maker. Generalizations that outrun the evidence
on which they are based, exaggerations, and unnecessary verbiage tend to leave an unfa-
vorable impression. Such reports are not valuable to managers wading through the mine-
fields of organizational decision making. Presentation of data should be comprehensive,
easily understood by the decision maker, and organized so that the decision maker can
readily locate critical findings.
8. Conclusions justified. Conclusions should be limited to those for which the data pro-
vide an adequate basis. Researchers are often tempted to broaden the basis of induction by
including personal experiences and their interpretations—data not subject to the controls
under which the research data were gathered. Equally undesirable is the all-too-frequent
practice of drawing conclusions from a study of a limited population and applying them
universally. Researchers also may be tempted to rely too heavily on data collected in a prior
study and use it in the interpretation of a new study. Such practice sometimes occurs among
research specialists who confine their work to clients in a small industry. These actions tend
to decrease the objectivity of the research and weaken readers’ confidence in the findings.
Good researchers always specify the conditions under which their conclusions seem to
be valid.
9. Researcher’s experience reflected. Greater confidence in the research is warranted if
the researcher is experienced, has a good reputation in research, and is a person of integrity.
Were it possible for the reader of a research report to obtain sufficient information about the
researcher, this criterion perhaps would be one of the best bases for judging the degree of
confidence a piece of research warrants and the value of any decision based upon it. For
this reason the research report should contain information about the qualifications of the
researcher.
Good business research has an inherent value only to the extent that it helps manage-
ment make better decisions that help achieve organizational goals. Interesting information
about consumers, employees, competitors, or the environment might be pleasant to have,
but its value is limited if the information cannot be applied to a critical decision. If a
study does not help management select more effective, more efficient, less risky, or more
profitable alternatives than otherwise would be the case, its use should be questioned.
Alternatively, management may have insufficient resources (time, money, or skill) to con-
duct an appropriate study or may face a low level of risk associated with the decision at
hand. In these situations, it is valid to avoid business research and its associated costs in
time and money. Business research finds its justification in the contribution it makes to the
decision maker’s task and to the bottom line.
In the chapters that follow, we discuss scientific research procedures and show their ap-
plication to pragmatic problems of the manager. At a minimum, our objective is to make
you a more intelligent consumer of research products prepared by others as well as to en-
able you to perform quality research for your own decisions and those of others to whom
you report.
>summary
1 Research is any organized inquiry carried out to provide 2 Not all managers have established research as a priority in
information for solving problems. Business research is a their process of decision making. Consequently, a hierarchy
systematic inquiry that provides information to guide deci- of research-based decision makers is emerging. The top tier
sions. More specifically, it is a process of determining, contains those managers who use research as a fundamen-
acquiring, analyzing and synthesizing, and disseminating tal step in all decisions and who use creative vision to estab-
relevant data, information, and insights to decision makers lish proprietary methodologies. The middle tier includes
in ways that mobilize the organization to take appropriate those managers who occasionally turn to research but rely
actions that, in turn, maximize business performance. only on the tried-and-true methods. The bottom tier is those
managers who by choice or economic circumstance choose methodology researchers; specialty researchers including
to rely on intuition and judgment rather than business methodology specialists, companies engaged in subsets of
research. the research process, syndicated data providers, omnibus
3 The managers of tomorrow will need to know more than any researchers, and communication agencies; consultants; and
managers in history. Business research will be a major con- trade associations. Each contributes in its own way to
tributor to that knowledge. Managers will find knowledge of the overall industry and conducts or sponsors research to
research methods to be of value in many situations. They expand the client’s knowledge base.
may need to conduct research either for themselves or for 5 What characterizes good research? Generally, one expects
others. As buyers of research services managers will need to good research to be purposeful, with a clearly defined focus
be able to judge research quality. Finally, they may become and plausible goals; with defensible, ethical, and repeatable
research specialists themselves. procedures; and with evidence of objectivity. The reporting of
4 The structure of the research industry can be described in procedures—their strengths and weaknesses—should be
terms of internal or external suppliers to the firm. Internal complete and honest. Appropriate analytical techniques
research suppliers range from one-person operations, to should be used; conclusions drawn should be limited to
small-staffed operations that do some survey or qualitative those clearly justified by the findings; and reports of findings
studies, to large-staffed divisions that more closely approxi- and conclusions should be clearly presented and profes-
mate the structures of external research companies. External sional in tone, language, and appearance. Managers should
research suppliers may be further categorized by the depth always choose a researcher who has an established reputa-
and scope of services they provide. This group is composed tion for quality work. The research objective and its benefits
of full-service firms including custom and proprietary should be weighed against potentially adverse effects.
>keyterms
business intelligence system (BIS) 8 full-service researcher 13 scientific method 22
business research 4 intranet 7 specialty researcher 16
custom researcher 15 management dilemma 5 strategy 8
data mining 6 omnibus researcher 20 syndicated data provider 18

data warehouse 6 omnibus study 20 tactics 9
decision support system (DSS) 7 proprietary methodology 16

extranet 7 return on investment (ROI) 5
>discussionquestions
Terms in Review Corporate headquarters asks you to conduct an investiga-
1 What is business research? Why should there be any question to determine whether any of these stores should be
tion about the definition of research? closed, expanded, moved, or reduced. Is there a possible
2 Distinguish between omnibus studies and syndicated conflict between your roles as researcher and manager?
research studies. Explain.
3 Distinguish between full-service researchers and specialty 6 The new president of an old, established company is facing
researchers. a problem. The company is currently unprofitable and is, in
the president’s opinion, operating inefficiently. The company
Making Research Decisions sells a wide line of equipment and supplies to the dairy
4 A sales force manager needs to have information in order industry. Some items it manufactures, and many it whole-
to decide whether to create a custom motivation program sales to dairies, creameries, and similar plants. Because
or purchase one offered by a consulting firm. What are the the industry is changing in several ways, survival will be
dilemmas the manager faces in selecting either of these more difficult in the future. In particular, many equipment
alternatives? companies are bypassing the wholesalers and selling
5 You are the manager of the retail division of a major corpo- directly to dairies. In addition, many of the independent
ration. Your firm has 35 stores scattered over four states. dairies are being taken over by large food chains. How
might business research help the new president make the the sales potential of your products in the domestic (U.S. or
right decisions? Canadian) market. Discuss key issues and concerns arising
7 You have received a business research report done by a from the fact that you, the manager, are also the re-
consultant for your firm, a life insurance company. The searcher.
study is a survey of customer satisfaction based on a Bringing Research to Life
sample of 600. You are asked to comment on its quality. 9 In the Bringing Research to Life vignette, what evidence is
What will you look for? presented of data warehousing? Of data mining?
8 As area sales manager for a company manufacturing and From Concept to Practice
marketing outboard engines, you have been assigned the 10 Apply the principles in Exhibit 1-8 to the research scenario
responsibility of conducting a research study to estimate in question 7.
>wwwexercises
1 Visit the Advertising World portal (sponsored by Leo Burnett and housed at the University of Texas Web site):
http://advertising.utexas.edu/_world/index.asp. Choose “marketing research,” and then link to one or more of the research
companies listed on the site. How do they demonstrate the quality of their experience or their high ethical standards—two of the
characteristics of good research summarized in Exhibit 1-8?
2 Ad Track is a weekly survey of how much consumers like or dislike a major advertising campaign compared with other ads. Who
sponsors this poll, and who collects the data?
>cases*
HeroBuilders.com Data Development Inc.
* Written cases new to this edition and favorite cases from prior editions appear on the text CD; you will find abstracts of these
cases in the Case Abstracts section of this text.

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What are the different categories of firms in the business research industry and their functions?

What are the different categories of firms in the business research industry and their functions?

What is the distinction between good business research and research that falls short of professional quality?

What is the distinction between good business research and research that falls short of professional quality?

>part I

Chapter 1 Research in Business

Chapter 2 Thinking Like a Researcher

Chapter 3 The Research Process: An Overview

Chapter 4 Business Research Requests

Appendix 4a: Covering Kids RFP

Chapter 5 Ethics in Business Research

Introduction to Business Research

“ For a long time, research companies have

1 What business research is and how it differs from decision support

2 The trends affecting business research and the emerging hierarchy

3 The value of learning business research process skills.

4 The different categories of firms and their functions in the industry.

5 The distinction between good business research and research that

4 >part I Introduction to Business Research

> Why Study Business Research?

>chapter 1 Research in Business 5

6 >part I Introduction to Business Research

>chapter 1 Research in Business 7

> Planning Drives Business Research

8 >part I Introduction to Business Research

> Exhibit 1-1 Some Sources of Business Intelligence

>chapter 1 Research in Business 9

Emerging Hierarchy of Information-Based

10 >part I Introduction to Business Research

> Exhibit 1-2 Hierarchy of Information-Based Decision Makers

• Every decision guided by business research.

• Some decisions based on business research.

• Most decisions based on past

>chapter 1 Research in Business 11

> Exhibit 1-3 Minute Maid and the Role of Research

Minute Maid CMK Mission

12 >part I Introduction to Business Research

> Exhibit 1-4 Who Conducts Business Research?

Industrial Advertising Marketing General

Media Custom Methodology Public Relations General Business Business

Wholesale Proprietary Other Sales Promotion Research

Retail Syndicated Direct Marketing

> How the Research Industry Works

Internal Research Suppliers5

>chapter 1 Research in Business 13

to senior management. The opinions of CEOs, senior-level managers, and researchers at

External Research Suppliers

14 >part I Introduction to Business Research

> Exhibit 1-5 Some of the World’s Largest Research Companies

Research Revenues, 2003

>chapter 1 Research in Business 15

Research Revenues, 2003

Wirthlin Worldwide Specializes in research used to develop communication and 40.1 52

Total $5,252.0 $10,297.0

Custom Researchers Such phrases as “ad hoc research” or “custom-designed re-

16 >part I Introduction to Business Research

Proprietary Methodology Researchers A proprietary methodology is a re-

Specialty Research Firms Specialty researchers represent the largest number of

>chapter 1 Research in Business 17

18 >part I Introduction to Business Research