Exploratory Research Design:

Qualitative Research
 “ I have degree in mathematics, but have become an
enthusiastic user of qualitative research because of the rich
insights I have gained with well-done qualitative research”
> Mary Klupp, Director, Ford Global Consumer Insights, Ford Motor
Company, Dearborn, Michigan.
Ch. 5-Exploratory Research Design: Qualitative Research
1) Primary Data: Qualitative Versus Quantitative Research
2) Rationale for Using Qualitative Research Procedures
3) A Classification of Qualitative Research Procedures
5) Focus Group (FG) Interviews
6) Depth Interviews
7) Analysis of Qualitative Data
Qualitative Research: An unstructured exploratory research methodology based
small samples that provides insights and understanding of the problem setting.
Qualitative Research provides insights and better understanding of the problem,
while Quantitative Research seeks to quantify the data and, typically, applies some
form of statistical analysis.
Qualitative Vs. Quantitative Research
Qualitative Research Quantitative Research

Objective To gain a qualitative To quantify the data and

understanding of the generalize the results from the
underlying reasons and sample to the population of
motivations interest

Sample Small number of non- Large number of representative

representative cases cases

Data Collection Unstructured Structured

Data Analysis Non-statistical Statistical

Outcome Develop an initial Recommend a final course of

understanding action
A Classification of Qualitative Research Procedures
Qualitative Research
Procedures

Direct (Non- Indirect

disguised) (Disguised)

Projective
Depth Interviews Techniques
Focus Groups

Association Completion Construction Expressive

Techniques Techniques Techniques Techniques
 The steps involved in conducting a focus group

• Examine the objectives of the research project—Provides the rationale for

conducting the focus group.
 Specify the objectives—Outlines the goals of the study in order to guide the
interview.
 State the questions to be answered from the focus group.—A detailed set of
questions to be answered.
 Write a screening questionnaire.—Ensures that participants represent an
appropriate sample for the study.
 Develop a Moderator’s Outline.—Ensures that the moderator understands the
nature of the study and the key findings desired by the client.
 Conduct the interview.
 Review tapes and analyze data.—Allows the researcher to uncover inconsistent
responses, missed remarks, non-verbal communication and new ideas.
 Summarize findings and plan follow-up research.—To probe further into the
issues and sample statistically significant populations.
 Characteristics of Focus Groups

Group Size 8-12

Group Composition Homogeneous, respondents,

prescreened

Physical Setting Relaxed, informal atmosphere

Time Duration 1-3 hours

Recording Use of audiocassettes and

videotapes

Moderator Observational, interpersonal, and

communication skills of the
moderator
Key Qualifications of Focus Group
Moderators
1. Kindness with firmness: The moderator must combine a
disciplined detachment with understanding empathy so as to
generate the necessary interaction.
2. Permissiveness: The moderator must be permissive yet alert
to signs that the group’s cordiality or purpose is
disintegrating.
3. Involvement: The moderator must encourage and stimulate
intense personal involvement.
4. Incomplete understanding: The moderator must encourage
respondents to be more specific about generalized comments
by exhibiting incomplete understanding.
Key Qualifications of Focus Group Moderators

5. Encouragement: The moderator must encourage

unresponsive members to participate.

6. Flexibility: The moderator must be able to improvise

and alter the planned outline amid the distractions of
the group process.

7. Sensitivity: The moderator must be sensitive enough to

guide the group discussion at an intellectual as well as
emotional level.
Procedure for Planning and Conducting Focus Groups

Determine the Objectives and Define the Problem

Specify the Objectives of Qualitative Research

State the Objectives/Questions to be Answered by Focus Groups

Write a Screening Questionnaire

Develop a Moderator’s Outline

Conduct the Focus Group Interviews

Review Tapes and Analyze the Data

Summarize the Findings and Plan Follow-Up Research or Action

 Variations in Focus Groups
 Two-way focus group. This allows one target group to listen
to and learn from a related group. For example, a focus group
of physicians viewed a focus group of arthritis patients
discussing the treatment they desired.

 Dual-moderator group. A focus group conducted by two

moderators: One moderator is responsible for the smooth flow
of the session, and the other ensures that specific issues are
discussed.

 Dueling-moderator group. There are two moderators, but

they deliberately take opposite positions on the issues to be
discussed.
 Variations in Focus Groups
 Respondent-moderator group. The moderator asks
selected participants to play the role of moderator temporarily
to improve group dynamics.
 Client-participant groups. Client personnel are identified
and made part of the discussion group.
 Mini groups. These groups consist of a moderator and only 4
or 5 respondents.
 Telesession groups. Focus group sessions by phone using
the conference call technique.
 Online focus groups. Focus groups conducted online over
the Internet.
 Advantages of Focus Groups
1. Synergism
2. Snowballing
3. Stimulation
4. Security
5. Spontaneity
6. Serendipity
7. Specialization
8. Scientific scrutiny
9. Structure
10. Speed
Disadvantages of Focus Groups

1. Misuse
2. Misjudge
3. Moderation
4. Messy
5. Misrepresentation
Online Versus Traditional Focus Groups
Characteristic Online Focus Groups Traditional Focus Groups

Group size 4-6 8-12

Group composition Anywhere in the world Drawn from the local area

Time duration 1-1.5 hours 1-3 hours

Physical setting Researcher has little control Under the control of the researcher

Respondent identity Difficult to verify Can be easily verified

Respondent attentiveness Respondents can engage in other tasks Attentiveness can be monitored
 Online Versus Traditional Focus Groups

Respondent recruiting Easier. Can be recruited online, e-mail, Recruited by traditional means
panel, or by traditional means (telephone, mail, mail panel)

Group dynamics Limited Synergistic, snowballing

(bandwagon) effect

Openness of respondents Respondents are more candid Respondents are candid, except for
due to lack of face-to-face contact sensitive topics

Nonverbal communication Body language cannot be observed. Body language and emotions
Emotions expressed by using symbols observed

Use of physical stimuli Limited to those that can be displayed A variety of stimuli (products,
on the Internet advertising demonstrations, etc.)
can be used
Online Versus Traditional Focus Groups

Transcripts Available immediately Time consuming and expensive to

obtain

Observers’ communication Observers can communicate with the Observers can manually send notes
with moderator the moderator on a split-screen to the focus group room

Unique moderator skills Typing, computer usage, familiarity Observational

with chat room slang

Turnaround time Can be set up and completed Takes many days for setup and
in a few days completion

Client travel costs None Can be expensive

Client Involvement Limited High

Basic focus group costs Much less expensive More expensive: facility rental,
food, taping, transcript preparation
Advantages of Online Focus Groups
 Geographical constraints are removed and time constraints
are lessened.
 Unique opportunity to re-contact group participants at a later
date.
 Can recruit people not interested in traditional focus groups:
doctors, lawyers, etc.
 Moderators can carry on side conversations with individual
respondents.
 There is no travel, videotaping, or facilities to arrange so the
cost is much lower.
Disadvantages of Online Focus Groups

 Only people that have access to the Internet can participate.

 Verifying that a respondent is a member of a target group is

difficult.
 There is lack of general control over the respondent's
environment.
 Only audio and visual stimuli can be tested. Products can
not be touched (e.g., clothing) or smelled (e.g., perfumes).
Depth Interviews
 Depth Interviews are another method of obtaining qualitative data.

 Depth interview is conducted on a one-on-one basis and the interviewer

tries to uncover the respondent’s underlying motivations, beliefs, attitudes,
and feelings on a topic/product/service..

 An unstructured, direct personal interview in which a single respondent is

probed by a highly skilled interviewer to uncover underlying motivations,
beliefs, attitudes and feelings on a topic.
Depth Interviews
Advantages:
 Great depths of insights can be uncovered.
 It associates the responses directly with the respondent.
 There is no social pressure to conform to group response.

Disadvantages:
 Skilled interviewers capable of conducting depth interviews are expensive and
difficult to find.
 The lack of structure makes the results very susceptible to the influence of the
interviewer.
 The quality and completeness of the results depends very heavily on the skills of
the interviewer.
 The data obtained is problematic to analyze and interpret.
Focus Groups Versus Depth Interviews
Characteristic Focus Depth
Groups Interviews
Interviewing competitors - +
Interviewing professional respondents - +
Scheduling of respondents - +
Amount of information + -
Bias in moderation and interpretation + -
Cost per respondent + -
Time (interviewing & analysis) + -
Note: A + indicates a relative advantage over the
other procedure, a - indicates a relative disadvantage.
Indirect – Projective Technique
 Indirect techniques - Projective techniques, are used to ask the respondent to
interpret the behavior of others and thus add insight into personally held
beliefs of the respondent.

 The projective techniques use third person associations to indirectly

ascertain the respondent’s motivations/attitudes/beliefs.(In interpreting the
behavior of others, respondents indirectly project their own motivations,
beliefs, attitudes, or feelings into the situation).
 Projective techniques
 The four forms of projective techniques are:
 1. Association techniques: An individual is presented with a stimulus or
stimuli and asked to respond with the first thing or things that come to
mind.
 2. Completion techniques: The respondent is required to complete an
incomplete stimulus situation.
 3. Construction techniques: The respondent is required to construct a
response in the form of a story, dialogue, or description.
 4. Expressive techniques: The respondents are presented with a verbal
or visual situation and asked to relate the feelings and attitudes of other
people to the situation.
Comparison of Focus Groups, Depth Interviews, and Projective Techniques

Criteria Focus Depth Projective

Groups Interviews Techniques
1. Degree of Structure Relatively high Relatively medium Relatively low
2. Probing of individual Low High Medium
respondents
3. Moderator bias Relatively medium Relatively high Low to high
4. Interpretation bias Relatively low Relatively medium Relatively high
5. Uncovering Low Medium to high High
subconscious
information
6. Discovering innovative
information High Medium Low
7. Obtaining sensitive
Low Medium High
information
8. Involve unusual behavior No To a limited Yes
or questioning
extent
9. Overall usefulness Highly useful Useful Somewhat
useful
 Analysis of Qualitative Data
1) Data reduction – Select which aspects of the data are to be
emphasized, minimized, or set aside for the project at hand.
2) Data display – Develop a visual interpretation of the data with the
use of such tools as a diagram, chart, or matrix. The display helps to
illuminate patterns and interrelationships in the data.
3) Conclusion drawing and verification – Consider the meaning of
analyzed data and assess its implications for the research question at
hand.
References
 Naresh K. Malhotra & S Das, “Marketing Research –An
Applied Orientation", 6th Edition, Pearson.