Essay Question:

1) Briefly define and discuss the six steps of the marketing research process.
Answer:
Step 1: Problem Definition
In defining the problem, the researcher should take into account the purpose of the study, the
relevant background information, the information needed, and how it will be used in decision
making. Problem definition involves discussion with the decision makers, interviews with
industry experts, analysis of secondary data, and, perhaps, some qualitative research, such as
focus groups.
Step 2: Development of an Approach to the Problem
Development of an approach to the problem includes formulating an objective or theoretical
framework, analytical models, research questions, and hypotheses and identifying the
information needed. This process is guided by discussions with management and industry
experts, analysis of secondary data, qualitative research, and pragmatic considerations.
Step 3: Research Design Formulation
A research design is a framework or blueprint for conducting the marketing research project.
It details the procedures necessary for obtaining the required information, and its purpose is to
design a study that will test the hypotheses of interest, determine possible answers to the
research questions, and provide the information needed for decision making. Conducting
exploratory research, precisely defining the variables, and designing appropriate scales to
measure them are also a part of the research design. The issue of how the data should be
obtained from the respondents (for example, by conducting a survey or an experiment) must
be addressed. It is also necessary to design a questionnaire and a sampling plan to select
respondents for the study.
Step 4: Field Work or Data Collection
Data collection involves a field force or staff that operates either in the field, as in the case of
personal interviewing (in-home, mall intercept, or computer-assisted personal interviewing),
from an office by telephone (telephone or computer-assisted telephone interviewing), through
mail (traditional mail and mail panel surveys with pre-recruited households), or electronically
(e-mail or Internet). Proper selection, training, supervision, and evaluation of the field force
helps minimize data-collection errors.
Step 5: Data Preparation and Analysis
Data preparation includes the editing, coding, transcription, and verification of data. Each
questionnaire or observation form is inspected or edited and, if necessary, corrected. Number
or letter codes are assigned to represent each response to each question in the questionnaire.
The data from the questionnaires are transcribed or keypunched onto magnetic tape or disks,
or input directly into the computer. The data are analyzed to derive information related to the
components of the marketing research problem and, thus, provide input to the management
decision problem.
Step 6: Report Preparation and Presentation

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The entire project should be documented in a written report that addresses the specific
research questions identified, describes the approach, the research design, data collection, and
data analysis procedures adopted, and presents the results and the major findings. The
findings should be presented in a comprehensible format so that management can readily use
them in the decision-making process. In addition, an oral presentation should be made to
management using tables, figures, and graphs to enhance clarity and impact.

2) Explain the structure of a well-defined marketing research problem, including the

broad statement and the specific components.
Answer: The general rule to be followed in defining the marketing research problem is that
the definition should (1) allow the researcher to obtain all the information needed to address
the management decision problem, and (2) guide the researcher in proceeding with the
project. Researchers make two common errors in problem definition. The first arises when the
research problem is defined too broadly. A broad definition does not provide clear guidelines
for the subsequent steps involved in the project. Some examples of overly broad marketing
research problem definitions are: (1) developing a marketing strategy for the brand, (2)
improving the competitive position of the firm, or (3) improving the company's image. These
are not specific enough to suggest an approach to the problem or a research design.

The second type of error is just the opposite: the marketing research problem is defined too
narrowly. A narrow focus may preclude consideration of some courses of action, particularly
those that are innovative and may not be obvious. It may also prevent the researcher from
addressing important components of the management decision problem.

The likelihood of committing either type of error in problem definition can be reduced by
stating the marketing research problem in broad, general terms and identifying its specific
components. The broad statement provides perspective on the problem and acts as a safeguard
against committing the second type of error. The specific components focus on the key
aspects of the problem and provide clear guidelines on how to proceed further, thereby
reducing the likelihood of the first type of error.

3) Discuss how the Internet can facilitate the implementation of different types of
research designs.
Answer: During the exploratory phase of the research, forums, chat rooms, or newsgroups
can be used to generally discuss a topic with anyone who visits the chat room. Newsgroups
focus on a particular topic and function like bulletin boards. During the exploratory phase of
the research, forums, chat rooms, or newsgroups can be used to generally discuss a topic with
anyone who visits the chat room. Newsgroups focus on a particular topic and function like
bulletin boards. Internet users stop by a newsgroup to read messages left by others and to
post their own responses or comments. Newsgroups or chat rooms could be used to set up
more formal focus groups with experts or individuals representing the target audience in order
to obtain initial information on a subject. For descriptive research, surveys can be conducted

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on the Internet and Internet browsing behavior can be observed by using cookies. For causal
research, experiments can be conducted on the Internet.

4) Describe how culture influences the environmental context of the problem.

The following steps help researchers account for environmental and cultural differences when
defining the problem in an international marketing context:

Step 1. Define the marketing research problem in terms of domestic environmental and
cultural factors. This involves an identification of relevant (or Western) traits, economics,
values, needs, or habits.

Step 2. Define the marketing research problem in terms of foreign environmental and
cultural factors, without judgment. This involves an identification of the related traits,
economics, values, needs, or habits in the proposed market culture. This task requires input
from researchers familiar with the foreign environment.

Step 3. Isolate the self-reference criterion (SRC) influence on the problem and examine it
carefully to see how it complicates the problem. Examine the differences between Steps 1 and
2. The SRC can be seen to account for these differences.

Step 4. Redefine the problem without the SRC influence and address it for the foreign
market situation. If the differences in Step 3 are significant, the impact of the SRC should be
carefully considered.

Note, while developing theoretical frameworks, models, research questions, and hypotheses,
differences in the environmental factors, especially the sociocultural environment, may lead to
differences in the formation of perceptions, attitudes, preferences, and choice behavior.