GRITCommentary:EducatingtheResearcheroftheFuture

RegBakerMarketResearchInstituteInternational

UniversityofGeorgia

June13,2017

WhatdoyoubelievewillbethethreemostimportantskillsetsforasuccessfulpostgraduateMarketResearchprogramtofocusonduringthenextfiveyears?

2%

3%

3%

3%

3%

3%

4%

10%

15%

16%

2%

1%

4%

3%

3%

3%

3%

2%

11%

17%

Businessskills

Creativity

Storytelling

Statistics

Newmethods

Surveydesign

Textanalytics/bigdata

Datascience

Insightsintoaction

Criiticalthinking

Suppliers Clients

HowimportantisitthatastudentwhograduatesfromapostgraduateMarketResearchprogramhavethefollowingskills:

25%

34%

49%

52%

57%

59%

61%

73%

Mathematics

Toolsandanlaytitcsoftware

Consultative

Storytelling

Verbalandpresentation

Writingcommunication

Insightdevelopment

Criticalthinking

Percentsaying“veryimportant"

Michigan State University Master of Science Degree in Marketing Research at the Broad Graduate School of Management

Educating the Market Researcher of Tomorrow

May 19-20, 2014

Kellogg Center, East Lansing

Sponsored by: ChryslerCoca-ColaVision Critical

MarketResearchEducation– AStudyinContrasts

Past

FocusonMastery

Future

FocusonAgility“TheMasterGeneralist”

“Educationisthelightingofaflamenotthefillingofavessel.”

“Wearen’tteachingtherightstuff.”

MReducationneedsanoverhaul.

Ø Rethinkthestandarduniversitycurriculumtoproducewell-roundedMRprofessionals.

Ø Emphasizeanalytics,presentationsskills,storytelling,insightsmining,andother“softskills.”

Ø Developmini-coursestocovernewmethods.

Ø Createstrongerlinksbetweenacademicsandpractitioners.

7

BreadthofKnowledge

DepthofExpertise

“Thefoxknowsmanylittlethings,butthehedgehogknowsonebigthing.”

Tetlock,PhillipE.(2006)ExpertPoliticalJudgment:HowGoodIsIt?HowCanWeKnow? (Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUniversityPress)

Hedgehog FoxSpecialized Multidisciplinary

Rigid Adaptable

Stubborn Self-critical

OrderSeeking Complexity Tolerant

Confident Cautious

Ideological Empirical

Anewbreedofresearcher

9

BCGFourStagesofConsumerInsightPerformance

TraditionalMR BusinessContribution

StrategicInsight StrategicForesight

Skills Technical Technical&business Analytic&strategicAnalytic,business,commnication&

leaderhsip

Training MRmethods&tools MRtools&buinessskillsIntegratedthinking&communications

Leadershp&communicaiton

Deliverables FindingsfromeachstudyBusiness

recommendationsIntegatedstrategyinsights Forwardlookingstrategy

Role Provideaccuratedata ProvideinsightfromdataDriveresultsforbusiness

unitsCreatecompetitive

advantageWayofworking Projectdriven Businessdriven Results(ROI)driven Futuredriven

Methods TraditionalTraditional&new

methodsExpandtoconsumerandeconomictrenddata

Expandtoconsumerandeconomictrenddata

Source:BCGConsumerInsightBenchmarking(2009)

Ittakesateam.

TheSpecialists

ThePolymath TheBusinessConsultant

Source:Chadwick,SimonandBaker,Reg(2014).“Aprèsnousledeluge?WhyweneedtopayattentiontotheneedsanddesiresofMillennialandPost-Millennialresearchers.”PaperpresentedattheESOMARCongressinNice.Amsterdam:ESOMAR.

Datascientists,computerscientists,neuroscientists,statisticians,sampleproviders,psychologists,ethnographers,graphicdesigners,surveyspecialists,etc.

Whatiscriticalthinking?

Thesystematicevaluationofdata,facts,andobservablephenomenon,distinguishingbetweenusefulandlessusefuldetails,withthegoalofdrawingreasonableconclusionsinordertosolveaproblemormakeadecision.

Ø Selectmethodologiesanddatasourcesthatfitthebusinessproblem.

Ø Systematicallyassess“thesafetyoftheevidence.”

Ø Synthesizemultiplesourcesofimperfectdata.

Ø Tellthemostimportantstoryofthedatainaconvincingway.

Source:Smith,David.2014.“Buildingtheskillsofthenextgenerationofcustomerinsightprofessionals.”ResearchWorld.November/December,32-35.

1. Emphasizescriticalthinking,insightdevelopment,andproblemsolvingoverspecificresearchskills.

2. Teachestheprinciples thatdistinguishgoodresearchfrombadresearchindependentofmethodanddatasource.

Weneedacurriculumthatdoestwothings.

FocusonAgility“TheMasterGeneralist”

THANKSFORLISTENING

rbaker@mrii.org@thesurveygeekwww.mrii.org