Qualitative Research ppt

7/27/2019 Qualitative Research ppt

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QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Prof M. R. Suresh


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It is loosely defined term.

Implies that research findings are not

subject to quantification

Quantitative research can showstatistically differences between two

groups. Qualitative research examines attitudes,

feelings and motivations of a group.

Qualitative research has its origin in the

work of historian Grambattista Vico (18thcentury). Indian logicians have alwaysemphasized intuitive understanding asmuch as logical inference.


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Qualitative research has become quite

popular

Reasons

Helps unearth in-depth motivationsand feelings of consumers.

Improves the efficiency of quantitative

research. In many situations, less expensive than

quantitative research.


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Trends of Research Process are Changing

Independent

New paradigm

Understand

Intuition

Rapport

Involved in

development

Role of QuantitativeResearch

Dimensions

Evaluation concerns

Evaluation criteria

Interviewing principle

Customers role

Subject

Old Paradigm

Measurement

Reliability

Control

Receives product

Subordinate toquantitative

Respondent Participant


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Qualitative and quantitative research varyon many dimensions

QuantitativeDimensions Qualitative

Limited probingType of questions Probing

LargeSample size Small

Can varyInformation perrespondent

Much

No special skills are

required

Administration

Interviewer needs

special skills

StatisticalType of analysis Subjective

HardwarePictures, tapes

discussion guidelines

Questionnaires,Computers

Ability to replicate Low High

Researchers trainingPsychology,

Marketing ResearchStatistics, Marketing

Research

Type of research Exploratory Descriptive, causal


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Qualitative research: is it totallyobjectives?

Initial steps in quantitative research such asproblem definition, formulating hypothesis,defining variables are subjective.

Quantitative precision is useless if wronghypothesis is tested

Quantitative research is long on what andshort onwhy

Both quantitative and qualitative research aretools with researchers

Appropriate is some uses, inappropriate inother uses


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Popularity of Qualitative Research:

Qualitative research is less expensive than

quantitative research.Qualitative research helps unearth in-depth

motivations and feelings of consumers.

Qualitative research improves theefficiency of quantitative research

Quantitative and qualitative researchapproach are often used in conjunction.The question is not which researchapproach is right or wrong, but choosingthe appropriate one.


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Limitations of Qualitative research:

Intent of focus group is to find howconsumers feel about a product, concept,idea, organization How it fits into their livesetc.

Similarity with group interviewing

A response from one person is a stimulus foranother

Interplay of responses yields moreinformation than if respondents are

contacted independentlyDirect questions are avoided

Focus group most popular qualitativetechnique


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Focus Groups:

Origins in group therapy used bypsychiatrists.

Consists of 8 to 12 participants who are ledby a moderator with focus on an in-depthdiscussion on a particular topic

The goal of focus is to learn and understandwhat people have to say and why.

The intention is to find out how they feel

about a product, concept, etc. Focus groups are much more than question

and answer sessions. Group dynamics isessential for success of focus group method


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Popularity of Focus Groups:

Becoming increasingly popular. Almost allleading MR agencies in India have specialists tohandle focus groups. IMRB, for instance, have aseparate division called Probe QualitativeResearch (PQR)

FMCG companies use focus groups intensively.Consumer durable companies also use them indeigning their products

Industrial manufacturers use focus groupssparingly as it is expensive and difficult to beingtogether a group of highly informed respondentssuch as bankers.


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Focus Groups A Classification:

Bobby Calder well known scholarclassified focus groups into threecategories.

exploratory

clinicalexperiencing


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Exploratory focus groups are commonlyused in the initial phase of the marketingresearch process to define the problem in aaccurate manner.

Can also be used for pilot testing, test

wording of questionnaire, to generateconcepts for further research and as aprelude to quantitative research.

In one focus group discussion apart from

various dimensions of a proposed shoppingmall, two locations in a metro werecompared. (Distance from the city centre,

was more or less the same as the other).


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Clinical focus groups are qualitative

research in its purest form. The researchis conducted as a scientific exercise.The moderator, who has to be a trainedpsychologist attempts to understand

sub-conscious feelings.

Clinical groups are not popular in theabsence of certified moderators and dueto constraints in validating the findings.


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Experiencing Focus Groups:

This method enables a client toobserve and listen as to how a

red/customer thinks and feels aboutthe product.

All three categories of focus groupscan be compared on variousdimensions


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Type of focus groups

A comparison

Dimension Exploratory Experiencing Clinical

Experience a realconsumer

No Yes No

Obtaining a high level ofinteraction among group

essential

Yes Yes Yes

Homogenous group ofpeople

No Yes No

Moderators interviewtechnique crucial

Moderate Moderate Yes

Moderators scientificcredentials

No No Yes

Observation by companyrepresentative

No Yes No

Verbatim quotes in thereport Limited Yes Limited


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Conducting Focus Group Discussions:

Preparing the focus groupSetting

Recruiting participants

Selective the moderatorA discussion guide

Focus group report: In some situationsthere is a moderator debriefingimmediately after the focus groupdiscussion is over. This method has bothmerits and demerits.


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Focus group report

Instant analysis by some firms

Advantages

- Forum for combining knowledge

moderator, client

- TOM perception of moderators- Heightened awareness to generate new

ideas

DisadvantagesBiasing future analysis

knee jerkanalysiswithout reflection

Selective recall


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Advantages of Focus Groups:

Interaction among respondents canstimulate ideas that may not come out

in interviews, whether single call orrepeated ones.

Listening from the horses mouth as

the client gets to hear customers.Faster and less time consumingcompared to other methods.


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Disadvantages of Focus Groups:

A small sample can mislead.

A feeling ofhaving understood all the issuesafter a focus group discussion.

Researchers inclination to find simple

solutions and to avoid the complexitiesinvolved in quantitative research.

A tendency to stop with focus group researchwithout undertaking simultaneously or

following up the quantitative research. Selection of respondents can be a problem.

Getting high-income earners/professionals asrespondents may be difficult.


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The formal atmosphere of conference roomsmay make respondents tense that they may

not share. Also respondents may like to be seen as

sophisticatedandwell-off.

Participants may respond with wide of the

mark responses. Moderator is also a social animal with

prejudices etc. Moderators style, ifaggressive, may retard participants or they

may agree with the moderator. Participant could be introverted or dominant in

a focus group.


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Other Qualitative Research Methods:

Depth Interviews: One-to-one relatively unstructured interview of

respondent.

The interviewer has to be highly skilled. In some

situations, psychologists are used as interviewers. Interviewer can also have a checklist.

Depth interviews are carried out, if therespondent were to be a well-informed or a top

executive whose opinions would provide insights. Interviewer needs to build the depth interview

based on respondents answers to queries.


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Advantages of Depth Interviews:

No group pressure. Hence voices even unacceptableopinions.

Respondents feel important.

Respondents is in a heightened state of awareness due torapport with the interviewer.

New information is revealed due to considerable timespent in interviewing.

Probing can be done by interviewer.

No constraints such as cultivating a group process.

Interviewer can be aware of meta-verbal communication. Certain situations, where conflicting departments or

organisations are to be involved, focus group discussionsare impossible.


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Disadvantages of Depth Interviews:

Expensive. Often may involve repeat calls and visits to therespondentslocation which may be in different cities.

Focus group report: In some situations there is a moderatordebriefing immediately after the focus group discussion isover. This method has both merits and demerits.

Can be physically exhausting to an interviewer. Around

four interviews (roughly an hour each) and logistics ofreaching the client can consume a working day.

Clients may not be willing to spend hours to observe depthinterviews.

Respondents may not be inclined to spare time or may

depute a subordinate to respond. Often information may not be available with a single

division.

The advantage of group dynamics will not be there in depthinterviews.


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Projective Techniques: Word association

Sentence and story

completion Catoon tests

Photo sorts

Consumer drawings

Third-person techniques


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Qualitative research is not without limitations

Marketing success in several situations depend onmeasuring small differences. Quantitative research ismore successful in this aspect.

Qualitative research often has a small sample whichmay not be entirely representative of the populationunder study.

In the absence of certification, any individual without

professional training can pass off as a qualitativeresearch expert.


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Futures of Qualitative Research

Is quite good in India

- Emotional, subconscious content is animportant determinant of buying, usagedecisions.

- This content is not adequately captured byformal surveys.

- The usage of qualitative research methodsin conjunction with qualitative researchmethods will continue to grow


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Pragmatic content analysis

- Emphasis on why something is said

Semantic Designation

- Frequency of some concept or objectbeing said.

Attribution

- Frequency, emphasis on adjectives,

adverbs, qualifiers etc.


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Assertion

- Usage of emotional words etc.

As the relevance of understanding consumers becomesmore and more important in a competitive marketsituation, the usage of qualitative research methods in

conjunction with quantitative research methods willcontinue to grow.

(Note compiled from various sources for

discussion in PRM/MDP)

Qualitative Research ppt

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