Research Design

Cont.
Introduction
Research design is simply a plan for a study. This is used as a
guide in collecting and analyzing the data. It can be called a blue
print to carry out the study. It is like a plan made by an architect to
build the house, if a research is conducted without a blue print, the
result is likely to be different from what is expected at the start.
The blue print includes:
1. Interviews to be conducted, observations to be made,
experiments to be conducted data analysis to be made.
1. Tools used to collect the data such as questionnaire.
2. What is the sampling methods used.
Research Design
Blueprint
Plan
Guide
Framework
Research Design: Definition
A research design is a framework or
blueprint for conducting the marketing
research project.

It details the procedures necessary for
obtaining the information needed to structure
or solve marketing research problems.

A Classification of Business Research
Designs
Single Cross-
Sectional Design
Multiple Cross-
Sectional Design
Research Design
Conclusive
Research Design
Exploratory
Research Design
Descriptive
Research
Causal
Research
Cross-Sectional
Design
Longitudinal
Design
Research Design Framework
The Research Environment
Field conditions
Lab conditions
Simulations
Common Exploratory Techniques for
Research
Secondary
Data Analysis
Focus
Groups
Experience
Surveys
Experience surveys are
sometimes called expert interviews
or key informant surveys. Even
though the term survey is in the
name, it is not a closed-ended,
structured survey.


Rather, experience surveys are
interviews designed to extract as
much information as possible from
the experts knowledge
Broad questions guide the discussion. Several
questions that could be used in an experience
survey are listed in the slide.

Some examples of groups who might be
identified for an experience survey include
potential car buyers, dealer sales
representatives, advertising columnists, and
automotive industry analysts.

Experience Surveys
What is being done?
What has been tried in the past with
or without success?
How have things changed?
Who is involved in the decisions?
What problem areas can be seen?
Whom can we count on to assist or
participate in the research?
Focus Groups
Group discussion
6-10 participants
Moderator-led
90 minutes-2 hours

Focus groups are widely used in business
research. They are led by a trained moderator
and typically include 6-10 participants. Mini-
focus groups with just 3 people are
increasingly common.

The facilitator uses group dynamics principles
to focus or guide the group in an exchange of
ideas, feelings, and experiences on a specific
topic.

Focus groups can take place in a variety of
settings, but many take place in a focus group
room equipped with one-way window and
recording devices.

Descriptive Studies
Descriptions of
population characteristics
Estimates of frequency of
characteristics
Discovery of associations
among variables
Causal Studies
Asymmetrical
Reciprocal
Symmetrical
People without scientific training may think
that a correlation is causation. However, just
because two things change together does not
imply a cause-and-effect relationship. The
essential element of causation is that some
external factor produces a change in the
dependent variable
A produces B. Empirically, we never
demonstrate causality with certainty because
we do not prove causal linkages deductively.
Empirical research conclusions are based on
inferences or inductive conclusions.

These conclusions are probability statements,
based on what we observe and measure and
what we conclude is likely to happen.

There are three possible relationships
that can occur between two variables.
These are named in the slide. A
symmetrical relationship is one in which
two variables vary together but we
assume the changes in neither variables
are due to changes in the other.


A reciprocal relationship exists when two variables
mutually influence or reinforce each other.
With asymmetrical relationships, we postulate that
changes in one variable (independent variable) are
responsible for changes in another (dependent
variable).
6-20
Asymmetrical Casual Relationships
Stimulus-Response
Disposition-Behavior
Property-
Behavior
Property-
Disposition
6-21
Types of Asymmetrical Causal Relationships
Relationship Type Nature of Relationship Examples
Stimulus-response An event or change results in
a response from some object.
A change in work rules leads to a higher level of
worker output.
A change in government economic policy restricts
corporate financial decisions.
A price increase results in fewer unit sales.
Property-disposition An existing property causes a
disposition.
Age and attitudes about saving.
Gender attitudes toward social issues.
Social class and opinions about taxation.
Disposition-behavior A disposition causes a
specific behavior.
Opinions about a brand and its purchase.
Job satisfaction and work output.
Moral values and tax cheating.
Property-behavior An existing property causes a
specific behavior.
Stage of the family life cycle and purchases of
furniture.
Social class and family savings patterns.
Age and sports participation.
Definitions: A stimulus is an event or force (e.g., drop in temperature, crash of stock market, product recall, or explosion in
factory). A response is a decision or reaction. A property is an enduring characteristic of a subject that does not depend on
circumstances for its activation (e.g., age, gender, family status, religious affiliation, ethnic group, or physical condition). A
disposition is a tendency to respond in a certain way under certain circumstances (e.g., attitudes, opinions, habits, values, and
drives). A behavior is an action (e.g., consumption habits, work performance, interpersonal acts, and other kinds of performance).
Uses of Exploratory Research
Formulate a problem or define a
problem more precisely
Identify alternative courses of action
Develop hypotheses
Isolate key variables and relationships
for further examination
Gain insights for developing an
approach to the problem
Establish priorities for further research
Methods of Exploratory Research
Survey of experts
Pilot surveys
Secondary data analyzed in a
qualitative way
Qualitative research
Use of Descriptive Research
To describe the characteristics of relevant
groups, such as consumers, salespeople,
organizations, or market areas.
To estimate the percentage of units in a
specified population exhibiting a certain
behavior.
To determine the perceptions of product
characteristics.
To determine the degree to which marketing
variables are associated.
To make specific predictions
Methods of Descriptive Research
Secondary data analyzed in a quantitative
as opposed to a qualitative manner
Surveys
Panels
Observational and other data
The Time Dimension
Cross-sectional
Longitudinal
Cross-sectional Designs
Involve the collection of information from any given
sample of population elements only once.
In single cross-sectional designs, there is only one
sample of respondents and information is obtained
from this sample only once.
In multiple cross-sectional designs, there are two
or more samples of respondents, and information
from each sample is obtained only once. Often,
information from different samples is obtained at
different times.
Cohort analysis consists of a series of surveys
conducted at appropriate time intervals, where the
cohort serves as the basic unit of analysis. A cohort
is a group of respondents who experience the same
event within the same time interval.
Consumption of Various Soft Drinks
by Various Age Cohorts
8-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50+
Age 1960 1969 1979 1950
52.9
45.2
33.9
23.2
18.1
62.6
60.7
46.6
40.8
28.8
C1
73.2
76.0
67.7
58.6
50.0
C2
81.0
75.8
71.4
67.8
51.9
C3

C8
C7
C6
C5
C4
C1: cohort born prior to 1900
C2: cohort born 1901-10
C3: cohort born 1911-20
C4: cohort born 1921-30
C5: cohort born 1931-40
C6: cohort born 1940-49
C7: cohort born 1950-59
C8: cohort born 1960-69
Percentage consuming on a typical day
Longitudinal Designs
A fixed sample (or samples) of population
elements is measured repeatedly on the
same variables
A longitudinal design differs from a cross-
sectional design in that the sample or
samples remain the same over time
Relative Advantages and Disadvantages of
Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Designs
Evaluation
Criteria
Cross-Sectional
Design
Longitudinal
Design
Detecting Change
Large amount of data collection
Accuracy
Representative Sampling
Response bias


-
-
-
+
+






+
+
+
-
-
Note: A + indicates a relative advantage over the other
design, whereas a - indicates a relative disadvantage.
Cross-Sectional Data May Not Show Change
Brand Purchased Time Period
Period 1 Period 2
Survey Survey
Brand A 200 200
Brand B 300 300
Brand C 500 500
Total 1000 1000
Longitudinal Data May Show
Substantial Change
Brand
Purchased
in Period 1
Brand Purchased in Period 2
Brand A Brand B Brand C Total
Brand A
Brand B
Brand C
Total
100
25
75
200
50
100
150
300
50
175
275
500
200
300
500
1000
Uses of Casual Research
To understand which variables are the
cause (independent variables) and which
variables are the effect (dependent
variables) of a phenomenon
To determine the nature of the relationship
between the causal variables and the effect
to be predicted
METHOD: Experiments
Potential Sources of Error in
Research Designs
Surrogate Information Error
Measurement Error
Population Definition Error
Sampling Frame Error
Data Analysis Error
Respondent Selection Error
Questioning Error
Recording Error
Cheating Error
Inability Error
Unwillingness Error
Total Error
Non-sampling
Error
Random
Sampling Error
Non-response
Error
Response
Error
Interviewer
Error
Respondent
Error
Researcher
Error
The total error is the variation between the true mean
value in the population of the variable of interest and
the observed mean value obtained in the marketing
research project.
Random sampling error is the variation between the
true mean value for the population and the true mean
value for the original sample.
Non-sampling errors can be attributed to sources
other than sampling, and they may be random or
nonrandom: including errors in problem definition,
approach, scales, questionnaire design, interviewing
methods, and data preparation and analysis. Non-
sampling errors consist of non-response errors and
response errors.

Non-response error arises when some of the
respondents included in the sample do not
respond.
Response error arises when respondents give
inaccurate answers or their answers are
misrecorded or misanalyzed.