Showing papers on "Qualitative marketing research published in 2010"

Qualitative Research from Start to Finish

Abstract: Part 1. Understanding Qualitative Research. What Is Qualitative Research-and Why Might You Consider Doing Such Research? The Allure of Qualitative Research: A Topical Panorama of Studies. The Distinctiveness of Qualitative Research. The Multifaceted World of Qualitative Research. Building Trustworthiness and Credibility into Qualitative Research. Equipping Yourself to Do Qualitative Research. Competencies in Doing Qualitative Research. Managing Field-Based Research. Practicing. Setting and Maintaining Ethical Standards of Conduct. Protecting Human Subjects: Obtaining Approval from an Institutional Review Board. How to Start a Research Study. Starting a Qualitative Study by Considering Three Features. Reviewing Research Literature. Detailing a New Qualitative Study. Part 2. Doing Qualitative Research. Choices in Designing Qualitative Research Studies. Brief Definition of Research Designs. Choice 1: Starting a Research Design at the Beginning of a Study (or Not). Choice 2: Taking Steps to Strengthen the Validity of a Study (or Not). Choice 3: Clarifying the Complexity of Data Collection Units (or Not). Choice 4: Attending to Sampling (or Not). Choice 5: Incorporating Concepts and Theories into a Study (or Not). Choice 6: Planning at an Early Stage (or Not) to Obtain Participant Feedback. Choice 7: Being Concerned with Generalizing a Study's Findings (or Not). Choice 8: Preparing a Research Protocol (or Not). Doing Fieldwork. Working in the Field. Gaining and Maintaining Access to the Field. Nurturing Field Relationships. Doing Participant-Observation. Making Site Visits. Data Collection Methods. What Are Data? Introduction to Four Types of Data Collection Activities. Interviewing. Observing. Collecting and Examining. Feelings. Desirable Practices Pertinent to All Modes of Data Collection. Recording Data. What to Record. Note-Taking Practices When Doing Fieldwork. Converting Field Notes into Fuller Notes. Recording Data through Modes Other Than Writing. Keeping a Personal Journal. Analyzing Qualitative Data, I: Compiling, Disassembling, and Reassembling. Overview of the Analytic Phases. Compiling an Orderly Set of Data. Disassembling Data. Reassembling Data. Analyzing Qualitative Data, II: Interpreting and Concluding. Interpreting. Modes of Interpreting. Concluding. Part 3. Presenting the Results from Qualitative Research. Displaying Qualitative Data. Narrative Data about the Participants in a Qualitative Study. Tabular, Graphic, and Pictorial Presentations. Creating Slides to Accompany Oral Presentations. Composing Research, to Share It with Others. Composing: General Hints. Composing Qualitative Research. Presenting Your Declarative Self. Presenting Your Reflective Self. Reworking Your Composition. Part 4. Taking Qualitative Research One Step Further. Broadening the Challenge of Doing Qualitative Research. Qualitative Research as Part of the Broader Realm of Social Science Research. An Ongoing Dialogue. The Promise and Challenge of Mixed Methods Research. Moving Onward. Appendix. A Semester- or Year-Long Project: Career Paths. A Glossary of Special Terms Used in Qualitative Research.

Half a Century of Marketing Ethics: Shifting Perspectives and Emerging Trends

Abstract: Faced with an ever-growing number of ethical marketing issues and uncertainty about the impact of specialized ethics journals, researchers are struggling to keep abreast of developments in the field. In order to address these challenges, our paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature on marketing ethics over almost 50 years, offers a citation analysis and develops a unique marketing ethics impact factor (MEIF). We contribute to the field in three important ways. First, we present a state-of-the-art picture of marketing ethics research. This provides an account of the research focus in each decade, assesses the importance of specific topics in the debate and identifies existing research gaps. Second, we identify the most influential papers and researchers in the marketing ethics area. Third, we evaluate the most important journals in terms of their impact on marketing ethics. To this end, we have developed an MEIF. This improves our ability to judge a journal’s influence on this particular sub-discipline.

Towards a history of critical marketing studies

Abstract: In this paper, I outline a history of critical marketing studies. The argument put forward that marketing lacks any substantive critical edge is questioned. In surveying our history and finding extensive engagement with a variety of critical perspectives, I connect these with appropriate literature from non-marketing sources to flesh out an account of our critical marketing heritage. I devote considerable attention to the period 1940 to 1990, as this is the historical range of critical marketing literature that most scholars will be unfamiliar with, linking this through citation and discussion to more recently published work. In this way, this paper provides a guide to sources of literature that may have passed marketing scholars by because they violate our disciplinary demands for ‘recency’ (Baker, 2001). As I document, critical marketing studies examines a variety of areas that represent consumer culture theory's (CCT) ‘next frontier’ if we accept Arnould and Thompson's (2005) diagnosis. In opp...

Marketing Theory: Foundations, Controversy ,Strategy, Resource Advantage Theory

Abstract: Preface PART 1. THE NATURE OF MARKETING AND SCIENCE 1. Introduction 2. On the Marketing Discipline PART 2. THE FOUNDATIONS OF MARKETING THEORY 3. On the Morphology of Explanation 4. Explanation: Issues and Aspects 5. On the Morphology of Scientific Laws 6. Scientific Laws: Issues and Aspects 7. On the Morphology of Theory 8. Theory: Issues and Aspects PART 3. CONTROVERSY IN MARKETING THEORY 9. On Scientific Realism and Marketing Research 10. On Science/Nonscience, Qualitative Methods, and Marketing Research 11. On Truth and Marketing Research 12. On Objectivity and Marketing Research PART 4. TOWARD A GENERAL THEORY OF MARKETING 13. The R-A Theory Research Program 14. Competition Theory, Alderson's Market Processes Theory, and R-A Theory 15. Strategy and R-A Theory References Name Index Subject Index About the Author.

The Structure of Sustainability Research in Marketing, 1958-2008: A Basis for Future Research Opportunities

Abstract: Recent changes in the business environment have prompted marketing scholars to pay particular attention to sustainability as a topic of inquiry. Despite the progress made in the study of sustainability, there is a paucity of research on the topic in premier marketing journals. To address this issue, we focus on marketing-related journals and assess the intellectual structure of sustainability research in detail. Drawing on social network theory, we perform an extensive co-citation analysis using multidimensional scaling to examine 76,342 citations made in 1,320 sustainability-focused articles from 36 journals over 51 years (1958–2008). This study specifies that the topics of citizenship behavior, stakeholder theory, corporate performance, and the triple bottom line are integral sustainability research areas. In addition, the results indicate five required topics for examining sustainability in the marketing context: external-internal focus, social-environmental emphasis, legal-ethical-discretionary intent, marketing assets, and financial performance. Supported by the capabilities-based resource perspective, the sustainability-focused typology and framework advanced provide directed structure for future research.

Augmented Reality: A Sustainable Marketing Tool?

Abstract: Purpose - The present research aims to look at the ways in which Augmented Reality Experiential Marketing (AREM) is beneficial for companies and brands not only on short-term - the “shiny object” syndrome, but also on the long-term, contributing to the creation of customer satisfaction, as other forms of experiential marketing have done, which can lead to an increase in customer loyalty, intention of repetitive purchasing, positive word-of-mouth (WOM) or a greater market share. Based on the aim of this research paper and on the literature review, three measures of the perceived value have been chosen – enhancing convenience, influencing enjoyment and affecting brand attitude. Design/methodology/approach - Because this research focuses around the concept of perceived experiential value, the methodological approach chosen will be interpretative “underpinned by the belief that social reality is not objective but highly subjective – shaped by our perceptions”. Focus groups will be the method used for this qualitative study because they are dynamic group discussions much like real unconstrained everyday conversations which have the capacity of surfacing meanings and emotions about AR experiential marketing applications that might not be articulated elsewhere. A semi-structured approach informed by the previousmentioned objectives will be used in conducting these focus groups being rather flexible but also overcoming the researcher’s inexperience in research studies which, in the case of an unstructured approach, might become risky leading to serious deviation from the subject. Findings - There is little understanding of the long-term effects of AR marketing due to scarceness in benchmarks, measurable elements and research studies. Based on these findings, this paper explores the ways in which AREM leads to the creation of perceived experiential value, and thus contributing to the development of customer satisfaction. Glasses Direct is the brand chosen for this research because it is one of the few companies that uses AR as an ongoing marketing process, not just as part of one particular campaign, being very often given as a positive example of how brands should undertake AR technologies to enhance customers’ experience and drive longterm brand benefits. Focusing on a particular case also makes the abstract concept of AREM operational in terms of participants’ understanding of the subject and the researcher’s analysis of the results. Research limitations - The lack of any AR experiential marketing research studies and the few mainly quantitative experiential marketing studies have led the researcher to take an exploratory qualitative approach which will also extend marketers’ understanding of AR experiential marketing’s effects on experiential value. This approach will allow a deeper mining into the participants’ mind and will provide a more accurate representation of consumers’ subjectivity. Also, this lack of any research studies on AR experiential marketing, the inadvertences, ambiguities and the predisposition towards quantitative methods in the aforementioned experiential marketing research related to customer satisfaction are only a few of the rationales behind this research project. Moreover, controversies and the problem of limited knowledge arise with the question of “what are the long-term effects of AR experiential marketing on our business?” even for marketing practitioners.

Moving beyond binary opposition: Exploring the tapestry of gender in consumer research and marketing

Abstract: The last two decades have seen an exponential growth in research pertaining to gender issues in marketing and consumer research. This special issue of Marketing Theory, together with the ongoing Association for Consumer Research Gender, Marketing and Consumer Research conference series, now approaching its tenth iteration, demonstrates the continued interest in gender issues in our disciplines. Introducing the special issue, this paper’s remit is threefold: it maps the substantive and theoretical developments of gender research within our discipline; it locates this work on gender within its broader context in humanities and social science; and it introduces the reader to the four papers in this special issue. The paper concludes that gender research has moved from the margins to become a strong body of work within marketing and consumer research. That said, there remains substantive opportunity for further development, where gender and feminist research can offer new insights, critiques, theories and approaches.

Comparative, cross‐cultural, and cross‐national research: A comment on good and bad practice

Abstract: Purpose – The paper seeks to provide guidance for those who have data from multiple countries and are considering writing a comparative or cross‐cultural/national research paper.Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken is an essay format.Findings – International comparative marketing research studies are often rejected from the International Marketing Review because authors develop theory for which they have inappropriate data.Research limitations/implications – Research models need to be commensurate with the data available. Models that claim to assess how nation‐level variables of interest differentially drive beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors across countries, and yet only test the models using samples from two or three countries are not appropriate. Appropriate solutions for researchers seeking to undertake international comparative research are suggested.Originality/value – The paper provides researchers with insights into successful strategies for publishing international comparative research.

Qualitative method and compromise in applied social research

Abstract: The article discusses the findings of interviews with researchers who use qualitative methods in social research contracts with public sector clients. Issues arising in research projects in relation to understandings of, and implementation of, qualitative methods are discussed. Researchers’ reasons for choosing qualitative methods, conceptions of quality in qualitative research, and how they believe qualitative methods are perceived and used by commissioners are considered. There is great diversity between researchers in their level of confidence in using qualitative methods and their commitment to particular philosophical positions in social science. There is widespread disillusionment with the processes whereby qualitative work is reduced in quality by pressures towards quasi-quantification and superficiality. Particularly where a previous occupational identity instils greater confidence, there is also evidence of hidden resistances of researchers committed to a view of qualitative work as emancipatory ...

Assessing the contribution of leading mainstream marketing journals to the international marketing discipline

Abstract: Purpose – Growing globalization in recent decades has been responsible for the emergence of a new stream of research focusing on international marketing. However, compared to domestic marketing knowledge, this field has received relatively less attention from mainstream marketing journals. The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study that assesses the contribution of leading mainstream marketing journals to the international marketing discipline.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 508 international marketing‐focused articles were identified from the top ten mainstream marketing journals during the period 1975‐2004. Each article was content‐analyzed in terms of six major aspects: article nature, authorship characteristics, research design, scope of research, research methodology, and thematic areas.Findings – The paper revealed that: although there was an increase in the number of articles with an international focus over time, in most journals their share was limited; most of the ar...

Cross-Cultural Research and Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract: Cross-cultural research has become important in this postmodern world where many people have been made, and are still, marginalised and vulnerable by others in more powerful positions like colonial researchers. In this paper, I contend that qualitative research is particularly appropriate for cross-cultural research because it allows us to find answers which are more relevant to the research participants. Cross-cultural qualitative research must be situated within some theoretical frameworks. In this paper, I also provide different theoretical frameworks that cross-cultural researchers may adopt in their research

Making sense of place: from cold to warm city marketing

Abstract: Purpose – This article seeks to explore the usefulness of city marketing as a method to attract new residents and firms from a geographical perspective.Design/methodology/approach – To answer the research question, the paper reviews relevant theoretical concepts, empirical data on migration flows and Dutch case examples.Findings – A geographical approach towards city marketing makes clear that residents and firms show spatial self‐preference and do not easily move. This insight questions the usefulness of cold city marketing aimed at attracting newcomers.Research limitations/implications – The article is largely based on Dutch migration data and cases. More detailed research on other countries is needed to be able to generalize.Practical implications – Local authorities should shift their focus from cold to warm city marketing: they should invest in existing residents and firms rather than in newcomers. To operationalise this approach, the literature on relationship marketing might be helpful.Originality/...

Qualitative Environmental Health Research: An Analysis of the Literature, 1991–2008

Abstract: BackgroundRecent articles have advocated for the use of qualitative methods in environmental health research. Qualitative research uses nonnumeric data to understand people’s opinions, motives, und...

Understanding student choice of university and marketing strategies in Syrian private higher education

Abstract: The focus of this study is student choice and marketing in the private higher education sector in Syria. The literature review shows two contrasting attitudes regarding introducing marketing into education. Over the last few decades, the need for marketing has become more critical for organisational efficiency. Reasons that make marketing an important aspect in reflecting positively on an institution and the community are highlighted. The literature review concludes that the literature on marketing higher education is mainly based in Western contexts and cultures. It also highlights the paucity of literature combining strategies of marketing higher education and student choice of university, hence the focus of the study. The study is underpinned by three research questions aiming at investigating (1) the process of student choice of university, (2) marketing strategies at private universities in Syria, and (3) the relationship between student choice of university and marketing strategies. As the research investigates two distinct areas, it is set within a composite theoretical framework which draws on the process of student choice of university, and institutional marketing strategies. The composite model combines two marketing models from the literature, ‘marketing mix’ and ‘student choice of university’. I demonstrate how these two models complement each other, as together they form further comprehensive marketing strategies. The design of each marketing mix element is dependent on student choice analysis, and similarly understanding each step in the student choice of university is dependent on the elements of the mix. The research was conducted in three phases. The first phase was exploratory, which served in providing initial insights into the context, improving research design, and testing the theoretical framework. The first phase involved a pilot study and interviews with students. The second phase was a survey of 335 students at three private universities in Syria, which established a basis for generalisation. In the third research phase, three in-depth case studies were conducted at three Syrian private universities. Multiple sources of data were used to understand relevant issues of these cases, which were documents, researcher diary, andinterviews with three different groups: administrative members of staff, students and parents. The findings validate the application of the theoretical models, ‘marketing mix’ and ‘student choice of university’, in the Syrian private higher education context. Some modifications to these models are suggested due to contextual factors. The findings show that the process of student choice of university consists of five steps, being motives, information gathering, evaluating alternatives, decision implementation, and post-choice evaluation. The findings also show the marketing mix in Syria to consist of five elements, which are teaching and learning, customer centred focus, finance, branding and environment. An association between student choice of university and marketing strategies is highlighted and a composite model, the atom marketing model, is created on the basis of evidence collected. The study reveals a two-way matrix interrelationship between the two areas; it is a “push-pull” relationship, where each is influencing and shaping the other. The study contributes to knowledge in the way it researches theories from the West in a different context. It also demonstrates a detailed description of the relationship between two different marketing models.

A Sense of Things to Come: Future Research Directions in Sensory Marketing

Abstract: The exciting exploration on sensory marketing presented in this book is just the foundation upon which to build future research. There are myriad unexplored questions and innumerable directions in which to take this research. Our goal in this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive array of these future directions, but rather to stimulate the reader into exploring new ideas. We present possible future directions for each sense individually (vision, audition, smell, touch, taste), and conclude with ideas for future research addressing the interplay among multiple senses within consumer behavior.

Marketing decisions in small businesses: how verbal decision analysis can help

Abstract: Marketing decisions are crucial in the strategic planning and are usually a starting point for the analysis. Marketing practices of small businesses are different from those of large companies and require different approaches to decision support. The paper illustrates the use of the ORCLASS method of verbal decision analysis in a real application. The ORCLASS method is based solely on the use of qualitative (verbal) information and allows the process leading to decisions to be transparent and shared with the stakeholders in a clear way. The research results show that, the adoption of a qualitative method of decision support in particular, can benefit significantly the marketing of a small business.

The student practitioner: Developing skills through the marketing research consultancy project

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of a group of undergraduate students undertaking marketing research consultancy projects for employers. The projects are informed by action learning. The intention is to demonstrate that this method of learning facilitates a level of student skill development that more traditional marketing courses find difficult to achieve.Design/methodology/approach – The study is underpinned by an interpretivist approach. Research involved students taking part in two focus groups during the consultancy and the completion of pre‐ and post‐consultancy open‐ended questionnaires.Findings – Findings suggest that the marketing consultancy project represents a way to help develop the general skills required by novice marketers. Students show an understanding of the importance of acquiring communicative, interpersonal, creative and team‐based skills. These assist them in developing a practical knowledge neglected by much existing marketing teaching.Research limi...

Researching consumers in multicultural societies: Emerging methodological issues*

Abstract: The paper presents a critical review of the main studies in cross-cultural consumer behaviour and marketing research, and identifies the methodological issues that frequently undermine the quality of research in this area. The paper offers suggestions for addressing these issues, which are becoming even more complex due to growing Internet-based marketing research and increasingly multicultural societies. The authors discuss the relevance of cross-cultural marketing research and the challenges associated with it in the context of a changing global environment, and explain how, by understanding and addressing these concerns, marketers will be able to achieve superior marketing research findings through improved validity of results.

Application of Qualitative Methods in Health Research: An Overview

Abstract: Qualitative research is type of formative research that includes specialized techniques for obtaining in-depth responses about what people think and how they feel. It is seen as the research that seeks answer to the questions in the real world. Qualitative researchers gather what they see, hear, read from people and places, from events and activities, with the purpose to learn about the community and to generate new understanding that can be used by the social world. Qualitative research have often been conducted to answer the question “why” rather than “what”. A purpose of qualitative research is the construction of new understanding. Here, we present an overview of application of qualitative methods in health research. We have discussed here the different types of qualitative methods and how we and others have used them in different settings/scenarios; sample size and sampling techniques; analysis of qualitative data; validity in qualitative research; and ethical issues.

Internal marketing as a change management tool: A case study in re-branding

Abstract: This article examines the rational, power and political considerations of internal marketing (IM) when implementing a change management initiative, such as re-branding. Based on the findings of a qualitative case study of a Canadian university and the views of multiple stakeholder groups, additional considerations have been identified that relate to the transformation or ‘control’ stage of change. Particularly, tactics have been presented that are believed to facilitate the transition or re-branding process. This research provides important perspective on the role of IM in the context of organizational behavior. Using a grounded theory research method, an adapted model is proposed that comprises elements of internal marketing as well as change management.

The Potential Implications of Web-Based Marketing Communications for Consumers’ Implicit and Explicit Brand Attitudes: A Call for Research

Abstract: Two developments in the last two decades frame the importance of Web-based marketing communications for firms. First is the phenomenal growth of the Internet as a viable commerce and communication option and second is the clear shift in attitude research toward recognizing the pervasive role of automatic processes in almost all the social psychological processes. Therefore, this article discusses the potential implications of Web-based marketing communications for consumers' implicit and explicit attitudes. In doing so, first, this article reviews the emergence of research on implicit attitudes, distinguishes implicit attitudes from explicit attitudes, and discusses research on explicit and implicit attitudes relative to branding. Second, a brief discussion of marketing research on attitude is provided. Third, five empirically testable research propositions are developed and presented. Finally, given the potential implications for research and practice, the article concludes with a call for research. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Before method: axiomatic review of arts marketing

Abstract: Purpose – For the purpose of reconsidering arts marketing methodologies, this paper seeks to contemplate the axiomatic foundations of alternative arts marketing scholarship, to ask what conversation between arts and marketing they herald and to explore the consequent conceptual issues.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews and evaluates the arts marketing literature.Findings – The paper develops and presents four categories of arts marketing: the consumption of art; marketing as art; art as marketing; and marketing interpreting art.Originality/value – The paper contributes to arts marketing paradigmatic and methodological debates by exploring the axiomatic foundations of this nascent field.

Developing a common language for using social marketing: an analysis of Public Health literature.

Abstract: The term social marketing has been used to describe a multitude of interventions that incorporate the use of traditional marketing techniques to promote a behavior that will improve the health or well-being of a target audience or of society as a whole. However, there is wide variation in the way social marketing is defined and used. This systematic review article examines how social marketing has been defined and applied to social problems within the public health literature from 2001-2006, by adapting a grading-system borrowed from evidence-based medicine and utilizing Kotler and Zaltman's definition of social marketing. Additionally, definitions of social marketing were identified in the reviewed articles. Identifying a common language in the description and design of social marketing interventions will benefit researchers and practitioners interested in social marketing as a behavior change approach.

One Step Closer to the Field: Visual Method in Marketing and Consumer Research

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the use of visual research methods in the area of recent marketing and consumer research. All articles published in Journal of Consumer Research (JCR), Journal of Marketing (JM), Journal of Marketing Research (JMR), Journal of Marketing Management (JMM), Consumption, Markets, and Culture (CMC), and Qualitative Market Research (QMR) from year 2002 to 2010 were examined. A total of one hundred and twenty two articles with images or pictures were selected for further analysis. This study found that a total of sixty research studies employed photograph or video as ‘projective stimuli’, a total of forty four research studies used ‘cultural inventories’, and seven research studies employed ‘social artifacts’. Overall, this study found that a growing number of marketing and consumer researchers utilize visual methods in various ways to achieve their research goals