Showing papers on "Qualitative marketing research published in 2012"

Qualitative Research Part II: Participants, Analysis, and Quality Assurance

Abstract: This is the second of a two-part series on qualitative research. Part 1 in the December 2011 issue of Journal of Graduate Medical Education provided an introduction to the topic and compared characteristics of quantitative and qualitative research, identified common data collection approaches, and briefly described data analysis and quality assessment techniques. Part II describes in more detail specific techniques and methods used to select participants, analyze data, and ensure research quality and rigor. If you are relatively new to qualitative research, some references you may find especially helpful are provided below. The two texts by Creswell 2008 and 2009 are clear and practical.1,2 In 2008, the British Medical Journal offered a series of short essays on qualitative research; the references provided are easily read and digested.3–,8 For those wishing to pursue qualitative research in more detail, a suggestion is to start with the appropriate chapters in Creswell 2008,1 and then move to the other texts suggested.9–,11 To summarize the previous editorial, while quantitative research focuses predominantly on the impact of an intervention and generally answers questions like “did it work?” and “what was the outcome?”, qualitative research focuses on understanding the intervention or phenomenon and exploring questions like “why was this effective or not?” and “how is this helpful for learning?” The intent of qualitative research is to contribute to understanding. Hence, the research procedures for selecting participants, analyzing data, and ensuring research rigor differ from those for quantitative research. The following sections address these approaches. table 1 provides a comparative summary of methodological approaches for quantitative and qualitative research. TABLE 1 A Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Methodological Approaches Data collection methods most commonly used in qualitative research are individual or group interviews (including focus groups), observation, and document review. They can be used alone or in combination. While the following sections are written in the context of using interviews or focus groups to collect data, the principles described for sample selection, data analysis, and quality assurance are applicable across qualitative approaches.

Normalising green behaviours: A new approach to sustainability marketing

Abstract: This paper develops a new approach to sustainability marketing: repositioning activities as normal, or not normal, to encourage the adoption of more sustainable consumer practices. The paper is grounded in theories of social normalisation, conformity, and social practice theory. Previous qualitative work by the authors suggests that some sustainable behaviours are not adopted because they are perceived to be not normal, and that some unsustainable behaviours persist because they are seen as normal. This paper shows how consumer perceptions of the extent to which behaviours are normal or not normal can be identified and used in the design of sustainability marketing strategies. The research involved a survey of 1000 UK respondents' attitudes to 15 specific activities, and identifies marketing strategies for (re)positioning these activities as either normal or not normal, as appropriate. In addition, the paper provides guidance for targeting these normalisation strategies at specific demographic gr...

Understanding challenges of qualitative research: rhetorical issues and reality traps

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of qualitative research in marketing and the challenges faced by researchers in justifying the need and the quality of interpretive research. The paper reviews the fluctuating trends in employing qualitative research to build marketing theories, and touches on the subject of paradigm shift in research approaches in marketing. It further reviews main rhetorical and practical challenges researchers face in qualitative inquiry in marketing.Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper discussing the role of qualitative research in marketing discipline and its challenges.Findings – One of the main topics discussed in this paper is understanding the nature of qualitative research and its inherent weaknesses and how to overcome them. Some of the challenges highlighted in the paper include: contextually embedded findings, vague standards for data analysis, presentation of voluminous amount of qualitative data and theoretical criteria for judgi...

Expanding our understanding of marketing in society

Abstract: The Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science was started 40 years ago, at a time when “marketing in society” issues were capturing much attention from marketing scholars. Since that time both the field and this journal have grown and matured, but the marketing in society area has become somewhat removed from the dominant perspectives of marketing scholarship. This paper provides an historical perspective on these developments and offers an examination of the fundamental role of societal interests in our field. Six basic topics are explored: (1) the hundred years of history of marketing thought development, as reflected in the “4 Eras” of marketing thought; (2) the ebbs and flows of attention to marketing in society topics during these 4 Eras; (3) two illustrations of difficulties brought about by this area’s move to sideline status in the field; (4) our concept of the “aggregate marketing system” as a basis for appreciating the centrality of this research area for the field of marketing; (5) the nature of marketing in society research today; and (6) a discussion of several research challenges and opportunities for the future.

Islamic marketing : insights from a critical perspective

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to encourage a critical dialogue within the realm of Journal of Islamic Marketing. It invites marketing scholars and practitioners working on various topics related to Islam and Muslim societies to adopt fresh theoretical and methodological positions that would enhance the understanding of multiple marketing and market dynamics in Muslim societies.Design/methodology/approach – The author uses a critical approach.Findings – The author suggests that the advancement of knowledge in the area of Islamic marketing requires reflexivity and self‐critique.Research limitations/implications – The paper highlights the constructive value of critical approach to the development of marketing theory and practice.Originality/value – This paper reflects the author's personal viewpoint on the production of knowledge and improving practice in the realm of Islamic marketing.

Being Critical in Marketing Studies: The Imperative of Macro Perspectives

Abstract: In this article, I argue that an elevated macro-level perspective is imperative for conducting critical studies in the fields of marketing and consumer research. There are epistemic barriers to ope...

The Research on School Marketing: Current Issues and Future Directions – An Updated Version

Abstract: This review provides a synthesis of the scholarship that has sought to expand understanding of educational marketing practice in schools. The following research questions guided this review: (1) what are the common themes and characteristics that emerge from research about marketing in schools? (2) What remains underdeveloped in the characterization of the school marketing and what are the topics for future research? Based on 25 studies identified as pertinent for the current review, the following topics are discussed: marketing perceptions, marketing planning, marketing strategies, and promotion. The chapter concludes by providing an analysis of the limitations of the current research and discussing future directions for research on school marketing.

Differences between online and face to face focus groups, viewed through two approaches

Abstract: The increasing prominence of online focus groups in market research and the complexity that the Internet environment adds to the conduct of research with focus groups has led to a certain interest in discovering how this method can be applied effectively and to which situations or purposes it is best suited. Based on an examination of the literature and on an empirical survey of the heads of qualitative research at 112 market research companies in Spain, a basic classification of focus groups is proposed, distinguishing between the European and Anglo-Saxon approaches. Within this frame of reference, a set of factors or dimensions is identified that makes it possible to compare online and face to face groups, assess whether the former can really be considered focus groups which resemble either of the two approaches and, as a result, suggest the most appropriate uses or applications.

The scientific value of qualitative research for social work

Abstract: The editor of this journal, Professor Ian Shaw, came up with the suggestion that he and I prepare editorials outlining our views on the merits of the research approach that is largely seen as contrasting with the one we professionally use most often and is reflected in the journals we respectively edit. He has prepared his essay on the merits of quantitative research, and it will appear in the journal I edit, Research on Social Work Practice (RSWP), and mine sits before you within the pages of Qualitative Social Work. I appreciate his initiative in suggesting this exchange and hope our respective readership (hopefully there is considerable overlap) enjoy the two editorials. There has long been a myth perpetuated within social work that for decades quantitative research methods were so epistemologically privileged that qualitative methods were seen as inherently deficient. As a result, qualitative methods were rarely taught and researchers who used such methods were said to have an especially hard time getting them accepted by prestigious journals and faced greater hardships in the promotion and tenure process. The culprit responsible for this state of affairs was held to be the supposedly dominating quantitative methods of research inquiry, approaches which were actually themselves very deficient both philosophically and methodologically. Quantitative methods were said to be guided by the principles of logical positivism, a philosophy of science long discredited by leading thinkers. Quantitative research, with its emphasis on ‘objectivity’, was seen as inappropriate for social workers who often espoused research undertaken for the purposes of social advocacy and activism. It was often held by advocates of qualitative research that quantitative methods were too blunt an instrument to understand human affairs in general, and subjective experiences in particular. And it was maintained that the purpose of social work research was not so much to discover descriptive, explanatory, or interventive knowledge that could be generalized across persons and settings, as to understand the experiences of others, and of social work clients in particular.

Marketing Research: Tools & Techniques

Abstract: PART 1 RESEARCH PREPARATION PART 2 DATA COLLECTION PART 3 ANALYSIS AND COMMUNICATION PART 4 MARKETING RESEARCH CONTEXTS

Mobile Marketing and Consumer Behavior Current Research Trends

Abstract: This article provides a direction for future research in Mobile Marketing and specifically Consumer Behavior by developing a research agenda based on a census of recent articles published between 2008 and 2010. 126 articles were categorized and analyzed revealing 53 articles that dealt with Consumer Behavior and whose research questions were extracted to provide an overview of future research in the field. Consumer Behavior articles were classified in sub-categories: (1) Acceptance & Adoption, whose most common articles dealt with SMS, Mobile Advertising, Mobile Shopping, Conceptual and, Technology specific articles, (2) the role of Trust, (3) Satisfaction & Loyalty, (4) Attitudes towards mobile marketing and, (5) Value Creation. Comparing our data with previous results enables us to comment on the last 10 years of mobile marketing research and conclude that (1) the quantity of mobile marketing research is generally stable, (2) it is gaining widespread interest and, (3) it is still an emerging research field thus is rich in research opportunities. Our data also indicates that recent articles have mostly omitted to exploit newer technologies such as Bluetooth, Near Field Communications (NFC) and location-based services using GPS as potential research topics. This article strongly encourages mobile marketing research in these areas.

The transformative potential of marketing from the consumers' point of view

Abstract: In this article, we explore consumers' perceptions of marketing and the extent to which they believe that marketing can play a positive transformative role in society. Findings from 36 semistructured interviews indicate that consumers typically perceive marketing as having a traditional short-term, transactional, and ‘company-focused’ orientation rather than a transformative one. This was reflected in participants' views of marketing, as well as in their choices and comments when they were given two academic definitions of marketing and one description of unethical marketing and asked to choose the one they thought best described marketing. In addition, participants viewed marketing as manipulative, and most held one-sidedly negative opinions of its transformative potential. The majority did not feel autonomous in their purchase decisions, calling into question marketers' usual defence that consumers are sovereign. In a similar vein, they expressed concerns about the effects of marketing's manipulative and deceptive techniques on vulnerable consumers. These findings are rather worrying given that enhancing the transformative potential of marketing requires a more nuanced understanding of its role and function within society. Accordingly, we argue that successful transformative marketing interventions need to take into account and address consumers' disbelief as to the capacity of marketing to improve social welfare. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Essentials of Marketing Research

Abstract: Part I: The Marketing Process and Decision Making 1. Introduction to Marketing Research 2. Ethics in Marketing Research Part II: Secondary Data and Research Designs 3. Secondary Data 4. Research Designs: Exploratory and Qualitative Research 5. Research Designs: Descriptive and Causal Research Part III: Measurement, Data Collection and Sampling 6. Measurement 7. Primary Data Collection 8. Designing the Data-Gathering Instrument 9. Sampling Methods and Sample Size 10. Fielding the Data-Gathering Instrument Part IV: Data Analysis and Reporting 11. Analyzing and Interpreting Data for Decisions 12. Advanced Data Analysis 13. The Research Report Part V: Cases

Marketing and politics: Models, behavior, and policy implications: Session at the 8th Triennial Choice Symposium: Session at the 8th Triennial Choice Symposium

Abstract: The American presidential election is one of the largest, most expensive, and most comprehensive marketing efforts. Despite this fact, marketing scholars have largely ignored this campaign, as well as thousands of others for congresspersons, senators, and governors. This article describes the growth of interest in research issues related to political marketing. This emerging research area lies at the crossroads of marketing and political science, but these fields have developed largely independent of one another with little cross-fertilization of ideas. We discuss recent theoretical, empirical, and behavioral work on political campaigns, integrating perspectives from marketing and political science. Our focus is on (1) the extent to which paradigms used in goods and services marketing carry over to the institutional setting of political campaigns, (2) what changes are necessary in models and methodology to understand issues in political marketing and voter behavior, and (3) how the special setting of politics may help us gain a better understanding of certain topics central to marketing such as advertising, branding, and social networks.

History and critical marketing studies

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that the function of history in critical marketing studies centres on the issue of contextualisation. It aims to put forward the idea that historically informed critical marketing studies highlight that key institutions, actors and scholarly writings have all helped to constitute, perform and destabilise marketing theory, thought and practice in ways that reflect multiple constellations of interests.Design/methodology/approach – By way of an engagement with various strands of the literature, it is suggested that the history of marketing thought and marketing history are riven with power relations. They include economically derived power relations and culturally significant changes in the social environment. However, while important, they are only part of a more pluralistic tapestry of factors that come from sometimes completely unrelated areas that helped constitute the conditions which fostered a given area of inquiry, debate and so on, in marketing and con...

Marketing in higher education: A comparative analysis of the Brazil and Portuguese cases

Abstract: Approaching marketing as applied to higher education, this study aims to discuss the theoretical concepts of marketing in education and apply them to the Brazilian and Portuguese contexts. Taking into consideration how education marketing has attained greatest expression in the U.S., its application to different realities requires adjustments. We begin with a literature review of the traditional education marketing concepts with emphasis on the marketing-mix applied to education. We then proceed with a characterization of the current higher education contexts in Brazil and Portugal before comparing the application of the educational marketing in these two realities focusing analysis on the educational marketing-mix in effect. It was found that higher education in Brazil has very different characteristics to higher education in Portugal and both differ in the application of more traditional marketing concepts to education and demonstrating the inadequacy of applying general approaches when establishing marketing strategies for these institutions.

Qualitative research between craftsmanship and McDonaldization. A keynote address from the 17th Qualitative Health Research Conference

Abstract: Although qualitative research methods remain marginalized in certain disciplines, qualitative inquiry has within the last couple of decades become generally accepted as a legitimate scientific way of working. Today, society at large is making more use of qualitative research than ever, not just in laudable social justice research, for example, but also in relation to market and consumer research and focus groups for different political parties. With this in mind, I wish to discuss three current questions for qualitative researchers: The first I will refer to as “ethical progressivism versus new ethical challenges”. Is qualitative research as such more ethical and progressive than quantitative research (as some have argued), or do qualitative researchers on the contrary face more elusive and perhaps difficult ethical challenges? The second question is called “solid evidence versus subjective anecdotes”. How should qualitative researchers respond to the current call for evidence? Should they seek legitimacy by accepting the dominant politics of evidence, or should they play by their own rules with the risk of increasing marginalization? The third question is “method versus intuition”. Should qualitative researchers strive for maximum transparency by following accepted methods, or should they proceed more intuitively like artists to create their stories? Both sides of the questions have their influential advocates today. I will argue that all three questions are handled most fruitfully by conceiving of qualitative research as a craft.

Consumer Reality: How Brands are Constructed:

Abstract: It is an implicit tenet of qualitative market research that it is possible to find out what the consumer ‘really thinks’. Our research language reflects this - we talk about ‘depth’, ‘probing’ and ...

Meta-Analysis for Marketing Research:

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present and illustrate the procedure to follow when a researcher wants to use meta-analysis in marketing research. Meta-analysis is the statistical analysis of a large collection of results from individual studies for the purpose of integrating the findings. Meta-analysis offers new opportunities for integrating and combining the contradictory outcomes of studies and for analyzing variance in effect sizes across findings. After a description of the different stages of meta-analysis, two applications of meta-analytic procedure in marketing are presented and recommendations are suggested for marketing researchers who want to perform a meta-analysis accurately.

I Have Seen the Future and it Sucks: Reactionary Reflections on Reading, Writing and Research

Abstract: Purpose – Reading and writing are crucial components of the research process and academic life as a whole. The purpose of this paper is to ask if conventional reading and writing practices are fit for marketing purpose.Design/methodology/approach – The paper consists of an extended autobiographical essay, which reflects on the relevance of academic research output. The concerns of marketing thought leaders are also incorporated as required.Findings – Academic articles are unreadable and unread. This is due to extant writing practices which result in characterless papers with little reader appeal.Research limitations/implications – The best way forward is to look back at the approaches that prevailed prior to marketing's mid-'60s “scientific revolution”. If adopted, they'll make learned research papers and monographs much more readable than they are at present.Practical implications – If marketing academics embrace this paper's recommendations, their writings are more likely to be read and acted upon by practitioners, policy makers and other important stakeholders.Originality/value – The style of the article is in keeping with the content. It demonstrates as well as describes.

"Relationship Marketing - Theoretical Consideration "

Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to propose a set of research perspectives for therelationship marketing theory. A comprehensive literature review is undertaken which entails threedifferent understandings of relationship marketing. First, relationship marketing is considered as amarketing strategy within the unifying theory of the service dominant logic. Second, relationshipmarketing is presented as the new understanding or paradigm of marketing. Third, relationshipmarketing theory is correlated and described in the context of postmodernism thought. For each ofthe three mentioned approaches, the authors propose several research issues that should articulatethe structure of relationship marketing theory.

Managerial and Public Attitudes Toward Ethics in Marketing Research

Abstract: This research updates and significantly extends Akaah and Riordon’s (J Market Res 26:112–120, 1989) evaluation of ethical perceptions of marketing research misconduct among marketing research professionals. In addition to examining changes in perceptions toward key marketing research practices over time, we assess professionals’ judgments on the ethicality, importance, and occurrence of a variety of new marketing research ethics situations in both online and offline contexts. In a second study, we assess ethical judgments of the public at large using a representative sample of US consumers—key stakeholders ignored in prior research on unethical marketing research practices. Generally speaking, disapproval of unethical research conduct has grown across the board in the last 20 years for both managers and marketing researchers. The same misconduct elicits a stronger disapproval in the online environment compared to the offline environment. Compared to marketing researchers, managers tend to think that unethical research conduct occurs more frequently. Those who conduct marketing research or use its findings (i.e., marketing researchers and managers) are less tolerant of unethical research conduct than the general public.

The historical development of segmentation: the example of the German book trade 1800‐1928

Abstract: Purpose – Using the German book trade as a case example, the aim of the paper is to show how the evolution of segmentation began with increasingly sophisticated marketing practice long before formal thought was developed to explain matters.Design/methodology/approach – The paper's approach is a careful and critical examination of exclusively primary sources.Findings – Marketing practice developed increasingly sophisticated segmentation over the 100 years before there was formal marketing thought about it. Marketing thought developed in part because the growth of universities stimulated the development of formal disciplines, and in part because businesspeople wanted to accelerate learning what they should do to grow their businesses.Originality/value – The paper is based on an in‐depth examination of one of the first businesses to adopt aggressive marketing.

Diversity in European marketing : text and cases

Abstract: This case book offers a non-traditional issue-centered perspective to European marketing. Focusing on some of the key challenges faced by managers charged with developing pan-European marketing strategies, marketing problems are placed into the context of these challenges and capture the multiple facets and implications for European marketing in an integrative manner.

How to Write Qualitative Research Proposal

Abstract: This theoretical paper aims to understand the meaning of qualitative research and types of qualitative research. Qualitative research is unstructured. Qualitative designs are “emergent” rather than fixed. The results of qualitative research are unpredictable. It deals with nature and meaning of different types of qualitative research and how to write the qualitative type of research proposal. What are the steps of research proposal, how to present it in a std. format. Which things are included in the research proposal? The purpose of "qualitative" or "naturalistic" research varies according to the research paradigm, methods, and assumptions.All research proposals must address the following questions: What you plan to accomplish, why you want to do it and how you are going to do it.