Chapter 3 Exploratory, Descriptive, and Causal Research

Question 1

Exploratory

Answer 1

major emphasis: gaining ideas and insights.
fast, cheap , easy but don’t offer the why
Exploratory: conducted to provide a better understanding of the situation. It isn’t designed to come up with final answers or decisions.
oResearchers hope to produce hypotheses about what is going on in a situation.
qualitative
o o Can provide rich, meaningful info or definitive explanations for particular individuals.Shouldn’t be expected to provide answers to the decision problem that you are attempting to solve for a client.
(can’t confirm or reject the hypothesis with exploratory research, that job is left for descriptive and causal research (more quantitative))
involves only a relatively small group of people, these people are almost never randomly selected to participate.

Question 2

Types of Exploratory

Answer 2

• Literature search
• Depth interviews
• Focus groups
• Case analyses

Question 3

Exploratory vs Descriptive

Answer 3

Exploratory is flexible in nature and descriptive is not.

Question 4

descriptive vs caual

Answer 4

Descriptive is fine for testing hypothesis about relationships between variables, but we nee causal designs for testing cause and effect relationships.

Question 5

Focus Groups

Answer 5

2 pitfalls: easy for managers to see what they expect to see in focus group results
2. it should not be expected to deliver final results or answers to decision problems

Question 6

Descriptive Research

Answer 6

describe the characteristics of certain groups
determine the properties of people who behave in a certain way
make specific predictions
determine relationships between variables
attempt to answer 5WH
longitudinal-continuous or discontinuous panel
cross sectional - sample survey

Question 7

Causal Research

Answer 7

•Causal: one thing leads to the occurrence of another
•Condition X causes event Y
•Work toward establishing possible causal relationships through the use of experiments
Experiments used to isolate relationships between independent and dependent (Y)
•Basic point: change the levels of one or more X variables and examine the resulting impact on Y variables.
Descriptive is fine for testing hypothesis about relationships between variables, but we nee causal designs for testing cause and effect relationships.
•Experiment can provide more convincing evidence because of the control it gives investigators.
oLaboratory experiments: create a situation with exact conditions in order to control, but less real.
o Field experiment: conducted in realistic situation but less control

Question 8

Market Testing

Answer 8

controlled experiemnt done in limited but carefully selected sector of the maketplace

Question 9

Types of Test Market

Answer 9

standard: normal distribution channels
controlled- guaranteed distribution, conducted by outside service
simulated: consumer rating and other info fed into a computer model and then makes projection about likely level of sales.

Question 10

Focus Groups vs Depth Interviews

Answer 10

Group interaction is the key aspect focus groups interviews from depth interviews, are conducted with one respondent at a time.
responses are often more spontaneous and less conventional than they might be in an interview.
focus groups are less expensive to carry out than in depth interviews, but still expensive.
ned an experienced moderator and an experienced interviewer.
both can be effective for exploratory research.

Question 11

Depth Interviews

Answer 11

interviews with people knowledgeable about the general subject being investigated.
Used to tap the knowledge and experience of those with info relevant to the problem or opportunity at hand.
Series of depth interviews can be expensive, as well trained interviewers command high salaries. Data collection is slow but it can yield important insights and more often than not is worth the effort.
Can interview anyone with relevant info

Question 12

cross sectional Study

Answer 12

drawing a sample of elements from the pop of interest.

ex. sample survey

Question 13

Longitudinal study

Answer 13

panel which is a fixed sample of elements. ie. continuous and discontinuous panels.

Question 14

Descriptive Study is concerned with

Answer 14

determining the frequency with which something occurs

Question 15

one of the quickest and most economical ways to discover hypotheses is through

Answer 15

a literature search

Question 16

Focus groups have proven productive for all of the following

Answer 16

generating hypotheses to be tested further
stimulating ideas for new products
interpreting previously obtained results
developing lists of characteristics on which consumers evaluate products.

Question 17

Dummy Tables

Answer 17

are a statement of how the analysis will be structured, provide guidance on which questions to ask, and are complete tables except for filling in the actual numbers

Question 18

cross sectional analysis

Answer 18

drawing a sample of elements from the pop of interest,
a quota sample
provide a snapshot of the variables of interest at a single point in time
sample of elements is typically selected to be representative of some known population

Question 19

Dependent

Answer 19

the outcome variable that is influenced by the manipulation of another variable

Question 20

In a controlled test market

Answer 20

test is conducted by a service agency external to firm, pays retailers for shelf space, coordinates the trade promotion program, and the product is guaranteed distribution.

Question 21

standard test market

Answer 21

normal distribution channel