MARKETING RESEARCH

(704004)
Marketing department, Faculty of
Business Administrator, TDTU
Editor’s name : Bui Ngoc Tuan Anh
Contact details:
buingoctuananh@tdt.edu.vn
 Marketing Research (704004)

CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN

 Contents

• 3.1. Research design: Definition

• 3.2. Research design: Classification
• 3.3. Exploratory research
• 3.4. Descriptive research
• 3.5. Causal research

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 Contents

• 3.6. Relationships among exploratory,

descriptive and causal research
• 3.7. Potential sources of error
• 3.8. Budgeting and scheduling
• 3.9. Marketing research proposal

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 Learning objectives

• Define research design, classify various

research designs
• Compare and contrast the basic research
designs: exploratory, descriptive, causal.
• Describe the major sources of errors in a
research design
• Discuss managerial aspects of
coordinating research projects, particularly
budgeting and scheduling
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 Learning objectives

• Describe the elements of a marketing

research proposal and show how it
addresses the steps of the MR process.
• Explain research design formulation in
international marketing research.
• Understand the ethical issues and conflicts
that arise in formulating a research design

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 3.1. 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 MR problems.

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 3.1. Research design: Definition

• Components of a Research Design

– Define the information needed (Chapter 2)
– Design the exploratory, descriptive, and/or
causal phases of the research (Chapters 3 - 7)
– Specify the measurement and scaling
procedures (Chapters 8 and 9)

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 3.1. Research design: Definition

• Components of a Research Design

– Construct and pretest a questionnaire
(interviewing form) or an appropriate form for
data collection (Chapter 10)
– Specify the sampling process and sample size
(Chapters 11 and 12)
– Develop a plan of data analysis (Chapter 14)

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 3.2. Research design:
Classification
Fig. 3.1 Research Design

Exploratory Conclusive
Research Research
Design Design

Source: Naresh Malhotra, Descriptive Causal

[2009], Marketing Research: Research Research
An Applied Orientation 6th
edition, Pearson Education,
USA, page 71 Cross-Sectional Longitudinal
Design Design

Single Cross- Multiple Cross-

Sectional Design Sectional Design
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 3.3. Exploratory research

• Exploratory research
– research design with objective the provision of
insights into and comprehension of the
problem situation confronting the researcher
• Conclusive research
– Research designed to assist the decision
maker in determining, evaluating, and
selecting the best solution.

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 Exploratory & Conclusive
Research Differences
Table 3.1 Exploratory Conclusive
Objective: To provide insights and To test specific hypotheses and
understanding examine relationships

Character- Information needed is defined Information needed is clearly

istics: only loosely. Research process is
flexible and unstructured.
Sample is small and non-
representative. Analysis of
primary data is qualitative
defined. Research process is formal
and structured. Sample is large and
representative. Data analysis is
quantitative

Findings/ Tentative Conclusive

Results:

Outcome: Generally followed by further Findings used as input into decision

exploratory or conclusive making Source: Naresh Malhotra, [2009],
research Marketing Research: An Applied
Orientation 6th edition, Pearson
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Education, USA, page 71
 3.3. Exploratory research

• Exploratory research
– is to explore or search through a problem
or situation to provide insights and
understanding (Table 3.2).

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 3.3. Exploratory research

• 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
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 3.3. Exploratory research

• Methods of exploratory research

– Survey of experts (discussed in Chapter 2)
– Pilot surveys (discussed in Chapter 2)
– Secondary data analyzed in a qualitative way
(discussed in Chapter 4)
– Qualitative research (discussed in Chapter 5)

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 A Comparison of
Basic Research Designs
Table 3.2
Exploratory Descriptive Causal
Objective: Discovery of ideas Describe market Determine cause
and insights characteristics or functions and effect
relationships
Marked by the prior
Characteristics: Flexible, versatile formulation of specific Manipulation of
hypotheses independent
variables, effect on
Preplanned and structured dependent variables
Often the front end of design
total research design Control mediating
variables
Expert surveys Secondary data:
Pilot surveys quantitative analysis Experiments
Methods: Case studies Surveys
Secondary data: Panels
qualitative analysis Observation and Source:
other Naresh Malhotra, [2009],
qualitative research data Marketing Research: An Applied
Orientation 6th edition, Pearson
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Education, USA, page 72
 3.4. Descriptive Research

• Descriptive research
– A type of conclusive research that has as its
major objective the description of something—
usually market characteristics or functions.

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 3.4. Descriptive 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

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 3.4. Descriptive Research

• Use of Descriptive research

– To determine the perceptions of product
characteristics
– To determine the degree to which marketing
variables are associated
– To make specific predictions

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 3.4. Descriptive Research

• Methods of Descriptive Research

– Secondary data analyzed in a quantitative, as
opposed to a qualitative, manner (discussed in
Chapter 4)
– Surveys (Chapter 6)
– Panels (Chapters 4 and 6)
– Observational and other data (Chapter 6)

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 3.4. Descriptive Research

• 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.

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 Consumption of Various Soft
Drinks by Various Age Cohorts
Table 3.3 Percentage consuming on a typical day
Age 1950 1960 1969 1979
8-19 52.9 62.6 73.2 81.0
20-29 45.2 60.7 76.0 75.8 C8
30-39 33.9 46.6 67.7 71.4 C7
40-49 23.2 40.8 58.6 67.8 C6
50+ 18.1 28.8 50.0 51.9 C5
C1 C2 C3 C4
C1: cohort born prior to 1900 C5: cohort born 1931-40
C2: cohort born 1901-10 C6: cohort born 1940-49
C3: cohort born 1911-20 C7: cohort born 1950-59
C4: cohort born 1921-30 C8: cohort born 1960-69
Source: Naresh Malhotra, [2009], Marketing Research: An Applied
Orientation 6th edition, Pearson Education, USA, page 77
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 3.4. Descriptive Research

• 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

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 Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal

Cross- Sample
Sectional Surveyed
Design at T1

Same
Sample Sample also
Longitudinal
Surveyed at Surveyed at
Design
T1 T2

Time T1 T2
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 Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal
Relative Advantages and Disadvantages of Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional
Table 3.4
Designs
Evaluation Cross-Sectional Longitudinal
Criteria Design 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.
Source: Naresh Malhotra, [2009], Marketing Research: An Applied
Orientation 6th edition, Pearson Education, USA, page 79
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 Cross-Sectional Data
May Not Show Change
Table 3.5

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

Source: Naresh Malhotra, [2009], Marketing Research: An Applied

Orientation 6th edition, Pearson Education, USA, page 80
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 Longitudinal Data May Show
Substantial Change
Table 3.6
Brand Brand Purchased in Period 2
Purchased
in Period 1 Brand A Brand B Brand C Total
Brand A 100 50 50 200
Brand B 25 100 175 300
Brand C 75 150 275 500
Total 200 300 500 1000

Source: Naresh Malhotra, [2009], Marketing

Research: An Applied Orientation 6th edition,
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 3.5. Causal Research

• Causal research
– A type of conclusive research where the major
objective is to obtain evidence regarding
cause and-effect (causal) relationships.

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 3.5. Causal Research

• Uses of Causal 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

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 3.6. Relationships among
kinds of research
Exploratory Research
(a) • Secondary Data Conclusive Research
Analysis •Descriptive/Causal
• Focus Groups

(b) Conclusive Research

•Descriptive/Causal

Exploratory
Research
(c) Conclusive Research • Secondary Data
•Descriptive/Causal Analysis
• Focus Groups
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 3.7. Potential sources of error
in research designs
Fig. 3.2
Total Error

Random Sampling Non-sampling

Error Error

Response Non-response
Error Error

Researcher Error Interviewer Error Respondent

Error
Surrogate Information Error Respondent Selection Error Inability Error
Measurement Error Questioning Error Unwillingness Error
Population Definition Error Recording Error
Sampling Frame Error Cheating Error Source: Naresh Malhotra, [2009],
Data Analysis Error Marketing Research: An Applied
Orientation 6th edition, Pearson Education,
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USA, page 85
 3.7. Potential sources of error
in research designs

• Errors in Marketing Research

– 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.

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 3.7. Potential sources of error
in research designs

• Errors in Marketing Research

– 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.

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 3.8. Budgeting and Scheduling

• Budgeting and Scheduling

– Management tools needed to help ensure that
the marketing research project is completed
within the available resources
– Critical path method (CPM)
• which involves dividing the research project into
component activities, determining the sequence of
these activities,
• and estimating the time required for each activity
(PERT, GERT)

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 3.9. Marketing Research Proposal

• The marketing research proposal

– contains the essence of the project and serves
as a contract between the researcher and
management.
– The research proposal covers all phases of
the marketing research process.
– It describes the research problem, the
approach, the research design, and how the
data will be collected, analyzed, and reported.

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 3.9. Marketing Research Proposal

• Executive Summary • Research Design

• Background • Fieldwork/Data
• Problem Definition/ Collection
Objectives of the • Data Analysis
Research • Reporting
• Approach to the • Cost and Time
Problem • Appendices

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 Summary

Source: Naresh Malhotra, [2009], Marketing Research: An

Applied Orientation 6th edition, Pearson Education, USA, page 92
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 Next lecture

• Chapter 04 : Exploratory research design

secondary data
• Real Research
– Boston Market: Some Place Like Home, [1]
page 99-100
– High Touch Goes High Tech, [1] page 100
– Rating the Television Ratings Methodology, [1]
page 102

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