Business

Research Methods

William G. Zikmund

Chapter 7:
Exploratory Research and Qualitative
Analysis
 Chapter 7:
Exploratory Research and Qualitative
Analysis
1. Definition of Exploratory Research
2. Why Conduct Exploratory Research?
3. Categories of Exploratory Research
4. Types of Pilot Studies
 1. Definition of Explorative
Research

• Initial research conducted to clarify and

define the nature of a problem
• Does not provide conclusive evidence
• Subsequent research expected

“The cure for boredom is curiosity, there is

no cure for curiosity that kills the cat”
 Qualitative versus Quantitative
Research

• Purpose: preliminary versus conclusive

• Samples: small versus large
• Type of questions: broad range of
questioning versus structured questions
• Results: subjective interpretation versus
statistical analysis
2. Why Conduct Exploratory
Research?

Diagnosing a situation

Discovering new ideas

Screening alternatives
 2.1. Diagnosing a situation
Situation analysis: the informal gathering of
background information to familiarize
researchers or managers with the decision area.

Examples for situation analysis:

•Interviews with employees about their general
complaints.
• Asking customers’ opinions about the new
advertising campaign.
 2.2. Discovering new ideas
• In business decision making, generating new
business ideas about new products, new
investments, etc. is very critical.
• Managers, employees, customers, etc. may be
consulted to develop new ideas that would
never come to the minds of decision makers.
• For instance, users’ orders and complaints may
help decision makers develop new alternative
ideas and turn them into new product concepts.
 2.3. Screening of alternatives
• In business decision making, determining
alternative solutions and then the best ones among
them is very critical because of time and money
constraints.
• Concept testing is a tool for screening alternative
solutions, especially alternative concepts of a new
or revised products.
• For instance, after collecting the opinions of the
customers about alternative new product concepts,
the best one may be determined.
 3. Categories of Exploratory
Research
• Experience surveys
• Secondary data analysis
• Case studies
• Pilot studies
 3.1. Experience Surveys
• Consult with carefully selected knowledgeable
experts about a particular problem to clarify the
situation, not to develop conclusive evidence.

“If you wish to know the road up the

mountain, you must ask the man who
goes back and forth on it.”
- Zenrinkusi
 3.2. Secondary Data Analysis

• Preliminary review of already collected

and/or reported information for a purpose
other than the project at hand.
• Economical and quick source for background
information
• Some sources of already reported
information: literature, internet, company
reports, etc.
 3.3. Case Study Method
• Intense and indepth investigation of one or a
few situations similar to the problem via long
term observations, interviews and discussions
to define the problem at hand .
• Careful study of the order of events as they
occur, or relations among individuals or groups.
• Cooperation between the researcher and the
subject is a must. Thus, studying rival
companies’ cases is almost impossible.
• Generalization from one or a few case studies is
very dangerous for decision makers.
 3.4. Pilot Study
• Any small scale exploratory study that uses
some sort of loose sampling.
• A small number of respondents rather than
experienced people are surveyed or
interviewed.
• The results will be used in the definition of
the problem and also in the design of a
further descriptive study.
 4. Types of Pilot Studies

• Focus Group Interviews

• Projective Techniques

• In-Depth Interviews
 4.1. Focus Group Interviews
Interview Process:
• Unstructured
• Free flowing
• Group interview
• Start with broad topic and focus in on specific issues
Group Composition:
• 6 to 10 people
• Relatively homogeneous
• Similar lifestyles and experiences
 Outline for a Focus Group
• Establish a rapport
• Begin with broad topic
• Focus in on specific topic
• Generate discussion and interaction
 The Focus Group Moderator

• Develops rapport - helps people relax

• Interacts
• Listens to what people have to say
• Everyone gets a chance to speak
• Maintains loose control and focuses
discussion
• Stimulates spontaneous responses
 Advantages of Online
Focus Groups
• Fast
• Inexpensive
• Bring together many participants from
wide-spread geographical areas
• Respondent anonymity
• Transcript automatically recorded
 Disadvantages of Online
Focus Groups

• Less group interaction

• Absence of tactile stimulation
• Absence of facial expression and body
language
• Moderator’s job is different
 4.2. Projective Techniques

• An indirect means of questioning that

enables a respondent to project beliefs and
feelings onto a third party, onto an object,
or into a task situation

“A man is least himself when he talks in his

own person; when given a mask he will tell
the truth.”
--Oscar Wilde
Some types of Projective Techniques

• Word association tests

• Sentence completion method
• Third-person technique
• Role playing
• T.A.T.
• Picture frustration version of T.A.T.
 4.2.1.Word Association Test
• Subject is presented with a list of words.
• Then, asked to respond, once at a time, with
first word that comes to mind.
• This test helps the researcher to grasp the
true feelings of the subjects about a specific
concept (e.g. a new product name).

• GREEN: Money, Lawn, …………..

• CHEESE: White, Goat, ……………
 4.2.2. Sentence Completion Test
•Subject is presented with an incomplete
sentence.
•Then, asked to complete it with first words that
come to mind.
•This test helps the researcher to grasp the true
beliefs and assumptions of the subjects about a
specific issue (e.g. prejudice, discrimination).

A man who wears a suit __________________

A boss should not __________________
 4.2.3.Thematic Apperception
Test (T.A.T.)
•Subject is presented with a
series of picture.
•Then, asked to describe them.
•This test helps the researcher
to analyze the content of these
descriptions in an effort to
clarify a research problem.
 4.3. Depth Interview
•A relatively unstructured extensive interview
used in the primary stages of the research process
in order to get both the surface reactions and
subconscious motivations of the subjects.

•The interviewing session may last more than

hour.

•The interviewer asks many questions to the

subject and probes for elaboration after the
subject’s answers.
Disadvantages of Depth Interview
• It takes a lot of time.

• It is based on unstructured discussions, and -if

inexperienced- interviewer cannot keep the
discussion within the context of the problem at
hand.

• Collected information is just the subjective

perceptions and interpretations of the
interviewer.