What are the stages of the research process and how are these affected by problems encountered due to the international dimension?
The marketing research is always a compromise dictated by limits of time, cost and the present state of the art. The goal however, should always be to provide the most accurate and reliable information within existing constraints.
1. Define the research problem and establish research objectives
Includes ensuring comparability, determine the scope and check the influence of culture.
2. Develop a research plan; how are you going to do the research
Identify comparability differences, select methodology with minimum comparability problems, and check practical issues such as budget, time etc.
3. Gather the relevant data from secondary and/or primary sources
Attach weight to eliminate cultural differences, check reliability of data and check understanding of scales of comparability.
4. Analyze and interpret the collected data
Watch for comparability issues, ensure that unexpected findings are not due to local biases. Adjust interpretation level to different
countries/cultures/markets.
5. Draw findings and present the results
Watch for language and terminology, avoid culturally offensive conclusions and check implications for different markets.
Learn More :
Researching International Markets
- In what ways can data be collected by companies?
- When is qualitative research more effective than quantitative?
- How is decentring used to get an accurate translation of a questionnaire?
- What problems related to language and comprehension can occur when collecting primary data? How can they be overcome?
- What problems can occur when gathering secondary data in foreign markets?
- Why is the formulation of the research problem difficult in foreign market research?
- What is the task of the international market researcher? How is it complicated by the foreign environment?
- Why is international research generally broader in scope than domestic marketing research?
- The shift from making "market entry" decisions to "continuous operations" decisions creates a need for different types of information and data. How can a MMIS provide assistance? How would an MMIS be established and used at different levels?