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Ethics In Marketing Research
Posted By: alvi_saad* on 2/26/2006 8:36 AM (CST) 100 Points
Hi, in my marketing research module, I have come across a question for my assignment which is as under:

Why do marketing research managers need to ensure that marketing research staff adopt an ethical approach with respect to data collection for the desired marketing research task?

I am aware of the ethical issues involved in data collection process but I want to know what might be the consequences if ethical approach is ignored?

I would be grateful for responses.

Saad Alvi

Posted by: wnelson Member Response
2/26/2006 10:05 AM (CST)
Saad,

The reason for ethics in marketing research has to do with trust. Marketing research is a service function that gathers and analyzes data and makes recommendations for the future direction of the organization being served. Think of marketing research as being a doctor. Like a doctor, marketing research figures out what's wrong with the firm in the market place or how to achieve desired goals such as increasing its strength, and based on an understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the market and the firm's function in that market, deduce what actions to take to enable the firm better to get better or meet its goals. So, let me ask you....what are the consequences if a doctor ignores an ethical approach? Suppose he misrepresents his expertise and the patient dies? Suppose he prescribes a regiment which requires the patient to continually pay him for services that don't do anything but make him rich? What happens if the doctor betrays the patient's confidentiality and talks to others about the patient's condition? Suppose the doctor really doesn't know his craft and the diagnosis is fraudulent and the prescription is the wrong course of action in that it can actually harm the patient? Suppose the doctor is careless with his work and makes no effort to admit and correct his wrongs?

With respect to marketing research, the same unethical actions can cause dire consequences for the firm. Careless work can set the firm on a course that actually harms the firm. Marketing research firms that prescribe services that actually net little needed information except to make them rich saps the client firm at the marketing research firm's gain. And any discovered breach of ethics results in a loss of trust by the client or management team in the firm if the marketing research group is an internal department. Without trust, the marketing research group has nothing.

Another area of trust which can be lost and render the marketing research team ineffective is with respect to people who are being studied. If the marketing research group misrepresents itself to a focus group or survey targets, the people will not answer honestly. Without honest answers, the results are worthless.

I hope this helps.

Wayde
 
Posted by: deepes.dasan* Member Response
2/27/2006 6:46 AM (CST)
we collect information by talking to a relatively small number of people, which gives us an indication of the views of a larger number. But...
... it only works if you talk to the right number of people,
... it only works if you talk to the right type of people and
... it only works if you ask the right questions and
analyse the data you get in the right way.

An ethical approach is required so that the desired marketing research task is completed in the right manner and the results are a true indicator of the sample set evaluated.

1. Good market research is produced when results of the research are strong indicators of what is happening now or might happen in the future. This means the results are relevant to a situation. Being relevant does not mean it is 100% correct (remember there is always risk). Instead, being relevant means the probability is high that the research results reflect what is actually happening or what will happen.
UNETHICAL RESEARCH WOULD MEAN THAT THE PROBABILITY OF PREDICTION OF THE RESULT BEING RELEVANT IS REDUCED.

2. Descriptive Research
The focus of descriptive research is to provide an accurate description and/or explanation for something that is occurring. For example, what age group is buying a particular brand, what is a product’s market share in a specific geographic region, how many competitors does a company face, etc. This type of research is by far the most popular form of market research. But to be considered useful it must be conducted correctly, which means the marketer must adhere to a strict set of research requirements to capture relevant results.
UNETHICAL RESEARCH WOULD MEAN RELEVANT RESULTS MAY NOT BE CAPTURED.

3. Exploratory Research
The exploratory approach attempts to discover general information about some topic that is not well understood by the marketer. For instance, a marketer knows about a new Internet technology for marketing a product but the marketer doesn’t know much about the technology. When gaining insight on an issue is the primary goal, exploratory research is used. The basic difference between exploratory and descriptive research is in the research design. Exploratory research follows a format that is less structured and more flexible than descriptive research. This approach works well when the marketer doesn’t have an understanding of the topic or the topic is new, and it is hard to pinpoint the research direction. The downside, however, is the results may not be as useful in aiding a marketing decision. So why use it? In addition to offering the marketer basic information on a topic, exploratory research may also provide direction for a more formal research effort. For instance, exploratory research may indicate who the key decision makers are in a particular market thus enabling a more structured descriptive study to be targeted to this group.
UNETHICAL RESEARCH MAY MEAN THAT PROPER TARGET GROUP MAY NOT BE IDENTIFIED.

4. Causal Research
In this form of research the marketer tries to determine if one variable affects another variable. In essence, the marketer is conducting an experiment. To be effective the design of causal research is highly structured and controlled so that other factors do not affect those being studied. Marketers use this approach to test marketing scenarios such as what might happen to product sales if changes are made to a product’s design. If causal research is performed well the marketer may be able to use results to forecast what might happen if the changes are made.
UNETHICAL RESEARCH MAY MEAN THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VARIABLES IS NOT CAPTURED CORRECTLY AND CHANGES MAY NOT BE FORECASTED CORRECTLY.

Considering various types of market research methods -
1. Quantitative Research - (PRIMARY RESEARCH)
Data collected following a structured and well-controlled scientific research design can yield numerical values that can be analyzed using statistics. Such analysis may prove very relevant and even results from a small number of collection points may be used in determining characteristics of a larger group (e.g., sample a small group of customers).
UNETHICAL APPROACH TOWARDS DATA COLLECTION MAY LEAD TO WRONG PREDICTIONS..

2. Qualitative Research (PRIMARY RESEARCH)
Sometimes referred to as “touchy-feely” research, qualitative research gathers information that requires researchers to interpret the information being gathered, most often without the benefit of statistical support. If the researcher is well-trained in interpreting respondents’ comments and activities, this form of research can offer very good information. However, it may not hold the same level of relevancy as quantitative research due to the lack of scientific controls that are often associated with this data collection method.
HERE TOO BECAUSE OF UNETHICAL METHODOLOGY BIAS COULD ENTER INTO THE FINAL FINDINGS..


3. SECONDARY RESEARCH
This process involves collecting data from either the originator or a distributor of primary research. In other words, accessing information that others have already gathered. In most cases this means finding information from third-party sources such as marketing research reports, consulting firm white papers, magazine articles, and other sources. But in actuality any information previously gathered, whether from sources external to the marketer or from internal sources, such as accessing material from previous market research carried out by the marketer, fall under the heading of secondary research.
UNETHICAL RESEARCH WOULD MEAN THAT INAPPROPRIATE DATA IS BEING CONSIDERED DELIBERATELY TO PRODUCE RESULTS WHICH DOES NOT CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE PROBLEM ARTHER MISGUIDES IT.
 
Posted by: Corpcommer Member Response
2/27/2006 11:18 PM (CST)
In addition to all the info my colleagues have shared with you, here are some more thoughts from my days working in market research (on scripts and speaking with interviewees).

Many people confuse market research with telemarketing (which is sales -- not marketing). This mistake can cause people to get annoyed when market researchers call people on the phone -- even when those people have agreed in advance to be interviewed. Comes the day of the appointed interivew, folks don't always participate.

People are sometimes concerned about their safety or just feel uncomfortable if their personal information is released or if opinions they express (about a particular product or issue, etc.) are attributed to them. In addition to personal safety, people's reputations could be marred or they could lose their jobs or their places in society could be affected if certain information isn't handled with care. Individuals concerned with market research must be cautious and trustworthy.

Good luck with your project.

MC
 
Posted by: erikka* Accepted Answer
3/1/2006 4:43 PM (CST)
One other piece to the puzzle is undertanding that all research is based on decisions that influence the results.

For a subject as innocuous as chocolate consider the decisions researchers need to make. The first might be a definition of chocolate. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? If so, the questions would be split between two variables. How about white chocolate? Who decides if this is really chocolate and how is that decision reached? Assuming the researchers agree it is chocolate, the research now addresses three variables. Assuming it is not "real" chocolate, the research ignores what may be an influential variable.

Once the research has been defined as to what it should and shouldn't include, researchers need to decide how to ask the question. A yes-no question like do you prefer milk chocolate or dark chocolate might produce very a different impression than asking how much they prefer one chocolate over another. (Notice I'm already ignoring white chocolate - telling, isn't it?)

At each stage from initial definitions to deciding what data is discountable rogue data and how to interpret the data, researchers make choices that influence the results. This helps explain why research purists adhere to rigid ethical codes to validate their research. In other situtations, research is done to make a point or sway an audience and rigid adherence to ethical conduct may get in the way of making the desired persuasive argument.

Apply this logic to something more serious than chocolate and the consequences of research escalate.

With all the obstacles in creating ethical research, you can only imagine how dramatically results can be skewed by unethical research, especially when you consider that the group paying for research has a vested interest in the results.

This sounds negative, which is not the intent. It's rather to say that ethics play a huge role in research given that the concept of what is "true" or "real" or "objective" is not an absolute.

So in answer to your question, what if ethical issues are ignored, I would say 1) the research is suspect, 2) research motivated by a group wishing to "prove" a point could have serious repercussions, 3) the public may become suspect of the validity of all research, and 4) valuable information may be lost.

Good luck with your analysis.
 
Posted by: mooncrm* Member Response
6/30/2006 4:20 AM (CST)
Some production and selling successful organizations are remain at the marketing management philosophy, not progressing to the marketing concept. Why? Support your answer with examples.
 
Posted by: ssbz_110* Member Response
7/24/2006 2:21 AM (CST)
Mooncrm

Asalam o Alikum

Some production and selling successful organizations are remain at the marketing management philosophy, not progressing to the marketing concept,
because . . .
these orgnizations are working on different concepts, like production concept, product concept,selling concept or may on societal concept, in order to increase their sale by attracting their customer and with objective to acheive heigher profit.

Example:

China market is doing the bussiness in pakistan.
It sell its products on production concept to enhance sale
means,
More production
More availibility in market
Most lowest price
But after then people will not interested to by it more
 


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