[chapter 4] 界定问题与确定调研目标

12
Biblioteka Baidu
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
What can University Estates do?
• Add Satellite TV
_______________________________________________________________
– （150 channels /4 Premium channels/Pay-for-view）
• Specify Possible Solutions that May Alleviate the Symptoms
– Possible solutions include any marketing action that the marketing manager thinks may solve the problem, such as price changes, product modification, etc.
6
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
Defining the Problem & Establishing Research Objectives
_______________________________________________________________
• A Process: – There is no universally accepted, step-by-step approach used by marketing researchers to define the problem and establish research objectives. • “Defining problems accurately is more an art than a science.” – Lawrence D. Gibson
9
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
University Estates （Case Study）
_______________________________________________________________
• Situation: Last year, University Estates (which targets mainly university students) experienced a decline in its occupancy rate from 100% to 80%. • Manager & Researcher brainstorm a list of POSSIBLE CAUSES • What are some possible cases for University Estates’ Occupancy Decline?
• There are differences between managers’ and researchers’ backgrounds.
– Traditionally researchers were technicians and managers were trained in general decision making. – Today managers are much more aware of technical software such as using your SPSS.
7
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
Assess the Background and the Manager’s Situation
_______________________________________________________________
• The researcher should first understand the industry, the competitors, and the company.
– A problem exists when a gap exists between what was supposed to happen and what did happen, i.e., failure to meet an objective. – An opportunity occurs when there is a gap between what did happen and what could have happened…called an opportunity.
– “We have a problem … we are losing money”
• Symptoms are changes in the level of some key monitor that measures the achievement of an objective. • The role of the symptom is to alert management to a problem; there is a gap between what should be happening and what is happening.
_______________________________________________________________
• Properly defining the problem is the most important step in the marketing research process. • If the wrong problem is defined, all the remaining steps in the marketing research process are wrong. • Two sources of problems:
• This is particularly true when the manager has already defined the problem in very specific terms. • Researchers sometimes take additional investigations, known as a “situation analysis,” to ensure the problem is adequately defined.
• Something that changed just before or at the same time as the symptom(s). • If it did not change, how could it cause the symptom? 1. 2. 3. 4. Competitor’s Actions Basic Cable TV Consumers (Student Renters) University Estates Itself The Environment No change No change No change
• The researcher must understand the control system and determine what symptoms are being identified by the system.
8
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
Pinpoint Suspected Causes of the Symptom
Chapter 4
Defining the Problem and Determining Research Objectives
Xiao Xiang
Business School, Hunan Normal University xiaoxiang100@126.com
The Importance of Properly Defining the Problem
5
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
Impediments to Problem Definition
_______________________________________________________________
• Failure to change behavior for problem definition situations
2
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
_______________________________________________________________
To recognize a problem, managers must be knowledgeable of objectives and actual performance. To be aware of opportunities, managers must have a process for monitoring opportunities
– Managers deal with outside suppliers efficiently with little interaction. – Marketing research requires a great deal of interaction and communication.
4
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
The Role of the Researcher in Problem Definition
• Researchers should ensure managers are defining the problem correctly.
_______________________________________________________________
Wait! You give it a try.
10
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
4.4 _______________________________________________________________
11
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
What is/are the probable cause(s) for University Estates Occupancy Rate Decline? _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
• There’s always some cause or causes for a change. • It is important to determine all possible causes. • Researchers should narrow possible causes to a small set of probable causes.
3
肖翔 - 湖南师范大学商学院 2010
The Role of Symptoms in Problem Recognition
_______________________________________________________________
• Managers must be careful to avoid confusing symptoms with problems.
• The researcher must understand the manager’s unique situation…
– Does the manager have a particular objective? – What constraints is the manager operating under?