quality_quantity
Pratap Kumar
Focus Groups are now one of most used techniques for collecting consumer views on products and services where "deep" qualitative data is required rather than the broader but shallower quantitative data elicited by telephone and "paper" surveys.
They have been adopted widely in Asian consumer markets, where sometimes they are seen as a "natural" for these markets if proper attention is given to cultural factors in administration. Other views suggest that focus groups are passe and new methods of naturalistic observation like the use of diposable cameras, and web based methods are being talked of with enthusiasm.
Methodology aside however, the all important political or management factors are often overlooked, especially by newly returning market research majors from Western universities.
One case in point from the automotive industry - an old article - but one which should give pause to many who focus on methodology to the detriment of stakeholder and organizational political issues -
They have been adopted widely in Asian consumer markets, where sometimes they are seen as a "natural" for these markets if proper attention is given to cultural factors in administration. Other views suggest that focus groups are passe and new methods of naturalistic observation like the use of diposable cameras, and web based methods are being talked of with enthusiasm.
Methodology aside however, the all important political or management factors are often overlooked, especially by newly returning market research majors from Western universities.
One case in point from the automotive industry - an old article - but one which should give pause to many who focus on methodology to the detriment of stakeholder and organizational political issues -