Qualitative Research, Repertory Grid, and Content Analysis Professor Matt Gorton Joint Subject Group Head, MOS Chair in Marketing Professor Fred Lemke School Director of Research Joint Subject Group Head, MOS Chair in Marketing and Sustainability 13th February 2017 Aims and Structure a) Outline the principles of qualitative research b) Introduce procedures for qualitative content analysis (QCA); c) Apply QCA to a sample interview (in class exercise). Structure 1. Principles of qualitative research and main techniques 2. Starting the process of QCA 3. Transcripts 4. Coding 5. Nodes 6. Pattern coding 7. Theory building and presentation 8. Exercise: interview with a small business advisor General Assumptions of Qualitative Research • Research design can be Qualitative / Qualitative / Mixed method • Qualitative research is used for a number of purposes: a) as an exploratory tool for quantitative work (e.g. questionnaire design), b) as a stand alone research method, c) as a basis for generating theory (grounded theory). General Assumptions of Qualitative Research • Reality is subjective and multiple as seen by participants in a study. • Researcher not independent from that being researched. • The study is presumed to be value-laden and biased. • The language of research is informal and in the personal voice. • The research process is inductive utilising an emerging design. Patterns and theories are developed for understanding. Qualitative Research in Business and Marketing • Qualitative research built around “how” and “why” questions. • These are central to business and marketing – want understanding of how different markets work and why customers behave the way they do so. • Used by commercial companies, political parties & state agencies. Main types of qualitative techniques • In-depth interviews • Focus groups • Projective techniques • Diaries / personal experience records • Observation / participant observation • Ethnography • Means end chain analysis • Repertory grid Projective Techniques • The study of respondents’ interpretation of a series of ambiguous stimuli, deciphered by subjects from their own particular frames of reference (Kassarjian, 1974). • An individual is presented with ambiguous stimuli and asked to find meaning. Interpretation will reflect his / her own personality or need-value system. • Associative techniques, completion techniques, construction, choice / ordering, expressive and role play. Rosenzweig picture frustration test Construction Techniques (thematic apperception test) • The original test consists of 30 cards with pictures and drawings. The respondent is asked to construct a story about each picture; what the picture is about, what has happened and what each character is feeling. • Theory that the individual organises the material around his / her personal experiences, hopes and aspirations and conscious and semiconscious need system. • For example picture of a woman equidistant from two shops, one labelled bank and the other store. Picture association (branding) • For instance, respondents were shown a schematic logo: • Asked what type of destination would have such a logo, and what a visitor might expect to find. Does it fit with intended brand image? Types of observation based studies Participant (4) (1) Participant- Complete as-observer participant pa Overt Covert research research (3) (2) Open Complete Observer observer Spectator What can be observed? Content Examples Physical actions Shopping patterns Television viewing Verbal behavior Sales conversations Situational factors Parent-child interaction in- store vs. out-of-store Temporal patterns Time of shopping Time of driving Expressive behaviors Tone of voice Smiling Observational Study on Cereal Purchases in store • Study by Atkin in which preschool and school-age children and parents were unobtrusively observed in supermarket. • Seek to analyse parent-child relationship in buyer behaviour. Questions a) Why use observation as a method? b) What would you expect to find? Observational Study on Cereal Purchases Interactions Parent and Child PARENT AGREES REQUESTS CEREAL PARENT REJECTS OUTRIGHT CHILD PARENT SUGGEST OTHER INITIATES PARENT YIELDS DEMANDS CEREAL PARENT REJECTS OUTRIGHT PARENT SUGGESTS OTHER CHILD SELECTS INVITES SELECTION PARENT AGREES PARENT DENIES PARENT CHILD DECLINES INITIATES CHILD AGREES DIRECTS SELECTION PARENT AGREES PARENT DECLINES SOURCE: Atkin CHILD SUGGESTS OTHER PARENT DENIES Repertory Grid Overview • Understanding repertory grid theory • Applying the technique • Discussing experience of applying the technique Example: Customer Experience Customer Experience in Different Contexts Example Quotes to a 5 Direct Question: What is Customer Experience? • “Customer experience is how I feel about a product or service or company” (B2B / Male) • “Customer experience is my interaction with Interaction another party” (B2B / Female) • “For me, experience has something to do with the notion of well-being and satisfaction. This is not necessarily related to my purchase decision. I would say that this is what I mean by customer experience” (B2C / Female) Well-being • “The experience captures the whole transaction you do with a company, from first contacting them, to purchase, to completion, to after-sales. It would just be whatever you experience in that transaction. I can’t think of anything else” (B2C / Male) Purchasing / Consumption Process 6 Repertory Grid Interviews • Developed by George Kelly in the 1960s for research in psychology • Based on Personal Construct Theory • “Every man is his own scientist” [with a repertoire of constructs] (Kelly) • The technique explores personal constructs • Construct are defined as “a way in which two or more things are alike and at the same time different from one or more things” (Kelly, 1955). Market Research Applications • Highly flexible: “repertory grid testing is a highly flexible technique and not a single test” (Bannister, 1962) • “In our view, the Repertory Grid represents an approach of such fundamental importance that we regard it as having as much potential in market research as any technique since the invention of the questionnaire” (Frost and Baine, 1967) Personal Construct Theory (PCT) 1)All individuals develop and test constructs as a way of explaining and anticipating events. 2)Constructs will be constantly updated, as they prove useful / less useful in interpreting events. 3)Different interviewees typically differ in how they construe events (n.b. common constructs). 4)Social contexts influence individuals’ constructs. 5)If two individuals construes events similarly, then their psychological processes are similar. 8 Repertory Grid Elements In our projects, the “elements” are the companies that are associated with certain levels of customer experience. Company 6 Company 5 Company 9 Good Average Poor Experience Experience Experience Company 7 Company 1 Company 4 Good Average Poor Experience Experience Experience Company 8 Company 2 Company 3 Average Poor Good Experience Experience Experience Repertory Grid: Order of Triads No. Construct Companies (Elements representing “Customer Experience”) of Triad Pole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1) * * * 2) * * * 3) * * * 4) * * * 5) * * * 6) * * * 7) * * * 8) * * * 9) * * * 10) * * * 11) * * * The order of Companies is as follows: • Good Experience 6, 7, 3 1 2 3 Average Poor Good • Average Experience 5, 1, 8 Experience Experience Experience • Poor Experience 9, 4, 2 Repertory Grid Technique 1 2 3 Average Poor Good Present triad / collect construct. “Please think about how two of these companies are similar and different from the 3rd in terms of... the experience you have with them” Construct are defined as “a way in which two or more things are alike and at the same 3me different from one or more things” (Kelly, 1955) Evaluation Very Not Helpful Helpful Construct Rating Scale Contrast Pole Pole 1 3 5 3 1 2 First, rate triad Good Average Poor Elements on scale against Construct 1. Evaluation Very Not Helpful 1 32 3 4 5 Helpful 3 Good 1 Average 2 Poor Experience Experience Experience 6 5 4 Good Average Poor Second, rate all Experience Experience Experience other elements. 8 Average 7 Good 9 Poor Experience Experience Experience Continue with the Procedure No. Construct Companies (Elements representing “Customer Experience”) of Triad Pole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1) 1 * * * 2) 2 * * * 3) * * * 4) * * * 5) * * * 6) * * * 7) * * * 8) * * * 9) * * * 10) * * * 11) * * * The order of Companies is as follows: • Good Experience 6, 7, 3 1 2 3 Average Poor Good • Average Experience 5, 1, 8 Experience Experience Experience • Poor Experience 9, 4, 2 Just before the end… If you have your own provided constructs, add a paper slip with additional constructs Goals • Identify Customer Experience Constructs. • Try to overcome the barrier from the obvious and easy constructs to the hidden and difficult ones. • Make sure that you covered the meaning of each construct (both poles). • Make a note of interesting points / quotes on the grid so that we will find it more easily in the audio recording. Laddering Technique Why? - Constructs of greater generality Starting Construct What or how? - More specific constructs Laddering Analysis – Just a note # Construct Contrast Pole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Pole Good Product Poor 1 Quality 1 3 3 2 3 1 2 3 3 Product Quality 2 Pleasant 2 4 1 5 3 2 2 3 5 Too Hot/ Temperature Cold Source: hp://webgrid.uvic.ca Focus Analysis 20 Individual Results 21 119 Customer Experience Factors Purchasing Pattern Mutual Understanding Segmentation Strategy Efficient