In the reading, "Introduction to Qualitative Communication Research," from the academic book, Qualitative Communication Research Methods by Thomas R. Lindlof and Bryan C. Taylor, it discusses the importance of qualitative communication research, as well as its various subfields. In the opening portion of the chapter, it talks about an undergraduate student named Elizabeth and her decision to study police officers for her senior honors thesis. The basis of the story provides a foundation for the authors to outline why qualitative research is important. Qualitative researchers conduct their work for several reasons: - to understand their perspectives on a scene
- to retrieve their experiences from the past
- to gain expert insight or information
- to obtain descriptions of events that are normally unavailable for observation
- foster trust etc.
This chapter may bring the reader to ask themselves the following question:
"Why is qualitative communication research important and
how does it relate to other fields? For example; Business Development and Growth."
In an article called "Qualitative Research in Action: The Power of Connection, Discovery, and Context," it outlines the importance of taking qualitative research into consideration whether you are an employee, manager or founding entrepreneur of a company. It states how research of this kind can be used "to tell compelling customer
stories, inspire employees and business leaders, and help research
stakeholders gain a better understanding of the unique perspectives and
experiences of their customers and prospects." If you are interested in launching a new product or service, you must understand the market and the customer. If you choose to ignore this knowledge, your company may have major difficulty, in terms of market share growth, increased revenue, and brand positioning.
Another market research strategy that companies implore, in order to improve customer satisfaction is examining feedback forums that focus on their product/service. Furthermore, many consumers tend to form conclusions on a particular product/service via media platforms, and most often, these reviews will influence their intentions to purchase. Therefore, businesses must pay attention to the opinions of their consumers. By doing this, they are able to adjust quickly by implementing "new product developments and service enhancements, in order to ensure improved customer satisfaction. Currently, there are two trends in qualitative communication research: neoliberalism and globalization. Increased globalization, due to "recent innovations in transportation and communication technologies [has given consumers a new sense of power] (Lindlof & Taylor, 2011). The Internet has given consumers the ability to communicate, and in turn discuss a product or service in the public realm. This puts companies at constant risk for brand destruction. Therefore, it is important to consistently research the market, and listen to consumer's wants, needs, and feedback.
Take a second, and ponder the process you go through before purchasing a product. What influences your buying decisions? Do you impulsively buy products or do you look at reviews beforehand? Better yet, do you rely on word of mouth regarding a product/service's reliability and effectiveness? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Moving forward, this article discusses how conducting qualitative research is good for business, as it serves as a practical and valuable tool and can provide the following benefits:
1) Inform and enlighten business
2) Provide timely and relevant feedback from consumers
3) Reveals customer mindsets/attitudes and provides insight on how to change them
Therefore, the article, Qualitative Research in Action: The Power of Connection, Discovery, and Context," outlines the importance of implementing qualitative research methods into the four stages of the product life cycle: introduction, growth, maturity and lastly, decline. Therefore, in order to avoid decline of a product or service, companies must rely heavily on market research, and adjust business plans, missions and product developments as needed.
To read more, follow the link:http://www.insightsassociation.org/article/qualitative-research-action
Share and Discuss: Tell me your thoughts. Do you think qualitative research is important for business development and growth? If yes, why? If no, why not?
References
Lindlof, T. R.,
& Taylor, B. C. (2011). Qualitative Communication Research Methods:
Third Edition. Thousand Oaks, California : Sage Publications.
Qualitative
Research in Action: The Power of Connection, Discovery and Context. (2014, July 01). Retrieved
from Insights Association :
http://www.insightsassociation.org/article/qualitative-research-action
I really liked that you decided to focus on the text that you chose. This blog post is fairly unique compared to the others I've read in that it focuses more on consumer research. This is especially important to take into consideration considering we are about to embark on our own research project.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your first question, I would have to say that I often read reviews on products before making the decision to buy them. In this day and age you can't simply rely on advertisements to decipher whether or not a product is actually useful. That being said, it is also really difficult to trust reviews online - especially considering they are often paid for by the companies themselves.
On another note, the internet has not only offered companies the opportunity to conduct valuable market research, but it has also provided them with yet another platform for free advertising in the form of consumer feedback (when it is positive, that is).
I believe Qualitative Research is important for business development and growth in a few ways. First of all this kind of research allows for the company to better understand its clients and how the product or service is used. This type of connection to a customer base not only increases the ability for a company to adapt to a changing market, but also enables them to increase their network. The discussions that occur during qualitative research are more human than that of quantitative. The human side of a company is important for its brands acceptance. Consumers want to believe the product is being made by someone they can trust for them.
ReplyDelete