MEEEEEEEEEREBARTEEEEEEEEER Internship Report in Marketing Research

1 Observepresent questionnaireask questions with fixed answers

2 Tabulate

3 Summarise data

4 Analyse data

5 Draw conclusions

Quantitative research designs are characterised by the assumption that human behaviour can be

explained by what may be termed social facts which can be investigated by methodologies that

utilise the deductive logic of the natural sciences (Horna 1994 p 121) Quantitative investigations

look for distinguishing characteristics elemental properties and empirical boundaries (p 121) and

tend to measure how much or how often (Nau 1995) They are appropriate to examine the

behavioural component such as attendance at class

So it can be seen that quantitative methodologies do have strengths for becoming appropriate for

educational research like this project on UK qualifications These may be summarised as follows

Quantitative methodologies are appropriate to measure overt behaviour

They are also strong in measuring descriptive aspects such as the composition of the students

Quantitative methodologies allow comparison and replication

Reliability and validity may be determined more objectively than qualitative techniques

These strengths however are not the sole prerogative of quantitative designs Indeed many of the

arguments for the use of quantitative research especially in an academic climate where resources are

limited have pragmatic origins in terms of allowing large scale data collection and analysis at

reasonable cost and effort as well as providing statistical proof So this problem of large scale data

collection could also be proved unwise in this situation So this shows a negative opinion about the

choice of quantitative methodology for this study

A further weakness of quantitative approaches lies in their tendencies to take a snapshot of a

situation that is to measure variables at a specific moment in time Acceptance of UK may be affected

by temporal changes such as the current image of the country or the quality of opposition (like USA

Australia) which cannot always be identified within a single quantitative study

According to Colon Taylor and Willis (2000) qualitative research emphasizes ldquoparticipant

observationrdquo whereas quantitative methods rely on the ldquoresearch instrument through which

measurements are maderdquo (p 2) Weiler (2001) adds that if teachers want ldquodeeper understandings of

their students and their learningrdquo they will not be able to achieve this through quantitative research--

they will need to be ldquointimately involvedrdquo in the process (p 415) Qualitative research would provide

this opportunity As Labuschagne (2003) says ldquoqualitative data provide depth and detail through direct

quotation and careful description of situations events interactions and observed behavioursrdquo (p 1) or

what Jones (1997) describes as ldquoempathetic understandingrdquo (p 3) Winter (2000) concurs that while

24

ldquoquantitative research limits itself to what can be measured or quantifiedrdquo qualitative research

ldquoattempts to lsquopick up the piecesrsquo of the unquantifiable personal in depth descriptive and social aspects

of the worldrdquo (p 8) So now it looks like the decision for this project should be more inclined toward

qualitative approach

522 Criticism on Selection and Implementation of Qualitative Study (KII and IDI)

Qualitative research offers insights and understandings of participants which is unobtainable by

quantitative research but is more than just non-numerical research It aims to study the subject in their

natural surroundings and to collect naturally occurring non-biased data It describes in words rather

than numbers the qualities of the subject through observation Methods of qualitative research include

structured and unstructured interviews group interviews and focus groups

Qualitative methods can highlight key themes or patterns emerging in the project are used to

comprehend and manage data and used to develop and test hypotheses

Qualitative methods use descriptions and categories General sequence here is as follows

1 Observeask questions with open-ended answers

2 Record what is said andor done

3 Interpret

4 Return to observeask more questions

5 (recurring cycles of 2-4 iteration)

6 Theorising

7 Draw conclusions

Qualitative research designs are associated with interpretative approaches from the informants emic

point of view rather than etically measuring discrete observable behaviour Qualitative methodologies

are strong in those areas that have been identified as potential weaknesses within the quantitative

approach eg the use of interviews and observations to provide a deep rather than broad set of

knowledge about a particular phenomenon and the appropriateness to investigate cognitive and

affective aspects of students This depth allows the researcher to achieve Verstehen or empathetic

understanding The concept of Verstehen is the basis for a critique of quantitative research designs

and their empiricist emphasis The argument used is that quantitative methods measure human

behaviour from outside without accessing the meanings that individuals give to their measurable

behaviour If as many authors have suggested behavior of students contains psychological as well as

sociological dimensions then the emphasis should rather be upon gaining an understanding of how the

subjects themselves view their own particular situations A qualitative research design allows these

understandings to be investigated from the informantrsquos point of view So the choice of qualitative

research is very appropriate here Both KII and IDI seem appropriate The only problem that could be

marked is the number of qualitative interviews for this particular study it is about around 200 which is

25

practically most difficult to make possible with effectiveness Again accumulating such a high number

of interview results to make a summary is also so difficult But answer could be found on the real world

practice to satisfy customer needs

523 Criticism on FGD

By focus group discussions we refer to a group of 4-12 people brought together to participate in the

discussion of an area of interest Trained moderators run the discussions and records are made of the

course of the discussions

Focus groups of course are a popular (some even think too popular) method in marketing research

(Nancarrow Vir amp Barker 2005) but they have had a role in serious social science research since the

seminal work of R K Merton and P Lazarsfeld (Hollander 2004 Morgan 1988) During the past

decades they have established their role in sociology and communications research In recent years

they have also become increasingly popular in applied fields such as nursing research urban and

community studies development studies and educational research (eg Barbour amp Kitzinger 2001

Gibbs 1997)

A distinctive feature of focus groups is that they create research data by generating social interaction

This is done by assembling a group of participants to discuss a specific topic and then observe how the

ensuing discussion evolves (Boddy 2005) The underlying assumption is that meaning is created in

social interaction (eg Wilkinson 2001) Organized and focused group discussions provide a context

for participants to articulate the meaning of their experiences and elaborate on them in a collective

sensemaking process Of course focus groups are also used to obtain individual viewpoints it is typical

to instruct discussants that the aim is not to reach consensus but to explore the different viewpoints that

emerge The method is popular in marketing research because it is a quick and easy way to gain a

wealth of perspectives on a novel or relatively unexplored topic (Threlfall 1999) By observing

recording and analyzing the interaction in the group researchers can also gain an understanding of how

the participants approach the topic and what kind of language they use to frame the issues Interaction

also allows participants to pose questions to each other and to redefine their own views as the

discussion evolves

The result of FGD depends sometimes largely on the skill of the moderator which is a variable thing

In this study on awareness and acceptance of UK qualifications it may suffer to this problem due to

time and budget constraints

524 A Mixed-Methodology Approach to the Study

26

Although the use of a single methodology has been advocated by a number of authors many of the

supporting arguments are decidedly pragmatic such as time constraints the need to limit the scope of a

study and the difficulty of publishing the findings (Creswell 1994) Here in this study only time

constraint is the factor which could have been considered for a single methodology approach

Denzin and Lincoln (1994) write that objective reality can never be captured (p 2) To assume that

even with binocular vision one can have all the information or even know what is true is a

dangerous positivistic position The rub between the two methodologies comes when we analyze the

assumptions behind each one These are clearly spelled out in detail by Denzin and Lincoln (1994 pp

4-6) and can be summarized as follows The differences between quantitative and qualitative research is

that the first is positivist limiting unable to capture the subjects perspective abstract and based on flat

descriptions Qualitative research the critics claim tends to be unscientific and based on slipshod

methodologies Its proponents claim that it offers a postmodern and post-positivist view more in

keeping with prevailing social attitudes They also claim that such a research method is able to capture

the voices of many and provide what Geertz (1973) called a thick description of everyday life

The crucial aspect in justifying a mixed methodology research design is that both single methodology

approaches (qualitative only and quantitative only) have strengths and weaknesses The combination of

methodologies on the other hand can focus on their relevant strengths The researcher should aim to

achieve the situation where blending qualitative and quantitative methods of research can produce a

final product which can highlight the significant contributions of both (Nau 1995 p 1) where

qualitative data can support and explicate the meaning of quantitative research (Jayaratne 1993 p

117) By adopting the following assumptions the researcher should ensure that the final product

maximises the strengths of a mixed methods approach So the research team of SRGB should be given

credit for mixing nicely qualitative and quantitative to get the most out of it if we look over the

difficulty of implementation and greater sample size for its qualitative part

27

60 Conclusion and Recommendation

It can be concluded by raising the voice to show the effectiveness of a research firm SRGB in preparing

research works fairly supported by theory practitioners Difference between theory and practice is a

very old phenomenon which we can see here too But it can be concluded easily that though the practice

is not perfectly similar with the suggestions from theory the practice will work effectively to bring out

the result which is the goal of all research works

So it is seen that the period of attachment with SRGB has given the author an utmost opportunity to

understand situations and practical requirements in real life which would have never been possible

without this exposure It also provide many small and detailed experiences and understandings which is

tough to express in an internship report

So one should first of all recommend for the necessity of a tough internship program as it was in

SRGB for the students to complete the institutional learning process more effectively Secondly the

internship provider should always try to give important practical tips and shares from practical

experiences It was available in SRGB but could have become more

An orientation program for the internees to make them better understand the practices in real

organizations should be a must everywhere They may design a training program on this issue

Otherwise always small mistakes were required to understand and learn which could have been

minimized with a training program

A rare combination of specialists in the institution and at the organization is not a matter of

recommendation it is a favor of luck which became very helpful for an interne like the author The

helpful attitude that was available both from the institutional adviser and organizational supervisor

should be a must part of internship program Choosing an organizational supervisor from the pool of

alumni of the same institution may had given some extra benefits

SRGB is a steadily growing company which should now try to make their infrastructure more modern

human resources more committed research works more allied with theoretical developments and a

better system to make the implementation of the methodology more effective Change itself is a power

A successful style may not work when days have changed The corporate world in Bangladesh is

becoming bigger so as the intensity of competition and so as the importance of research So in the

coming days competition among research firms will become fiercer SRGB should start taking the

preparation and building it as a strong local brand

28

Bibliography

Barbour R S amp Kitzinger J (Eds) (2001) Developing focus group research Politics theory and practice London Sage

Colon B Taylor K A amp Willis J (2000) Constructivist instructional design Creating a multimedia package for teaching critical qualitative research The Qualitative Report 5(1-2) Retrieved from httpwwwnovaedussssQRQR5-1colonhtml

Creswell J (1994) Research design Qualitative and quantitative approaches London Sage

Denzin N K amp Lincoln Y S (1994) Introduction Entering the field of qualitative research In N K Denzin and Y S Lincoln (Eds) Handbook of qualitative research (pp 1-17) Thousand Oaks CA Sage

Geertz C (1973) The interpretation of cultures New York Basic Books

Hollander J (2004) The social context of focus groups Journal of Contemporary Ethnography 33(5) 602-637

Horna J (1994) The study of leisure Oxford Oxford University Press

Jayaratne T (1993) Quantitative methodology and feminist research In M Hammersley (Ed) Social research Philosophy politics and practice (pp 109-123) London Sage

Jones I (1997) Mixing qualitative and quantitative methods in sports fan research The Qualitative Report 3(4) Retrieved from httpwwwnovaedussssQRQR3- 4joneshtml

Labuschagne A (2003) Qualitative research ndash airy fairy or fundamental The Qualitative Report 8(1) 100-103 Retrieved from httpwwwnovaedussssQRQR8-1labuschagnepdf

Nancarrow C Vir J amp Barker A (2005) Ritzeracutes McDonaldisation and applied qualitative marketing research Qualitative Market Research An International Journal 8(3) 296-311

Nau D (1995 December) Mixing Methodologies Can Bimodal Research be a Viable Post-Positivist Tool The Qualitative Report [On-line serial] 2 (3) Available httpwwwnovaedussssQRQR2-3nauhtml

Patton M (1987) How to use qualitative methods in evaluation London Sage Publications Boddy C (2005) A rose by any other name may smell as sweet but ldquogroup discussionrdquo is not another name for a ldquofocus grouprdquo nor should it be Qualitative Market Research An International Journal 8(3) 248-255

Threlfall K D (1999) Using focus groups as a consumer research tool Journal of Marketing Practice 5(4) 102-105

Wilkinson S (2001) How useful are focus groups in feminist research In R S Barbour amp J Kitzinger (Eds) Developing focus group research Politics theory and practice (pp 64-78) London Sage

Winter G (2000) A comparative discussion of the notion of ldquovalidityrdquo in qualitative and quantitative research The Qualitative Report 4(3-4) Retrieved from httpwwwnovaedussssQRQR4-3winterhtml

29