The Global Analyst

The foundation of being an analyst is the ability to design and administer research studies. Before one can analyze the data, one must collect the data. As a researcher who primarily does quantitative work in the US and western Europe, I approach proposals and research design with a certain set of assumptions, which typically involve surveys, given over the internet. (Not the most creative research methods, but clients love numbers.) When asked to think about conducting qualitative research in emerging markets, such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa, it wasn’t difficult for me to start thinking from a qualitative perspective.Yet, it was difficult to shed the American market research experience and think about how research is done in other countries. More importantly, how people or potential respondents view market research. Perhaps naively, other culture’s eagerness to please moderators or distrust of researchers was not something I had considered until someone suggested these potential problems in a LinkedIn discussion.

To me most interesting differences in research related to the logistics of the research.

Skepticism about private research facilities. When getting bids for focus groups in India, many researchers suggested that rather than getting a facility, my team do in-depth interviews in the home. I was advised that potential respondents were skeptical about going to a private research facility would feel more comfortable in a publicly-accessible meeting place, such as a hotel conference room or shopping mall.

Social norms that inhibit open speech. Many researchers also called attention to the social norms and thought I should consider dividing my all-male groups by age, rather than having mixed groups of 18-54 year olds. The Quirk’s article below also suggests further division by socioeconomic class.

One amusing thing I learned was the advice to have mock focus groups for enthusiastic family members, who demand to be heard. I wonder if any research companies have actually held them.

Below are some helpful articles for qualitative research in India and other emerging countries:

Quirk’s Qualitatively Speaking: Use focus groups to understand India’s massive markets

Focus Groups in Asia