http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQrjZO2yUI&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=1nTa1cjlixs& feature=related A major influence on decision making in firms The purpose of research for managers is to fulfill the need for knowledge of the organisation, the market, the economy or any other area of uncertainty. Research provides management information about how the environment, employees, customers or the economy will respond to executives decisions.

GAP clothing needs HOME DEPOT- project based plans Pillsbury Indian Market Campbell Soup- Brazilian Market Automobile design- tyre design- bike needs Harley Davidson research Financial plans and insurance selling in emerging markets

From intuitive information gathering to systematic and objective investigation. A systematic and objective process of gathering, recording and analysing data for aid in making business decisions. Systematic-neither intuitive nor haphazardly gathered. Re-search (to search again)- patient study and scientific investigation, carefully looking at data Objective- to examine a problem without biasdetached and impersonal rather than preconceived ideas

To facilitate the managerial decision making process for all aspects of a business: finance, marketing , personnel, operations etc. To aid problem solving. It generates and provides the necessary qualitative and quantitative information upon which to base decisions. Reduces the uncertainty of decisions. And the risk of making wrong decisions. An aid to judgement, not a substitute for it.

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Business research encompasses functional specialities. Researchers in different functions like finance, marketing and operations may do different researches, but they become comparable when they use similar methods. Financial needs or questions Personnel needs or questions Marketing managers needs Needs specific information about the environment, employees, customers or the economy. How will a SWOT be converted into applications.

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general business conditions and corporate researchShort and long range forecasts Business and industry trends Global environments Inflation and pricing Plant and warehouse location

2. Financial and accounting research Mergers and acquisitions Risk-return tradeoffs Portfolio analysis Credit risk Cost analysis

3. Management and organisational behaviour research TQM Morale and job satisfaction Leadership style Employee productivity Absenteeism and turnover 4. Sales and Marketing Research Market potential and share Market segmentation Market characteristics Distribution channels New product concepts and test markets Advertising research Buyer behaviour

Cross functional teams- in contrast to an earlier state of research inputs taken long after many key decisions about product manufacturing and specifications are made. Now an integrated team effort. Decision to do research depends on 1. Time duration- for a managerial decision 2. Availability of data3. Decision of considerable strategic or tactical importance 4. Benefits versus costs

22 April 2012 How user research informed IKEAs Uppleva TV-furniture unit IKEAs new Uppleva Smart TV-furniture unit was extensively shown at the Milan Design Week and on Core77 Here is some more about the user research that went into the product. The user research consisted of two parts: inhome visits and an online survey.

In-home visits
IKEA visits people in their houses and apartments all over the world. The visits were combined with interviews, and carried out in homes of different sizes, income groups, neighbourhoods, and people in a wide range of living situations and living conditions. Marcel Godfroy, who is the Uppleva project lead, writes: Fifty percent of IKEA customers wish to renew their living room. We have been visiting peoples homes around the world, and we understood that many people think it is difficult to find functional and beautiful solutions, which hide the clutter and integrate all media devices with the rest of their living room furniture. There simply has been a wish for something else a complete solution for a new living room experience.

Online survey To find out more about how people experience their TV and sound furnishing solutions, IKEA combined the home visits with an online survey conducted in Sweden, Poland, Italy, France and Germany. These are the findings: In all countries, the living room is the most common room to watch TV in. 9 out of 10 German and French consumers watch TV in their living room and almost as many Swedish and Polish. However, a bit fewer Italians, 7 out of 10. (On the other hand, Italian consumers watch TV in the kitchen or the bedroom to a larger extent than consumers in the other four countries).

3 out of 5 Swedish customers have a specific piece of furniture for the TV. 2 out of 5 in Poland, Germany and France, and a third of the Italians have a specific piece of TV furniture. 3 out of 4 people would like less visible cables in their living room. These visible cables and cords or rather the lack of opportunity to hide them are also the main reason why people feel dissatisfied with the media furniture today. To Swedish and Polish consumers the media furniture not being stylish is another main reason for dissatisfaction.

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A majority of the consumers in all five countries would like fewer visible cables. 50% would like to see less of their technical gadgets. 60% OF ALL homes have three remote controls or more. 12 out of 10 have only one remote control. Top five reasons for dissatisfaction with living room TV furniture today: Lack of opportunity to hide cords and cables. Media furniture is not stylish enough. Inflexibility. Visible technical gadgets. TV and furniture mis-match.

The online survey by market research institute YouGov comprised 5271 online interviews among a representative sample of the populations in Sweden, Poland, Italy, France and Germany as regards sex, age and region (men and women aged 18-69 years). The survey was carried out 29th February to 5th March 2012. It is quite remarkable how fast IKEA went from the online survey to the presentation of a fully functioning product at the Milan Design Week.