EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH
 It is one, which is used to develop concepts
more clearly.
 To establish priorities,
 To develop operational definitions and
 To improve the final research design.
 It is used when researchers do not have clear
idea of the problem
 It is to convert the broad, vague problems
into small, precise sub-problems statements.
So that it helps in formulation of specific
hypothesis.
EXAMPLES:
 “ Sales are down because our prices are too
high”.
 “Our dealers or sales representatives are not
doing a good job”.
 “ Our advertisement are too weak”.
 Here little information is available but not
defines the specific problems.
CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH EXPLORATORY
RESEARCH IS IDEALLY SUITED:
 To gain an insight into the problem
 To generate new product ideas
 To develop hypothesis
 To establish priorities
 To define concept clearly
 To formulate the problem precisely
 To list out possibilities
 To conduct research in new area
 To pretest a draft questionnaire.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH:
 It is flexible
 Structured forms not used for data collection
 Experimentations is not a requirement
 Cost incurred to conduct study is low
 Allows very wide exploration of views
 Research is interactive in nature and also it
is open ended.
USES OF EXPLORATORY
RESEARCH:
 Formulation of a problem for more precise
investigation
 Establishes priorities for further research
 Gathers information for practical problems
for carrying out research on a particular
conjectural statements.
 Helps in analysis of familiarity with problems
 Clarifies concepts.
DEVELOPMENT OF HYPOTHESIS:
 To develop hypothesis at this stage there may
be three alternatives:
1. Not possible to develop- when the situation
is being investigated for the first time.
2. Possible to develop
tentative hypothesis - when some information
is available but not adequate.
3. Possible to develop
hypothesis and to - when most of the data's
provide answers to are available.
problems
EXAMPLES:
Research purpose Research questions Hypothesis

1. When features of What benefit do No hypothesis

the product is most people drive from
effective in the this advertisement
advertisement appeal.
2. What new packing What alternatives Paper cup in better
is to be exist to provide then bottle
developed(softdrink) container

3. How can our What is the nature of Impersonalization is

insurance service be customer the problem
improved dissatisfaction?
METHODS OF EXPLORATORY
RESEARCH:
 Literature search
 Experience survey
 Focus group
 Analysis of selected cases
DESCRIPTIVE STUDIES/
RESEARCH
 formalized, typically, structured with clearly
stated hypothesis
 It gives characteristics associated with the
subject population(who, what, when, where,
how of a topic)
 It is a research to describe something.
CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH DESCRIPTIVE
STUDIES IS IDEALLY SUITED:
 To determine the characteristics of market such
as:-
 Size of market
 Buying power of the consumer
 Product usage pattern
 To find out the market share for the product
 To track the performance of a brand
 To determine association with two variable-
Advertisement and Sales
 To make prediction
 To estimate proportion of people in a specific
population
HYPOTHESIS IN DESCRIPTIVE
RESEARCH:
Management Research problem Hypothesis
problem
How should a new Where do customers Upper class buyers
product be buy a similar product ‘shopper’s shop’ and
distributed? right row? middle class buyers
buy from local
departmental stores.

What will be the What kind of people Senior citizens buy

target segment? buy our product now? our products .
Young or married buy
our competitors
product
METHODS OF DESCRIPTIVE
RESEARCH:
 Longitudinal study
 Cross-sectional study
LONGITUDINAL STUDY:
 Study involves measurement of event again
and again over a period of time-(Time series
study)
 Involves a panel –(sample) it is constant in
repetitive study.
 Panel may be of two types:
-true panel
-omnibus panel
 True panel involves repeat measurement of
the same variable.
 Omnibus panel- In this also sample elements
are selected and maintained, but the
information collected from each member
varies.
Advantages of panel Disadvantages of panel

•Data collection is easy •Sample may not be

representative

•Data more accurate •Panel member may not be

interested
CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY:
 It can be done in two ways:
 Field study
 Field survey
 Field study includes a depth study
 Field survey large samples
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
EXPLORATORY RESEARCH(ER) AND
DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH(DR):
ER DR

 It is concerned with  it is concerned with

the ‘why’ as part of the ‘what, when and
consumer behaviour how often’ on the
i.e., it tries to consumer behaviour.
understand the
problem and not
measure the result.

 samples need not  sample must be

represent the representative of
population. population.
 ER DR

 due to imprecise  statement is precise,

statement data therefore data
collection is not easy. collection is easy.

 characteristics of  characteristics of
interest to be interest can be
measured is not clear. measured clearly.
ER DR
 there is no need for a  it is required.
questionnaire for
collection of data.

 data collection  data collection

methods are:
methods are:
 Focus group  Longitudinal
 Literature searching  Cross sectional
 Case study  Panel data.