Question 1

Which of the following is ethical in marketing research practices?

Accepted Answer

Subject debriefing is an ethical practice in marketing research where the researchers inform the participants about the study's aim and obtain their consent to participate. This ensures that the participants are aware of their involvement and protects their privacy and rights. Sugging, frugging, and deanonymizing data are unethical practices that involve manipulating or misusing participants' information for ulterior motives. Rocking-chair interviewing, though not necessarily unethical, may not yield reliable results and may not be a standard practice in marketing research.

Question 2

Which of the following illustrates an unethical activity of research users?

Accepted Answer

Obtaining first drafts of questionnaires and using the information to perform the research project themselves is unethical because it violates intellectual property rights and misuses confidential information. This behavior is considered stealing and can result in legal consequences. The other options do not illustrate unethical activities of research users. A is a standard and appropriate request, B may not be ideal but is not necessarily unethical, D is ensuring the anonymity of research participants for their protection, and E is a standard procedure for conducting research.

Question 3

Marketing research methods are diverse, spanning a wide variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques and borrowing from disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

Accepted Answer

Marketing research methods do indeed encompass a wide range of qualitative and quantitative approaches and often draw insights from various other fields like psychology, sociology, and anthropology.

Question 4

Given the nonlinear nature of marketing research, it is not a very systematic process.

Accepted Answer

Marketing research is a very systematic process involving defined steps such as problem definition, development of an approach to the problem, research design formulation, fieldwork or data collection, data preparation and analysis, and report generation and presentation.

Question 5

Frugging means:

Accepted Answer

Frugging (fundraising under the guise of research) is a practice in which an organization claims that a survey is for research purposes, but then uses the opportunity to ask for a donation or sale. This is considered deceptive and unethical in the research industry.

Question 6

The benefits of internal marketing research providers include research method consistency, shared information across the company, lower research costs, and ability to produce actionable research results.

Accepted Answer

Internal marketing research providers have the advantage of using consistent research methods across the company, sharing information more easily among departments, reducing research costs, and producing research results that can be acted on quickly.

Question 7

Frugging leads to consumers turning down legitimate research inquiries because they do not want to be solicited.

Accepted Answer

Frugging, or "fundraising under the guise of research," can lead to consumer resistance to participating in legitimate research studies because they fear they will be solicited for donations or sales.

Question 8

Many companies use internal research suppliers because the suppliers can be more objective and less subject to company politics and regulations than external suppliers.

Accepted Answer

Internal research suppliers are part of the company and may be more subject to company politics and regulations than external suppliers, who are independent and can often provide a more objective perspective.

Question 9

Subject debriefing means claiming that a survey is for research purposes and then asking for a sale or donation.

Accepted Answer

Subject debriefing refers to the process of informing participants about the true nature and purpose of a study after their participation, especially if deception was used during the study.

Question 10

The purpose of marketing theory is to generalize relationships between concepts in a way that is applicable to a wide variety of business and often other settings.

Accepted Answer

Marketing theory is developed to provide a framework that can be applied to various business settings and situations. It aims to create generalized concepts and relationships between them to assist businesses in making informed decisions and achieving their objectives.

Question 11

Creating customer profiles and understanding behavioral characteristics are major focuses of any marketing research project.

Accepted Answer

Yes, creating customer profiles and understanding behavioral characteristics are important aspects of marketing research as they help in targeting the right audience and creating effective marketing strategies.

Question 12

Which of the following is true of frugging?

Accepted Answer

Frugging (fundraising under the guise of research) is a deceptive practice in which calls or surveys are made under the pretense of market research, but are actually attempts to solicit donations or sales. This creates a negative impact on the entire industry by damaging the credibility and trust of legitimate research organizations. None of the other options accurately describe frugging.

Question 13

Which of the following is true of the guidelines developed by the Marketing Research Association (MRA) for Internet marketing research issues?

Accepted Answer

The guidelines developed by the Marketing Research Association (MRA) for Internet marketing research issues state that researchers must discontinue follow-up emails if requested to by respondents. This is in line with ethical principles of respecting individuals' privacy and right to opt-out of research participation. However, the other options are not true. For instance, combining different publicly available records available at social networks to deanonymize data is not allowed as it violates individuals' privacy. Similarly, clickstream tracking and the use of cookies can lead to privacy-related issues and are subjected to legal regulations. The use of GPS is not specifically encouraged by MRA, but if used, must comply with ethical and legal requirements.

Question 14

As marketing research firms expand their geographic scope, many fundamental skill requirements will change and negotiation skills will be replaced by statistical skills.

Accepted Answer

While the expansion of geographic scope in marketing research firms may increase the demand for statistical skills due to the handling of larger and more diverse data sets, negotiation skills remain crucial for client interactions, securing research projects, and navigating international markets. Both skill sets are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

Question 15

The process of identifying people or markets a company wants to serve is called positioning.

Accepted Answer

The process of identifying people or markets a company wants to serve is called targeting. Positioning refers to how a company wants its product or brand to be perceived by those targeted consumers.

Question 16

In the field of marketing research, analytics exclusively uses qualitative techniques to determine performance efficiency.

Accepted Answer

Analytics in marketing research employs both qualitative and quantitative techniques to gauge the effectiveness of campaigns and strategies.

Question 17

Research firms are required to maintain client confidentiality.

Accepted Answer

Research firms have a legal and ethical obligation to maintain client confidentiality in order to protect their clients' interests and maintain their reputation in the industry. Breaking confidentiality could lead to legal and financial consequences for the firm.

Question 18

Marketers are interested in consumer subcultures, as products are often used to enact and support subculture participation.

Accepted Answer

Marketers are interested in understanding and targeting consumer subcultures because products can become an important part of the subculture identity and lifestyle, and can be used to express affiliation and support within the group.

Question 19

If a client is unable to get sufficient insight into a testing method's strengths and weaknesses prior to purchase from a marketing research supplier, the client can choose another supplier.

Accepted Answer

If a client is not satisfied with the level of insight provided by one marketing research supplier, they are free to choose another supplier who may better meet their needs.

Question 20

Individuals who ignore emotional experiences find marketing research to be a rewarding career.

Accepted Answer

Ignoring emotional experiences would make it difficult to understand consumer behavior and needs, making marketing research challenging and potentially frustrating. Marketing researchers need to be able to understand and empathize with consumers in order to effectively gather insights and develop strategies.

Quiz 1: Marketing Research for Managerial Decision Making