The Experiment: Research Evaluation of Qualitative Research Approach - Term Paper Example

 The experiment: research evaluation of qualitative research approach The method utilised The article, The influence of corporate social responsibility campaigns on public opinion, utilises an experimental research approach in order to assess whether CSR campaigns are effective in creating perceptual changes in consumers regarding sponsors in areas of corporate image and reputation (Pfau, Haigh, Sims and Wigley, 2008). Concepts of consumer behavior patterns and sociological trends regarding consumer sentiment toward business brands are complicated and would be difficult to measure using quantitative methods, such as the structured survey. Because of the complexity of the human condition, this study chose an experimental method which is a qualitative approach to research which is more open to interpretation and subjectivity than a quantitative approach would provide. This experiment made use of the questionnaire which consisted of changing media information about two well-known companies, Johnson & Johnson and McDonald’s. Public relations information was presented prior to filling out the questionnaire and assigned for completion during Phase 1 of this study, over a five day period in early April. Phase 2 consisted of a similar questionnaire after the public relations media message spotlighted changed to reflect different business activities related to corporate social responsibility. This approach is qualitative as it measures participant responses, which are likely widely varied based on current marketing theory about human behaviour complexities, based on perception and social views of corporate reputation. The qualitative approach draws out meaning from what has been measured or observed using a variety of knowledge from different, yet related domains to assist in analysis, such as reference to sociological or psychological texts. This experiment was designed simply using questionnaires and did not rely on additional researcher capabilities in relation to observation or more subjective research designs. (Though this study could have benefitted from an observational approach). The administration of the research instruments took place in a controlled environment under ideal experimental circumstances. Therefore, the study’s findings would tend to suggest a reliable experimental design if attitude about corporate sponsors, over such a short period of time, really would add value to the corporate agenda in today’s business world which is consumer-driven. The use of this method The researchers realised that theme analysis is significant to understand complicated consumer behaviours. A theme is “any principle recurrment, in a number of domains, tacit or explicit, and serving as a relationship among subsystems of cultural meaning” (Baxter and Babbie, 1980). The study measured theme by using different measurement criteria, such as well-researched views on corporate image, corporate reputation, and organizational credibility. These all represent thematic elements of branding strategies, related to marketing and the consumer, thus the qualitative method chosen has a form of measurement criteria in place. The chosen experimental method considered the variable of time passage when constructing the research instruments, as the presentation of Phase 1 and Phase 2 occurred over a three week period. The intention was to determine whether corporate social responsibility and associated press releases maintain the potential to alter public opinion. The time variable considered would be a practical part of this research methodology as in real-life scenarios, consumer sentiment is likely to change as society and their own self-concept evolves. Quantitative methodology, and its highly structured approach to data collection (Shelly, 1999), likely could not have achieved results which could have accurately measured human behaviour. Changes over time will create different emotional experiences and connections with businesses in the minds of consumers. Some of these relationships and emotions can develop over a period of years or even decades, based on longevity of the business and the consumers’ experiences with a firm’s historical products and reputation. The time frame chosen between Phase 1 and Phase 2 does not seem to be able to capture the essence of how consumers respond to media messages over an elongated time period. There is no solid rationale for why a three week period was chosen between Phase 1 and Phase 2, which brings up questions about validity and reliability in the process. This study could have also benefitted from the insertion of further qualitative interviews with different demographics to build a character profile of the participant group chosen for this study. Structured or non-structured interviews inquiring about social dynamics and the corporate environment as well as experience with promotion and advertising in these companies could have given a more solid view of the midwesterner to determine whether these values would likely be found in other international or domestic locations. There seemed to be a lack of concrete, worthwhile data which would be necessary to come up with any logical conclusions or recommendations toward how a business should change its current CSR marketing focus. The study was limited in that it did not take into account diversity of emotions and consumer needs prior to administering the study program. The study’s contribution The research study being evaluated had several limitations which contributed to its effectiveness as worthy template for reliability. The chosen sample represented a rather unique, niche market which consisted of only 94 participants (a limited sample population) and came from midwestern university communications classes. The opinions held by this non-mass-market group of individuals may not have the same beliefs and sociological values as midwesterners, therefore the results of this study may not necessarily be valuable as a national research template. The researchers should have considered broadening their sample to include different demographics to represent more cultural values or lifestyle trends in the participant groups. “Researchers must ask for and listen to the opinions of the respondents about the meaning of their responses and how the instrument might be interpreted” (Kincheloe, 2003, p.36). This research study being analysed had no mention of using preliminary discussions with the selected sample in order to assess the current emotional capabilities of the chosen sample group. This might have added more validity to the study program as it would have served as a template which categorised basic human behaviour traits found within the sample group. This could have provided an opportunity to design the questionnaire instrument with more relevant questions and ones which engage the participant’s emotions related to corporate social responsibility. Because the sample was so small and represented a niche group of citizens, and due to the fact that longer time periods between phases were not present, it is likely that real-time consumer attitudes toward corporate environments and their social responsibility levels will change in different proportion than what was uncovered during this short 3-week study. The results indicated that there is a positive connection between corporate social responsibility media reports and the level to which consumers change their sentiment about the company. However, a more focused questionnaire could have uncovered more inherent or thematic attitudes about the company or brand at the behavioural level. Those would be vital understandings for a business which is attempting to market their social responsibility. This served as a limitation to the study. The contribution of the study is minimal to the real-life existence and efforts of a large-scale organisation such as Johnson & Johnson and McDonald’s, which are always at risk of changing buyer sentiment and buying behaviours related to profit margin. These companies are used to operating and marketing in dynamic organisations with consumer-focused intention for most of their products and marketing efforts. The duration between changes in consumer sentiment, over a long period of time, would be more beneficial to these companies as a consumer is exposed to varying media messages about business’ corporate social responsibility efforts. A longer experiment would have given this study much more breadth and far more useful data to companies which are often in the media spotlight regarding their internal and external business activities. Shortcomings of research in question This study could have benefitted from a covert participant observation as part of the qualitative focus in order to gain research knowledge about what drives social attitudes on public opinion. “This research method can be used effectively within an ethical framework” (Oliver and Eales, 2008, p.344). Because the nature of this study was to measure corporate social responsibility, an ethical framework, covert participant observation could have been conducted in a focus group environment to measure peer interactions regarding sentiment. To understand the participant group and their values would be to observe them without researcher interruption or their presence in any way creating bias in the study design. Ethics are largely driven by societal values, as a whole, regarding what is right and what is wrong in society (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin and Cardy, 2005). Covert participant observation could have documented group sentiment versus the tendency to change opinion based on group intervention to assist in questionnaire construction and also understand the dynamics of group sentiment on CSR. “It is the recording of this subconscious experience which is useful for emotion research” (Chamberlain and Broderick, 2007, p.199). This element was lacking in the research approach chosen by the researchers in the article being analysed. The study also did not effectively measure whether corporate social responsibility campaigns had the ability to change public opinion when negative sentiment or negative public relations materials exist. The purpose of the study was to measure citizen perspectives about sponsors based on image, reputation and corporate credibility of the company brand. In a real-life consumer environment, changing values and changing situations are going to, over time, give sometimes negative media exposure to firms which will change citizen behaviours and emotions. This study did not seem to take into consideration the complex dynamics of human behaviour when designing an appropriate study methodology. The analysis and discussion indicates that a great deal of speculative assessments were made about the effectiveness of the promotional campaigns without justifying the data source or experience level from which is was developed. The researchers make assumptions about the awareness levels of citizens in relation to CSR initiatives from companies, suggesting that the general population remains unaware of these business efforts. However, no data presented or preliminary research on citizen exposure to different media sources had been discussed nor are the researchers drawing on years of practical sociological knowledge but have a focus on business. There was also a limitation to this study in terms of the instruments themselves, as the media messages chosen ranged in word count of 447 to 449 words (Pfau et al). Had the researcher chosen a longer message containing more detailed information, consumer sentiment might be affected in the future either negatively or positively. In today’s public relations and media, there is no guarantee that information about the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts will consist of the whole story or just a fraction of what is truly unfolding within the business. Therefore, message length would seem to be an important aspect for consideration when deciding on questionnaire development because a more factual and explanatory CSR message might bring lesser or greater emotional response in the participant group. Conclusion The study’s design and data achieved made it possible to understand that some form of change occurs in citizens when exposed to multiple CSR campaigns over time. However, these sentiments will likely change based on current social trends, social values, and extent of the controversy/commendation which the company is involved with. It does not provide significant value to real-life, operating firms as it does not contain information from a broader sample group or multi-national value systems. The study actually appears to have more limitations than support for its conclusions. Bibliography Baxter, L. and Babbie, E. 2008. The Basics of Communication Research. Chamberlain, L. and Broderick, A. 2007. The application of physiological observation methods to emotion research. Qualitative Market Research, Bradford. 10.2, p.199. Gomez-Mejia, L., Balkin, D. and Cardy, R. 2005. Management: People, Performance, Change. 2nd ed. London: McGraw Hill Irwin. Kincheloe, Joe L. 2003. Teachers as Researchers: Qualitatitve Inquiry as a Path to Empowerment. London: Taylor & Francis. Oliver, J. and Eales, K. 2008. Research ethics; Re-evaluating the consequentialist perspective of using covert participant observation in management research. Qualitative Market Research, Bradford. 11.3, p.344. Pfau, M., Haigh, M., sims, J. and Wigley, S. 2008. The influence of corporate social responsibility campaigns on public opinion. Corporate Reputation Review 11.2: p145(10) Shelly, Susan. 1999. 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