50) After beginning to gather data, it may be determined that the research objectives should be
changed.
51) Researchers understand that as they make decisions on how to proceed in the future, that it is
poor research practice to go back and revisit a previous step.
52) When managers must make decisions and they have inadequate information, this signals the
need for marketing research.
53) The importance of research will be reflected in a company’s policy regarding the use of
marketing research.
54) Companies with policies regarding marketing research never show a preference for the type
of research management prefers.
55) The need for marketing research arises when managers must make decisions and they have
adequate information.
56) When making routine decisions, most managers do not have experience to act without any
additional information.
57) Before proceeding with a marketing research effort, managers should see if the marketing
intelligence system (MIS), the internal reports system, or the decision support system (DSS)
contains the needed information or data.
58) Even though a manager may determine the timing is wrong to conduct marketing research,
he or she should take the time to perform the necessary research.
59) When products have been around for many years and are reaching the decline stage of their
life cycle, it may be too late for research to produce valuable results.
60) Although costs for marketing research are readily estimated, it is much more difficult to
estimate the value research is likely to add.
61) All methods of measuring the value of research generally do not link the research results to
business impacts.
62) The metrics surrounding the value of marketing research should demonstrate that risk was
mitigated and quantify the financial value of that risk reduction.
63) Marketing research should be conducted periodically, even when there is no need to make a
decision, and have the information available to guide decision-making.
64) The success of a marketing research project depends on properly pinpointing a problem to
formulate the situation analysis.
65) Problems are situations calling for managers to make choices among alternatives.
66) The tasks that ultimately lead to establishing research objectives begin when a problem or
opportunity is recognized, but there is not enough information to know how to respond.
67) Failure to meet an objective and the identification of an opportunity are two sources of
problems in situations that are either potentially positive or negative for an organization.
68) Late identification of problems can lead to managerial changes that can greatly improve
bottom-line profits.
69) For the most part, there is little variability among firms in terms of ability to identify
opportunities.
70) Managers may be aware of symptoms, which are changes in the level of some key monitor
that measures the achievement of an objective, but that does not mean they know what the
problem is.
71) A strategic analysis is a form of exploratory research undertaken to gather background
information and data pertinent to the problem area that may be helpful in properly defining the
problem decision.
72) When the manager and researcher are in agreement about which symptom or symptoms are
in need of attention, it is time to determine what could possibly cause the symptoms.
73) When management has defined the problem and the researcher has conducted a situation
analysis, the researcher must make a decision as to whether the problem has been satisfactorily
corrected.
74) Price changes, product modification or improvement, promotion of any kind, and
adjustments in channels of distribution are examples of decision alternatives, which are all
marketing actions the manager thinks may resolve the problem.
75) Penalties are the results of marketing actions. In view of potential penalties and to evaluate
decision alternatives, managers must speculate on the consequences of selecting any alternative.
76) The situation analysis is a concise description of the problem or opportunity that
management is facing that requires research to make a decision.
77) Research objectives should specify from whom the information should be gathered and
exactly what information is needed.
78) An important part of developing research objectives is speculating on what type of
information should be measured.
79) Marketing researchers are constantly thinking of constructs during the problem definition
process. Once they know the constructs to be measured, they can determine the proper way to
measure that construct.
80) The research objective should not define how the construct being evaluated is measured.
81) Researchers realize that when they are formulating their research objectives, the information
requested of respondents must be worded using the respondent’s frame of reference.
82) Once the problem definition and research objectives development process have been
formulated, it may be useful to determine action standards.
83) Marketing research can produce interesting results and information. However, if the
interesting information gives managers no guidance, it may indicate the absence of action
standards.
84) Research projects have the least likelihood for success when the managers and researchers
are in too close communication throughout the research process.
85) Managers who are more involved with the research process tend not to launch new products
which fail in the marketplace.
86) Managers often are aware of the need to work closely with the researcher, and this eases
difficulties in identifying the real problem.
87) The alternative term to “Request for Proposal” is “Requirement to Bid.”
88) The proposal should be professional looking, well written, and comprehensive. It should also
very clearly define the problem and state the research objectives.
89) It is rare that client-side marketing researchers who are planning to conduct research on
behalf of their own companies are required to submit proposals prior to conducting research.
90) Research proposals take many hours of work and thought. The details may contain
proprietary details of proposed methods, approaches, and cost structures.
91) Ethical issues are of little concern to clients and researchers within the marketing research
proposal process.
92) One of the basic ethical codes of conduct includes maintaining the confidential identity of
clients and research sponsors.
93) Our text conceptualizes the research process as entailing 11 steps; other texts or sources may
present the process in fewer or more steps. Describe and discuss why these steps are important
and why they may or may not be used or even the process altered.
94) Discuss the basic processes managers must go through in determining the need to conduct
marketing research. Also, how do managers justify or not justify the value of performing
marketing research?
95) Defining the problem properly is the most important step in the marketing research process.
Describe the processes that may be used for defining the problem or in some cases, potential
opportunities.
96) Define situation analysis. Discuss the primary methods for conducting a situation analysis
and the value of the process to the researcher.
97) When diagnosing a problem, symptoms are sometimes confused with problems. Discuss the
process of clarifying symptoms and determining the cause of the symptoms.
98) Describe the process of establishing research objectives and why they are important to the
marketing research process.
99) Discuss action standards, their purpose, and their importance to managers in the decision-
making process.
100) Discuss the elements of the research proposal process.