Replying to LO26364 --
Alfred Rheeder writes
> Now lets play the same game with a twist. First of all we call the game
> market research. We are the questioner that asks the questions. We select
> the questioned by statistical means so that they are representative of the
> population.
Dear Alf
I can drive over and talk to you about this can't I? and we have enjoyed
many a good natter about it, but I relish the prospect of LO participation
and therefore can't and won't resist the temptation.
Complexity is in my humble opinion (imho) in the eye (the I?) of the
beholder. Things are complex when we can't learn the rules for
winning/dominating/controlling or surviving in the required timeframe. But
we (more often than not) impose the timeframes.
I believe we love to render things complex (unnecessarily) often hiding
the solution up our own sleeves. Solutions to trivial problems are about
as compelling as cheap perfume. A research proposal steeped in complexity
is worth it weight (wait?) in gold. Most research vendors are 'Climbing
Mount Improbable' those who don't die. The slow Impala's get caught.
I also commit market research
I think it was Ezra Pound who said
Thou shall not sit with statisticians nor commit a social science
I do and I am guilty as charged.
I do not wish to deny complexity
I equally do not like to complexify to increase the price or value of the
solution and I do like to see the research I undertake or contribute to in
far less complex terms. I won't (dare not) talk about the reality of
reality.
I do know that a warehouse full of stock combined with the absence of
buyers/customers is a real problem when you owe a lot of money.
Let's stick to the 19 people in the room
Let's say I am the 20/20 bottling company
and I would like to know:
1. Do they ever feel thirsty?
2. How often and when?
3. When they do, do they prefer still or carbonised liquid etc etc
What I am doing and why?
I am merely aligning my future performance
(a limited choice from a larger repertoire of possibilities)
with their expectations. Confirming my game plan.
>The purpose/goal of the game is for the questioner to determine the object
>through questioning.
No, I have to disagree with <determine the object> as the GOAL for market
research.
We are increasingly doing confirmatory research
using confirmatory multi-variate statistical tools.
The most frightening thing I have found in recent times is that
organisations big and small operate with internalised (almost reified)
unconfirmed mental models which are:
wrong/outdated/invalid/unreliable/unquestioned/inconsistent/contradictory/in
visible
and which have become organisational habits based on comfort. (smell the
impairments?)
I know you can see (as I do) to what extent the 7E's can enrich the whole
research enterprise...........and it will.
thank you At...............................
with kind regards
Chris Klopper
--"Chris Klopper" <syntagm@icon.co.za>
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