{"id":1483,"date":"2017-12-21T14:08:30","date_gmt":"2017-12-21T13:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thenextquarterly.com\/?p=1483"},"modified":"2021-08-09T09:26:57","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T08:26:57","slug":"deep-dive-qualitative-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thenextorganization.com\/en\/deep-dive-qualitative-research\/","title":{"rendered":"A deep-dive is necessary to find colourful coral: why qualitative research matters for organisations"},"content":{"rendered":"[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.2″]

In today\u2019s business contexts where technology develops rapidly, organisations mainly focus on obtaining quantitative data. Take the example of the Net Promotor Score (NPS), which gives an indication of customers\u2019 satisfaction and customer loyalty. But does that really tap into the customer\u2019s experience? Organisations heavily adopted this metric as a handheld for senior management. It has been used to draw conclusions of the customer experience and link this directly to the firm\u2019s performance in terms of sales and revenues. Ironically speaking, whole sales teams are assessed based on one single number, while this number does not tell anything about what<\/em>, why<\/em>, and how<\/em> customers experience products or services. This valuable information can only be obtained by using qualitative data instead. Yet, somewhere along the line, organisations seem to have forgotten about the value that qualitative research adds to their understanding of customer needs and business performance. Therefore, this article will state the importance for organisations to involve qualitative research into their daily business practices and help them how to do this.<\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.3″]

An introduction to qualitative research<\/strong>
In academia, qualitative research is becoming more topical in fields like management and marketing. While it is rooted in other social sciences like anthropology, scholars seem to adopt qualitative research more and more to understand customers in both B2B and B2C contexts. Where quantitative research answers for example the \u2018how many\u2019 or \u2018how often\u2019 questions, qualitative research is considered to answer the \u2018what\u2019, \u2018how\u2019, \u2018why\u2019 questions. For example: \u2018what are customers\u2019 needs and wants?\u2019, \u2018how do customers use a certain product or service?\u2019, \u2018why do customers appreciate products or service?\u2019. Looking at these questions, qualitative research is ideal for understanding customer\u2019s life world. Basically, and put in business terms, qualitative research is suitable for understanding customers\u2019 opinions and beliefs, needs, perceptions, experience and values. In short, these are all key concepts for organisations to thoroughly comprehend. The following paragraph discusses how qualitative research can be applied in practice.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.3″]

Qualitative research as a tool to understand customer\u2019s lifeworld<\/strong>
Marketing is about understanding, creating, communicating and delivering value (for customers). Qualitative research is becoming increasingly important in these marketing processes. For example, with understanding the customer\u2019s experience (how customers experience products or services). In this case, quantitative data would remain superficial. Qualitative data on the other hand, allows us to create a deeper understanding of the \u2018lived experience\u2019 of customers (how customers experience products or services in their daily lives). Also in mapping the customer journey, qualitative research will be of great use. It helps organisations to map in-depth the needs across different stages in the buy\/usage funnel of customers. As a result, organisations are better able to understand their customers.<\/p>\n

Take the example of Steve Jobs, who stated, \u201cYou\u2019ve got to start with the customer experience and work backward to the technology \u2013 not the other way around\u201d. Only through conducting qualitative research, one can understand the customer experience properly. As such, Apple is able to offer a strong value proposition based on the Golden Circle of \u2018why\u2019, \u2018how\u2019, and \u2018what\u2019.<\/p>\n

An example of well-conducted qualitative research is how Oral B developed their toothbrushes for youngsters in the late 90\u2019s. Through observing kids using toothbrushes, Oral B was able to understand how exactly kids use them. A couple of important things came to light: kids hold their toothbrushes in a different way compared to adults; kids hold their toothbrush in their fist, and kids face difficulties holding adult toothbrushes. These findings were uncovered through using so-called \u201cethnographic research methods\u201d. Through this, a unique and innovative toothbrush with a thick and squishy grip has been developed. This example perfectly illustrates the relevance of qualitative research and what impact it can have.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.3″]

Useful qualitative methods for organisations<\/strong>
What are qualitative methods that are useful for organisations? There are a couple.<\/p>\n