Unstructured, Communicated Either Verbally or

¶ … unstructured, communicated either verbally or through non-measurable knowledge transfer methods, and is used for analyzing and interpreting human behavior (Gururajan, Fink, 2010). As a result, qualitative research is often focused on the motivations and conditions that lead to behavior and activity, and therefore is the primary means of research in the social sciences (Gururajan, Fink, 2010). As this research approach is focused on behavior, motivations, sample sizes are typically small, and methodologies concentrate on observable behaviors. Ethnographic research, ethical industry, and grounded theory are all examples of qualitative research (Gururajan, Fink, 2010).

Examples of qualitative research include ethnographic studies of how consumers use software applications, as Microsoft does this research to observe how to make their software more user-friendly. The use of focus groups by food companies including Taco Bell to understand how to make a better taco or Mexican fast food is another example of qualitative research. Quantitative research is based on methodologies that seek to systematically measure and report the interrelationships, properties and structure of data and subjects studied (Pavia, 1991).

As these methodologies are defined to test and validate hypotheses, there is often extensive use of statistical and mathematical analysis to verity the reliability and extrapolate results across broader populations (Pavia, 1991). Two examples of this type of research are the J.D. Power Index of customer satisfaction and the use of statistics to measure and project economic activity based on government spending, which is called econometrics.

Another example of qualitative research is the use of expert-level interviews on a topic of interest to a business or organization with the Delphi Method. The Delphi Method of research and discovery centers on gaining insights that defy categorization or quantification through other research methods and focus on the perspectives gained from speaking with experts (Daud, Ismail, Omar, 2010). This approach to research is critically important because it provides the research team with the necessary foundation of insights and intelligence to create more effective secondary, and often highly quantified research projects.

The use of the Delphi Technique can also save literally weeks or months of effort in research projects as experts can typically provide succinct, clear responses to difficult, complex questions. The Delphi Method also can provide an entirely new perspective on the goals of the research and put the areas of primary focus into a context that would take years of study to attain. The expert panels recruited for this type of research can also define emerging trends no one has written about or discussed in the fields of interest.

Due to all of these factors, the Delphi Method is considered one of the most effective in qualitative research. Studies completed using this technique have led to the development of entirely new business models at General Electric for example (Daud, Ismail, Omar, 2010). An example of quantitative research is the use of online surveys to measure customer satisfaction with a new car. R.L. Polk or J.D. Power & Associates, two of the most well-known companies in the area of auto satisfaction, often do this type of survey.

This data is critical for the auto manufacturers and their dealers to understand as it tells them their competitive strengths and weaknesses relative to the.