Decision resource consultancy: a convergence of disciplines that aid consumer marketing

Abstract

When companies recognise the limitations of seat-of-pants decision making, it is not always immediately clear where to turn in order to procure the information and advice that can result in better business decisions. The chosen resource might be a research agency (assumed to be fast-acting); a management consultancy (likely to be reassuringly expensive); or sources in the academic world (popularly seen as 'leading-edge'). What is delivered will depend on the type of supplier chosen: so far, each of these resources has developed in isolation, with its own assumptions, methods and codes of conduct.Nowhere is this more starkly seen than among providers of qualitative research, the discipline that gave birth to focus groups and marketing-oriented depth interviews. Depending on the supplier, the client may be provided with research that is process-based, skills-based or knowledge-based. The design, practice and analysis of the research will differ accordingly.In this paper, it is argued that the time has come to establish a new form of business consultancy which understands the strengths and weaknesses of these three traditional approaches, which can offer research brokerage that makes available the most appropriate techniques, and which can bring together the distinctive offerings of market-research agencies, universities and management consultancies as a total resource in helping clients to make optimal decisions. An acceptance of new kinds of professional alliances will be required, as 'meta-consultants' look for cooperation, not competition, among those who are based in each of these three domains.

Oh No, the Consultants are Coming

“…While some people will be and have been threatened by this fact and the perceived encroachment of the consulting industry on the research arena, this concern is generally unwarranted. Consultants recognise that research is a skill that requires training, experience and intelligence to do well that is why they are so keen to develop partnership relationships with research agencies (Bailey 2002).…”

The origin and success of qualitative research

“…Whatever hopes may be held for future understanding between academic and commercial-world researchers, we seem at present to have arrived at a point where qualitative research has evolved into three distinct versions (Bailey 2002) . Put simply, there is a version that is much exercised by how to establish a reliable 'audit' trail through the entire research process into the findings reported; a second that stresses the need for interviewer/moderator skills, and an ability to interpret findings; and a third that seeks confirmation of knowledge-based advice for the implementation of recommendations .…”