1工商管理專業(yè)英語(yǔ)unit92Glossaryhypotheses:n.anideawhichisthoughtsuitabletoexplainthefactsaboutsomething假設(shè)；假說(shuō)classify:v.toarrangeorplace(animals,plants,books,etc.)intoclasses;divideaccordingtoclass分類；歸類exploratory:adj.(ofanaction)doneinordertolearnsomething〔指某一措施，舉動(dòng)〕探索的；探險(xiǎn)的descriptive:adj.thatdescribes表達(dá)的；描寫(xiě)的causal:adj.havingcause原因的；因果關(guān)系的；表示原因或理由的crystallize:v.to(causeto)becomeclear,settled,orfixedinform〔使〕具體化；使變得明確；定形identify:v.toproveorshowtheidentityof認(rèn)明；認(rèn)出contemplation:n.theactofthinkingdeeplyandquietly;deepthought思考；沉思paramount:adj.fmlgreataboveallothers;highestinpowerorimportance〔正式〕至上的；最重要的；最高權(quán)力的diagnostic:adj.oforrelatingtodiagnosing診斷的predict:v.toseeordescribe(afuturehappening)inadvanceasaresultofknowledge,experience,reason,etc.預(yù)言；預(yù)測(cè)3Glossaryconcomitant:adj.fmlexistingorhappeningtogether(withsomethingelse)〔正式〕伴隨而來(lái)的；并存的；連帶的plurality:n.thestateofbeingplural復(fù)數(shù)marginal:adj.(ofaplace(SEAT)inparliament)whichmaybelostbyasmallnumberofvotes〔指國(guó)會(huì)席位〕以少數(shù)選票差距失敗spurious:adj.1.notreallytheproductofthetime,writer,etc.,showorclaimed假的；偽造的；假托的2.likesomethingelsebutfalselyso擬似的；假的salient:adj.standingoutmostnoticeablyorimportantly顯著的；特出的alternative:adj.(of2things)thatmaybeused,had,done,etc.,insteadofanother;other〔兩物中〕可用來(lái)代替另一個(gè)的；其他的pragmatic:adj.dealingwithmattersinthewaythatseemsbestundertheactualconditions,ratherthanfollowingageneralprinciple;practical實(shí)際的；實(shí)用主義的4KeyTermsandConceptsExploratoryresearch:Initialresearchconductedtoclarifyanddefinethenatureofproblem.Descriptiveresearch:Researchdesignedtodescribecharacteristicsofapopulationorphenomenon.Causalresearch:Researchconductedtoidentifycause-and-effectrelationshipsamongvariables.Concomitantvariation:Thewayinwhichtwophenomenaoreventsvarytogether.相隨變量，共變因素5TextMarketingresearchprovidesinformationtoreduceuncertainty.Ithelpsfocusdecision-making.Sometimesmarketingresearchersknowexactlywhattheirmarketingproblemsareanddesigncarefulstudiestotestspecifichypotheses.Forexample,asoftdrinkcompanyintroducinganewclearcolamightwanttoknowwhetheragoldorsilverlabelwouldmakethepackagingmoreeffective.Thisproblemisfullydefinedandanexperimentmaybedesignedtoanswerthemarketingquestionwithlittlepreliminaryinvestigation.6textInmoreambiguouscircumstancesmanagementmaybetotallyunawareofamarketingproblem.Forexample,McDonald'smaynoticethatMo'sBurgers,acompetitionintheJapanesemarket,introducedMo'sRoastKatsuBurger,aroastporkcutletdrenchedintraditionalJapaneseKatsusauceandtoppedwithshreddedcabbage.ThemanagersmaynotunderstandmuchaboutJapaneseconsumers'feelingsaboutthismenuitem.Ordinarily,mineexploratoryresearchisnecessarytogaininsightsintothenatureofsuchaproblem.Tounderstandthevarietyofresearchactivity,itisbeneficialtocategorizetypesofmarketingresearch.7text

Marketingresearchcanbeclassifiedonthebasisofeithertechniqueorfunction.Experiments,surveys,andobservationalstudiesarejustafewcommonresearchtechniques.Classifyingresearchbyitspurposeorfunctionshowshowthenatureofthemarketingprobleminfluencesthechoiceofmethods.Thenatureoftheproblemwilldeterminewhethertheresearchis(1)exploratory,(2)descriptive,or(3)causal.8textExploratoryExploratoryresearchisconductedtoclarifythenatureofambiguousproblems.Managementmayhavediscoveredageneralproblem,butitmayneedresearchtogainabetterunderstandingofthedimensionsoftheproblemandtoaidanalysis.Exploratoryresearchisnotintendedtoprovideconclusiveevidencefromwhichtodetermineaparticularcourseofaction.Usuallyexploratoryresearchisconductedwiththeexpectationthatsubsequentresearchwillberequiredtoprovidesuchconclusiveevidence.Rushingintodetailedsurveysbeforelessexpensiveandmorereadilyavailablesourcesofinformationhavebeenexhaustedcanleadtoseriousmistakes.9textForexample,supposeaChinesefast-foodrestaurantchainisconsideringexpandingitshoursandproductlinewithabreakfastmenu,ExploratoryresearchwithasmallnumberofcurrentcustomersmightfindastrongnegativereactiontoeatingaspicyvegetablebreakfastataChinesefastfoodoutlet.Thus,exploratoryresearchmighthelpcrystallizeaproblemandidentifyinformationneededforfutureresearch.10textDescriptiveResearchThemajorpurposeofdescriptiveresearch,asthenameimplies,istodescribecharacteristicsofapopulation.Marketingmanagersfrequentlyneedtodeterminewhopurchasesaproduct,portraythesizeofthemarket,identifycompetitors'actions,andsoon.Descriptiveresearchseekstodeterminetheanswerstowhy,what,when,where,andhowquestions.11text

InfinitilearnedfromdescriptiveresearchthatAmericansgenerallystarttoshopforacarbyconsideringsixmodels.Theythennarrowthefieldandusuallyvisitthreeshowroomsbeforetheysettleonamodel.Thistakesanaverageoftwoweeks.However,buyersofluxurycarstypicallytaketwiceaslongtocompletethedecisionandmakeapurchase.Thesedescriptivefindings,combinedwithknowledgethattheyfacedcompetitionfromdozensofluxurymodelsonthemarket,influencedInfinititoencouragedealerstoemphasizethequalityoftheconsumer'sshoppingexperience.Thecompanymadesizableinvestmentsindramaticarchitectureforshowroomsandelegantfurnishingssuchasfountainsandindoorbridges.SomeInfinitishowroomshavecontemplationzones—designatedareaswherecustomerscansitwithoutharassmenttoconsidercarpurchasesinZenlikesilence.12textMagazinestypicallyconductdescriptivesurveystoidentifythecharacteristicsoftheiraudience.ForyearsTeenmagazinemanagerssensedthat12to15year-oldgirlscaredalotaboutfragrances,lipstick,andmascara,buttheylackedanyquantitativeevidence.Theirdescriptiveresearchfoundthat94.1percentof12to15-yearoldgirlsusecreamrinse/conditioner,86.4percentusefragrance,and84.9percentuselip-gloss.OfthegirlsusingFragrance,73percentpreferredusingtheirownbrand,17percentsharedtheirbrand,and6percentusedsomeoneelse'sbrand.Resultsshowedthatmostgirlsusecosmetics.Brandloyaltybeginsearly,and12-to-15year-oldspreferusingandchoosingtheirownbrands.13textAccuracyisofparamountimportanceindescriptiveresearch.Whiletheycannotcompletelyeliminateerrors,goodresearchersstrivetodescriptiveprecision.Supposeastudyseekstodescribethemarketpotentialforpersonalphotocopyingmachines.Ifthestudydoesnotpreciselymeasuresalesvolume,itwillmisleadthemanagerswhoaremakingproductionscheduling,budgeting,andotherdecisionsbasedonit.14textUnlikeexploratoryresearch,descriptivestudiesarebasedonsomepreviousunderstandingofthenatureoftheresearchproblem.Althoughtheresearchermayhaveageneralunderstandingofthesituation,theconclusiveevidencethatanswersquestionsoffactnecessarytodetermineacourseofactionhasyettobecollected.Manycircumstancesrequiredescriptiveresearchtoidentifythereasonsconsumersgivetoexplainthenatureofthings.Inotherwords,adiagnosticanalysisisperformedwhenconsumersanswerquestionssuchas"Whydoyoufeelthatway?"Althoughtheymaydescribewhyconsumersfeelacertainway,thefindingsofadescriptivestudysuchasthis,sometimescalleddiagnostic,donotprovidecausalevidence.Frequently,descriptiveresearchattemptstodeterminetheextentofdifferencesinneeds,attitudes,andopinionsamongsubgroups.15textCausalResearch

Themaingoalofcausalresearchistoidentifycauseandeffectrelationshipsbetweenvariables.Exploratoryanddescriptiveresearchnormallyprecedecause-andeffectrelationshipstudies,Incausalstudiesresearcherstypicallyhaveanexpectationabouttherelationshiptobeexplained,suchaspredictingtheinfluenceofprice,packaging,advertising,andthelikeonsales.Thus,researchersmustbequiteknowledgeableaboutthesubject.Ideallythemanagerwantstoestablishthatoneevent(say,anewpackage)isthemeansforproducinganotherevent(anincreaseinsales).Causalresearchattemptstoestablishthatwhenwedoonething,anotherthingwillfollow.Thewordcauseiscommonineverydayconversation,butfromascientificresearchperspective,atruecausalrelationshipisimpossibletoprove.Nevertheless,researchersseekcertaintypesofevidencetohelpthemunderstandandpredictrelationships.16text

Atypicalcausalstudyhasmanagementchangeonevariable(forexample,advertising)andthenobservetheeffectonanothervariable(suchassales).Someevidenceforcausalitycomesfromthefactthatthecauseprecedestheeffect.Inotherwords,havinganappropriatecausalorder

ofevents,ortemporalsequence,isonecriterionforcausalitythatmustbemettobeabletomeasurearelationship.Ifaconsumerbehaviortheoristwishestoshowthatanattitudechangecausesabehaviorchange,onecriterionthatmustbeestablishedisthatattitudechangemustprecedethebehaviorchangeintime.17text

Intheaboveexample,someevidenceofconcomitantvariationexistsbecauseadvertisingandsalesappeartobeassociated.Concomitantvariationoccurswhentwophenomenaoreventsvarytogether.Whenthecriterionofconcomitantvariationisnotmet--thatis,whenthereisnoassociationbetweenthevariables--reasoningsuggeststhatnocausalrelationshipexists.Iftwoeventsvarytogether,oneeventmaybethecause;however,thisbyitselfisnotsufficientevidenceforcausalitybecausethetwoeventsmayhaveacommoncause;thatis,bothmaybeinfluencedbyathirdvariable.Forinstance,alargenumberoficecreamconesweresoldonemorningatAtlanticCity'sbeach.Thatafternoon,alargenumberofdrowningoccurred.Mostofuswouldnotconcludethateatingicecreamcausesdrowning;morelikely,onthatdaythebeachwascrowdedandthenumberofpeopleprobablyinfluencedbothicecreamsalesanddrownings.Theeffectcouldhavebeenproducedinotherways.Thus,causationrequiresmorethanconcomitantvariationandapropertimesequencebetweentheoccurrencesoftwoevents.Theremaybeplausiblealternativeexplanationsfortheobservedrelationship.Apluralityofcausesispossible.18text

Considerapresidentialcandidatewhoreducesadvertisingexpendituresneartheendoftheprimarycampaignraceandwinsmanymomdelegatesintheremainingprimaries.Toinfercausalitythatreducingadvertisingincreasedthenumberofdelegates-mightbeinappropriate,becausethepresumedcauseoftheincreaseindelegatesmaynothavebeentherealcause,itismorelikelythatneartheendoftherace,marginalcandidateswithdrew.Therealcauseprobablywasunrelatedtoadvertising.19text

Intheseexamplesthethirdvariablethatisthesourceofthespuriousass