Big picture, small focus

Editor’s note: Owen Jenkins is CEO of Kadence USA, a Boston research firm.

There is an old military saying: “Amateurs study tactics, but professionals study logistics.” Applied to research this saying might be rephrased as, “Amateurs study methodologies but professionals study field services.” This is not intended to diminish the role of methodology (and research design) but rather it suggests that strong fieldwork execution is essential to the success of a research project. This is no truer than when you consider multi-country research.

Coordinating high volumes of data generation from a variety of teams globally requires extensive delivery experience and organization. Most importantly, however, it calls for detailed local market knowledge to achieve the required results.

This article (and its accompanying sidebars) examines the internal reality and challenges faced by an American-led research agency team executing an international business-to-business research project.

Local teams

At our firm we prefer to conduct global research projects using local teams. While there are advantages to using a centralized phone center with global reach, local knowledge should be considered essential on even the most straightforward research studies. As a result many projects are managed by a geographically-dispersed field team.

The challenge of a dispersed team is to establish a common understanding of the project. This will allow individuals to adapt to local conditions while still meeting the same goals. There are three approaches to ensure that this common understanding is achieved in an international team, one that spans multiple offices and time zones:

1. A team conference call, which allows everyone to receive the same briefing and share questions and answers. Time zones add a wrinkle to schedules - the normal compromise is 7 a.m. Eastern U.S. time (7 p.m. Singapore  time). Note that a large group requires a structured yet participative environment.

2. Individual verbal briefings. While time-consuming, these briefings can be tailored to the needs of each researcher implementing the project.

3. Written communication, i.e., e-mail. This is an excellent way to communicate detail but offers no way to gauge understanding and can certainly struggle to convey tone.

A mixture of approaches is advised: a verbal group briefing to provide a general understanding of project objectives and the bigger picture; a one-to-one conversation with individual offices to confirm schedules and methodologies; and a comprehensive follow-up in writing that reiterates the key objectives of the project.

An example of the issues discussed during such briefings include:

  • A clear definition for the terminology used, particularly in reference to the demographics of a country and the subject matter being researched. It is important to ensure, however, that discussions of this nature remain constructive. A meeting paralyzed by a discussion of the definition of a word or term is of no benefit to anyone.
  • Choice of appropriate language. The language in which the research study will be conducted within individual markets and the impact this will have on the delivery time of findings and cost has to be discussed. For example, a European study can, but should not, be undertaken in English, but rather the native language of each country. Many European professionals can communicate in English but are more comfortable, and more effective communicators, in their native language.
  • “Translating” currency. Deciding how to convert currency when it is referenced in the questionnaire is crucial. Should U.S. dollars always be used? Is it appropriate to convert the amount at the current exchange rate? Or should the questionnaire convert using purchasing power parity?
  • Representative geography. The specific regions selected in the sample can often be unrepresentative of the geography being studied. For example, a U.K. study centered on London does not reflect economic conditions across the country. It is vital to use local knowledge to grasp the dynamics of a region and deliver the brief cost-effectively.

Five milestones

There are essentially five milestones that the international agency team has to collectively consider to deliver the research on time and within budget. The delicacy of the logistics means that any delays or incorrect scheduling will result in unexpected costs, which will often need to be covered by the agency.

1. Questionnaires

Getting the questionnaire right for each market in which the research is taking place is complex and time-consuming but absolutely essential. Once the standard questionnaire has been approved by the client, a pilot test should be undertaken in the client’s language. This will test the questionnaire routing as well as the respondent’s ability and willingness to answer the questions. Once tested, the questionnaire can be translated into the relevant languages. In addition to a basic translation, a native speaker must ensure that there is no misuse of words and check that the interviewer will be able to clearly ask the questions intended. Time is also spent translating the introduction of the questionnaire for each country and how the context of the study will be communicated by the researcher.

Sometimes the client can assist in translations, especially where specialized industry terms are used. Care should be taken to ensure that whoever is involved in the translation is fully on board with the project’s objectives as their “translations” may alter the direction of questioning.

Local knowledge is also utilized during this phase to ensure the interviewer addresses the interviewee in the appropriate manner. When completing telephone interviews, there are only a few moments in which to engage the respondent and secure their willingness to participate in the study. If they are spoken to incorrectly - too informally or too formally - they are unlikely to provide the desired feedback.

Finally, the questionnaire must also be adapted for the multiple modes in which it will be delivered, so that standard results can be received. From face-to-face interviews to telephone research to Web-based surveys, each team must have a clear understanding of how to input the data so it can be easily compared regardless of the technique used in its collection.

You can expect pressure to complete the pilot phase quickly. Clients are keen to see “movement” on a project, especially after prolonged questionnaire development. Enough time should be scheduled for testing and translation - three weeks is not unusual. Mistakes that are not identified will multiply quickly. Any scheduling problems in this phase of the project can have a costly effect on the study, as field research teams globally have been appointed, briefed and are ready to implement the questionnaire - but only once the client has provided sign-off.

2. Interim data

Once the project is live it is important to closely monitor results. Is the research producing inconsistent insight, and could this, for example, be a result of the method used for data collection? A system must be in place to look out for early warning signs of trouble. Early intervention ensures no long-term problems are encountered that would delay the project.

Our firm, for example, delivers an interim data file to clients for preliminary analysis. This interim file is signed off on before the study progresses. A recent example of why this is important was witnessed in a project undertaken for a mobile telephone manufacturer investigating its market share across a variety of regions. The interim data highlighted that market share was higher in Southeast Asia and lower in the U.S.  than expected. This changed the direction of the study and affected the cost and timings.

3. Meeting the deadline

Is the research on schedule? This is a question that must be addressed continually throughout the study. Even where all markets are on schedule, certain economies may struggle to support the required number of interviews, especially where commercial databases are less prevalent. Therefore, representative samples may be built through mixing and matching databases and using local knowledge to set quotas or select “tier one” cities.

4. Cleaning and coding the research

Time must be allocated to clarifying suspicious information, calling back a random selection of respondents and translating any open-ended questions back into English. The commitment involved in this element of the study cannot be underestimated, particularly when collating and delivering accurate and consistent research that will provide the client with tangible insight.

5. Delivering the results

Finalizing a research project and delivering the insight to a client at the end of a study is extremely rewarding. The investment in solid field management results in robust global reports built with detailed local insight.

Clearly manageable

Time differences are without doubt a consideration when implementing international research, but with the use of technology, and the adoption of flexible working patterns, this issue is minor compared to the other logistical challenges that are faced. The problems that can occur are clearly manageable through continual monitoring of the research activity in every market.

The single most important element in international research, however, is the role of local knowledge. This can never be underestimated. Something unexpected will always come up. Even markets that appear to be similar in culture or language will require terminology to be regionalized and realistic sample sizes to be estimated. Without this native insight, projects can become complicated, costly and difficult to complete.

 

ARTICLE SIDEBARS

Researching Europe 

By Simon Everard, group president and CEO of Kadence UK

The U.K. has a good reputation for undertaking and delivering global research. London boasts an international culture and offers the relative skill sets and cultural awareness required for implementing multicultural research studies. From a U.S. perspective, it is often the first country approached when commissioning research in Europe due to its common language and an overlapping work day.

There are many similarities between the operations of U.K. and U.S. businesses. However, this can encourage U.S. clients to believe that all European companies are similar and can be approached in the same manner. Superimposing cultures onto European research can be an expensive error.

Research needs to be undertaken using a country’s national language and every language added can cost in excess of $1,000 due to the additional preparation and field work required.

Further, the European commercial market, and the organizations that operate within it, does not mirror the size and scale of the U.S. economy. This can result in problems meeting the required sample size, for example “1,000 companies with x thousand employees” potentially may not exist. Added to this is the complexity of sourcing the sample. Unlike the U.S. and U.K., which can draw on resources such as Dun and Bradstreet, other European States such as Germany have extremely strict privacy laws that limit the availability of commercial information.

Researching Asia-Pacific

By Piers Lee, managing director of Kadence Asia-Pacific

Unlike in Europe, there are very distinctive cultural differences between U.S. businesses and those in the Asia-Pacific region. Two or three countries will not count as a representative sample for Asia-Pacific, and each individual economy in which a U.S. organization aims to trade needs to be identified and researched.

Establishing sample sizes is a challenge. Secrecy laws in markets such as Japan, for example, result in limited public directory information and no defining databases. Also, the scale of the economy can often not meet client expectations regarding sample size, such as with the smaller city states of Singapore and Hong Kong. This lack of information can cause particular problems when researching small and medium enterprises.

Talking for extended periods on the phone to a stranger is difficult within some Asia-Pacific markets, such as Japan, Thailand and Korea. However, these limitations are sometimes overemphasized. In many instances, if the correct procedures are followed (for example, drafting a letter of introduction which explains the research and asks a company for its willingness to participate) such cultural restrictions can be overcome. Time limitations mean many businesses cannot accommodate face-to-face interviews, furthering a reliance on telephone research.

Attitudes toward participating in research do not mirror those found in mature markets such as the U.S. Once you have engaged with a respondent they are often more cooperative and willing to assist in the research; some might even feel privileged to be asked to share their opinions. This is especially true when they are asked, for example, to represent the business community of their country in a regional study for a high-profile brand.

Researching India

By Aman Makkar, managing director of Kadence Research India

The Indian market research sector has adapted well to the research needs of U.S. businesses. Though relatively young, it is drawing on its experiences delivering national insights to shape and redefine its offerings to international clients.

Although over 50 languages are spoken in India, most international business-to-business research interviews will be undertaken in English due to the high level of spoken English within companies. However, the terminology of a questionnaire must still be regionalized, particularly when referencing a monetary question, as this must not only be converted into rupees but also amended to represent the “worth” intended. This can be a long process, as in addition to making a single currency conversion, this then needs to be applied geographically to accommodate the economic differences across this vast nation.

Low adoption rates of landline telephones (only 30 percent of the population owns such technology) have led to a reliance on face-to-face data collection.

Reflecting the rest of Asia, India has no company directories available. Much time must be spent to create databases, and once these are established, a significant amount of energy is invested by the call center team to monitor the information and ensure it is accurate. Local market knowledge, business contacts and market awareness are thus paramount to even initiating a research project in this country.