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GLOBAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE

In Tokyo, Finding the Correct Address Is Not Easy

Conduction consumer research using personal interview or mail surveys is easy-all you need is an accurate mailing address so that the local postal service or interviewer can find the respondent and deliver the survey package or conduct the interview. Surprisingly, it’s not that simple, as many places in the world do not have street names and there are not rules in the world do not have street names and there are not rules for numbering the houses; large Japanese cities are good examples.

                Tokyo is one of the largest metropolitan centers in the world, but very few of the streets have names. The streets themselves are confusing as they wander in every direction. A Tokyo address includes the name of the area and numbers representing the district, block, and house. The house closest to the Imperial Palace is supposed to be No. 1, and all other houses are supposed to be numbered from that point clockwise around the block. The problem is that many times these rules are not followed. In some instances, all of the houses on the block have the same number.

                How, then, does one find a specific house in the maze of unnamed streets and houses numbered in odd ways? The answer-with great difficulty. Tokyo residents try to get around the problem by describing the house location relative to some conspicuous landmark; even then It’s not easy to find the house.

                For the market researcher, conducting surveys in cities like Tokyo presents special problems. The problems can be minimized by a comprehensive understanding of the market and careful preplanning of the research.

In Japanese cities, finding a street address can be a time-consuming task. Shuichi Abe, a delivery man at Express Company, looks for a house in an alley in central Tokyo to deliver a package.

               

                A specific topic is introduced and thoroughly discussed by all group members. Because of the interaction, hidden issues are sometimes raised that would not have been detected in an individual interview. The skill of the group leader in stimulating discussion is crucial to the success of a focus group. Focus groups, like in-depth interviews, do not provide statistically significant information; however, they can be helpful in providing information about perceptions, emotions, and attitudinal factors. In addition, once individuals have been gathered, focus groups are highly efficient means of rapidly accumulation a substantial amount of information.

                When planning global research using focus groups, the researcher must be aware of the importance of language and culture in the discussion process. Not all societies encourage frank and open exchange and disagreement among individuals. Status consciousness may result in the opinion of one participant being reflected by all others. Disagreement may be seen as impolite, or certain topics may be taboo. Unless a native focus group leader is used, it also is possible to completely misread the interactions among group participants and to miss out on nuances and constraints participants feel when commenting in the group situation. Before deciding on a focus group in a global setting, the researcher must be fully aware of these issues.

Summary of Survey Methods

In spite of all the potential difficulties, the survey technique remains a useful one because it allows the researcher to rapidly accumulate a large quantity of data amenable to statistical analysis. With constantly expanding technologic capabilities, global researchers will be able to use this technique even more in the future.

                Table  summarizes the major advantages and disadvantages of each survey method. The reader should note the possible additional disadvantages of using these methods globally.