Application of ethnographical methods to studying consumer decisions process

Liudmila N. Bogomolova

No 818, Working Papers from Graduate School of Management, St. Petersburg State University

Abstract: A paper is devoted to the problems of studying consumer behavior using up-to-date qualitative research methodologies. Nowadays, the status of academic discussion on application of qualitative methods in market research is similar to the 60-s, when available amount of data on consumer behavior which had been traditionally analyzed with statistical procedures unexpectedly became almost useless in explaining rapidly complicating strategies of consumer behavior. Back in 60s, a new academic school (understanding sociology) was required to provide genesis and functioning of qualitative methodology which was applicable for solution of marketing problems. Current approach to qualitative market research which appears to be a symbiosis of rational positivistic knowledge and methods taken from phenomenological sociology evidently does not meet market demand any more. Common attention to communicative research methods to the injury of observation techniques and analytical induction leads to sharp decrease of effectiveness of qualitative approach as a whole. The aim of the current paper is to analyze a possibility of new qualitative methods of studying consumer behavior at the current stage of marketing evolution. The paper considers the reasons why ethnographic qualitative methods become more important and describes the concepts of commercial ethnography and observation methods.

Date: 2006
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