Soft Craft Research
The core of our business is the planning, design and execution of comprehensive
research projects into the opinions of the targeted respondents. The fully managed
service offering includes appropriate target audience selection, the generation
of random stratified samples, questionnaire design, data collection and statistical
analysis and reporting.
We listen, consider and plan
Based on the requirements, we design the research instruments such as questionnaires
and consult on the most effective and appropriate methodology (quantitative or qualitative)
to use for field work. The data collection can be managed via online electronic
surveys (highly cost-effective), mobile phone (SMS), paper questionnaires, telephonic
administration, focus groups, or a combination of these in a multi-modal research
project.
We prepare and gather data
During survey administration we report on completion progress by monitoring response
rates against preset quotas. This ensures not only high-level representativity,
but that the views of specific segments the project wants to focus on are sampled
adequately.
At the conclusion of the survey administration, we can generate a post-sample
to correct for any self-selection bias that was exhibited by specific groups of
respondents, to ensure that the overall sample is indistinguishable, and statistically
representative of the overall population in respect of key demographic variables
such as age, gender, geographic location or any other variable that is available
and relevant.
We generate wisdom
Our analytical team uses a wide range of descriptive reports. These range from reports
representing the responses to the questions in terms of frequency distributions,
to computed average (mean) scores in the case of answers that can be represented
numerically (e.g. Lickert scales, such as Agreement through Disagreement).
The results are typically also aggregated to the level of key dimensions or indicators.
In addition, the results per question are displayed by those demographic variables
where significant differences are detected in how a particular group answered the
statement when compared to the rest of the respondents, using appropriate statistical
tests.
Multivariate techniques are routinely used to identify groups who are characterized
by multiple demographic variables, each of which is meaningful in respect of detecting
groups who selected a specific answer more readily than the sample as a whole.
The result sets produced by these techniques are graphically represented
to emphasise the difference in proportion in the groups when compared to the overall,
and colour-coded to aid interpretation.
The information from the various reports, together with the embedded statistical
information, is used by our analysts to highlight key management insights.
They prepare and present these findings, together with our recommendations
to our clients’ executive management team.
Related Research Practice Areas
- Employee research: Climate, culture, value surveys; Management Effectiveness ratings
- Customer research: Client satisfaction, market research
|