Unit III Article Critique

In certain situations, observation is the only way of obtaining information on customer behaviour, especially where the influences on that behaviour are subconscious. A study was undertaken to develop guidelines for the siting of middle-market restaurant outlets in order to maximize the number of potential consumers passing by at lunch-times. The location was three interconnecting streets in a suburb of South London. The study was in two stages. Firstly, an observation of consumer movements around the high street. Secondly, a series of visits to the restaurants as covert observers during the lunch period.

In Phase 1, a range of factors was assessed to see if they had any influence on consumer traffic flows in general and on restaurant usage. These included: the curve of the road, the sunny side of the street, pedestrian crossings, public transport sites, the gradient of the street and the types of shops in the vicinity of the restaurant. Counts of consumer traffic were conducted for 15-minute periods, focusing on strategic areas such as those near pedestrian crossings, the top and the bottom of the hill, near banks with cash withdrawal facilities, etc.

During Phase 2 the restaurants in the study were visited four times at lunch-time and detailed notes taken of customers using classifications such as: types of customer (individuals, couples, families, similar age groups); dining purpose (business, family treat, celebration, romantic one-to-one); style of dress (formal or casual); and mode of transport (walk, taxi, car, bus, etc.). By analysing the types of customer in the restaurant, it was then possible to assess if there was a positive relationship between the type of customer on the streets and the type of customer in the restaurants. In other words, the study was assessing whether the restaurant was situated in the right place.

It was found that, to maximize the flow of potential customers going past the restaurant at lunch-times, the outlet ought to be situated: on a central site rather than at the far end of the high street, on the sunny side of the street, on the inner rather than the outer curve of the street, and near transport links appropriate to the outlet’s key market segments (customers).

Source: Adapted from Boote and Mathews, 1999

Activity 16.5

Examine the observational design in  Case Study 16.4 . Could the data gathering have been done in any other way? How effective would this alternative method have been in terms of the validity of the data? What dangers are there of observer bias in the study and how could they be controlled for?

Suggested answers are provided at the end of the chapter.

Summary

· Observation is more than just ‘seeing’; it also involves complex combinations of all the senses and the interpretation of observed events.

· Observation can be overt or covert and involve the active participation of the observer or non-participation.

· One of the challenges of the observational approach is the gathering of data, particularly if the observer is a covert participant.

· Field notes should be as comprehensive as possible and should be taken either as events are observed or as soon as possible afterwards.

· Observational methods will often be triangulated with other research approaches, such as interviews and questionnaires.

· For structured observation, coding schedules will be used based on the principle of either noting events over a period of time or noting when an event occurs.

· Ethical issues arise, particularly where covert observation is being used. Researchers may do well to make use of a code of ethics drawn up by the relevant professional body, if such a code exists.

Review questions

1. To what extent does observation provide a better approach to the study of behaviours than interviews and surveys?

2. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of conducting covert and overt observation.

3. Why should field notes be written up immediately after the field observations?

4. List three advantages of using structured observation. What are the drawbacks, and how can these be accommodated?

5. What is the role of unstructured observation as a precursor to structured observation?

Research Action 16.1: Planning your observations

Think about the following steps to form an overall plan for your structured observational research.

1. Will you be overt or covert in your observations? Write down reasons for your choice.

2. Revisit  Table 16.1  which gives a list of potential data sources. Make a note of the ones you will draw on.

3. Decide how you are going to take field notes. Will you make them as you observe or afterwards, or a combination of the two? How will you take them? Will you use a computer program or simply type them into a tablet computer?

4. Is there any potential for bias? If so, how will you take steps to minimize it?

5. Will you triangulate with other research approaches? Write down which ones might be worth considering and give reasons.

6. Think about ethical implications, especially in covert observation. Is there a relevant code of ethics you could consult?

Your Research Project Checklist

Next Steps In Your Research Project

Push your project forward with a host of resources available to you online:

· Watch videos to build your understanding of important concepts

· Read journal articles to deepen your knowledge and reinforce your learning of key topics

· Discover case study examples that help you to gain insight into real research in the business world

Watch: Naturally occuring data

Read: Online brand construction

Discover: Dynamics of non-participant observation

If you are using the interactive eBook, just click on the icons in the margin to access each resource.

Alternatively, go to:  https://study.sagepub.com/graybusiness2e

Further reading

Bailey, C.A. (2018) A Guide to Qualitative Field Research, 3rd edn. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press. Not only is it clearly written, but also this book contains a host of valid and informative examples of practical experiences in the field.

Calvey, D. (2017) Covert Research: The Art, Politics and Ethics of Undercover Fieldwork. London: Sage. Explores the roots of covert research and offers real insight into how to conduct covert research in an ethical way.

Darlington, Y. and Scott, D. (2002) Qualitative Research in Practice: Stories from the Field. Buckingham: Open University Press. Discusses how to avoid deception and how non-participation is difficult to achieve in practice.

Journal resources

Roberts, J.C. (2007) ‘Barroom aggression in Hoboken, New Jersey: Don’t blame the bouncers!’, Journal of Drug Education, 37(4): 429–445. Using structured observation, finds that the absence of doormen and bouncers is a strong predictor of barroom violence.

Thorpe, A.S. (2014) ‘Doing the right thing or doing the thing right: Implications of participant withdrawal’, Organizational Research Methods, 17(3): 255–277. Discusses the implications and the researcher’s response to the withdrawal of participants from a grounded theory study that involved field observation of an experimental community.

Volery, T., Mueller, S. and Siemens, von B. (2015) ‘Entrepreneur ambidexterity: A study of entrepreneur behaviours and competencies in growth-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises’, International Small Business Journal, 23(2): 78–81. Uses structured observation to explore the everyday behaviour of entrepreneurs.

Suggested answers for Activity 16.1

If the observation was overt, then customers might act in ways that might hide or obscure their inability to cope with some aspects of the system.

Suggested answers for Activity 16.5

Certainly, data could have been collected in other ways – for example, through a market research survey of customer attitudes to the siting of the new restaurant. But would the return rate be adequate? Would the responses be honest? With observations, however, one of the dangers is observer bias. One way of controlling for this is through the use of multiple observers, who would each observe independently and then compare both their raw data and analysis.

Don’t forget to click on the icons throughout the chapter to access the supporting resources:

You can also access these digital resources at:  https://study.sagepub.com/graybusiness2e

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