February 3, 2012 – by sylver
As a research design and strategy firm, we know that an organization’s innovation plan is critical. In our recent virtual roundtable, the Sylver team was asked to weigh in on the topic of Innovation.
Innovation continued to be a huge topic in 2011. With innovation quickly becoming a part of every organization’s vocabulary, what do you think will be the biggest drivers of innovation in 2012?
Brianna: Innovation has been all the buzz for many years now. It’s not new but I do think people’s perspective and clarity on what it means for their organization may be becoming a bit more clear, but even that I’m not 100% sure of.
I actually wrote an article on this topic, entitled “What Does ‘Innovation’ Really Mean?” in 2006. I think many of the points addressed in that article still hold true today.
“Innovation” as a term I think is used in organizations to sum up the following: We need to grow in some manner, whether that means revenues, customer connection, etc., and figure out some way beyond what we’re currently doing to do that. Sometimes those shifts are minor and other times major, depending on who the company is, their risk tolerance, how much their organization is under threat in the marketplace, etc.
As for drivers of innovation, I think those remain the same. Taken directly from the article mentioned above:
Corporations typically seek innovation services in response to one of three situations:
1. They are currently engulfed in the flames of the “burning platform.” Their profits are dropping, their products are not selling and they don’t know what to do about it.
2. They have emerged from the days of the “burning platform” and have come to understand that innovation is not a start/stop process, but an evolving one that requires constant attention.
3. They are a leader in their industry and are determined to stay there. Failure is accepted within their organization because they understand and fully embrace the numbers game in product development.
While Brianna approached the topic from an innovation driver perspective, Rebecca weighs in by suggesting how companies can achieve quality innovations for their organization.
Rebecca: Research is a critical foundation for innovation. In fact, research is the foundation Sylver has built its business on in the interest of supporting innovation. Sure, if you’re Steve Jobs, you might be able to innovate without doing a lot of consumer research. But, most of us aren’t Steve Jobs. We can cite multiple examples where companies either forgot or neglected to do the research and then were met with disastrous results. Home Depot is a great example. They entered China, only to find out the typical Chinese consumer doesn’t really want to “do it yourself” so the retailer was forced to close a ton of stores there. (http://behindthewall.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/08/6009194-home-depot-fails-to-convince-china-to-diy)
Brianna: Bottom line, companies will have the best success in driving innovation in their organization if they focus on:
• Creating repeatable processes for innovation internally.
• Creating non-traditional metrics for evaluating the value and success of innovations within their organization, particularly those that are departures from their core business.
Comments: Comment
December 21, 2011 – by sylver
It’s that time of year when we’re all frantically rushing to get everything done. Like many of you, amidst the holiday frenzy, we’re also planning for the new year. But, before we look forward to 2012, let’s take a look at a few things we hoped to achieve in 2011 and how we did:
1. Expanding client relationships. 2011 provided us with a great opportunity to work with many of our existing clients on a deeper level as well as partner with some fantastic new organizations. We’re definitely looking forward to expanding on this even further in 2012.
2. Increasing social media. If you had any doubts about the staying power of social media, 2011 certainly proved that it’s a communications platform that is here to stay. During 2011, we made a lot of new friends and fans and found new ways to share. Be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter if you haven’t done so already and join in the conversation with us!
3. Growing our team. Just as in the prior year, Sylver continues to work with amazing talent. During 2011, we added Rebecca Kuchar as our Director of Global Insights + Innovation and had the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the field of ethnography.
4. Networking with our local chamber of commerce. Throughout 2011, participation with our local chamber gave us some unique opportunities to connect with a wide variety of Chicago-area companies and contacts we hadn’t met before. We appreciated having access to the best and brightest minds in Chicago—and being able to take advantage of some exceptional services to support our business efforts.
5. Having some fun along the way. At Sylver, it’s not all about work. We held our first company retreat where we not only had a chance to brainstorm and make strategic plans but we also got to have some fun as a team.
It’s wonderful to review last year’s list and get a sense of satisfaction that we hit the mark on these 5 targets for 2011. Now it’s time we start looking forward. Here’s what we’re excited about for 2012:
1. Finding new spaces. With the expansion of our team and increase in our business across multiple sectors, it’s time for Sylver to find a new home. Be on the lookout for our new address in 2012. We’re working on securing a cool and innovative space that you’ll love to visit. See you there soon!
2. Adding more new faces. This year, we’ll be adding even more shiny faces to our team, so that we can continue to grow and offer unparalleled insights and strategies. Be sure to check our team page for updates!
3. Sending out more “Postcards.” Earlier this year, we launched a series of blog posts titled “Postcards from the Edge of Global Research,” in which our own Rebecca Kuchar shares her experiences managing qualitative research projects worldwide. Sylver is constantly expanding our global reach, so we definitely look forward to bringing you more during 2012! Click here for Rebecca’s latest blog post titled, “Oops, Gestures Gone Wrong in Backrooms Around the World.”
4. Connecting with the research and design community. During the last 12 months, Sylver has been featured at a variety of venues including UX Week 2011, QRCA meetings, and IIT ID. Over the next 12 months, we look forward to being a part of even more incredible industry functions.
5. Continuing the fun! Recharging our batteries helps us to keep our ideas fresh and our momentum going. We’re looking forward to some fun travels and experiences in 2012 and can’t wait to share our stories with you.
What are you excited about in 2012? We’d love to hear what’s on your list planning for the new year!
Comments: Comment
December 2, 2011 – by Rebecca
So, you’re working on a global qualitative research project in a country you’ve never visited before. The lights in the backroom have dimmed. You turn up the volume on your headset to hear the simultaneous interpreter speaking your language. And you watch as your moderator greets the research participants, welcoming them to their seats. So far, so good — just like watching back home!
Whether you’re a global research coordinator, the regional head of consumer insights or a member of the client’s creative agency, your primary job behind the one-way observation glass is usually to watch and listen for amazing new insights and ideas that will propel the product or brand you’re focused on into an awe-inspiringly successful future.
I’d like to argue that your role as an overseas backroom attendee should also extend to acknowledging the cultural environment you are visiting — whether it’s for the 1st time or the 10th time. I’m not suggesting that you have to learn the entire language or attend a three-month cultural immersion course. I’m also not suggesting that you have to be perfect all of the time — honestly, it’s extremely easy to make mistakes and forget where you are, especially when you’re traveling from country to country in no time flat.
Speaking of not being perfect, here are a few cautionary tales I’ve gathered along the way:
- In some parts of the world, the simple “thumbs up” gesture means “things are going really well.” But to Australians, it means “up yours.” That’s not exactly what I was going for as I tried to ensure that my backroom attendees were getting what they needed out of the research I was conducting. Thankfully, many of them weren’t originally from Australia.
- If you’re a scuba diver, the joining of the thumb and first fingertip is the universal symbol for “I’m OK,” but in Brazil, it’s a derogatory gesture with sexual connotations. I once saw one of my clients make this gesture to an entire backroom of Brazilians, with no clue about what it meant. Oops.
- Shaking hands, which is a common business practice in many parts of the world, isn’t a natural for some cultures, so gregariously putting out your hand may be viewed with disdain or discomfort by some (e.g., observant Muslim women, even if they’re seasoned professionals with worldwide experience).
- Being indirect and not making strong eye contact is also the norm for many cultures, especially in Asia, so it’s a good idea to take care in how you address people, particularly when asking someone to do something for you. This can be difficult when you only have a few hours of field time in country and you urgently need your moderator to deliver for you. I guess the best option is very good advanced planning, so you’re all on the same page to begin with. Even then, things can get lost in translation, so patience is a virtue.
- When visiting China, don’t leave your chopsticks sticking out of your rice. This is symbolic of death.
I should also mention that basic greetings and proper distribution of business cards can be important to set the right tone before your first focus group starts. What you wear can also transmit a variety of unintended meanings, so it’s best to err on the side of being conservative.
How do you know what to do and what not to do when visiting another country? To give yourself a bit of an advantage, you can read some good books out there like “Behave Yourself” and “Express Yourself” by Michael Powell. There’s also plenty of information on the Web you might want to print out before your trip. Once you arrive, see how your local backroom observers act and try to emulate their behavior as best you can.
Any backroom stories you would be willing to share? If so, I’d love to hear from you! Send me an e-mail — or leave your comment below this post. Thanks for reading my latest Postcard from the Edge of Global Research!
Comments: 1 Comment
November 4, 2011 – by Brianna
In the market research industry, discussions around new product development research all too often focus on methodologies and techniques. Bottom line, there are many stages to a product’s development. Different research methodologies are more or less relevant depending upon the stage that you’re in and the focus of a particular study. I won’t rehash what I believe the relative strengths and weaknesses of different research methodologies for product development to be. I’ve already written that article.
Rather, what I will say, is that assumptions are all too often the big elephant in the room when the conversation turns to new product development research. And it is assumptions – and more specifically, unspoken ones – that all too often impede companies from finding true innovations that will be openly received by their customers, not so much the methodologies they use for their research inquiries.
Let’s face it, assumptions – whether originating from a client or the researcher – form the foundation of any research initiative, from the decision of whether you design a broad, mid-ranged or closer in focused study to the methods and techniques you choose for data collection and analysis to how you package the results for client consumption. Problem is, many times assumptions are disguised as facts or “documented truths” and that’s when trouble looms.
People start working off of these assumptions, believing that they are “documented truths.” They never question their source or validity. But, one erroneous assumption has the potential to ruin a product, even an entire brand.
So, at Sylver Consulting, we make it our mission at the start of any project to parse out the assumptions from the “documented truths” guiding our clients. We’ve found four methods to be particularly helpful.
1. Prior research. In most cases, companies are referencing previous research – whether primary or secondary – to inform where they want to start their inquiry. Getting your hands on this data will help you to understand how they have arrived at those decisions.
2. Stakeholder interviews. Sometimes we’ll do this as individual interviews and in other instances we’ll facilitate an “Assumptions” exercise as part of a kick-off. Regardless, focus is on uncovering each individual’s perspective on why they think the research we’re starting is important and learning what they already know versus what they need to know to be successful in the future.
3. Assumptions mapping. Write out on paper the assumptions that are impacting the design of your study. Review this list with your client. Many times any assumptions flying under the radar as facts will quickly bubble to the surface once it’s clear that your decisions as the researcher as being based on these “documented truths.”
4. Regular debriefs. As extra insurance, include regular debriefs in your schedule as you collect data. Pay attention to your client’s reactions and comments at these debriefs. This will not only keep you informed about how this project, and their assumptions, may have organically evolved internally since the project’s conception, but it will also give you a sense for how your direct contacts are planning to position and sell the outcomes of the research within the organization after-the-fact.
Comments: Comment
October 28, 2011 – by Rebecca
In this third and final part of our interview, specialist interpreter Dima Anbari talks to us about how she came to found Tanweer MENA and what her hopes are for the future in the Middle East.
For central location studies in the Middle East, how can observers in the viewing room get the most out of a session?
What’s best is to invite respondents to a viewing facility where you can directly see through the glass and have a concealed camera and mic, so the respondents don’t feel intimidated. Even though we do inform them about all the viewing and recording, they quickly forget when it’s not visible and get engaged in a discussion.
One challenge you face is when you have a client insisting to get video recording of females when the female respondents refuse to be recorded. The female respondents have the right to accept or refuse and not be lied to, which some companies do. They say it is live transmission, whereas it’s live recording. That’s not the same. Not all female respondents refuse to get recorded, but the decision is up to them. Moreover, not inviting those who refuse recording would make the client miss out on interesting insights from a large segment. So being in a viewing facility is the best solution. Respondents know they’re being watched through the glass, but have the option of not being video recorded.
Have you experienced any interesting accidents/mishaps while working with foreigners doing research in the UAE?
Oh, plenty! But that’s what adds to the excitement of research.
Talk to us a little about Tanweer MENA, your newest venture.
I came to start Tanweer MENA because of the lack of professionalism I was seeing in the market. Although nothing can be perfect in an industry that is dependent on purely human reactions, there are many flaws. Competition is leading to a lot of cheating in order to be able to drop the rates. There are many unethical things that happen and a lot of times when recruiting is an issue, the client is perplexed by the responses. Other times, the clients who do research on a regular basis tend to be too doubtful. I thought of getting a balance. It’s going really well and we’re focused on quality services and the ability to fully grasp the client objectives so they get the best out of their research.
I also moderate, do analysis, and work on toplines. That really adds value to my clients when they find an interpreter who is well informed about the culture and the region. A lot of times, I’m a respondent before the real respondents show up! The clients find it interesting when they get briefed themselves.
People around the world are fascinated by recent events in the Middle East and Africa (e.g., what here people are calling the “Arab Spring” and now the “Arab Summer”). Are you seeing this playing out in any way in the research that’s being conducted in Dubai and elsewhere in the Arab world?
It is interesting to know about Arab Spring and Arab Summer. Actually, our research topics don’t touch upon anything political and we don’t open up the path for these discussions as our sessions get recorded and sent to clients, so everyone plays safe here.
Once we were doing research about a high-tech product and the moderator suddenly asked the respondent what he thought of what’s happening in the region, so the client pulled out the moderator and asked him not to even get into such topics. I think research slowed down for a while when the events in Egypt happened, but things are getting back on track now. I think research in this region is more about products and services and rarely is it political. I only remember doing one project of the sort and was not comfortable working on it, to be honest.
What are your hopes for the Middle East in the next few years? As a working woman and entrepreneur, but also as someone who observes many Arabic cultural traditions, where would you personally like to see things evolve?
My hope is to have stability in the region, just like everyone else living out here. As for my business, I’d love to watch it grow quickly enough so I could move around with my family and discover the environments of the different Arab nationalities that we always host in our groups. I would like to let my kids have that exposure. It’s the open-mindedness of my parents that made me who I am today and would love for my kids the same.
Thank you, Dima. I truly enjoyed our conversation. I wish you the best and will be sending good thoughts your way.
This concludes “Postcards from the Edge of Global Research – Interpreting the Arab World.” Be sure to join us for our next installment — wherever in the world we are here at Sylver Consulting!
Click here to view Part 1 of this series.
Click here to view Part 2 of this series.
Comments: 2 Comments
October 21, 2011 – by Rebecca
Welcome back, as we continue with the second part of our interview with Dima Anbari, a specialist interpreter and translator based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Here she delves deeper into cultural, language and gender issues in the Middle East.
What advice do you have for researchers looking to do a global study that includes the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries you have experience in? What cultural and language issues should they be aware of?
Before finalizing discussion guides or questionnaires, I believe that every client should consult with the local researcher — and even better, the moderator and translator, since we are the ones dealing with the locals and expat Arabs on a day-to-day basis and understand their mindsets. Given our years of experience, we can predict if certain questions may be too personal or phrased in a very direct way that may offend most of our respondents. Sensitivity and understanding from the client side is most important. Also, clients need to make sure they’ve got their material translated by good translators, because getting concepts poorly translated will skew the results of the research in the wrong direction. Last minute amendments are always very challenging.
Also, clients need to be open and flexible if the respondents refuse getting video recorded or removing their face covers if they keep their faces covered in public. After all, you won’t get the right people nor the real opinions if we pressure respondents in any way.
There’s also “AST,” which is short for “Arab Standard Timing.” Some Arabs tend to show up late or cancel on the last minute. Research companies usually inform their respondents to come 30 minutes to one hour before the time they have scheduled with their clients to avoid delays. However, sometimes all respondents show up early and clients need to be prepared not to delay if this happens because locals of the GCC* are also known to have no patience, particularly the males. They feel they’re too important to wait or talk for too long, whereas it alright if they walk in 30 minutes to one hour late. As for the expat Arabs, if they’re punctual, then they won’t accept delays.
* The Gulf Cooperation Council countries include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and the Sultanate of Oman.
What kinds of sensitivities should clients and researchers strive to develop while visiting your country and interacting with your team?
If you meet a veiled woman, do not to shake hands unless she decides to put out her hand first. Also, do not feel offended if she doesn’t, as this is part of religious belief.
You’re safe when you’re with the research team and it’s only an issue when it comes to the opposite sex if that person is a committed Muslim like myself. It’s actually a challenge for me not to offend my client and show respect whilst not offering to shake hands. Yet I do end up doing so sometimes because certain situations may be totally offensive if I refuse and there’s no time to explain. We have clients from all over the world and the handshake is universal in all business languages.
Once I had a Japanese client from a car manufacturer and every day I wore my cover in a different way. So she thought that if I wear it one way then that must have to do with my religion or nationality and so why would I be wearing it in another style or color? It was really interesting for me to know to what extent the world doesn’t know about this region and the religion most people follow. Of course, I simplified it for her and felt good that she asked.
That’s why I love research — it keeps your mind open. We always tell our respondents, “Everything you say, no matter how simple it may seem to you, is valuable to our client.”
We always inform clients about the do’s and dont’s of visiting local homes. Local females dislike bringing pretty women into their homes. They are envious for their husbands and don’t want such women to come when their husband is around or to be noticed walking in or out. Also, some of them live with their in-laws, who are watching and judging whatever they do at home. Unfortunately, a lot of female observers come wearing very short dresses or see-through clothing. There was one particular time when I was absolutely shocked to find a client showing her cleavage in an inappropriate way. Also, her questions were culturally insensitive and not phrased indirectly, which embarrassed the respondents we visited. Usually, locals are very polite when a guest is at their home, but after they leave, they tell off the company that recruited them!
One other trend I notice is clients sometimes acting as moderators for in-home visits, thinking they can cut down on moderating costs. However, not all clients know how to moderate, so they tend to not know how to loosen up a respondent to speak, and the respondent gets too shy and timid, and we end up getting complaints about the respondent not being cooperative. The real issue is the client’s lack of moderating skills; the problem is not the respondent.
Sometimes I end up moderating and translating by doing two-way translation and that can be very frustrating, as well. I once received a discussion guide that needed a moderator asking questions for one hour non-stop and when I had to do it both ways, I had to keep on stopping to translate, which disrupted the flow. Even the client started asking questions in an unorganized way and kept on taking me to the beginning and end of the guide trying to get responses. If the client had enlisted a moderator to begin with, all of their questions would have been answered in a smooth-flowing manner, they would have been more than pleased and it would have been less stressful for all.
What are some of the other gender issues to consider when doing research in the Middle East?
If you are in Saudi Arabia or dealing with more conservative respondents, then it’s always preferable to have a male moderating for males. It definitely would not work in the reverse manner. So a male should never moderate females in the GCC. I have attended a few groups where a male was moderating and the women were usually not as open. Of course, if it’s strictly a women’s topic, then a male would never do it.
By the same token, I’ve seen a female moderator conducting a male group related to male skin care, and I strongly believe that if a male had moderated, we would have gotten better insights. There is always a limit to how open you are about sensitive topics when it comes to discussing it with the opposite sex. Of course, for topics such as banking and things that are not too personal to men, then a female moderator would be great. For non-personal topics, a highly skilled female moderator is preferable over a not-as-good male moderator. Men tend to not be afraid of mentioning business matters in front of woman moderator because women are often viewed as harmless. Whereas, they may be conservative about providing certain details to a male moderator. Also, given the culture in the GCC, a man is always polite to a woman, but not necessarily towards another man.
If the moderator is not good, then I can’t make out what people are saying, for example if they’re not under control or if the pace is way too quick and eight people are talking all at once. So one key to my success is working with a good moderator who makes sure all information is clear to me and mentions all necessary codes or refers to what respondents are pointing at.
Click here to read Part 3 of this series.
Missed Part 1? Click here to view.
Comments: 2 Comments
October 14, 2011 – by Rebecca
This interview is part of a series of blog posts on the challenges and rewards of orchestrating global and multi-cultural research. We’ve been talking with some of our favorite partners around the world to learn more about their unique markets and how they’ve become the great researchers we love to work with. We hope you enjoy these “Postcards from the Edge of Global Research” and welcome your comments.
Dima Anbari is a simultaneous interpreter and translator based in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. She is also a co-founder of Tanweer MENA, a field research services company serving global organizations with an interest in the Middle East and North Africa. She and her team maintain a deep understanding of the unique social, economic and political factors that characterize this dynamic, yet often misunderstood part of the world.
So, Dima, tell us about yourself and your background.
I’m an American/Canadian of Syrian origin and the mother of three kids. I grew up in Saudi Arabia and later went back to Canada and the U.S. I studied Arabic and English both at the same level at school.
My educational background is commerce and international business. I became an interpreter when I came to the United Arab Emirates and was looking for a job that would not keep me away from home for long hours — I had a baby to care for. A friend of mine suggested that I do transcripts for Arabic audio and translate into English. I later progressed into simultaneous translation when they noticed the high-quality work I submitted to them.
What are some the challenges you face with interpreting Arabic into English?
Now that I’ve been doing this for a while, I’ve become accustomed to the challenges. However, you could get lost in translation when there are creative concepts translated into Arabic and they’re being read quickly during the focus group. Concept translation is not literal and so there can be some discrepancies. Back-translation (translating back into the original language after the first round of translation) is necessary to keep the client in the loop of what’s being comprehended by the respondents.
A phrase translated into Arabic may be understood differently, even if the translation is perfectly correct. Words used in Arabic can convey more than one meaning and that’s when it gets tricky. I always stress the importance of having both the Arabic and English content during focus groups, so I can follow along and comment about the back-translation, as well.
Arabic is not simple. It’s quite complex. That’s why it’s important to know in advance what topic you’re translating for and the type of people who will be showing up. The greatest challenge I face is when participants start reciting poetry or words of wisdom in Arabic and you either can’t translate it or it’s too hard to put together a meaningful sentence in a few seconds. Literal translation would not make sense. That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s frustrating. In general when I feel I am lost in translation, I either say “not clear” or “not sure what they’re saying.”
Once I was translating during an in-home-visit for a project related to perfumes. Out of trying to catch every word at a very fast pace, I translated a word into “aromatic,” whereas I should have said “diffusive.” Fortunately, the client picked that up and asked me to clarify, helping me think about what the respondent really meant. I appreciated his approach and understanding, as well as his accuracy at work. After all, that one word made a huge difference.
You worked on a project for me interpreting Arabic into English … how often do you work from English into Arabic?
Most of my translation is to English because most of our clients are English speakers trying to understand an Arab’s point of view and culture. However, I have interpreted into Arabic before and the nice thing about it was that I tried to speak in my clients’ local dialect so it sounded more like dubbing to them. Given that it was a municipal government public services project, the whole discussion was about understanding the culture and habits of those English speakers.
What are your secrets for being a great simultaneous interpreter?
Talent and confidence in both languages I speak! A smooth, flowing tone gives reassurance to the observers that they’re not missing out on anything. I even tell them a lot of the jokes or side talks going on so they feel as though they’re with the respondents and not in the viewing room. Of course, I always brief them about the culture and mindsets, so they get a better understanding of why a comment was made or why something was comprehended in a certain way by respondents. It could be cultural, religious, a conservative view. It could even be a particular generation’s way of thinking.
I try to stay online while translating in case I miss a word or I’m not confident about whether I picked the right word or not, so I look it up quickly and inform the client even if it gets delayed until the next sentence.
Transcripts also help a lot. When you’re interpreting, you haven’t got much time to think, but when transcribing, you can give the words you hear more thought. I consider creating transcripts to be a great practice. When you’re in a simultaneous session and you hear the same word again, it instantly lights a bulb. As a simultaneous interpreter, every session is a new lesson. I consider myself a “specialist translator” rather than an interpreter. Interpreters wait until they hear the entire sentence, process it, then speak, whereas I start to translate before a sentence is complete. I always make sure I analyze what I’m saying, so if it doesn’t make much sense in English, I restructure it so it does or I clarify the meaning of what’s being said.
I am realizing that many researchers may over-simplify what it means to do translation vs. interpretation. Can you elaborate on the difference between the two? I always thought translation pertained primarily to the written word on the page, whereas I thought simultaneous interpretation was having someone working in real time to help viewers understand what is being said. But I think you are making an even more important distinction here, which is that there is a difference between a simultaneous interpreter vs. a simultaneous translator.
OK, this is tricky. What you are saying is correct, however, I have realized through experience that simultaneous interpreters wait until they understand what’s happening and then say what they heard in their own words and they don’t fill in all the details that were said. It’s more like a summary or part of what was said. Simultaneous translation is more of literal translation — I spew out everything I hear in real time. I obviously try to mind the sentence structure, but sometimes fail when the respondent is not very coherent, which is another translation challenge, or if there’s a lot of talking at the same time.
Now, I don’t only keep it to that. I always make sure I explain to the client what is meant hence, interpret, to make sure the client doesn’t get confused. Or sometimes, it is something cultural so I fill in the client about why they said it.
The most important thing and the reason why I keep it more literal, is to help the client understand the wording of the respondents. A lot of times clients like to understand the words that respondents are saying and although two words may give the same meaning overall, yet what respondents use is one of them and that makes a difference for clients looking for words to use on packaging, or in their ads, etc. Sometimes it also helps the client understand if the moderator is explaining something in a way that is different from what the client has briefed, and so that could skew the understanding and responses of the respondents in the wrong direction. That is why I mentioned before that I call myself a specialist translator as I combine between both simultaneous interpretation and translation.
That concludes Part 1 of our interview with Dima Anbari. Be on the lookout for Part 2 and Part 3, coming up next!
Comments: 3 Comments
August 26, 2011 – by Rebecca
Here, in the conclusion of our three-part (see part 1, part 2,) interview with Caroline Baker from EMRA, we explore the traditional dynamic between women and men in France. In case you missed Part 1 and/or Part 2, Caroline is a highly regarded moderator and researcher originally from the U.K.
Do you find that as a moderator you need to make any adjustments depending on region or culture?
Not particularly. There are obviously differences in accents. In the south, let’s say Marseille, that accent is quite different from Paris. And of course the climate is different — Marseille is on the coast of the Mediterranean — so that might influence what people eat or what leisure activities people have. But generally, no.
One thing that has come out in recent news related to France is the whole Dominique Strauss-Kahn incident, which has been played up greatly here in the U.S. While I know the French of course have a reputation for romance, I was actually shocked to learn there was more of a penchant for sexual harassment in everyday business settings than I was aware of. Any perspectives on this?
It is interesting, because the whole “DSK” affair, as we say here — well, it’s been so fascinating to see the way people react. It’s true now that in France, it has finally provoked a discourse about the problem of a chauvinistic society and men’s behaviour. And what is now being said more openly by women is, “Yes, I’ve been in a situation in France, whereby men in the workplace behave in an offensive and a harassing manner” … and a lot of women suffer from it! At it’s worst extreme, it can be an offense akin to rape and at it’s least extreme, it can just be a sexist remark. But some men here just can’t seem to stop themselves from making a comment on the size of your backside or your breasts — they just can’t forget for more than five seconds at a time that you’re a female. And I think this is still very widespread in France. They like to say they’re “Mediterranean,” in other words, southern Europeans and “Latin lovers,” as if it’s acceptable to behave in that manner in the workplace. So yes, I do think the Frenchmen can be extremely sexist, but fortunately, they’re not all quite as bad as Strauss-Kahn. They can also be extremely courteous — which is not a characteristic I necessarily associate with English or American men!
You conduct quite a lot of all-male B2B focus groups in IT in particular. In fact, that was the case for the projects you and I have worked on together. Have you ever experienced a negative situation there — or are men in focus groups too intimidated because they know there are people behind the glass and they’re being video-taped?
[Laughter] No, I’ve never had that problem when I’ve been moderating.
But there is in France — certainly more than England (which is a more Puritan kind of society) — this idea that I’m a man and you are a woman, which is at it’s nicest a very tiny little undercurrent of flirtiness you have to acknowledge. You have to give it a little smile. I’ve often found that French men like to be charming — they like my accent (which unfortunately I still have, even after all this time in France!) and I’m often given little compliments on my French. They’re not trying to pick me up or seduce me. It’s just a kind of repartee or banter. It happens less in focus groups, because, as you say, they’re in a more formal situation.
But France is still quite a macho country and women get paid less than men for doing exactly the same job. And women can be hired or fired basically because they are attractive or not.
While it varies from country to country certainly, the status of women in business and in society seems to be a somewhat universal problem. We’ll have to fix that! This has been a lovely interview and I thank you for your insights and candor. Keep us posted on your new book.
I look forward to our next study together!
Me, too. Thanks, Caroline.
“Postcards from the Edge of Global Research” is a series of blog posts from Sylver Consulting about the challenges and rewards of orchestrating global and multi-cultural research. Next up in the series – “Interpreting the Arab World,” an interview with Dima Anbari of Tanweer MENA in the United Arab Emirates.
Comments: Comment
August 19, 2011 – by Rebecca
This is the second part (see part 1, part 3 here) of my interview with qualitative researcher Caroline Baker of EMRA in France. In Part 1, we learned some interesting things about French focus group and interview participants. In this post, we’ll explore some language and logistical issues.
Can you tell us any stories about things getting lost in translation while you were moderating?
What very often happens is that we get messaging and other stimulus materials that have been badly translated — not because the translator is incompetent, but because he or she didn’t understand what was being said in English in the first place. Some IT companies in particular tend to use terms which only they understand and when the content is then translated into another language, it’s often even less comprehensible than when it was in English. That can be a problem!
That’s another thing which I think is a shame, but I can understand why it happens these days — research has become so international, but it’s conducted within such a tight time frame. Clients are literally flying in, watching a few groups, and flying out to the next country the next day. There’s very little time to actually analyze what was said in the groups or maybe to discuss things a little bit, because everybody is so tired. By the time you’ve gotten through two B2B groups — which you can’t start earlier than 6.30 p.m. because people stay in the office late here — it’s 11 o’clock at night and the U.S. clients probably flew in that morning and they’re just completely knackered and the moderator is pretty tired because she’s just gone through back-to-back groups. It’s a pity, because I think sometimes everyone’s taking what’s said at face value over the course of the evening and they don’t take a step back and analyze it in the way it should be. They take things that the respondents have said literally. But in a way, that’s not the way to do market research. The way to do market research is to interpret and analyse what respondents have said and maybe also take into consideration what respondents have not said.
In the old days when research was more of a new thing, it was fantastic having clients in the backroom, because it was often absolutely the first time they had ever sat in on a focus group and heard their customers or their users talking about their products — so they were really entranced and everything was very satisfactory for all concerned. These days, it’s gone the other way. I get the impression they feel they have to be there, looking through the glass, almost like they’re policing that the research is being done with the right respondents in the right way.
I wonder if this is, in fact, a result of being more multinational in research today. As you mentioned, global research teams are travelling the world from city to city to city with not much time to spare. In the established research destinations like France and especially with experienced recruiters, there has always been a certain amount of trust that you’re going to get the right people in the room the vast majority of the time. In some of the emerging markets, it can be dicier with last-minute changes to the recruit, which can leave you feeling a little less than confident. You can’t help but think that this might make clients and global research coordinators feel a bit more on edge in general. Any thoughts on that?
Yes — that’s a good point, you probably need to keep a close eye on who is being recruited in emerging markets — although once again, I’d repeat a point I made earlier on — do make sure you are in touch with that researcher in that market before you finalize your research proposal, so that you are not asking her to recruit “five-legged sheep” — as they say in France.
I don’t want to suggest that us local researchers don’t want the commissioning agency to be there — on the contrary, it’s important to have a thorough briefing on the background to the project and to moderate the group knowing someone is there on the other side of the mirror! But the people I’m sometimes worried about are the end clients — fitting international market research into their crowded schedules, spending their days on planes and their evenings in a viewing facility!
Aside from Paris, which cities in France do you visit most often for research?
Lyon is the second largest city in France and it’s a good way south. It’s quite a contrast to Paris. Having said that, it is still a fairly affluent city.
The problem with France is that it’s centralized in terms of economy and industry. So it’s quite difficult to do business-to-business research anywhere other than Paris and Lyon and Marseille, because the companies just aren’t located elsewhere. There are always going to be SMBs (small and medium businesses), but large companies tend to be concentrated around Paris and if you try to find them in the other regions, you’re not going to find the decision makers. Even if there’s an IT guy based in Lyon, he will probably just be carrying out decisions made in Paris.
For healthcare and consumer goods, there are obviously hospitals and consumers all over France, so I would say for that kind of research, it would be Paris, Lyon, Marseille and then Lille, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Tours. Now, we are starting to get some reasonable facilities in all of these towns. Twenty years ago, you’d have to use a hotel and hire a camera man. There were no facilities. But now, there are good quality facilities with the equipment that you need in quite a few towns.
How far are people willing to travel to participate in a focus group or interview in France?
One difference I can think of compared to London, for example, is that all of the research facilities in Paris are centrally located in the city. In London, there are a lot of suburban viewing facilities and you can move out into the suburbs and you can pick your area depending on which socioeconomic classes you’re looking for. So depending on the group you want, you can probably find a local facility in the London area that fits.
In Paris, that doesn’t exist. And that can sometimes be a problem. If you want certain people who are not likely to live anywhere near central Paris and you’re asking them to take part in groups in the evenings, it can just be harder to recruit them and persuade them, because they’re having to travel quite a long way.
I know that in America, people are often happy to jump in a car and drive 100 kilometres to get to a group. But here in Paris, there is a lot of traffic congestion and public transport, good as it is, may not be the ideal way of travelling home late at night
This concludes Part 2 of our three-part interview with Caroline Baker. Join us for Part 3, posting Friday, August 26 or jump over to Part 1, if you happened to miss it.
Comments: 1 Comment
August 15, 2011 – by Adriano
Congratulations, you’re set to do a research study with a global organization with offices and employees all over the world. From the moment you begin communications with them, you begin to schedule meetings using direct invitations from your Outlook or Google Calendar, Tungle, or the latest in online scheduling tools. Everything runs smoothly and your interviews and meetings go off without a hitch.
Continuing on your successful roll, you agree to facilitate a study with another group. Like always, you get the study set up and start scheduling interviews and meetings with the study participants, but on Day 1 you call your first participant and he/she is not available. Hmmmm. Curious. You call your 2nd participant. Same thing. Not available. Now there’s concern. Next thing you receive is a frantic email from your first call wondering where you are??
Stop. How could this happen? You check your communications and you did call at the right time. How could things have gotten so messed up? Better yet, how are you going to fix it? Here are 3 things you need to make sure are in place when you are scheduling interviews with participants.
1. Be mindful of how your participants might generally interact when it comes to meetings.
In other words, do they generally meet with people locally or are they accustomed to speaking with people all over the world. If they are only used to talking to people in their immediate area, they may not even think to look at the time zone indicated in their communications. Make sure that time zones are clearly marked in any emails or letters to them. It’s also a good idea to show them their appointment in multiple zones (e.g. 4:00pm EST/1:00pm PST).
2. If you are using a scheduling program or software, be sure that it converts time zone based on the
participant.
You need to be able to input your schedule in your home base time zone, but it needs to be clear to the participants which one they are scheduling in.
3. Confirmations are critical.
Many systems are set up to do automatic confirmations by email. However, you may want to consider doing a phone confirmation. This human touch is generally better received than an impersonal email but also can confirm that the participant knows the exact time and time zone.
Have any other tips for avoiding scheduling disasters? We welcome your comments here!
Comments: Comment
Subscribe to RSS
