Man oh man. This is what bites a business in the butt everytime you turn around. I really like this discussion. I guess my favorite question is the first one that relates to the McDonald's VP. Just think about what kind of deliema this guy is in! I mean, ethics on my level is whether or not to steal the nice ink pen from the bank counter when depositing a check. This guy has spent millions of dollars on research to effectively show that he did the research for nothing! To save his job, he's gonna have to put in his report that the consumer satisfaction rating is the 89% that agree that there are healthy offerings. The right thing to do would be to report his findings that the market that they're trying to appeal to just isn't going to eat there. All the health buffs will definitely hit Subway before McDonalds. Kinda like selling ice to an Eskimo. There are just too many offerings out there that will better suit their needs. Totally wrong market for their burgers and fries. So if I'm this VP for McD's that has just screwed up and spent a lot of money for nothing, what do I do? I tell the truth, take my severance package and go apply for a job at Waffle House....they don't mind selling a heart attack on a platter!
The last question is after leading a successful presentation that the client wants the raw info from the research. This is probably the easiest question that can be answered. This goes against everything that ethics stand for. This would breech researcher/client server confidentiality and privacy. No way would I surrender the information. These are all corporate pressures that can define the very existance of the firm that you are working for. There may be a hidden agenda behind asking for the data. This may very well be a task to see if your company would surrender the data to other clients when asked. You never know why others ask for things they do.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
David,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the best statistic for the VP to present would be the 89% but he will (or should) get both statistics from the researcher. I don't necessarily think that he spent all that money for nothing. After all, 89% of the people surveyed think McDonald's offers healthy options. Although, I think you are right on the money with the "health buff" market not being interested in eating at McDonald's. In the second issue you raised a good point that I had never even considered. You talked about a hidden agenda for asking the research company for the respondent information. It had never crossed my mind that the client might ask for the information just to test you, or for another reason than they said. Good point!
David,
ReplyDeleteI didn't think of being tested either. I wonder what could the motive be behind testing a client in such a manner, though. Although I do agree its certainly something that could happen what would cause someone to think of that? Do they already mistrust you or are they just mistrusting of everyone? That leads me back to the point that I made in my blog when you have instances like this and people choose to make their client happy and lie or change results it can ruin all research because no one will know what is true or simply fabricated to save someone's job. Another thing that I question is why would McDonald's think that they could get positive opinions from "healthy eaters"? Sure they offer a salad or two but everyone with any common sense knows that Mickey D's is terrible for you. I think I would tell the VP that whoever thought of this strategy hadn't done their research and were not prepared to create a new image. A fast food place isn't one that is going to get a high approval rating from health conscious consumers, regardless of how much money is spent on the plan.