Respond to both parts A and B. Research and discuss one (1) organizational issue

Question

Respond to both parts A and B.

Research and discuss one (1) organizational issue in marketing research that an organization could face. How could this issue be overcome?

Technology is making our behavior more and more difficult to keep secret. Mobile phones, RFID tags and GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) devices are ways that your location and movements might be tracked. While legitimate uses of this type of technology exist and may assist in easing traffic patterns and provide better locations for retail establishments, at what point does the collection of such information become a concern?

Provide at least one citation (and use quotes for any direct quotes from any source – including the textbook or any websites used).

Explanation / Answer

One of the biggest organizational issue in marketing research is the data collection methodology. The data is collected either through social media or by conducting primary surveys. The data available through social media is very messy and there is a lot of cleaning up required. Primary surveys are difficult and costly to conduct since many respondents are unwilling to cooperate in the process. Also, much of the secondary data is unavailable or difficult to obtain due to government regulations and strict privacy policy. One solution to this problem is to use alternative methodologies like big data and innovative methods like satellite mapping of data that are being used by some research organizations these days.

The collection of personal data for the purpose of research has been made easy through modern technology and data collection methods. But this can become a concern when it collects private information of people regarding their daily lives. This may be done through mobile phone or GPS tracking and it is possible to track all the movements made by an individual. The individual may have a problem in sharing such information and if it goes into wrong hands, it may be misused for blackmailing the person. Such tracking of information may also lead to frauds and may promote cyber crime.

Shilton (2009) in her paper titled "Four billion little brothers : privacy mobile phones and ubiquitous data collection" talks about such data collection methods and says that such data reveals a lot about our regular habits and routines. she further says that it could become a method of surveillence by the government or employers giving private space to individuals.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse R
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.