Ethnography for Marketing and Consumer Research
By Alladi Venkatesh, University of California, Irvine, USA, avenkate@uci.edu | David Crockett, University of South Carolina, USA | Samantha Cross, Iowa State University, USA | Steven Chen, California State University, USA
Abstract
This is intended to assist researchers in employing ethnographic methods in marketing and consumer research. It is our response to the demands of practitioners, students, and academics who want to know more about ethnographic research, but who may not have had a formal training or exposure. Ethnographic research is an instantiation of what is sometimes referred to as interpretive research. Ethnography is increasingly used to explore marketing and consumer issues, designing products, services and systems that improve people’s daily lives. We offer a step-by-step approach to conducting ethnography in business and consumer settings with some examples. We also provide a framework and some general principles.
Ethnography for Marketing and Consumer Research
Ethnography in Marketing and Consumer Research is intended to assist researchers in employing ethnographic methods in marketing and consumer research. This is in response to the demands of practitioners, students, and academics who want to know more about ethnographic research, but who may not have had a formal training or exposure.
Ethnographic research is concrete evidence of what is conventionally referred to as qualitative (or sometimes, interpretive) research. Ethnography is increasingly used to explore marketing and consumer issues, designing products, services and systems that improve people's daily lives. The authors offer a step-by-step approach to conducting ethnography in business and consumer settings with some examples. This monograph also provides a framework and some general principles.
