Before I began reading a journal, I went for a run in the morning and then did 20 minutes of calisthenics today. This really began pumping my muscles as well as stimulating my mind. It actually enabled me to focus more intensely. Furthermore, it enabled me to concentrate so well, I was able to read and take notes on three different journals, plus I have finished two short blog articles before 4 pm. So overall it was a good day, here is the summary below.
DBA: Chapter 10 (#The Digital World@Qualitative Research)
Today’s chapter was more of a summary of what Netnography and Digital Ethnography are. However, the main focus in this chapter was on netnography. It also vaguely looked at digital diaries, visual methods, and qualitative data analysis software works.
A quick summary of all the main areas the chapter has focused on
- Netnography an interpretive method devised specifically to investigate the consumer behavior of cultures and communities present on the Internet’. It was specifically. Netnography was predominantly used for the purposes of marketing and consumer research, but has developed as a method for looking at broader online communities and has been adopted by more varied academic disciplines such as management and sociology.
- Digital Ethnography is similar to Netnography, but digital ethnography sees a link between the online and offline worlds, whereas netnography doesn’t.
- Digital Diaries allow real-time capture of moments on your mobile phone or any other electronic device. Digital diaries also allow research to become an active process. Digital diaries they are able to upload images as well as thoughts and experiences.
- Visual Methods which include, but are not limited to, the use of photography and video or film-making have been argued to be helpful in studies attempting to examine phenomena. One of the problems with the use of visual methods is trying to understand how to analyse the data. Collecting visual data is not like documentary photography photo journalism.
Key Takeaways
- The digital world is fundamentally and rapidly changing the nature of qualitative research.
- This change is in terms of methods, philosophy, and modes of analysis and interpretation.
- The nature of qualitative research will continue to change at an unprecedented rate as technology develops.
- If you are going to adopt digital methods – visual images, diaries, netnography, etc. – you need to read extensively about the method. You also need to understand the historical origins of these methods.
- Many research papers, particularly over the past five to ten years, state that they have used a data analysis package to help interpret their qualitative data. Remember, you do not have to follow suit. There are many valid reasons to continue to code and analyse your research manually.
1st Journal Review: Word of mouth and digitalization in small retailers: Tradition, authenticity, and change
The latest DBA journal review, this the first of three, is on ‘Word of mouth and digitalization in small retailers: Tradition, authenticity, and change‘.
The main points of the article are as follows:
- Innovative retailers have concluded that technology is a fundamental part of creating new shopping experiences, which in turn can increase brand loyalty.
- The internet provides new communication channels for consumers to engage with brands, which can reiterate loyalty, brand image and word of mouth (WOM).
- Website design of ecommerce sites can influence positive consumer behaviour and emotional ties to a brand.
- The internet has changed the operational strategies for retailers, as it had profound effect on all elements of the purchasing process, consumers and distributors.
- Social media, blogs and emails have become the new word of mouth (WOM) marketing strategy, as it can empower retail businesses from gaining thousands of contacts. Information sharing via these mediums has represented significant development in consumer behaviour and attitudes to shopping.
- The easy access of the internet has empowered marketers like never before, as they can influence and monitor word of mouth with transparency.
- Content pages can both be created by consumers, as well as by retailers, which encourages participation, interactions, positive attitudes to shopping and building communities around brands. These interactions can positively or negatively impact a brand or product.
- Consumers tend to place more trust in brands and products if the recommendations comes from their peers, rather than when a company produces/pushes content.
- The digitization of a business should not be outsourced entirely.
2nd Review: Evolution of strategies of retail and technological systems under broad digitalization conditions
The 2nd journal review was very disappointing, it was short for starters, and also used some really big words and sentences. Most of it was irrelevant to digitalization.
There was only one main point of the article:
- Retail innovation is determined by the retailers overall innovation development.
3rd Review: Digital strategies for two-sided markets: A case study of shopping malls
The 3rd journal review was an interesting one, as it did not concentrate on retailers but on shopping malls and how they are affected by digitalization.
The main points of the article are as follows:
Digitalization refers to the integration of digital technologies to transform activities, processes, actors, and goods from analogue to digital to facilitate new forms of value creation.
J. Hagberg[cm_simple_footnote id=”1″]
- Electronic word of mouth (eWOM), has become a critical driver of retailers day to day decisions.
- Digitzation now enables retailers to enhance their offerings and availability of products and services.
- Digitalization offers alternatives to traditional business models.
- Digitalization is far more complex than turning everything into digital. Sometimes, investment into new offerings can yield no substantial return, and even erode the retailers competitive advantage.
- Digital technologies are actually pushing firms to be physical as well as digital, hence why Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017.
- Digital technologies now represent a shift in business for many industries including retailing.
- Through ecommerce and digital technologies, firms can create value via efficiency.
- Digital Technologies may improve management operations and reduce costs.
- Recent research suggests, that omnichanel approach to strategy in retailing i.e. digital and physical should be maintained.
- According to a study by PwC, the retail industry isn’t exactly sure on how to use the new digital technologies. Further studies also show, that retailers may benefit the most by adopting digitalization, compared to other industries.