When analyzing qualitative data collected in an exploratory research design, what techniques and how can you use these techniques to do the analysis?

Airways Luggage is a producer of lightweight, cloth-covered luggage. The company distributes its luggage through major department stores, mail-order houses, clothing retailers, and other retail outlets, such as stationary stores and leather goods stores. The company advertises rather heavily, and supplements this promotional effort with a large field staff of sales reps, numbering around 350. There is a large turnover in sales reps (15%-25% per year). Because the cost of training a new person is estimated at $17,000 to $22,000, not including the lost sales that might result because of a personnel switch, Ms. Brooks has been conducting exit interviews with each departing sales rep. On the bases of these interviews, she has formed the opinion that the major reason is dissatisfaction with promotional opportunities and pay. But top management has not been sympathetic to Ms. Brooks pleas regarding the changes needed in these areas of corporate policy, saying her suggestions are based on intuition and little hard data. Ms. Brooks has decided to call on their in-house Marketing Research Department.

In this situation:

a. What is the marketing research problem? (2 marks)

b. What type of research design Ms. Brooks has utilized so far? Why? (4 marks)

c. Assume you work in the in-house marketing research department of Airways Luggage. Which research design strategy would you recommend to Ms. Brooks? Why (explain the details)? (6 marks)

Explain qualitative research: (1) what is it?, (2) what is a focus group, what is key to choose a focus group over other methods, and what is the minimum required number of focus groups?, (3) what is in-depth interview and what is key to select this method instead of others?, (4) who should and who should not be recruited to participate in qualitative research?, (5) which kind of questions we should ask in qualitative research?, (6) should we record (video, audio) the qualitative interviews? (11 marks)