Abstract:

This paper attempts to bring together observations relevant to the Western Pharmaceutical Market Researcher gained by a Western based research company operating in Japan. Some of the problems in this field are already highly visible, e.g., those concerning the methods of data acquisition, language, high costs, etc. This paper attempts to focus on the "invisible" aspects of the problems of researching the market and as a result, the nature of the paper is general rather than specific. Some case illustrations will be introduced, however, in the course of the presentation. In the current paper, the "invisible" aspects affecting research are examined in three separate context: 1) institution and history; 2) management, and 3) culture.